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.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
At the farm we were given a bucket each and shown which trees were ours. We donned our gloves and off we went. It was so quiet and peaceful with only the black cockatoos breaking the silence.
When we had enough we headed back to the shed where Dennis weighed the nuts and we bought those we wanted to take home. Other groups came and went, all down from Sydney and most were of Greek origin. Some people had been down twice in the last week!
During the Great Depression chestnuts provided valuable source of food for the poor. They made it into a type of nut leather or cake. Nick and I heard this at a chestnut workshop in Turin a few years ago - at a Slow Food Salone.
We gathered some sticks and made a fire under the chestnut roaster and ate our lunch while we waited for the fire to settle to embers. Flour Water Salt made a delicious picnic for us - gourmet sandwich, cake and bottle of juice.
When the fire was ready we put the chestnuts into the roaster and turned the handle to distribute the heat evenly. They had to cook for a good twenty minutes until the nuts opened and turned yellow. If you eat them too early they taste like blotting paper, but if properly cooked are sweet and buttery.
Did you know you can freeze fresh chestnuts to use throughout the year?
It was such fun that I have asked Dennis if we can take another group. The growing season is short. We have been offered two dates - Wed this week (30 Mar) or Sat (2 Apr).
LET US KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME WITH US NEXT TIME?
Price $30pp. Self drive. Chestnuts extra @ $6.50 kg. We will supply gloves. Wear solid shoes.
Please contact us from the website.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Today was a great FoodPath Day Tour despite the weather. We were so lucky that it didn't really start to rain until lunchtime. The rest of the day we were under cover so it didn't really matter.
Our group was made up of people from Balmain, New Zealand and the Southern Highlands. A mother and adult daughter were part of the group. We often have family groups getting out of Sydney and doing something together which is a lovely idea, don't you agree?
The baby Boer goats at our first farm have grown a lot but were still very cute.
Our group was made up of people from Balmain, New Zealand and the Southern Highlands. A mother and adult daughter were part of the group. We often have family groups getting out of Sydney and doing something together which is a lovely idea, don't you agree?
The baby Boer goats at our first farm have grown a lot but were still very cute.
We also saw the geese, bees, heard about the truffle trees, Learnt how to make a good compost heap, grow vegies and even build a chook pen out of recycled materials!
Alan is a mine of information and his place is a great example of sustainable living!
Since out last visit Alan had built a new green house - complete with potted vegies growing very happily.
We were treated to a taste of Alan's fresh produce too - nice and crunchy and full of flavour.
On to the Burrawang Village Hotel for lunch and the rain came down. However it was cosy inside and we spent a very pleasant time there with the group. The food was yummy!
After lunch we visited the dairy at Mayberry Farm and, as always, everyone found it very interesting. One member of the group had childhood memories of life on the farm and having a glass of fresh milk was very nostalgic for her.
Finally we drove to Small Cow Farm nearby where Mark told us about cheese making and we tasted many of their cheeses - all delicious.
Some we tasted were the Small Cow fetta (which won a gold award at the Royal Easter Show this year), a gourmet fetta marinated in oil, a beautiful ripe brie, a cheddar, a cooked gruyere style cheese called their Mountain Cheeses and finally the famous Small Cow Blue. Mark said they are working on a new creamy blue cheese which should be available soon. We are looking forward to that.
Every time we run one of these Day Tours I am reminded of why we decided to do there food tours - they really are interesting and fun. We always enjoy ourselves too!
We had some enthusiastic feedback from the group today. They said they would come on other tours with us and would tell their friends - that's what we like to hear!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Well our first Market to Table Tour was good fun!
First we met at the Bowral Producers Market where we took the group to meet the producers and to buy ingredients for lunch. Saw Steve Hogwood with his bottled fruit (he runs our bottling workshops monthly). Nicki was there from Cuttaway Creek Raspberry Farm with her raspberries. So fresh - they were divine. We bought some for lunch. Also some raspberry vinegar, and the girls bought some jams to take home.
Pasquele and Dianne were there with their huge range of potatoes. Patricia (our Chef) loved the potatoes so much she drove out to the farm to get some more for another cooking class a couple of days later!
We found some local garlic which was very exciting because the Southern Highlands is not normally a big garlic growing area - but this might be changing.
Patricia decided on spatchcock for our lunch. This came from Thirlemere Poultry - a free range poultry supplier that has been going for nearly 50 years and mostly sells to the restaurant market. We are very lucky they come to Bowral to the market.
