I can’t believe that it is Monday again and school holidays are just around the corner. With the past 6 months being a little surreal I found I needed to remind myself to take a moment, pause, breath and give witness to the beauty around me. It reminds me of how critical it is that we protect this unique environment and its vast biodiversity that we all share.
Right now while in this bubble let’s explore the Tweed where we are so fortunate to live. Its beautiful contrasting topography – from the mountains to the sea – offers so much to enjoy right here in our own backyard.
The richness of the Tweed supports our fabulous small farmers providing us with fresh produce in abundance every week. So thank you for also supporting our farmers.
What’s News at the Market this Week?
More beautiful BIG bunches of coriander are available at Summit Organics, so enjoy it now before the spring and summer takes effect. This is seasonal eating at its best.
The special father and daughter moment snapped and shared above is Avi and Daniella Misthler at The Bio Organic Farm. Although the younger generation – particularly Oogie and his partner Basil has taken over growing and expanding their capacity across seasons – Avi is still actively involved and a great support to them. Seeing the young ones returning to the farm is a celebration that the future of our local food systems is assured – for the moment at least. The Bio Organic farm has heaps of leafy greens and right now – lots of snow peas, cucumbers, capsicum and zucchini too.
We are shining the spotlight on wild harvested venison this week and Adam at Johnny Franco’s Place knows only too well how amazing venison can be. His menu this week includes venison. The photo below is of his new special – pulled venison tacos served with market fresh salad.
Several weeks ago he featured venison shoulder slow cooked in port wine with cranberries and artichokes. This was served with roasted kipfler potatoes and cauliflower purée. How delicious and innovative are both these meals?
Our newest stallholder Bondy and his Ethical Sustainable Produce stall brings meat to our market each week. Most of their meat is grown by Bondy and Susie but they have also linked up with Jonas from Fair Game Wild Venison. Being a wild caught meat means that it is low in fat and it is productively using a wasted resource. It is good to know that while we enjoy a meal with venison, we are also helping to protect our natural environment and minimise waste.
Now to help you succeed with cooking and enjoying this healthy meat – here is a tip and some recipes.
Tip: undercook venison – in a pan bring the heat up to smoking hot and then place the backstrap (or roast) into the pan and sear, turning every minute or so to make sure all sides are cooked. Pop the pan in the oven for 7-10 minutes for backstap or a little longer for a small roast. If it is a very small piece then 4 minutes may well be enough so keep a close eye on it. Undercooked ensures that it is tender and delicious.
Click on these links for the recipes and enjoy venison with fennel while we still have our seasonal fennel at the market.
Roast venison braised fennel Roast venison, spicy chocolate sauce and beetroot puree
