Screaming Seeds

Understanding and using spices
Presented by Melissa Taylor, leader of Slow Food, Denmark

It’s difficult to resist the aroma of spices and spice blends. The smell of a seductive Indian blend, pictures of slowly cooked tagines, the brilliant colour of pure spices, these things conjure up happy thoughts of comfort food on a cold winter’s night.

Melissa Taylor, leader of Slow Food Denmark will be at Taste of Balingup for one evening only to help understand spices, to teach about blends and to demonstrate how to use them in cooking. Using ‘Screaming Seeds’ spices she will show how spices can truly enhance both savoury and sweet dishes. Melissa will conduct a cooking demonstration which will highlight the use of spices teaching three recipes using beef, seafood and ice-cream (which we will enjoy at the end of the workshop!). She will show how the simple addition of the right spice blend at the right time can turn something simple into something quite extraordinary.

August 2010

Wholefood Cooking

‘Back to Basics’….an intimate evening with Jude

Jude Blereau is the founder of ‘Wholefood Cooking’ in Perth. Her philosophy is simple, ‘wholefood cooking is all about real food, that’s good enough to eat and has the ability to heal, nourish and delight’.

As the author of three books, ‘Coming Home to Eat; Wholefood for the Family’, ‘Wholefood’ and most recently ‘Wholefood for Children, Nourishing Young Children with Whole and Organic Foods’, Jude’s wealth of knowledge is essential to anyone wishing to be healthy and live well. I invite you to visit her website to learn more about her: www.wholefoodcooking.com.au

Jude’s commitments in Perth don’t often allow her to visit rural areas, so we are extremely privileged to have her for one day only at Taste of Balingup. Jude will discuss what good food is, what real food is, talk about how we can eat well without falling into the trap of using ‘fake ingredients’.

Along side a cooking demonstration using locally sourced seasonal ingredients Jude will teach how we can apply her philosophy to every day life, where to source good ingredients and how to use them. You’ll learn what’s in season, where to get it and how to use it. Jude will also talk about organic food and discuss this often confusing and controversial subject.

July 2010

 

Cheesemaking

Back by request….Cheese making @ Taste of Balingup

with ‘Over the Moon Organics’.

Following the success of the first cheese making course with guest cheesemaker Juliet Bateman, a second opportunity to learn this age old skill is offered.

Juliet and her husband David live in our picturesque Great Southern. Surrounded by the magnificence of karri forests and the Southern Ocean, they provide their cows with what many of us two legged folk often dream of, pristine conditions on their organic farm and lots of love and nurturing.

Juliet is a true artisan. She has carefully chosen her herd (and named each of the girls individually) for their ability to produce the best milk for specific cheese types. A more costly process, as her Swiss Browns and Jerseys are certainly not famous for producing the largest volumes of milk possible, but nevertheless, the final product speaks for itself. Over the Moon Organics is one of only four organic cheesemakers in Australia that keep their own herd exclusively for the purpose of making their cheeses. The paddock, dairy and cheese factory are all within meters of each other, rare conditions which provide the artisan the opportunity to make a truly full flavoured product.

Taste of Balingup will again welcome Juliet to Balingup for a second opportunity to learn to make cheese. Over two days, you will learn how to make camembert, yoghurt, labna, butter and mascarpone. Juliet will also conduct a specific camembert tasting and education segment, cheese tastings of all the different cheese classifications, and teach the art of fondue making.

June 2010

 

Balingup Small Farm Field Day

Taste of Balingup and Slow Food Perth presence

April is always an exciting time of the year in Balingup. We’ve usually had some rain, autumn has set in and this wonderful season brings with it clear signs that nature is offering new taste sensations to experience. And if that isn’t enough to get excited about, it’s also time for the annual Balingup Small Farm Field Day, certainly one of the most popular field days in the South West.

This year Taste of Balingup will be present along side Slow Food and some local artisans of fine food to offer a taste of what this spectacular region has to offer.

Slow Food Perth will be represented by its two co-leaders, Pauline Tresise and Jamie Kronborg. As you know, I am very passionate about Slow Food, and so I’m extremely happy to see this very important organisation at a Balingup event for the first time.

Warren Pensini of Blackwood Valley Beef will also be with us. Warren has beautiful grass fed beef (currently in conversion for organic certification) and will be on site with tastings of his beef, and of course chomping at the bit to chat about his superb product.

You will also find Augusta Saunders from Ringwould Goat Cheese in our marquee with tastings of her hand made goat cheese from Albany. Augusta will also be eager to answer any queries you may have about the numerous benefits of eating goat cheese.

Charley Cannon from Yoho Pizza Yollo in Nannup will also be with us with his mobile wood fired oven to offer his delectable hand made pizzas with locally sourced premium produce.

Taste of Balingup will be offering a menu that showcases the best of what these producers have to offer:

-          Goat cheese tarts with caramelised onion and fresh thyme baked in the woodfired oven

-          Turkish bread stuffed with homemade village cheese, basil pesto and fresh tomato, toasted in the woodfired oven

-          Thai beef salad with Blackwood Valley Beef, fresh herbs and lime dressing

-           Pasta bake with Blackwood Valley Beef sausage meatballs

-          Slow cooked Merri Bee Organic Pork tagine with orange scented cous cous and dried fruit

-          Autumn vegetable soup with basil pesto

-          Apple & nut crumble with Bannister Downs double cream

April 2010

Cheesemaking

Cheesemaking @ home
conducted by Juliet Bateman from Over The Moon Organics

Juliet Bateman and her husband David live in our picturesque Great Southern. Surrounded by the magnificence of karri forests and the Southern Ocean, they provide their cows with what many of us two legged folk often dream of, pristine conditions on their organic farm and lots of love and nurturing.

Juliet is a true artisan. She has carefully chosen her herd (and named each of the girls individually) for their ability to produce the best milk for specific cheese types. A more costly process, as her Swiss Browns and Jerseys are certainly not famous for producing the largest volumes of milk possible, but nevertheless, the proof is in the pudding as we say, and the final product speaks for itself. Over the Moon Organics is one of only four organic cheesemakers in Australia that keep their own herd exclusively for the purpose of making their cheeses. The paddock, dairy and cheese factory are all within meters of each other, rare conditions which provide the artisan the opportunity to make a truly full flavoured product.

Taste of Balingup will welcome Juliet to Balingup for a single opportunity to learn to make cheese. Over two days, you will learn how to make camembert, yoghurt, labna, butter and mascarpone. Juliet will also conduct a specific camembert tasting and education segment, cheese tastings of all the different cheese classifications, and teach the art of fondue making.  

March 2010

 

Turkish Mezze Dinner

Long table dinner under the stars
Chef: Rebecca Hackett

What better way to enjoy our fabulous Mediterranean climate than celebrating with delicious Mediterranean food.

Rebecca Hackett-our part-time chef and full time wife and Mum to Daryn and the beautiful Holly-will bring a little bit of her past into the present next month as she rekindles her passion for Turkish food.

Before becoming part of our local community Bec worked for acclaimed celebrity chef and restaurateur Ismail Tosun at Eminem, a Turkish restaurant in Nedlands which at the time, earned the title of best new talent in the country at the Australian Gourmet Traveller 2007 Restaurant Guide Awards.

Although now working on a part-time basis, Bec still has a passion for Turkish food and proposes a ‘mezze’ style long table dinner under the stars. It will comprise of a series of shared dishes cooked in traditional turkish style, and promises to be an unforgettable night. Please find attached details.

February 2010