Belly is heading just a wee bit to the North of Byron Bay this Monday to find out about all the fab food events that are taking over Burringbar, and other deliciousness in the Tweed Shire.  Our guide is cheesemaker Debra Allard, who many of us remember fondly and miss greatly from her days with Tweed Valley Whey.  As of course we miss the ricotta and haloumi and keffir and the little camembert types and… yes stop now before it becomes too painful.  She is no longer making cheese to sell, instead she is teaching many many people how to make cheese, yoghurt, and many other good dairy things at home.

Debbie is also helping to support Burringbar Hall, one of the many beautiful old ‘School of Arts’ buildings that have managed to survive in our villages and need lots of tlc.  And there ain’t no better way to do that than to hold a whole series of great cooking classes!

We learned how to make butter today on the show.  Buy pure cream, put it into a  jar with a nice tight lid and shake shake shake.  It is a perfectly balanced circle of life – you exercise, use up calories, then put lots of them back on when you drain off the liquid part (buttermilk, use in your baking) and spread the leftover solid butter on your bread.  You can rinse the butter in water before using the butter or just make sure you use the butter within a few days.  Debbie thinks people are learning cheese making as part of a drive to rediscover lost artisan skills, but butter making sounds like a lost home skill.   Sister Rasela remembers her grandfather making butter in his rocking chair, it was his designated job.  And Nicky (bayfm Friday morning presenter), remembers churning butter at primary school.

It certainly seems like a great way to exercise and have an instant reward.

 

 

CHEESY STUFF

Debra Allard has a lot of information and photos on the Cheeses Loves You Facebook page.  Have a look even if you aren’t into Facebook – but are into cheese!

Link to an article about Deb on rabbit radio ( a Gold Coast progressive (their word) online  radio station – yes I had never heard of it either, but there’s good stuff there, and 2 whole weekly food shows).

Direct link to step by step making mozzarella pictures.  Thank you for filling our fridge at bayfm with what looks just like urine specimens but apparently is hard to get liquid non-animal rennet Deb – those lucky winners of the mozzarella making magic please please pick them up soon.

 

 

 

Burringbar Hall October Cooking Classes and Food Appreciation Courses

 

(This course information comes from the organisers)

The Burringbar Hall is offering the ultimate experience of being able to share the artisan techniques of the experts in their field. The classes being run will use as much local produce as possible to showcase the region and applaud the efforts of the local farmers and embrace the regions Farmers Markets.  In the past the hall has run farmers feasts to showcase local produce and now it’s time to make it yourself. The classes are small and intimate so hands on learning will be essential.  The classes are also being run to showcase the beautiful Burringbar Hall which is well equipped to cater to all events, whether a small boutique cooking class or a wedding for over 100 guests. A fee for the classes is being charged to hire the hall and pay for another 2 months of insurance. Maybe we could use the money raised in October to fix the holes a resident possum has made in the pressed tin ceiling!

For bookings contact Debra Allard on 0404 812 011 or email drallard@bigpond.com

 

Faith Newham  Friday 19th October 9am – 5pm  All things bread and baking Cost $120

Faith Newham, after moving up from Melbourne over 30 years ago  ran the Whian Whian Pottery Restaurant for 20 years. Faith was a regular at Byron Farmers Markets and now is enjoying baking sourdough bread and pastries for the customers at the Lismore Organic Farmers Markets. Faith is also branching out into teaching her much sought after artisan trade from start to finish. This specialised sourdough bread is made from a natural leaven in the true traditional style.  Cost includes all ingredients, morning tea and lunch

 

Grayle Harlequin  Sunday October 21st 10am – 2pm  Find out how chocolate IS a health benefit! Cost $45 per person

Grayle will explain the benefits of chocolate, not just any chocolate but raw and certified organic cocoa. She has products that take chocolate right back to the raw bean itself. Many of the products being sampled on the day are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free.Grayle’s educational workshop has been created for people to participate in and learn about the energy, history, nutritional benefits and taste of real good quality chocolate.

Web site www.soulfirecocoagenesis.com            Facebook www.facebook.com/soulfirecocoagenesis

 

Debra Allard  Cheeses Loves You Cost $140

Friday 12th October 9am – 3pm and Sunday 28th October 9am – 3pm

What could be better than spending a full day making your own haloumi, whey ricotta, 30 minute mozzarella and butter in a jar?

Debra has been a Cheesemaker commercially for 4 years and is now making the best cheeses at home with small quantities of locally sourced pasteurised milk and a small wine fridge (to mature the cheese and to keep the wine cool!)  Debra teaches you the basic cheese making steps that can be used at home to make an array of cheeses that will impress friends and family. Be amazed when milk turns to curd then cheese right in front of your eyes. You will have your own work station, make your own cheeses and be able to take it all home and share with friends and family at the end of the day.  The cost includes all ingredients, morning tea and farmers market inspired lunch.

facebook http://www.facebook.com/CheeseMakingClasses .

