16 minute read

Lou Perry - Palate Pleasures

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Palate

PLEASURES

tLOU PERRI

FROM THE STUNNED MULLET

EATING OUT

Spring is offi cially here, not that as this is written there is the remotest sense of it in the air, with a freezing, extremely wintery southerly blasting through our area.

But soon enough, as with everything else, this too shall pass and we will bask in the warm sun and then, eventually, grapple with the pointy and sweaty end of summer as we always do. And if we are lucky there will be a bit of time here and there to bask in the delicious sunshine and bathe in the cool waters of our magnifi cent stretch of the Pacifi c Ocean.

Until then however, we will just do our best to batten down the hatches and wait, as we have seemed to do so often over the last couple of years.

Meanwhile we can still most certainly enjoy the little things every day that bring a sense of joy and a sense of freedom. For many of us after having been cooped up at home so much lately, there’s very much a sense of cabin fever and life’s pleasures very likely take on the form of all things involved with activities outside the home.

For some perhaps the lockdown escapades du jour such as walks on the beach, bike rides with family members, combined with walking the dog until he hides next time you call him, so overwalked is he – are getting, hate to say it, somewhat old and whilst we still retain our somewhat tenuous grasp on freedom out of lockdown here in Port Macquarie (defi nitely touching wood here), our priorities may lie in escaping that one room in the house we are even more sick of than any of the others – the dreaded kitchen.

Now there’s a chance to escape, the world of ‘eating out’ has begun to open up again. Tentatively, restaurants and cafés are welcoming seated diners again. At fi rst, like shy teenagers on a fi rst date, then with the confi dence born of it being just like riding a bike. We never forget how to interact with each other, the subtleties of face-to-face communication (albeit with mask) come back surprisingly quickly. Like dogs, we are superbly social creatures, so meeting friends and family, sharing a meal, chatting, drinking, and laughing just slot into where they left off after a moment or two, if that, of breaking the ice.

As the weather improves even more, it might be prudent to seize the day wherever we can and enjoy ‘eating out’. Certainly our friends in Sydney and other parts of the state have fully embraced that fi rst step towards freedom in seeing beloved persons in their life amongst the great outdoors in the form of a picnic. In true urban sophistication, it appears that picnics are becoming as elaborate as possible and as it turns out would be right at home within the four walls of a respectable fi ne dining restaurant. In fact, a multitude of fi ne hospitality establishments have jumped on this enforced method of allowing a small return to socialisation, with all manner of incredibly gourmet picnic packs for your regular park sojourn.

Culinary bliss, fi nest of wines and signature cocktails shaken in jars and poured over ice are so very Spring 2021 and it isn’t a bad thing at all.

Eating out in all its forms is to be celebrated – whether it just happened to be ‘eating outside’, or whether you are in the very fortunate position of being able to actually sit at a table at your fave café or restaurant, it is always a bonus to escape from your very own kitchen. As we all know, absence makes the heart grow fonder and a little time out, however we can achieve it, is never a bad idea!

For many of us a er having been cooped up at home so much lately, there’s very much a sense of cabin fever and life’s pleasures very likely take on the form of all things involved with activities outside the home.

Ultimate The

CHEESEBURGER

Ingredients

SPECIAL BURGER SAUCE

½ Cup Kewpie Mayo 1 Tbsp Ketchup 1 Tbsp Mild Mustard ¼ Cup Finely Chopped Pickles Pinch of Kosher Salt Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper

BURGER

4 Brioche Buns 500g Ground Beef 8 Slices American Cheese 1 Tbsp Cracked Black Pepper 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar 1 Sliced White Onion ½ Cup Sliced Pickles ½ Cup Special Burger Sauce Ketchup & Mustard

METHOD

To make the special burger sauce, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Split the ground beef into four portions, roll into balls and fl atten into patties. Season each pattie with the kosher salt, fresh cracked black pepper and brown sugar and place on place on your charcoal grill and cook on one side. Turn pattie over and grill on second side until almost cooked through, adding two slices of American cheese to the top of each pattie to warm cheese through. Lightly toast buns and place on an open board, applying the ketchup, pickles, onions and mustard to preferred quantity. Add the cooked meat patties with cheese and drizzle with special burger sauce, adding the top to fi nish. Eat as many as you can, life is short.

ARMSTRONG OYSTERS

One of the largest Sydney Rock Oyster farms in Australia, operating on the Camden Haven River for over 30 years.

Drop by the Armstrong Oysters’ farm gate for some freshly shucked oysters straight out of the water and learn about the farming behind growing this succulent seafood.

Taste the Camden Haven in every bite

“Here in the Camden Haven, we have a really salty brine that lingers long in your palette. It just works really well, especially with lingers long in your palette. It just works really well, especially with a bottle of Chardonnay or a beer.”

