Take a country cooking class in the Southern Highlands

Everything about Fox Hill Farm in NSW's Southern Highlands screams country charm.         Photo: Carla Grossetti

Lynne Derwin loves nothing more than to teach visitors to Fox Hill Farm the joy of country cooking.
Up until 2009, chef Derwin and her husband John, a civil engineer, ran the highly successful Roundstone Vineyard and Winery in the Yarra Valley until it was destroyed in the bushfires that roared through the valley in February 2009.

Lynne Derwin loves sharing the joy of country cooking.       Photo: Deirdre Worsley

The couple lost everything apart from a flock of Suffolk sheep, which relocated to Fox Hill Farm with the Derwins in 2012. The fact the sheep are huddled together outside the kitchen of Lynne's new homestead located in the Southern Highlands gives the classes real warmth and connects us to Lynne's life in Victoria and, of course, that devastating loss.

This flock of Suffolk sheep are part of the family at Fox Hill Farm. 

The mood, however, is anything but sombre and while the hands-on class touches on Lynne's past, it is very much devoted to the here and now, of learning the secret of rustic home cooking, with time and patience essential ingredients.

A visit to Fox Hill Farm puts that 'tree change' back on the agenda.       Photo: Deirdre Worsley.

The day starts with a gumboot gambol down to the kitchen garden to gather ingredients, followed by a demonstration led by Lynne who is on hand to help you master the art of making everything from golden crusty bread to kale and watercress soup, lamb with mint dressing, beef bourguignon, potatoes Provencale, mixed leaf salad, a beet and feta salad and roast pears with maple syrup and vanilla creme fraiche. It's an ambitious yet manageable menu.

Guests arriving at Fox Hill Farm are offered treats of kohlrabi topped with smoked trout. Photo: Deirde Worsley

Each person is assigned a course and rather than there being a 'knives-out' competitive vibe in the kitchen, what I loved about this class is that it felt like a family affair - especially considering Lynne's daughters, Kristy and Phoebe, are on hand to help with everything from hosting to the washing up.  

Fox Hill Farm Country Cooking Classes use produce plucked from the homestead's kitchen garden. Photo: Deirdre Worsley.

Central to Lynne's class is a desire to show how easy it is to make good, honest home-cooked country cuisine. At the end of the hands-on class, we sit around the farmhouse table and chat about what we learnt, elaborate on what our favourite dish was and talk about any new cooking skills we'd like to learn. We also tuck into a five-course meal - the result of our combined efforts - and a well-earned glass or two of local Sutton Forest Estate Wine, Bungonia Creek Wines and Southern Highland Wines.

Roasted beetroot and feta salad and potatoes Provencale are part of the rustic banquet to share.  Photo: Carla Grossetti 

This is real farm-to-fork cooking as the school responds directly to the seasons, giving visitors a taste of country life while celebrating nature's bounty from the surrounding farmland. Anyone who has ever collected a windfall of fresh herbs and vegetables from a kitchen garden will appreciate the emphasis on local, seasonal produce and how much that impacts on taste and flavour.

Thyme one of the essential ingredients plucked from the kitchen garden to add to beef bourgignon.   Photo: Deirdre Worsley.

The four-hour class also walks you through various basic techniques - from browning meat, to thickening a sauce, deglazing a pan and the importance of assembling your ingredients before you start. Classes are for no more than 10, which makes for an intimate setting in which to ponder what lessons we will take home from today when we next attempt Sunday lunch.

Lynne oversees the lesson as we all chop, stir and mix in unison.    Photo: Deirdre Worsley.

Aswell as learning about how to get the most out of seasonal ingredients, the class is an advertisement for cooking with an Aga oven, which is the centrepiece of Lynne's kitchen. Rather than being a lecture where we all sit around taking notes, the class feels very much like Lynne is working to recreate her family album.

Lamb with mint dressing was one of the hearty mains prepared by the group.    Photo: Deirdre Worsley

The classes run on the second Wednesday of every month and, over winter, catch the Southern Highlands at its magical wintry best. While novices will definitely come away with a greater understanding of country cooking, it's also certain that participants will leave with a few new food-obsessed friends. Those who want to stay and play in the leafy country lanes of the Southern Highlands should visit  southernhighlandsfoodandwineclusters.com.au for inspiration.

