- 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.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
I don't think of myself as having green fingers - but sometimes you can get lucky
I am very excited about our first crop of persimmons this year. We have 7 orange orbs on our now bare tree and I can't wait to try them.
I am very excited about our first crop of persimmons this year. We have 7 orange orbs on our now bare tree and I can't wait to try them.
We have also had a great crop of passionfruit which we weren't expecting in this cold climate. The north facing verandah has helped! They are yummy too.
AND our strawberries have been fantastic. I bought some plants at the Moss Vale Market and they are such strong plants producing strawberries with a great flavour. They are sending out lots of runners so I am planning to enlarge the strawberry patch to hold many more plants. Get with the strength I reckon!
The apples and lemons have finished now but while I am bragging I may as well post some photos of them too.
My point is - if I can do it, so can you!!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Well we had another lovely day at Biota Dining in Bowral for their Celebration Sunday. No doubt this is growing every month. The weather was good which always helps and there were lots of stalls at the Market in the garden.
This is a very picturesque little Produce Market set up in the garden near the lake, with geese swimming around and really setting the scene.
Products today included:
Potatoes, sheep's milk cheese, sourdough bread, coffee from our local coffee roasters, jams and chutneys, fresh hazelnuts, wine, fresh vegetables, olives, olive oil, apple cider, free range pork and lamb and skin care products made from olive oil. New stalls today included Sally Beresford who had started to produce her own range of chutneys and sauces; some vegetable growers from Murrenbateman, Jim Gleeson with his fresh hazelnuts, Sally with her coffee and Joey with her jams and jellies.
I took a Market Tour for 6 people at 10.30 and was not able to fit all the stall holders in by 12 noon, when we moved inside for lunch! Such interesting people that everyone wanted to linger.
Lunch was delicious and ample - good value for $55.
Starters included:
Zucchini flowers - pumpkin - house made ricotta
Roast garden beetroots - Pecora sheep milk cheese - Currawong extra virgin olive oil
Fuji apples - fennel - chives - sticky onion
Mains were:
Roast Redleaf suckling pig
Apple cinnamon chutney
Roast potatoes - hazelnut butter
Sauteed curly kale - chilli - garlic
To finish:
Rhubarb tartlet - yoghurt sorbet - vanilla creme
Meringue - lime curd - tarragon
Don't forget you are always welcome to join us in a Market Tour followed by lunch at the FoodPath table if you would like to.
Date: The last Sunday of the month
Where: Biota Dining, Kangaloon Rd, Bowral
Time: 10.30 - 1.30
Price: $55 pp
To book: Contact us from the website www.foodpath.com.au and we will send you a booking form
This is a very picturesque little Produce Market set up in the garden near the lake, with geese swimming around and really setting the scene.
Potatoes, sheep's milk cheese, sourdough bread, coffee from our local coffee roasters, jams and chutneys, fresh hazelnuts, wine, fresh vegetables, olives, olive oil, apple cider, free range pork and lamb and skin care products made from olive oil. New stalls today included Sally Beresford who had started to produce her own range of chutneys and sauces; some vegetable growers from Murrenbateman, Jim Gleeson with his fresh hazelnuts, Sally with her coffee and Joey with her jams and jellies.
I took a Market Tour for 6 people at 10.30 and was not able to fit all the stall holders in by 12 noon, when we moved inside for lunch! Such interesting people that everyone wanted to linger.
Lunch was delicious and ample - good value for $55.
Starters included:
Zucchini flowers - pumpkin - house made ricotta
Roast garden beetroots - Pecora sheep milk cheese - Currawong extra virgin olive oil
Fuji apples - fennel - chives - sticky onion
Mains were:
Roast Redleaf suckling pig
Apple cinnamon chutney
Roast potatoes - hazelnut butter
Sauteed curly kale - chilli - garlic
To finish:
Rhubarb tartlet - yoghurt sorbet - vanilla creme
Meringue - lime curd - tarragon
Don't forget you are always welcome to join us in a Market Tour followed by lunch at the FoodPath table if you would like to.
Date: The last Sunday of the month
Where: Biota Dining, Kangaloon Rd, Bowral
Time: 10.30 - 1.30
Price: $55 pp
To book: Contact us from the website www.foodpath.com.au and we will send you a booking form
Monday, May 21, 2012
Our next FoodPath activities are:
- Next Sunday 27 May – Celebration Sunday at Biota where we celebrate local food. This is a regular event on the last Sunday of the month. FoodPath are collaborating with Biota and very happy to do so because, as you know, we are passionate about local food and supporting our local producers. This month we have found fresh hazelnuts from Werai, apples from the 100 year old Tennessee Orchard at Yerrinbool (the large apple you see from the Hume Highway) and a large range of potatoes at Wildes Meadow. You are welcome to come on a FoodPath Market Tour in the restaurant garden at Biota and join us for lunch at the FoodPath table. $55 per person.
- Sat 2 June – A Food Lovers Walking Tour in Bowral where we set up with about 5 specially food shops to have a talk and tasting. Includes coffee with our local coffee roasters. Price : $55
- Sun 3 June – a Pasta Making Class with Gail Wilson at her beautiful B&B in Burradoo. We will be making pumpkin ravioli with sage burnt butter sauce and will then enjoy this as part of our lunch with a glass of wine. Gail has grown the pumpkins herself and they are currently being cured in preparation for the class. Price: $95.