Of course we included some mixed exotic mushrooms from our famous mushroom tunnel.
Then back to the historic Fitzroy Inn in Mittagong for our cooking class.
What I loved about this was that it was interactive - but Patricia was encouraging and everyone happily got involved, including Nick. She made it look easy!
It was very clever how Patricia managed running a class but at the same time getting the meal together and ready on time for us to sit and enjoy together.
Let me tell you this was a fun day and I thoroughly recommend it! Would be great for a family group, a corporate group - and guys as well as girls. The Market to Table tour and cooking class will be running every month - on the 2nd Sat. Check the FoodPath Tours page or the Blue Bowl Cooking School website for details and to book.
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| Highland Gourmet Potatoes at the Producers Market in Bowral |
We found some local garlic which was very exciting because the Southern Highlands is not normally a big garlic growing area - but this might be changing.
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| Garlic grown by Pip at Hilltop, a village north of Mittagong |
Patricia decided on spatchcock for our lunch. This came from Thirlemere Poultry - a free range poultry supplier that has been going for nearly 50 years and mostly sells to the restaurant market. We are very lucky they come to Bowral to the market.
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| John comes to the Bowral producers market every month |
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| Wendy is a regular at the market with the tunnel mushrooms |
Then back to the historic Fitzroy Inn in Mittagong for our cooking class.
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| The Fitzroy Inn in Mittagong has a great kitchen for classes |
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| Everybody got involved which made it such fun |
It was very clever how Patricia managed running a class but at the same time getting the meal together and ready on time for us to sit and enjoy together.
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| The chocolate and Raspberry tart tasted as good as it looked!! Fabulous! |
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| Nice to relax and enjoy the result of our labours with the group - thanks Patricia and the Blue Bowl Cooking School for a great day! |
Let me tell you this was a fun day and I thoroughly recommend it! Would be great for a family group, a corporate group - and guys as well as girls. The Market to Table tour and cooking class will be running every month - on the 2nd Sat. Check the FoodPath Tours page or the Blue Bowl Cooking School website for details and to book.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
This Saturday we have our first Market to Table Tour with the Blue Bowl Cooking School. We have checked out who will be at the Bowral Public School produce market and Patricia has decided on the recipes - so all that remains now is for us to find the ingredients and take them back to the Fitzroy Inn for our cooking class and lunch.
I am looking forward to this.
We will be having these once a month so let us know if you are interested?
I am looking forward to this.
We will be having these once a month so let us know if you are interested?
Well we are still in recovery mode!
On Wednesday this week, 9 Mar we had two things running concurrently. Fortunately Nick could be at one and I was at the other.
First we had a film crew come to shoot one of our Fruit Bottling Workshops for the program Sydney Weekender. We got a group of nine women together to make up a class at the Howards Lane tasting room out of Mittagong - a beautiful setting looking over the vineyard.
Steve Hogwood from the 1910 Bottling Company ran the workshop and Kath and Emma from a new business DeliSH kindly brought along one of their hampers to provide lunch for everyone to share.
While this was going on I was at the Visitors Information Centre in Mittagong to host the Mushroom Tunnel Tours. We had two tours which were well attended.
We travelled by bus to the entrance of the tunnel. From there the group walked the full length of the tunnel (650metres) while Noel told us about the mushrooms and about his business. It was very interesting and as always very popular.
We are hoping that Noel will let SH Tourism and FoodPath host a further 3 tours to the tunnel during the year - fingers crossed!
On Wednesday this week, 9 Mar we had two things running concurrently. Fortunately Nick could be at one and I was at the other.
First we had a film crew come to shoot one of our Fruit Bottling Workshops for the program Sydney Weekender. We got a group of nine women together to make up a class at the Howards Lane tasting room out of Mittagong - a beautiful setting looking over the vineyard.
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| Fruit preparation for bottling with Steve |
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| Mike Whitney complete with apron! |
While this was going on I was at the Visitors Information Centre in Mittagong to host the Mushroom Tunnel Tours. We had two tours which were well attended.
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| Noel explaining about his mushrooms |
We are hoping that Noel will let SH Tourism and FoodPath host a further 3 tours to the tunnel during the year - fingers crossed!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Everyone wants to see the famous mushroom tunnel in Mittagong - well now is your chance!
Southern Highlands Tourism has negotiated with the owner to run two tours next Wed 9 March - and they have asked FoodPath to host them. We are very excited!
