the agrarian experience

I am back in Sydney after a brilliant few days in Tassie. The weather was good to me and I even toyed with the idea of one day living on our southern island. I could have explored for anther few days but domestics and parenting duties had me flying home.

Sunday morning began with the stunning drive to The Agrarian Kitchen. Gosh it really is stunning driving along the Derwent River. Even if you don't get to the cooking school make certain that if you ever visit Hobart that you take the short car trip to Lachlan.

Upon arrival at t.A.K. we were given our caffeine hit of choice and a slice of gluten free chocolate hazelnut cake. After cake we wandered through garden beds and collected the veggies we would need, eggs from the chooks and one from a guinea fowl, milked the goat. Rodney and Severine have a smoking house on site and Wessex Saddleback (?) pigs. We met Miss October the piggy who's heading to the abattoir this week. Throughout the morning we tasted herbs and veggies. I haven't tasted asparagus so sweet and I don't think I ever will!

With baskets full of produce we headed back to the kitchen where we spent the next few hours preparing our feast and learning a few handy techniques along the way. I put my hand up to make the frangipane tartlets because I haven't had instruction with desserts before. In retrospect I am glad I did. There were many elements to the dessert and the end result really was divine.

If I begin to describe everything we did during the Agrarian Kitchen Experience then my post will be too long. You only need to read a bit on their website and you get the gist of what Rodney and Severine are doing. It is the truest farm to plate practice. If you have time check out this YouTube clip with Rodney. The Agrarian Kitchen isn't like a commercial kitchen where hundreds of meals are being prepared and the pressure of getting them perfect dictates and because of this Rodney is a great mentor. He steps in when you need him and stands back when you don't.

If you'd like to see more of my pictures from The Agrarian Kitchen be sure to go here. I'm working on my next posts as I made the most of another day in Tasmania on the Monday and drove through the Huon Valley. 

taste test from the agrarian kitchen

Sunday was just brilliant!

I headed out to of Hobart to (just beyond) Lachlan for the Agrarian Experience under the wing of Rodney (ex Tetsuya's & food editor of Gourmet Traveller) and with a great bunch of food enthusiasts.

The weather wasn't going to hinder my enthusiasm but Tassie put on an atmospheric & rainless day which allowed us to trudge around the garden freely before heading inside to make five dishes from the produce we'd collected.

Rodney & Severine are passionate about growing the staples that we're used to but plenty of herbs that I've never heard of or seen in shops. It was very interesting seeing what they'd managed to grow (outside & in plastic houses) on the farm.

How does this sound?

* Twice cooked soufflé with spinach & raclette
* Pheasant schnitzel (not to be confused with a pub 'snitty') with poached eggs & béarnaise
* Tassie quinoa with roast root veggies & tahini yoghurt
* Rhubarb & frangipane tartlets with goat's milk ice cream.

Here's a taste test of what we got up to! Once I am home I'll make some time to share more of our day.

On Monday I headed to the Huon Valley. Since I watched Yahoo Serious' Young Einstein (that may have not even been filmed in Tassie - yet to find out) I've wanted to visit the apple region of The Huon Valley.

Happy days everyone. Take a leaf out of my book today: life's too short. Do something you've always wanted to do. It doesn't have to be traveling interstate!

the agrarian way

I may well be the most excited person alive this morning! After five weeks away on a course for work (back on weekends) J suggested I might like to have the October long weekend to myself. He didn't have to say that twice.

I immediately started research. Yoga retreat. No. Spa resort type thing. No. Sewing workshop. No. Maybe a cooking school! Yes!!! I had remembered that on Matthew Evans' Gourmet Farmer show on SBS last week* he featured The Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania. Their website showed that the Saturday class was all full so I called the lovely Severine and with a wait list of four I thought it fairly unlikely I get to learn about the agrarian way.....

A little while later I had a call on my mobile from Severine saying that if she got the numbers she'd run a Sunday class and wondered if I'd be interested! Needless to say I raced off to book flights and sort out accommodation with friends in Hobart.

Another bonus is that I have accommodation with friends, they are going to lend me their car and I have booked flights using points. I only have to come up with the cost of the cooking class for my weekend away to be complete... And pretty guilt-free.

If you haven't got plans for next weekend and you would consider a class at The Agrarian Kitchen make sure you give them a buzz. I'll be sure to report back about the day.... and the weekend away sans children.

"An agrarian mind begins with the love of fields and ramifies in good farming, good cooking & good eating." Wendell Berry

* Gourmet Farmer Episode 5: this would have had to be one of the most compelling pieces on food tv ever. Matthew Evans had two guests who demonstrated, what they believed to be, the most humane way to kill a chook to eat. It is not for the faint hearted but I would challenge every meat-eater to watch it. I think we have such a disconnect with our food and where it comes from. For a while after watching I felt I should become vegetarian but I guess choosing to stick to a diet with meat I can conjure up the image of the chicken when I do eat meat and really appreciate the sacrifice the animal has made.

Interestingly I was watching Gourmet Farmer with my grandmother and after the women's demonstrations and moments prior to Matthew Evans beheading one of his own chooks (with such a sober look on his face) my grandmother quickly changed channels. She didn't want to watch another chook losing its head. Flicking through the channels she came to Jamie Oliver carving up a steak and I could see her relax as she settled down to watch. I did comment that a cow did make the same sacrifice (in much worse conditions) before he arrived on Jamie Oliver's chopping board.