SPRING LOADED
Tasmania’s Agrarian Kitchen has branched out from cooking school to restaurant – with very tasty results.
Tasmania’s Agrarian Kitchen has branched out from cooking school to restaurant – with very tasty results.
Over the nine years since we opened The Agrarian Kitchen, our cooking school in Lachlan, Tasmania, we’ve become pretty self-sufficient when it comes to growing our own produce. But providing for 100 covers a day at the Eatery, our new restaurant, is another story entirely.
When we were gearing up to open in winter, we had to look for other sources of produce, and it’s remarkable how many fantastic Derwent Valley producers we’ve discovered. Down the road there’s a guy growing four or five varieties of morello cherries. Two women nearby raise the Highland beef we use, and another couple has paddocks brimming with asparagus. We used to drive past this stuff. Now I keep my eyes open.
My favourite way to cook is to get outside. The Tasmanian winter is cold and at the first sign of warmth we’re straight into the garden to let the sun soak into our bones. Nothing is more beautiful than spring produce, too, and when you embrace the seasons you really can’t go wrong. Spring onion, grilled whole, has to be one of the best vegetables going. And at the moment we’ve got a big patch of horseradish growing out of control, so I’m reaching for that to make a light vinaigrette for cured fish here.
When you look at our food it’s simple, but there are lots of components that come together to create what’s on the plate. A touch of dairy often ties things together – labne, for instance, is the perfect base for salt-roasted beetroot, tart pickled onion and peas, while yoghurt adds another interesting layer to Turkish flatbread with spicy mince and pickled turnips.
I love creating food with great colour and texture, and I love eating food like that, too.
Ali Currey-Voumard, our chef at the Eatery, is a fan of using cooked and raw greens together in salads, while for me a pickle or preserve is the secret weapon to adding complexity to a dish.
There should be an element of spontaneity and surprise when you cook. I’d encourage you to pick and choose a menu based on what’s in the garden and what’s at its best. And don’t freeze anything. This kind of food should be eaten right now, while the sun’s still shining.