A bus will be leaving the Visitor's Information Centre at Mittagong at 9.30am for the first tour and 11.30am for the second tour.
All bookings to go to the SH Tourism on 02 4871 2888. Price is $35 pp which includes a guided tour by Dr Noel Arrold and a punnet of mushrooms.
Southern Highlands Tourism has negotiated with the owner to run two tours next Wed 9 March - and they have asked FoodPath to host them. We are very excited!
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| The entrance to the old disused railway tunnel |
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| The mushrooms include a range of exotic types and colours |
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| Colours include yellow, orange, blue, grey, white and various shades of beige |
Don't miss out because these tours only run a few times a year.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Exciting news - Channel 7 is coming to the Southern Highlands next week to film one of our Fruit Bottling Workshops with Steve Hogwood, for their program Sydney Weekender!
This will take place at Howards Lane vineyard in their tasting rooms, a lovely setting looking out over the veranda to the vines and the bush beyond. Wallabies come down in the late afternoon to graze.
We have discovered a nice connection - there is a portrait on the wall of a lady called Sophie Corrie who owned the land at Howards lane vineyard in times gone by. She published one of the earliest books in Australia on fruit bottling and preserving in 1893 - and we are now running Fruit Bottling workshops there! A nice connection?
This will take place at Howards Lane vineyard in their tasting rooms, a lovely setting looking out over the veranda to the vines and the bush beyond. Wallabies come down in the late afternoon to graze.
We have discovered a nice connection - there is a portrait on the wall of a lady called Sophie Corrie who owned the land at Howards lane vineyard in times gone by. She published one of the earliest books in Australia on fruit bottling and preserving in 1893 - and we are now running Fruit Bottling workshops there! A nice connection?
We had our last tour at the Moss Vale Produce Market last Sat before it changes again. Our markets in the Highlands have been through a topsy turvy time to say the least. Let's hope it settles down soon!
The Showground Trust have taken over the Moss Vale Market so it will be interesting to see if it becomes even more rural, which would be good.
Despite being the last day there were eight local producers or food related businesses we could visit and our group really enjoyed meeting them.
No doubt about it this really is a great way to meet the producers and get to know who is really local. Phil was there with his wonderful organic vegetables from near Fitzroy Falls. Michael had free range eggs from Marulan and he has started to breed free range pigs as well. Pasquelle was there with his father-in-law's potatoes from Robertson. They grow over 20 varieties which is pretty impressive.
Mary had come down from Bungonia with her olive oil, dukka, olive oil soap etc. Boon had a range of Asian pears from her orchard near Robertson and also a pear vinegar. Jo had her amazing range of breads and even brought in some sourdough starter for the group to feel and smell.
Mrs Bucket was there with her delicious chicken liver pate (which we can't resist) as well as a fabulous range of jams and jellies made from locally grown fruit where possible; and Susie was there with Bruce Hindmarsh's olives.
As always we ended up with some delicious fresh local produce to take home for lunch - what a great way to spend a relaxing Saturday!
We will keep an eye on what is happening at this market. The Bowral Public School Produce Market may be going from monthly to fortnightly. We will go where there are most local producers!
The Showground Trust have taken over the Moss Vale Market so it will be interesting to see if it becomes even more rural, which would be good.
Despite being the last day there were eight local producers or food related businesses we could visit and our group really enjoyed meeting them.
No doubt about it this really is a great way to meet the producers and get to know who is really local. Phil was there with his wonderful organic vegetables from near Fitzroy Falls. Michael had free range eggs from Marulan and he has started to breed free range pigs as well. Pasquelle was there with his father-in-law's potatoes from Robertson. They grow over 20 varieties which is pretty impressive.
Mary had come down from Bungonia with her olive oil, dukka, olive oil soap etc. Boon had a range of Asian pears from her orchard near Robertson and also a pear vinegar. Jo had her amazing range of breads and even brought in some sourdough starter for the group to feel and smell.
Mrs Bucket was there with her delicious chicken liver pate (which we can't resist) as well as a fabulous range of jams and jellies made from locally grown fruit where possible; and Susie was there with Bruce Hindmarsh's olives.
As always we ended up with some delicious fresh local produce to take home for lunch - what a great way to spend a relaxing Saturday!
We will keep an eye on what is happening at this market. The Bowral Public School Produce Market may be going from monthly to fortnightly. We will go where there are most local producers!
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