Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine - Autumn 2014

ISSUE 12 Autumn 2014

EASTER RECIPE FEATURE

Fresh ingredients and ideas to feast on

KIWI CONNECTION Our kiwi fruit orchardist

DISHING UP AUTUMN

Recipes from Hayden Quinn, Phillippa Grogan and more

PUMPKIN PATCH Butternuts Next-gen farming

BEETROOT New Love Beets PORK Our promise CUPCAKES A sweet treat

LOVED ON THE FARM From ensuring Huon salmon live in a stress-free and pristine environment, to making sure our fish enclosures have a stocking density of 99% water to 1% fish (amongst the lowest stocking density in the world), we go to considerable lengths to produce the world’s most loved salmon.

Our salmon are fed the highest quality feed available using innovative feeding techniques that we have developed on the farm. Just as importantly, when our salmon are processed for sale, we do it humanely utilising equipment that has been awarded by the RSPCA. We’re also 100% Australian family owned.

The Huon innovation salmon farming philosophy

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Stress Free Raised to mirror the natural life of salmon in the wild.

Well Nourished The highest quality feed dispensed by our ingenious feeding system.

Kept Clean and Healthy Nurtured in the most spacious enclosures in the world.

Raised with Sustainable Practices In the crystal clear open waters of Tasmania.

For more great salmon recipes visit huonaqua.com.au facebook.com/huonaquaculture

@huonaqua

LOVED ON THE PLATE SMOKED SALMO N WITH CREAMY SCRAMBLED EG GS AND CHIVES INGREDIENTS

With Huon Smoked

Salmon

200g Huon premi um cold smoked salmon 8 slices sourdoug h (toasted) 5 large free-range eggs 1 tbs cream 2 tbs butter to taste: salt and pepper 2 tbs chives (snipp ed) 8 trussed baby tom atoes 1 tbs extra virgin oli ve oil ½ cup micro herbs Preparation time 5 min

METHOD

Cooking time 4 mins

Serves 4

Place the tomatoes into a small oven tray and brush wit olive oil and seaso h the n with a little salt.

Pla ce into a preheate set at 180°C and d oven roast for 5 minutes . Remove and set aside.

Combine together in a bowl the eggs , cream, 1 tablespo butter and seasonin on of g, beating with a fork until well comb ined.

Place a non-stick frypan onto gentle heat and add in a tablespoon of butte r. Pour in the egg mixture and stir wit spoon. Continue ha stirring gently until the mixture thicken becomes creamy. s and Remove from the heat, add in the ch ives and place on toasted sourdough to the slices.

Top with the smok ed salmon slices an d present with the tomatoes and herbs roasted .

SPREYTON FRESH. NOTHING BUT APPLES. APPLE AND RASPBERRY NOW AVAILABLE Spreyton Fresh has been championing Tasmanian apples for over a 100 years so it’s no wonder their juices are loved by Aussies all over. An iconic family brand, Spreyton Fresh only juices the finest apples from their orchards in Spreyton, Tasmania.

SPREYTON’S AUTUMN REFRESHER INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1.5 litres Spreyton Fresh Apple Juice ½ cup water ¼ cup caster sugar 1 large (1.8 kg) pineapple, peeled and chopped ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish ice cubes, to serve

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasion until the water comes to the boil and all the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and cool slightly, then refrigerate until cold.

Place the chopped pineapple pieces and cup of mint in food processor and process until finely

chopped. Strain the mix into a bowl and add 1 cup of the pineapple and mint pulp. Add the cooled sugar syrup and Spreyton Fresh Apple Juice to the mix and stir gently to combine.

Pour mix into a 2 litre jug and serve over ice with a garnish of mint on top.

TAB

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Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

WELCOME

The Year of Sustainable Business

For all the rhetoric about sustainability, no longer can it be solely an environmental proposition.

The industry restructuring taking place, with the intended closure of manufacturing by the car companies, the market pressures on SPC and Qantas, have all led to significant debate on the sustainability of manufacturing in Australia.

This is one reason to call for a Year of Sustainable Business; to focus on the broader role of sustainability for business Australia – in our case to draw attention to a sustainable food production and food

fair? Is the competition on a level playing field? Are margins being squeezed such that investment does not occur? Is there a cost-price squeeze on suppliers and farmers from imported food or low prices causing unsustainable incomes? Are short term contracts and low prices causing adverse impacts on fertility of the soil and overproduction? What are the social impacts on farmers and rural and regional communities from this food system?

So it is time to declare the Year of Sustainable Business where there should not only be a focus on the economic and social factors but also the environment factors of production. manufacturing in Australia.

Companies with the best prospect for profitability and market success will invest and lead to a more sustainable outcome for Australia.

A sustainable Australian business sector needs a level playing field, is able to encourage investment in industries that have a competitive advantage and will provide jobs and growth that have ongoing social benefits.

But consider our food system in Australia.

Is market power in the food system,

Supporting Country Australia Donate to:AussieFarmersFoundation.org.au

Australia has often been quoted as having a competitive advantage in agriculture and food manufacturing. We believe this to be true but only if the market allows for sustainable resource use and support for the unique factors in food production faced by farmers.

‘True sustainability’ not only relates to profitability but resource use as well – it has a time dimension beyond the short to medium term.

A sustainable industry or business will attract and deploy resources such as labour and capital. It will renew and reuse these resources of water, land, energy and capital.

Ultimately the food system needs to be profitable to be sustainable.

So it is time to declare the Year of Sustainable Business where there should not only be a focus on the economic and social factors but also the environment factors of production.

At Aussie Farmers Direct, the Year of Sustainable Business happens every year

by establishing long term sustainable relationships with our farmers, a business model that delivers local, ethical food for our customers and an environment mantra that involves reduce, reuse and recycling to preserve our agricultural resources. We proudly support our Aussie farmers and rural communities. We hope you will join us in this cause by shopping with Aussie Farmers Direct. You can also directly support rural communities through our Foundation, AussieFarmersFoundation.org.au.

William Scott Chairman, Aussie Farmers Direct

HAND DELIVERED BY YOUR LOCAL MILKO:

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TAB

Try our organic range.

Good for Australia. Good for you.

R Eggs R Dairy R Fruit & Veg R Available Australia Wide

Shop now at AussieFarmers.com.au Australian Certified Organic retailer in Victoria

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Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

Features 7 Easter Recipe Special An inspiring feasting menu showcasing our sustainable seafood and a twist on the classic lamb roast.

INSIDE Issue 12 Autumn 2014

15 Pure Pumpkins Our Aussie-Italian farming family in sun-drenched Mildura butter us up with their butternuts.

44 Making Nature’s Grade In our regular ‘Inspire’ series, we chat with Katy Barfield who is creating a new business that embraces wonky carrots.

Cover photo: Madeline, grand daughter of kiwi fruit farmer Jamie Craig, Shepparton, Victoria

Acting Editor:

Stories & Recipes 4 Ask Fletch 9 Recipe: Prawn & Pork Cos Cups 9 Recipe: Salmon With Potato & Fennel 9 Recipe: Kale & Sprout Salad 10 Recipe: Braised Leeks, Peas & Cos 10 Recipe: Slow Roasted Lamb

With Lemon & Root Veg 12 Recipe: Easter Apple Pudding 13 Hot Easter Baker Boys 15 Meet Our Pumpkin Farmer 18 Recipe: Pumpkin Tortellini 20 Recipe: Prune & Pumpkin Cake 21 Recipe: Pumpkin Orange &

Poppy Seed Cake 22 Our Egg-volution 23 How To: Easter Egg Decoration 24 Cover Story:

Meet Our Kiwi Fruit Farmer 26 Recipe: Rice Salad With Kiwi Fruit 29 NEW! Vegie Dips & Dip Tricks 30 NEW! Lovely Beetroots 32 Recipe: Beetroot Homus

Richard Lange magazine@AussieFarmers.com.au

32 Recipe: One Pan Roast Chicken,

Potatoes & Carrot 32 Recipe: Spiced Beetroot &

Hazelnut Muffins 35 NEW! Soup Season 36 Our Free Range Pork Promise 37 Recipe: Pork Schnitzel With

Sage & Parmesan Crust 37 Recipe: Pork Parmigiana 37 Recipe: Pork Schnitzel With Sesame &

Sweet Chilli Crust 40 NEW! Cultured Artisan Breads 42 NEW! Cupcakes & Banana Bread 46 Customer Voice:

The $100 Shop Verdict 47 Recipe: Fish Curry 48 Wellbeing With Taryn Brumfitt 52 Aussie Farmers Fundraising:

Supercharged Fireys 53 Aussie Farmers Foundation:

A Van With A Country Plan 54 Meet Our Goldie Milko: Peter Scott

Senior Writer:

Llawela Forrest

Creative:

Think Vevey

Photography:

Mark Ashkanasy, Renee Hodskiss, Darren Seiler, Eve Wilson

Contributors:

Effie Gorringe, Emma Grella, Marissa Maddalena, Joel Molinari, Adam Rumpf, Venetia Taylor and lots of other amazing people

Advertising:

Melinda Sharpe, mel@sundancecompany.com.au,

0449 896 041 Circulation:

100,000

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine is a quarterly publication. Published by Aussie Farmers Direct Publishing (ABN 39 115 166982).

All rights reserved. All material published in Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine is copyright. No material may be re-produced in part or in whole without written consent from the copyright holders.

Distributed across Australia by Aussie Farmers Direct and its network of franchisees (milkmen).

The publisher does not accept responsibility for unsolicited material.

Printed :

Offset Alpine Printing.

This magazine is printed on PEFC certified paper, meaning that it originates from forests that are managed sustainably.

PEFC is the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes.

PEFC is an international certification programme promoting sustainable forest management.

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FRUIT & VEG

Ask Fletch

Citrus is always big as we move into the cooler months. Where should we look for our Vit-C fix?

The Navel orange season kicks off soon and goes right through until the end of Spring. They are the official eating orange (as opposed to juicing), with lots of sweetness and no seeds. They are also easy to peel, so are perfect for the kids.

We source our Navels from the south of the

FLETCH’S TOP 10

Seasonal FAVOURITES 1.

2.

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8.

