Darina Allen: Three 'real food' recipes for a taste of Tasmania

Irish Examiner

3 days ago

Tasmanian food activist Matthew Evans from The Fat Pig Farm has been on my radar for a very long time but until recently our paths had never crossed.
Well, blow me away, if he didn't walk into the hall of the Ballymaloe Cookery School the other day. I couldn't believe my eyes.
He was over this side of the world to attend Groundswell, the regenerative farming festival in Hertfordshire in the UK and decided to swing by Ireland where some of his ancestors hailed from.
Matthew has had a fascinating life, originally the restaurant critic for the Sydney Morning Herald, he became a chef, restaurateur, food writer, TV broadcaster and now is also a farmer.
His seventy-acre mixed farm is in the beautiful Huon Valley, south of Hobart, right down on the southern end of Tasmania.
He grows vegetables and fruit, makes cider, fattens a few heritage pigs and milks a couple of house cows to have beautiful fresh milk, the subject of Milk, one of his 15 books.
Another simply entitled Soil is a hymn to the underappreciated three or four inches of earth below our feet on which our very existence depends.
He, just like me, is passionate about the importance of rich fertile soil. After all, the only reason we have life on earth is topsoil, crucial for the health of the planet and our ability to grow food.
Matthew came to farming from the kitchen. As a chef, he became intrigued by flavour and super curious about why some vegetables and fruits and herbs were so much more delicious than others.
What was it that made a simple ingredient like carrots for example, taste so much more intensely sweet than others?
This inevitably led him to the soil. Richer, more fertile organic soil, usually produces better tasting and more nutrient dense food — surprise, surprise!
And so he has become a feisty advocate for regenerative, ecological farming, growing food in a way that replenishes the soil and ecosystems and keeps us healthy.
Groundswell on Lannock Farm, now in its tenth year, creates a forum for farmers, growers, anyone interested in food production and the environment to come together to share ideas and learn about the theory of practical applications of regenerative farming systems.
A series of brilliant speakers entice thousands of people from all over the world. (groundswellag.com)
(There was quite a contingent from Ireland and NOTS – National Organic Training Skillnet too, nots.ie)
There is a consensus that we urgently need a global metric to measure outcomes on our farms. Polluters need to pay for the damage to the environment and farmers who deliver positive climate, nature and social outcomes, should be rewarded financially.
These actions would be a game-changer.
One of the many inspirational sessions I attended was entitled, Farming: Our Health Service.
There is a growing concern that our current food system is broken but farming has the potential to be our natural health service so what do we need from food production to regenerate public health?
They explored how whole health agriculture is needed to realign farming with both human and environmental health and wellbeing.
Regenerative Farming or 'Regen' is the great new buzzword, but it is already being commandeered by the multinational food companies in their marketing and labelling.
Thus far, however there is no definition so there is considerable confusion amongst the general public and a definite possibility of greenwashing.
Regen is an admirable way to embark on a journey towards less artificial inputs, pesticides, herbicides and ultimately organic farming, however many 'regen' farmers are still using glyphosate, albeit less, to kill weeds but it also damages life in the soil.
Without a strict definition, this inspirational movement runs the risk of being discredited.
Matthew Evans gave me a present of his latest book, 'The Real Food Companion', published by Murdoch Books, a lifetime's worth of food knowledge, from the soil (where it all begins) to the table.
Difficult to pick just three recipes from the hundreds in this inspirational tome, but enjoy these to get started.
All recipes are from 'The Real Food Companion' by Matthew Evans, published by Murdoch Books.
Matthew Evans' Crab and Chilli Omelette
Rich egg, sweet crab and the spice of chilli combine to make this one hell of an omelette.
Servings
2
Preparation Time 
10 mins
Cooking Time 
10 mins
Total Time 
20 mins
Course 
Main
Ingredients 100g cooked crab meat
2 small red chillies, seeded and finely sliced
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp fish sauce
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Method
Mix the crabmeat in a bowl with the chilli, coriander, and fish sauce, then add the remaining sauce to the eggs.
Heat the peanut oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and quickly fry the garlic until starting to colour. Add the egg and stir until it is half cooked. Scatter the crab mixture over the top and press gently into the egg. When the egg is nearly cooked, fold the omelette over, and tip onto a plate.
Halve the omelette and serve with steamed rice.
Matthew Evans' Honeyed Anzac Biscuits
I like my Anzac biscuits chewy, and it may take a couple of attempts to get them just right. Honey makes a nice change from the golden syrup that is used in most traditional recipes.
Servings
25
Preparation Time 
20 mins
Cooking Time 
20 mins
Total Time 
40 mins
Course 
Baking
Ingredients 100g rolled (porridge) oats
135g plain flour, sifted
200g caster sugar
70g shredded coconut
125g butter, cubed
2 tbsp honey
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), sifted
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Method
Mix the oats, flour, sugar and coconut together in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
Heat the butter and honey in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted and combined. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda to combine (it will foam up, this is normal).
Pour the honey mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to combine. If it seems too stiff, add 1-2 teaspoons of water. Place dessertspoon-sized blobs about 5cm apart on the prepared trays, allowing room for them to spread.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden. They will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Matthew Evans' Rosewater
A brilliant time of the year to make your own homemade rosewater. Makes 1 litre
Course 
Side
Ingredients 400g sugar
petals from about 40 unsprayed roses, rinsed well
Method
Put the sugar and 1 litre water in a large saucepan over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer and push in as many petals as the water will hold. Bring back to a simmer, then turn off the heat and allow to steep until cool. Drain and discard the petals. You can intensify this syrup by repeatedly adding petals and steeping, though you do lose some liquid each time. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Variation: To make orange blossom water, follow the method for rosewater above, but substitute two handfuls of orange blossoms for the rose petals. You can also use lemon, cumquat or lime blossoms.
Seasonal Journal
One Plate for Palestine Campaign
Seek out various restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, food trucks, market stalls who are participating in One Plate for Palestine, spearheaded by Barbara Nelson of St. Francis Provisions in Kinsale and Beverly Matthews of L'Atitude 51 in Cork City.
It's an Irish hospitality-led week-long campaign running from July 22-27 raising funds for the people of Palestine who are at risk of starvation.
All participating restaurants will add a special Palestinian-themed dish to their menu with all funds raised from the sale of that dish going to the One Plate for Palestine fundraiser.
Instagram: @oneplateforpalestine
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