Autumn 2014 - Aussie Farmers Direct

Transcription

Autumn 2014 - Aussie Farmers Direct
ISSUE 12 Autumn 2014
EASTER RECIPE FEATURE
Fresh ingredients and ideas to feast on
KIWI
CONNECTION
Our kiwi fruit orchardist
DISHING UP AUTUMN
Recipes from Hayden Quinn, Phillippa Grogan and more
PUMPKIN PATCH Butternuts
Next-gen farming
BEETROOT New Love Beets
PORK Our promise
CUPCAKES A sweet treat
LOVED
ON THE FARM
From ensuring Huon salmon live in a stress-free and pristine
environment, to making sure our fish enclosures have a stocking
density of 99% water to 1% fish (amongst the lowest stocking
density in the world), we go to considerable lengths to produce
the world’s most loved salmon.
Our salmon are fed the highest quality feed available using innovative
feeding techniques that we have developed on the farm. Just as
importantly, when our salmon are processed for sale, we do it
humanely utilising equipment that has been awarded by the RSPCA.
We’re also 100% Australian family owned.
The Huon innovation salmon farming philosophy
1
2
3
4
Stress Free Raised to mirror the natural life
of salmon in the wild.
Well Nourished The highest quality feed
dispensed by our ingenious feeding system.
Kept Clean and Healthy Nurtured in the
most spacious enclosures in the world.
Raised with Sustainable Practices
In the crystal clear open waters of Tasmania.
For more great salmon recipes visit
huonaqua.com.au
facebook.com/huonaquaculture
@huonaqua
LOVED ON THE
PLATE
SMOKED SALMO
N WITH CREAMY
SCRAMBLED EG
GS AND CHIVES
INGREDIENTS
With Huon Smoked
Salmon
200g Huon premi
um cold smoked
salmon
8 slices sourdoug
h (toasted)
5 large free-range
eggs
1 tbs cream
2 tbs butter
to taste: salt and
pepper
2 tbs chives (snipp
ed)
8 trussed baby tom
atoes
1 tbs extra virgin oli
ve oil
½ cup micro herbs
Preparation time
5 min
METHOD
Cooking time 4
mins
Serves 4
Place the tomatoes
into a small oven
tray and brush wit
olive oil and seaso
h the
n with a little salt.
Pla
ce into a preheate
set at 180°C and
d oven
roast for 5 minutes
. Remove and set
aside.
Combine together
in a bowl the eggs
, cream, 1 tablespo
butter and seasonin
on of
g, beating with a
fork until well comb
ined.
Place a non-stick
frypan onto gentle
heat and add in a
tablespoon of butte
r. Pour in the egg
mixture and stir wit
spoon. Continue
ha
stirring gently until
the mixture thicken
becomes creamy.
s and
Remove from the
heat, add in the ch
ives and place on
toasted sourdough
to the
slices.
Top with the smok
ed salmon slices an
d present with the
tomatoes and herbs
roasted
.
SPREYTON FRESH.
NOTHING BUT
APPLES.
APPLE AND RASPBERRY
NOW AVAILABLE
Spreyton Fresh has been
championing Tasmanian
apples for over a 100 years so
it’s no wonder their juices are
loved by Aussies all over. An
iconic family brand, Spreyton
Fresh only juices the finest
apples from their orchards in
Spreyton, Tasmania.
SPREYTON’S AUTUMN REFRESHER
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
1.5 litres Spreyton Fresh Apple Juice
½ cup water
¼ cup caster sugar
1 large (1.8 kg) pineapple, peeled and chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
ice cubes, to serve
Combine the sugar and water in a small
saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5
minutes stirring occasion until the water comes
to the boil and all the sugar has dissolved.
Remove from the heat and cool slightly, then
refrigerate until cold.
Place the chopped pineapple pieces and cup of
mint in food processor and process until finely
chopped. Strain the mix into a bowl and add
1 cup of the pineapple and mint pulp. Add
the cooled sugar syrup and Spreyton Fresh
Apple Juice to the mix and stir gently to
combine.
Pour mix into a 2 litre jug and serve over ice
with a garnish of mint on top.
TAB
2
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
WELCOME
The Year of
Sustainable Business
For all the rhetoric about sustainability, no longer can it be solely an environmental proposition.
The industry restructuring taking place, with
the intended closure of manufacturing by
the car companies, the market pressures
on SPC and Qantas, have all led to
significant debate on the sustainability of
manufacturing in Australia.
This is one reason to call for a Year of
Sustainable Business; to focus on the
broader role of sustainability for business
Australia – in our case to draw attention
to a sustainable food production and food
fair? Is the competition on a level playing
field? Are margins being squeezed such
that investment does not occur? Is there
a cost-price squeeze on suppliers and
farmers from imported food or low prices
causing unsustainable incomes? Are short
term contracts and low prices causing
adverse impacts on fertility of the soil
and overproduction? What are the social
impacts on farmers and rural and regional
communities from this food system?
So it is time to declare the Year of Sustainable Business where
there should not only be a focus on the economic and social factors but also the
environment factors of production.
manufacturing in Australia.
Companies with the best prospect for
profitability and market success will invest
and lead to a more sustainable outcome for
Australia.
A sustainable Australian business sector
needs a level playing field, is able to
encourage investment in industries that
have a competitive advantage and will
provide jobs and growth that have ongoing
social benefits.
But consider our food system in Australia.
Is market power in the food system,
Supporting Country Australia
Donate to:AussieFarmersFoundation.org.au
Australia has often been quoted as having
a competitive advantage in agriculture and
food manufacturing. We believe this to
be true but only if the market allows for
sustainable resource use and support for
the unique factors in food production faced
by farmers.
‘True sustainability’ not only relates to
profitability but resource use as well – it
has a time dimension beyond the short to
medium term.
A sustainable industry or business will
attract and deploy resources such as labour
and capital. It will renew and reuse these
resources of water, land, energy and capital.
Ultimately the food system needs to be
profitable to be sustainable.
So it is time to declare the Year of
Sustainable Business where there should
not only be a focus on the economic and
social factors but also the environment
factors of production.
At Aussie Farmers Direct, the Year of
Sustainable Business happens every year
by establishing long term sustainable
relationships with our farmers, a business
model that delivers local, ethical food for
our customers and an environment mantra
that involves reduce, reuse and recycling
to preserve our agricultural resources. We
proudly support our Aussie farmers and
rural communities. We hope you will join
us in this cause by shopping with Aussie
Farmers Direct. You can also directly support
rural communities through our Foundation,
AussieFarmersFoundation.org.au.
William Scott
Chairman, Aussie Farmers Direct
HAND DELIVERED BY YOUR
LOCAL MILKO:
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
3
TAB
Try our organic range.
Good for Australia. Good for you.
R Eggs R Dairy R Fruit & Veg
R Available Australia Wide
Shop now at AussieFarmers.com.au
Australian Certified Organic retailer in Victoria
*
4
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
Features
7
Easter Recipe
Special
An inspiring feasting
menu showcasing
our sustainable
seafood and a twist
on the classic lamb
roast.
INSIDE
Issue 12 Autumn 2014
15
Pure Pumpkins
Our Aussie-Italian
farming family in
sun-drenched
Mildura butter us up
with their butternuts.
44 Making Nature’s
Grade
In our regular
‘Inspire’ series,
we chat with Katy
Barfield who is
creating a new
business that
embraces wonky
carrots.
Cover photo: Madeline,
grand daughter of kiwi
fruit farmer Jamie Craig,
Shepparton, Victoria
Acting Editor:
Stories & Recipes
4 Ask Fletch
9 Recipe: Prawn & Pork Cos Cups
9 Recipe: Salmon With Potato & Fennel
9 Recipe: Kale & Sprout Salad
10 Recipe: Braised Leeks, Peas & Cos
10 Recipe: Slow Roasted Lamb
With Lemon & Root Veg
12 Recipe: Easter Apple Pudding
13 Hot Easter Baker Boys
15 Meet Our Pumpkin Farmer
18 Recipe: Pumpkin Tortellini
20 Recipe: Prune & Pumpkin Cake
21 Recipe: Pumpkin Orange &
Poppy Seed Cake
22 Our Egg-volution
23 How To: Easter Egg Decoration
24 Cover Story:
Meet Our Kiwi Fruit Farmer
26 Recipe: Rice Salad With Kiwi Fruit
29 NEW! Vegie Dips & Dip Tricks
30 NEW! Lovely Beetroots
32 Recipe: Beetroot Homus
Richard Lange
[email protected]
32 Recipe: One Pan Roast Chicken,
Potatoes & Carrot
32 Recipe: Spiced Beetroot &
Hazelnut Muffins
35 NEW! Soup Season
36 Our Free Range Pork Promise
37 Recipe: Pork Schnitzel With
Sage & Parmesan Crust
37 Recipe: Pork Parmigiana
37 Recipe: Pork Schnitzel With Sesame &
Sweet Chilli Crust
40 NEW! Cultured Artisan Breads
42 NEW! Cupcakes & Banana Bread
46 Customer Voice:
The $100 Shop Verdict
47 Recipe: Fish Curry
48 Wellbeing With Taryn Brumfitt
52 Aussie Farmers Fundraising:
Supercharged Fireys
53 Aussie Farmers Foundation:
A Van With A Country Plan
54 Meet Our Goldie Milko: Peter Scott
Senior Writer:
Llawela Forrest
Creative:
Think Vevey
Photography:
Mark Ashkanasy, Renee
Hodskiss, Darren Seiler, Eve
Wilson
Contributors:
Effie Gorringe, Emma Grella,
Marissa Maddalena, Joel
Molinari, Adam Rumpf, Venetia
Taylor and lots of other
amazing people
Advertising:
Melinda Sharpe,
[email protected],
0449 896 041
Circulation:
100,000
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine is a quarterly
publication. Published by Aussie Farmers Direct
Publishing (ABN 39 115 166982).
All rights reserved. All material published in Aussie
Farmers Direct Magazine is copyright. No material
may be re-produced in part or in whole without
written consent from the copyright holders.
Distributed across Australia by Aussie Farmers
Direct and its network of franchisees (milkmen).
The publisher does not accept responsibility for
unsolicited material.
Printed :
Offset Alpine Printing.
This magazine is printed on
PEFC certified paper, meaning
that it originates from forests
that are managed sustainably.
PEFC is the Programme for
the Endorsement of Forest
Certification schemes.
PEFC is an international
certification programme
promoting sustainable forest
management.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
5
FRUIT & VEG
Ask
Fletch
Citrus is always big as we move into
the cooler months. Where should we
look for our Vit-C fix?
The Navel orange season kicks off soon
and goes right through until the end of
Spring. They are the official eating orange
(as opposed to juicing), with lots of
sweetness and no seeds. They are also
easy to peel, so are perfect for the kids.
