- 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.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tracy from Gumnut has done it again. We had a group of ten at our Croissant Workshop this morning and they all had fun! Lots of note taking and they all went away with a bag of croissants and pain de chocolate - and knowing how to make a croissant at home. They also know how to pick a good croissant when they buy and how to appreciate it and savour the qualities of the soft centre, the crunchy tips, the good colour (the stronger the colour the better the taste).
Tracy uses only the freshest top quality ingredients and no chemicals (I didn't know chemicals are often used to speed up the process)! He took us on a tour of his commercial kitchen and explained all the processes and equipment. We saw the different stages of the croissants being made and the group rolled their own. These were then proven? (proved?), cooked and enjoyed with an espresso coffee to finish up.
It takes Gumnut Patisserie six days to make a croissant - including all the rolling and resting!
The group today was especially lucky because Tracy also showed them how to do some sugar work - making some flowers and shapes. This was fascinating. Some lucky people got to take these home too.
If you can get a group together and want to do a Croissant Workshop let me know. I can't promise but I can try.
Tracy uses only the freshest top quality ingredients and no chemicals (I didn't know chemicals are often used to speed up the process)! He took us on a tour of his commercial kitchen and explained all the processes and equipment. We saw the different stages of the croissants being made and the group rolled their own. These were then proven? (proved?), cooked and enjoyed with an espresso coffee to finish up.
It takes Gumnut Patisserie six days to make a croissant - including all the rolling and resting!
The group today was especially lucky because Tracy also showed them how to do some sugar work - making some flowers and shapes. This was fascinating. Some lucky people got to take these home too.
If you can get a group together and want to do a Croissant Workshop let me know. I can't promise but I can try.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wow, we have a busy week coming up -
1. Another Croissant Workshop tomorrow with 12 people, which is a good sized group. Coming along is a chef who wants to be able to surprise his daughter by cooking her croissants for breakfast! Lucky girl. This workshop is good for those who like to cook and also for those who are just interested. Watching skilled people "strut their stuff" s something I always like to do - and Tracy is highly skilled in pastry making.
2. On Sat we have our next Fruit Bottling Workshop. This was full but a couple of people have transferred to another day so there is space available if you would like to come? Email us from the website for more info.
3. Next Tues 2 Aug we have a Mushroom Tunnel Tour with Noel Arrold Micro-Biologist. There is a lot to find out and it is fascinating just to see all the different types of mushrooms growing. Quite a surprise to see all this in a disused railway tunnel - not normally open to the public. Bookings for this are taken at the Visitors Information Centre - ring 4871 2888.
4. On Sat 6 Aug we have a Day Tour in Canyonleigh. During this tour we visit an alpaca farm (they have baby alpacas which will be cute), two or three vineyards and an olive grove. Lunch and a wine tasting will take place at the hub of the community - The General Store. If you want to meet the locals this is the tour for you! Contact us from the website.
1. Another Croissant Workshop tomorrow with 12 people, which is a good sized group. Coming along is a chef who wants to be able to surprise his daughter by cooking her croissants for breakfast! Lucky girl. This workshop is good for those who like to cook and also for those who are just interested. Watching skilled people "strut their stuff" s something I always like to do - and Tracy is highly skilled in pastry making.
2. On Sat we have our next Fruit Bottling Workshop. This was full but a couple of people have transferred to another day so there is space available if you would like to come? Email us from the website for more info.
3. Next Tues 2 Aug we have a Mushroom Tunnel Tour with Noel Arrold Micro-Biologist. There is a lot to find out and it is fascinating just to see all the different types of mushrooms growing. Quite a surprise to see all this in a disused railway tunnel - not normally open to the public. Bookings for this are taken at the Visitors Information Centre - ring 4871 2888.
4. On Sat 6 Aug we have a Day Tour in Canyonleigh. During this tour we visit an alpaca farm (they have baby alpacas which will be cute), two or three vineyards and an olive grove. Lunch and a wine tasting will take place at the hub of the community - The General Store. If you want to meet the locals this is the tour for you! Contact us from the website.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Wow, we had fun this morning at Howards Lane vineyard tasting 11 cheeses and learning how to be a "discerning consumer". We had a great group who were all keen to learn and the setting at Howards Lane is stunning - especially on a beautiful day as it was today.
Nick shared his passion for cheese and his extensive knowledge in a friendly and relaxed environment.
One comment was "This session has changed my cheese appreciation and eating thereof. You have given us a pleasant and informative session. Thank you." (Jenny) Another was "An excellent warm presentation with a great balance of general and specific information". (Steve) "The mixed company made the session lots of fun and interesting". "Great to get local knowledge about produce".
How good is that!
This is what Nick aims to achieve and it is very gratifying when you get such great feedback.
Today we tasted cheese from three different local cheese makers - Highland Organics at Moss Vale, Thistledown Creamery at Windellama and Small Cow Farm at Robertson. A mixture of cows milk and sheeps milk cheeses. Some organic, some not. All very interesting. The workshops will vary depending on the availability of cheese but we love to support the local producers whenever we can.
Interested?
Keep and eye on the Tours page of the website for the next Cheese Appreciation Workshop, we'd love to have you join us.
Nick shared his passion for cheese and his extensive knowledge in a friendly and relaxed environment.
One comment was "This session has changed my cheese appreciation and eating thereof. You have given us a pleasant and informative session. Thank you." (Jenny) Another was "An excellent warm presentation with a great balance of general and specific information". (Steve) "The mixed company made the session lots of fun and interesting". "Great to get local knowledge about produce".
How good is that!
This is what Nick aims to achieve and it is very gratifying when you get such great feedback.
Today we tasted cheese from three different local cheese makers - Highland Organics at Moss Vale, Thistledown Creamery at Windellama and Small Cow Farm at Robertson. A mixture of cows milk and sheeps milk cheeses. Some organic, some not. All very interesting. The workshops will vary depending on the availability of cheese but we love to support the local producers whenever we can.
Interested?
Keep and eye on the Tours page of the website for the next Cheese Appreciation Workshop, we'd love to have you join us.
We had lots of great local produce and were able to promote our members and their products.
Just launched was the Southern Highlands Harvest map showing where the growers are located and on the back showing you who grows what and where you can buy. This created a lot of interest!
This map and info can be accessed through the Tourism Southern Highlands website from the Food and Wine page. Just click on the "horn of plenty" logo.
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