This past weekend was packed with incredible events, amazing people, and unforgettable food! With only one more event to go before I fully dedicate myself to the golf club, I was thrilled to cater two special gatherings that celebrated community, business milestones, and the rich flavors of native ingredients.
Friday Night: A Milestone Dinner in Warracknabeal
The weekend started on Friday evening with a private dinner to mark a 10-year business anniversary in Warracknabeal. The location was stunning, and the kitchen setup allowed us to present a four-course menu that showcased bold flavors and seasonal ingredients. Here’s a look at what we served:
- Pepperberry Beef Tataki with blood orange and puffed wild rice.
- Duck with Macadamia Cream, complemented by grilled beetroot and asparagus.
- Pork Wrapped in Pancetta with beans, peas, and a fennel salsa.
- Flourless Chocolate Cake with Quandong Jam – a new gluten-free creation with a chocolate and quandong mousse center that I recently perfected. I’m excited to announce that this dessert will soon appear on the golf club menu!
By 9 PM, we were packed up and headed home, feeling incredibly grateful to be part of such a memorable celebration.
Saturday: A Bush-Inspired Feast at Joe's Farm
After a quick turnaround, Saturday morning was all about prep for a collaborative event at Joe's farm in Woomelang, organized with Meeze Catering and Woolag. I worked alongside my friend Jan to finalize the ingredients for our dishes, while also preparing a bush tomato sauce for the warrigal green and goat's cheese cannelloni.
The evening took place in a beautifully set barn, and the menu for the night highlighted some fantastic native flavors:
Canapés
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Rainbow Trout Rillette Crouton with finger lime.
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Emu Pâté Tartlets with quandong.
Mains
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Warrigal Green & Goat's Cheese Cannelloni with bush tomato sauce.
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Crocodile with Cinnamon Myrtle.
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Kangaroo Tail Osso Bucco.
Desserts
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Lemon Myrtle Posset with an Anzac wattleseed crumb.
- Strawberry Gum Meringue with quandong.
The Meeze team, including Billie, Aunty Daphne, and Tamm, were busy in the kitchen preparing kangaroo stew and fresh damper. I contributed canapés featuring rainbow trout on baguettes from Blue Wren Bakery and whipped up a quick dip from leftover spring bean salad and bush mint from the previous night.
We served desserts around 9:30 PM, wrapped up in the kitchen by 11:30, and headed home after an hour's drive, capping off the evening with a well-deserved glass of wine before bed at 2 AM. It was a fabulous weekend filled with great food, wonderful company, and the joy of sharing native Australian flavors with a new crowd.
Stay tuned for more adventures, and I’m looking forward to bringing these flavors and experiences to the golf club soon!