The Fox Hill Farm Country Cooking Class is followed by a convivial feast.     Photo: Deirdre Worsley

Fox Hill Farm Country Cooking Classes cost $150 and are held on the second Wednesday of each month or by appointment. Visit foxhillfarm.com.au for more details.

Bungonia Creek Wines are sourced locally and proffered as part of the Fox Hill Farm feast. 

Win tickets to see Mat McHugh @ The Brass Monkey, Cronulla

Mat McHugh will perform at the Brass Monkey Cronulla on June 24.                             Image: Supplied

YOU'VE JUST COMPLETED A SOLD-OUT SUMMER SOUND SYSTEM TOUR WITH THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM MAT MCHUGH SOLO? My setlist draws from the albums I've been putting out under my own name, including my new album. Also, the lineup for this tour is a two-piece; guitar, vocals, and beats. The Beautiful Girls is fun but I've done that for a long time. Right now, this is more fun. I will be playing a lot of songs from WAVES for sure; it's my favourite album.  

WHAT DO YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT? Forgetting something.

SECRET VICE? Nothing really. When I need to switch my brain off, I watch crappy television. Does that count?

WHERE DO YOU GO FOR A FRIDAY NIGHT TIPPLE? I'm coming across as pretty boring in this interview, but I have never really been one for going out drinking. Most of my time has always been spent either with my family or making music.  

FUNDAY SUNDAY? A surf, a swim with my family, seafood and music on the beach.

SOMETHING WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU? Every single time I play a show I am convinced not a single person will turn up. Sometimes, when they do, I think it must be some sort of joke.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Creativity in all forms is super inspiring. I get equally as inspired eating an amazing meal, wearing a well-cut shirt or staring at architecture. I feel like, sometimes, that true creativity is at odds with popular opinion by its very nature. I'm inspired to keep pushing creatively despite that fact, and to always try and grow more brave.

LOCAL SECRET SPOT? I've only lived here for 5 years so I don't really qualify as a local, I'm not about to give away any secrets or no-one will ever tell me any again.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL SURF BREAK? I absolutely cannot.

WHERE DO YOU GO FOR COFFEE? Every since I injured my neck I've been on a pretty brutal regime and sadly coffee, among many other fun things, had to go. Prior to that I was on about four double espressos a day from HAM (Harry and Mario's). I consider myself to be somewhat of an aficionado andI have not found a single better coffee in this country.

BEST LOCAL LUNCH SPOT? I'm a big fan of the salad rolls from the Vietnamese bakery.

DATE NIGHT? We have a five-year-old son. Remind me again what 'date night' is?

THE BRASS MONKEY IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUES. WHAT IS IT YOU LOVE ABOUT PERFORMING THERE? I love the people that own it and the people that work there. I love that I can walk there in one minute from my house. I love that there is a venue in Cronulla that plays host to so much amazing music. I love that they let me sneak in and see shows all the time. I love the BBQ octopus. It's a good place to play, It's got the vibe.

MAT MCHUGH will be performing at the Brass Monkey, Cronulla on Friday June 24. We have a double pass to the gig to give away and a copy of Mat's latest album. All you have to do is share this post, like the Brass Monkey Facebook page and tag the person you'd like to join you.  The comment with the most likes by Friday next week will be the winner.

Blue cheese, pear and hazelnut tart with balsamic glaze.                    Image: Supplied

Blue Cheese, Pear and Hazelnut Tart with Balsamic Glaze

Serves 4-6
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking time 40 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 ripe beurre bosc pear
100g King Island Dairy Roaring Forties Blue (or Bass Strait or Endeavour Blue), sliced
2 tablespoons hazelnuts, halved
olive oil spray
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Balsamic glaze, for drizzling

Heat oil and saute onions and salt over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly until softened and caramelised. Add a little water, if needed. Place puff pastry sheets on top of each other onto a baking tray and score a 1cm border around the edges. Remove base stem of pear and cut vertically into thin slices.

Arrange onions over base of pastry, top with pear slices, blue cheese and hazelnuts. Lightly spray with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Bake at  200 degrees Celcius for 25-30 minutes until puffed and golden. Lower to the base of the oven in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking if needed to crisp the underside of the pastry. Serve drizzled with balsamic glaze.

Tip: Drizzle with truffle honey instead of balsamic glaze if desired.

