A Taste of Nundle for Tamworth Regional Heritage Week
For the 2022 Tamworth Regional Heritage Week I explored A Taste of Nundle, researching Odgers and McClelland Exchange Stores' collection of handwritten and typed invoices and purchase documents to understand some of the ingredients stocked in the store from its earliest surviving records. Among the documents in our collection is a handwritten sales journal from 1909, giving us a snapshot of what ingredients people living in and around Nundle bought, and prompting ideas of what they may have cooked with them. Consider the contrast in the range of choice of ingredients available in 1909 to 2022. We had previously been part of an Heirloom Recipe project with Sydney Living Museum Colonial Gastronomer Jacqui Newling who visited Nundle in 2014. This uncovered evocatively named Nundle biscuit recipes including Poorman’s Cakes, Waddie's Saddlebags, and Dunkers. These and other local favourite recipes are collected in Lost Delights: Heirloom Recipes and Old Country Favourites.
View full article →Tilly's Table's deliciously rich Sunken Chocolate Cake for winter days
Tilly's Table's Sunken Chocolate Cake has been bookmarked in my phone since I saw it on her socials earlier this year. This week we finally had the time and the perfect occasion to make it, Duncan's birthday. Tilly's Sunken Chocolate Cake is the perfect combination of dense, fudgey texture and deliciously rich flavour. As I whipped the five egg whites and folded them into the chocolatey batter there was serious anticipation. Tilly and I met at a Recipe Writing Workshop with Anneka Manning and Sophie Hansen at The Convent a couple of years back. Since then Tilly has created a beautiful webstore of Botanical Linens and Prints and Seasonal Baking Recipes and wrote and photographed a baking story for the May issue of Country Style magazine. I hope you have the opportunity to make this delightful cake for loved ones very soon.
View full article →"How do I get into preserving?
This year, more than any other, we've had great interest in food preserving. It's one of our most frequently asked questions..."How do I get into preserving?" If you can slice, and have access to quantity of fruit and veg, empty glass jars, and a large pot, then you can get started with preserving... More than 20 years ago when Duncan and I moved to Nundle, friends were getting rid of preserving gear. We were given a burnt orange 1970s metal Fowlers Vacola preserver and dozens of jars and lids. We added an electric Fowlers preserver to our tool kit, and Mum has since given us their teal green 1940's metal preserver. Some seasons at the peak of the fruit and vegetable harvest they all get a work out. These days food preserving is being revived, with people seeing fruit on trees and vegetables in their garden as an asset not to be wasted.
View full article →Raspberry and Chocolate Tart to mark online store 10th anniversary
Friends generously dropped in homegrown raspberries and, in addition to eating them fresh, I made Raspberry and Chocolate Tart. This is the perfect sense of occasion tart to acknowledge the March 10th anniversary of our Odgers and McClelland Exchange Stores online store. In that time we've learnt a lot, worked on improving our photography, and continued to expand what we offer, helping customers across Australia (and sometimes New Zealand) grow food, preserve the harvest, and cook from scratch. To recognise this milestone, for the month of March we will donate 10 per cent of our online sales to flood relief for people impacted by the NSW and Queensland east coast low. Hopefully our donation will go towards helping families get back on their feet after such a blow.
View full article →Liverpool Plains Sunflower Trail
It’s 6.45am when I arrive at the gate of “Windy Station” on the Liverpool Plains in north west New South Wales, and Clare Lee is flipping over the signage to ‘Open’ on the first event of the first ever The Plains Sunflower Trail 2022. Clare is president of The Plains agritourism group, a collaboration of seven farmers and business owners excited about bringing attention to the food and fibre grown in their region. For the next month there is a program of eleven events including open days, a paddock long table dinner, yoga, boutique market, creative courses and pick-your-own sunflowers in mature crops at five locations across an area of about 100 square kilometres from Willow Tree and Wallabadah in the east to Premer in the west. I am the first customer and there are still logistics to organise. With potentially thousands of visitors expected in the next week, this is a military style operation with to-do lists, traffic cones and temporary fencing protecting pedestrians, and most importantly printed sunflowers on star pickets leading us to the 140-hectare paddock of “sunnies”.
View full article →Land Rover conversion tested at Barrington
It’s hard to believe the difference two bits of plywood can make. I slept the sleep of angels on a warm level surface, out of the wind, and at first light there was no need to even get out of the swag to brew coffee or cook porridge on the Trangia. Even the sometimes elusive Barrington trout felt the difference, taking flies with such enthusiasm I lost count of fish taken over eight hours of rock hopping.
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Preserved Plum Clafoutis
We have a delicious convergence of plums starting to ripen on our tree, and bottles of preserved plums still on our pantry shelf from last summer. When I spotted chef Analiese Gregory's recipe for Clafoutis I thought it was a perfect way to use some of our plums. With the festive season upon us this could be the recipe to have on hand to make the most of summer stonefruit or berries when gathering with friends and family.
View full article →Christmas wreath making
Our 12-year-old son has been asking if we can put up the Christmas tree at home since August! Blame COVID-19 lockdown or home schooling, his sense of seasonal timing was shot. While the Christmas tree is still in the shed we're getting in the Christmas spirit, making a large Christmas wreath in our warehouse for the shop window. The inspiration is the six metre tall holly tree next to the Nundle Court House Museum. From its height and the number of suckers at its base the holly tree has been there for a long time and there was ample foliage to trim. Thankfully I brought gloves and secateurs because the holly foliage has spikes. We're too early for red berries, but there are green berries to add to the visual appeal.
View full article →Sweet addition to our small farm
After thinking, reading and talking about having bees for years we finally collected our first hive from Dad, who has kept bees for just over 40 years. He started with one hive in our suburban backyard in about 1980, peaking at 35 hives on small acreage, and is now back to a couple of hives. Our new hive is happily placed near our vegetable garden and fruit trees. Dad estimates we have added about 5,000 head of livestock to our property. The bees have been happily working the brassicas, poppies, acers and plums. We're so excited to add this new element to our block and imagine the bees bringing environmental benefits to our neighbours' gardens, as well as beautiful local honey.
View full article →Chocolate Coconut Crunch Slice
Of all the recipes at our disposal it is Chocolate Coconut Crunch Slice that our youngest asks to take back to boarding school with him. I don't know if it's the chocolate, the coconut or the crunch that appeals to him. Maybe it's the combination of all three. If you'd like to bake this classic slice for your family here is the recipe (from Peggy Johnston, Heirloom Recipes, Country Style, May 2017).
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