Producer profile: Richard Casley-Smith of Bull Creek Organics

Above: Richard Casley-Smith at Bull Creek Organics.

Garlic in good graces

Story by Hayley Taylor. Photograph by Jason Porter.

Across a thin stream draped in weeping willow, the rolling hills of Bull Creek are home to a farm so charming, it’s enough to provoke daydreams of a career change.

I hop in a dusty ute with Richard Casley-Smith of Bullcreek Organic Garlic Farm, and drive up to a newly planted paddock of produce, at the highest point of the property. Pointing out his distant perimeter dotted with shrubs, Richard introduces me to his little slice of paradise. He’s a softly spoken man with a deep voice, so I hardly hear him over the cows mooing in the field, when he tells me he wasn’t always a farmer. For years Richard worked in theatre as a rigger, and travelled the world with touring productions. While his parents were doctors, they always had land, so when Richard decided to raise his family on the farm, he was already au fait with wide-open spaces.

Back in the shed, over a Japanese beer, we start chatting Allium sativum, and why garlic, like other members of the onion family, tastes so different when grown organically. Taste-wise, there’s no comparison, says Richard, describing the bleached, store-bought bulbs as metallic in flavour and lacking in depth. ‘Then you’ve got that Printanor,’ says Richard, referring to one variety grown organically on his farm. ‘It’s got a really leek-y, really full flavour. It’s as if you’re using other herbs or stocks,’ he continues. ‘Kids like that, and a lot of people who want to eat raw garlic love that.’ And while many of us are used to mindlessly reaching for a loose clove of garlic, understanding the varietal flavour differences can impact the culinary end result. ‘If you’ve only got one bottle of wine and it’s dinner time’, says Richard, pausing to mention that he doesn’t actually like wine, ‘you’re gonna drink it, aren’t ya? So, you can use garlic in anything you’re doing, but some varieties, obviously, are going to be better.’

What began as a specialist garlic farm has now grown to include a number of other vibrant, seasonal vegetables, a decision prompted by the influx of foreign imports which heavily impacted the local market. You can usually find garlic in season from November to January, but other varieties bring them to market throughout the year. Keep in mind it can take nine months for a single garlic harvest and up to six sets of weeds to control mechanically, or by hand. The slow grow, however, is what gives the garlic its incredible flavour. ‘A lot of people grow their food real fast, so they hit it with a lot of water and fertiliser and they get it pumping,’ says Richard. But this approach, he says, is all about money, with flavour and sustainability suffering as a result.

Despite the odds in recents months, Richard says ‘markets have been going well, people have been surprisingly good natured, really well behaved, and really patient.’ So, if you’ve decided to head to the markets to get yourself some decent garlic, Richard suggests one of his favourite garlic-forward combinations: a garlic, ginger, chilli and plum marinade. But a word of caution – just one good smell of these organic bulbs, and you’ll never go back.

Every Saturday 8am ‘til 12:30pm Meet the grower, TASTE THE REGION Follow us: @willungafarmersmarket Located at Willunga Town Square, Willunga www.willungafarmersmarket.com.au

South Seas Books is an independent bookshop on the Fleurieu’s south coast. South Seas will ignite your imagination. 53 North Terrace, Port Elliot P: 8554 2301 www.southseasbooks.com.au South Seas Trading offers a selection of vintage art and design pieces · clothing · jewellery · giftware and books in an evolving Arcadian haven. 56 North Terrace, Port Elliot P: 8554 3540

Finding comfort in the kitchen

Story by Mel Amos. Photograph by Jason Porter.

It’s been a rough few months hasn’t it? It’s been a time of uncertainty, of being unsure what the new day will bring and a time when many people are doing it tough. At the same time, we’ve also seen the best of people.

Our community continues to show its support for local producers, restaurants, wineries and breweries – the list goes on. Neighbours have been checking in on each other; loved ones have been leaving meals on each other’s doorsteps to eat during their ‘virtual’ dinners over video. Personally, I’ve loved seeing folks getting back to basics and spending time in the kitchen cooking from scratch.

One of my favourite things to make from scratch is pasta. It’s surprisingly easy and you can even do it without a pasta machine if you’re willing to apply a little elbow grease. Here, I’m making pasta carbonara, a classic Roman dish made with just five ingredients: pasta, eggs, cured pork, cheese and black pepper. I’ve gone slightly rogue and added some garlic and parsley as well.

It would be remiss of me to not suggest a fabulous partner to drink with this delicious meal you’re about to cook up. Afterall, as André Simon, a famous French epicurean, wine merchant and writer once said, ‘food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched they are as body and soul: living partners.’

The perfect partner to this carbonara is Lake Breeze Wines’ 2017 Bernoota. Made from old vines, this blend of shiraz (60%) and cabernet sauvignon (40%) is rich, seductive and full of dark red fruit. Full bodied and beautifully balanced, it hints of chocolate and spice and cuts through the richness of the egg yolks and the saltiness of this dish superbly.

Fettuccine carbonara (Roman style) serves 4

Ingredients

Pasta dough 400g tipo 00 flour 4 small eggs (or 3 large) 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Fine semolina for dusting Sauce

6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten together 70g parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus extra to serve Extra virgin olive oil 1 large clove of garlic 300g piece pancetta, rind removed and chopped into small dice Salt and pepper Handful of Italian parsley, finely chopped

Method

To make the pasta dough, mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Continue mixing on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be dry but not crumbly and definitely not sticky.

Shape the dough into a log, wrap in cling film and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes. Once rested, divide the dough into 4 or 5 pieces, covering the dough with a tea towel as you go to stop it drying out.

Now’s the time to get out the pasta machine if you have one. For fettuccine, I take the roller thickness to level 6. If not, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to around 2mm thickness. Flour the dough, then roll it up like a swiss roll, and cut (as if you’re cutting slices) into ribbons approximately 8mm thick. Toss the pasta in fine semolina and set aside to dry out a little.

For the sauce, combine the egg yolks and parmesan cheese and set aside. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

While you wait for the water to boil, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Peel the garlic and squash it slightly with the palm of your hand and add it to the oil for a minute to flavour the oil. Don’t let it colour or burn. Add the pancetta and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta crisps up. Remove the garlic from the pan and discard. Turn off the heat while you cook the pasta.

Once the water comes to a rapid boil, add the pasta. Being fresh pasta, it will cook very quickly – around 2-3 minutes – so don’t walk away. Scoop out a cup of the pasta water and add a couple of spoonfuls to the pancetta pan. Once cooked, drain the pasta and tip it into the pancetta pan. Toss to combine and then pour the egg mixture over the pasta and toss well to combine. The residual heat in the pan and the pasta will cook the egg as you mix it (don’t be tempted to add heat, this will only end up in scrambled eggs). Add a little more pasta water until it is beautiful and glossy.

Serve topped with extra parmesan, cracked pepper and a sprinkling of parsley. Now give yourself a pat on the back for making something from scratch!