A stall with flowers and fresh produce at Mt Claremont Farmers Market.
On Saturday, we visited the Mt Claremont Farmers Market for the second time. We first went just a week ago and it made my day, so I simply had to go back even though it's about 15 to 20 minutes away. (That would be nothing if I was still living in the country, but for urban Perth it seems quite a hike.) Also, not that I needed an excuse to return, we had bought some delicious fresh milk in glass bottles, no less! And wanted to return the bottles and re-stock. :-)
Fresh bread.
The concept behind farmers markets is simple. They aim to bring together producers and consumers in a win-win situation: consumers can get ultra-fresh seasonal, local food direct from the grower, and the grower (presumably) makes a profit. But it goes further than that: it fosters community. As a consumer and a lover of good food, it is fantastic to talk with the stall holders, who I've found are really excited and passionate about their products and proud of their high standards and sustainable practices, and are more than happy to talk about where they're located, how their goods are grown or processed (or not processed, as the case may be), and how to prepare and enjoy the more unusual or unfamiliar produce. This, in turn, leaves me feeling excited and passionate about it too.
Local (Swan Valley) free range eggs direct from the producer. You can see and taste the difference when eggs are actually fresh.
Something I really appreciate is that all the stallholders I've spoken with are either local, or use local produce. I refuse to buy produce and a lot of other imported or "high food miles" products from the major supermarkets because of their irresponsibility when it comes to sustainability (don't get me started on that... down, rant! Down!) and it is just a delight to be able to buy directly from producers from in or around the city, or at most a couple of hours drive, depending on the product.
Preserves, pickles, relishes, chutneys...
There are many different stalls besides those offering fresh fruit and vegetables. There's bread, juice, cheese, milk, mushrooms, eggs, seafood, meat, plants, flowers, pasta and pasta sauce, cupcakes, chutneys and relishes, olives and olive oils, herbs, coffee, chocolate and takeaway food. There are even occasional visits from Old MacDonald's Travelling Farm for the children. Altogether there are over 45 stalls.
However, summarising the stalls in a sentence or two does none of the stalls justice. Products are generally of a very high quality. Much on offer is organic, including beef and pork from the wonderful Spencers Brook Farm (I can't wait to try their chorizo!), and some is also biodynamic, and the eggs we saw were all marked "free range".
And, as I mentioned, last weekend we took home some delicious fresh milk from Sunnydale Dairy, which — unlike anything we can buy in the shops, has not been homogenised, so that deliciously old-fashioned layer of cream from the milk rises to the surface in the glass bottle. Ahhh... memories of my childhood.
Piglet at Old MacDonald's Travelling Farm.
Speaking of childhood, the markets are very family friendly. There is a playground for the kids, and tables and chairs set up nearby for parents to sit with a coffee or a snack while the kids play. When it's there, the kids will love the Old MacDonald's Travelling Farm which had baby goats, ducks, chicks, chickens, a piglet, and more. The whole atmosphere of the markets is relaxed and friendly, and as their parents shop and chat with stall-holders, kids can absorb the knowledge that there are real people — and animals — behind the food they eat.
I'm not an early morning person but despite that, I intend to be a regular at these markets. :-)
Grab a snack on the run or sit and relax for a while.
Mt Claremont Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning at the Mt Claremont Primary School at the corner of Alfred Rd and Montgomery Rd. The new hours, starting this coming Saturday 10th April, are 8am to 12pm.
Where
Mt Claremont Primary School
103 Alfred Rd
MT CLAREMONT WA 6010
When
Every Saturday morning, 8am–12pm, rain hail or shine.
Contact
Phone: 0411 895 10
Mt Claremont Farmers Market web site
Posted by Vicki on Tuesday, April 06, 2010 at 01:16 PM in
In the Spotlight and
Places.
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Yesterday, we took ourselves up to Carmel to Cosham Wines for a Slow Food Perth event I'd been looking forward to for weeks.
Neither of us had any idea what to expect and we were utterly delighted.
Carmel is a beautiful locality in the Perth Hills, just east of Lesmurdie. The situation of Cosham Wines is sublime. The 2.5 acre boutique winery is nestled in a little valley that sports sloping hillsides covered in trees, pasture and vines. The outlook from the picnic spot, just by a dam on the property, was rustic, serene and very, very pretty.
