Welcome to December! It’s 23 days until Christmas, sharing quality time with family and friends over gifts of love, joy and lots of yummy food. With people coming together to share food we thought this is the perfect time to plan where you can source some local produce early to ease the Christmas rush.
Christmas is where the foodie minds go on a journey of creation and even the hands that don’t cook often find themselves in the kitchen! Whether you purchase your meals ready to go or spend weeks creating and preparing them, we would like to offer a ‘wrap’ up of some of the local ingredients available in the areas covered over the past few weeks. Wouldn’t it just be grand to have a little bit of your local grown goodness in your Christmas celebration? Yes? We think so too!
Phoenix Park Farm- Located Mcfaydens Road Phoenix Park; boasting a variety of great vegetable options! They have now opened the Coffee Coop on selective Saturday Mornings- with yummy delicious coffee and other bits and bobs- this is definitely a drop in before your Christmas Preparations! With spuds, zucchini’s, radishes, beetroot, squash, lettuces and so much more- there is plenty of dishes you can feature Christmas day that will have a little Phoenix Park Farm flavour.
I don’t know about you but GARLIC is probably one of our favourite ingredients! It add flavour, nutritional qualities and even medicinal benefits to food or can enjoyed on its own (with some tic tacs handy). Dom and Tom from Four Acre Farm have got your garlic needs covered. With different varietals to suit different styles these guys have harvested over 10,000 bulbs this season. You can find them at the Slow Food Markets or they have teamed up with Phoenix Park Farm and been making an appearance at The Coffee Coop Saturday mornings, garlic has a pretty good shelf life if stored appropriately, so you can’t go wrong here!
If you are quick to the mark, The Greek Grazing Table has some Christmas delights available. Nic’s incredible glazed hams (a limited number available) are a favourite for the festive season, so get in whilst you can and enjoy having everyone wonder how you created such a yummy dish!
EGGS! A large majority of dishes require eggs- including those beautiful Christmas puddings that required weeks of hard work! The crumbing of yummy proteins, the cooking of delicious cakes, quiches, boiled for those Australian summer ceasear salads and other Christmas delights, Kapsali Farm eggs are another addition to your Christmas list. Find these guys at the Slow Food Markets or contact them directly online for other stockist in your local area.
Would it be a traditional Christmas without a good old home baked grammar pie? Or roasted pumpkin in the oven with a little honey glaze? For us at CommuniFood this is a regular feature at our Christmas table and where else better to grab your grammar, pumpkin and honey than John Wright at Morpeth. Located just under the bridge, stemming from 5 generation of farmers- John knows a thing or two about growing the some of the best pumpkin, grammar and collecting honey from some the bees. His stall is open most days- just drive in and say hello!
With a diverse range including some of the most incredible stone fruits- The Little Tin Shed is a MUST on your Christmas to do list. Located in Medowie- The Little Tin Shed has close to EVERYTHING that is required on a fruit and vegetable list…and if it doesn’t, the other farmers on the communifood team do! Peaches, nectarines, plums, strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, shallots, watermelons, pumpkins, onions, beans and so much more. Get together with some friends and organize a drive out and fill up a box or 2 before Christmas, or just organize your own casual drive, you will not be disappointed! The Little Tin Shed operates most days, though check their Facebook for specific opening hours, but as Christmas approaches- they are all systems go!
What about booking a farm tour, enrolling in a short course or taking the kids to a farm day at Purple Pear Farm over the Christmas Holidays? It's education without the 4 walls and teaches skills that can be developed forever! Not to mention the extra gifts you will find available for purchase at the farm stall.
How incredible is it that all of this is located in our region? Hard workers with a sprinkle of passion growing these yummy, delicious vegetables and fruit for our consumption! This Christmas, we know life gets busy, so plan now, get out ahead of the pack and don't fall into the funnel of consumption in the big chains. Support the locals that are doing their best to support you! You can find all their stories and profiles on our CommuniFoodie page and click the links to contact them!