View a selection of the videos that showcase the Scenic Rim Region.
Fresh and Local
Fresh Harvest Calendar
Local Recipes
Cooking School Secrets
Markets
Regional Produce Directory
Fresh Local Produce
THE Scenic Rim is home to some of Australia’s leading fresh food producers.
Vegetables, fruit, flowers, cheese, wine and cattle are all available in abundance throughout the area, proof that the local conditions and climate are well-suited to rural production.
The fertile alluvial soils of the Fassifern Valley, which stretches between Boonah, Kalbar and Aratula in the west of the region, have for hundreds of years grown tasty, fresh and healthy crops in abundance.
The Valley is particularly known for its carrot crops, and between June and December is responsible for producing about 90 per cent of Queensland’s carrot supply and about 30 per cent of the national supply.
An abundance of fresh water, combined with soil rich in nutrients and a sub-tropical climate are a recipe for great fresh food and are the reason why the Fassifern Valley is often referred to as the ‘food bowl’ of the region.
Many of the local farming families are now in their third and fourth generations of horticultural production. Over the years these families have kept pace with the times and boast world-leading agricultural technology, which ensures they remain at the forefront of the industry.
The valley is also home to Queensland’s largest vegetable processing facility, which supplies the food manufacturing and food services industry.
On Tamborine Mountain avocados are the main crop, produced year-round thanks to fertile soil and a favourable climate. There are said to be about 300 avocado orchards on the mountain of various sizes. Rhubarb is also a prolific crop here, with the bulk of Queensland’s supply originating from Tamborine. About 70 per cent of the mountain is designated rural use and two-thirds of the land is said to be volcanic in origin. Over the years Tamborine Mountain has been home to dairy famers, citrus, and flower farmers, and most recently to the avocado and rhubarb producers.
Local growers sell their wares to the public every Sunday from The Green Shed.
The Green Shed markets are located in the green shed at the Mountain’s Showground on Main Western Rd and run from 7am to noon. More information at www.greenshed.com.au
Mt Tamborine is also a rich source of clean, fresh water, which is available in abundant supply thanks to the volcanic origins of the land, and about five local residents sell their water for bottling by Coca-Cola.
While many kinds of fruit and vegetables have been grown in the Scenic Rim, only one bears a local name, the Beaudesert Blue Pumpkin. The Beaudesert Blue is believed to have originated around the Beaudesert area around 1910-15 and was produced by crossing the Crown, Ironbark and Button varieties. A good Beaudesert Blue was characterised by size, good taste, texture and a small flat crown with a deeply ridged, smooth blue-green skin.
The Scenic Rim region also boasts a burgeoning boutique food industry, featuring cheese and wine makers and olive producers. For more information about the Scenic Rim’s regional producers can be found in the Scenic Rim regional produce directory.
The region’s early agricultural history has close links to the cattle and dairying industries. The first settlers to the area brought with them many European farming practices, and their survival relied on their success. In the late 1800s the demise of pastoralism prompted landholders to look to dairying for their future. Queensland was dependent on butter and cheese imports so a local market was virtually assured. By 1897 the Boonah district alone boasted 22,889 head of cattle and the Scenic Rim was home to a number of creameries where farmers delivered their milk for dispatch to butter factories. In 1931 salted butter produced by the Boonah Butter Factory was awarded a gold medal in London. The Butter Factory still stands but unfortunately falling prices in the late 1950s led to a contraction of the industry.
The Beaudesert, Boonah and Harrisville areas are still home to a number of commercial dairies, however the numbers are nothing like they were in the industry’s hey-day.
Fresh Harvest Calendar
THE Scenic Rim produces a variety of crops throughout the year. The peak vegetable season runs during winter when carrots, onions, lettuce and broccoli are in season, but other products are available year round.
Carrots
June to December
Click here for carrot recipe
Onions
September to January
Click here for onion recipe
Pumpkin
November to March
Click here for pumpkin recipe
Green Beans
November, December, March – June
Click here for green beans recipe
Corn
Mid November to mid May
Click here for corn recipe
Broccoli and Cauliflower
April to October
Click here for broccoli and cauliflower recipe
Zucchini
December – April
Click here for zucchini recipe
Lettuce
April to September
Click here for lettuce salad recipe
Potatoes
June – July, November
Click here for potatoes recipe
Olives
Harvested late March and all of April. Flower late September, early October.
