The drive was so easy and the changing season is so pretty. The sun was out, the leaves were golden and it was nice and toasty in the car. Not to mention the fact that Mr Moo slept the entire drive and was so excited to wake up in the fresh country air surrounded by ducks and sheep.
These days we are being told ‘Eat local.’ ‘Eat what’s in season.’ ‘Eat organic.’ Some are confused by multiple messages about what to eat and where to buy it? But with Parkesbourne Produce, Julie has you covered at her market stalls!
Parkesbourne Produce is all about home grown and home made produce from the Southern Tablelands of NSW. They specialise in soft fruits (alpine strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, youngberries and more), as well as heirloom vegetables – mainly tomatoes and potatoes, and preserves.
I was tickled pink when I was told that Julie was going to make me some delicious treats using her fresh produce… heck, I was impressed just to wonder through the gardens and try the freshest and most flavoursome raspberries and alpine strawberries.
She went above and beyond in the culinary department and it makes me want to head out to the markets that she attends each week, just so my dishes can pop with such beautiful flavours that hers did.
So before I go any further I’ll let you know which markets she regularly attends:
- Rotary markets (Montague St) first Saturday
- Homestead markets (Riversdale) third Sunday
- Brewery markets (Old Goulburn Brewery ) forth Saturday
The produce which she has on offer can include fresh fruit and veggies, vegetable seedlings, fruit trees, duck eggs, jams, pickles and sauces – it all depends on the season!
And I think that’s what really impressed me in the tasted department… everything was so fresh and at its peak, because it was seasonal produce. We are so unaware of seasonal produce in this day and age because everything is available from the supermarket all year round.
When food is not in season locally, it’s either grown in a hothouse or shipped in from other parts of the world, and both affect the taste.
Compare a dark red, vine-ripened tomato still warm from the summer sun with a winter hothouse tomato that’s barely red, somewhat mealy, and lacking in flavor. When transporting crops, they must be harvested early and refrigerated so they don’t rot during transportation. They may not ripen as effectively as they would in their natural environment and as a result they don’t develop their full flavor.
But when you taste produce that has been grown and harvested in season, you will find that it has so much more flavour… honestly, Julie made me these delicious roast potatoes and you think, ‘How much flavour can you really get from a potato?’, but this was phenomenal!
If I had thought that her veggies were amazing, I was about to have my mind blown by the three desserts she created using their berries – which are the focus of the farm! Their berries are so indemand that they are sent to Sydney to one of the best restaurants – Sepia.
