Canberra – Capital and Country Convivium (4Cs)
Transcription
Canberra – Capital and Country Convivium (4Cs)
Canberra – Capital and Country Convivium (4Cs) Autumn 2015 News From the Convivium Leader Ian is the one on the left Hi to all Having just experienced another awe-inspiring visit to Wynlen House on 17 May, I can vouch that Bronwyn [Richards] and Helen [Lynch] are certainly living out a Slow Food existence on their 1 1/4 acre property in Braidwood. Bronwyn grows and produces an amazing array of seasonal vegetables and small farm animals for their own consumption and sale in the local community, and Helen is the cook and leading hand. Vol 2 No 2 Later in this newsletter: Meet your producer – Kim de Poorter, chef Slow Food National Conference COGS Garden Visit Recipe : chorizo, potato and cider Visit to Tweenhills Chestnut Farm Book Review: The Bread and Butter Project Slow Food Canberra does passata Slow Food at Expo 2015 (Milan) ACT Food Policy and Food Plan Acknowledging a SF friend 2 4 5 6 7 9 9 10 12 12 __________________________________ Contact us at: [email protected] Check us out at: www.slowfoodcanberra.com Find out more about Slow Food International at: www.slowfood.com “Like” us on Facebook at: Slow Food Canberra Once again we were given a guided tour around and Capital Convivium the estate. Our last visit was at the end of August, so we experienced almost diametrically opposite seasonal experiences. That time many seedlings had just been planted, piggies roamed the paddock and baby turkeys were being reared for Xmas. This time there was still an abundance of produce from the ground and trees to be picked, including cabbages, broccoli, kale, pumpkins, apples and pears to name only some. Now, the geese and ducks roamed 1 the paddocks - separated as they preferred their own territory. Well, all except for one goose who preferred the company of ducks, one duck in particular it seemed! The other similarity was the fabulous spread for lunch - all Wynlen’s own produce, of course, though supplemented by Dojo bread, Lea’s hand made cheeses and Georgie’s chocolates. Some local Braidwood people filled out the table, and we again enjoyed magnificent weather!! We were blessed on both occasions. The other exciting development we were informed about was that Bronwyn has taken on managing the Braidwood Garlic Growers Project, a project funded through the Upper Shoalhaven Landcare Council. The idea is that with Braidwood being a very cool climate region it potentially can grow late season, long storage varieties of garlic which are yet to be commercially available on the mainland. [Current limited availability in Tasmania]. Now that’s gotta be good! [PS: AKA the Holy Grail Garlic project, as it is being grown on a plot of land owned by the Anglican Church just up the road from Wynlen House.] In other news Slow Food Canberra news, Greg and Chris Stuart of Minto Galloway cattle fame [their long hair Galloway cattle are listed in Slow Food’s Ark of Taste], are off to Slow Food USA’s Slow Meat Conference to held in Denver, Colorado in June. Greg and Chris are going as representatives of Slow Food in Oz and SF Canberra will be assisting them in getting them there. Our main fund raising effort will be our Slow Soup Kitchens at local markets over the next few months. So, keep tuned to your events update to find out when and where they are, come along have some soup and feel free to contribute generously! Also in this newsletter, the feature article is on Kim De Poorter, a long time member and supporter of Slow Food who would be known to those who frequent EPIC and/or Southside Farmers markets. Kim was sponsored by Slow Food Canberra to attend Terra Madre/Salon de Gusto in 2008, an experience he will never forget. An experience no one forgets or regrets, I suggest. In other good news, we have now a new membership and information brochure for Slow Food Canberra - Capital & Country Convivium [4Cs]. This means that renewing members now have the option of rejoining locally rather than going through Slow Food International - contact Nick by email at [email protected] for all the relevant details. In less happy news, Neville Bleakley, a long time committee member has decided to step down as he has other priorities in life he wishes to pursue, the committee would like to thank Neville for his contribution on the committee, particularly for his organisation and soup-making for our soup kitchens, which will be sorely missed. And remember the National Slow Food gathering is being held in August. All members are encouraged to attend and you should’ve received your own personal invite. If you haven’t, please contact Nick at [email protected]. Until next seasonal newsletter, good harvesting