100 mile foodie Blog

Departing soon: All Aboard the Mornington Express Wine and Dine Train again in 2019
It’s hard to believe that almost 12 months has passed since my first Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in conjunction with the hard-working volunteers of the Mornington Railway. It’s a day that my team and I will never forget. We prepped the venue the day before the event in perfect warm conditions but the weather

Reinventing Sunday lunch: My exciting new Seasonal series to kick-off in March
Sunday lunch has always been one of my favourite meals. It’s the perfect time to reconnect with friends and family and share my passion for Mornington Peninsula produce. I’m always looking for ways to spread the word about the benefits of sustainable eating and what better way to do that than over a relaxed lunch?

A berry nice dessert: Fruit and rhubarb team nicely for a crumbly winter treat
It’s cold, wet and wintry – definitely crumble weather! When I’m making a crumble I can never go past rhubarb. I love the tartness of rhubarb and it pairs beautifully with other fruits and berries. My favourite combination is rhubarb and raspberry. I go to Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm in Main Ridge for my berries

A recipe that’s a cut above: Unfashionable cuts turning out old school slow-cooked classics
It’s really interesting to see how we’ve come full circle with the cuts of meat we use. Cheaper cuts that were once shunned for special occasions are now sought after as we return to old school cooking techniques. Braising and slow roasting is well and truly back in favour and home cooks are asking their

Fungi feast fit for a Queen: My Winter Truffle Train provides a memorable dining experience
We were lucky to have a beautiful sunny afternoon so could serve the canapés on the platform at Moorooduc station before boarding the train. Once on board our guests enjoyed bento boxes filled with more truffle treats including three cheese and black truffle tart, truffled liver parfait, a truffled mac and cheese croquette and some

Surprising find at Farmer’s Market: try this Jerusalem artichoke soup recipe
We all love a Farmer’s Market. But have any of you tried a food swap? I think it might be my new favourite way to source fantastic, fresh produce grown right here on the Mornington Peninsula. I went to one the other day in Pearcedale and came home with the most amazing ingredients including dehydrated

School’s (almost) in: New 100 mile foodie cooking school taking shape
I’m thrilled to announce that my new 100 mile foodie cooking school is almost complete with the finishing touches to be added over the coming weeks. Over the next week, we have meetings with kitchen design and plasterer, the internal frame will be completed while window and door designs will be ordered. I’m hoping to

More autumn fruit ideas: Pinot and pears make a tasty pairing
When it comes to pinot noir we’re certainly spoilt for choice on the Mornington Peninsula. It’s one of my favourite wines to drink, and to cook with! I especially like combining it with my favourite autumn fruit – pears. These Spiced Pinot Pears are easy to make and are decadent enough to be served simply

The Chef and the Farmer’s Wife: Launching my new series of special lunches
You probably all know by now how much I love to collaborate! This autumn I have been working with one of my favourite Mornington Peninsula producers Sally Matt (pictured, right, with me) on a series of special lunches. Sally and her husband Eddie run Hillock Downs where they breed and raise the most spectacular beef.

Autumn fruit ideas: Pears take some beating for quality and quantity at this time of the year
Poached pears take me to my happy place. My love affair with the autumnal fruit began when I was pregnant with my son, Hamish. I craved tinned fruit in natural juice, especially pears. I remember thinking it was such a funny thing to want, but at least it was healthy! Hamish is well and truly

More 100 mile foodie events released: Join us for Mother’s Day and our Winter Wine and Truffle Train
I’m delighted to announce my latest event after our highly successful Melbourne Food and Wine Festival event. I’ll be hosting the first ever running of the Mornington Peninsula Winter Wine and Truffle Train, running from Moorooduc Station on Saturday, June 9 as part of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend and the 2018 Truffle Melbourne Festival.
All aboard for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival: the first running of 100 mile foodie’s Wine & Dine Train
It’s been a busy few weeks for the 100 mile foodie team with numerous functions and events keeping me busy. The highlight was our Melbourne Food & Wine Festival event held in conjunction with the Mornington Railway – the Mornington Wine and Dine Train. OK, let’s be honest. Things didn’t start out so well. Victoria’s

Celebrating International Women’s Day: the ultimate Peninsula produce challenge!
On Thursday, March 8, I celebrated women working in food, wine and agriculture with a special International Women’s Day lunch created solely from Peninsula produce. The lunch was a chance to support and encourage women working in fields still dominated by men. The event was hosted by Rye beef farmer Sally Matt at Hillock Downs
What do I do with all these Zucchinis? : Zucchini Recipes
I don’t know about you, but I am up to my eyeballs in homegrown zucchini. It is peak zucchini season and every one I speak to seems to be inundated with homegrown, monstorous zucchinis. So I have decided to write up a little article about some creative and tasty ways to eat all those zucchinis