Click here for olive recipe
Beetroot
June to November
Click here for beetroot recipe
Avocados
January, March to December
Click here for avocados recipe
Rhubarb
Available year round
Click here for rhubarb recipe
Tamarillos (tree tomatoes)
Available on Tamborine Mountain from February to August
Click here for tamarillos recipe
Processed vegetables
Available year round
Country Staples
Available year round
Click here for Country Staples recipe
Local Recipes
SOME of our best chefs in the Scenic Rim are home-based.
In this sections some of our generous locals welcome you into their kitchens to share a family favourite, fresh from the oven.
Annie Rieck’s Carrot Cake
Annie Rieck and her son Michael are one of the Fassifern Valley’s largest producers of carrots. Annie has been involved in carrot farming for 23 years and used to take two-year-old Michael with her to work in local carrot sheds. Annie first discovered this recipe in the Australian Women’s Weekly in order to find a use for the many carrots at her disposal. Over the years she has tweaked the recipe, producing perfect cakes, which many in the district say are the best they’ve ever tasted.
Ingredients
1.5 cups of grated carrots (two medium carrots, add more if you want to)
½ cup of walnuts
2 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
¾ cup oil (olive/vegetable)
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon bi-carbonate soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mixed spice (more if you want)
Method
Combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla and beat with a mix master.
Sift the flour, bi-carbonate soda, salt and spice and add to the mixture.
Mix well (more mixing leads to a lighter, fluffier cake).
Stir in the grated carrot. Pour the mix into a 20cm ring tin and bake in a moderate (180deg) oven for 45 minutes.
Cream Cheese frosting
30grams of butter
60 grams of cream cheese
Grated lemon rind
1.5 cups of sifted icing sugar
Mix ingredients and ice the cooled cake.
Lemon flavoured butter Icing
¾ cup of icing sugar
1 tablespoon of butter
Lemon Essence
A capful of milk
Beat well and ice the cooled cake.
Richard’s beer battered onion rings
Richard Gorman is a Fassifern Valley onion farmer. He’s been growing brown and red onions for the past 10 years and supplies major markets around Australia. A keen consumer of his own product, Richard sourced this recipe for beer-battered onion rings a number of years ago as part of his ‘R&D’. He says they’re easy to make and are a great accompaniment with most meals. Try them with a garlic aioli too.
Ingredients (serves 4)
190g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 x 375ml bottle chilled lager-style beer
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
4 medium (about 720g) brown onions, cut into rings, rings separated
Sea salt flakes
Method
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Use a balloon whisk to whisk in the beer until the mixture is smooth.
Add enough oil to a large wok or saucepan to reach a depth of 10cm. Heat to 190°C over high heat (when oil is ready, a cube of bread will turn golden brown in 10 seconds). Dip one-third of the onion rings, 1 at a time, into the beer batter to evenly coat, then straight into the hot oil. Deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until crisp, golden and cooked through. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towel. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with the remaining onion rings and batter, reheating the oil between batches.
Arrange the beer-battered onion rings on a serving platter and season with sea salt flakes. Serve immediately.
Meg Abbott’s Pumpkin Soup
Meg Abbott and her husband Mal have been growing vegetables, including pumpkin, in the Fassifern for more than 50 years. Meg has been making this soup for more than 40 years and it is based on a recipe which was in a book she received while at school.
Ingredients
1kg rich-coloured pumpkin
2 potatoes
1 onion
4 cups chicken or beef stock
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon butter
½ to ¾ cup cream
Method
Peel pumpkin and potatoes and cut into pieces. Peel and chop onion.
Place all in a large saucepan, add the stock, sugar, salt, pepper and butter and cook until soft.
Cool, then place in a blender and blend until smooth.
Finally add the cream and serve immediately.
Heat but do not boil. Serve immediately.
Garnish with chopped parsley or nutmeg.
