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| Frank, Kevin and Jemima |
Berry Mountain Farm
We've just come home from a short break down the south coast at my favourite time of the year and let me just say the weather did not disappoint. It was cold, cold, cold and my only complaint would be that the stupid cold front that swept past us, caused gail-force winds and for a moment it felt like we were in the opening scenes of the wizard of oz - not at all fun for small people or big for that matter!
We mainly hung around the house (which is right on the beach) exploring, walking, swimming (not me, just my crazy children who don't feel the cold). We had friends down to stay, but the highlight for me was our trip to the Berry Mountain Farm (usually we do this on the way down) for my box of seasonal fruit and veg.
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| Little frank |
We have been stopping by Kevin's for as long as we've been travelling down the south coast. Not only is his produce exceptional but his farm is pure magic and the whole family enjoys exploring the farm and there are always many photo ops for daddy.
All you need do is give Kevin the quick heads up the day before and your box will be waiting in the shed. This time he'd been out making his deliveries so he hopped on his tractor (Wilco was in heaven) and zipped around the farm picking things for our mixed box (can't get fresher than that).
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Our box on the back of Kevin's tractor
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They're a rare breed - people like Kevin, so incredibly committed to growing and producing food of this standard....you wouldn't believe the size of this farm and he does it all by himself. The farm also has a cottage from the early1800's - it's completely original and you can stay at it, (check it out online) and the farm is used a lot for school tours, foodie tours, movies, lifestyle/cooking shoots, as you can see from our photos it's picturesque.
I thoroughly recommend it for a day outing with kids or maybe a school excursion?!
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Wilco now (2) and when he was 3 months old (having a feed)
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Anyway we spent an hour there today - the kids loved every second (doesn't matter what age they are, it's the only place they don't say "can we go, I'm bored"), Wilco could barely believe his eyes (the last time we were here I breast fed him under this tree, he was 3 months old) so for him this was the first time he'd seen a farm....the dirt, the tractors, bananas, macadamia nuts and picking his own mandarins - this is what my kids love to do - getting in touch with nature - mummy's way!
So when we got home I lay my purchase on the table to see what goodies Kevin had put together for me and I was not disappointed (never am!)
Most of it will make it's way back to Sydney with us, but seeing it's our second last night I thought I'd make it special and I happen to have a shoulder of lamb that I've been saving for the trip to the farm. (By the way when we returned home after our visit, the kids had a bowl of vegies each: steamed broccoli, raw snow peas, carrots, baby turnips, capsicum and peas straight out of their pods)
And it seems I may have an apprentice in the making, Wilco has taken a shine to cooking, so this dinner was thought of by me (with a bit of inspiration from a recipe from Tessa Kiros) and prepared by my right hand man and myself.
It's slow cooked Lamb on a bed of vegetables from the Berry Mountain Farm
Wilco, it seems takes instructions very well (all good men do) and he's quite the arranger, so this meal will taste extra good thanks to all the love that's gone into it.
Kevin this is for you! May you and your farm get a little more notoriety and hopefully many more people (family's - foodies) can come and enjoy what you have lovingly set up - I will definitely spread the word (and I've got a pretty big mouth) and we'll be back before you know it - the Doyles will always be back!
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| A few photo's from our last visit |
For this recipe you'll need a trip to The Berry Mountain farm
a shoulder or leg of Lamb
and lots of love
Ingredients:
shoulder of Lamb
200ml of either water or stock (add a little more if it evaporates)
a bunch of parsley
3 sprigs of rosemary
3 or 4 baby leeks or onions
a full head of garlic - broken up
6 potatoes washed and sliced in thirds
5 medium tomatoes sliced in thirds
the juice of 3 lemons
lots of good extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
TO MAKE:
Pre-heat your oven to 180c
get you baking dish or large Le Creuset
Wash your herbs, leeks, potatoes and tomatoes thoroughly
Then start by laying your herbs down in your dish, followed by the leeks
Then arrange your sliced potatoes around the herbs/leeks and pop a few in the herbs and under the herbs
now the garlic (in there skins) and finally the slices of tomatoes
Pop you lamb on top and squeeze all the lemon juice on and around the meat and veg
Drizzle with oil and season well with salt and pepper and pour your water/ stock around the base
Cover with foil or put the lid on
Turn the heat of the oven down to 160c and let it cook for 5-6 hours (when it's finished the meat will fall apart very easily)
Then remove the herbs and leek as this will have cooked down to nothing (as will the tomato, you don't want them to burn when you turn the heat up) and pour some of the sauce out of the baking dish and reserve for serving.
Now take the foil off and turn the heat up to 200c and let it cook for a further 45min so the meat browns and the potatoes get crispy and chewy.
We ate this simply with a salad (also from the farm) and that delicious sauce.
part 2 - Vegetable and chicken soup
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| The girls picking the mandarins for our box |
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| The kids picking and eating mandarins |
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| Wilco running through the orange trees |
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| the orange trees |
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| Frank and Wilco checking out the banana's |
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| Kevin showing Max and Jemima the macadamia nut tree |
I would have liked to have cooked this longer, but the kids were starved and tired so we ate it after cooking it for only 4hours - it was still delicious!
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