Relaxing and enjoying.
We bought a bottle of Cosham Wines 1999 Cabernet Merlot and, although there were big umbrellas and tables and chairs set up near the food tent, we took our chairs and sat under a big, shady tree a little distance away. We sipped our wine (which, I might add, went down very smoothly!) and relaxed and marvelled at our surroundings — at the guinea fowls bustling and clucking noisily about, at two beautiful white ponies on an adjoining property, and at the lovely countryside. I'm a country gal at heart with three horses of my own, so it was really quite blissful and had me yearning to live in the country again.
More people arrived and we were surprised when Slow Food Perth committee members brought platters of mini quiches, bread, olive oil and dukkah up to the "tree people". What a treat. We would have expected to go to the food, not have the food come to us.
Slow Food Perth Co-Leader Jamie Kronborg checks the suckling pig as it barbecues.
The suckling pig, provided by Spencers Brook Farm for the main part of the meal, was the star of the show. This is a sensational way of catering for a large number of people — there were about 80 at the picnic. Unique in presentation, I feel it gets to the heart of the Slow Food philosophy, which includes connecting people with the food they eat. (There is no doubt, after seeing that suckling pig, that you'd be eating "pig", as opposed to "pork". Somehow it seems to me that giving the meat a different name to the animal from which it comes causes a kind of disconnect with the origins of the meat.)
Happy little piggy.
I'm a bit funny when it comes to eating food with eyes (such as whole fish) but for some reason the suckling pig with head intact was just right, and not offensive to my sensibilities at all. :-)
Accompanying the suckling pig and the three legs of spring lamb, all of which were cooked to perfection, were a variety of salads. We found some of these very unusual and all had superb flavours, and the stuffed pumpkin was simply divine. Pauline Tresise (Co-Leader of Slow Food Perth) mentioned she is going to try to get some of the recipes onto the Slow Food Perth website, which would be lovely.
We had heaps to eat and it all tasted wonderful.
There was dessert but we couldn't find the room for it in our very full tummies, but that all looked amazing too.
A range of sweet and savoury desserts with delicious big fresh strawberries.
All the food at the event was provided via Slow Food Perth members and producers, from the bread to the olive oil to the suckling pig to the desserts. The team obviously worked incredibly hard to cook and prepare and pull everything together as professionally and beautifully as they did, and we were greatly impressed.
Posted by Vicki on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 02:33 PM in
Places and
Foodie Events and
Slow Food.
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I can't wax lyrical enough about this place. :-)
Olio Bello's organic olive oil based savouries.
A far too brief visit to Margaret River last March saw me, despite a threatening lack of time, make a point of visiting this wonderful business based on organic products, specifically olive oil based products.
I was not really sure what to expect, but as soon as I approached the counter a warm and helpful woman, who I later discovered was co-manager with her husband, explained the oils and products with excitement and passion. Who, these days, is passionate about what they do? Yes, some... but it's uncommon... and I was totally drawn by what Diane said, because it was clear it was not simply sales propaganda but what she genuinely felt, believed, loved.
Adrian (The Colonel) Spelt guides visitors in their olive oil tastings.
There was a huge range of produce, ranging from savouries such as chutneys, tapanades and relishes, to salad dressings, to soaps and lotions, to the extensive range of olive oils themselves — and there is an olive oil there for every palate imaginable. I was in heaven, and only budget constrained me. By far my favourite purchase has been the Lime Pressed Olive Oil, which I now use all the time in salads or drizzled on rocket leaves. It's also fantastic with stir-fries and any other occasion where a light-flavoured oil is required. The ratio of lime is subtle but perfect. This is rapidly running out so thank goodness Olio Bello offers online shopping.
Where
Olio Bello Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lot 1 Armstrong Rd
COWARAMUP WA 6284
Contact
Phone +61 (0)8 9755 9771
Email: Olio Bello Sales
Olio Bello web site (online shopping available)
Posted by Vicki on Friday, September 25, 2009 at 12:16 PM in
In the Spotlight and
Organic and
Places.
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