and eating, Ian Ryall Convivium leader _________________________________ Meet your producer - Kim de Poorter, chef Fine Terrines and Pâtés, Crêperie Born in South Korea, Kim became hooked on European food from his first taste at the tender age of seven. Kim spent weekends in his grandmother’s kitchen; she thoroughly spoiling him by cooking all his favourite dishes, and grew up in a family who considered cooking and eating good food to be not a time permitting luxury, but rather an essential, and joyful, part of family life. It therefore came naturally for Kim to complete a cooking apprenticeship upon finishing school. From this apprenticeship in Belgium, where Kim had the opportunity to work in some of the country’s top restaurants, he moved to France where he learnt from the likes of Jacques Maximin and Michel Rochedit. The 2 travel bug then hit and he worked and travelled through Europe, the USA and Bermuda before landing in the most unlikely of places, The French Kitchen in Canberra. There, he fell head over heels in love with the owner’s daughter, and decided to finally settle down. Although Kim loved living in Australia, and enjoyed all the fresh produce and fine quality food available, his one regret was the lack of good ‘charcuterie’. As a recent Slow Food member, Kim knew that there were plenty of Canberrans who enjoyed the finest things in life, and cared about where their food came from. So, with a toddler at home, and a baby on the way, Kim decided to throw caution to the wind. In 2007 he quit the restaurant industry, and created his own business, Fine Terrines and Pâtés. pleasure and anticipation when the warm chocolate sauce is drizzled over, nearly make the 4am starts worthwhile. Crêpe with avocado, smoked salmon, sour cream Braised lamb shank with kipflers and carrots L: Kim at work in his new studio kitchen, R: Duck liver pâté with porcini and port From those first humbling months, despite working nights in borrowed commercial kitchens, and the cold early morning starts at the Farmers Markets, Kim knew he had made the right choice. Over the years Kim has seen a lot of growth in Canberra’s Markets. His customers come from all walks of life, and he loves seeing the joy come on in people’s eyes when they try his duck liver pâté, or when children try the rabbit rillettes and announce that that’s what they want in their lunchbox. In 2012 Kim expanded his business to include his Crêperie. For many market goers, a hot crêpe with banana and Nutella, cream of mushroom, or classic lemon and sugar is as essential on their shopping list as fresh eggs and kale. Children delight in watching Kim flip the crêpes (not pancakes!) and seeing their eyes widen with So, if you’re not already an addict, come and meet Kim at the Capital Region Farmer’s Market on a Saturday morning (each week), or the Southside Farmers Market on a Sunday (1st and 3rd weekends). After your vegetable shop, buy a coffee and sit down to a hot crêpe. Then buy a fresh baguette and some terrine or rillettes to take home and enjoy a long leisurely lunch with a glass or two of wine, followed by a nap (à la française!). You don’t worry about cooking for dinner; you’ve picked up one of Kim’s traditional meals to warm up and serve. A bientôt! Mary De Poorter (Kim’s patient and hardworking but very well fed wife) ___________________________________ 3 Slow Food National Conference Ulladulla, NSW - 21-23 August 2015 Slow Food Shoalhaven has taken on the task of organising the 2015 Slow Food Australia National Conference – and they are doing a mighty job ! With a Conference theme of Changing the Food System! Good, Clean & Fair Food for all Australians, the 2015 National Conference will focus on issues facing the food system in Australia and how Slow Food can provide solutions. The Conference proper runs from Friday 21 August to around noon on Sunday 23 August, allowing interstate visitors time to travel home on the Sunday, including getting to Sydney or Canberra for return flights. Prior to the Conference proper getting underway, there are optional tours of Shoalhaven producers. Places are limited on the tours, so please book early ! A ‘meet and greet cocktail hour’ (with dinner available) is available later that afternoon and evening. After a welcome to country on the Friday morning, Paolo Di Croce (SF International) will speak on why the global food system is broken and suggest some solutions from the Slow Food network. This will be followed by presentations from the Australian Convivia, before two afternoon sessions that will explore the global Terra Madre network and sustainable fishing. A Slow Fish Dinner will follow, with guest speakers including Rick Stein and Matthew Evans. Saturday 22 August will