On Tamborine Mountain we are in an enviable position to have such a large variety of quality produce available from the markets and artisan producers.
Winter Salad with Fennel & Radichico
Radicchio, Fennel and Blood Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 2 small fennel bulbs or 1 large fennel bulb
- 3 or 4 blood oranges, peeled and sliced
- 6 - 10 raddicchio leaves, washed and dried
- Flaked sea salt
- White pepper
- Fennel fronds
- Parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
Method
Line a serving plate with the deep red radicchio leaves.
In a bowl, slice a fennel bulbs, as thinly as you can.
Add peeled and sliced blood oranges. The oranges should be peeled so that none of the white pith remains, as this is bitter.
Season with flaked salt (I like the pink Murray River salt) and white pepper.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Pile the fennel and sliced blood oranges on top of the radicchio leaves and sprinkle with some of the small reserved fennel fronds and torn continental parsley leaves.
Many of the residents on the mountain have the luxury of being able to grow our own vegetables and eat according to the seasons.
At the moment, for instance, fennel, blood oranges and radicchio are at their peak in our gardens and they combine beautifully in a crunchy winter salad.
This delicious salad goes well sprinkled with goat’s cheese feta and served with grilled praws, fish or roast lamb.
Terri uses this excellent local extra virgin olive oil from Rathdowney
This salad is a perfect example of the delicious meals that can be made using the principles of Slow Food.
What is Slow Food?
When asked what is “Slow Food” you may well think that that we are a group of people that are fans of food cooked in crock pots and slow cookers!
Slow food is an international organisation founded in 1989 to counteract the effects of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions, peoples dwindling interest in the food they eat; where it comes from and how it tastes.
We all remember long family dinners as children around grandma’s table and how good the fresh produce used to taste.
These traditions are at risk of being a memory unless we take the time to choose our food with a conscience and take the time to prepare and share it.
Slow Food encourages the forming of networks between farmers and consumers; learning about the land and preserving regional food practices.
Imagine Tamborine Mountain with no rhubarb or avocadoes being sold by the roadside, or no farmers’ green produce shed or no cheesery to buy fresh produce from their factory door.
Sensory Education
An area of Slow Food that has become one of our most important projects on the Mountain is Sensory Education for children. Sensory Education teaches us where the flavour of the food comes from by using all of our senses.
Terri's organic garden produces a wide variety of tastes, textures and colours
Firstly we start with the eyes and ask; is the colour pleasing? Then the smell; what does it smell like - is it fragrant? Then to the feel/texture; is it crunchy or soft, how does it taste - is it sweet, sour, salty?
By using all of our senses we then decide on the foods flavour and hence the enjoyment. This is a great exercise for increasing the children’s vocabulary, as food becomes more descriptive rather than just “yum” or “yuck”.
Slow Food Is Good For The Environment
Slow Food is a group of like-minded people who like to cook and eat with an environmental conscience. We are curious about the whole process of food production; from paddock to plate. We want future generations to enjoy an abundance of food choices that are currently in danger of becoming extinct.
Oh and by the way - sometimes we do like to cook our food in crock-pots!