Better Homes & Gardens Live
New season’s asparagus including Aspari Grande (500g bunches of medium thick asparagus spears) and mini bunches were popular and white asparagus was much sought after. Vikki Leng and Annette Forrest provided tips (pun intended!) for selecting, storing, preparing and cooking asparagus and asparagus for sale was wrapped in food grade waxed sheets to retain freshness before being gift wrapped. Visitors were bowled over by the fact that, in ideal conditions (warmth and just the right humidity) asparagus can grow 1-2 cm per hour! Luca Ciano of Barilla Pasta whipped up a fabulous Asparagus Fettucine and mini spears were perfect for Vesuvio Wood-fired pizzas - but many guests who picked up their free mini asparagus recipe kit and purchased asparagus could hardly wait to get it home to cook it on the BBQ.
3 Cheers for Spears at Harvest Picnic!
but also by the sight of delicious asparagus recipes cooked on the BBQ by Roger Goold and Valerie Kemp of My Kitchen Moves (see pictured). Aussie growers are encouraging everyone to get patriotic and tuck into loads of luscious Aussie spears whenever they fire up their BBQs. Popular foodie, Jo Richardson, was as colourful as the gift wrapped asparagus on the day!
Green, white and purple asparagus were on show and for sale on the day and grower Delma Hobson ran Asparagus Bunching Competitions, which were lots of fun as well as providing a visual story of how asparagus is graded, weighed, bunched and tagged before it reaches the shops.
BBQ Asparagus at Queen Victoria Market
The AAC’s brand new Aussie Spears Raver set the scene for the event by putting a smile on everyone’s faces. Ably assisted by Peta Gray and Emma Christian, Vikki Leng whipped up some Spring taste sensations including Baby Cos Cups with BBQ Asparagus, Blue Cheese, Roasted Walnuts and Balsamic and Purple Asparagus & Strawberry Salad.
Shoppers were attracted like bees to honey by whole spears, brushed with garlic olive oil, salt flakes and cracked black pepper, languishing on the BBQ.
Asparagus loving QVM traders - greengrocer, Rocco Tripodi and butcher, Linda Tsatsimas - joined Vikki to share their own BBQ tips. Rocco whipped up BBQ Mushroom Pizzas with Asparagus Salsa and Linda wooed the crowd by adding Wagyu beef fillets and sausages to the BBQ and served slices with asparagus spears wrapped in warmed tortillas.
Farm Tour Fascination
The warm fine spring weather on the day was a far cry from the original tour date when the unseasonal heavy rains and February floods descended upon the region! Click here to find out more. Held at Vizzarri Farms in Koo Wee Rup, the tour encouraged local and Melbourne guests to have a hands-on experience of this fascinating vegetable.
The AAC welcomed the generous support of Cardinia Shire and local producers for the opportunity to engage and educate Melbourne and local food media representatives about the bounty of quality food and wine to be found within the region.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Cr George Blenkhorn and Business Development Officer Frances Grigoriou joined the tour and, together with fellow tour guests, were guided through the world of asparagus by Vizzarri Farms General Manager Sybrand Visagie and Tom Knox.
Local food and wine producers added their spoils to the asparagus harvest for Chef John Barbaressos (of Khans Hospitality Service at Cardinia Cultural Centre) and his team to craft a luscious lunch for the tour guests – sponsored by Cardinia Shire Council. The luncheon opened with a selection of barbequed asparagus spears drizzled with Haunted Gully olive oil, accompanied by a variety of dipping sauces and Europa and Jindi cheeses and Hope Farm breads and Cannibal Creek Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Mains options were: Chicken and Europa ricotta tortellini served on Red Gem potato mash accompanied with prosciutto wrapped local asparagus and a cream and Cannibal Creek Chardonnay reduction - accompanied by Cannibal Creek Chardonnay; Eye Fillet served with a duo of roasted Reds Gem potatoes and freshly grilled local asparagus finished with a Cannibal Creek Merlot jus accompanied by Cannibal Creek Merlot. The luncheon concluded with a selection of ‘Sweet Tooth’ items created by Will Gregory of award winning local business Pie Minister.
The Australian Asparagus Council wishes to thank the following organisations for their generous support of the Farm Tour.
Cardinia Shire Council, especially Mayor Cr George Blenkhorn and Business Development Officer Frances Grigoriou.
Khan’s Hospitality Team at Cardinia Cultural Centre, especially Chef John Barbaressos and Catering Manager, Kelly Fitzpatrick
Cannibal Creek Vineyard
Summer Snow Juice
Haunted Gully Olives
Hardings Orchards
Europa Cheese
Hope Farm Bakery
Red Gem Growers & Packers
Pie Minister
Community Spirit Lives on during Koo Wee Rup Floods
Joe Vizzarri, President of the Australian Asparagus Council said, “Established asparagus is a very resilient to adverse weather conditions and asparagus growers are a very resilient bunch. Despite the shortage of asparagus at the present time I don’t think too much longterm damage has affected our asparagus crops. The cold wet conditions have slowed production to a trickle because asparagus likes warm stable weather conditions to produce. I’m quite confident that there will be reasonable supply of asparagus over the next few weeks until the end of March providing the weather doesn’t throw up any further surprises.
In light of the weather conditions being experienced across Australia over the last few weeks I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public and media for expressing concern and support for the rural communities affected by these events. Despite our losses and hardship I do recognise that there many other people and communities who have suffered far more extreme conditions and it will take far longer to recover and return to some sort of normality.”
Regional Produce Luncheon Venue Turned Relief Centre
Tour guests were to continue on to the Cardinia Cultural Centre to dine on the freshest asparagus they had ever tasted teamed up with other local goodies – such as Europa Cheese, Jindi Cheese, Haunted Gully Olive Oil, Red Gem Potatoes, Cannibal Creek Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot, Hardings Orchard Lemons, Summer Snow Apple Juice (Pink Lady and Granny Smith) and Serendipity Lavender Farm - by Cardinia Cultural Centre Chef John Barbaressos and his team of Khan’s Hospitality Services.
However, instead of the perfect venue for a regional produce luncheon, Cardinia Cultural Centre was transformed into a Relief Centre for flood victims.
Produce generously donated for the Farm Tour Luncheon by the above local businesses was collected by Cardinia Shire Council Business Development Officer, Frances Grigoriou and delivered to the 4C’s (Cardinia Combined Churches Caring) Food Bank, where it was gratefully received by the 4C’s Team 9 (see pictured). 4C’s is a voluntary organisation that aims to reach the needy, disadvantaged, homeless and those in crisis within the Shire of Cardinia. It aims to provide the needy with emergency food relief, education, friendship and referral to counseling and advice services if necessary and the NILS (no interest loans to low income people) program.
See pictured (from left to right) Elaine Law (volunteer), Jeni Mathieson (co ordinator) and Tracy Clarke (volunteer).