Beaudesert Blue Pumpkin Soup – Mt Barney Lodge
The Beaudesert Blue is a unique local breed of pumpkin that has been in use since the early 1900’s. It’s full flavour and tough skin are best revealed when the pumpkin is roasted and made into a thick traditional soup.
Ingredients:
1 large onion
1 large Beaudesert Blue Pumpkin
Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Chicken Stock powder
Water
Cream
Method:
Cut pumpkin into segments following the natural line of the pumpkin, and keep seeds intact.
Lay segments flat on an oven tray and bake in a 180 degree oven until soft, when tested with a fork.
Separate the skin and seeds- for easier handling, allow to cool first.
Chop onion and fry in a little oil until translucent.
Place pumpkin flesh in a heavy-based saucepan, and barely cover with water.
Add 1 teaspoon of stock powder for every cup of water used.
Bring to the boil, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Blend with whizz stick until smooth, add a splash of cream if desired, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with crusty bread as an entrée, or a green salad to make a light meal.
Rita Fane’s Green Bean Dressing
Kalbar resident Rita Fane has adapted a simple dressing recipe passed down by her Italian ancestors and says it is the perfect accompaniment to most green vegetables, but particularly fresh Fassifern Valley green beans.
Ingredients
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Parsley
Method
Mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley and pour over steamed or boiled fresh green beans.
For something different add chopped grilled bacon or pancetta and shallots and pair this dressing with steamed baby potatoes.
Edwina Windley’s Corn and Meat Fritters
Edwina and John Windley breed cattle on their Kalbar property Kengoon. heir son Ed grows corn on an adjoining farm. Edwina’s recipe for corn and meat fritters is a crowd favourite among all who visit Kengoon.
Ingredients
1 cup self-raising flour
1-2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 onion
Cold left-over meat and/or bacon
Sweet corn kernels
Tomato
Parsley/mixed herbs
Method
Beat the eggs. Add milk. Sift flour, make a well and add the mixture. Gradually stir in the flour. Stir into a batter and add the meat and other ingredients.
DO NOT OVER STIR. Let the mixture rest while covered before frying in hot oil.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve.
Glenys Humphreys’ Cauliflower and Broccoli Bake
Glenys Humphreys began her cooking career in the David Jones Brisbane cafeteria in the 1960s. She had just finished school and she was put in charge of the salad department. During the next five years she learned her craft on the job. Later she moved to the kitchen of her local hotel because it was next to her children’s’ school. She has worked at various hotels and wedding reception centres ever since. Glenys is the chief steward of the Boonah Show cooking section and is also the cook at Boonah’s Australian Hotel.
This recipe was first provided to Glenys by her husband’s aunty, who lived on a dairy farm. The recipe came from an old recipe book that had been handed down through the family.
Ingredients
1 small cauliflower
1 broccoli
1 packet French onion soup mix
½ cup of milk
½ cup cream
Grated cheese
Method
Cut cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Grease a baking tray and put in milk. Place cauliflower and broccoli in the tray. Add the milk, cream and sprinkle the soup mix. Bake in a moderate oven for about ¾ of an hour, or until the vegetables are cooked. Sprinkle cheese and bake for another 15 minutes.
Sue Overell’s Worendo Wild Weed Salad
Sue Overell runs the Worendo Wild Lime Cooking School in the Lost World Valley. She teaches students how to cook cuisines from around the world, while incorporating Australian bush foods. This is her recipe for a wild weed salad.
Ingredients
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs plain flour
2 shredded lemon myrtle leaves
2/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ tsp ground lemon myrtle
8 cups mixed wild salad leaves – including watercress, warrigal greens, rocket, endive, butter lettuce and herbs from the garden
½ cup macadamias chopped and toasted
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C and line two baking trays with paper
Combine parmesan, lemon myrtle and flour and spread six x 6cm circles of the parmesan mixture on the trays. Bake for three to five minutes until golden, then cool slightly and break into shards; alternatively, place tablespoons of mixture in a large non-stick frying pan and cook over a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes until cheese is pale golden around edges. Turn carefully and cook one minute longer
Whisk olive oil and balsamic and lemon myrtle together and toss with leaves and parmesan shards in a bowl.
