A white bulb moment

Spice queen Christine Manfield is the headline attraction for the fifth Koonya Garlic Festival this Saturday.

She will fly in from Sydney to demonstrate three different quick dishes using fresh and black garlic. Christine said this week that as a national judge for the delicious Produce Awards it is always “important to shine a light on regional producers”.

But how did she come to hear of the country festival centred around the 1895 community hall on the Tasman Peninsula?

Right from the start, when the committee running the festival comprised only three, it relied on networking. Janice Sutton is an original member of the committee and her daughter’s boyfriend’s father was one of the earliest chefs recruited.

Last year Janice’s festival-inspired cookbook Garlic Feast was named Australia Book of the Year in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Now she is working on a second book, to which Christine Manfield is contributing recipes, hence the invitation.

The most thorough enlistment though has to be the recruitment of Angus Stewart. When he was the NSW representative on Gardening

Australia his daughter was the partner of another member of the committee and he was invited to give a talk at the second festival in 2015.

He agreed to come, and indeed, he, rather than any local connection was responsible for roping in Tasmanian rep on the show, Tino Carnevale.

At the time, Angus was already decided on moving to Tasmania, having fallen for the state while conducting garden tours here. Under the influence of Peter Cundall, he was almost decided on the Tamar Valley.

At his first garlic festival, he met an acquaintance who said his neighbour had a property for sale that was not yet listed. Having fallen in love at first sight with the area around Koonya and Premaydena, he was immediately sold on the 15ha property.

Like the man in the old ad who loved his Remington shaver so much he bought the company, now Angus is a member of the committee running the festival.

Everyone on the peninsula was really invested in the festival, he said. “This is a very cohesive community, with lots of people growing their own produce. You can eat very well down here.”

Angus said he was sad to give up Gardening Australia after 14 years but he is an agricultural scientist “by training and at heart” and it was time to “actually do it rather than just travelling around and talking about it”.

He was also keen to exchange “one of poorest soils in world” where he lived near Gosford, for “beautiful soil, a permanent spring and two spring-fed dams” on his new property.

Although he found the place in 2015, he moved in only last November, so there has been no chance to plant garlic yet. He has enjoyed seeing pop up what has “clearly been a collection of belladonna lilies because they are all flowering at different times in all different colours”.

With a partner, he has formed Pure Oils of Tasmania and is researching essential oils from Tasmanian plants.

The goal its to research the potential of using native essential oils in flavourings for food, medicines, perfumes antiseptics and disinfectants.

And they have one eye on the state’s burgeoning gin industry, which is increasingly using native plants to give gin a uniquely Tasmanian flavour, “mountain pepper being a terrific example”.

Event details

Koonya Garlic Festival runs from 10am to 3.30pm February 24. As well as Christine Manfield, there are masterclasses from Richard Weston owner of Pigeon Hole Cafe and his chef Alex Mullan, the Chef and the Showman Paul Foreman and John X and a first – gin-making with Bill McHenry. Big talks include garlic propagation by Angus Stewart and Tino Carnevale and its medicinal and nutritional benefits by naturopath Ree Van Galen. Small talks of 20 minutes include Annette and Nevil Reed of Tasmanian Natural Garlic and Tomatoes on growing and preserving, and Daniel Kelleher of Premaydena Farms, who will tell how he came to stock his festival stall in a talk called Confessions of a Virgin Garlic Grower. As well there are 10 commercial garlic growers among the many stalls, music and activities for kids. Admission is $10 for adults.

It is always important to shine a light on regional producers CHRISTINE MANFIELD