feature sessions on the Ark of Taste and ‘slow cheese’ (including some discussion on raw milk), with the afternoon devoted to discussions and working groups on communications and campaigning activities. A ‘nose to tail’ long table dinner will follow. On the Sunday morning, there will be some discussion around Slow Food finances in Australia, plus reporting back from the Saturday afternoon working groups and general discussion. The Conference will ‘wrap up’ by 12:30pm. The main Conference venue will be the Ulladulla Civic Centre, Princes Highway, Ulladulla, NSW, opposite the boat harbour. Ulladulla is 3 hours south of Sydney airport or around 2 ½ hours from Canberra (via Batemans Bay). Unfortunately, in both cases, there is limited public transport. On the up-side, the Shoalhaven is a destination worth experiencing! Allow a few days before or after the Conference to enjoy the scenic and gastronomic offerings of the region. The most convenient accommodation for the Conference can be found in the towns of Ulladulla, Mollymook, Burrill Lake and Milton. __________________________________________________ 4 Canberra Organic Growers Society (COGS) garden visit Slow Food Canberra lunch at O’Connor community garden Article first published in Canberra Organic, winter 2015. Reproduced with the permission of COGS'. Story and photos by Sue Pavasaris (editor, Canberra Organic) A lovely late summer afternoon and a sloooow lunch were the perfect ingredients for Slow Food Canberra’s visit to the O’Connor garden on Sunday 15 February. Approximately 22 people attended the lunch, with some belonging to both COGS and Slow Food Canberra. Ian Ryall and former COGS president Walter Steensby raise their glasses to good food and great company Where better to have lunch than in the garden? The event started with a talk and tour of the garden by COGS member and Slow Food member, Alan Robertson, who has a plot in the O’Connor garden. Alan talked about the history and ethos of the garden and ensured the group worked up an appetite as they inspected the prolific summer produce. Slow Food Canberra’s Ian Ryall with Alan Robertson O’Connor convenor Jenny Clark together with Barbara Payne, Trish McEwan, Glen Shelley and Alan Robertson organised a lovely table setting, complete with tablecloths, crockery and glasses, as well as contributing a large frittata. Other gardeners contributed salads, pickles and platters. Barbara Payne and Ian Ryall inspect the table 5 Winter warmer recipe by long-standing Slow Food Canberra member, Neville Bleakley. Chorizos, Potatoes and Apple Cider Ingredients (serves 2) 4 waxy potatoes 4 fresh chorizos 2 or 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (can use dried if needs be) 2 tbsp apple cider 1 tbsp cider vinegar (or white vinegar) Above and below: Some of the delicious food at the lunch Method Peel the potatoes and boil in salted water until “al dente”. Test with a fork, which should not be able to penetrate fully into a potato. Drain, cool, and cut into cubes. Cut the chorizos into cubes – say lengthways first, then slice the two halves into 2 cm bits. Fry the potatoes in oil for a couple of minutes on medium heat, tossing regularly, then add the chorizos. Continue tossing/stirring for about 10-15 minutes, until the bits are browned and slightly crunchy on the outside. Add apple cider, and stir for a couple of minutes. Just before serving, add vinegar and stir through. Slow Food Canberra is part of an international group founded to counteract the ‘fast food and fast life’ concept. There is an obvious alignment between the COGS philosophy and the Slow Food principles of: good—a fresh and flavoursome seasonal diet that satisfies the senses and is part of the local culture ; clean—food production and consumption that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or human health; and fair—accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for producers. __________________________________ Some tips from the chef (Neville): Use fresh chorizos, not the dry, salted ones that are cured. Try to buy firm ones because you are going to cut them into pieces while they are uncooked. Likewise, choose waxy potatoes because they, too, will be cut into cubes after boiling. Desiree – available at any store - would be suitable. Kipfler “finger” potatoes would work too, but leave the skin on– which would give the dish more of a rustic, Spanish look. A green-leaf salad, splashed with Homeleigh Grove Lowanna’s Paddock olive oil and vino cotto (or any sweet/sour vinegar) is a perfect accompaniment. There will be plenty of apple cider left over to enjoy with the meal ! Why not use a bottle of one of Sully’s apple ciders, made at the Old Cheese Factory, Reidsdale (near Braidwood) – lovely stuff ! 