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APPLES (JAZZ AND PINK LADY) BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN CAPSICUMS CUCUMBERS (LEBANESE AND CONTINENTAL) IMPERIAL MANDARINS KIWI FRUIT MUSHROOMS NAVEL ORANGES ONIONS ZUCCHINI

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

Andrew Fletcher, or ‘Fletch’ as we fondly call him, heads up our Aussie Farmers Direct National Fruit & Vegetable team and hand picks the best fruit and veg for our Aussie Farmers Direct boxes. Autumn brings with it some great colour with its in-season fruit and veg.

country in the prime citrus growing regions of the Murray Valley, the NSW Riverina district and the Riverland in South Australia.

Mandarin season is also in full swing from April to October. You’ll find the Imperial variety in your Aussie Farmers Direct fruit & veg delivery. These are easy to peel, with very few seeds and have a great sweetness in flavour. The season starts with fruit from Queensland, and moves its way down south to the Riverina. If your mandy is heavy to hold, it means it is packed with juice.

Australia’s most popular eating apples and they are also a bit of an Aussie success story. Mr Cripps was the Australian that created them in the 1970s, and it’s a variety now grown in over 15 countries.

There are only five or so main growers in Australia who specialise in growing kiwi fruit, also now in season. We source ours from one Australia’s most respected growers. Read more about Jamie and John on page 24.

Apart from citrus, what other fruit can we expect to see?

There is a lot of great colour in the veg department! Capsicums are in season, with a kaleidoscope of colours available.

All capsicums start life green, and change in colour as they ripen. They need lots of warm weather and sun in order to morph into those brilliant reds and yellows. They are great to use in stirfries, to eat raw in seasonal salads, and they roast really well too. They also do well in the freezer – no need to blanche them first, just deseed, slice and store in a zip-lock bag.

Butternut pumpkins are wonderful in Autumn when the first of a new crop becomes available. One of our butternut farming families is a bit unique – learn more about them (and pick up some great recipe ideas, both savoury and sweet!) on page 15.

Two of my favourite apple varieties are ripe for the picking. Jazz is a pretty new variety in Australia; we’ve been crunching our way through these tangy, sweet apples for only four or so years. They are a cross between a Gala and a Braeburn and are the perfect small to medium-sized snack. These trees enjoy the summer sun, high rainfall, cool winters and rich soil, so we get them from orchards in Tasmania and New South Wales, with most of our crop coming from South Gippsland in Victoria.

Pink Lady is another apple crossbreed variety – a combination of Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. They have a distinct pink colour, great crunch and are almost slightly fizzy in flavour. They are now one of

What is looking good on the veg front?

EASTER

Easter Feasting

Bring the family together over two special days this Easter. Our feasting menu celebrates the sustainable seafood bounty available at Aussie Farmers Direct, plus offers a Mediterranean twist for the classic lamb roast.

SERVES 4 Good Friday Fish Feast Prawn & Pork Cos Cups Roasted Barra With Macadamias Salmon With Potato & Fennel Kale & Sprout Salad Easter Sunday Roast Slow Roasted Lamb Leg With Lemon & Root Veg Braised Leeks, Peas & Cos

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The tradition of Easter Friday has always been about feasting on fish. Aussie barramundi from the very north of the country and salmon from the very south of Tasmania are the heroes of this sensational seafood spread.

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Aussie Framers Direct Magazine

EASTER

Prawn & Pork Cos Cups INGREDIENTS

2 tsps extra virgin olive oil 500 g pork mince 300 g unmarinated prawns, coarsely chopped 2 tbsp caster sugar 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 red chillies, finely sliced 2 limes, juiced 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander, plus extra sprigs to serve 1/2 baby cos lettuce, base trimmed, leaves separated

METHOD

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook mince, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up lumps, for 5 minutes. Add prawns and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the prawn is just cooked through. Add sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and chillies. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Stir in coriander. Divide the mixture among cos leaves, and top with coriander sprigs to serve.

Tip: This recipe creates double the amount you’ll need. Pop leftovers in the fridge.

Add fresh green beans, cherry tomatoes and chopped, fresh pineapple to create a delicious stir-fry, served with steamed rice for Saturday night’s dinner.

half of the parsley and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for a further 30 minutes. While vegetables continue roasting, prepare the salmon by scoring the skin about 1cm deep. Season both sides of fish well and place the remaining chopped parsley and mint leaves into the scored flesh. Once potatoes are golden, take tray out of the oven, sprinkle over grated pecorino and loosen the vegetables in the pan with tongs. Lay the salmon skin-side up, on top of the vegetables, and add lemon zest on top. Drizzle with more olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.

Place in the centre of the table in the roasting pan, and serve with lemon wedges.

Kale & Sprout Salad INGREDIENTS

juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped 2 large bunches of kale, centre stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced 400 g brussel sprouts, trimmed and finely shredded 2 tbsp butter 1 cup pecorino, finely grated

METHOD

Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl; set aside.

Add 1 tbsp oil into a fry pan and heat over medium-high. Add almonds and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer almonds to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Melt butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add kale and brussel sprouts, and salt and pepper to taste, and gently cook through until just tender and glossy, around 2 minutes.

Place kale and spinach in serving plate and gently stir through dressing. Sprinkle almonds and pecorino on top.

Salmon With Potato & Fennel INGREDIENTS

8 large Dutch cream potatoes, peeled Extra virgin olive oil Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 1 fennel bulb 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 2 x 180 g salmon fillets, cut in half few sprigs fresh mint leaves, finely chopped 1 small handful pecorino cheese, grated zest of 1 lemon

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C. Halve the potatoes lengthways and then into thirds. Place in a roasting tray, add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt & pepper, and mix through with your hands.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Whilst potatoes are cooking, trim the fennel bulb and cut into eight wedges. After potatoes have been cooking for 30 mins, give them a shake, and turn oven up to 220°C. In the same roasting pan add fennel, garlic,

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

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Roasted Barra With Macadamias INGREDIENTS

1/2 loaf gourmet white sourdough bread Zest of 1 orange 2 tbsp parsley 1/3 cup of orange juice 1/3 cup of melted butter 1 cup of honey roasted macadamias 2 x 180 g barramundi fillets, cut in half 2 limes

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. In a food processor place the bread and lemon zest, and blitz under a breadcrumb texture. Add parsley and macadamias and blitz quickly so that the macadamias are crushed. Add the orange juice and butter and blend until combined. Pat the fish with a paper towel on all sides to remove moisture. Press the crumb on both sides of each fish fillet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

Cover Photo

Braised Leeks, Peas & Cos INGREDIENTS

40 g butter 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 leek, thinly sliced 1 cup chicken stock 400 g fresh peas 2 baby cos lettuce, shredded

METHOD

Heat the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and leek and cook, stirring, until soft (about 4 minutes). Add the stock and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 minute.

Add the peas and lettuce and cook, covered, for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve straight away.

Slow Roasted Lamb With Lemon & Root Veg INGREDIENTS

1.5 kg lamb leg roast sea salt and freshly ground black pepper small handful fresh oregano leaves juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon, quartered 3 tbsp white wine 2 tbsp olive oil 4 large Desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 parsnip, peeled and cut into four 175 g Ligurian olives

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the lamb in a large roasting pan and season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over oregano and pour over lemon juice and wine. Drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, or until the lamb is browned.

Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and cover with foil. Reduce oven to 160°C and roast the lamb for another 1 1/2 hours. Arrange the potato. parsnip and lemon quarters around the lamb and return to the oven for another 2 hours, turning the potatoes at least once during this time and basting the lamb with the pan juices. The lamb should be very tender. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside to rest before slicing.

Return the oven to 220°C. Add the olives to the pan with the potatoes and parsnips and place back in oven for another for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden.

Serve lamb and vegetables with pan juices spooned over the top. = available at Aussie Farmers Direct

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Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 11

EASTER

Easter Apple Pudding

This dessert will make the most of any remaining hot cross buns left in the house (or you might want to order some just to try out this delicious recipe!).

INGREDIENTS

6 hot cross buns 8 medium-sized apples, peeled, cored, quartered and roughly chopped 1 lemon, zest and juice 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup water 75 g butter 2 tbsp caster sugar Bulla Vanilla Cream, to serve

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METHOD

Preheat oven to 180째C and grease a loaf tin.

Cut each hot cross bun into thirds, horizontally, so the cross remains intact.

Take the crossed slice and carefully remove most of the bun around each cross with a knife. Separate the crossed pieces from the rest on the bun pieces, and set aside.

Place the apples, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, honey and water in a saucepan. Stir to combine and place over a medium heat to cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften, about 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add 25 g of butter and stir until melted. Set aside.

Melt the remaining butter and brush the bun pieces generously on both sides with butter. Press half of the pieces into the base of the tin and sprinkle with 1 tbsp caster sugar. Top with half of the apple mixture.

Repeat, pressing gently on the bun pieces to compress, and then adding the sugar and remaining apple. Lay the crossed bun pieces on top of the final apple layer, to decorate.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm with our new Bulla Vanilla Cream.

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

BAKERY

Add a half dozen pack (or two!) of our Hot Cross Buns to your next order. Choose from two varieties - Traditional and Choc Chip. Our serving suggestion? Toasted with lashings of our Farmers Lane butter!

Hot Crossed Bakers

Our local bakers are about to head into overdrive for the busiest time of the year, Easter. Meet our talented bakers who bring you fresh, locally baked hot cross buns – our favourite part of Easter!

NSW

John, his wife Marcella and son Stephen at ’Fresh & Tasty’ are bringing their exceptional hot cross buns to NSW customers for the first time this year. The recipe has been with John for a long time; some thirty years in fact.

It’s a recipe created from a lifetime of baking as well as the insights handed down from his grandfather, father and uncle, who were all bakers. He says he has nailed the right combination of spices and fruits to create pillow-soft buns with perfect sweetness, plus his secret ‘cross mix’, made from scratch and piped by hand.

We also love: John’s white & grain rolls, light rye sliced loaf as well as the raisin loaf, available to our NSW customers.

SA

In SA, Darren and his team at Kytons source flour from local SA-based Lauke Flour Mills (one of the last remaining Aussie-owned mills) and top-grade sultanas and currants, sunkissed in Sunraysia, from a producer with whom they’ve had a long relationship with.

