Walking along the beach during the weekend I paused to really look about – as I often do and observed the vast changes in sand patterns formed by the waves. It was a very, very, high tide and there had been weather warnings about large waves – so maybe the sand patterns on this particular occasion reflected the tidal variations but fascinatingly – the patterns also varied at different locations along the beach.
Many of the rocks that had been exposed in recent months were once again completely covered – hidden from sight as though they simply didn’t exist.
I pondered on the huge diversity that our natural environment offers us. Not only is it changing all the time, it is presenting us with new and varied experiences each time we venture out – if we take the time to really look. The clouds, the way the light reflects off a leaf, the seasonal changes in the bark on some eucalypts and the paths and patterns made by insects.
My pondering lingered on the word “diversity” and being a lover of delicious healthy food my mind wandered to the huge diversity of fresh food that we are fortunate to have available, seasonally, in our local area.
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What’s NEW at the Market this Week?
Lyn from Mad Mountain Family Farm has created a new irresistible conserve – a limited edition Grape & Rosemary Jelly made from their organic grapes. Lyn told me that they have three different varieties growing and have frozen these as they were picked during the summer. With loads of fragrant rosemary, the family recently experimented, with many eager taste testers, until they had perfected this new recipe.
Ensuring that their products have no additives, Lyn was thrilled that her experiment with the arrowroot that grows abundantly on their Tomewin Mountain property was a success. She explained that by grinding it up she was able to use it as a natural thickener for this jelly style jam and will now possibly be use it in other recipes.
This Grape & Rosemary Jelly is a sweet treat that we can all enjoy. We can add it to a cheese platter or drizzle it over ice cream for a delectable dessert. I can think of many ways I would like to enjoy this and one is using it with Breadicine Woman’s banana bread. I have discovered that this banana bread is very versatile and makes a delightfully quick and easy dessert when you are pushed for time (so I keep a load sliced in the freezer). I slice and heat it slightly in the toaster then serve it with a scoop of yoghurt or ice cream topped with a large spoonful of something delicious. I am looking forward to trying it out with Mad Mountains Grape and Rosemary Jelly. And topped of curse with Spice Palace’s chocolate dukkah.😋
Lyn and Tim have now restocked their very popular Chilli Relish too. Winter is definitely the time to add a little extra chilli to many of our casserole and dahl recipes so if not this one then check out their Caribbean Mango Hot Sauce. I offered this to friends during a lunch gathering this weekend and it is HOT!
It seems as though the Mad Mountain family has had a huge cook-up recently and we are the lucky beneficiaries.
What’s GREAT at the Market?
Zucchinis and beans are great right now at some of our farm stalls and as zucchinis are sometimes considered a little boring then I hope to inspire you with this irresistible Spanish Garlic Zucchini recipe below.
