Improvisation is key to everything I do and while you may make some mistakes along the way, it is the most wonderful way to cook for all the delicious surprises that pop up and can quickly become staple dishes you rely on again and again. It allows you to put your creative stamp on everything you cook. Read the rest...
I grew up in a household where food was always important and I'm not sure if I was three or four years old but the memory is so vivid; we lived at the time at Rose Bay, Sydney, just up the road from the flying boat squadron. There had been a huge storm buffeting the shore, then a black out. Mum had candles burning within minutes as we huddled around the small kitchen table and she served us golden syrup dumplings. Was it the smell, the taste, the feeling of safety? I'm not sure but not only is it my first food memory but it was the only time Mum ever cooked them and yet even just talking about them my whole body smiles. Read the rest...
Put the season in a jar; the time-honoured craft of preserving in times of plenty is one of the most effective guards against waste. Knowing how to make jams, chutneys, sauces and pickles means you will never throw away excess fruit or vegetables again. These things may seem minimal but their effect is absolutely tangible. Read the rest...
I truly believe the seemingly little things can end up making the biggest impact, so my ideas of change start with the things we feel we can maintain on a daily basis; introducing vegetable gardening into our daily lives, keeping a couple of chooks, and relying on Farmer’s Markets to help re establish our connection to the provenance of what sits on our plates. Plant a fruit tree; the notion of greening our planet by planting more trees is one I whole-heartedly agree with but even better perhaps would be to make that tree of a fruit bearing kind. Our entire garden was created with the conviction that we would only plant what could be eaten and it has returned our efforts tenfold. Imagine if all the trees used in town planning were fruit trees? How wonderful to have fresh fruit within everyone’s reach. Read the rest...
We have always been aware of just how precious water is to all aspects of our business, having a hand in every stage of production from growing the fruit, to processing it, to distributing it and retailing it. 30 odd years ago we knew then how important water would be to our livelihood and so we put the infrastructure in dams; metered bores and huge rainwater thanks in place to not only preserve water as much as we could for our orchards, vineyards and olive groves, but of course I’m always looking for more ways to conserve this most fundamental of life’s building blocks. Even the smallest things count. We have a bucket in our shower that collects the run of water while the right temperature of the shower is being reached, and you’d be amazed at just how much water this saves each day, that can then be put onto the garden or potplants. Read the rest...
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