But their secret weapon in creating amazing hot cross buns is Heiner. He’s been involved in their Easter bake for the last 40 years, and at nearly 70 years of age comes out of retirement just for this special season, a time when the bakery grows from five to 20 staff to meet demand. These are award-winning hotties, having won the National Hot Cross Bun competition a few years back alongside a second placing last year.

We also love: Kytons also bake our lamingtons, offered seasonally to Aussie Farmers Direct customers nationally.

WA

Bovell’s Bakery in WA make hot cross buns exclusively for our Aussie Farmers Direct customers in the west. The family owned business first started as a milling company, creating flour from locally harvested wheat, and started their bakery just over ten years ago. Their choc chip hot cross buns are a massive favourite, with delicious chocolate speckled throughout.

We also love: Bovell’s have been working with Aussie Farmers Direct since we first started our WA milko rounds, and also bake our sliced bread range as well as multigrain, hot dog and lunch rolls.

VIC

Choc Chip not available in SA.

Anthony and the team at Delbake in Victoria also rely on a trusted family recipe. Anthony says that the family has been making their hot cross buns the same way ever since he can remember. This year they’ll be baking over 300,000 hot cross buns to feed our Victorian Aussie Farmers Direct customers, which means 2am starts and baking full tilt until 2pm, increasing to a 24-hour operation over the Easter week. These buns were ranked in the top three of Melbourne’s best by the Herald Sun; it’s no wonder they are in demand.

We also love: Anthony and the team also bake our sliced bread loaves, rolls (cheese & bacon, round and hot dog) and our superb pies (including steak, steak & mushroom and apple pie) for our Victorian customers.

QLD

The hot cross buns made at Homestyle Bake for our Queensland customers are created from a tried and true recipe but with the addition of extra dried fruit (at a special request from Aussie Farmers Direct’s hot cross bun aficionados!). The flour comes from the Darling Downs, the same region where the bakery is based, and the yeast is made fresh from local Queensland molasses.

We also love: the Wellbeing Bread range (including light rye, lower carb and chia), family meat pies and their sublime High Apple Pie (designed especially for Aussie Farmers Direct), enjoyed by our Aussie Farmers Direct Queensland customers.

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 13

Get your fresh Hot Cross Buns for Easter.

Baked with pride, the Delbake Pastry Chefs are busy getting them ready for you.

Available in Fruit or Chocolate.

Your Number 1 choice this Easter.

Proudly supporting Aussie Farmers Direct

FARMER

Pu mpkins That Buck The Trend

In Red Cliffs, Victoria, the Calvi clan is a rare breed. In a region besotted with growing wine grapes and citrus, they’ve decided to buck the trend, and grow pumpkins.

Twenty-three year old Tony owns the business with dad, Carlo. Red Cliffs is around 10 kilometres from Mildura; a part of Victoria renowned for growing grapes and for being one of the largest regions in Australia for citrus. It is also a region that has seen dozens of farmers simply walk off the land, unable to find a market for their produce in a landscape crippled by drought, with grapevines and orchards left to wither and expire. Tony’s farm is no exception.

“My mum’s father originally had this farm and started out growing grapes for dried fruit. He then converted the farm to wine and table grapes.

When he passed away the farm was sold. The guy that bought it just couldn’t make it work, and abandoned the farm entirely – just walked off the land. My dad Carlo and I bought it back three years ago and we looked at alternative vegetables that could do well in this region, and pumpkins it was!” says Tony.

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FARMER

“During our first year of growing pumpkins we did a lot of things the wrong way, but you get better as you go. The red, lime-rich soil up here really is good to grow a whole range of produce. Plus the weather is so balanced,” says Carlo.

Whilst the family is one of the few in the area to grow pumpkins, it is a vegie that Carlo is very familiar with. He has spent a lifetime buying and selling fruit and veg in the Melbourne Market.

Alongside his farm, Carlo also runs a horticultural college to inspire the next generation of farmers. Son Tony started a horticultural apprenticeship at the age of 17 on a large farm, which grew wine grapes, avocadoes, almonds and wheat as well as harvesting fish.

This farm also had a vast open field for vegetable production, and this is where Tony acquired the know-how of pumpkin growing.

“During our first year of growing pumpkins we did a lot of things the wrong way, but you get better as you go. The red, loamy-rich soil up here really is good to grow a whole range of produce. Plus the weather is so balanced,” says Tony.

Weather conditions this year have been okay, but not great.

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FARMER

A heat wave in February saw three weeks of constant daytime temperatures over 40°C, followed immediately by over 70 millimetres of rain. During these times, irrigating in the cool of the night is paramount, as too much heat and moisture can boil the pumpkin plants and shut them down.

Like many farmers throughout Australia, the drought is once again starting to set in. The ability to buy water is getting scarcer, and the cost of it is escalating quickly. Applying mulch and installing dripline irrigation is planned in order to maximise water for the crop. In doing so, they hope to save a third of the amount of water they are currently using. “We are battling with it. Everyone is battling with it.

But you just have to try and push through,” says Tony.

The Calvis supply their superior butternut pumpkins to Aussie Farmers Direct, and they have 10 acres planted to this popular

pumpkin variety. Harvest starts at the end of February and goes right through until mid winter. In the early days they trialled many different varieties, but the one they nurture is a sweeter variety, and the best to eat.

Farming is an industry that isn’t the most appealing of career choicest for many of the next generation. Tony, younger brothers Vince and Daniel (who also work on the family farm), and their local peers, seem to be an exception. “A lot of my mates are in farming.

There are a lot of the sons in the area taking over the family farms.

This was my grandfather’s farm. I see it develop more every day, and now I run it, and own it. This is something I am pretty proud of, and is my greatest reward,” says Tony.

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RECIPE

Pu mpkin Tortellini SERVES 4

There’s nothing quite like making your own pasta, and it is not as difficult as you might think. This is a great recipe for the kids to get involved in, mastering the art of folding their own tortellini! Serve with a simple tomato and garlic sauce, or for something quite spectacular, the sage and burnt butter sauce recommended in this recipe. This comes from Hayden Quinn of MasterChef fame, in his new cookbook, which features healthy foods perfect for sharing.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg butternut pumpkin, diced into 2 cm cubes 1 rosemary sprig, leaves removed 2 thyme sprigs 3 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons olive oil sea salt 1 packet of round gow gee wrappers *

SAUCE 16 sage leaves 150 g unsalted butter 1 tablespoon lemon juice zest of 1 lemon TO SERVE 120 g goat’s cheese, crumbled 60 g parmesan, finely grated 2 tablespoons pine nuts, roasted

METHOD

Put the pumpkin in a roasting tin with the herbs, garlic, olive oil and salt and toss to coat well.

Put the tin in the oven at 180°C for 30 minutes or until just soft and tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Coarsely mash the pumpkin and allow to cool fully.

To assemble the tortellini, place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each gow gee wrapper and brush a little water around the edges.

Fold over into a half moon shape and join two corners together to form a tortellini, press to seal. Cook in lots of salted boiling water for about 2 minutes or until cooked through then remove with a slotted spoon.

Place the sage leaves in a saucepan with butter and some salt, and cook until the butter is nut brown.

Add the lemon juice and zest.

Toss the tortellini gently through the sauce and place on a plate.

Scatter the crumbled goat’s cheese and parmesan, then top with the pine nuts. * gow gee wrappers are often used for dumplings, and can be found in the fridge section of your local Asian grocer.

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

Dish It Up

By Hayden Quinn Murdoch Books RRP $35.00

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RECIPE

Prune & Pumpkin Cake

Phillippa Grogan runs an iconic bakery in Melbourne and her much loved breads, pastries and preserves are of the kind that are no longer regularly made in the homes of today. She has captured her love of baking in a new book, and this recipe is a stand out. The bright orange from the pumpkin is studded with the blackness of prune. It’s a great colour contrast that is matched by a rich moistness and deep sweetness. It is worth planning to make this the day after you have had boiled or steamed pumpkin for dinner.

INGREDIENTS

175 g butter, softened 200 g caster sugar finely grated zest of 1 orange 3 eggs 250 g chopped pitted prunes 250 g self-raising flour 200 g cooked pumpkin, puréed 100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice icing sugar, for dusting Greek-style yoghurt, to serve (optional)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line the base of a 20 cm round cake tin with baking paper and butter and flour the sides.

Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest in a large bowl for 4 minutes or until pale and creamy but not light and fluffy. Place the prunes in a bowl with 2 tablespoons flour and mix well. Add the eggs to the batter one at time, beating well between each addition. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the prunes and puréed pumpkin.

Fold the remaining flour alternately with the orange juice into the creamed butter and sugar, a third at a time. Be gentle and take care not to over-mix.

Pour the batter into the tin and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve dusted with icing sugar or with Greek-style yoghurt.

The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

Phillippa’s Home Baking

By Phillippa Grogan & Richard Cornish Lantern RRP $49.99

20 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

RECIPE

Pu mpkin, Orange

& Poppy Seed Cake

Alison Thompson has studied at the sides of some of the world’s greatest pastry chefs for years, learning the art and science of baking. This is one of her favourite recipes, and is another must-try dish that utilises pumpkin in a sweet way, rather than savoury.

INGREDIENTS

330 g unsalted butter, diced, softened 330 g caster sugar 4 eggs grated zest of 3 oranges grated zest of 3 lemons 30 g poppy seeds 400 g self-raising flour 300 g pumpkin purée (boiled and mashed pumpkin)

SYRUP 330 g caster sugar 90 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 90 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a 25 cm round cake tin with baking paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the orange and lemon zests, poppy seeds, sifted flour and pumpkin purée.

Mix on low speed until combined.

Spread the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 1½ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. (While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup.)

SYRUP In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon juice and orange juice. Bring to the boil, stirring, then remove from the heat.

Pour the hot syrup over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Allow cake to cool completely in the tin.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Bake: Essential Companion

by Alison Thompson Penguin RRP $49.99

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 21

TAB

Can you tell the difference from one egg to another?

At Aussie Farmers Direct, we can... and it matters.

We take the time to work with our farmers and understand how they are produced so we can provide the best egg for you.

