Posts Tagged ‘art in the olives’

There’s never been a better time to taste, smell and drink in the Scenic Rim’s wonderful array of fresh food and wine.
During May many of the region’s producers will be on hand to display their wares at two fantastic events – Art in the Olives in the Lost World Valley, and A World Apart – Hidden Tastes of Mt Barney.
Celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday May 9 with a trip to the beautiful Lost World Valley. The local community will host the third annual Art in the Olives Festival.
Sue Overell, of the Wild Lime Cooking School, says this day of food, wine and art workshops was an idea born out of a throw-away comment made by one of her family as they picked olives from their Lost World grove.
“We were harvesting olives and we always have all the children and the grandchildren on hand to help,” she says. “Someone said, ‘We really need a jazz band in the corner’, and it’s just grown from there.”
The Festival celebrates everything olives and the creative arts and is a collaboration between the Valley residents and the Beaudesert and District Community Arts Projects (BADCAP). It is held in the Overell’s Worendo Olive Grove.
Sue says it’s a day for young and old and the schedule includes a series of workshops, led by local artists and musicians. Food and drink is also offered for sale by local producers and of course there are olives and olive oils on sale.
“The local school will have a barbecue stall, Desley and Pietro of Classi di Cucina Italiana bring along their minestrone soup and their gelato. The Rathlogan Grove has a stall, there’s also people offering goat milk and olive oil soaps.
“There is plenty of lunch available, Barney Creek Vineyard will be offering wine tasting, and food platters will be available for sale, it’s a gorgeous day.”
A range of adult and children’s’ workshops are available, click here for a full list.
The Overells planted their olive grove about 10 years ago. Sue says while some varieties have flourished, olives remain a particularly unpredictable crop.
Their grove includes Spanish Manzanillo olives, Italian olive varieties, and Greek Kalamata olives. Each season they press their olives locally to make oil.
South East Queensland Olives president, Ian Roy, will be on hand to talk all things olives. He will also be selling his own olive oil.
Then on the weekend of May 22-24, Mt Barney will host its own special event, the fourth-annual A World Apart – Hidden tastes of Mt Barney.
This three-day event involves a number of locations and operators in the Mt Barney region.
They will open their doors to showcase some unique regional food they produce. Taste the local wine, olives, olive oil, Italian gelato, wood-fired pizzas, curries, cafe food, bush tucker and wine by the glass. Meet the friendly neighbourhood alpacas, or take part in organised activities.
Accommodation is available – why not stay for the weekend?
Go to the website for more information.