SOME IDEAS FOR THE GIPPSLAND SUSTAINABILITY TOURS

Leaving from Melbourne a 2 hour trip...
Destination Thorpdale Potato Farms ...veering off the freeway just before the Morwell exit.
Lunch at Escargot ... Mirboo Nth ..... All on the same connecting road .

I suggest you supply thermos tea ,coffee and water , stopping at a  roadside rest  with toilet facilities , wooden bench and seats . ( Near Garfield )
Your contact for the potato farmer is S & G Carpinteri.........03 56346352
This family use Biologic Farming Systems .

When you turn off the Princess Freeway and head towards Thorpdale you will see the soil colour  change before your eyes  to a rich  red .
Welcome to Thorpdale .
After your tour and potatoes in hand......it`s back on the bus  to dine at Escargot home restaurant .....( licenced )
Your Hosts  Vincenza and Doug  03 56681589
Will provide lunch and a tour or a video of their snail farm production .
They sell local hand made jewellery , soap and wine from the area.

I hope your planned tours are a success , the destinations will not disappoint but some of the scenery will take your breath away.

GIPPSLAND LOCAL PRODUCERS ...

MEAT

Hartdale pork venison
Leadoux turkeys
Rimmel rabbits ...Buchan , this would be a great trip , offering a cave exploration.
Quail wholesalers....897 Old Sale Rd  , Brandy Creek. 0417521974

FRUIT AND VEGIES ...
Blueberry fields
Bonaccord
Brigadoon walnuts
Bulmers farm
G.C. Hine
Tambo Hydroponics
Capra organic goats cheese
Gold top milk

GROCERY
* Sticky stuckey`s honey
Saucy spice company
Latrobe valley Farm fresh Eggs
*Hope farm bakery
These could be a good overnight tour..... all  below would fill a 2 day tour.
Paynesville pantry...
Raymond island honey
Banksia Cottage ...Noweyung
Avon oil company ....

Hope these are of help
Noelene Marchwicki

Gippsland won`t let you down .

HUNAN COUNTRY CHICKEN

Cut  300gm of chicken breast /thigh in to big chunks.

Marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt , pepper, 2 dsp of soy sauce  1dsp of white wine vinegar
3 tbs of sugar , 1 dsp of hoisin sauce , 2 tbs of crushed garlic , 1 tbs of crushed ginger , and 2 spring onions sliced on the diagonal , 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes .
Mix to combine .
Sprinkle and mix in 2 dsp of corn flour.
Slice 1/4 of red , green, and yellow capsicum . Set aside .
Peel and cube 1 egg plant  add to the capsicum bowl.
Add1 red onion thinly sliced .
1 continental cucumber , thinly sliced .
Add the vegetables to the chicken . cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour .
Heat a wide open pan and cook the chicken mix till lightly coloured on all sides and vegetables are cooked through.
Serve on a grain of your choice .....or as I did a bed of mashed pumpkin with broken feta .

Mmmmm not bad at all.

 

TAHINI , LINSEED AND SESAME SEED BREAD

Recipe for a bread machine .........

300ml water ( cold )
2 tbs of tahini paste
2 tsp of salt
1 tbs sugar
150 gm of wholemeal flour
300gm of white flour
3 tsp of gluten flour
1 tsp of bread improver
1.5 tbs of milk powder
3 tbs of sesame seeds
1 and 1/4 tsp of dried yeast

setting basic white bread
Press start ......
I love this bread .

LINSEED AND SOY BREAD

Place in the pan  of your bread machine in the order as listed below .....
310 ml of water
2 tbs of oil
2 tsp of salt
2 tbs of sugar
300gm of white bread flour
75gm of wholemeal flour
50 gm of soy flour
1 tsp of bread improver
1.5 tbs of milk powder
1.5 tsp of dried yeast

AT THE BEEP
50gm of soy grits  ( health food isle Coles )
50 gm of whole linseeds

 

CHICKEN CHAMPLAIN

For this recipe you can use chicken fillets , I used chicken thighs .
Lightly pound the skinned chicken portions , so they can be rolled and stuffed .
Place on a plate , cover and refrigerate .

Peel and core 3 granny smith apples . Set aside

Heat 2 tbs of butter in a pan and saute 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions , till soft and translucent .
Remove from the heat and add 1/4 cup of cream.
Slice the apples and add to the onions .
Add 1 tsp of tarragon  and 1 cup of breadcrumbs to make a loose stuffing mix .
Season with salt and pepper .
Divide this mix between each chicken portion
Lay the stuffing on the fillet / thigh and fold so no stuffing is showing .
Place the prepared chicken on a lightly sprayed baking tray , sprinkle with white wine and bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

Now make the walnut sauce ........
Bring 1 cup of chicken stock together with 1 cup of cream slowly to the boil , and reduce by half .
In another saucepan melt 2 tbs of butter over a low heat .
Add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and gently simmer for 15 minutes .
Add 2 tbs of flour to the walnut mixture and mix well .
Now whisk in the cream and chicken stock and bring to the boil stirring occasionally .
Reduce the heat and add 1 tbs of tarragon and 1 cup of marsala wine .
Reduce by 1/2 then season with salt and pepper .

 

CASTLE GARDEN ......WED 19th FEB 2015

 Pan fried lamb eye of loin

Pan fried butter beans , capsicums , broccoli and onions

Pan fried spiced salmon ...

BREAD ....MOROCCAN WHOLEWHEAT AND COUSCOUS BREAD

I  love making bread , use my bread for the Castle Garden tea room , sell my bread and fill orders .
The bread I make is cooked mainly in a bread machine , there are 2 in my kitchen and sometimes I bake the bread in my pizza oven . if you have neither you can use your kitchen oven .
This is a recipe for a bread machine .......... so add the ingredients to the bread pan as I`ve listed them .
320 ml of room temp water .
2 tbs melted butter , margarine or rice bran oil
1 tsp of salt
1.5 tbs of brown sugar
300gm of wholemeal plain flour
150 gm of white bread flour
2 tbs of gluten flour
2 tsp of bread improver
3 tbs of couscous
2 tbs powdered milk  ( either full cream or skim is fine )
1.5 tsp of Moroccan seasoning . ( ras el hanout )
1.5 tsp of dried yeast

Set your machine on wholewheat  / wholegrain
Press Start

AT THE BEEP
Add 3 tbs of sliced currants

This bread is excellent when served with egg , sausage , a dip for salts and oil any thing savoury .