We source our Navels from the south of the
FLETCH’S
TOP 10
Seasonal
FAVOURITES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
6
APPLES (JAZZ AND PINK LADY)
BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN
CAPSICUMS
CUCUMBERS
(LEBANESE AND CONTINENTAL)
IMPERIAL MANDARINS
KIWI FRUIT
MUSHROOMS
NAVEL ORANGES
ONIONS
ZUCCHINI
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
Andrew Fletcher, or ‘Fletch’ as we fondly call him,
heads up our Aussie Farmers Direct National Fruit &
Vegetable team and hand picks the best fruit and veg for
our Aussie Farmers Direct boxes. Autumn brings with it
some great colour with its in-season fruit and veg.
country in the prime citrus growing regions
of the Murray Valley, the NSW Riverina
district and the Riverland in South Australia.
Mandarin season is also in full swing from
April to October. You’ll find the Imperial
variety in your Aussie Farmers Direct fruit &
veg delivery. These are easy to peel, with
very few seeds and have a great sweetness
in flavour. The season starts with fruit from
Queensland, and moves its way down
south to the Riverina. If your mandy is heavy
to hold, it means it is packed with juice.
Australia’s most popular eating apples and
they are also a bit of an Aussie success
story. Mr Cripps was the Australian that
created them in the 1970s, and it’s a variety
now grown in over 15 countries.
There are only five or so main growers in
Australia who specialise in growing kiwi fruit,
also now in season. We source ours from one
Australia’s most respected growers. Read
more about Jamie and John on page 24.
Apart from citrus, what other fruit
can we expect to see?
There is a lot of great colour in the veg
department! Capsicums are in season,
with a kaleidoscope of colours available.
All capsicums start life green, and change
in colour as they ripen. They need lots of
warm weather and sun in order to morph
into those brilliant reds and yellows. They
are great to use in stirfries, to eat raw in
seasonal salads, and they roast really well
too. They also do well in the freezer – no need
to blanche them first, just deseed, slice and
store in a zip-lock bag.
Butternut pumpkins are wonderful in Autumn
when the first of a new crop becomes
available. One of our butternut farming families
is a bit unique – learn more about them (and
pick up some great recipe ideas, both savoury
and sweet!) on page 15.
Two of my favourite apple varieties are ripe
for the picking. Jazz is a pretty new variety
in Australia; we’ve been crunching our way
through these tangy, sweet apples for only
four or so years. They are a cross between
a Gala and a Braeburn and are the perfect
small to medium-sized snack. These trees
enjoy the summer sun, high rainfall, cool
winters and rich soil, so we get them from
orchards in Tasmania and New South
Wales, with most of our crop coming from
South Gippsland in Victoria.
Pink Lady is another apple crossbreed
variety – a combination of Golden Delicious
and Lady Williams. They have a distinct
pink colour, great crunch and are almost
slightly fizzy in flavour. They are now one of
What is looking good on the veg
front?
EASTER
Easter
Feasting
Bring the family together over two special days this Easter. Our feasting menu
celebrates the sustainable seafood bounty available at Aussie Farmers Direct, plus
offers a Mediterranean twist for the classic lamb roast.
SERVES 4
Good Friday Fish Feast
Prawn & Pork Cos Cups
Roasted Barra With Macadamias
Salmon With Potato & Fennel
Kale & Sprout Salad
Easter Sunday Roast
Slow Roasted Lamb Leg With Lemon & Root Veg
Braised Leeks, Peas & Cos
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
7
The tradition of Easter Friday has always been about feasting on fish. Aussie barramundi from the very north of the
country and salmon from the very south of Tasmania are the heroes of this sensational seafood spread.
8
Aussie Framers Direct Magazine
EASTER
Prawn & Pork
Cos Cups
INGREDIENTS
2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
500 g pork mince
300 g unmarinated prawns,
coarsely chopped
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 red chillies, finely sliced
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander,
plus extra sprigs to serve
1/2 baby cos lettuce,
base trimmed, leaves separated
METHOD
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over
medium heat. Cook mince, stirring with a
wooden spoon to break up lumps, for 5
minutes. Add prawns and cook, stirring,
for 2 minutes until the prawn is just cooked
through. Add sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce,
lime juice and chillies. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Stir in coriander. Divide the mixture among
cos leaves, and top with coriander sprigs
to serve.
Tip: This recipe creates double the amount
you’ll need. Pop leftovers in the fridge.
Add fresh green beans, cherry tomatoes
and chopped, fresh pineapple to create a
delicious stir-fry, served with steamed rice
for Saturday night’s dinner.
half of the parsley and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for a further 30 minutes. While vegetables
continue roasting, prepare the salmon by scoring the skin about 1cm deep. Season both
sides of fish well and place the remaining chopped parsley and mint leaves into the scored
flesh. Once potatoes are golden, take tray out of the oven, sprinkle over grated pecorino
and loosen the vegetables in the pan with tongs. Lay the salmon skin-side up, on top of the
vegetables, and add lemon zest on top. Drizzle with more olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.
Place in the centre of the table in the roasting pan, and serve with lemon wedges.
Kale & Sprout Salad
INGREDIENTS
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
sea salt
and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
2 large bunches of kale, centre stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
400 g brussel sprouts, trimmed and finely shredded
2 tbsp butter
1 cup pecorino, finely grated
METHOD
Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of
pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
Add 1 tbsp oil into a fry pan and heat over medium-high. Add almonds and stir frequently
until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer almonds to a paper towel-lined
plate and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Melt butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add kale and brussel sprouts, and salt and
pepper to taste, and gently cook through until just tender and glossy, around 2 minutes.
Place kale and spinach in serving plate and gently stir through dressing. Sprinkle almonds
and pecorino on top.
Salmon With
Potato & Fennel
INGREDIENTS
8 large Dutch cream potatoes, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
& freshly ground black pepper
1 fennel bulb
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves,
finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and
finely chopped
2 x 180 g salmon fillets, cut in half
few sprigs fresh mint leaves,
finely chopped
1 small handful pecorino cheese,
grated zest of 1 lemon
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180°C. Halve the potatoes
lengthways and then into thirds. Place in
a roasting tray, add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt &
pepper, and mix through with your hands.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Whilst
potatoes are cooking, trim the fennel bulb
and cut into eight wedges. After potatoes
have been cooking for 30 mins, give them
a shake, and turn oven up to 220°C. In
the same roasting pan add fennel, garlic,
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
9
Roasted
Barra With
Macadamias
INGREDIENTS
1/2 loaf gourmet white
sourdough bread
Zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp parsley
1/3 cup of orange juice
1/3 cup of melted butter
1 cup of honey roasted macadamias
2 x 180 g barramundi fillets, cut in half
2 limes
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray
with baking paper and set aside. In a food
processor place the bread and lemon zest,
and blitz under a breadcrumb texture. Add
parsley and macadamias and blitz quickly
so that the macadamias are crushed. Add
the orange juice and butter and blend until
combined. Pat the fish with a paper towel
on all sides to remove moisture. Press
the crumb on both sides of each fish fillet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with lime
wedges.
Cover Photo
Braised Leeks,
Peas & Cos
INGREDIENTS
40 g butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken stock
400 g fresh peas
2 baby cos lettuce, shredded
METHOD
Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan
over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and
leek and cook, stirring, until soft (about 4
minutes). Add the stock and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 minute.
Add the peas and lettuce and cook, covered,
for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Season with
salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl
and serve straight away.
Slow Roasted
Lamb With
Lemon & Root
Veg
INGREDIENTS
1.5 kg lamb leg roast
sea salt
and freshly ground
black pepper
small handful fresh oregano leaves
juice of 1 lemon,
plus 1 lemon, quartered
3 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large Desiree potatoes,
peeled and cut into chunks
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into four
175 g Ligurian olives
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the lamb
in a large roasting pan and season well with
salt and pepper. Sprinkle over oregano and
pour over lemon juice and wine. Drizzle with
the olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, or until
the lamb is browned.
Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and cover
with foil. Reduce oven to 160°C and roast
the lamb for another 1 1/2 hours. Arrange
the potato. parsnip and lemon quarters
around the lamb and return to the oven for
another 2 hours, turning the potatoes at
least once during this time and basting the
lamb with the pan juices. The lamb should
be very tender.
Remove the lamb from the
pan and set aside to rest before slicing.
Return the oven to 220°C. Add the olives
to the pan with the potatoes and parsnips
and place back in oven for another for 20
minutes, or until the potatoes are golden.
Serve lamb and vegetables with pan juices
spooned over the top.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
10 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 11
EASTER
Easter Apple Pudding
This dessert will make the most of any remaining hot cross buns left in the house (or you might want to order some
just to try out this delicious recipe!).
INGREDIENTS
6 hot cross buns
8 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored,
quartered and roughly chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water
75 g butter
2 tbsp caster sugar
Bulla Vanilla Cream, to serve
12 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a loaf tin.
Cut each hot cross bun into thirds,
horizontally, so the cross remains intact.
Take the crossed slice and carefully remove
most of the bun around each cross with a
knife. Separate the crossed pieces from the
rest on the bun pieces, and set aside.
Place the apples, lemon zest, lemon juice,
vanilla extract, cinnamon, honey and
water in a saucepan. Stir to combine and
place over a medium heat to cook, stirring
occasionally, until the apples soften, about
8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and
add 25 g of butter and stir until melted. Set
aside.
Melt the remaining butter and brush the
bun pieces generously on both sides with
butter. Press half of the pieces into the base
of the tin and sprinkle with 1 tbsp caster
sugar. Top with half of the apple mixture.
Repeat, pressing gently on the bun pieces
to compress, and then adding the sugar
and remaining apple. Lay the crossed bun
pieces on top of the final apple layer, to
decorate.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve
warm with our new Bulla Vanilla Cream.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
BAKERY
Add a half dozen pack (or two!) of our Hot Cross Buns to your
next order. Choose from two varieties - Traditional and Choc Chip. Our
serving suggestion? Toasted with lashings of our Farmers Lane butter!
Hot
Crossed
Bakers
Our local bakers are about to head
into overdrive for the busiest time of
the year, Easter. Meet our talented
bakers who bring you fresh, locally
baked hot cross buns – our favourite
part of Easter!
NSW
John, his wife Marcella and son Stephen at
’Fresh & Tasty’ are bringing their exceptional
hot cross buns to NSW customers for the
first time this year. The recipe has been with
John for a long time; some thirty years in fact.
It’s a recipe created from a lifetime of baking
as well as the insights handed down from
his grandfather, father and uncle, who were
all bakers. He says he has nailed the right
combination of spices and fruits to create
pillow-soft buns with perfect sweetness, plus
his secret ‘cross mix’, made from scratch and
piped by hand.
We also love: John’s white & grain rolls,
light rye sliced loaf as well as the raisin loaf,
available to our NSW customers.