Top with chopped macadamias and roasted capsicum.
Kate’s Potato and Spinach Frittata
Kate Raymont is a Canungra-based caterer. Not only does she cater for regional functions through her Hinterland Harvest business, but she has also recently started Kindy Kids Catering, which delivers fresh, home-cooked lunches direct to children at their kindergartens.
She says this recipe is also great with sweet potato.
You will require a pan that you can fry in and also put under the grill for this recipe. Alternatively, you can cover a fry pan handle with aluminium foil to prevent heat damage while under the grill. Serves 4.
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes diced into 1cm cubes
1 cup vegetable stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 shallots sliced
100g baby spinach leaves
6 eggs
½ cup cream
80g cheese (parmesan or cheddar, grated)
Method
Lightly beat the eggs and cream together and season. Put the potato and the stock together in a frying pan and boil over high heat until almost all of the liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and add shallots and oil and toss to coat. Add the spinach leaves and then the egg mixture. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes and then sprinkle over cheese. Place under grill until golden. Serve with salad.
Desley Agnoletto’s Zucchini Ripiene
Desley Agnoletto runs Classi di Cucina Italiana at Rathdowney with her husband Pietro. They hail from Brisbane where they started the Schonell Pizza Caffe at the University of Queensland. These days they reside in Rathdowney with their camels, alpacas, peacocks and other Australian wildlife and teach visitors the art of making authentic pizza and pasta.
Ingredients
6 x 200g zucchinis
200g mortadella
4 cloves garlic
5 tabs bread crumbs
4 tabs parsley
4 tabs parmesan
half teas. pepper
half teas. salt
1 egg beaten
For topping: 2 tabs melted better and 6 tabs breadcrumbs.
Method
Put zucchinis in cold water and bring to boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Cut in half lengthways and scoop out pulp into a strainer. Squeeze out as much water out as possible.
Put mortadella in a food processor with zucchini pulp, parsley and garlic.
Put in a bowl with breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, pepper, salt and beaten egg.
Mix well and place mixture neatly into empty skins.
Put 6 tabs. breadcrumbs into the melted butter and place on top of zucchinis.
Cook in a preheated oven (200 deg C) for 20 minutes.
Pasta Sophia Loren
This recipe was created by Italian cooking teacher, Desley Agnoletto of Classi di Cucina Italiana at Rathdowney. Marilyn Liebke of Rathlogan Grove Olives says she serves this dish to visitors to her olive grove, situated in the foothills of Mt Barney, and receives rave reviews every time.
Ingredients
500gram fettuccine
2 anchovy fillets mashed
1 cup of squeezed, cooked spinach, finely chopped
Grated parmesan
2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
2 tablespoons of blue vein cheese
1 cup olive oil
20 black olives, chopped
1 cup of thickened cream
Cracked pepper
Method
Cook the Spinach until tender. Drain, rinse under a cold tap and wrap in a tea towel to wring out the water. Put to the side.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and anchovies. Stir for two minutes on a low heat.
Add the chopped spinach and let simmer for about two minutes.
Add the olives, cheese and cream.
Heat through.
Drain the cooked pasta and return to the warm saucepan. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir through. Add salt to taste.
Serve with parmesan and a fresh salad.
Hazel Brent’s Preserved Beetroot
Hazel Brent, her late husband Len and their ancestors have been growing vegetables at Bunjurgen since the early 1900s. These days Hazel’s sons and grandchildren run the family’s vegetable growing and processing business. They are among the biggest beetroot growers in the district and this is Hazel’s recipe for preserved beetroot, much loved around the district.
Ingredients
12 small beetroot
½ cup White or Brown Vinegar
White sugar to taste
Method
Place beetroot in a saucepan.
Add water to cover and bring to the boil.
Boil until beetroot are soft. Remove from stove.
Drain water and allow beetroot to cool.
Once cooled peel skin off.
You can now either quarter, slice or leave beetroot whole.
Place beetroot in a container that is airtight.
On the stove bring to the boil 1 cup of water, vinegar and sugar (we like ours sweet so we usually add about ¼ cup sugar).