Note: This recipe was supplied by King Island Dairy Cheese.

Win tickets to see bluesman play live at the Brass Monkey

Big Daddy Wilson will be performing at the Brass Monkey in Cronulla on April 2.           Image: Supplied.

"Love is the key," croons Big Daddy Wilson when I ask him what he hopes his fans will take away from his gig at The Brass Monkey on April 2. The travelling German-based African-American bluesman, who grew up working on cotton and tobacco plantations in the small town of Edenton, North Carolina, says he hopes those attending the gig in Cronulla will "feel the love".

"I want people to walk away from my gigs feeling connected. I want them to feel love. I want them to feel respect. I want them to feel hope," says Wilson. The 60-something singer says there's something very primal about his passion for singing the blues, which he wasn't exposed to as a child.

"I didn't hear any blues when I was in North Carolina. I grew up listening to gospel and country music. I was a young man serving in the US Army when I went to Germany and that's where I saw my first blues concert. I knew right then and there that that music was for me. It was my calling. From that point on, I listened to the blues, played the blues and sang the blues," says Wilson.

'My story is about the bad and the good things but mostly about the good. I try to keep it positive. That river is a healing river. When you sing the blues, it fixes what's broken.' - Big Daddy Wilson

Big Daddy Wilson - named so because of his stature - says he began to write songs based on the blues because it connects him, like tacks on a world map, to his African-American roots. Producer Eric Bibb who collaborated with Big Daddy on his latest album, Time, describes Big Daddy's soulful baritone as "being baptised in the river of African-American song".  So what does that river sound like as it roars past?

"That river sound like a lot of history. That river tells a lot of stories.  Of course, life is the river; the river is life - all those twists and turns during the journey. My story is about the bad and the good things but mostly about the good. I try to keep it positive. That river is a healing river. When you sing the blues, it fixes what's broken," says Wilson.

Wilson says playing the blues feels very instinctive and he hopes those listening to his music feel as moved as if they were sitting on the front porch of his home in the old cotton belt of America's Deep South. As well as writing about challenging subjects such as his poverty-stricken childhood and his forefathers who were sold into slavery, Wilson writes of his enduring love for his German wife, Anna.   

"A lot of my songs have a deeper message. Even though I write stories about being poor, I had a very rich childhood, so those stories are filled with hope. Those hopes are mixed up with the culture, the gospel, the spiritual -- the stories I grew up listening to as a young boy," says Wilson.
"I fell in love in Germany so a lot of my songs are also love songs that I dedicate to my wife Anna. I have been writing her love songs for 30 years," he says.

As well as being inspired by some of the great old-school singers of the '60s, Wilson is influenced by artists such as Taj Mahal, Keb Mo and his producer friend Eric Bibb. Although he has not lived in Edenton for more than three decades, the mayor presented Wilson with the keys to his hometown in 2013 when he declared September 13 to be Big Daddy Wilson Day.

"That was great for me. Another honour and privilege was for me to be able to share the stage with legends such as Louisiana Red, Eddie Boyd and Champion Jack Dupree, who also call Europe home," says Wilson. 

Wilson was also invited to sing at the premiere of the blues documentary, The Soul of a Man, by Wim Wenders in 2003. "My songs are stories that my forefathers used to tell us about their life and experience. My story is their story. It's a southern story. It's a story of the poor, the marginalized and my great hope is to spread my wings and tell my story by spreading positive vibes. When I say 'love is the key' I'm trying to say we are all connected. The blues helps me reach out beyond the black community and spread positive vibes," says Wilson, who has won many music awards in Europe.

If you'd like to win a double pass to see Big Daddy Wilson at The Brass Monkey in Cronulla
on April 2, simply email carlagrossetti@optusnet.com.au about why you'd like to attend the gig and share the story via Facebook. Don't forget to tag your prospective plus one.  BDW's latest album Time is available through ABC Records. bigdaddywilson.com/

Time is ripe for Sydney's Longest Tomato Lunch

Book now for the Longest Tomato Lunch in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens.          Image: Supplied

Sugo, passata, salads, bruschetta, pizza, chutney, tomato salad, relish or sauce. Tomatoes are at their peak at the tail-end of summer. And regardless of how you like to enjoy the humble fruit from the nightshade family, the time is ripe to embrace it in all its glossy red glory at Sydney's inaugural Longest Tomato Lunch, held from noon on February 21.