SA
In SA, Darren and his team at Kytons source
flour from local SA-based Lauke Flour Mills
(one of the last remaining Aussie-owned
mills) and top-grade sultanas and currants,
sunkissed in Sunraysia, from a producer with
whom they’ve had a long relationship with.
But their secret weapon in creating amazing
hot cross buns is Heiner. He’s been involved
in their Easter bake for the last 40 years,
and at nearly 70 years of age comes out of
retirement just for this special season, a time
when the bakery grows from five to 20 staff
to meet demand. These are award-winning
hotties, having won the National Hot Cross
Bun competition a few years back alongside a
second placing last year.
We also love: Kytons also bake our
lamingtons, offered seasonally to Aussie
Farmers Direct customers nationally.
WA
Bovell’s Bakery in WA make hot cross buns
exclusively for our Aussie Farmers Direct
customers in the west. The family owned
business first started as a milling company,
creating flour from locally harvested wheat,
and started their bakery just over ten years
ago. Their choc chip hot cross buns are a
massive favourite, with delicious chocolate
speckled throughout.
We also love: Bovell’s have been working with
Aussie Farmers Direct since we first started
our WA milko rounds, and also bake our
sliced bread range as well as multigrain, hot
dog and lunch rolls.
VIC
Choc Chip not available in SA.
Anthony and the team at Delbake in Victoria
also rely on a trusted family recipe. Anthony
says that the family has been making their
hot cross buns the same way ever since he
can remember. This year they’ll be baking
over 300,000 hot cross buns to feed our
Victorian Aussie Farmers Direct customers,
which means 2am starts and baking full tilt
until 2pm, increasing to a 24-hour operation
over the Easter week. These buns were
ranked in the top three of Melbourne’s best
by the Herald Sun; it’s no wonder they are in
demand.
We also love: Anthony and the team also
bake our sliced bread loaves, rolls (cheese &
bacon, round and hot dog) and our superb
pies (including steak, steak & mushroom and
apple pie) for our Victorian customers.
QLD
The hot cross buns made at Homestyle
Bake for our Queensland customers are
created from a tried and true recipe but with
the addition of extra dried fruit (at a special
request from Aussie Farmers Direct’s hot
cross bun aficionados!). The flour comes from
the Darling Downs, the same region where the
bakery is based, and the yeast is made fresh
from local Queensland molasses.
We also love: the Wellbeing Bread range
(including light rye, lower carb and chia),
family meat pies and their sublime High Apple
Pie (designed especially for Aussie Farmers
Direct), enjoyed by our Aussie Farmers Direct
Queensland customers.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 13
Get your
fresh Hot
Cross Buns
for Easter.
Baked with pride,
the Delbake
Pastry Chefs are
busy getting them
ready for you.
Available in Fruit
or Chocolate.
Your Number 1
choice this Easter.
Proudly supporting
Aussie Farmers Direct
FARMER
Pu mpkins
That Buck
The Trend
In Red Cliffs, Victoria, the Calvi clan is a rare
breed. In a region besotted with growing
wine grapes and citrus, they’ve decided to
buck the trend, and grow pumpkins.
Twenty-three year old Tony owns the business
with dad, Carlo. Red Cliffs is around 10
kilometres from Mildura; a part of Victoria
renowned for growing grapes and for being one
of the largest regions in Australia for citrus. It is
also a region that has seen dozens of farmers
simply walk off the land, unable to find a market
for their produce in a landscape crippled by
drought, with grapevines and orchards left to
wither and expire. Tony’s farm is no exception.
“My mum’s father originally had this farm and
started out growing grapes for dried fruit. He then
converted the farm to wine and table grapes.
When he passed away the farm was sold. The
guy that bought it just couldn’t make it work,
and abandoned the farm entirely – just walked
off the land. My dad Carlo and I bought it back
three years ago and we looked at alternative
vegetables that could do well in this region, and
pumpkins it was!” says Tony.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 15
FARMER
“During our first year of growing
pumpkins we did a lot of things the
wrong way, but you get better as you
go. The red, lime-rich soil up here
really is good to grow a whole range
of produce. Plus the weather is so
balanced,” says Carlo.
Whilst the family is one of the few in the area to grow pumpkins,
it is a vegie that Carlo is very familiar with. He has spent a
lifetime buying and selling fruit and veg in the Melbourne Market.
Alongside his farm, Carlo also runs a horticultural college to inspire
the next generation of farmers. Son Tony started a horticultural
apprenticeship at the age of 17 on a large farm, which grew wine
grapes, avocadoes, almonds and wheat as well as harvesting fish.
This farm also had a vast open field for vegetable production, and
this is where Tony acquired the know-how of pumpkin growing.
“During our first year of growing pumpkins we did a lot of things the
wrong way, but you get better as you go. The red, loamy-rich soil
up here really is good to grow a whole range of produce. Plus the
weather is so balanced,” says Tony.
Weather conditions this year have been okay, but not great.
16 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
FARMER
A heat wave in February saw three weeks of constant daytime
temperatures over 40°C, followed immediately by over 70
millimetres of rain. During these times, irrigating in the cool of the
night is paramount, as too much heat and moisture can boil the
pumpkin plants and shut them down.
Like many farmers throughout Australia, the drought is once again
starting to set in. The ability to buy water is getting scarcer, and the
cost of it is escalating quickly. Applying mulch and installing dripline irrigation is planned in order to maximise water for the crop. In
doing so, they hope to save a third of the amount of water they are
currently using. “We are battling with it. Everyone is battling with it.
But you just have to try and push through,” says Tony.
The Calvis supply their superior butternut pumpkins to Aussie
Farmers Direct, and they have 10 acres planted to this popular
pumpkin variety. Harvest starts at the end of February and goes
right through until mid winter. In the early days they trialled many
different varieties, but the one they nurture is a sweeter variety, and
the best to eat.
Farming is an industry that isn’t the most appealing of career
choicest for many of the next generation. Tony, younger brothers
Vince and Daniel (who also work on the family farm), and their local
peers, seem to be an exception. “A lot of my mates are in farming.
There are a lot of the sons in the area taking over the family farms.
This was my grandfather’s farm. I see it develop more every day,
and now I run it, and own it. This is something I am pretty proud of,
and is my greatest reward,” says Tony.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 17
18 Local Harvest Magazine
RECIPE
Pu mpkin
Tortellini
SERVES 4
There’s nothing quite like making
your own pasta, and it is not as
difficult as you might think. This
is a great recipe for the kids to get
involved in, mastering the art of
folding their own tortellini! Serve
with a simple tomato and garlic
sauce, or for something quite
spectacular, the sage and burnt
butter sauce recommended in this
recipe. This comes from Hayden
Quinn of MasterChef fame, in his
new cookbook, which features
healthy foods perfect for sharing.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg butternut pumpkin,
diced into 2 cm cubes
1 rosemary sprig, leaves removed
2 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
1 packet of round gow gee wrappers *
SAUCE
16 sage leaves
150 g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
TO SERVE
120 g goat’s cheese, crumbled
60 g parmesan, finely grated
2 tablespoons pine nuts, roasted
METHOD
Put the pumpkin in a roasting tin with the
herbs, garlic, olive oil and salt and toss to
coat well.
Put the tin in the oven at 180°C for 30
minutes or until just soft and tender. Remove
from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
Coarsely mash the pumpkin and allow to
cool fully.
To assemble the tortellini, place a teaspoon of
filling in the centre of each gow gee wrapper
and brush a little water around the edges.
Fold over into a half moon shape and join two
corners together to form a tortellini, press to
seal. Cook in lots of salted boiling water for
about 2 minutes or until cooked through then
remove with a slotted spoon.
Place the sage leaves in a saucepan with
butter and some salt, and cook until the butter
is nut brown.
Add the lemon juice and zest.
Toss the tortellini gently through the sauce
and place on a plate.
Scatter the crumbled goat’s cheese and
parmesan, then top with the pine nuts.
* gow gee wrappers are often used for
dumplings, and can be found in the fridge
section of your local Asian grocer.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Dish It Up
By Hayden Quinn
Murdoch Books
RRP $35.00
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 19
RECIPE
Prune &
Pumpkin Cake
Phillippa Grogan runs an iconic bakery in Melbourne and her much
loved breads, pastries and preserves are of the kind that are no longer
regularly made in the homes of today. She has captured her love
of baking in a new book, and this recipe is a stand out. The bright
orange from the pumpkin is studded with the blackness of prune. It’s
a great colour contrast that is matched by a rich moistness and deep
sweetness. It is worth planning to make this the day after you have had
boiled or steamed pumpkin for dinner.
INGREDIENTS
175 g butter, softened
200 g caster sugar
finely grated zest of 1 orange
3 eggs
250 g chopped pitted prunes
250 g self-raising flour
200 g cooked pumpkin, puréed
100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
icing sugar, for dusting
Greek-style yoghurt, to serve (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line
the base of a 20 cm round cake tin with
baking paper and butter and flour the sides.
Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest in
a large bowl for 4 minutes or until pale and
creamy but not light and fluffy. Place the
prunes in a bowl with 2 tablespoons flour
and mix well. Add the eggs to the batter
one at time, beating well between each
addition. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in
the prunes and puréed pumpkin.
Fold the remaining flour alternately with the
orange juice into the creamed butter and
sugar, a third at a time. Be gentle and take
care not to over-mix.
Pour the batter into the tin and bake on the
centre shelf of the oven for 1¼ hours or until
a skewer inserted in the centre comes out
clean. Remove from the oven and rest in the
tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire
rack to cool completely. Serve dusted with
icing sugar or with Greek-style yoghurt.
The cake will keep in an airtight container
for up to 5 days.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Phillippa’s Home Baking
By Phillippa Grogan
& Richard Cornish
Lantern
RRP $49.99
20 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
RECIPE
Pu mpkin, Orange
& Poppy Seed Cake
Alison Thompson has studied at the sides of some of the world’s greatest pastry chefs for years, learning the art and
science of baking. This is one of her favourite recipes, and is another must-try dish that utilises pumpkin in a sweet
way, rather than savoury.
INGREDIENTS
330 g unsalted butter, diced, softened
330 g caster sugar
4 eggs
grated zest of 3 oranges
grated zest of 3 lemons
30 g poppy seeds
400 g self-raising flour
300 g pumpkin purée
(boiled and mashed pumpkin)
SYRUP
330 g caster sugar
90 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
90 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
METHOD
Preheat the oven to
160°C. Line a 25 cm
round cake tin with
baking paper.
In the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted
with the paddle
attachment, beat
the butter and sugar
on high speed for
5 minutes until pale
and creamy. Add
the eggs one at a
time, beating well
after each addition.
Add the orange and
lemon zests, poppy
seeds, sifted flour
and pumpkin purée.
Mix on low speed until combined.
Spread the mixture into the prepared
tin. Bake for 1½ hours, or until a skewer
inserted into the centre of the cake comes
out clean. (While the cake is baking, prepare
the syrup.)