Our Preserving Class at Monreale Bed and Breakfast at Burradoo went very well yesterday. Our new and beautiful venue - thanks to Gail Wilson. FoodPath uses a variety of venues around the Highlands depending on the occasion and we are always very grateful to receive support from fellow businesses. It is all about supporting each other! We are excited to be working with Gail to bring you, our customers a range of preserving workshops and cooking classes.
We had a full class yesterday (max 10 people) but if you missed out the next one is scheduled for Sun 17 June.
Date: Sun 17 June 2012
Theme: Pickling and Fermenting
Time: 10am - 1pm
Inclusions: Tea/coffee on arrival, DVD with preserving notes to take home, hands on workshop. light lunch of pickles, bread and cheese and a jar of product to take home.
Price: $90 - great value!
To book: Contact us from the website www.foodpath.com.au
Everyone was impressed yesterday with the amount of knowledge Steve demonstrated during the class and he is very happy to share. Two of the group have already booked for the next one!
This is what we like to hear because, as well as having fun we like to provide a high standard of workshops for you.
Stephen Hogwood, our teacher, has a business called The 1910 Bottling Company. Check out his website.
Date: Sun 17 June 2012
Theme: Pickling and Fermenting
Time: 10am - 1pm
Inclusions: Tea/coffee on arrival, DVD with preserving notes to take home, hands on workshop. light lunch of pickles, bread and cheese and a jar of product to take home.
Price: $90 - great value!
To book: Contact us from the website www.foodpath.com.au
Everyone was impressed yesterday with the amount of knowledge Steve demonstrated during the class and he is very happy to share. Two of the group have already booked for the next one!
This is what we like to hear because, as well as having fun we like to provide a high standard of workshops for you.
Stephen Hogwood, our teacher, has a business called The 1910 Bottling Company. Check out his website.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
I was lucky to be invited to visit another olive grove in the Southern Highlands with the chefs from Biota Dining last Friday.
There were 1200 trees on 100 acres - three different types of Italian olives. The trees were laden with fruit and if you squeezed an olive out came the olive oil - they are almost ready to harvest.
We have several olive growers in the Southern Highlands. The quality of the oil is excellent and the price reasonable. Just knowing the fruit is grown here and the oil is extracted almost immediately nearby at Menangle Park should reassure you of the freshness of the oil - unlike many of the imported olive oils.
Let's support our local producers and buy local and everyone benefits as a result. Look out for the following labels - all grown in the Southern Highlands and listed in alphabetical order:
Let's support our local producers and buy local and everyone benefits as a result. Look out for the following labels - all grown in the Southern Highlands and listed in alphabetical order:
- Brondale olive oil - from Canyonleigh
- Currawong olive oil - from Berrima
- Scarlett Grove olive oil - from Mittagong
- Southern Highlands olive oil - from Diamond Creek Estate at Mittagong
- Sutton Forest olive oil - from Sutton Forest
It is very exciting because our big weekends are becoming more frequent and this has to be good.
The word must be getting out about what a great area the Southern Highlands is for food and that you can have fun when you come on a tour with FoodPath.
Thanks to everyone for talking to your friends and relatives about FoodPath - that is the best marketing we can ask for.
We have many people now who have been back several times and we love you! Just the sort of customers we want - like minded people who enjoy the same things we do.
This weekend coming we have a conference Partners Tour on Sat that has taken up our normal Day Tour.
On Sun we have a Preserving Workshop that is fully booked - but there will be another one next month if you missed out this time. Steve Hogwood is running this and is always good value and Gail Wilson has kindly offered her beautiful house (and kitchen) at Monreale, her Bed and Breakfast in Burradoo, as our venue. We are all excited about this collaboration and I am sure it will be excellent.
Please keep an eye on the website for what is coming up and let us know if you have a group of family, friends or work mates and would like a customised tour, just for you. This is a growing part of our business and seems to meet the needs of many. Contact us from www.foodpath.com.au, email info@foodpath.com.au or ring 0419 617 021.
Thanks to everyone for talking to your friends and relatives about FoodPath - that is the best marketing we can ask for.
We have many people now who have been back several times and we love you! Just the sort of customers we want - like minded people who enjoy the same things we do.
On Sun we have a Preserving Workshop that is fully booked - but there will be another one next month if you missed out this time. Steve Hogwood is running this and is always good value and Gail Wilson has kindly offered her beautiful house (and kitchen) at Monreale, her Bed and Breakfast in Burradoo, as our venue. We are all excited about this collaboration and I am sure it will be excellent.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Come and walk through this 650 metre long disused railway tunnel that now grows a range of exotic mushrooms - oyster, enoki, shiitake, shirneji, wood ear, king brown and more.
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Hear Dr Noel Arrold, Microbiologist talk about his fascinating business.
This is the last FoodPath tour for this year - so don't miss out.
Ring Southern Highlands Tourism to book on 02 4871 2888
Price: $35
Tour times: 10am and 11.30am
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