Announcing the ‘100 Mile Foodie Food Swap’
I am not sure about you, but as a gardener and as some one who enjoys preserving the harvest, I always find myself with too much. I always find myself giving multiple jars of jam away or passing off whole buckets of broad beans to family and friends because there is no way I will

Christmas Market 15th December 2017
The Christmas market has been rescheduled to the 15th of December. Due to an unfortunately timed once in a decade ‘rain event’ on the previously scheduled date, we rescheduled the event. However not to worry! This rescheduled date gives both 100 mile foodie and the vendors more time to perfect, finesse and improve the products

“Spring Harvest” with Head Chef/Owner The Long Table, Andrew Doughton
A collaboration between 100 mile foodie & The Long Table in Red Hill has seen some wonderful classes created and one of the most exciting is the “Spring Harvest” with Head Chef/Owner of The Long Table Andrew Doughton. Fresh, local and seasonal is the ethos and The Long Table and this “Spring Harvest” lunch will

Christmas in July Event
Christmas in July Event. 100 mile foodie will launch our Regional Seasonal lunches When: Saturday 22nd July Where: 100 mile foodie Kitchen-garden 24 Chesterfield road Somerville, Victoria Time: 1-4pm Includes: A three course regional, seasonal lunch of Christmas fare incorporating the very best local farmers and producers have to offer, and of course our kitchen-garden

Japanese Street Food
One of the most exciting things about my culinary adventure, like every adventure to a far away land is always the street food and Japan was no exception. Most street food vendors, known as yatai in Japanese, follow an event circuit around Japan. While yatai can be found independently of events, its somewhat rare. Many

Tsukiji fish market Tokyo Japan
I’m on a culinary adventure to Tokyo and Kyoto to find out the secrets of Japanese cuisine and why the Japanese are so healthy. The first thing that comes to mind when you mention Tokyo & food is the Tsukiji Fish market (築地市場, Tsukiji Shijō). It is the largest fish market in the world handling

Kitchen-garden taking shape
The apple crates are looking amazing, all finished full of seedlings ready to grow all that amazing fresh veg & edible flowers!To get it to this stage there has been lots of people who are working hard apart from us! Here is Jasmine she is the newest recruit at 100 mile foodie, there’s no flys

Kitchen garden wicking beds ready to go!
Exciting times at “100 mile foodie kitchen garden” as we watch the dream roll out week after week. Kate our Amazing gardener extraordinaire has transformed a underutilised area of our block to an amazing productive soon to be fresh food-producing zone which will service our cooking school, local chefs tailored orders and of course our families

Raw Vegan Bliss Balls
Everyone’s favourite is definitely the Matcha Raspberry! I think it’s the colour first they look very cool with their bright green coating but when you bite into them Wow what a flavour hit! The first taste sensation to hit your lips is the bitterness of the matcha then you hit the smooth cacao/maple syrup/date richness

Turkish Borecks (Sigara Boregi) at The Red Hill Agricultural show
It was great fun rolling these Borecks with volunteers from the audience they did an awesome job & learnt a new skill! Borecks can be filled with either fried lamb mince from www.woolumbi.com and dried mint, enough to give it that real Turkish taste or potato & red onion from www.brf.com.au at the Red Hill show yesterday I

Red Hill Agricultural Show
Saturday 11th March 2017 was a wonderful warm March day perfect for the annual Red Hill show at the Red Hill showgrounds. For those who visited the cooking stage at 11am thank you, it was wonderful to have you there & as promised here are the recipes of the two things I demonstrated. Chocolate Avocado

Herbs & Organic herbal tea bags for sale
Hi my business 100 mile foodie is a local Somerville catering & gourmet product range of preserves business which is also building a Kitchen Garden & Cooking School. Each day I am home I will put out a blackboard of what I have for sale from my garden which is grown chemical free & picked

Meal prep for 3pm munchies! Beetroot dip hits the spot.
Hi, I don’t know about you but when 3pm rolls in I can hear my stomach gurgling for something savoury, crunchie, delicious & satisfying, so like all good healthy eating plans I have done some meal prep for the week of afternoon teas. Using some beautiful ingredients from our kitchen garden, Peninsula Fresh Organics &

100 mile foodies’ First Farmers’ Market
Sunday 26th February, this coming Sunday is 100 mile foodies’ first Farmers’ market!! We will be at Mt Eliza Farners’ market in Mt Eliza Way Mt Eliza from 9am – 1pm pop in & say hi. We will have cordial, pastes, preserves & tea all using Mornington Peninsula sourced fresh ingredients.