SYRUP
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar,
lemon juice and orange juice. Bring to the
boil, stirring, then remove from the heat.
Pour the hot syrup over the cake as soon
as it comes out of the oven. Allow cake to
cool completely in the tin.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3
days.
Bake: Essential
Companion
by Alison Thompson
Penguin
RRP $49.99
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 21
TAB
Can you tell
the difference from
one egg to another?
At Aussie Farmers Direct, we can... and it matters.
We take the time to work with our farmers and understand how
they are produced so we can provide the best egg for you.
We now stock only free range eggs and barn laid eggs.
So relax and know that your eggs are in good hands.
Shop now for ethical eggs this Easter.
22 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
RECIPE
Red
Dyed
Easter
Eggs
Creating colourful eggs is a tradition across many
cultures at Easter time. Kathy Tsaples is a Melbourne
based author and cook, and in her book, Sweet Greek,
she shows us just how to do them. In her Greek culture,
it is Easter Thursday when the eggs are dyed; their red
colour symbolising the blood of Christ in anticipation of
Good Friday. It is a fun project to share with the kids;
ready to decorate your table for your Easter seafood
menu. If you can’t find the dye that Kathy recommends,
why not use the juice of beetroots, left over from your
Love Beets pack! (See page 30).
INGREDIENTS
2 dozen small to medium white eggs
2 packets of Greek red egg dye
1 cup of sunflower oil
2 cups of vinegar water
a variety of herbs (any pretty leaf
you’d like to see on your eggs, such as
parsley, dill, even leaves from flowers)
METHOD
You will also need a wide cooking pot,
stockings, a cloth and string.
Start working the night before. Firstly, have
your eggs at room temperature. Wash and
dry them thoroughly. Check for any cracks
and get rid of eggs that are damaged.
Prepare your leaves. Using a wet sponge,
moisten your leaves and attach them to the
egg. Get a piece of stocking, cover the egg
with it and, using some string, tie a knot at
both ends. It will look like a bon-bon.
The next day, Easter Thursday, prepare
your dye according to the packet’s
instructions. The only difference is that for
two dozen eggs I add two cups of vinegar.
I find that this assists in achieving a more
intense colour.
Put the eggs into the dye mixture and boil
as you would normally prepare hard-boiled
eggs. They will need to simmer for a little
longer than a normal hard-boiled egg (about
10 minutes).
Remove the eggs from the heat and let
them stand in the dye for several more
minutes before taking them out.
Using a cloth dampened with oil, start
wiping and polishing your eggs after
removing the stockings. The oil helps to
remove the leaves and makes your eggs
shine. Display them in a beautiful platter.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Sweet Greek: Simple Food & Sumptuous Feasts Kathy Tsaples Melbourne Books RRP $39.95
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 23
COVER STORY
Kiwis
Bearing
Fruit
When you hit your 40s and feel like life is ripe for
change, not many of us would think ‘kiwi fruit farmer’
an obvious choice. Not so for Jamie Craig. He and
kiwi fruit devotee John Karl have formed a formidable
partnership that has created one of the most prolific kiwi
fruit orchards in Australia.
24 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
Jamie was a banker and in the late 1980s he decided he’d had
enough. “I had to find something to do, and this is the place where
I ended up! says Jamie. That place is Shepparton, a fertile farming
region in the Goulburn Valley of Victoria, where he and business
partner John have 320 hectares of orchards, 120 of which have
kiwi fruit under vine. When he arrived in Australia, Jamie invested
in some farms in the region, one an orchard of Nashi pears. John
had a small farm in the same area, and with John’s considerable
expertise as an orchardist, was head hunted by Jamie to manage
his orchard too. The rest, as the say, is history, with the duo
purchasing a local kiwi fruit farm when it became available. As a
pair of ex-pat New Zealanders, it’s a coincidental kiwi connection
that has more than beared fruit.
Whilst Jamie is the financial mind, John is the orchardist. John grew
up in a dairy farming family, but his penchant for ”growing things”
won out as a vocation. He spent many years shearing sheep in
order to save enough money to buy his first orchard when he was
25 years old. His first experience with kiwi fruit (apart from eating
copious amounts of them as a kid) was in a glasshouse nursery,
raising seedling for other farms.
John planted kiwi fruit for himself in the late 1970s, so has clocked
up many decades’ experience for what, in New Zealand, is an easy
growing fruit that has been part of that country’s farming history for
over 100 years. On Australian soil, it needs a little more coaxing.
Jamie and John are two of Victoria’s most respected fruit farmers
(winning Victorian Fruit Grower Of The Year in 2000), and John
leads the charge in industry innovation, often tapping into his kiwi
connections across the ditch.
COVER STORY
“In Australia I have to say we don’t have the
most ideal climate for growing kiwi fruit. We
have excellent infrastructure, but our climate
is a bit too cold and a bit too hot! We have
learnt now how best to handle the crop and
conditions and through this experience our
production levels are now up there with the
best in the world,” says John.
Kiwi fruit vines are similar to those of
grapes, which need to mature for several
years before they bear fruit. Some of the
vines on John and Jamie’s farm are almost
30 years old and still prospering. Kiwi fruit
also takes a long time to ripen. Unlike
berries, for example, which can ripen and
demand picking within hours, kiwis can
remain on the vine for up to six weeks,
providing a wide harvest window, but they
don’t give too much away. Visibly, they
look ready to eat, but sugar level tests are
needed to determine maturity. “Through
our knowledge of our farm, we know which
vine blocks are the first to ripen. Two weeks
Once known as ‘Chinese Gooseberry’, its name was altered in the 1950s, adopting
instead the name of New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi – small, brown
and furry, just like the fruit.
before harvest, sugar levels on these are
tested. Once the sugar levels are at their
peak, we know they’re ready to be picked,”
says John.
Harvest begins at the start of April, and
goes right through until the end of May.
Winter signals the end of the picking
season, with the onset of frosts the key
driver for wrapping the harvest up. Kiwis
have a great shelf life, and can last many
weeks if kept in the fridge, still retaining their
distinct taste.
As most farmers will tell you, the weather
is their best friend, and worst enemy. The
season this year was looking great up until
Christmas, when extreme heat hit. Kiwi fruit
vines have large leaves, which can protect
them from the sun, but also provide a
large surface area from which the vine can
perspire almost as fast as it can retain its
fluids. John says you have to be on the ball
with irrigation. You can’t afford to be even
two hours late.
“The worst part of farming is the weather,”
says John. “It is so variable. I have been
wiped out by hail storms three times now
and it is not fun – you see your whole years
work and income just fall away, and it
always happens right near harvest time!”
Jamie and John supply their superior
kiwi fruit to our Aussie Farmers Direct
customers, and it’s a great fruit to add to
your daily fruit intake. Two kiwi fruits have
twice the vitamin C of an orange, as much
potassium as a banana and the fibre of a
bowl of wholegrain cereal – and all for less
than 100 calories per serve. Potassium is
an essential mineral to help lower blood
pressure, and one large kiwi provides
15% of the recommended daily intake of
potassium. It is a fruit that is considered
to have the best nutrient density of 21
commonly enjoyed fruits. Add some to your
fruit & veg order today!
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 25
RECIPE
Rice Salad
with Kiwi Fruit
Try this salad with a difference, with the unusual yet
delicious addition of kiwi fruit. Perfect as a side to grilled
pork, chicken or fish..
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup white rice
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
salt & pepper
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced
1 red apple, halved,
cored and thinly sliced
4 cos lettuce leaves,
cut lengthways and thinly sliced
1 stick celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup continental parsley,
finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp toasted, slivered almonds
26 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
METHOD
Place stock in a medium saucepan and
bring to the boil. Add rice, reduce heat to
low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes,
or until tender. Drain excess liquid, cover
and allow to cool. Whisk together lemon
juice, oil, and honey in a small bowl until
honey is dissolved. Season with salt and
pepper. Place cooled rice in a salad bowl
along with kiwi fruit, apple, lettuce, celery
and parsley, and gently combine. Add
dressing and gently toss. Top with almonds
to serve.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Restaurant quality.
No added msg.
Convenient and great for entertaining.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Available in VIC, NSW, ACT & SA
w mushiki.com.au e [email protected] p 0402 538 881 a 4 govan street, seaford, vic 3198
ENTERTAINING
Not Your Average Dip
NEW! Spinach Dip and Garlic Aioli now available.
Vegie Gourmet Dips source the best and
freshest local ingredients to use in their
delicious dips; a much loved entertaining
staple at Aussie Farmers Direct. But
their vegies are not the only ingredient
that relies on the sun to prosper in
this inspiring, Melbourne-based family
business.
Shai Dagan is an industrial engineer by
trade and has created a business that
now operates entirely on solar energy
(and even feeds excess energy back
into the grid). Shai has a very strong
sustainability ethos, and every day seeks
ways to make Vegie Gourmet Dips as
green-clean and efficient as possible.
Sourcing local produce as much as he
can is also paramount, reducing food
miles that can add a heavy load to the
business’ carbon footprint. Using nongenetically modified (GM) ingredients is
also an important philosophy for Vegie
Gourmet Dips. The spinach used in our
new Spinach Dip is sourced from a farm
in Victoria, and it’s the same farmer that
supplies fresh spinach to our Aussie
Farmers Direct customers.
Shai’s wife Lyn is a food technologist,
and it’s been her job to create the
Homus and Guacamole, the dips that
you enjoy through Aussie Farmers Direct.
We’ve also now added two new flavours
to our range, Spinach and Garlic Aioli. All
have all been created through Lyn’s skill
of perfecting optimum taste, as well as
a bit of ancestral help. Lyn is originally
from Lebanon, and Shai from Israel. Dips
feature heavily in the traditional dishes of
both cultures, particularly Homus, which
is why you can taste that truly authentic
flavour. It helps too that food is a fervent
passion for both of them. You can almost
taste the love and care that’s gone into
creating these Vegie Gourmet Dips.
Dip Tricks
These certainly aren’t your average dips, so
why use them in an average way? Loaded
with flavour, try our dip tricks to enhance
your meals even further.
• Dollop Guacamole Dip on top of your
just-cooked pizza.
• Whisk Homus Dip with orange juice,
olive oil and salt & pepper for a salad
dressing with a difference.
• Combine our new Spinach Dip with olive
oil, finely sliced spring onions, our Split
Green Olives and some of our Pastrami.
Work through pasta for a quick and tasty
meal.
• Our new Garlic Aioli is brilliant as a base
for a potato salad, or served alongside
grilled fish.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 29
FRUIT & VEG
A Brand
New Beet
Love beetroot but the prep work puts you off having it as a regular feature
for dinner? Well, we’d like to show you how to dance to a new beet! A Baby
Beet! A delicious, new way to savour the highly nutritious and distinct,
earthy flavours of beetroot.
You know how happy you feel when you eat chocolate? Well, that’s trytophan, a feel good
chemical, and it’s in beetroot as well!