Once boiled pour over beetroot.
This dressing must cover the beetroot. If not make some more.
Place lid on container and refrigerate.
The beetroot will keep in the fridge for a week or more.
Tracey Larkin’s Avocado Recipe
Sesame Crusted Salmon with Avocado and Udon Noodle Salad – Mt Barney Lodge
Serves 2 people.
Ingredients:
2 Salmon Filets with Skin on
Sesame seeds
1 red onion
Mint Leaves
2 large Avocado
1 packet Udon Noodles
Dressing:
1 tablespoon wasabi
1 ½ teaspoons caster sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
Method:
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a jug
Coat salmon in sesame seeds by simply filling a bowl and pressing fish into them
Tear off mint leaves and finely chop red onion.
Prepare avocado by taking ½ out of the shell, and cutting in long slices, and squeezing lemon juice over to stop it going brown.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, and rapidly boil noodles for 10 minutes, when cooked drain in colander and rinse with hot water. Quickly toss noodles in dressing, saving ¼ of the liquid for later.
Meanwhile heat BBQ or heavy based frypan, and add a little oil.
Cook salmon skin side down first, 3-4 minutes on each side, until still a little pink inside.
Rest on a cutting board. Then after a few minutes slice in 4-5 long segments.
Put some noodles in a deep bowl, Sprinkle mint and onion over noodles.
Arrange segments of avocado and salmon in a star. Pour over extra dressing.
Perfect with Barney Creek Vineyards’ 2008 Verdelho!
June Schossow’s Rhubarb Jam
June Schossow has been cooking most of her life. As the wife of a dairy farmer and a regular caterer at the local showground she always made use of any leftovers on offer. Her marmalade is well-regarded throughout the district and was this year named Best Jar at the Beaudesert Show. June’s brother was a rhubarb farmer and at the age of 85 he continues to make rhubarb jam. This recipe is inspired by him.
Allow 1kg of sugar to 1kg or rhubarb
Cut the rhubarb into 2.5cm lengths, place in a bowl, cover with sugar and stand overnight.
Boil with enough green ginger to flavour.
Boil until it thickens.
Bottle and seal while hot.
Margaret Eveans’ Rhubarb Crumble
Margaret Eveans is married to an Englishman and lived in the UK for many years. That, she says, is where her love of rhubarb comes from. She created this recipe from scratch, as an alternative to apple crumble.
Filling
6 sticks of rhubarb cut into 5cm pieces
50grams crystallised ginger diced
100grams sugar
Crumble Topping
200grams self-raising flour
90gram butter or margarine
50grams sugar
1tsp cinnamon (ground)
Method
Mix the filling ingredients together and place in an oven-proof deep dish.
Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs
Add sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
Place on top of the rhubarb, press down gently, then gently rough top to crumb up slightly.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees (180degrees fan-forced). Bake until golden for about 25 minutes.
Leave to settle for five to 10 minutes and serve with ice-cream, cream or custard.
Geoff Buckley’s Tamarillo Mousse
Geoff Buckley and his wife Bev began the Green Shed markets at Tamborine Mountain nine years ago. Geoff used to live in Sydney and worked in computers and management. Since moving to the Mountain he has taught himself to grow vegetables and even runs courses to show others how it’s done. He created this recipe many years ago to capitalise on his abundant supply of tamarillos.
Ingredients
8 tamarillos
1 cup sugar
¾ cup boiling water
2 teaspoons gelatine
1 cup whipped cream
2 egg whites
Method
Place tamarillos in boiling water until skin splits. Peel fruit and leave to cool. Alternatively cut tamarillos in half and scoop out the flesh. Blend with sugar and leave for 15 minutes. Blend gelatine and boiling water and stir into tamarillo mixture. Place in refrigerator until the mixture starts to set. Whip cream and stir into mixture. Finally add stiffly beaten egg whites after the rest has almost set. Refrigerate.
Country Staples
In the country there are some dishes which you should just be able to make in your sleep. Scones and pikelets are two of those ‘must do’ dishes.
Here are two recipes guaranteed to see you through most situations; high tea, smoko, or a catch up with the girls.
