Highland Gourmet Potato Farm

ingredient profile
n: potato
l: wildes meadow, nsw
s: december - august

Interview with potato farmer: Norman Gair

From planting to the plate, what is the life span of a potato?
This depends on the variety and time of the year. Spunta is planted early i.e. September and takes 90 to 95 days to grow to maturity. King Edwards on the other hand are planted at the same time but take 120 days to grow. Some varieties e.g. Necta can't be planted early because they grow so fast they'll go hollow. After digging in summer and kept unwashed, most potatoes  will last for about 2 weeks before they start to go soft through transpiration. In winter, unwashed potatoes can last from 4 to 5 weeks. 

Where do potatoes like to grow and when are they in season?
In our area at Wildes Meadow (Robertson) planting begins mid-August and harvesting begins, depending on the weather, the first week of December. We finish planting mid-February and harvest the last crop in mid-August.

Something interesting about potatoes that we may be surprised to learn?
All potatoes originated in Bolivia and southern Peru and all of today’s varieties can be genetically traced back to these two south American Countries. Potatoes are the third most grown crop after rice and wheat/maize but need the least amount of water to grow. Another fact, Australia has a world class potato research station at Toolangi in Victoria where they have developed varieties such as Otway Red and Toolangi Delight.

Where did your interest in farming come from?
I grew up in Fitzroy Falls (just down the road) where the family ran a guest house and a vegetable farm supplying both the guest house and Sydney markets. Potatoes, cabbages, 1,200 sheep (ewes), 100 pigs (sows) and 12,000 chickens and 10 acres of strawberries figured prominently. No wonder I am feeling my age!

What is the best part about being a potato farmer?
I really enjoy working full time with my partner Robbie who is a great inspiration and enthusiastic potato grower. When the crop comes in and you see the culmination of all the hard work and planning it does wonders for the soul. We both enjoy, very much, the interaction with our customers at our various farmers’ markets that we attend.  

The worst part?
THE WEATHER!  A lot of time is spent on the Bureau of Meteorology web site trying to plan planting, digging and “sleep ins” (a rare occurrence). One of the biggest disappointment is when you put all the effort and money in to growing a crop and nature destroys it.

As a farmer, how do you feel about better understanding where our food is grown and the process it goes through to get to our plate?
As we are becoming an increasingly urban society, people are losing touch with the land and have lost sight of the value of home grown, fresh and seasonal produce.  We find we are discussing more and more with our customers where our potatoes come from and the effect of weather conditions on the quality and quantity of our produce. Hopefully with an increasing use of gardens in primary schools, teaching children where their produce comes from will alleviate some of the misconceptions - one being that potatoes “grow on trees” as was told to us by a primary school teacher.  We also face a dilemma in that single farm growers of all produce are getting less and less as big conglomerates take over our farming. These are generally run by a manager and unskilled workers with no chance of interacting with the consumer. Also, the age of our farmers is getting older because the young farmers do not have the capital required to get started in purchasing the land and the equipment to keep production at a high level (there aren’t many silly farmers who do what we do).

Whats your favourite variety of potato and favourite way to eat it?
Toolangi Delight, a purple skinned and white flesh potato is fantastic roasted. However, it is closely – and I mean closely – followed  by Lustre. Robbie, on the other hand, prefers the Otway Red for both mash and roasting.

Highland Gourmet Potatoes is a small family owned farm run by Norman Gair and Robyn Jackson of Wildes Meadow, near Robertson in the NSW Southern Highlands. Over 40 different potato varieties are grown here from December through to August each year, and can be found at their road side stall or at a variety of markets around the Highlands and Sydney area. We took a visit to the farm where Norman kindly dug us up some potatoes and showed us around the paddocks and shed. Norm is a real genuine bloke. He has a good soul, loves what he does and also loves a good yarn. And his potatoes – well they’re always worth a trip up the mountain. They are truly something else.

coming soon: a recipe using Norm and Robbie's potatoes. 

Roasted Chestnut and Fennel Soup

The days grow shorter and the air, much cooler. It begins to feel like winter. Again. Immediate tunes begin to play in my head. Over and over. Nat King Col - The Christmas Song. A song of roasting chestnuts.

The thing is, it isn’t Christmas. It’s June. And although this should be normal for a girl who grew up in Australia - moving continents, living elsewhere, swapping hemispheres – it messes with you. Gets your inner time teller all confused. Even Taj the dog agrees. His fur, after two years in Florida, settled nicely into a new pattern. Now it is June and he is shedding like no other time before. German Shedder. Hair is everywhere. I’m not sure if it is because he is confused too? He should be stocking up for the winter. Maybe he also thinks it’s Christmas. Maybe he is also humming Nat’s tunes.