Beetroot has loads of great nutritional value
with folic acid, fibre, manganese and potassium all
present. Beets are one of the richest sources of the
amino acid glutamine, which is important for the
health and maintenance of the intestinal tract.
30 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
FRUIT & VEG
Love Beets is a brand new product in Australia and we think they’re
pretty special. Second generation beetroot farmer Ed Fagan is
based in Cowra, New South Wales. He is working with OneHarvest,
a third generation, Australian fresh produce company who have
been inspired by the way beetroot is prepared and eaten in the UK
and Europe. It was in a way that Rob Munton from OneHarvest
knew Australians would embrace.
“We all know that beetroot can be a bit off-putting when it comes
to preparing them. They’re messy, the colour stains everything in
sight, and sometimes they are just massive, too big to be bothered
with. This is a new way of growing and preparing beetroot and
delivering it to customers fresh and ready to eat,” says Rob.
Rob and farmer Ed went to the United Kingdom to observe
alternative beetroot growing techniques and horticultural methods.
The Cowra farming family is one of Australia’s most experienced
beetroot growers, and have been growing beetroot for over sixty
years. But after the trip, they totally overhauled what was being
done at the farm.
A quick fix Rob uses for beetroot-stained hands is a
simple rinse under cold water. “I find if you use hot
water, it sets the stain,” says Rob.
“Cowra is a great growing area for beetroot. It has a climate and
soil type that is perfect, and it is able to sustain supply for most
of the year. But what we needed to do was plant some smaller
varieties that were easier for consumers to manage. Some of these
have never been seen before in Australia. We had to apply different
planting densities, change harvesting methods and adopt a new
way of grading the vegetable. It was a whole new way for Ed, but
he was totally up for it!” says Rob.
The result is “Love Beets”, a new, vacuum-sealed bag of beetroot
beauties. The beetroots are blanched, then peeled, and cooked in
a pressure cooker in the pouch they are sold in. There is no added
anything – the beetroot cooks in its own juices. Unlike the canned
product, which is steeped in vinegar, these offer a very different
taste. They’re fresh, and just like how you might prepare them at
home, but sans the mess!
Rob enjoys eating them straight from the pack. When he wants to
get a bit fancy with them, he cuts them in half and puts them on the
BBQ with a drizzle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar, grilling
them until they are slightly charred. But there are so many ways to
try this new beetroot offering. Order a pack or two with your fruit &
veg order at Aussie Farmers Direct and try some of our great recipe
ideas on page 32.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 31
RECIPE
What a Beet Up
Grab a pack of Love Beets and try one of these great recipe ideas.
Starter
SERVES 6
Beetroot Homus
Dessert
SERVES 12
INGREDIENTS
125 g (half pack) Love Beets, drained
1 170 g Homus Dip
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
small bunch fresh chives, finely chopped (reserve a few for garnish)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
Chop the beetroot into small dice, and
place in food processor with the garlic,
chives and olive oil. Blitz until pureed.
Season to taste with sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper. Spoon into a serving
bowl, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and
garnish with a few snipped chives. Serve
as a dip with pitta crisps, or part of a salad
lunch spread.
Spiced Beetroot & Apple
Muffins With Cru nchy
Hazelnut Topping
INGREDIENTS
Main Course
SERVES 4
One Pan Roast Chicken,
Beetroot, Potatoes & Carrot
INGREDIENTS
500 g new potatoes, cut into wedges
1 250 g pack Love Beets, drained,
cut into halves
250 g large carrots peeled &
cut into 2cm chunks
1 onion, cut into large dice
3 cloves garlic, cut into fine slices
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
175 ml white wine
2-3 sprigs for thyme
salt & freshly ground black pepper
500 g free range chicken drumsticks
(or 4 chicken legs)
32 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large
roasting tin, mix the potatoes, beetroot,
carrots, onion and garlic. Drizzle over the
olive oil and pour over the wine, and tuck
the thyme in between the vegetables.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Season the chicken all over with salt
and pepper and lay them on top of the
vegetables. Cover loosely with foil and bake
in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil from the tin and return to
the oven. Bake for a further 20-25 minutes
or until the chicken is golden and crisp and
the vegetables are cooked through.
275 g plain flour
2 heaped tsp baking powder
2 heaped tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
125 g unsalted butter, melted
60 g caster sugar
175 ml milk
1 250 g pack Love Beets, grated coarsely
2 pink lady apples, cored & grated coarsely
For the hazelnut topping
75 g self raising flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
40 g unsalted butter, cut into little cubes
75 g demerara sugar
75 g blanched hazelnuts,
rough chopped
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 12 hole
muffin tin with paper cases. Sift the flour,
baking powder and spices into a large mixing
bowl. In another mixing bowl whisk together
the eggs, melted butter, sugar and milk. Pour
into the flour and mix very lightly - don’t worry
if it looks lumpy. Finally, gently fold through the
grated beetroot and apple and spoon into the
muffin cases. To make the topping, stir the
mixed spice through the flour, then add the
butter, sugar and nuts. Rub between finger
and thumb until crumbly and well mixed.
Sprinkle evenly over the muffins. Bake in
the oven for around 20 minutes until golden
brown and springy to touch.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
TAB
Barambah
Organics
is a certified organic dairy located on the
picturesque Dumaresq River
Barambah Organics is an award winning dairy company producing superb cheeses, luscious yoghurts, highly sought
after creams and bottled milk.
All of the milk is sourced from Barambah’s own dairy farms. Having ownership and quality control from paddock to
plate means that we can ensure that animal welfare and cattle nutrition is first class. This means that you, our highly
valued customer, receives the best tasting produce available.
Certified Organic means that no antibiotics, hormones, pesticides or artificial fertilisers are used on the farms.
www.barambahorganics.com.au
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
33
LOVED
TAB
ON THE FARM
From ensuring Huon salmon live in a stress-free and pristine
environment, to making sure our fish enclosures have a stocking
density of 99% water to 1% fish (amongst the lowest stocking
density in the world), we go to considerable lengths to produce
the world’s most loved salmon.
Our salmon are fed the highest quality feed available using innovative
feeding techniques that we have developed on the farm. Just as
importantly, when our salmon are processed for sale, we do it
humanely utilising equipment that has been awarded by the RSPCA.
We’re also 100% Australian family owned.
The Huon innovation salmon farming philosophy
1
2
3
4
Stress Free Raised to mirror the natural life
of salmon in the wild.
Well Nourished The highest quality feed
dispensed by our ingenious feeding system.
Kept Clean and Healthy Nurtured in the
most spacious enclosures in the world.
Raised with Sustainable Practices
In the crystal clear open waters of Tasmania.
LOVED ON T
HE PLATE
TATAKI SALMO
N WITH SESAM
E
CRUST AND G
INGER GLAZE
INGREDIENTS
With Huon Fres
h
Salmon Portion
20ml extra vir
gin olive oil
400g Huon sa
Marinade
lmon (cut into tw
o
75ml light soy
equal pieces)
½ tsp salt flak
1 tbs sesame oil
es
2 tbs toasted
2 tbs grapesee
d oil
sesame seeds
1 tbs black se
1 tbs honey
same seeds
½ tsp cracked
1 tbs ginger (gr
ated)
black pepper
2 tbs grapesee
Ginger Glaze
d oil
1 cup daikon
60ml lime juice
(cut into thin
10cm strips)
60ml light soy
1
lebanese cucumb
60ml olive oil
er
(peel and cut int
1 tbs ginger (gr
o
10
ated)
cm strips)
½
red onion (slice
d thin)
Preparation tim
e 10 min Co
oking time 2
mins Serves
4+
METHOD
Combine togeth
er the marinad
e ingredients an
salmon. Cover,
d add in the
refrigerate and
allow to rest fo
r 30 minutes.
Combine the se
same seeds an
d pepper and pl
plate. Remove
ace onto a flat
the salmon from
its marinade, dr
roll into the seed
ain, season then
mixture, pressin
g well to form an
Combine togeth
even coating.
er the daikon an
d cucumber str
ginger glaze in
ips. Combine th
gredients.
e
Heat a pan with
the grapeseed
oi
l,
th
en
seconds on each
sear the salmon
for 20
side, keeping th
e centre raw.
Place a thin laye
r of sliced onio
ns into a bowl
daikon and cucu
and top with th
mber strips.
e
Slice the salmon
into thin even pi
eces and presen
salad, then fini
t on top of the
sh with some of
the ginger glaz
e.
Note; Daiko
n is a white radis
h found in the
of all supermar
fresh vegetable
kets.
sections
For more great salmon recipes visit
huonaqua.com.au
@huonaqua
34facebook.com/huonaquaculture
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
s
MEALS
Coming Soon!
Soup
Season
Soup season is almost here and we love this family of
soup makers who are sticklers for authenticity. Their
soups were a hit last season, and we’re delighted to
welcome John McEwan soups back to warm the bellies
of our Aussie Farmers Direct customers.
Behind John McEwan soups is Chandra Kanodia, who came to
Australia from India in the 1970s. He may have been an engineer
by trade, but his love of food was insatiable and he yearned for
the dishes of his homeland, traditionally cooked in the tandoor
oven. Chandra‘s entrepreneurial streak saw him introduce
the very first tandoor oven into Australia. So, if you love your
tandoori chicken, you’ve got Chandra to thank.
Food has continued to be a big part of Chandra’s life journey
and it is no wonder that his John McEwan range of soups
(named after a chef who was part of the company in the early
days) is created with a pure authentic taste in mind. The range of
soups is reflective of the multi-cultural melting pot that is a big
part of the Australian palate. Italian, Thai, Chinese and English
soup recipes shine in the John McEwan soup collection.
Nowadays Chandra has the role of chief taste tester, and
leaves the running of the business to son Neeraj who, with the
company’s chef, apply the same passionate pursuit for perfect
flavour and texture. Created from fresh local ingredients, the
soups are made to order, fresh daily, for our Aussie Farmers
Direct customers.
John McEwan soups are delivered in a handy snap-lock pouch
and are a great healthy meal standby for your fridge or freezer.
The large portions make it an easy lunch meal for the family.
Aussie Farmers Direct offers four delicious varieties:
Tuscan Minestrone: a hearty, classic Italian style soup made with beans,
pasta and chunky vegetables in a rich tomato base. Sweet Corn & Chicken:
A favourite Chinese recipe, the corn kernels and Aussie chicken create a moreish
sweet-savoury broth. Thai Roast Pumpkin: A twist on a classic with chunks
of pumpkin, plus coconut, garlic and ginger, in a smooth, creamy base. Pea &
Ham Soup: new this season to Aussie Farmers Direct, nothing beats it on a
cold day, with perfectly cooked lentils blended with chunks of ham and vegetables.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 35
MEAT
No
Porky
Pies
Pork Mince is a star in our Pork & Prawn Cos Cups recipe – see page 9.