We now stock only free range eggs and barn laid eggs.

So relax and know that your eggs are in good hands.

Shop now for ethical eggs this Easter.

22 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

RECIPE

Red Dyed Easter Eggs

Creating colourful eggs is a tradition across many cultures at Easter time. Kathy Tsaples is a Melbourne based author and cook, and in her book, Sweet Greek, she shows us just how to do them. In her Greek culture, it is Easter Thursday when the eggs are dyed; their red colour symbolising the blood of Christ in anticipation of Good Friday. It is a fun project to share with the kids; ready to decorate your table for your Easter seafood menu. If you can’t find the dye that Kathy recommends, why not use the juice of beetroots, left over from your Love Beets pack! (See page 30).

INGREDIENTS

2 dozen small to medium white eggs 2 packets of Greek red egg dye 1 cup of sunflower oil 2 cups of vinegar water a variety of herbs (any pretty leaf you’d like to see on your eggs, such as parsley, dill, even leaves from flowers)

METHOD

You will also need a wide cooking pot, stockings, a cloth and string.

Start working the night before. Firstly, have your eggs at room temperature. Wash and dry them thoroughly. Check for any cracks and get rid of eggs that are damaged.

Prepare your leaves. Using a wet sponge, moisten your leaves and attach them to the egg. Get a piece of stocking, cover the egg with it and, using some string, tie a knot at both ends. It will look like a bon-bon.

The next day, Easter Thursday, prepare your dye according to the packet’s instructions. The only difference is that for two dozen eggs I add two cups of vinegar.

I find that this assists in achieving a more intense colour.

Put the eggs into the dye mixture and boil as you would normally prepare hard-boiled eggs. They will need to simmer for a little longer than a normal hard-boiled egg (about 10 minutes).

Remove the eggs from the heat and let them stand in the dye for several more minutes before taking them out.

Using a cloth dampened with oil, start wiping and polishing your eggs after removing the stockings. The oil helps to remove the leaves and makes your eggs shine. Display them in a beautiful platter.

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

Sweet Greek: Simple Food & Sumptuous Feasts Kathy Tsaples Melbourne Books RRP $39.95

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 23

COVER STORY

Kiwis Bearing Fruit

When you hit your 40s and feel like life is ripe for change, not many of us would think ‘kiwi fruit farmer’ an obvious choice. Not so for Jamie Craig. He and kiwi fruit devotee John Karl have formed a formidable partnership that has created one of the most prolific kiwi fruit orchards in Australia.

24 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

Jamie was a banker and in the late 1980s he decided he’d had enough. “I had to find something to do, and this is the place where I ended up! says Jamie. That place is Shepparton, a fertile farming region in the Goulburn Valley of Victoria, where he and business partner John have 320 hectares of orchards, 120 of which have kiwi fruit under vine. When he arrived in Australia, Jamie invested in some farms in the region, one an orchard of Nashi pears. John had a small farm in the same area, and with John’s considerable expertise as an orchardist, was head hunted by Jamie to manage his orchard too. The rest, as the say, is history, with the duo purchasing a local kiwi fruit farm when it became available. As a pair of ex-pat New Zealanders, it’s a coincidental kiwi connection that has more than beared fruit.

Whilst Jamie is the financial mind, John is the orchardist. John grew up in a dairy farming family, but his penchant for ”growing things” won out as a vocation. He spent many years shearing sheep in order to save enough money to buy his first orchard when he was 25 years old. His first experience with kiwi fruit (apart from eating copious amounts of them as a kid) was in a glasshouse nursery, raising seedling for other farms.

John planted kiwi fruit for himself in the late 1970s, so has clocked up many decades’ experience for what, in New Zealand, is an easy growing fruit that has been part of that country’s farming history for over 100 years. On Australian soil, it needs a little more coaxing.

Jamie and John are two of Victoria’s most respected fruit farmers (winning Victorian Fruit Grower Of The Year in 2000), and John leads the charge in industry innovation, often tapping into his kiwi connections across the ditch.

COVER STORY “In Australia I have to say we don’t have the most ideal climate for growing kiwi fruit. We have excellent infrastructure, but our climate is a bit too cold and a bit too hot! We have learnt now how best to handle the crop and conditions and through this experience our production levels are now up there with the best in the world,” says John.

Kiwi fruit vines are similar to those of grapes, which need to mature for several years before they bear fruit. Some of the vines on John and Jamie’s farm are almost 30 years old and still prospering. Kiwi fruit also takes a long time to ripen. Unlike berries, for example, which can ripen and demand picking within hours, kiwis can remain on the vine for up to six weeks, providing a wide harvest window, but they don’t give too much away. Visibly, they look ready to eat, but sugar level tests are needed to determine maturity. “Through our knowledge of our farm, we know which vine blocks are the first to ripen. Two weeks

Once known as ‘Chinese Gooseberry’, its name was altered in the 1950s, adopting instead the name of New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi – small, brown and furry, just like the fruit. before harvest, sugar levels on these are tested. Once the sugar levels are at their peak, we know they’re ready to be picked,” says John.

Harvest begins at the start of April, and goes right through until the end of May. Winter signals the end of the picking season, with the onset of frosts the key driver for wrapping the harvest up. Kiwis have a great shelf life, and can last many weeks if kept in the fridge, still retaining their distinct taste.

As most farmers will tell you, the weather is their best friend, and worst enemy. The season this year was looking great up until Christmas, when extreme heat hit. Kiwi fruit vines have large leaves, which can protect them from the sun, but also provide a large surface area from which the vine can perspire almost as fast as it can retain its fluids. John says you have to be on the ball with irrigation. You can’t afford to be even two hours late.

“The worst part of farming is the weather,” says John. “It is so variable. I have been wiped out by hail storms three times now and it is not fun – you see your whole years work and income just fall away, and it always happens right near harvest time!”

Jamie and John supply their superior kiwi fruit to our Aussie Farmers Direct customers, and it’s a great fruit to add to your daily fruit intake. Two kiwi fruits have twice the vitamin C of an orange, as much potassium as a banana and the fibre of a bowl of wholegrain cereal – and all for less than 100 calories per serve. Potassium is

an essential mineral to help lower blood pressure, and one large kiwi provides 15% of the recommended daily intake of potassium. It is a fruit that is considered to have the best nutrient density of 21 commonly enjoyed fruits. Add some to your fruit & veg order today!

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 25

RECIPE

Rice Salad with Kiwi Fruit Try this salad with a difference, with the unusual yet delicious addition of kiwi fruit. Perfect as a side to grilled pork, chicken or fish..

INGREDIENTS




2 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 cup white rice 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp honey salt & pepper 2 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced 1 red apple, halved, cored and thinly sliced 4 cos lettuce leaves, cut lengthways and thinly sliced 1 stick celery, thinly sliced 1/2 cup continental parsley, finely chopped 1 1/2 tbsp toasted, slivered almonds

26 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

METHOD

Place stock in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Add rice, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain excess liquid, cover and allow to cool. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and honey in a small bowl until honey is dissolved. Season with salt and pepper. Place cooled rice in a salad bowl along with kiwi fruit, apple, lettuce, celery and parsley, and gently combine. Add dressing and gently toss. Top with almonds to serve.

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

Restaurant quality.

No added msg.

Convenient and great for entertaining.

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

Available in VIC, NSW, ACT & SA

w mushiki.com.au e amanda@mushiki.com.au p 0402 538 881 a 4 govan street, seaford, vic 3198

ENTERTAINING

Not Your Average Dip

NEW! Spinach Dip and Garlic Aioli now available.

Vegie Gourmet Dips source the best and freshest local ingredients to use in their delicious dips; a much loved entertaining staple at Aussie Farmers Direct. But their vegies are not the only ingredient that relies on the sun to prosper in this inspiring, Melbourne-based family business.

Shai Dagan is an industrial engineer by trade and has created a business that now operates entirely on solar energy (and even feeds excess energy back into the grid). Shai has a very strong sustainability ethos, and every day seeks ways to make Vegie Gourmet Dips as green-clean and efficient as possible.

Sourcing local produce as much as he can is also paramount, reducing food miles that can add a heavy load to the business’ carbon footprint. Using nongenetically modified (GM) ingredients is also an important philosophy for Vegie

Gourmet Dips. The spinach used in our new Spinach Dip is sourced from a farm in Victoria, and it’s the same farmer that supplies fresh spinach to our Aussie Farmers Direct customers.

Shai’s wife Lyn is a food technologist, and it’s been her job to create the Homus and Guacamole, the dips that you enjoy through Aussie Farmers Direct.

We’ve also now added two new flavours to our range, Spinach and Garlic Aioli. All have all been created through Lyn’s skill of perfecting optimum taste, as well as a bit of ancestral help. Lyn is originally from Lebanon, and Shai from Israel. Dips feature heavily in the traditional dishes of both cultures, particularly Homus, which is why you can taste that truly authentic flavour. It helps too that food is a fervent passion for both of them. You can almost taste the love and care that’s gone into creating these Vegie Gourmet Dips.

Dip Tricks

These certainly aren’t your average dips, so

why use them in an average way? Loaded with flavour, try our dip tricks to enhance your meals even further.

• Dollop Guacamole Dip on top of your just-cooked pizza.

• Whisk Homus Dip with orange juice, olive oil and salt & pepper for a salad dressing with a difference.

• Combine our new Spinach Dip with olive oil, finely sliced spring onions, our Split Green Olives and some of our Pastrami.

Work through pasta for a quick and tasty meal.

• Our new Garlic Aioli is brilliant as a base for a potato salad, or served alongside grilled fish.

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 29

FRUIT & VEG

A Brand New Beet

Love beetroot but the prep work puts you off having it as a regular feature for dinner? Well, we’d like to show you how to dance to a new beet! A Baby Beet! A delicious, new way to savour the highly nutritious and distinct, earthy flavours of beetroot.

You know how happy you feel when you eat chocolate? Well, that’s trytophan, a feel good chemical, and it’s in beetroot as well!

Beetroot has loads of great nutritional value with folic acid, fibre, manganese and potassium all present. Beets are one of the richest sources of the amino acid glutamine, which is important for the health and maintenance of the intestinal tract.