It’s a good thing we like the cold. And even better that we have an open fire place to roast chestnuts on. Even better than this is having a friend with a really cute fire place, built in the 1890’s and part of a really loveable cottage. Despite the month, or the fire place, the feeling is cozy. And a bit of Christmas warmth is always welcome - anytime of the year.

Australia isn’t known for its chestnuts. But as it turns out, they actually grow really well here (dear Richard and Alison have shown us so). I’m really glad that they do. Their taste is quite moreish and a delight to experience fresh and seasonal, picked up right from underneath the tree. Raw, they almost taste like a carrot and their crunch is so satisfying to a crunch lovers tooth. Cooked, they become so creamy and could lend themselves to either savory or sweet treats. Roasted, their shell blisters and underneath after cracking, their very best flavours all smoky and soft, are unveiled.

It wasn’t difficult to decide to turn my roasted chestnuts into a soup. We were served soup during our visit to the chestnut farm. And with a setting of roaring fires, crunchy leaves and chilled fingertips, nothing other than this soup, accompanied by a warming glass of Cabernet, tasted better. The soup we had on the farm was hearty and full of veggies – tomatoes, onion, chili and chickpeas. So good!

I had heard that chestnuts, when blended, are naturally really creamy. I was craving this blended creaminess. So for a recipe to share, I opted for a creamy chestnut and fennel soup - one that doesn't even need cream. If you're vegan, you're in for a treat. 
I have discovered that fennel, other than being a delicious obsession, is also a really good alternative to onion. My belly doesn’t really like onion (a trait I inherited from my dear Grandma) so if I can avoid using it as a base in soups and pasta sauces, I do. And my digestive system is all the happier for it. However, sometimes you really need the bulk and texture of onion. I worked out that fennel is the perfect replacement for this, not only behaving similarly when sweating and browning off in the pan, but it also caramelizes beautifully and adds the most delicate aniseed flavour. Although I added leek to this soup recipe for just a touch of oniony-ness (leeks can be a little more forgiving for us onion sensitive folk) the main bulk hero here is the fennel. Second of course to the real hero – the creamy, smokey, roasted chestnut.
This soup when served up by a fire and all cuddled up on the couch is my idea of cozy. Taj hair, Christmas carols and all.

some tips on roasting chestnuts:

• when selecting chestnuts make sure they are still firm to the squeeze. if they have softened they are old and could possibly be moldy inside. don’t eat moldy chestnuts.
• before roasting always make a long incision into the skin on one side (the rounded top side is best) otherwise you will end up with popping/flying chestnuts. be careful to only cut the skin and not too deep into the flesh, otherwise your chestnuts will break when peeling which becomes a little tricky.
• roasting usually only takes around 20 minutes. if you can, place the chestnuts on a hotter part of the coals for the first 5 minutes and then move them to a slightly less hot place for the remaining 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
• chestnuts must be peeled when warm. once cooked, allow to cool for a minute or two and then peel as soon as possible. gloves or a tea towel can help to avoid being scorched!
• some chestnuts are easier to peel than other varieties. if you are having trouble removing the skin under the shell, use a tea towel to gently rub this away.
• after roasting and peeling, chestnuts loose about 1/3 of their weight. good to remember if your recipe calls for already roasted chestnuts.

Roasted Chestnut and Fennel Soup

prep time: 35 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
yields: 4 servings

500g fresh chestnuts, roasted and chopped coarsely (see method below)
2 tbs olive oil
1 leek (about 1 cup) sliced
1 small fennel bulb (about two cups) diced
½ cup dry white wine
¼ tsp dried thyme (1/2 tsp fresh thyme)
2 bay leaves
1 litre good quality vegetable stock
¼ tsp flaked sea salt
¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper

Roasting the Chestnuts
Make a fire and allow the wood to burn down to hot coals. Place a large cast iron pan or a heavy based metal fry pan onto the hottest part of the coals to heat up. Make a long incision into the skin along the rounded side of each chestnut. This will allow the chestnut to breathe while being cooked and avoid it popping. Place the chestnuts, cut side up, onto the pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the nuts. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do them in two batches. 
Allow the chestnuts to roast for 5 minutes. Move the pan away from the really hot coals to a slightly cooler place (to give a medium high heat) and give the chestnuts a good stir. Cook for a further 15 minutes stirring frequently.
Remove the chestnuts from the fire and allow to cool slightly for a minute or two.
Once they aren’t too hot to touch but are still quite warm, begin peeling them. A handy trick here is to give the nut a squeeze first to crack open the incision even further which should allow the shell to come away easier. Discard shells.

For the Soup
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the leek and fennel and sweat until just beginning to brown. Add the wine and allow it to bubble for a minute or two. Add the thyme, bay leaves, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add the chopped chestnuts (save 2 tbs for garnish, if you like) and bring the soup back to a boil for a further 5 minutes, uncovered.
Remove the bay leaves and blend the soup in batches in a food processor. The soup should be a nice, smooth and creamy consistency.
Serve at once with a dried thyme sprig and some chopped chestnuts as a garnish. Enjoy. 