Have you wandered down Farmers Lane yet? It is a new brand, exclusive to Aussie Farmers Direct, which paves
the way for customers to be assured of the quality, purity and Aussie provenance of our Aussie Farmers Direct
meat, and it includes our new selection of Farmers Lane Free Range Pork.
There has been much to say recently about pork, and we want to share with you our pork
commitment. Our Aussie Farmers Direct Farmers Lane Free Range Pork has three distinct
features:
1. It comes from farmers and butchers we know and trust. Our Farmers Lane meat
selection is a range that captures our aim to offer a wide selection of meat, all
stringently selected for quality and taste. It comes from farmers and butchers
that know and care about freshness and quality, and use world’s best practice in
delivering just that.
2. It is free range. Pigs have been born and raised with free access to the outdoors, with
lots of shelter to protect them from the weather. The pigs have been raised and cared
for with their wellbeing the greatest priority.
3. It is sow stall free. On farms that produce large numbers of pigs, the breeding pigs
(sows) are often confined to tiny stalls or crates, which is a terrible way for a pig to live
its life. Restricted to an area that is little more than the size of her own body, she is
unable to move around and can barely stand up and sit down. The sows that produce
our pork selection (listed here) are not subjected to these conditions.
36 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
Our pork commitment applies to this quality
pork selection, available now at Aussie
Farmers Direct:
Pork Mince
Pork Boneless Leg Roast
Pork Loin Chops
Pork Leg Schnitzels
Boneless Pork Honey Soy Ribs
Gourmet Pork Sausages
RECIPE
Blitz A Schnitz!
Order Farmers Lane Free Range Pork Schnitzels and blitz a schnitz with these
three very different pork schnitzel recipes! Make a batch, ready for nights when
you need to knock out a dinner fast. Schnitzels can be prepared ahead of time
and refrigerated for up to three days, or frozen flat for up to three months.
Pork Schnitzel
With Sesa me & Sweet
Chilli Crust
Pork Parmigiana
Serves 4
Pork Schnitzel
With Sage &
Parmesa n Crust
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 pork leg schnitzels
50 g plain flour
salt and pepper
2 eggs beaten with ¼ cup water
200 g Panko crumbs
10 sage leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup continental parsley,
finely chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
oil for shallow frying
2 lemons
METHOD
Flatten pork leg steaks evenly. Dust with
seasoned flour and shake off excess. Dip
each schnitzel into beaten egg and water.
Press schnitzel firmly into the combined
crumbs, herbs and parmesan cheese. Heat
oil over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes and
shallow fry each schnitzel until golden. Drain
on absorbent paper. Serve hot with lemon
wedges and a green salad.
INGREDIENTS
4 pork leg schnitzels
1/2 cup plain flour, seasoned
with salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten with ½ cup water
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup continental parsley,
finely chopped
oil for shallow frying
150 mL tomato pasta sauce
4 bocconcini cheese, sliced
basil leaves, to garnish
METHOD
Flatten pork leg steaks evenly. Dust with
the seasoned flour and shake off excess.
Combine fresh bread crumbs, Parmesan
cheese and parsley on a flat plate. Dip each
schnitzel into the beaten egg and press
into the crumb mixture firmly on both sides.
Heat oil over a medium heat and shallow
fry schnitzels until golden brown. Drain
on absorbent paper. Place each schnitzel
onto a lined baking tray and spread each
with a little tomato pasta sauce. Top sauce
with slices of bocconcini cheese. Place the
tray under a pre-heated grill until cheese
is bubbling for 3-4 minutes. Serve with
fresh basil leaves, chunky chips and a fresh
garden salad.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 pork leg schnitzels
1/4 cup plain flour, seasoned
with salt and pepper
2 eggs beaten with ¼ cup water
200 g Japanese breadcrumbs
or Panko crumbs
50 g sesame seeds
salt and pepper, to taste
300 mL sweet chilli sauce
1 small fresh pineapple,
peeled and chopped
2 small sweet red chillies, finely sliced
oil for shallow frying
2 limes
METHOD
Flatten pork leg steaks evenly. Dust with
seasoned flour. Combine crumbs, sesame
seeds, salt and pepper on a flat plate. Dip
each schnitzel into the beaten egg mixture
and press firmly into the crumbs on both
sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Combine
the sweet chilli sauce and pineapple in
a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in sliced
chilli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Heat
oil in a frying pan over medium heat and
cook each schnitzel until golden, 2 minutes
each side. Remove and drain on absorbent
paper. Serve with your sweet chilli sauce
and a wedge of limes, plus stirfry vegetables
or fried rice.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 37
Availability of this range may vary so check out the Meals
category under ShopNow at AussieFarmers.com.au
BAKERY
Simple and Beautiful.
Our Artisan Breads
At Bakers Crust, culture comes in a couple of guises. Our Melbourne-based
family bakery has been in business for over 25 years, and in that time
they’ve created a homely work culture for 20 staff that put an enormous
amount of love and attention into every single loaf of bread. The other
culture is in the bread itself – the ages-old, natural fermentation technique
that uses a ‘mother’ culture as the key ingredient that creates our exquisite
bread in the most traditional way.
Nick runs the business with his brotherin-law Dom, but it was Nick’s grandfather
that started it all. In World War I he did his
service in the kitchens of the Greek army
where he got his first taste of bread making.
Post the war, he set up his own bakery
in Cyprus, heading out every morning in
his horse and cart to procure the wheat,
mill it, and collect wood for the ovens – all
tasks that needed to be done before they
could even start creating the actual bread.
Nick’s dad followed in these footsteps, and
when immigrating to Australia in the 1960s,
worked for a number of bakeries before
establishing his own. Nick remembers
working in his dad’s bakery from the age of
12, and once school was over Nick spent
several years working for a milling company
before establishing his own bakery in
suburban Melbourne.
For the Aussie Farmers Direct range of
artisan breads, Nick went back to basics,
adopting the philosophy of his grandfather’s
time when things were made simply,
mindfully and beautifully. The all-natural
starter culture means there is no added
yeast, bread improvers or preservatives
– the ingredients are simply flour, water,
culture and oil, as well as the all important
ingredients of time and patience. The dough
is all hand-moulded and cut, and it takes
six hours from dough to loaf, creating bread
that Nicks believes melts in your mouth.
“We make these breads in the most natural
way. The aroma still makes me smile. I just
love it when great bread comes out of the
oven; it makes me feel good! Our breads
really are baked the way my grandfather
used to bake them,” says Nick.
Enjoy these traditional
artisan breads at Aussie Farmers Direct:
Ciabatta, Olive Ciabatta, White Sourdough Loaf
and Grain Sourdough Loaf.
VIC only.
40 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
Evertender. Whenever you like.
TAB
Australia’s best beef is now available with Aussie Farmers.
Evertender Beef was developed by DBC to provide consumers at home with the same standard of excellence
that professional chefs enjoy at work. Grown exclusively in south-west WA, Evertender is underpinned by MSA
for guaranteed tenderness and a consistent and enjoyable meal, all year round. Juicy every time you cook it,
you can now order Evertender Beef every or any time you place an order with Aussie Farmers Direct. Enjoy!
dbctalkabouttaste.com.au
lateralaspect.DBC7331
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 41
BAKERY
Sweet Temptations
We recently introduced two fantastic small, local family bakeries into the Aussie Farmers Direct family,
responsible for bringing you their delicious speciality baked treats, and guess what; you love them! So much so that
we’ve got some new delicious additions, just in time for your Easter celebrations.
Great Temptations is a pretty apt name for
our Western Australian family bakery that
create the mouthwatering range of kids
muffins, Orange & Poppy Seed Muffins
and Fairy Cakes that are pretty new on
the scene at Aussie Farmers Direct. Carl
Quarrell is the second-generation owner,
who still uses his mum June’s recipes for
many of their cake classics. Carl loved
baking cakes with his mum as a kid, if only
for the chance to lick the bowl afterwards!
The hand-made approach is still important
42 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
to the way in which they craft their product
– fillings are hand-piped and cupcakes are
hand-decorated, sometimes by Carl’s eldest
son Aidan during the school holidays, but
mostly by the baking crew of the company’s
now 30-strong team.
Cupcakes have a huge following in
Australia, but not all cupcakes are created
equal. Carl believes getting the foundations
right – a traditional recipe base that uses
real butter, excellent oil, and as many local
ingredients as he can get his hands on – is
important for crafting cakes that are moist
and moreish. You’ll discover that philosophy
rings true in our two new cupcake flavours –
Vanilla Swirl and Berry Swirl.
From the man that brings you our (almost)
world famous Banana Bread, Mick from
Mick’s Bakehouse in New South Wales, has
created another mini masterpiece. He’s taken
the recipe foundations of his classic Banana
Bread and transformed it into something new
and exclusive to Aussie Farmers Direct - Pear
& Raspberry Banana Bread.
Pureed pear from Aussie pears is used to
create a lovely sweetness and all-important
moisture. Premium grade raspberries are
sourced from Victoria and of course he
can’t go past his Queensland source for top
quality bananas. “I was keen to keep the
fruit sweetness at the forefront. The Pear
& Raspberry Banana Bread is particularly
delicious toasted and served with butter.
The pear flavour really comes out once
warmed,” says Mick. Treat yourself and your
family with these specialty cakes when you
next order at Aussie Farmers Direct!
BOVELL’S BAKERY
Locally baked in WA
Quality products fresh 7 days per week
p: 08 9493 8600
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 43
INSPIRE
Katy Barfield
Katy Barfield is one of Australia’s fresh food waste
crusaders. After seven years heading up SecondBite, a
not-for-profit business distributing surplus fresh food
to community programs across Australia (and in doing
so providing enough fresh produce to create six million
hearty nutritious meals to people in need annually), she
picked up a spade and is pushing a new barrow, with a
business aimed at finding a market for produce that is
‘Nature’s Grade’.
What was the genesis of your new
business ‘Spade & Barrow’?
When I was working at SecondBite I
became aware of farmers that were unable
to sell their produce and were struggling
to put food on the plate for themselves.
There is a mass exodus of farmers from the
land. These farmers are often limited from
selling up to 40% of their crop because of
imperfections, usually because it doesn’t
look glamorous enough for retailers. It still
tastes great; there’s nothing wrong with it.
It seems crazy to me that there are some
1.1 million hungry people in Australia, yet
this perfectly edible produce is going to rot.
Add to that the price squeeze on farmers by
44 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
major retailers, processors etc - something
here is clearly broken. I saw this as a prime
opportunity to find a way to help these
farmers discover a new alternative to sell
their produce. It’s led to what I’ve termed
‘Nature’s Grade’, a new grading of product,
which is essentially the produce straight out
of the ground, ungraded, in it’s absolutely
naked, natural form; just as nature intended
it. We’re interested in making the food
system work again, as it is currently neither
fair nor equitable. We are driven by the need
to be sustainable, and we don’t shy away
from that.