30 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

FRUIT & VEG

Love Beets is a brand new product in Australia and we think they’re pretty special. Second generation beetroot farmer Ed Fagan is based in Cowra, New South Wales. He is working with OneHarvest, a third generation, Australian fresh produce company who have been inspired by the way beetroot is prepared and eaten in the UK and Europe. It was in a way that Rob Munton from OneHarvest knew Australians would embrace.

“We all know that beetroot can be a bit off-putting when it comes to preparing them. They’re messy, the colour stains everything in sight, and sometimes they are just massive, too big to be bothered with. This is a new way of growing and preparing beetroot and delivering it to customers fresh and ready to eat,” says Rob. Rob and farmer Ed went to the United Kingdom to observe alternative beetroot growing techniques and horticultural methods.

The Cowra farming family is one of Australia’s most experienced beetroot growers, and have been growing beetroot for over sixty years. But after the trip, they totally overhauled what was being done at the farm.

A quick fix Rob uses for beetroot-stained hands is a simple rinse under cold water. “I find if you use hot water, it sets the stain,” says Rob. “Cowra is a great growing area for beetroot. It has a climate and soil type that is perfect, and it is able to sustain supply for most of the year. But what we needed to do was plant some smaller varieties that were easier for consumers to manage. Some of these have never been seen before in Australia. We had to apply different planting densities, change harvesting methods and adopt a new way of grading the vegetable. It was a whole new way for Ed, but he was totally up for it!” says Rob. The result is “Love Beets”, a new, vacuum-sealed bag of beetroot beauties. The beetroots are blanched, then peeled, and cooked in a pressure cooker in the pouch they are sold in. There is no added anything – the beetroot cooks in its own juices. Unlike the canned product, which is steeped in vinegar, these offer a very different taste. They’re fresh, and just like how you might prepare them at home, but sans the mess!

Rob enjoys eating them straight from the pack. When he wants to get a bit fancy with them, he cuts them in half and puts them on the BBQ with a drizzle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar, grilling them until they are slightly charred. But there are so many ways to try this new beetroot offering. Order a pack or two with your fruit & veg order at Aussie Farmers Direct and try some of our great recipe ideas on page 32.

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 31

RECIPE

What a Beet Up Grab a pack of Love Beets and try one of these great recipe ideas.

Starter SERVES 6

Beetroot Homus

Dessert SERVES 12

INGREDIENTS

125 g (half pack) Love Beets, drained 1 170 g Homus Dip 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed small bunch fresh chives, finely chopped (reserve a few for garnish) 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Chop the beetroot into small dice, and place in food processor with the garlic, chives and olive oil. Blitz until pureed.

Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle with a little extra olive oil and garnish with a few snipped chives. Serve as a dip with pitta crisps, or part of a salad lunch spread.

Spiced Beetroot & Apple Muffins With Cru nchy Hazelnut Topping INGREDIENTS

Main Course SERVES 4

One Pan Roast Chicken, Beetroot, Potatoes & Carrot INGREDIENTS

500 g new potatoes, cut into wedges 1 250 g pack Love Beets, drained, cut into halves 250 g large carrots peeled & cut into 2cm chunks 1 onion, cut into large dice 3 cloves garlic, cut into fine slices 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 175 ml white wine 2-3 sprigs for thyme salt & freshly ground black pepper 500 g free range chicken drumsticks (or 4 chicken legs)

32 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a large roasting tin, mix the potatoes, beetroot, carrots, onion and garlic. Drizzle over the olive oil and pour over the wine, and tuck the thyme in between the vegetables.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper and lay them on top of the vegetables. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Remove the foil from the tin and return to the oven. Bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is golden and crisp and the vegetables are cooked through.

275 g plain flour 2 heaped tsp baking powder 2 heaped tsp ground mixed spice 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 large eggs 125 g unsalted butter, melted 60 g caster sugar 175 ml milk 1 250 g pack Love Beets, grated coarsely 2 pink lady apples, cored & grated coarsely

For the hazelnut topping 75 g self raising flour 1 tsp ground mixed spice 40 g unsalted butter, cut into little cubes 75 g demerara sugar 75 g blanched hazelnuts, rough chopped

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a large mixing bowl. In another mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, melted butter, sugar and milk. Pour into the flour and mix very lightly - don’t worry if it looks lumpy. Finally, gently fold through the grated beetroot and apple and spoon into the muffin cases. To make the topping, stir the mixed spice through the flour, then add the butter, sugar and nuts. Rub between finger and thumb until crumbly and well mixed.

Sprinkle evenly over the muffins. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until golden brown and springy to touch. = available at Aussie Farmers Direct

TAB

Barambah Organics is a certified organic dairy located on the picturesque Dumaresq River

Barambah Organics is an award winning dairy company producing superb cheeses, luscious yoghurts, highly sought after creams and bottled milk.

All of the milk is sourced from Barambah’s own dairy farms. Having ownership and quality control from paddock to plate means that we can ensure that animal welfare and cattle nutrition is first class. This means that you, our highly valued customer, receives the best tasting produce available.

Certified Organic means that no antibiotics, hormones, pesticides or artificial fertilisers are used on the farms.

www.barambahorganics.com.au Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

33

LOVED TAB

ON THE FARM From ensuring Huon salmon live in a stress-free and pristine environment, to making sure our fish enclosures have a stocking density of 99% water to 1% fish (amongst the lowest stocking density in the world), we go to considerable lengths to produce the world’s most loved salmon.

Our salmon are fed the highest quality feed available using innovative feeding techniques that we have developed on the farm. Just as importantly, when our salmon are processed for sale, we do it humanely utilising equipment that has been awarded by the RSPCA. We’re also 100% Australian family owned.

The Huon innovation salmon farming philosophy

1 2 3 4

Stress Free Raised to mirror the natural life of salmon in the wild.

Well Nourished The highest quality feed dispensed by our ingenious feeding system.

Kept Clean and Healthy Nurtured in the most spacious enclosures in the world.

Raised with Sustainable Practices In the crystal clear open waters of Tasmania.

LOVED ON T HE PLATE TATAKI SALMO N WITH SESAM E CRUST AND G INGER GLAZE INGREDIENTS

With Huon Fres h

Salmon Portion

20ml extra vir gin olive oil 400g Huon sa Marinade lmon (cut into tw o 75ml light soy equal pieces) ½ tsp salt flak 1 tbs sesame oil es 2 tbs toasted 2 tbs grapesee d oil sesame seeds 1 tbs black se 1 tbs honey same seeds ½ tsp cracked 1 tbs ginger (gr ated) black pepper 2 tbs grapesee Ginger Glaze d oil 1 cup daikon 60ml lime juice (cut into thin 10cm strips) 60ml light soy 1 lebanese cucumb 60ml olive oil er (peel and cut int 1 tbs ginger (gr o 10 ated) cm strips) ½ red onion (slice d thin) Preparation tim e 10 min Co oking time 2 mins Serves 4+

METHOD

Combine togeth er the marinad e ingredients an salmon. Cover, d add in the refrigerate and allow to rest fo r 30 minutes.

Combine the se same seeds an d pepper and pl plate. Remove ace onto a flat the salmon from its marinade, dr roll into the seed ain, season then mixture, pressin g well to form an Combine togeth even coating. er the daikon an d cucumber str ginger glaze in ips. Combine th gredients. e Heat a pan with the grapeseed oi l, th en seconds on each sear the salmon for 20 side, keeping th e centre raw.

Place a thin laye r of sliced onio ns into a bowl daikon and cucu and top with th mber strips. e Slice the salmon into thin even pi eces and presen salad, then fini t on top of the sh with some of the ginger glaz e.

Note; Daiko

n is a white radis h found in the of all supermar fresh vegetable kets. sections

For more great salmon recipes visit huonaqua.com.au @huonaqua 34facebook.com/huonaquaculture Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

s

MEALS

Coming Soon!

Soup Season

Soup season is almost here and we love this family of soup makers who are sticklers for authenticity. Their soups were a hit last season, and we’re delighted to welcome John McEwan soups back to warm the bellies of our Aussie Farmers Direct customers.

Behind John McEwan soups is Chandra Kanodia, who came to Australia from India in the 1970s. He may have been an engineer by trade, but his love of food was insatiable and he yearned for the dishes of his homeland, traditionally cooked in the tandoor oven. Chandra‘s entrepreneurial streak saw him introduce the very first tandoor oven into Australia. So, if you love your tandoori chicken, you’ve got Chandra to thank.

Food has continued to be a big part of Chandra’s life journey and it is no wonder that his John McEwan range of soups (named after a chef who was part of the company in the early days) is created with a pure authentic taste in mind. The range of soups is reflective of the multi-cultural melting pot that is a big part of the Australian palate. Italian, Thai, Chinese and English soup recipes shine in the John McEwan soup collection.

Nowadays Chandra has the role of chief taste tester, and leaves the running of the business to son Neeraj who, with the company’s chef, apply the same passionate pursuit for perfect flavour and texture. Created from fresh local ingredients, the soups are made to order, fresh daily, for our Aussie Farmers Direct customers.

John McEwan soups are delivered in a handy snap-lock pouch and are a great healthy meal standby for your fridge or freezer.

The large portions make it an easy lunch meal for the family.

Aussie Farmers Direct offers four delicious varieties:

Tuscan Minestrone: a hearty, classic Italian style soup made with beans, pasta and chunky vegetables in a rich tomato base. Sweet Corn & Chicken: A favourite Chinese recipe, the corn kernels and Aussie chicken create a moreish sweet-savoury broth. Thai Roast Pumpkin: A twist on a classic with chunks of pumpkin, plus coconut, garlic and ginger, in a smooth, creamy base. Pea & Ham Soup: new this season to Aussie Farmers Direct, nothing beats it on a cold day, with perfectly cooked lentils blended with chunks of ham and vegetables.

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 35

MEAT

No Porky Pies

Pork Mince is a star in our Pork & Prawn Cos Cups recipe – see page 9.

Have you wandered down Farmers Lane yet? It is a new brand, exclusive to Aussie Farmers Direct, which paves the way for customers to be assured of the quality, purity and Aussie provenance of our Aussie Farmers Direct meat, and it includes our new selection of Farmers Lane Free Range Pork.