Perfect Piklets Recipe by Gaylene Gray
Ingredients
2 eggs
1.5 cups of milk
4tablespoons of sugar
Vanilla
Aprox 12 tablespoons self-raising flour
Method
Combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and beat by hand until well combined.
Add flour spoon by spoon, beating after each addition, until the mixture is thick.
Spoon onto a pre-heated greased frypan.
When the surface bubbles turn with a spatula and cook the other side.
These freeze well if you have any left over.
Featherlight Scones by Boonah’s Glenys Humphreys
When Glenys Humphreys first married her dairy farmer husband she tried to cook the pumpkin scones his female relatives had always cooked, and which he loved. They were not a success. They were so hard that not even the dog would eat them. Over the years Glenys learned from her mistakes and tweaked her scone recipe until she achieved a perfect featherlight scone.
Ingredients
1 egg
2 teaspoons of sugar
30 grams of melted butter
¾ cup of milk
2 cups self-raising flour
½ teaspoon salt
Method
Beat eggs and sugar togther until thick. Add the melted butter and milk (room temperature).
Sift together flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
Stir in the egg mixture and mix into a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and pat to ½ inch thickness.
Cut out with floured cutter or a glass. Place apart on a lightly greased tray and brush the tops with milk. Bake in a hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cooking School Secrets
Classi di Cucina Italiana
111 Douglas Rd, Rathdowney
07 5544 1008
Classi di Cucina Italiana
PIETRO and Desley Agnoletto founded the hugely-popular Schonell Pizza Caffe at the University of Queensland, and during their 15 years at the helm this dynamic couple served more than one million authentic Italian pizzas to very satisfied customers. Now happily ensconced on their Rathdowney property, Pietro and Desley share their secrets and tips for making great, fresh Italian food.
As well as running monthly pizza and pasta cooking classes from their farm, Pietro and Desley will also deliver lessons from your own kitchen. During their lessons you’ll learn anything from how to make your own pizza dough, to cooking with a wood-fired pizza oven, to whipping up a tasty, traditional pasta dish.
Desley says many of the secrets imparted during a cooking class are the result of years of experimenting. Other secrets go back to Padova Italy and Pietro’s mum.For Desley and Pietro, the Italian food thing happened almost by chance. Sure Pietro is Italian, but his ‘first career’ was as an anthropologist. He later developed a keen professional interest in New Guinea primitive art. When a friend suggested they find a ‘joint project’, Pietro suggested they invent backyard pizza ovens. They did and of course it was only natural that Pietro learn how to make great pizzas.
“We had to start inviting people around for pizzas to try to sell the ovens,” says Desley.
“That’s how the pizza-making started. People kept saying ‘These are the best pizzas we have ever tasted.”
Pietro says the secret to a great pizza lies in the base.
Just like a good beer needs time to ferment, so does pizza dough. Another of Pietro’s pizza secrets is to cook your vegetables prior to topping the pizza.
“Raw vegetables on pizza taste pretty awful and during the cooking process they lose a lot of moisture,” says Desley.
“The only vegetable we don’t cook is onion because cooked onion takes on an Australian BBQ flavour, which isn’t really what we’re after.”
During a five-hour pizza-making class, Pietro and Desley will cover a number of topics, including how to make pizza dough, tomato base, and the history of Italian cuisine. Morning tea and lunch are served, as are local wines. The day ends with a serving of their home-made gelato (the local honey and macadamia nut combo is very popular). Where possible the couple uses local produce, including olives, herbs and honey, in their recipes.
Desley also offers pasta-making classes, which cover both the creation of pasta and the pasta sauces.
“I lived in Italy for 18months and during that time I observed Pietro’s mother,” says Desley.
“When I came home I experimented with her recipes and over the years have developed recipes which are very quick and simple to make.”
If you aren’t interested in pizza or pasta, they also offer a five-course Veneto banquet featuring very traditional dishes. This can be done at their place or yours.
Cooking courses are held once a month and cost $90 which includes recipe sheets, ingredients, tuition and as much food as you can eat. Group price for a maximum of 10 is $600.
