Shiitake Sunday

There's something quite addictive about the thought of growing things to me - edible things more particularly, and I'll try anything at least a couple of times if there's the promise of some kind of a harvest at the end of it. So on a cold crisp Sunday morning in late winter, I find myself travelling with my friend Kris out of Ballarat past the remnant volcanic cone formation of Mt Warrenheip - to a small farm in Dunnstown. 

I'd heard much about this permaculture property (the domain of Angela Enbom) one of the region's most knowledgable permaculture practicioners - who among other things helps run and lectures for the year long All Seasons Permaculture Design Course (ASPDC) in Ballarat. So it's an honour to be invited to Angela's property to be part of a small group experimenting with the production of Shiitake Mushrooms.

Before long I'm donning the protective ear muffs and wrestling cold wet logs while Pat deftly wields the chainsaw and cuts the best lengths to size. 

The blue gum is the hardest to cut, solid and dense - while the oak and elm is much more yielding to the chainsaw's blade. Angela, Kris and Simon have just finished an agroforestry course and have seen Shiitake production in action in the Otway Ranges and think it's worth experimenting with a variety of logs - including the native blue gum. In a year and a half or so - we'll know the results. 

We've purchased two bags of Shiitake inoculated dowels and after only a night out of the fridge the mycelium is already visibly multiplying - it's virile potential quite clear. And now for the laborious but satisfying process of drilling rows of holes into each log - ready to be filled with their precious dowels.

While some of us drill, others begin the process of sealing the freshly sawn ends of each log with molten beeswax to minimise the chances the logs will be populated by other fungi or bacteria that may overwhelm the Shiitake mycelium. 

Before long the shed is filled with the aroma of fresh sawdust and beeswax - an intoxicating mix, soon to be joined by hot coffee, fresh scones and pumpkin soup as morning tea then lunchtime rolls around.

 

 Each hole must be filled with a dowel, then punched in to just below the bark line of the log then sealed with beeswax. It's a methodical, slightly laborious but satisfying process that also proves to be conducive to great conversations and plenty of laughs.

By the end of the afternoon our inoculated logs with their distinctive waxen seals are divvied up amongst the group - and the hard work of waiting begins. In the year and a half or so before the Shiitake mycelium has fully inhabited their hosts, the logs must be kept moist - allowing them to dry out will be a disaster. I quickly develop quite a maternal concern for my 'log babies' which I keep in an old cast iron bath under my carport, tending every couple of days by dousing with water. Only time will tell if this experiment has been successful, but the opportunity to spend a few hours with enthusiastic and optimistic mushroom lovers has been worthwhile regardless. For now it's fingers crossed. 

Farm Fresh Goat Curry With Paul

I get a call from my mate Paul on a Sunday afternoon. We've both got pretty hectic lives and partners who live in Melbourne - so the opportunities for us to catch up these days can seem few and far between. But the great thing about Paul is, it doesn't matter how long it's been since I've seen him - he'll always pick up the phone and make an effort to catch up. 

Paul: Hey, how's it going? What are you doing for dinner?

Jane: Umm. . .not sure, been at the Community Garden working bee all day so a bit knackered. Why?

Paul: Do you want to come for dinner? I've just been at a friend's farm. She killed me a goat, so I'm making a goat curry for dinner. 

Jane: Wow, sounds amazing - see you soon.

Walking into Paul's house is always a unique experience. There's always an eclectic blend of music and cooking aromas to meet you. On this particular night he's got three different pots simmering away on the stove top, and I'm hoping they're not too far away from being ready because they smell amazing and I'm not sure how long my growling stomach can hold out.

To hold me over until the main event - I quickly fry up some Jerusalem Artichoke chips, from the artichokes I've harvested from a plot at the Ballarat Community Garden that afternoon. They're stunning. . .starchy and sweet and delicious. 

Paul is a cook after my own heart - he makes the most of whatever seasonal produce happens to be in abundance, whether that be from his extensive garden or picked up for a bargain at a local market.