The Lycopersicon esculentum will be the centrepiece of the 72m-long table that will be set for 250 people and laid out under a gorgeous white marquee on the waterfront of Farm Cove in the Flower Bed Lawn at Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens.

Tomatoes are the hero ingredient at the Longest Tomato Lunch.            Image: Supplied

Expect a tomato supper of Roman proportions with executive chef of the Trippas White Group, Ashley Hughes (of 360 Bar and Dining) at the helm. The event, under the umbrella of the two-day Tomato Festival, will celebrate the humble tomato in dishes such as gazpacho, cherry tomato and bocconcini salad, 65 degrees' salmon fillet with Moroccan spiced chickpea and tomato salad, aged cheddar, tomato relish, tomato focaccia, fruit salad and caramel tiramisu pots.

The Longest Tomato Lunch will be laden with tomatoes as the centrepiece of the 72m-long table.      Image: Supplied

Guests need to pre-order their hampers for two ($84) and pre-order their bottles of Tyrrell's Wines' 200th Birthday shiraz, chardonnay and sparkling wine ($35). In addition to the Longest Tomato Lunch, the festival will include talks, workshops, cooking demonstrations and a kick of chilli to spice up the Garden's 200th Birthday Celebrations. There will also be a produce market selling everything from heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers to herbs, olive oil, pickles and preserves. Keep your eyes peeled for Heartbreaker Cherry Tomatoes. Proceeds from plant sales help Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens to support science, horticulture, conversation and education.

For bookings, visit the Tomato Festival website.

Flour power more than just froth and bubble

Small clouds of Petra flour billow over the bench tops at both Pizzaperta at The Star and Da Vinci's Italian Restaurant in Summer Hill.  The product imported from Padova is a wholegrain wheat flour and highly nutritious, which is why chef Stefano Manfredi is so passionate about it.

One year on, this artist's rendition of Pizzaperta is a reality at The Star.

When Manfredi put his name to the hoardings of Pizzaperta at The Star one year ago he says it was with the intention of changing the public’s perception of good pizza. 

Manfredi says Pizzaperta at The Star embraces his obsession for quality produce and his fetish for the "finest quality Petra flours". Molino Quaglia, near Padova, Italy, is the only Italian industrial mill producing stone-milled flours with 100 per cent Italian grains and Manfredi was the first to import the artisan ingredient to Australia.

Mozzarella, cherry tomato, bresaola and rocket salad pizza at Pizzaperta at The Star.   Image: Supplied

“It was six years ago when I first tasted a pizza made using this flour. It was a revelation,” says Manfredi, who is known as ‘Australia’s Godfather of Italian cuisine’.

Manfredi’s says his passion for pizza made following traditional methods in combination with the unrefined, stoneground Molino Quaglia Petra flours began when he visited La Cascina Dei Sapori, in Rezzato, in Lombardy, owned by leading Italian pizzaioli Antonio Pappalardo.

Gianluca Donzelli surfed on the pro circuit in Italy. He is now carving things up at Pizzaperta.  

Manfredi invited Pappalardo to Australia to demonstrate the art of natural leavening to Pizzaperta pizzaiolo chef Gianluca Donzelli (a former pro surfer).  As well as sharing his knowledge about the flour, Pappalardo led the kitchen through the 48-hour fermentation process using the classic ‘biga’ method “resulting in a more easily digested dough”.  

“Our goal is simple: we want to make pizza

with the flavour of the grain, a texture that

is so soft and airy, dough that is easily digested

and a balance of flavours from the quality of the

ingredients,” says Manfredi.

As well as his penchant for using the special stone-milled flours, Manfredi says he and Donzelli like to play around with non-traditional toppings to better reflect the experimentation that is happening in Italy. Manfredi says he has curated a menu of classics and new wave options that he says ‘reflect the renaissance of pizza that is happening in Italy’.

“If you want a traditional pizza in Italy, you go to Napoli. But if you want to see something really exciting, know that there is a new wave happening in Italy and I’m interested in bringing that culture to Australia,” he says. 

“Pizza began in Napoli but it belongs to the world. I love pizza in Naples, but I also love pizza al taglio (by the slice) in Rome. I travel to Italy a lot and although the home of pizza is very conservative there are all sorts of experimental toppings being used around the country.