6 Visit to Tweenhills Chestnut Farm Slow Food Canberra celebrated the chestnut season with a visit to Tweenhills chestnut farm on 3 May 2015. Established in 1997, Tweenhills is a family operated commercial chestnut orchard at Hoskinstown, NSW run by Slow Food members John and Heather Kane. The farm is operated with modern horticultural practises and with limited use of chemicals. Our hosts gave us a walk and talk session on varieties of the nut, its agricultural requirement as well as sharing with us an appreciation of chestnut culture and harvesting. The main variety grown at Tweenhills is an Italian style chestnut, De Coppi Marone. It roasts well and is easy to peel. We had the pleasure of trying these chestnuts freshly roasted at lunch. After the ‘walk and talk’, we shared food in the form of a long table lunch with John's roast chestnuts, a hot chestnut pumpkin soup by Heather and a great selection of other dishes from attendees. Everyone went away satisfied with the sumptuous meal and bought chestnuts to roast at home. Eliza Ngan 7 The following information about chestnuts is collated from Tweenhills' chestnut pamphlets and The Chestnut Growers' Information Book. Chestnuts are classed as temperate nuts and are most suited to deep well-drained soils. They need cold winter temperatures and warm to hot summers. They have a sweet and nutty flavour, contain low GI carbohydrate, are high in dietary fibre and are the only nut that contains vitamin C. Their distinctive flavour and texture can give a unique taste to a range of dishes from starters to sweets. Chestnut soup is a winter classic and other equally delicious options are stir fries, casseroles, pastas, cakes, or used as stuffing in meat and poultry dishes. Traditionally, chestnuts are roasted over an open fire or in the oven (slit first and roasted on medium heat for 25-30 minutes, turning over after 15 minutes). They may also be cooked in the microwave, sandwich maker, hot plate or frying pan. Preparing & Cooking Chestnuts Prior to cooking, cut a slit across the face of the nut or a cross into the flat-end. This is to prevent the nut from exploding while cooking, To bake Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Place chestnuts onto a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until shell splits. To microwave Place chestnuts in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Cook, uncovered, at 850 watts/High/100% for 4-6 minutes or until flesh is tender. To roast, grill or barbeque Cook, turning occasionally, in a pan over medium heat for 20-30 minutes or until shell splits. To boil (if using to puree) Place chestnuts into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until flesh is tender. Wrap the cooked chestnuts in a tea-towel as they are difficult to peel once cooled. Remove outer shell and inner skin while still warm. Storage & Handling 1. Chestnuts should be stored as near as possible to 0°C. 2. Due to their high moisture content (50%) chestnuts can dry out even in a cool room. For this reason, to store chestnuts for more than 1 or 2 days in a cool room, they should be placed in plastic bags with the top folded over. 3. Although chestnuts can deteriorate rapidly under less than ideal conditions, under proper storage conditions (as above) they can remain in good condition for several weeks. 4. Chestnuts can be frozen. Leave the shells intact and pack them into a sturdy plastic bag or container. Frozen nuts once thawed are not suitable for roasting but are perfect in soups, purees and seasonings. You can also roast chestnuts, peel and then freeze for use in stuffing's, soups and cakes. 8 Book review The Bread and Butter Project Created by the Bourke Street Bakery, Surry Hills, Sydney – www.thebreadandbutterproject.com This book tells the story of the bread and butter project and is also a book of bread recipes. I bought the book a couple of years ago and read the story but did not try any of the recipes until we went on a sour dough baking course last year. The Bread and Butter Project is a social enterprise in Sydney that provides training and employment opportunities in baking; skills that can build a career. The book tells the story of how a couple of artisan bakers found they could help others by teaching them baking skills. It also tells the stories of some of the refugees who have been helped by the project. The book contains everything you need to know to bake a good loaf of bread at home. There is a description of the tools you will need, the main ingredients and their role in the bread baking, how to make a sourdough starter from scratch, and important bread making techniques including mixing, proving, shaping, scoring and baking are described