Fresh from the Farm Gate

02 6559 5527 1 short st, laurieton nsw

Learn more about Armstrong Oysters and Camden Haven Farmers at camdenhavenchamber.org

an initiative of

Proudly funded by the NSW Government in Association with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

Oyst ers ARMSTRONG Taste the Camden Haven in every bite By Kate Dwyer from Camden Haven Farmers.

Asheep farmer from New Zealand travelled to Australia for a working holiday in the mid-1960s. He stumbled on a pearler job and built a life and legacy for his family, which is an icon of the Camden Haven.

Rob Armstrong, and his wife Jenny, landed in Australia and found work with an oyster farmer on the George’s River in Sydney.

“After I started working for him, I moved to Port Stephens to work on his leases there and the next thing I knew, I was an oyster farmer,” Rob said.

Armstrong Oysters began in Port Stephens, on the Hunter Valley coastline of NSW, in about 1967.

When the leases were sold Rob, with a young family in tow, moved further north in 1978 and began his oyster farm in the Camden Haven River.

He purchased more leases and his sons Jason and Brandon would play around the shed and help their dad when they were in early primary school. During high school, the boys would come straight from school to the leases to work.

Brandon and Jason learned many lessons from their father and now run Armstrong Oysters in the Camden Haven with other leases in the Nambucca, Port Stephens and Pambula.

For all order enquiries contact Armstrong Oysters

Phone (02) 6559 5527 Address 1 Short St, Laurieton

CODY &

TARANAR

A strong passion for organic, vegan cuisine has led two young friends Taranar and Cody to create an innovative cafe which celebrates their love of the planet and tasty food in equal measures. Being the first eatery of its kind in our area has given people an opportunity to try something new, and who isn’t curious about tasting their Loaded Nachos & ‘Bacon and Egg’ toasties!?

Hey Taranar and Cody, please introduce yourselves and tell our readers what led you to create ‘The Organic Factory’.

Taranar: I’m 21 years old with a burning desire to make a positive change in the most peaceful way possible. After waking up to the injustices that our animal friends are facing everyday and the terrible effects eating those animals can have on our health, I instantly adopted a plant-based diet. After 7 years of eating vegan I’ve developed a huge passion for health and wellbeing and it has been a delicious journey to say the least. A key part of this journey was finding and embracing the organic movement, and after feeling the best I’d ever felt I knew I had to share this with the world. After doing some market research I realised that a café with this specific diet

just doesn’t exist and I decided to make it my mission to pioneer this alternative way of living and make it accessible to anyone who’s A er 7 years of eating vegan I’ve interested in giving it a try. Cody: I saw this business as an opportunity to make work within my passion developed a huge for cooking while also passion for health providing the community and wellbeing with a unique experience, and it has been a one that is great for the delicious journey health of people and the to say the least. planet. I’ve always had a deep love and connection with mother nature and I think there has never been a better time to fight for our planet.

Good food brings good times and the amount of positivity you can bring into the world through your choice of diet is simply astounding. I love being a part of the movement.

Your plant-based, vegan friendly menu is 100% organic and chemical free, what ignited your passion for making delicious food and drinks?

We were actually flat mates at one point and found ourselves making food a huge priority, simply because we enjoy taste and a good meal is always the highlight of our day. We always had people over and really enjoyed the whole experience of cooking for people, especially when you see how happy it makes them! We hadn’t explored vegan cuisine too much at that point and over the next couple of years we experimented with heaps of different food. The whole journey was ignited by love. Self love, love of the planet, love of animals, yeah it wasn’t hard to find motivation. It was actually our intense passion for this diet and the love of all things that prompted us to start this business, it amplifies our impact in a huge way. I don’t think we would want to do anything else, besides organic or biodynamic farming, which we are starting

to do!

We were also having to cook and create every single meal three times a day just to enjoy good, tasty and organic plant-based food, which was really annoying because sometimes you really just don’t want to cook. We just couldn’t believe that it was impossible to eat a meal that aligns with our health philosophy in our region. With some research we saw that cafés and restaurants in bigger cities with similar philosophies and were successful which made us feel a little more hopeful about the endeavour. We figured that the worst case scenario is that we had a crack and gained a ton of experience. Luckily it was a success!

e whole journey was We wanted to make a dine-in experience ignited by love. Self centred around our health philosophy, one love, love of the that was unique and enjoyable, it really is a planet, love of animals, yeah it wasn’t hard to find motivation. dream come true for us. What are some of your most popular dishes, and can you let us in on any new menu items you will be making with your home grown spring crops? Our most popular dishes are the Loaded Nachos and the ‘Bacon and Egg’ Toastie by a long shot. I think they come close to what people are used to, which is great. We always wanted this menu to be accessible to nonvegans and remove any stigma that people associate with the diet. Our meals are huge, they’re filling and they’re delicious. As two young blokes we understand that why some people are hesitant to eat vegan but we have made it our business to dispel that myth entirely. Come and get your fill! We will be bringing in new meals with every season, ensuring that our café stays alive and interesting. Keep an eye on our socials for our new Vegan Carbonara and Quinoa Rainbow Bowl, featuring our own house-made Vegan Aioli!