Tonight he's whipped up one meaty and two vegetarian dishes - conscious of ensuring there's some veggie left overs for his non meat eating girlfriend Chrissy who'll be down from Melbourne during the week. So thoughtful. 

Having scored a box of red capsicums at the local trash and trivia market that morning - one of the dishes is a rich and aromatic capsicum and onion combination with a smokey and sweet flavour. 

Out in the laundry - Paul is drying more capsicums. I lent him my dehydrator and because he's got a huge solar system on his house, he can dry things to his hearts content without feeling guilty about using so much electricity like I do. 

The other vegetarian dish is a potato and dahl concoction - I have no idea exactly what he put in it but it is sensational, and will no doubt taste even better as leftovers during the week.


And the goat curry is superb. It's not often I get to eat meat as fresh as the goat in this dish and having had some disappointing goat dishes at restaurants in the past - I can honestly say this is the best goat meal I've ever had, the meat tender and moist. The addition of crushed fennel seeds, harvested from Paul's garden some months ago is perfect. 

After such an incredible main - served up with a beautiful yoghurt and mint accompaniment, I'm not sure I can even contemplate desert. But Paul emerges from the kitchen with a dish full of slow roasted pears and quinces which have been poaching in a lemon zest and cinnamon syrup. Phenomenal. 

So for someone who has got the best wood fired pizza oven in Ballarat - Paul has once again proven that his culinary skills extend way beyond the rustic outdoor stuff. Thanks Paul. 

Winter Solstice Getaway

Wye River looking towards Sea Zen

There were a couple of options for a mid winter break - first being to fly to the Philippines (or somewhere in Asia) to meet my boyfriend Simon when he finished more than a month of work in Manilla. . .the second to keep it local, go somewhere not too far from Ballarat and hibernate for a while - make and record music and enjoy some peace and quiet without the hassle of flights and airports and excess baggage charges for guitars and musical equipment. 

Strangely enough despite living just a couple of hours from one of the world's most spectacular coastlines - I had never 'done' the Great Ocean Road, so when I stumbled upon Sea Zen at Wye River situated right on the Great Ocean Road it didn't take too long to decide it was the perfect place for a mid winter musical retreat.  So here's just a few images from our incredibly relaxing stay at Sea Zen. 

There's nothing quite like waking up to the sounds of the wild Southern Ocean crashing against the rocks mingled in with the chatter and song of some of the most beautiful Australian native birds - like these incredible King Parrots who were frequent visitors. 

Wye River is nestled in a cove between Lorne and Apollo Bay and it's a relatively short but stunning drive to both towns for supplies or cafes and restaurants - however we were really impressed with the local Wye River general store and it's array of local and organic goods including the most incredible fresh baked sour dough. On our return to Sea Zen after a shopping and sightseeing trip there was always the resident Sulphur Crested Cockatoos to welcome us home. 

Potato and Leek soup made from Spring Creek Organics produce with Wye River Sourdough toast, roast vegetables and Meredith Dairy Goat's Cheese picked up on the drive from Ballarat

 

On our first night at Sea Zen with the rain beating down and the ocean raging just a few metres down the hill - we stoked up the combustion fire, prepared for the chilly night ahead. And that's when we discovered the benefits of the double glazed windows and thick insulation went way beyond their sound proofing function that spared any neighbours from having to listen to our rehearsals day and night. Sea Zen proved to be one of the most comfortable places I have ever stayed - and it's nice to know that while you're indulging in a little luxury thanks to some environmentally sensitive design principals - you're doing so without using ridiculous amounts of energy. Even the spa has solar assisted hot water (rain water of course). 

After moving a little bit of furniture and setting up some basic gear - Simon and I spent the next couple of days immersed in our music, practicing old and new material and filming live versions of our songs for Youtube. There's something quite inspiring about being able to sing your heart out while gazing out on the sheer beauty of the ocean. In between recording sessions - great food, spas and steam showers to get the creative juices flowing. And knowing we're not keeping the whole neighbourhood awake thanks to the seclusion and the sound proofing is an extra bonus. 

