Meander Valley food and photographic offerings celebrated in cookbook
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SEPTEMBER 2015 | Wai Lin Coultas
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THE MEANDER Valley, along with the rest of the North West Coast, is featured in the 2014-published cookbook, Cradle Coast Pantry.
The brainchild of chef John T. Bailey, and photographer as well as publisher, Philip Kuruvita, it showcases the Tasmanian landscape as well as a wide variety of produce and products.
Sources of inspiration include 41O South Tasmania from Red Hills, White Rock Vineyard near Kimberley, and from Elizabeth Town, Ashgrove Cheese, Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Café and Van Diemens Land Creamery.
These five businesses were selected for the standard and quality of their produce and products, after the Tamar Valley-based John Bailey had visited their companies and seen their operations.
For example, John was impressed that 41O South Tasmania absorbs all fish waste produced into its wet- land filtration system and Van Diemens Land Creamery makes their own ice cream, all within the Meander Valley.
The businesses grow their food for the production of their food products.
John particularly enjoyed their passion for knowing the origins of their products and why they do it that way.
Some were also selected for the book after he used their products for overseas assignments in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan and while running The Banc Restaurant in Swansea, or having heard of their quality while consulting for a large cheese business.
The food of these featured Meander Valley companies is the crucial source of creative inspiration for John, who owns Dinner Is Served, to concoct the unique recipes in Cradle Coast Pantry.
Take 41O South Tasmania’s ginseng spice. It is already renowned as a pairing with all kinds of fish. Hence, John has deliberately used it in his succulent Warm Lamb Loin recipe to show that it goes nicely with other kinds of meat, too.
With Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm Café, its owners knew what naturally paired well with their raspberries. Their knowledge crystallised the creation of John’s luscious Warm Raspberry Marinated Chicken and delightful Baked Raspberry Cheesecake.
In other instances, John asked the companies if they had a product they would like to promote. For Ashgrove Cheese, it was their aged cheddar cheese and crème fraiche.
This became the basis for John’s indulgent Baby Leek & Aged Cheddar Risotto and sumptuous Tassie Blue Mussels.
John made it a point to source all of the ingredients used in Cradle Coast Pantry from only within the North West - not a limiting ambition as the region offers a wide variety of produce and products.
The 33 food businesses featured in the cookbook are only a fraction of the quality food that is available within that area.
His extensive scouring of the cradle and coast of the North West firmed up John’s belief that those businesses within the Meander Valley are on par with the rest in the north-west region.
Besides John’s recipes, Cradle Coast Pantry is lavished with a substantial number of Philip’s location and produce photographs. This duel focus is deliberate, allowing the cookbook to be of interest to food lovers as well as those keen on the scenic landscapes of Tasmania.
For more information visit https://kuruvita.com.au/index. php/shop-kuruvita/books -calendar.
[udesign_icon_font name="fa fa-camera" color="#000000"] Mike Moores