INSPIRE
How did you test your theory?
We created a pop up market to see if the
community would go for it. We were able
to offer this produce at a price around 20%
less than the perfect specimen you might
see elsewhere. We found that many people
were happy to save one fifth of their total
food bill if they were prepared to accept a
completely healthy, flavoursome, yet wonky
carrot!
In my previous role I’d had some dealings
with Aussie Farmers Direct who donated
produce and I knew they’d support this
concept. I needed help on the logistics side
with getting this produce to a central spot
and then delivering it to customers. Over
the past six months I’ve worked with Aussie
Farmers Direct on a trial and, without much
effort, secured around 80 customers across
Melbourne and Geelong. Aussie Farmers
Direct has also provided some financial
support to the business to help us grow
and take the program beyond the Victorian
border.
Do you personally select the
produce?
Getting out to the farms and seeing what
these farmers are doing is really important
to me. It also provides my small team and
many of our customers with an opportunity
to help out some of these farmers in a
hands-on way. We have worked with a
farmer called Gavin in Bendigo who has 40
Hopefully this knowledge will filter down to
consumers who can start to make decisions
to buy food that has a little bit of personality!
My vision is that ‘Nature’s Grade’ produce
is embraced by everybody. It is an ethical,
environment and economic choice, but
it will only really be that if we redistribute
power fairly across the food system. I am
really keen to do some myth busting around
produce, and this is a big one.
Who most inspires you and why?
My children, boys aged four and two. When
I come home at the end of the day they run
to me and they inspire me to be present –
to be patient, slow down and enjoy every
minute. They also challenge me to try and
inspire a better world for them to grow up
in. Gavin, the farmer I mentioned, is one of
the last farmers standing in that area. When
the likes of him go – and that is a real and
terrifying possibility within this generation
- my kids won’t know what a farm is like.
I don’t want my kids to grow up without
knowing where their food comes from, or
without seeing, knowing and understanding
the natural environment from whence it
came.
What has been your proudest
achievement?
Aside from having my children (I’d drop
anything for them!), on the professional
front it would have to be my work with
SecondBite. When I walked out the door of
to Bill Henderson’s farm in Trentham,
Victoria, where he grows the most amazing
Sebago and Exton variety potatoes that
are delicious, light and fluffy. I will be boiling
these with a little mint and salt and serving
Spade & Barrow supplies ‘Nature’s Grade’ produce to restaurants, cafes, schools, caterers and food service outlets in
Melbourne and Geelong, with plans to expand into Queensland and New South Wales. If you are a kitchen interested
in becoming a customer, or a farmer (or know of one) that is looking to supply fresh quality produce that might look a
bit more natural, contact Spade & Barrow via www.spadeandbarrow.com or call 03 8669 4950.
acres of mixed produce and was at real risk
of losing his farm. He simply couldn’t afford
the labour for harvesting, so we went up
there with a few volunteers to help harvest
parsnips! This has morphed into what we
call our ‘Community Harvest’, which we aim
to do with one of our farmers every quarter.
Doing this is one of the most rewarding
aspects of my work and the joy on our
customer’s faces is priceless. We also
liaise with local food hubs in regional areas;
these social enterprises purchase produce
directly from small to medium sized farms.
There is a real movement towards a fair
and equitable food system happening - it is
amazing!
How do you change perceptions that
visually imperfect food is still okay?
My mum lives in Spain and there, as well
as in many other European countries, they
wholeheartedly embrace food as nature
intended. Imperfect looking food is almost
sought after – it speaks volumes of its
natural origin. At the moment our customers
are mainly restaurants, caterers, cafes,
schools and TAFEs. I suppose chefs ‘get’
that there is nothing wrong with this food.
SecondBite for the last time as the CEO, I
looked back and took a moment to reflect
on how I had developed the organisation.
It was the first time I’d really taken stock - I
was always looking and moving forward
with it. My proudest moment will be when
SecondBite doesn’t exist anymore. When
that service is no longer needed it means
a solution to the current food problem has
been found.
them with sustainably sourced trout, which
I will lightly poach, and fresh broccoli from
Werribee in Victoria. Yum!
What issue do you believe is the most
vital for Australians to get behind?
When I hear people say that climate change
isn’t real, I want to shake them. I am also
worried about losing control and access to
our own food system. It is the small farmers
that keep it local, that aren’t owned by
multinationals, that we need to support.
This includes supporting those practicing
good animal husbandry. Some of the
things that are done is this realm are just
awful. It is another example of having zero
connection. We all need to connect in a
more meaningful way to stem some of this
behaviour.
What’s for dinner tonight?
My kids are potato mad! Last week I went
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 45
MEAL PLANNING
$100 Shop Fanatics
Back in January we launched a challenge to our customers – the $100 Shop Challenge. We started with an Aussie
Farmers Direct family-sized fruit and veg box. We added some meat and fish, oats, bread and milk, eggs, butter
and cheese, as well as one of our delicious ready-made lasagnes, and gave it all to you for just $100. It turns out
our customers were mad for it! We spoke to a few of you to learn why it ticked so many boxes.
Thanks to all of our
customers who embraced
our first $100 Shop
Challenge. We’ve
enjoyed bringing it to you
and have loved hearing
your feedback! Look out
for a new Shop Challenge,
coming soon and ready for
Winter 2014.
Julie lives in Sydney
and was online
placing her order
when she saw
the $100 Shop; it
looked like good
value. Her children,
Tom (15), Charlie
(12) and Grace
(9) became very
smitten with the
lasagne, which Julie
agrees was a great
instant meal to have
in the fridge on
busy nights when
getting a quick
meal together was
essential. There
were quite a few
other highlights too.
“My husband
Michael loved
having real butter
in the house again.
Being from the
country originally,
he doesn’t like the processed stuff and he’s
been talking to the kids about how great
real butter is! I’ve enjoyed the fish. The kids
are used to having frozen, crumbed fish,
so it’s been great to panfry it simply, with
some butter. Through the $100 Shop we’ve
certainly been eating much better quality
seafood.
“Getting the oats in the shop has me
frequently creating crumble for dessert! I
am trying to use less processed food and
more fresh food, and so this inspires us to
do that. I’ve recommended Aussie Farmers
Direct to three friends now, and they’ve all
signed up!” says Julie.
Justine and Tate live just outside of Melbourne
with their children Elsie (12), Chloe (10) and
Baxter (7). Justine came across the $100
Shop whilst doing their weekly order via
the app, and thought it was great value,
appreciating it was worth a lot more than the
$100 price tag! Whilst designed to feed a
family of four, Justine found it was perfectly
sized for the five of them.
“Baxter loved the lasagna, telling me he
now prefers it over the one that I cook! Last
week we received a whole watermelon,
46 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
which the kids
thought looked
amazing as normally
I’d buy a pre-cut half
watermelon,” says
Justine.
Clinton, his wife
Amber and two
year old son Cody
live in Perth and
might well be Aussie
Farmers Direct’s
newest customers.
Clinton went online
a month ago in
search for better and
easier ways to shop
as he was sick of
spending too much
money on things
they didn’t need.
“It’s much better
value and loads
better quality than
what we used to get
at the supermarket,
where we’d spend
$100 Shopper Julie with husband Michael and
children Charlie, Grace and Tom.
$100 and not even get any fruit & veg. We
based our whole week of eating around
the Aussie Farmers Direct $100 Shop, and
topped it up with some extra treats for
Cody.
“Trying a different fish has been a highlight;
we made a great fish curry the other night.
At the end of the week, we make a roast
from the beef rump, using all the remaining
veg as our roasted vegetables. The fruit and
veg lasts the entire week and doesn’t spoil.
You just don’t get that freshness from the
supermarket. I’ve been telling my mates to
get onto it!” says Clinton.
RECIPE
F ish In Tomato
& Coriander
Curry Sauce
This is the kind of quick, easy,
supremely tasty recipe that will most
certainly become a part of your goto cooking repertoire. It uses fresh
ingredients and pantry spice staples,
and the great part of this dish is that
you can change the fish you use.
Our Aussie Farmers Direct Salmon
Fillets, Barramundi Fillets or Catch
Of The Week will all work well in
this beautiful curry base. You can try
adding some additional green veg,
such as kale or green beans.
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, cut in half
and sliced finely
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 stick cinnamon
2 cardamom pods
1 tsp ground fennel
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
350 g tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves,
finely chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
250 mL water
1 tsp Djion mustard
400 g fish fillets, cut into 3 cm pieces
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves
4 tbsp Bulla cooking cream
METHOD
Heat olive oil into a large, non-stick, lidded
fry pan over medium-high heat. When
hot, add the onion, garlic, cinnamon and
cardamom and stir fry for 4 minutes until
the onion starts to brown. Add the fennel,
ground coriander, cayenne pepper and
turmeric and quickly stir. Add the tomatoes,
fresh coriander, sea salt and water and
bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to low,
and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in
the mustard and add the fish pieces. Gently
simmer for a further 5 minutes, and then
add the spinach and cream, carefully mixing
through. Simmer for another five minutes.
Serve with steamed rice.
= available at Aussie Farmers Direct
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 47
WELLBEING
Top Kids Food Tips
(& Ninja Tricks!)
Kids sport, juggling household duties and endless birthday parties - life for the average mum and dad can be
chaotic! We are all striving and mostly struggling to keep the cogs turning so that the wheels don’t fall off.
Taryn Brumfitt, Founder of Body Image Movement, shares three tips to help you save time and get some
goodness into your children too.
Creating Snack
Central
Old enough to navigate my phone, old enough to get your own
snacks!
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the words “Mum, I’m
hungry” then I’d be writing this from my personal yacht sailing
around my private island. Ok, slightly exaggerated, but you get my
drift! Last year I decided that I’d had enough of being their ‘go
to’ person for food every five minutes. Now, don’t get me wrong,
I’m their mother and I care for them with lots of love, and I enjoy
preparing their breakfast, lunch and dinner but I figure if they’re old
Taryn shows you how to create a great Snack HQ.
See it on the Aussie Farmers Direct YouTube channel.
enough to navigate my iphone then they’re more than capable of
getting their own snacks.
So, in my fridge and pantry I have sections dedicated to them,
so that they can help themselves to a snack whenever they are
hungry. Snacks like fruit, yoghurt, popcorn, cheese and cut up
carrots and cucumbers (I like to give myself a little high five when
the cut up vegies are in town). It has TRANSFORMED my life!
It saves my time running to and from the kitchen all day long, it
empowers and encourages the children to eat ‘mindfully’ and it
allows me to get on with the endless mountain of washing. Give it
a try!
