One of the first supporter hosted Living Local Feasts was held recently, by passionate forager and local foodie, Deb.  Guests were treated to homemade cheeses; foraged cocktails; Acorn, spelt and herb bread; pine pollen and wattle seed crackers, wild pickled mushrooms; roadside foraged olives; backyard sultanas, and pick your own pine nuts....for entree!!   Continue reading

For my Host-your-own Tassievore feast I decided to Tassie-up a few of the recipes from Hetty McKinnon's fabulous cookbook Community. It wasn't super difficult as the salads already had lots of vegetables that we grow here and some grain foods like quinoa, bread and barley (which I swapped with local spelt). I snapped up some local cheeses and smoked wallaby and fish, plus Pigeon Whole Bakers gorgeous ruby-wheat loaf and the meal was complete! We really are so lucky to have such abundance so close to home. The children didn't take so fondly to the salads but we had some plain vegetables on offer too!  Continue reading

I recently planted all my vegetables for winter; six rows of lettuce (cos, spinach, kale and mesclun) , onions (spring and red), garlic, potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower. Now I spend my afternoons checking if they’ve grown and making sure the pesky possum isn’t stealing my precious crop. I have got my soil mix looking rich and nutritious this year, so I am very excited to sample the goods. There is nothing like home grown veggies!   

A friend of mine recently introduced me to Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes). They are so easy to make and wow… talk about delicious, and more importantly 80% of the ingredients can be grown in your garden. I have been making these a weekly lunch special. This is my tailored vegetarian spin on the traditional Okonomiyaki.   Continue reading

Do you love eating locally and wish everyone did? Well, here is an opportunity to raise funds for something you are passionate about, while sharing the local love with some of your nearest and dearest.   For the first time in 2017, we are asking you to host your own Living Local Feast - to share a delicious local meal with friends, open discussion about the benefits of eating local and support the great work of Sustainable Living Tasmania. All of the information you need can be found here.  And if you are quick, the first 20 people to register will get a Tassievore Taste Kit, which includes Tasmanian: Zig Zag Olive Oil; Willie Smith's Apple Cider Vinegar; Tas-Saff Saffron; Longley Organic Farm Mixed herbs; Diemen Native Pepper; and Tasman Sea Salt!  What more motivation do you need?  Register online today! 

Well, let us assure you, that the 7th annual Living Local Feast did not disappoint!  Held at Hamlet Cafe, chef Cam Perry and founder Emily Briffa, put on a truely remarkable feast!  13 courses of 100% Tasmanian fare - guests were treated to a gourmet menu including: Tomato & fermented celery soup; Oyster with coastal greens; Saffron Falafel; Wallaby tartar; and fig leaf cream, basil & sorrel granita.  As always, the auction had a selection of the finest produce, craft and wilderness experiences that Tassie has to offer and raised valuable funds to support Sustainable Living Tasmania.  Continue reading

Saving money is not my main motivation for growing food, but I've sometimes wondered whether it is really economical given that I have to buy seeds, manure and other things that go into the garden. So I kept records for the month of March (admittedly the most productive month of the year) and this is what I found: Continue reading

Have you tried making apple cider vinegar? It tastes great and has heaps of uses. I use damaged and windfall apples from under our tree, but it can also be made from apple peels and cores. You don’t need a large amount – the peels and cores of six apples will make a jar of vinegar. And if your tap water is chlorinated, you can boil it for 30 minutes to get rid of the chlorine.   Continue reading

After a couple of weeks of gorgeous unseasonal March sunshine, today is a lovely damp and grey, sometimes drizzly day, good working-in-the-garden weather and in the garden is where I find Liz Lelong. She lives in Petty St, just a few streets from me in West Hobart. Liz has created a wonderful market garden in her suburban quarter acre. After several years of intense work it is now her livelihood.  Continue reading

Almost every day at this time of year, I find a massive cucumber lurking reptile-like under the leaves, and I wonder how I managed to miss it day after day as I checked the plants. I am completely out-cucumbered at the moment: big and small, they’ve been piling up in the fridge. If you are experiencing cucumber overload or if you have a good local source of them, here are three variations on cucumber preserving, all of which I have tested recently.   Continue reading