Pizzaperta is converting even the most ardent pizza purists with its inventive toppings.

Some of the most incredible toppings include crudo, raw scampi with a bit of thyme, or truffles with fontina. First we start with the perfect base. Then we bring these tastes of the Italian kitchen to the pizza,” he says.

Pizzaperta pizza made using the Petra flour feature more contemporary toppings than pizza via Napoli.

The name Pizzaperta translates to ‘we are open for pizza’ referring to the fact the 130-seat piazza-style eatery is al fresco. The sparkling centerpiece of the restaurant is Stefano Ferrara M130 handcrafted wood-burning oven. 

The team at Da Vinci's Italian Restaurant in Summer Hill - one of Manfredi's favourite inner-western Sydney haunts - have also converted to the sweet-scented flour with fantastic results. Future blog post alert: the restaurant rates in my Top 10 places for pizza in Sydney. And its gelato? Certainly rates in my Top 5 list in Sydney. Again, that's another story. Now back to that pizza...

Da Vinci's Italian Restaurant has converted to using Petra flours.     Photo: Carla Grossetti.

Turmeric: the ginger spice

Turmeric has long been lauded for its health benefits in Ayurvedic cookery.

Turmeric is one of the cornerstones of Indian cookery. But research also suggests that the bright yellow aromatic powder obtained from the rhizome of the Zingiberaceae plant is also one of the most powerful plants in the world when it comes to promoting better health.

British chef Anjum Anand was one of the first writers to create and write Indian recipes catering for the health-conscious cook. Anand’s Eat Right For Your Body Type adheres to the principles of Ayurveda, the traditional Hindu holistic practice of medicine based on the idea of balance in bodily symptoms.

Speaking from her base in London, Anand, whose parents migrated to the UK from the Punjab some 50 years ago, says the health-giving properties of turmeric has been gaining widespread interest in the scientific community as researchers discover what Indians have known for thousands of years: that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, could help ward off Alzheimer’s disease, prevent cancer, reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes, fight common cold and flu, aid weight loss and inhibit anti-inflammatory diseases.

“Turmeric is known as the ‘golden Goddess’ in India where Ayurvedic doctors have been weaving it into our meals for more than 4000 years so as to realise its benefits. They also advised simple home-style remedies such as using turmeric paste on wounds and bumps as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic,” says the 42-year-old food writer and TV cook and creator of The Spice Tailor range of sauces.

"As Indians, we’ve always added turmeric 

in small quantities to our meals and research
     shows it seems to have had a positive effect."  

"If my children have a cold, I add turmeric to milk with honey and to water with salt for a sore throat. It is also really good for the skin … before an Indian bride gets married she will spread a mixture of gram flour, turmeric, oil and water all over he skin. After a few hours they wash it off and have glowing skin on their wedding night,” she says.

Cancer researcher Ralph W. Moss, an expert on conventional and alternative cancer treatment believes that lifelong curcumin intake may explain why the cancer mortality rate is so low in countries such as India and Sri Lanka where curcumin is consigned to the daily diet.

He says his research confirms the Ayurvedic belief that turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, inhibits the growth of new blood vessels in tumours and is a powerful antioxidant. The American Journal of Cardiology has also found that turmeric extract reduces post-bypass heart attack risk by 56 per cent. Studies have also shown curcumin stimulates the gall bladder and produces bile, which helps to control weight gain and was proven to be as effective as Prozac in alleviating the symptoms of depression in a study of 60 patients.

You can grate turmeric, take it in supplement form or drops or use the dried powdered root. And while nutritionists claim it is difficult to reach the required dosage of curcumin by taking the spice in your foods alone, Anand recommends ingesting it both in its natural form and as a supplement but to do so regularly in order to get the real benefits.

Anand prescribes adding ½ to ¾ teaspoon to mashed, sautéed or boiled potatoes, into cooking rice and risotto, in soups, stews, stocks and curries, in a cheese sauce or soufflé. She also mixes it with olive oil and salt to marinate fish and adds it to scrambled eggs and frittatas, stir-fries and noodles, teas, hot milk and porridge.

Anjam Anand's book Eat Right for your Body Type adheres to the principles of Ayurvedic cuisine