There has been much to say recently about pork, and we want to share with you our pork commitment. Our Aussie Farmers Direct Farmers Lane Free Range Pork has three distinct features: 1. It comes from farmers and butchers we know and trust. Our Farmers Lane meat selection is a range that captures our aim to offer a wide selection of meat, all stringently selected for quality and taste. It comes from farmers and butchers that know and care about freshness and quality, and use world’s best practice in delivering just that.

2. It is free range. Pigs have been born and raised with free access to the outdoors, with lots of shelter to protect them from the weather. The pigs have been raised and cared for with their wellbeing the greatest priority.

3. It is sow stall free. On farms that produce large numbers of pigs, the breeding pigs (sows) are often confined to tiny stalls or crates, which is a terrible way for a pig to live its life. Restricted to an area that is little more than the size of her own body, she is unable to move around and can barely stand up and sit down. The sows that produce our pork selection (listed here) are not subjected to these conditions.

36 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine

Our pork commitment applies to this quality pork selection, available now at Aussie Farmers Direct: Pork Mince Pork Boneless Leg Roast Pork Loin Chops Pork Leg Schnitzels Boneless Pork Honey Soy Ribs Gourmet Pork Sausages

RECIPE

Blitz A Schnitz!

Order Farmers Lane Free Range Pork Schnitzels and blitz a schnitz with these three very different pork schnitzel recipes! Make a batch, ready for nights when you need to knock out a dinner fast. Schnitzels can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for up to three days, or frozen flat for up to three months.

Pork Schnitzel With Sesa me & Sweet Chilli Crust Pork Parmigiana Serves 4

Pork Schnitzel With Sage & Parmesa n Crust Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 pork leg schnitzels 50 g plain flour salt and pepper 2 eggs beaten with ¼ cup water 200 g Panko crumbs 10 sage leaves, finely chopped 1/4 cup continental parsley, finely chopped 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated oil for shallow frying 2 lemons

METHOD

Flatten pork leg steaks evenly. Dust with seasoned flour and shake off excess. Dip each schnitzel into beaten egg and water.

Press schnitzel firmly into the combined crumbs, herbs and parmesan cheese. Heat oil over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes and shallow fry each schnitzel until golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with lemon wedges and a green salad.

INGREDIENTS

4 pork leg schnitzels 1/2 cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 2 eggs, beaten with ½ cup water 3 cups fresh bread crumbs 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1/4 cup continental parsley, finely chopped oil for shallow frying 150 mL tomato pasta sauce 4 bocconcini cheese, sliced basil leaves, to garnish

METHOD

Flatten pork leg steaks evenly. Dust with the seasoned flour and shake off excess.

Combine fresh bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley on a flat plate. Dip each schnitzel into the beaten egg and press into the crumb mixture firmly on both sides.

Heat oil over a medium heat and shallow fry schnitzels until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Place each schnitzel onto a lined baking tray and spread each with a little tomato pasta sauce. Top sauce with slices of bocconcini cheese. Place the tray under a pre-heated grill until cheese is bubbling for 3-4 minutes. Serve with fresh basil leaves, chunky chips and a fresh garden salad.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 pork leg schnitzels 1/4 cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 2 eggs beaten with ¼ cup water 200 g Japanese breadcrumbs or Panko crumbs 50 g sesame seeds salt and pepper, to taste 300 mL sweet chilli sauce 1 small fresh pineapple, peeled and chopped 2 small sweet red chillies, finely sliced oil for shallow frying 2 limes

METHOD

Flatten pork leg steaks evenly. Dust with seasoned flour. Combine crumbs, sesame seeds, salt and pepper on a flat plate. Dip each schnitzel into the beaten egg mixture and press firmly into the crumbs on both sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Combine the sweet chilli sauce and pineapple in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in sliced chilli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook each schnitzel until golden, 2 minutes each side. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Serve with your sweet chilli sauce and a wedge of limes, plus stirfry vegetables or fried rice. = available at Aussie Farmers Direct

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 37

Availability of this range may vary so check out the Meals category under ShopNow at AussieFarmers.com.au

BAKERY

Simple and Beautiful.

Our Artisan Breads At Bakers Crust, culture comes in a couple of guises. Our Melbourne-based family bakery has been in business for over 25 years, and in that time they’ve created a homely work culture for 20 staff that put an enormous amount of love and attention into every single loaf of bread. The other culture is in the bread itself – the ages-old, natural fermentation technique that uses a ‘mother’ culture as the key ingredient that creates our exquisite bread in the most traditional way.

Nick runs the business with his brotherin-law Dom, but it was Nick’s grandfather that started it all. In World War I he did his service in the kitchens of the Greek army where he got his first taste of bread making.

Post the war, he set up his own bakery in Cyprus, heading out every morning in his horse and cart to procure the wheat, mill it, and collect wood for the ovens – all tasks that needed to be done before they could even start creating the actual bread.

Nick’s dad followed in these footsteps, and when immigrating to Australia in the 1960s, worked for a number of bakeries before establishing his own. Nick remembers working in his dad’s bakery from the age of 12, and once school was over Nick spent several years working for a milling company before establishing his own bakery in suburban Melbourne.

For the Aussie Farmers Direct range of artisan breads, Nick went back to basics, adopting the philosophy of his grandfather’s time when things were made simply, mindfully and beautifully. The all-natural starter culture means there is no added yeast, bread improvers or preservatives – the ingredients are simply flour, water, culture and oil, as well as the all important ingredients of time and patience. The dough is all hand-moulded and cut, and it takes six hours from dough to loaf, creating bread that Nicks believes melts in your mouth.

“We make these breads in the most natural way. The aroma still makes me smile. I just love it when great bread comes out of the oven; it makes me feel good! Our breads really are baked the way my grandfather used to bake them,” says Nick.

Enjoy these traditional artisan breads at Aussie Farmers Direct: Ciabatta, Olive Ciabatta, White Sourdough Loaf and Grain Sourdough Loaf.

VIC only.

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Evertender. Whenever you like.

TAB

Australia’s best beef is now available with Aussie Farmers.

Evertender Beef was developed by DBC to provide consumers at home with the same standard of excellence that professional chefs enjoy at work. Grown exclusively in south-west WA, Evertender is underpinned by MSA for guaranteed tenderness and a consistent and enjoyable meal, all year round. Juicy every time you cook it, you can now order Evertender Beef every or any time you place an order with Aussie Farmers Direct. Enjoy!

dbctalkabouttaste.com.au lateralaspect.DBC7331

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 41

BAKERY

Sweet Temptations

We recently introduced two fantastic small, local family bakeries into the Aussie Farmers Direct family, responsible for bringing you their delicious speciality baked treats, and guess what; you love them! So much so that we’ve got some new delicious additions, just in time for your Easter celebrations.

Great Temptations is a pretty apt name for our Western Australian family bakery that create the mouthwatering range of kids muffins, Orange & Poppy Seed Muffins and Fairy Cakes that are pretty new on the scene at Aussie Farmers Direct. Carl Quarrell is the second-generation owner, who still uses his mum June’s recipes for many of their cake classics. Carl loved baking cakes with his mum as a kid, if only for the chance to lick the bowl afterwards!

The hand-made approach is still important

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to the way in which they craft their product – fillings are hand-piped and cupcakes are hand-decorated, sometimes by Carl’s eldest son Aidan during the school holidays, but mostly by the baking crew of the company’s now 30-strong team.

Cupcakes have a huge following in Australia, but not all cupcakes are created equal. Carl believes getting the foundations right – a traditional recipe base that uses real butter, excellent oil, and as many local ingredients as he can get his hands on – is important for crafting cakes that are moist and moreish. You’ll discover that philosophy rings true in our two new cupcake flavours – Vanilla Swirl and Berry Swirl.

From the man that brings you our (almost) world famous Banana Bread, Mick from Mick’s Bakehouse in New South Wales, has created another mini masterpiece. He’s taken the recipe foundations of his classic Banana Bread and transformed it into something new and exclusive to Aussie Farmers Direct - Pear & Raspberry Banana Bread.

Pureed pear from Aussie pears is used to create a lovely sweetness and all-important

moisture. Premium grade raspberries are sourced from Victoria and of course he can’t go past his Queensland source for top quality bananas. “I was keen to keep the fruit sweetness at the forefront. The Pear & Raspberry Banana Bread is particularly delicious toasted and served with butter.

The pear flavour really comes out once warmed,” says Mick. Treat yourself and your family with these specialty cakes when you next order at Aussie Farmers Direct!

BOVELL’S BAKERY

Locally baked in WA Quality products fresh 7 days per week p: 08 9493 8600 Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 43

INSPIRE

Katy Barfield Katy Barfield is one of Australia’s fresh food waste crusaders. After seven years heading up SecondBite, a not-for-profit business distributing surplus fresh food to community programs across Australia (and in doing so providing enough fresh produce to create six million hearty nutritious meals to people in need annually), she picked up a spade and is pushing a new barrow, with a business aimed at finding a market for produce that is ‘Nature’s Grade’.

What was the genesis of your new business ‘Spade & Barrow’?

When I was working at SecondBite I became aware of farmers that were unable to sell their produce and were struggling to put food on the plate for themselves.

There is a mass exodus of farmers from the land. These farmers are often limited from selling up to 40% of their crop because of imperfections, usually because it doesn’t look glamorous enough for retailers. It still tastes great; there’s nothing wrong with it.

It seems crazy to me that there are some 1.1 million hungry people in Australia, yet this perfectly edible produce is going to rot.

Add to that the price squeeze on farmers by

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major retailers, processors etc - something here is clearly broken. I saw this as a prime opportunity to find a way to help these farmers discover a new alternative to sell their produce. It’s led to what I’ve termed ‘Nature’s Grade’, a new grading of product, which is essentially the produce straight out of the ground, ungraded, in it’s absolutely naked, natural form; just as nature intended it. We’re interested in making the food system work again, as it is currently neither fair nor equitable. We are driven by the need to be sustainable, and we don’t shy away from that.

INSPIRE How did you test your theory?

We created a pop up market to see if the community would go for it. We were able to offer this produce at a price around 20% less than the perfect specimen you might see elsewhere. We found that many people were happy to save one fifth of their total food bill if they were prepared to accept a completely healthy, flavoursome, yet wonky carrot!