Wild Lime Cooking School
Worendo, Lost World Valley
07 5544 8104
www.worendo.com
Wild Lime Cooking School
A day at the Wild Lime Cooking School is not so much about learning to cook, it’s about having an amazing back-to-nature experience.
Here you will learn to use Australian wild foods in fusion with Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.
You’ll do this in the depths of the Lost World Valley with the imposing Lamington Plateau as your backdrop.
Sue and Rob Overell have lived in the Lost World Valley for 35 years. They raised their three children in the idyllic setting amidst horses, cows, sheep, geese and chooks. Their Queenslander home, set on 140-acres of rolling green hills, enjoys spectacular views of Razorback Mountain and the Lamington range.
Sue and Rob are school teachers, but they are also both avid foodies.
And when you’re 35km from the nearest shop you learn to cook well. Pair this love of food with a love of travel and you’ll soon understand where the inspiration for the Wild Lime Cooking School comes from.
Every month Sue shares her culinary secrets, collected during overseas and at home adventures, with the intimate group who attend her Wild Lime Cooking School.
Each class focuses on a different cuisine, but there is one constant, the inclusion of Australian wild foods, which are all sourced on the property. You’ll use wild native limes, fragrant lemon myrtle and peppery warrigal greens to create a smorgasbord which may feature sorbet, seafood, kangaroo and gnocchi.
The relaxed classes are held in the trendy country kitchen of their Wild Lime Cottage, which is also available to guests who wish to stay for a night or two.
“The peace and the tranquility is the thing that most people comment on,” says Sue.
“People arrive to us on a Friday night all hyped up, saying they’re going to climb this mountain and do that walk. By the time they leave on Sunday they look 10 years younger and they haven’t done any walking, choosing instead to relax on the verandah and take in the views.”
Two hour cooking classes are followed by lunch and local wine. The cost of a class and lunch is $90.
Wild Lime Cooking School Calendar – 2011
Tamborine Cooking School
609 Main Western Rd (South), Mount Tamborine
07 5545 4564 or 0421 087 901
www.tamborinecookingschool.com.au
“My food philosophy is to cook delicious food using traditional techniques but in a lighter style, showcasing the best fresh local produce”. – Terri Taylor.
Enjoy a fabulous day out with friends learning to cook delicious dishes in a private relaxed atmosphere on beautiful Mt Tamborine.
Terri Taylor is a professional chef and loves nothing better than sharing her experience with tips and tricks so you too can produce truly delicious results. It’s not all work though! There is plenty of time for a leisurely lunch so you can taste all the delights that you helped prepare. Bon Apetit!
Learn to cook and enjoy a 4 course meal.
One day classes held twice weekly.
- Professional Tuition
- Beautiful Surroundings
- Delicious Food
Scenic Rim Regional Markets
Beaudesert Market Fest
1st Saturday of each month 7am-12noon
Market Stalls, car wash, live entertainment and rides
Dick Westerman Park Enterprise Dr, Beaudesert
Ph: 5544 8200 Jenny Young
Beechmont Markets
3rd Sunday of each month
8am-12 noon
Old Beechmont & Binna Burra Rds, Beechmont
Ph: 0419 528 401 Cheryl McDonald
Boonah Country Markets
2nd and 4th Saturday of each month
7am-12 noon
Springleigh Park, Coronation Drive Boonah
Ph: 0448 248 828
Boonah Sunday Markets
Held 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month
7am – 12 noon @ Boonah Showgrounds
Macquarie Street, Boonah
Ph: Boonah Show Society on 07 5463 1124
Tamborine Mountain Country Markets
2nd Sunday each month
8am- 2pm
Tamborine Mountain Show grounds,
Main Western Rd
Ph: 0417 618 379
Tamborine Mountain Local Producers Markets
Every Sunday
8am-12noon
Held in the Green Shed
Tamborine Mountain Show Grounds
Main Western Rd
Ph: 5545 2617 Geoff Buckley
Tamborine Mountain School Markets
Last Sunday each month
8am-2pm
Held in the car park across from the school
Long Rd, North Tamborine
Ph: 5543 8314