in sufficient detail. I especially liked the way that the instructions for shaping included pictures that make it easier to understand what I think is the most important technique in bread making: effective shaping tensions the dough while retaining the gas bubbles so the dough will rise and produce a nice texture. There are enough bread recipes in the book to keep one occupied for a very long time. Each recipe explains, step by step, how to make the bread by hand and also includes instructions for using a benchtop mixer to save a little time. So far we have tried 6 of the 17 sourdough bread recipes, the last of which was the Red Wine, Juniper Berry and Rye Sourdough which turned out to be a very nice rye loaf where, every once in a while, you get a shot of Gin flavour. There are also 9 recipes for semi-sourdoughs that supplement sourdough starter with some yeast to give extra rise, and recipes for 17 yeasted breads. 4C does passata ! On 29 March, 4C had another successful passata bottling day. The pictures below show how the day unfolded ! Special thanks to Slow Food members John and Lorraine for again opening up their home. Extra special thanks to Mick Audinno for a very generous deal on the tomatoes. EPIC regulars will know Mick from his orange stall at the northern entrance to the Markets. While Mick is a known champion at citrus, it turns out that he clearly knows a thing or two about tomatoes too ! This is an attractively presented book that could live in the kitchen or on the coffee table. I really like this book because it is easy to follow and produces good results. I also liked the story behind the book and how The Bread and Butter Project gives refugees a skill that they can use to transform their lives. Mark Fraser ______________________________ 9 More passata !! The Slow Food Area at Expo 2015: Putting Biodiversity and the People who Feed the Planet in the Spotlight Amorelle Dempster, Australian Councillor, Slow Food International Slow Food will have a major role at Expo 2015 Milano, which started on 1 May and runs through to 31 October. In the heart of the Slow Food Pavilion at Expo 2015, there will be the Slow Food Theater - an open space for meeting and exchange, which will give a voice to those women and men who today feed the planet with good, clean and fair food. The daily schedule of events that will take place in the Theater include talks, debates, conferences, presentations and film and documentary screenings, part of a calendar full of activities aimed to tell the stories and experiences of the Slow Food network and Terra Madre food communities, but also of civil society representatives and people who share the Slow Food philosophy. On May 1, 2015, Gaetano Pascale, president of Slow Food Italy, opened the Slow Food area, explaining the reasons for our presence at the universal exposition. Later, Yvan Sagnet, trade unionist of the Federation of Agro-Industrial Workers,originally from Cameroon, spoke on the phenomenon of the denial of rights and the use of threats and intimidation in agriculture (the so-called ‘caporalato’), followed by Fabio Terribile, President of the Italian Society of Pedology who spoke about the importance of fertile soil and the right to land. On May 19, the Slow Food Pavilion was officially inaugurated in the presence of Slow Food International president Carlo Petrini and Swiss architect Jacques Herzog. 10 In the following weeks Expo will be a platform for Slow Food, a space for discussion and critical reflection in an attempt to find concrete solutions for the future. Two passata questions: Was it yummy? At Terra Madre Youth, October 3 – 6, will bring young farmers, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and students from all over the world to Milan. The Slow Food Theater will regularly host young men and women working in food production, who will talk about their experience, hopes and expectations for the future. Inside the Slow Food area there will be also a space dedicated to the discovery of the diversity of wine and rawmilk cheeses. The world of cheeses offers the perfect example of how plant and animal biodiversity is articulated when transformed into food. From just three simple ingredients—milk, rennet and salt—an extraordinary diversity has resulted, with over 2,000 traditional cheeses made around the world. Next to the Slow Cheese area, the Slow Wine Enoteca will be telling another fascinating story of biodiversity. In Italy alone, over 600 grape varieties are still used to make wine, from Nebbiolo to Sangiovese, Perricone and Fiano The selection of wines, curated by the Wine Bank in Pollenzo (Piedmont), will offer drinkable proof of this wide diversity, with about 200 different wines available