In my previous role I’d had some dealings with Aussie Farmers Direct who donated produce and I knew they’d support this concept. I needed help on the logistics side with getting this produce to a central spot and then delivering it to customers. Over the past six months I’ve worked with Aussie Farmers Direct on a trial and, without much effort, secured around 80 customers across Melbourne and Geelong. Aussie Farmers Direct has also provided some financial support to the business to help us grow and take the program beyond the Victorian border.

Do you personally select the produce?

Getting out to the farms and seeing what these farmers are doing is really important to me. It also provides my small team and many of our customers with an opportunity to help out some of these farmers in a hands-on way. We have worked with a farmer called Gavin in Bendigo who has 40

Hopefully this knowledge will filter down to consumers who can start to make decisions to buy food that has a little bit of personality!

My vision is that ‘Nature’s Grade’ produce is embraced by everybody. It is an ethical, environment and economic choice, but it will only really be that if we redistribute power fairly across the food system. I am really keen to do some myth busting around produce, and this is a big one.

Who most inspires you and why?

My children, boys aged four and two. When I come home at the end of the day they run to me and they inspire me to be present – to be patient, slow down and enjoy every minute. They also challenge me to try and inspire a better world for them to grow up in. Gavin, the farmer I mentioned, is one of the last farmers standing in that area. When the likes of him go – and that is a real and terrifying possibility within this generation - my kids won’t know what a farm is like.

I don’t want my kids to grow up without knowing where their food comes from, or without seeing, knowing and understanding the natural environment from whence it came.

What has been your proudest achievement?

Aside from having my children (I’d drop anything for them!), on the professional front it would have to be my work with SecondBite. When I walked out the door of

to Bill Henderson’s farm in Trentham, Victoria, where he grows the most amazing Sebago and Exton variety potatoes that are delicious, light and fluffy. I will be boiling these with a little mint and salt and serving

Spade & Barrow supplies ‘Nature’s Grade’ produce to restaurants, cafes, schools, caterers and food service outlets in Melbourne and Geelong, with plans to expand into Queensland and New South Wales. If you are a kitchen interested in becoming a customer, or a farmer (or know of one) that is looking to supply fresh quality produce that might look a bit more natural, contact Spade & Barrow via www.spadeandbarrow.com or call 03 8669 4950. acres of mixed produce and was at real risk of losing his farm. He simply couldn’t afford the labour for harvesting, so we went up there with a few volunteers to help harvest parsnips! This has morphed into what we call our ‘Community Harvest’, which we aim to do with one of our farmers every quarter.

Doing this is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work and the joy on our customer’s faces is priceless. We also liaise with local food hubs in regional areas; these social enterprises purchase produce directly from small to medium sized farms.

There is a real movement towards a fair and equitable food system happening - it is amazing!

How do you change perceptions that visually imperfect food is still okay?

My mum lives in Spain and there, as well as in many other European countries, they wholeheartedly embrace food as nature intended. Imperfect looking food is almost sought after – it speaks volumes of its natural origin. At the moment our customers are mainly restaurants, caterers, cafes, schools and TAFEs. I suppose chefs ‘get’ that there is nothing wrong with this food.

SecondBite for the last time as the CEO, I looked back and took a moment to reflect on how I had developed the organisation.

It was the first time I’d really taken stock - I was always looking and moving forward with it. My proudest moment will be when SecondBite doesn’t exist anymore. When that service is no longer needed it means a solution to the current food problem has been found.

them with sustainably sourced trout, which I will lightly poach, and fresh broccoli from Werribee in Victoria. Yum!

What issue do you believe is the most vital for Australians to get behind?

When I hear people say that climate change isn’t real, I want to shake them. I am also worried about losing control and access to our own food system. It is the small farmers that keep it local, that aren’t owned by multinationals, that we need to support.

This includes supporting those practicing good animal husbandry. Some of the things that are done is this realm are just awful. It is another example of having zero connection. We all need to connect in a more meaningful way to stem some of this behaviour.

What’s for dinner tonight?

My kids are potato mad! Last week I went

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MEAL PLANNING

$100 Shop Fanatics

Back in January we launched a challenge to our customers – the $100 Shop Challenge. We started with an Aussie Farmers Direct family-sized fruit and veg box. We added some meat and fish, oats, bread and milk, eggs, butter and cheese, as well as one of our delicious ready-made lasagnes, and gave it all to you for just $100. It turns out our customers were mad for it! We spoke to a few of you to learn why it ticked so many boxes.

Thanks to all of our customers who embraced our first $100 Shop Challenge. We’ve enjoyed bringing it to you and have loved hearing your feedback! Look out for a new Shop Challenge, coming soon and ready for Winter 2014.

Julie lives in Sydney and was online placing her order when she saw the $100 Shop; it looked like good value. Her children, Tom (15), Charlie (12) and Grace (9) became very smitten with the lasagne, which Julie agrees was a great instant meal to have in the fridge on busy nights when getting a quick meal together was essential. There were quite a few other highlights too.

“My husband Michael loved having real butter in the house again.

Being from the country originally,

he doesn’t like the processed stuff and he’s been talking to the kids about how great real butter is! I’ve enjoyed the fish. The kids are used to having frozen, crumbed fish, so it’s been great to panfry it simply, with some butter. Through the $100 Shop we’ve certainly been eating much better quality seafood.

“Getting the oats in the shop has me frequently creating crumble for dessert! I am trying to use less processed food and more fresh food, and so this inspires us to do that. I’ve recommended Aussie Farmers Direct to three friends now, and they’ve all signed up!” says Julie.

Justine and Tate live just outside of Melbourne with their children Elsie (12), Chloe (10) and Baxter (7). Justine came across the $100 Shop whilst doing their weekly order via the app, and thought it was great value, appreciating it was worth a lot more than the $100 price tag! Whilst designed to feed a family of four, Justine found it was perfectly sized for the five of them.

“Baxter loved the lasagna, telling me he now prefers it over the one that I cook! Last week we received a whole watermelon,

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which the kids thought looked amazing as normally I’d buy a pre-cut half watermelon,” says Justine.

Clinton, his wife Amber and two year old son Cody live in Perth and might well be Aussie Farmers Direct’s newest customers.

Clinton went online a month ago in search for better and easier ways to shop as he was sick of spending too much money on things they didn’t need.

“It’s much better value and loads better quality than what we used to get at the supermarket, where we’d spend

$100 Shopper Julie with husband Michael and children Charlie, Grace and Tom.

$100 and not even get any fruit & veg. We based our whole week of eating around the Aussie Farmers Direct $100 Shop, and topped it up with some extra treats for Cody.

“Trying a different fish has been a highlight; we made a great fish curry the other night.

At the end of the week, we make a roast from the beef rump, using all the remaining veg as our roasted vegetables. The fruit and veg lasts the entire week and doesn’t spoil.

You just don’t get that freshness from the supermarket. I’ve been telling my mates to get onto it!” says Clinton.

RECIPE

F ish In Tomato & Coriander Curry Sauce

This is the kind of quick, easy, supremely tasty recipe that will most certainly become a part of your goto cooking repertoire. It uses fresh ingredients and pantry spice staples, and the great part of this dish is that you can change the fish you use.

Our Aussie Farmers Direct Salmon Fillets, Barramundi Fillets or Catch Of The Week will all work well in this beautiful curry base. You can try adding some additional green veg, such as kale or green beans.

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, cut in half and sliced finely 2 cloves crushed garlic 1 stick cinnamon 2 cardamom pods 1 tsp ground fennel 1 tsp ground coriander 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 350 g tomatoes, finely chopped 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped 1/2 tsp sea salt 250 mL water 1 tsp Djion mustard 400 g fish fillets, cut into 3 cm pieces 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves 4 tbsp Bulla cooking cream

METHOD

Heat olive oil into a large, non-stick, lidded fry pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic, cinnamon and cardamom and stir fry for 4 minutes until the onion starts to brown. Add the fennel, ground coriander, cayenne pepper and turmeric and quickly stir. Add the tomatoes, fresh coriander, sea salt and water and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the mustard and add the fish pieces. Gently simmer for a further 5 minutes, and then add the spinach and cream, carefully mixing through. Simmer for another five minutes.

Serve with steamed rice.

= available at Aussie Farmers Direct

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WELLBEING

Top Kids Food Tips (& Ninja Tricks!)

Kids sport, juggling household duties and endless birthday parties - life for the average mum and dad can be chaotic! We are all striving and mostly struggling to keep the cogs turning so that the wheels don’t fall off.

Taryn Brumfitt, Founder of Body Image Movement, shares three tips to help you save time and get some goodness into your children too.

Creating Snack Central

Old enough to navigate my phone, old enough to get your own snacks!

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the words “Mum, I’m hungry” then I’d be writing this from my personal yacht sailing around my private island. Ok, slightly exaggerated, but you get my drift! Last year I decided that I’d had enough of being their ‘go to’ person for food every five minutes. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m their mother and I care for them with lots of love, and I enjoy preparing their breakfast, lunch and dinner but I figure if they’re old

Taryn shows you how to create a great Snack HQ. See it on the Aussie Farmers Direct YouTube channel. enough to navigate my iphone then they’re more than capable of getting their own snacks.

So, in my fridge and pantry I have sections dedicated to them, so that they can help themselves to a snack whenever they are hungry. Snacks like fruit, yoghurt, popcorn, cheese and cut up carrots and cucumbers (I like to give myself a little high five when the cut up vegies are in town). It has TRANSFORMED my life!

It saves my time running to and from the kitchen all day long, it empowers and encourages the children to eat ‘mindfully’ and it allows me to get on with the endless mountain of washing. Give it a try!

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WELLBEING

Ninja Stealth Moves

Children’s growing bodies need all the goodness they can get, so whenever there’s an opportunity to throw some extra goodness into their foods, I do. Most of the time they are unaware, hence why I call them “ninja stealth moves”! My middle child, Cruz, is a super fussy eater. My other two will eat almost anything (even anchovies and chillies), but Cruz’s taste buds need a lot of convincing! Here’s my top five ninja stealth moves: 1. Shave the top off a broccoli head into your next batch of muffins or cake.

