Visits
About Us...
- Jill Dyson,
- Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia
- Click on the link to read Jill's latest blog post. Jill has been running FoodPath in the Southern Highlands of NSW with her partner Nick since April 2010. They have grown the business to a level where they now include a range of activities including tours, workshops and collaboration with others (cooking schools, wineries, etc). During the past 10 years Jill and Nick have got to know the local producers and continue to promote and support these local small businesses. They have organised and run many food related activities including taste education workshops and producer visits. It was after they organised a successful tour for a group of chefs from some of the best restaurants in Sydney that they realised they could turn their interest into a business - and this led to the setting up of FoodPath - Culinary Tours with a Difference. Now Jill and Nick are working closely with Southern Highlands Tourism and Wingecarribee Council to help raise the profile of their area as a food destination where everyone will benefit - tourists, local consumers and the producers themselves.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
On Saturday 20 March we had an interesting afternoon tasting 17 different varieties of heritage apples at Peter and Barbara's home at Bundanoon. I mentioned this was coming up in my blog a while ago.
We had a full house and even a waiting list.
Peter put together a very informative session. We learnt about the history of the apple way back to the mountains of South China over 8000 years ago and how it changed over time. We walked and talked amongst the different varieties of apples in the orchard and also saw a wonderful vegetable garden.
Barbara showed us how to make a German strudel dough and we sampled several different apple desserts.
But the tasting was the highlight for me. You had to discern the difference in flavour, texture and aroma of the different apples and decide which you liked best.
This was not easy. made me focus on what I like and don't like in a good eating apple - much more than I usually do.
Peter put together a very informative session. We learnt about the history of the apple way back to the mountains of South China over 8000 years ago and how it changed over time. We walked and talked amongst the different varieties of apples in the orchard and also saw a wonderful vegetable garden.
Barbara showed us how to make a German strudel dough and we sampled several different apple desserts.
But the tasting was the highlight for me. You had to discern the difference in flavour, texture and aroma of the different apples and decide which you liked best.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
This is it!
The website is "live" today and the date is set for our first tour - on Sat 17 April.
We have a great day planned with a visit to Cuttaway Creek a raspberry farm out of Mittagong where we will meet Dave and Nicki.
Then on to a free range egg farm near Berrima (Berrima Ridge eggs) where Anne and Warryn will be our hosts.
Join us for a relaxing communal long table lunch at Stones Restaurant with Mark and Megan in a beautiful setting at Eling Forest winery. Mark and Megan are both chefs.
After lunch we head to Robertson to visit artisan cheese makers Mark and Lesley Williams at the Small Cow Farm.
See left: Mark Williams cheese maker
And we finish up at the old Cheese Factory at Robertson where we will meet Zoe, a goat's milk cheese maker and have time to look around this interesting complex.
See left: Zoe Brogan cheese maker
The website is "live" today and the date is set for our first tour - on Sat 17 April.
We have a great day planned with a visit to Cuttaway Creek a raspberry farm out of Mittagong where we will meet Dave and Nicki.
Then on to a free range egg farm near Berrima (Berrima Ridge eggs) where Anne and Warryn will be our hosts.
Join us for a relaxing communal long table lunch at Stones Restaurant with Mark and Megan in a beautiful setting at Eling Forest winery. Mark and Megan are both chefs.
After lunch we head to Robertson to visit artisan cheese makers Mark and Lesley Williams at the Small Cow Farm.
See left: Mark Williams cheese maker
And we finish up at the old Cheese Factory at Robertson where we will meet Zoe, a goat's milk cheese maker and have time to look around this interesting complex.
See left: Zoe Brogan cheese maker
Thursday, March 18, 2010
What a lovely place - rambling old house, huge pine trees, rows of fruit trees on one side and rows of vegetables on the other. Pumpkins drying in the sun. Seats made from pine logs. Dahlias in huge clumps being sold at the gate. Ross has an honour system where people leave their money in a container when they buy. Nice to see this return to good old honesty.
We may well visit Ross on one of our tours.
We have finalised the itinerary for our first FoodPath Tour!
This tour will run monthly on the 3rd Sat starting 17 April 2010. Now we are working on 2-3 other itineraries to add. Watch this space.
It is fun and we are getting very excited!
The annual Robertson Show was held on 5-6 March and for the second year the Produce section included home made cheeses. There were over 30 entries and the standard was good, a stand out performer being Cressida and Michael McNamara with their sheep's milk cheese.
FoodPath's own Nick Padol as asked to judge the cheese and did a sterling job again.
Cressie and Michael moved to the Southern Highlands 6 months ago and we look forward to a long and happy association with them as their cheese gets better and better. They are hoping to "go commercial" in late 2011. Until then Cressie is looking after the quality of the sheep and the pasture and Michael continues in his day job and makes the cheese.
Don't you just love the way the country shows get the kids involved? I always check out the vegie sculptures and the cakes and handcrafts. Aren't these photos fun!
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