Continued Over...

The magical colour-morphing butterfly pea flower teas look amazing!Can you tell us a bit about your homemade kombucha and fair trade coffee?

Yes we love our tea! The butterfly pea is certainly a favourite. We get our organic kombucha through a business called Healthy Hammered, he uses our kitchen to do his brews. As soon as he gave us a taste we knew that we wanted it in the café. Best butch in all the lands, it’s really just amazing stuff. Once we saw that Organic Fairtrade coffee was an option there really wasn’t a debate, we try to be ethical everywhere we can and that was an easy choice. Knowing that our coffee ensures that farm workers are paid properly and that the land isn’t abused in the farming process puts a smile on our faces every time we serve a cup. We are sure this pays off in flavour too, ‘some of the best tasting coffee we’ve ever had,’ is generally the response from people that try it. Being one of the first vegan cafés in our

area you have received a lot of support and encouragement from the community. How does it make you feel having such a positive response to your mission of ‘helping the planet in the tastiest way possible’?

We are lucky enough to have a ‘Vegans of Port Macquarie and surrounds’ Facebook page who have showed us so much support and even organised meetups to help

Once we saw that Organic Fairtrade co ee was an option there us out! We get plenty really wasn’t a of legends driving out debate, we try to be on their day off to check ethical everywhere our venue and food. We we can and that was an easy choice. are overwhelmed with the positivity we have received and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of the conscious food revolution that we are at the forefront of! This positive encouragement is what keeps us going and we don’t plan to stop anytime

THE an FACTORY

soon! Too many animals to save, not enough time left to save our suffering earth and too many people to feed.

What makes our day is when someone who was hesitant to try anything vegan walks away saying it’s the best food and coffee they have ever tasted – knowing that their experience with organic vegan food was positive and that the chain effect from these small experiences can make such a massive impact on our world. We love it!

What other products have you made that you are excited to share with us and are there any collaborators who you want to mention?

We are so excited for the future and hope to bring so many more options for everyone to try. Due to our business operations being within an old butter factory we thought it would be a great idea for us to release our own range of vegan butters to honour the history of our heritage listed venue. We have also had many customers who have tried our homemade Dukkah, Vegan Parmesan and Vegan Cheese Sauce and are super keen to buy it for themselves. So many jarred goods are on the cards for the future. We are also keen to start making other products such as granola and will be adding smoothies and juices to the menu as soon as we can, as well as a whole new range of salads, stews, curries, pasta dishes and much more, there’s heaps to come!

You are now based at The Old Butter Factory at Telegraph Point, how can people book in and connect with you?

Yes, The Old Butter Factory is a beautiful heritage building, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, all of which is open to our customers during trading hours. People can book in via Facebook, Instagram, or phone on 0434 648 363 within trading hours to secure themselves a spot at our venue. We are also happy to have a chat and answer all questions that you can ask us through Facebook and

Instagram.

We are currently open Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 7am-2pm and all walk in’s are also welcome!

What are some of the benefits of the delicious organic vegan food you are creating at The Organic Factory?

A wholefood organic plant-based diet is proven to benefit virtually every aspect of our health. From significantly reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer to reducing inflammation, increasing energy, libido and immune system function. It also works effectively as a method to reducing and managing depression. Research into the subject will reveal more, there really isn’t much it doesn’t do when followed

It also works e ectively as a method to reducing properly. At a time such as this, with so and managing much fear regarding our immune system and depression. Research vulnerability to pathogens, it would make into the subject will sense to take every single step possible to reveal more, there build an indomitable immune system, which really isn’t much it is what this diet certainly does. This isn’t to doesn’t do when followed properly. say that veganism alone is the solution, we absolutely recognise the unhealthy results from a ‘poor’ vegan diet. Veganism may be a better option to the ‘stock standard diet,’ but even veganism can be done wrong. This is why we doubled down on our ethics and standards and decided to go completely organic, so we can say with absolute certainty that our food is incredibly healthy. Organic food is free from pesticides, chemicals, poisons and genetic modification which are all commonly used in conventional farming. These artificial ways of growing and processing food have a devastating effect on our gut microbiome which is fundamental in regulating almost every function in our body. Organic food has more antioxidants and nutrients, tastes better, feels better and is really beneficial for our environment! We love food that hasn’t been tampered with just like mother nature intended.

Thanks Guys.

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