2. Add blueberries and strawberries to your pancake mix for an extra hit of antioxidants (and awesome colour).

3. For a protein hit, add eggs to your children’s milkshakes.

4. Take out the sugar of ALL baking, and substitute with the sweetness of pureed apples and carrots.

5. Replace standard flour with the goodness of almond flour (coating fish or chicken or anywhere else you’d use bread crumbs).

Where It All Started

Platter Heaven

At least three times a week I serve a wide variety of foods on a platter and call it lunch or dinner. Truly, I don’t care much for doing things the conventional way - who said that we have to sit down at the table for every meal and eat with a knife and fork? In the warmer months, I love to grab a picnic rug, head outside, throw random food on a platter, and yell “dinner’s ready!”.

Serving food on platters encourages the children to try new foods, it reduces food wastage (it’s a great way to use up any left overs at the end of the week) and it takes the pressure off when you are pushed for time (throwing food onto a platter takes less than 10 minutes).

Food fuels our body, and when our bodies are feeling good on the inside, it’s hard to be anything but positive on the outside. As always, love your body from the inside out.

In 2012, Taryn posted these ‘non traditional’ before and after photos that went viral around the world with over 3.7 million hits.

Why did it get so much attention? Here’s what Taryn had to say.

“Most before and after photos depict a sad and overweight woman before and then once she has lost weight, she miraculously becomes happy. I wanted to demonstrate to women that you can love your body and be happy, before, during and after. I also wanted to make a point, that you cannot judge someone’s health by their looks alone. Whilst most people applauded me for my dedication and physical appearance in the before photo, I considered myself to be a lot healthier in the ‘after’ photo. I believe good health encompasses not only physical health but emotional and spiritual health too and for optimum results, a balanced combination of all three is the perfect model.

“The reason the photo received so much global attention was because, ‘heaven forbid’, a woman could put on weight and be happy, and SHOCK HORROR my ‘after’ body didn’t conform to the predictable standards of beauty, health and wellbeing, and yet I was beaming with pride and body confidence. As a society we’ve become so conditioned to thinking we must conform to an unobtainable standard of beauty (mostly driven by companies that are making a lot of money out of preying on our insecurities). We’re constantly been told by the diet and beauty industries to change ourselves - ‘remove cellulite’, ‘reduce fine lines’, ‘lose weight’ and my all time favourite ‘fight the signs of ageing’! Gahhh, it was enough to make me want to scream, but instead, I created a movement - Body Image Movement.

- Taryn xxx

Join the Movement!

Online at BodyImageMovement.com.au or Facebook.

Watch more of Taryn’s tips on the Aussie Farmers Direct You Tube channel.

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Keeping Wedderburn Fire-Ready

Dave Scott is Captain of the Wedderburn Rural Fire Brigade, south-west of Sydney. It’s a job he’s held for eleven years, and all for the love of it; a volunteer role that he balances with his day job as an electrician, leading a thirty-strong, all-volunteer brigade. Aussie Farmers Direct has been supporting the station via our Fundraising program. Through the efforts of our passionate local milko, Linda Price, the brigade receives their regular funding from Aussie Farmers Direct.

When local milko Linda dropped a leaflet off at the station to advise the team that Aussie Farmers Direct was now available in their area, Dave thought it was a great service and signed up to receive his weekly order of fresh fruit & veg. As a customer, he discovered that two percent of his total order value could be donated to a community group of his choice. He,

through Aussie Farmers Fundraising has supported general station maintenance and vehicle upkeep. It also goes towards supplying food and refreshments for the volunteer crews, who are often on duty for twelve hours at a time. Calls to assist other districts, such as to the recent bushfires in South Australia, are common, alongside attending to local incidents large and small.

Want to nominate funds to your local school, group or charity? Check if they are registered with our program: AussieFarmers.com.au/ Fundraising/Fundraisers. Not registered? Get them started today!

AussieFarmers.com.au/Fundraising/GetStarted naturally, chose the Wedderburn Rural Fire Brigade. That was 2012, and since then through the promotion efforts of Linda, other members of his brigade as well as local customers have nominated the brigade, and over $2,000 has now been now donated to these fireys through Aussie Farmers Fundraising.

The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) keeps the station well equipped with the essentials needed to service their local community, but extra funds never go astray. Money raised

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“Aussie Farmers Fundraising has become the most reliable funding stream for the brigade, which is supplemented by the always welcome donations from local residents. The consistency of the Aussie Farmers Fundraising is important, and so is its efficiency. Gone are the days when we need to ask the brigade to add even more time to their volunteer schedule to run a sausage sizzle or staff a stand at a fair,” says Dave.

Linda has been the milko in north-west

Campelltown, Sydney, as well as the Wedderburn area, for two years. She has around 400 customers, and sent a note to all of them to let them know of some of the local organisations they could elect to support. Many of the organisations that are supported through Aussie Farmers Fundraising are local schools.

“I’ve found many of my customers like to have a connection with the organisation that they can nominate funds to go to.

Customers without families or a direct connection with their local school can identify with the needs of a community organisation such as the local fire brigade.

This awareness has really helped the Wedderburn Rural Fire Brigade attract more support through Aussie Farmers Fundraising,” says Linda.

Inspiring Young People In Isolated Communities

Growing up in the country can be great for kids. There is space for them to roam and explore, and there is often a freedom in the country that is not found in the city. However when children hit their teens, a lack of engaging activities and services can lead to boredom and frustration.

Using some of the technology available in M.Y van were (front from left) Elise Holt, 11, Breanna Hawkins, 15, Grace Holt, 14, (back) Khyler Smith, 12, Ainsleigh Hawkins, 13, Shaun Muller, 14 and Ruth Korovata, 14.

Kids Helpline research has shown that young people in rural areas have trouble accessing suitable and appropriate health and welfare services, education, and training and recreational opportunities. This lack of youth services has an enormous impact on young people and their community. Research shows it can lead to depression and mental health issues, drug and alcohol abuse, risky and anti-social behaviour, and poor health.

The Aussie Farmers Foundation recognises this problem and has partnered with Save the Children Australia to run a mobile youth service in remote and isolated communities in the Riverina region of New South Wales.

“It was evident from our research prior to going to the Riverina Murray and from our work with young people there that the region lacks sufficient support services for its young people,” says Dr Gareth Jenkins, Youth Engagement Coordinator for Save the Children.

“Many towns do not have a youth centre where young people can come and express themselves and seek support for the difficult issues they might be experiencing.”

The mobile youth service is called M.Y.van and aims to reduce rates of youth crime, unemployment and suicide by connecting young people to support networks online and in their local area. The M.Y.van’s most recent rural travels have included the New South Wales Riverina towns of Wagga Wagga, Leeton and

Hay, a town from which Aussie Farmers Direct also sources pumpkins and rockmelons. M.Y.van provides young people with a safe place to express themselves using the latest digital media equipment such as cameras and iPads. Trained youth workers deliver a range of education, health and creative programs to increase young people’s safety, resilience and social participation.

77.5 percent said they had learnt something new.

All young people suggested the need for more youth focused activities in their area, including

These communities and others across Australia need the support of the Aussie Farmers Foundation. We are inundated with requests each year. When you are next online or speaking to one of our representatives, please add $1 to your weekly or fortnightly order and be part of Supporting.Country.Australia. Visit www.

AussieFarmersFoundation.com.au.

Leeton Shire Council community services officer Jackson Goman lobbied to have the van visit Leeton after seeing the positive impact it had on a recent visit to Wagga Wagga.

“It’s just a great opportunity for youth to have something like this, especially in school holidays, and to be able to take advantage of the opportunity where they can access this digital media and create that fun and relaxed learning environment,” says Mr Goman.

The results from the most recent school holidays program are very promising. Eighty percent of M.Y.van participants rated the workshops as excellent and

more frequent visits from M.Y.van.

“The support from Aussie Farmers Foundation has been vital for Save the Children and has ensured M.Y.van can continue its work in these communities,” says Dr Jenkins.

Aussie Farmers Direct Magazine 53

FRANCHISEE

I Love Being A Milko

Name: Peter Scott Round: From Surfers and Bundall to Paradise Point,

Gold Coast, Queensland Peter Scott and his wife Heather have been milkos in the Gold Coast region for almost 18 months. It’s an area that Peter knows pretty well, having spent his boyhood there. Now in his 40s, he’s returned to the region after spending his working life

Become Your Own Boss Today!

Join our growing family and you could share in the rewards of one of Australia’s fastest growing franchise businesses (BRW Fast Franchisee 2012 and 2013).

To enquire about becoming an Aussie Farmers Direct milko, visit AussieFarmersFranchising.com.au.

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to date traversing the globe, employed by some of the worlds leading companies as an Information Technology specialist. It’s an experience that has given him a great appreciation for what Australia has to offer.

“There really is something special about Australia and our culture. Regardless of the industry or the country, you never have to look too hard to find an Aussie playing a key part in any groundbreaking innovation. I think that too often we try to compare ourselves to the rest of the world, when we are ready to step out in front and lead,” says Peter.

Peter knew that when it came to settling down and raising a family, which also features beach and iPad-mad six-year-old son Michael, there was no better place than the Gold Coast.

Peter sought a new career that enabled him time with his family, had a strong community focus, and that complemented his own family values.

“I have always felt that it is important to support local producers and I am passionate about locally grown produce. I can see a great long term future in the Aussie Farmers Direct business, and can imagine some really exciting changes to come,” says Peter.

In fact, Peter is a part of these changes. His IT expertise has him working on systems to simplify the Aussie Farmers Direct delivery and stock control processes. “We are determined to be the best in the world. It’s a very exciting time to be in the business,” says Peter.

In his short time as a milko, Peter has made deliveries to over 1,000 different customers. It’s the people that Peter loves most about his job – his customers, his committed delivery drivers and the broader staff of the Aussie Farmers Direct family. Getting positive feedback is one of the greatest joys of being a franchisee.

“It’s humbling to get a positive note, email, card, SMS or comment from out of the blue. But the most satisfying feedback is the genuinely appreciative “thank you” when you go just that little bit further to help a customer out,” says Peter.

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