48 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
WELLBEING
Ninja Stealth Moves
Children’s growing bodies need all the goodness they can get, so
whenever there’s an opportunity to throw some extra goodness
into their foods, I do. Most of the time they are unaware, hence why
I call them “ninja stealth moves”! My middle child, Cruz, is a super
fussy eater. My other two will eat almost anything (even anchovies
and chillies), but Cruz’s taste buds need a lot of convincing! Here’s
my top five ninja stealth moves:
1. Shave the top off a broccoli head into your next batch of
muffins or cake.
2. Add blueberries and strawberries to your pancake mix
for an extra hit of antioxidants (and awesome colour).
3. For a protein hit, add eggs to your children’s milkshakes.
4. Take out the sugar of ALL baking, and substitute with
the sweetness of pureed apples and carrots.
5. Replace standard flour with the goodness of almond
flour (coating fish or chicken or anywhere else you’d use
bread crumbs).
Where It All Started
Platter Heaven
At least three times a week I serve a wide variety of foods on a
platter and call it lunch or dinner. Truly, I don’t care much for doing
things the conventional way - who said that we have to sit down
at the table for every meal and eat with a knife and fork? In the
warmer months, I love to grab a picnic rug, head outside, throw
random food on a platter, and yell “dinner’s ready!”.
Serving food on platters encourages the children to try new foods,
it reduces food wastage (it’s a great way to use up any left overs
at the end of the week) and it takes the pressure off when you are
pushed for time (throwing food onto a platter takes less than 10
minutes).
Food fuels our body, and when our bodies are feeling good on
the inside, it’s hard to be anything but positive on the outside. As
always, love your body from the inside out.
In 2012, Taryn posted these ‘non traditional’ before and after
photos that went viral around the world with over 3.7 million hits.
Why did it get so much attention? Here’s what Taryn had to say.
“Most before and after photos depict a sad and overweight woman
before and then once she has lost weight, she miraculously
becomes happy. I wanted to demonstrate to women that you
can love your body and be happy, before, during and after. I
also wanted to make a point, that you cannot judge someone’s
health by their looks alone. Whilst most people applauded me
for my dedication and physical appearance in the before photo, I
considered myself to be a lot healthier in the ‘after’ photo. I believe
good health encompasses not only physical health but emotional
and spiritual health too and for optimum results, a balanced
combination of all three is the perfect model.
“The reason the photo received so much global attention was
because, ‘heaven forbid’, a woman could put on weight and be
happy, and SHOCK HORROR my ‘after’ body didn’t conform to
the predictable standards of beauty, health and wellbeing, and
yet I was beaming with pride and body confidence. As a society
we’ve become so conditioned to thinking we must conform to an
unobtainable standard of beauty (mostly driven by companies that
are making a lot of money out of preying on our insecurities). We’re
constantly been told by the diet and beauty industries to change
ourselves - ‘remove cellulite’, ‘reduce fine lines’, ‘lose weight’ and my all time favourite ‘fight the signs of ageing’! Gahhh, it was
enough to make me want to scream, but instead, I created a
movement - Body Image Movement.
- Taryn xxx
Join the Movement!
Online at BodyImageMovement.com.au or Facebook.
Watch more of Taryn’s tips on the Aussie Farmers Direct
You Tube channel.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 49
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Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 51
Keeping
Wedderburn
Fire-Ready
Dave Scott is Captain of the Wedderburn Rural Fire
Brigade, south-west of Sydney. It’s a job he’s held for
eleven years, and all for the love of it; a volunteer role
that he balances with his day job as an electrician,
leading a thirty-strong, all-volunteer brigade. Aussie
Farmers Direct has been supporting the station via
our Fundraising program. Through the efforts of our
passionate local milko, Linda Price, the brigade receives
their regular funding from Aussie Farmers Direct.
When local milko Linda dropped a leaflet
off at the station to advise the team that
Aussie Farmers Direct was now available
in their area, Dave thought it was a great
service and signed up to receive his
weekly order of fresh fruit & veg. As a
customer, he discovered that two percent
of his total order value could be donated
to a community group of his choice. He,
through Aussie Farmers Fundraising has
supported general station maintenance
and vehicle upkeep. It also goes towards
supplying food and refreshments for the
volunteer crews, who are often on duty for
twelve hours at a time. Calls to assist other
districts, such as to the recent bushfires in
South Australia, are common, alongside
attending to local incidents large and small.
Want to nominate funds to your local school, group or charity? Check if
they are registered with our program: AussieFarmers.com.au/
Fundraising/Fundraisers. Not registered? Get them started today!
AussieFarmers.com.au/Fundraising/GetStarted
naturally, chose the Wedderburn Rural Fire
Brigade. That was 2012, and since then
through the promotion efforts of Linda, other
members of his brigade as well as local
customers have nominated the brigade, and
over $2,000 has now been now donated
to these fireys through Aussie Farmers
Fundraising.
The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) keeps
the station well equipped with the essentials
needed to service their local community, but
extra funds never go astray. Money raised
52 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
“Aussie Farmers Fundraising has become
the most reliable funding stream for the
brigade, which is supplemented by the
always welcome donations from local
residents. The consistency of the Aussie
Farmers Fundraising is important, and so is
its efficiency. Gone are the days when we
need to ask the brigade to add even more
time to their volunteer schedule to
run a sausage sizzle or staff a stand at a
fair,” says Dave.
Linda has been the milko in north-west
Campelltown, Sydney, as well as the
Wedderburn area, for two years. She has
around 400 customers, and sent a note
to all of them to let them know of some of
the local organisations they could elect to
support. Many of the organisations that
are supported through Aussie Farmers
Fundraising are local schools.
“I’ve found many of my customers like to
have a connection with the organisation
that they can nominate funds to go to.
Customers without families or a direct
connection with their local school can
identify with the needs of a community
organisation such as the local fire brigade.
This awareness has really helped the
Wedderburn Rural Fire Brigade attract
more support through Aussie Farmers
Fundraising,” says Linda.
Inspiring Young People In
Isolated Communities
Growing up in the country can be great for kids. There is space for them to roam and explore, and there is often
a freedom in the country that is not found in the city. However when children hit their teens, a lack of engaging
activities and services can lead to boredom and frustration.
Using some of the technology available in M.Y van were (front
from left) Elise Holt, 11, Breanna Hawkins, 15, Grace Holt, 14,
(back) Khyler Smith, 12, Ainsleigh Hawkins, 13, Shaun Muller, 14
and Ruth Korovata, 14.
Kids Helpline research has shown that young people
in rural areas have trouble accessing suitable and
appropriate health and welfare services, education,
and training and recreational opportunities. This lack
of youth services has an enormous impact on young
people and their community. Research shows it can
lead to depression and mental health issues, drug and
alcohol abuse, risky and anti-social behaviour, and
poor health.
The Aussie Farmers Foundation recognises this
problem and has partnered with Save the Children
Australia to run a mobile youth service in remote and
isolated communities in the Riverina region of New
South Wales.
“It was evident from our research prior to going to the
Riverina Murray and from our work with young people
there that the region lacks sufficient support services
for its young people,” says Dr Gareth Jenkins, Youth
Engagement Coordinator for Save the Children.
“Many towns do not have a youth centre where
young people can come and express themselves
and seek support for the difficult issues they might be
experiencing.”
The mobile youth service is called M.Y.van and aims
to reduce rates of youth crime, unemployment and
suicide by connecting young people to support
networks online and in their local area. The M.Y.van’s
most recent rural travels have included the New South
Wales Riverina towns of Wagga Wagga, Leeton and
Hay, a town from which Aussie Farmers Direct also
sources pumpkins and rockmelons. M.Y.van provides
young people with a safe place to express themselves
using the latest digital media equipment such as
cameras and iPads. Trained youth workers deliver a
range of education, health and creative programs to
increase young people’s safety, resilience and social
participation.
77.5 percent said
they had learnt
something new.
All young people
suggested the need
for more youth
focused activities in
their area, including
These communities and others across Australia need the support of
the Aussie Farmers Foundation. We are inundated with
requests each year. When you are next online or speaking to one
of our representatives, please add $1 to your weekly or fortnightly
order and be part of Supporting.Country.Australia. Visit www.
AussieFarmersFoundation.com.au.
Leeton Shire Council community services officer
Jackson Goman lobbied to have the van visit Leeton
after seeing the positive impact it had on a recent visit to
Wagga Wagga.
“It’s just a great opportunity for youth to have something
like this, especially in school holidays, and to be able
to take advantage of the opportunity where they can
access this digital media and create that fun and relaxed
learning environment,” says Mr Goman.
The results from the most recent school holidays
program are very promising. Eighty percent of M.Y.van
participants rated the workshops as excellent and
more frequent visits
from M.Y.van.
“The support from
Aussie Farmers
Foundation has
been vital for Save
the Children and has
ensured M.Y.van can
continue its work in
these communities,”
says Dr Jenkins.
Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 53
FRANCHISEE
I Love Being
A Milko
Name: Peter Scott
Round: From Surfers and Bundall to Paradise Point,
Gold Coast, Queensland
Peter Scott and his wife Heather have been milkos in the Gold
Coast region for almost 18 months. It’s an area that Peter
knows pretty well, having spent his boyhood there. Now in his
40s, he’s returned to the region after spending his working life
Become Your Own
Boss Today!
Join our growing family and you could share in the
rewards of one of Australia’s fastest growing franchise
businesses (BRW Fast Franchisee 2012 and 2013).
To enquire about becoming an Aussie Farmers Direct
milko, visit AussieFarmersFranchising.com.au.
54 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine
to date traversing the globe, employed by some of the worlds
leading companies as an Information Technology specialist. It’s
an experience that has given him a great appreciation for what
Australia has to offer.
“There really is something special about Australia and our
culture. Regardless of the industry or the country, you never
have to look too hard to find an Aussie playing a key part in
any groundbreaking innovation. I think that too often we try to
compare ourselves to the rest of the world, when we are ready
to step out in front and lead,” says Peter.
Peter knew that when it came to settling down and raising a
family, which also features beach and iPad-mad six-year-old
son Michael, there was no better place than the Gold Coast.
Peter sought a new career that enabled him time with his
family, had a strong community focus, and that complemented
his own family values.
“I have always felt that it is important to support local producers
and I am passionate about locally grown produce. I can see a
great long term future in the Aussie Farmers Direct business, and
can imagine some really exciting changes to come,” says Peter.
In fact, Peter is a part of these changes. His IT expertise has him
working on systems to simplify the Aussie Farmers Direct delivery
and stock control processes. “We are determined to be the best
in the world. It’s a very exciting time to be in the business,” says
Peter.
In his short time as a milko, Peter has made deliveries to over
1,000 different customers. It’s the people that Peter loves most
about his job – his customers, his committed delivery drivers
and the broader staff of the Aussie Farmers Direct family. Getting
positive feedback is one of the greatest joys of being a franchisee.
“It’s humbling to get a positive note, email, card, SMS or
comment from out of the blue. But the most satisfying
feedback is the genuinely appreciative “thank you” when you
go just that little bit further to help a customer out,” says Peter.
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