On Thursday we took time out for a drive to Apollo Bay, a breathtaking drive along the Great Ocean Road and picked up some amazing local seafood at the Fisherman's Co-op, plus some beautiful lemons at the Apollo Bay Op-shop. 

 

Views from the Sea Zen Balcony

After a few days of reclusive bliss we'd captured our latest songs on camera and enjoyed a little slice of the Great Ocean Road. You can see our Sea Zen recordings via the link below.

Jane & Simon's Wye River Recordings

We have to thank Rex and Sibylle from Sea Zen for making us feel so welcome and would recommend  their beautiful retreat for anyone wanting to get motivated and get away to pursue their artistic exploits (especially making music) while indulging in a little eco friendly luxury. For more information on Sea Zen at Wye River visit their Facebook page HERE. 

After our final night at Sea Zen we headed down the Great Ocean Road arriving at the 12 Apostles just on sunset. . .breathtaking. The perfect way to wind up an incredible week. 

Autumn Lemon Harvest

Last weekend (on a whim) I decide leave Ballarat behind and finally visit my sister Cat and her husband Ben in Albury for a couple of days. The late afternoon and as dusk approached was a beautiful time to drive through Northwest Victoria to the NSW border. 

Gracing the backyard of their super retro 60s styled house (along with a fair dose of concrete) is a huge lemon tree laden with perfect fruit - as well as a palm tree, an orange tree and even a feijoa. It is impossible for me to resist the lure of the lemons and it didn't take me long to convince my sister that our mission for the day should be some op shopping followed by a session dedicated to preserving lemons.

If you're keen to preserve lemons but don't have a backyard source - make sure you try and get unwaxed lemons. Most commercially produced lemons (along with often being shipped in from the USA) are waxed to improve shelf life. Considering how often you see loaded lemon trees that appear to go unpicked - I'd recommend asking around or even knocking on a few 'lemon house' doors to ask about buying excess produce. Offer to pay or bring back the finished product and in my experience most people are happy to share their backyard bounty.  

Once we'd picked a sink load of the ripest lemons - we gave them a good wash just to make sure there was no stray bird poo or bugs straying into the jars. 

Then it's time to slice - two deep cross cuts so that the salt will penetrate right into the heart of the lemon. While you're cutting the lemons, sterilise the jars that you've washed with hot soapy water and rinsed thoroughly. A hot oven for a few minutes is fine. . .for swing top jars with rubber seals - detach the lids or remove the rings beforehand.  

We used Maggie Beer's preserved lemon recipe as a guide

We then packed the lemons full of salt. Use a chunky rock salt if you like, we chose to use a slightly finer grind of rock salt. While you're packing the lemons and placing them in jars, soak remaining lemons in hot water or pop them in the microwave for a minute or so - this will help them give up more of their juice. 

Juice enough lemons to fill the packed jars, adding any salt that is left over from the packing process. We were glad that Ben had been juicing lemons and freezing the juice from previous crops as it took quite a lot of juice for the amount of lemons we had prepared. You can add bay leaves and whole star anise into the jars for additional flavour. 

The jars were quite cloudy when freshly filled - but will apparently become clear during the preserving process. Leave your lemons for a month or two before trying - but they will reportedly last for months if not years. When we were finished with the whole process we had quite a large bowl of lemon skins left. I couldn't bear to throw them out and flipping through Maggie's book - of course she had a solution - dry them. It took quite a while to remove the flesh from the skins but well worth while as I now have a huge bag of dehydrated lemon skins that can (according to Maggie Beer) be used in a multitude of ways in place of fresh lemon zest, or as a different type of lemon hit in dishes. 

So a relaxing but productive weekend in Albury (we also made a batch of quince paste and some fresh duck egg and beetroot pasta) but that's another story. And satisfying to return across the Victorian border past all of the fruit fly exclusions zone signs with a box full of preserved lemons I can be assured don't harbour any nasties. 