All photos were taken at The Cottage Kangaroo Valley. 

Sassafras Chestnut Farm

ingredient profile
n: chestnut
l: sassafras
s: autumn 

Interview with chestnut farmer: Richard Moxham

From planting to the plate, what is the life span of a chestnut?
Chestnuts can be planted to grow new trees, but if you want good eating chestnuts, you must graft proven varieties onto the seedling trees.  After that it may take up to 7 years before you get a crop of chestnuts so it is not something that can be rushed.  The really good news is that chestnut trees are very long lived and will survive for hundreds of years if they are kept in a healthy condition.
It terms of the chestnut itself, the nuts start to fall towards the end of March each year and depending on variety chestnuts continue to fall until late April. Once a chestnut falls it should be picked up as soon as possible and then kept at 0 to 3 degrees (in the crisper of your fridge) to keep them fresh. If stored properly, chestnuts will last up to two to three months but I am a firm believer in eating them in season.

Where do chestnuts like to grow and when are they in season?
Chestnuts are quite particular about their growing requirements.  They prefer to grow between the altitudes of 650 to 850 meters above sea level where cold winters help fruit to develop.  They demand a well-drained acidic soil of around pH 5.5 and because they develop their nuts over summer, they must have good summer rainfall (or irrigation).

Something interesting about chestnuts that we may be surprised to learn?
Chestnuts are a member of the Oak family of trees.  It is the European chestnut that most people associate with chestnuts in places like France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.  However, other species from Japan, China and America are equally important for their contribution to a chestnut culture.
The chestnut was probably one of the first foods eaten by man and dates back to prehistoric times.
In Australia, chestnuts arrived with immigrants of the goldrushes in the 1880's. Very old trees from the goldrush times still remain around Beechworth, Bright, Stanley and Wandiligong and these areas remain as the stronghold of the industry today.
Relatively unknown to most Australian households - about 2000 tonnes of chestnuts are produced each year in Australia. 

Where did your interest in farming come from?
Alison and I both come from farming families in the central west of NSW.  Alison has a background in forest ecology and I am agricultural scientist.  We wanted to pursue an interest in farming using ecological and permaculture principles as a sideline to our professional life in Canberra.

What is the best part about being a chestnut farmer?
Undoubtedly the best part of our farming life is working with our chestnut trees to ensure their continuity and to be part of the seasonal change which directs different tasks throughout the year.
Inviting our customers to pick from under our trees in season has really brought that important connection between the customer and where their food comes from. For us this has also brought us in touch with the importance of this nut to so many different cultures that really celebrate food in season.

The worst part?
The sharp prickly burrs that encase the chestnuts of course. “Ouch” is often a word exclaimed at harvest time. Fortunately these prickly burrs help protect the nuts from the kangaroos, wombats and birds that also like to chew on the odd chestnut.
As a chestnut farmer, the worst part has been the millennium drought which saw our rainfall halved and trees dying from stress and disease. We have steadily replanted and grafted to the best varieties of chestnuts so we have become quite committed to this ongoing effort to retain our orchard. Whilst we have thousands of trees we watch each one quite closely and enjoy seeing them flourish into strong and productive trees.

Your favourite way to eat chestnuts?
Roasting chestnuts with friends over hot coals with mulled wine.

Richard and Alison Moxham own and run Sassafras Nuts, a commercial chestnut and walnut farm located at Sassafras in the Budawang Ranges, 50 km south west of Nowra on the NSW South Coast. They grow and sell a variety of chestnuts and also open their farm for picking season, where they invite people to pick their own chestnuts and enjoy a picnic under the colourful, autumnal trees. We took a trip out to meet Richard and Alison and tour their farm. They showed us around sharing their genuine love for farming chestnuts and gave us a most hospitable Saturday lunch welcome - roasting chestnuts in their Swiss designed roaster, followed by a chestnut soup cooked on a wood fired stove to share on the farm for lunch. 

coming soon: a recipe for chestnuts

Brunch in Avalon

Playing catch up with a few images from a day spent brunching in Avalon with Lisa and Luisa back in March. A quick trip to the market and a short while in the kitchen later, we were able to sit, linger, (of course) shoot and chat over a very special Sunday brunch. 

On the Menu

to start:
tartine du jour 
- fresh radish with fig + red onion jam
- smoked salmon, sliced fennel and capers
baked cauliflower with turmeric almonds + parsley
platter of goats cheese, pear, radish and local honey

to finish:
lemon meringue tarts
fresh figs with local honey and mint
coconut ice-cream

styling by Lisa Madigan