on rotation. Did we have fun ? Several short movies and documentaries, coming from all over the world and dedicated to Slow Food themes and issues, will be screened every day to shed light on small communities of food artisans who work in order to create an alternative to the globalized food system. In particular, Ermanno Olmi’s film, The Planet that Hosts Us, will be projected in the Theater every evening at 8 pm, for the entire duration of Expo. Slow Food wants to put the work of this great director at the end of each day to symbolically close the activities with a deep reflection. The structures of the Slow Food area, built from PEFCcertified larch wood from sustainably managed forests and designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, will host the exhibition Discover Biodiversity, the tastings areas of Slow Cheese and Slow Wine, the association space and the Slow Food Editore bookshop. At the center of the area there is also the Slow Food Garden, with 47 species of medicinal plants, vegetables, legumes and other species, each one with a specific role in maintaining the balance of our ecosystem. Slow Food involves over a million of people dedicated to and passionate about good, clean and fair food. This includes chefs, youth, activists, farmers, fishers, experts and academics in over 150 countries; a network of around 100,000 Slow Food members linked to 1,500 local chapters worldwide (known as convivia), contributing through their membership fee, as well as the events and campaigns they organize; and over 2,500 Terra Madre food communities who practice small-scale and sustainable production of quality food around the world. 11 Local food issues – towards an ACT Food Policy and Food Plan Those of you who follow our Facebook page will have noted a recent ‘call out’ for thoughts on an ACT Food Policy and Food Plan. This important initiative was kicked off in May last year when the Conservation Council ACT Region worked with TAMS and Agriculture Minister Shane Rattenbury to hold a ‘roundtable’ discussion on ‘food security’ within the ACT region. Currently, Canberra brings around 90 per cent of its food in from outside, often involving long supply chains reliant on fossil-fuel intensive transportation methods. At any given time, we probably have only a couple of days food available, leaving us highly vulnerable to interruptions in the supply chain. Slow Food Canberra urges you to find out more about this subject. Arising from last year’s roundtable, the Conservation Council has developed a discussion paper that might lead us towards the development of an ACT Food Policy and Food Plan. You can get a copy of the paper directly from the Conservation Council, or by contacting Slow Food Canberra at [email protected] paper in time for the deadline for comments on 30 June 2015. If any Slow Food members would like their thoughts included in our joint response, please send these to [email protected]. There is also the option to respond directly to the Conservation Council via [email protected]. A Canberra abattoir ?? One important issue that has come up in the context of building a stronger, more resilient local food economy in the ACT and surrounding areas of NSW is the lack of reliable access to a meat processing facility. Smaller producers especially find that having large animal abattoirs in Cowra and Cootamundra, and the poultry abattoir on the South Coast, results in significant additional transport and time costs. In addition, these abattoirs are not always receptive to the needs of small producers and, depending on seasonal variations, may be difficult to access. Slow Food Canberra would be interested to hear views on the options for developing a meat processing facility in the Canberra area that might better suit the requirements of local growers/producers. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have an interest in this issue, or would like to share your thoughts. Slow Food Canberra has agreed to put together some thoughts on the discussion A big Slow Food thank-you to Neville Bleakley In recent days, long-standing and much respected Slow Food member Neville Bleakley told us that he wishes to stand down from the 4C committee. While we are very sad to see Neville leave the committee, we respect his decision and wish him the very best for the future. With his very varied life experiences and interests, Neville brought a rich stock of experiences to our discussions. Neville is a keen gardener and cook (see his winter warmer recipe above) and a strong advocate for local food. He has made a huge contribution to Slow Food Canberra, especially through his work with our Slow Soup Kitchens. His enthusiasm and input – and stories – will be missed. 12