Workshops in my Kitchen

I am a passionate food gardener with an equal passion for producing food for passionate eaters. So, I have started running workshops to impart some skills I have developed over the years. I am a pretty rough and ready cook who goes out into the veg garden to get inspiration and the basics for dinner. Then I come inside, pick up a couple of cookbooks, or maybe go straight to my collection of printed-out recipes, sit at my kitchen table and see what happens in my head and taste buds.

My collection of cookery books fairly much covers the globe but I am much the best at Mediterranean flavours..... encompassing all the countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea. My favourite flavours are Moroccan, Lebanese and Greek. I adore lemon, cumin, olives, cinnamon,yoghurt, fish, chicken and lamb and of course all the vegetables grown in these climates, such as fennel, artichokes, beans, capsicums and eggplant.

I was lucky enough to come across someone who taught me how to make sourdough bread, soon after I arrived here last year. It is a simple method and good for the home cook who does not want to spend too much time on the details. Although it does not resemble any of the breads made in the countries whose food I most love, the flavour and texture are wonderful and I love it with soup or for breakfast with Karl's honey or a particular berry jam given to me by a friend here.... or with lashing of butter and vegemite.

So, my first workshops have been about sourdough. They are remarkably successful and set people off on the road to baking for themselves some of the breads they have come to enjoy from the various bakers around southern Tasmania, who, I must say, are truly excellent and I do not claim to know anywhere near what they do. Many bakeries here use organic flour, often not grown in Australia, but in my workshops we use Four Leaf organic, Australian flours, from South Australia. These I also sell in bulk, along with all the Four Leaf organic, Australian grains, in The Garden Shed and Pantry.

The first of the next two workshops is going to be 'Pastry Making'. For some reason I seem to be good at pastry and sooooo enjoy making it. Never the less, I am impatient and have developed simple ways of making several excellent pastries. We are going to make 3, in the workshop, each suitable for certain things. When I buy tarts or fruit pies at a cafe or bakery, rarely is the pastry as good as mine, except in France where they exceed anything I make!

'Cooking from the Garden with Me' is next. It is for people who want to experience making quick, simple, healthy, imaginative meals straight from the garden. We will gather what is available on the day, from my garden - vegetables, herbs and fruit - and add a few basics from my cupboards. We will think through a few ideas and get straight into cooking. Finally we will sit and enjoy the best, freshest, tastiest dinners in Cygnet.

I want to do this monthly, throughout the year so we follow the seasons. This is my forte and my passion and will take some time to impart to people used to shopping in a supermarket. 

To enquire further about dates, costs and details, please send me an email.