 

Roberto Constanzo Saturday 27th October 10am – 2pm  Cost $120

Roberto is a delight to watch in the portable kitchen at the farmers market.  Robert and his sisters have so much experience in the kitchen having been brought up in a Sicilian family of food producers who have always value added their own home grown and local produce. Roberto has been cooking all over the world, even a two and a half year stint at the famous River Café in London. Roberto will share his vast culinary knowledge using all local produce at the Burringbar Hall.  Cost includes all ingredients and a long lunch of all the food you have cooked on the day.

Web site http://www.thenomadickitchen.com.au/

 

Elodie Attrazic   Tuesday 30th October 10am – 3pm    French inspired High Tea Cost $120

Elodie trained and worked in restaurants for more than 10 years in her native France. Elodie is now residing in Kingscliff and a regular on Rabbit Radio sharing her knowledge of all things French.  Learn how to make an array of cakes and desserts with the expert. At the end of the day enjoy the delicious treats you have made with a high tea of local Madura teas there maybe even a glass of bubbly or two. You will also be taking home an array of goodies to share with family and friends.

Web site http://thefrenchcookup.blogspot.com.au/    Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TheFrenchCookUp

 

FRESH REPORT

In a tree near you, if you are lucky, as many are being removed (too messy, hungry birds, purple spotted washing on the line), lovely juicy plump mulberries.  I had the most gorgeous little tarts made by Eric, a lovely new friend who’d be worth keeping around just for his pastry skills even if he was horrible.  Which he isn’t.  He baked some light small tartlets, let them cool down.  At the last minute before serving filled them with fresh goat’s curd (very easy to make at home, or buy it) mixed with creme fraiche.  Then topped them with 3-4 mulberries, whole, cooked in a little syrup I think.  I think I stopped at 3 tarts only because the plate was empty.  Of course you can use other fruit, strawberries and blueberries are great right now, and  your favourite type of pastry, but try the mix of curd and creme fraiche.  It is rich but light, and really doesn’t need sweetening – the fruit has enough sweetness.

 

BELLY BULLETIN

 

For more learning, in two of the best food gardens I have ever visited, think about visiting Seed  Savers or the Mullumbimby community garden this weekend.

 

To celebrate International Seed Freedom Fortnight of Action, Seed Savers is holding an Open Garden Day on Sunday 21st Oct.

We shall start early as the garden is nicest then, 8am and finish early too, 3pm.  Tours every half hour (on the hour and on the half-hour) with Michel or Jude Fanton.  Demonstrations of growing and making your own curry powder/paste ingredients, perennial vegetables, seed collecting, self-seeding plants, and root crop staples.  See seven types of clumping bamboo, some with delectable shoots.  Herbal teas (we are a teabag-free zone) from the garden – lemon verbena, lemon balm, lemongrass, mint and lemon myrtle.  Chickens and mulberries as companions.  Orchard planted in themes of continent-of-origin.  All designed on Permaculture principles, to enhance ventilation, shade in summer, light in winter, nutrient cycling and water harvesting.

Cost is $5.         13 Old Bangalow Road, Byron Bay.

Love to see you here!   Best wishes, Jude Fanton

 

Hi Tess and Belly crew,

I’m putting on a workshop called Wild Feast a mix of eating fresh from the garden, edible weeds, wild ferments, bush tukka and herbal elixirs.

Cooking Workshop 20th – 21st October (Sat/Sun), 10am-3pm,  Mullumbimby Community Gardens

Wild Feast is a weekend cooking, eating and celebration using produce directly harvested from the garden and forest.   Andrew Carter and Bunya Halasz  share their passion for local, fresh, organic seasonal abundance and sustainable cooking techniques. Learn the art of eating in the Here and Now.  The workshop is based around harvesting then preparing two lunch-time feasts including:

• weed pie cooked in the cob oven and made from edible weeds ; • a  spicy laksa soup  and banana bell curry  featuring locally grown spices;  fermented foods like sauerkraut and Taro Poi – to increase the nutrition and digestibility of your meals.

•bush tukka chai   •delicious teas with fresh spices and tumeric – a prolifically growing *superfood* prized in medicine as an anti fungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory elixir.

*Cost*- $100.00 (Concession $90.00). Additonal materials cost of $15.

Bookings – www.byroncollege.org.au            Enquiries 02 6684 3374

Cheers, Andrew

This workshop is part of the sustainable living series put on by Byron College, which are usually really useful and good value (that’s where the bellysisters learned to compost!  A major life skill these days.)

 

 

Edible Quote “If you’re afraid of butter, as many people are nowadays, just put in cream!”       Julia Child

 

 

 

 

 

 

MUSIC

 

Club des Belugas – skip to the bip

Yusuf (Cat Stevens) – days of the old school yard

Claudia Allard – ‘stay’ – unreleased lovely song composed and sung by Claudia & recorded at her school.  Claudia is happy to share her song with you if you would like to listen to the audio link below.

Claudia Allard – ‘stay’

 

Caravan – from the Chocolat soundtrack

Gurrumul & Blue King Brown – Gatu Mawula revisited

 

love and cheese & chocolate (I tried to write chocolate coated cheese but my fingers refused)

Sister Tess