A beautiful Autumn day in the Albury Botanic Gardens

Autumn = Lactarius deliciosus.

Mushroom Hunters - Nairne SA 1981. L to R Catherine, Karina and Jane Nield. 

Growing up on a few acres in the outer Adelaide Hills, surrounded by farmland - I have exceptionally fond memories of mushroom hunting in Autumn and Winter.  

When mushroom season started it was common for Mum to rug us kids up in parkas and rubber boots, hand us a backpack of snacks, a small paring knife each and a 4 litre ice cream   container (or a bucket if we were feeling lucky) and point us in the direction of the neighbouring paddocks. 

Hours later we would return home, ruddy cheeked and hungry and usually laden with kilos of freshly picked field mushrooms. Year after year we would return to our favourites 'spots' where (if the conditions were right) we'd be almost guaranteed to find a crop of mushrooms. 

With such beautiful memories of peaceful afternoons spent traversing paddocks in search of mushrooms -  it's no wonder an afternoon spent in the same way these days seems like relative bliss.  There were no pine forests in the area closest to where I grew up - so it was only later in life that I was introduced to the delicacy that is the Saffron Milk Cap or red Pine Mushroom (Lactarius Deliciousus).  It thrives in the damp pine forests that cover many an acre in Western Victoria around the Ballarat region. For the past couple of years since being introduced to this type of mushroom by my field biologist younger sister Cat - I have been foraging them from the forests. 

There has been a lot of press lately about the dangers of harvesting mushrooms from the wild. I would never advocate foraging for wild mushrooms without a sound knowledge of what species are edible and what types can cause serious illness or even death. My sister (in addition to being a field biologist) also partook in one of Alison Pouliot's highly recommended Fungi Ecology Workshops so I'm confident that I've got the necessary fungi identification skills required to forage without tempting fate. I guess the number one rule is 'if in doubt - leave it out' of the basket. It's just not worth the risk.  

The saffron milk cap is truly a seasonal delight, but I honestly believe they taste their best when you have gone to the effort of finding them yourself. There's nothing quite like the appetite that a few hours of forging in the forest invokes. 

The black cockatoos were in fine form while I was foraging. . .listen HERE

For my first mushroom hunt for season 2012 - I headed to the pine plantation forests around Creswick ( a gorgeous 15 minute drive or so from Ballarat). Creswick is well worth a visit regardless of it being mushroom season or not. Soak up the mostly modest Gold Rush architecture and drop into one of the local cafes or pubs for lunch, but make sure you head out for a walk in the surrounding forests. This early in the season there wasn't an abundance of pine mushrooms to be found. . .they were mostly growing on the cleared sections hugging the forest roads where the lack of trees has allowed for a better penetration of rain. I didn't find any patches of mushrooms in the depths of the forest (where it was still relatively dry) but from past experience I know that later in the season the entire forest will be flourishing with fungi.  

My recommendation when decided on which mushrooms will end up in the basket destined for the kitchen - is to err on the side of sensibility. It is so easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment and pick EVERY milk cap you stumble upon - believe me I've done it before. But unlike supermarket mushrooms - the saffron milk cap is a very sensitive species and will turn quite quickly from crispy fresh to manky looking. In my experience the smaller mushrooms are the most delicious - the older the bloom gets, the more the distinctive 'green gill' effect takes over. So pick those mushrooms which are fresh enough that they will still be appealing when they hit the chopping board in a few hours or a day or so - leave the larger green tinged specimens to continue the cycle in the forest where they will give up their spores and give rise to the next generation.  

My tips for preparing saffron milk caps? Add them to any dish in which mushrooms would normally star. Saute in butter with seasonal herbs and a splash of wine and serve on toast or add to a risotto or pasta dish and you can't go wrong. Experiment. Enjoy. 

Here's last year's recipe for Braised Saffron Milk Caps.