What's Fresh In Bello This Week

Support your local growers and buy what is in season this week. Wherever you shop keep an eye out for local:

Apples - Golden delicious, Royal Gala, Pink Lady

Avocado
Banana - cavendish
Beans - green
Bok choi
Cabbage - drumhead
Capsicum - long green
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Garlic - small Russian, large Russian, purple/white
Ginger
Grapefruit - Ruby Red, Yellow
Kale - Red Russian
Kiwifruit
Lettuce
Limes

Mandarins
Mizuna
Mushrooms
Oranges - navel, valencia
Pak choi
Pears - green (Pearl, what are those brown ones called??)
Potato - sebago, sebago chats, Nicola, Red Bison
Pumpkin - jap, butternut, grey
Rhubarb
Shallots
Silverbeet
Sprouts
Sugar snap peas
Tatsoi
Turmeric

Turnip
Zucchini

Need a recipe for any of these ingredients?  Leave a comment.
Know of something we have missed? Please let us know.

List compiled with the help of bellofoodbox

Images: "avocado" by stepanvilleneuve, "mandarin" by dv-art, "Turnip" by Brutalion

Bush Tucker Shack

Photo of some of the foods mentioned in today's show (clockwise from top left): crayfish, pipis, riberry, lemon myrtle, lily pily, macadamias, damper. For more info check out the Bush Tucker Shack Facebook page.

Links for the photos: Lily Pily, Crayfish, Riberry, Lemon Myrtle, Pipis, Damper, Macadamias

Rosoli and Rosolio

David Scott from the Red Dirt Distillery introduces us to the delectable drops of Pistachio Rosoli and Quince Rosolio.

For more information or to order your own check out the website

Podcast Time

Passionfruit and Chilli begins its celebration of Reconciliation Week, or for us Reconciliation Month, with a fascinating chat with Sue from the Bush Tucker Shack and rounds off the show with another delectable drop from the Red Dirt Distillery.

Download today's show, or any of the previous shows featuring food from the Bush Tucker Shack or the Red Dirt Distillery here.

Eating Local Made Easy

I appreciate that this can be a challenging concept for some people due the necessity to change shopping happens and, to eat what is in season, sometimes even menus. And obviously not all areas of the planet are the food bowl that the Bellinger valley is so availability also becomes an issue.

However, a number of communities in the good ol' US of A is suggesting that folks just take a small step in the direction of supporting their local farmers and food producers - spending either 10% or $10 a week (depending on the campaign) on local food. You can find some examples here, here, here and here. I am sure there are many more out there.

You will also note that as well as putting out the challenge, these communities are making it easier with databases and other information that lets residents know what is available where and when.

Imagine the benefits - fresher food, supporting our neighbors, increasing local employment, expanded local economies - the list can go on.

So if you aren't a localvore and find the whole concept too hard, too impractical or just not something on your list of things to do this week, why not considering taking a little step instead and make a choice to spend just $10 of your weekly budget on local food.

Image: "Farmer's Market" by CarolynBoBarolyn

Podcast

We are so good you can download podcasts twice .... or at least in two different places. You can click on the link here or find us on iTunes.


If you are still buzzing with the excitement of last week's show and want to listen to the first interview with Ian and Sandra from Mayfield Farms, it will be available here for another two weeks.


Today's podcast is now available - learn how to plant and graft basil for the home garden with Rob Hoschke and get the recipes for an easy vegetarian banquet with Pete Bufo.


All associated links and recipes will be available later today.

Buy Local! Buy Fresh!

I have been reading this article about how the community of Chatham-Kent has produced a map listing all of their local growers and producers. What a great idea!

For Bellingen we could go from one area of the shire to another - from the ocean past the river all the way to the mountains and the plateau and food ranging from wine, fruit and vegetables, beef, pork, cheese, grains and the rest. it would be a great resource for locals and tourists alike.

And if there was one done for every are around Australia, or around the world! Oh it would be a time for doing the happy dance :-)

Image: italy in pasta by fotoest

Podcast Passionfruit and Chilli

Yes we are now a podcaster so if you missed out on either of the first three programs, or you would just like to listen to them again,  you can download them here - this especially applies if you missed on on our first chat with Ian and Sandra from Mayfield Farm.

This week's podcast - and all podcasts from week 4 onwards are available here or check us out on iTunes - yes we are on iTunes!

Today's show is time to catch up with old friends of the program and meet new ones. Rosa teaches us to make sauerkraut, we take a tour of Mayfield Farm with Ian and Sue and we chat with David from Red Dirt Distillery about centrebe (pronounced "chent-ar bray" or something like that lol).

Making Sauerkraut

We have all experienced a glut of pumpkins, tomatoes or zucchini and it becomes a made rush of cooking, freezing, pickling or finding a neighbor to take some off your hands before any got to waste. So what to do with a glut of cabbage ... have you thought of sauerkraut? It is a simple process to make, with a few techniques to master in the fermentation.

If you would also like to learn to make sauerkraut or have any questions about your batch, you can contact Rose on 65695048

Mayfield Farm in May

What a joy to visit Mayfield Farm and see pigs living as pigs should and doing as pigs do - without the smell and high-pitched squeal of factory farms. Pigs tasking like pigs was also a bonus.

If you are interested in ordering a pork pack, some bacon, sausages or just want to find out more, check out the Mayfield Farm Produce website or call Ian on 6657 6050 or Sandra on 6657 6051.