We're Jamming

Greengage jam - just fruit and sugar boiled silly - on toast for breakfast. Yum...

Nearly Apples

While the season's first prize apples - early Gravensteins - are available on the East Tamar Highway, our trees still have a little way to go. They've been beautiful all summer offering an umbrella of shade on these hot days made for lazing...

Open This Weekend

We'd love to see you. We're on the big bend on Pipers River Road, Karoola. Fresh produce and new vintage on sale!

Green Day

It seems like months ago when we planted the first capsicum seedlings in the hilbarn hothouse. In fact, it was. When you see roquette grow from seed to crop in under a month, neither of us appreciated quite how slow it could be to grow capsicum. True to nature, just as we were beginning to think our capsicum days were over, there it was - the most surprising crop of green peppers! Huge bell-sized shapes on every plant. In the end, a case of 'less hope, more patience'.

Blackberry Gob-Stoppers

Some good people just love sharing what they grow in their gardens with friends. Our crop of blackberries, featuring for the first time in today's hilbarn box, came from growers in nearby Turners Marsh. But we found these ones (photographed) on our doorstep this morning: a precious gift from a generous friend. During our deliveries this morning, it was blackberries that put smiles on young faces too - just as appealing as a jar of gob-stoppers! It's one of life's special pleasures: seeing how children react at the front door when we drop by.

Lady of the Paddock

They are a force of nature. How can it be that when the ground is at its driest and hardest (tough now for even the strongest of men to dig dirt) that Naked Ladies should be at their prime? Rising seemingly out of a faded paddock as hard as concrete, their power could match that of any post-hole digger. They may be beautiful, but, like black snakes, beware of beauty. The Belladonna is also poisonous.

Vietnamese Mint

Breakfast this morning was spent in the garden, cutting fresh stems of Vietnamese mint (or Laksa plant) for today's hilbarn boxes. They looked a little perkier after last night's thunderstorm: maybe they danced in the rain like everyone else! More please, as Oliver would say.

Happy Hilbarners

Enjoying the spoils of their first hilbarn box are Toby and little brother Jasper. Thanks to mum Amy for sharing their sweet discovery in this family photo. "We've really enjoyed the boxes," writes Amy. "Especially our two boys who love discovering what's in them (especially when it's blueberries or apples!) After pulling everything out, Toby (he's 4) told me he was so excited that he had "real farm mud" on his hands from the potatoes!" Thanks for the great snap guys!

Golden Plums

Our juicy plums are ripening beautifully in Karoola, although not plentifully enough for boxes as yet. Our fresh produce will be sold in small quantities in the hilbarn store (see January 23rd post).

Big Reds

Another superb northern Tasmania morning spent harvesting the plentiful fruits of summer. Among the spoils for this week's hilbarn fresh produce box: while Hil picked blueberries in Lebrina, Barn helped pick these plump tomatoes with Bruce and Rowan at their family farm in Lilydale. Get ready for February - a great month for making sauce, chutney and passata.

Open By Appointment

Hilbarn, Karoola is now open.


















Hilbarn sells plants and collectables including tools, retro kitchenware, fresh & potted herbs, baskets and country furniture, and fresh produce when available. By appointment only: hilbarn@bigpond.com, or call 0431 749 804

Picking Blueberries

We picked the blueberries in this week’s hilbarn box ourselves. They’re from neighbouring Crestview orchard in Lebrina not far from Lilydale. It’s blueberry season, and after one of our wettest winters, this is one of the best: so much fruit, each branch laden down like huge eyebrows touching the ground.
Picking fruit is one of life’s pleasures. And along with a swim at Lulworth, picking blueberries at Crestview is a highlight of our north eastern summer. Crestview’s car park paddock was nearly as full as Woolworths' last Sunday afternoon. With a perfect blue sky and a soft breeze, this was something families do. It’s hard not to listen in to fellow pickers’ conversations across the blueberry hedgerows. Nothing really important is said but life is exchanged along with a love of blueberries. Some pick in one place leaning over the bushes; others sit on their haunches and pick their way up through the branches. Whichever, buckets were soon full to the brim, and children were running back for more.

The loveliest thing is when you realise you are discriminating: not every blueberry needs to be picked. You only recognise this in times of abundance. Leave the not so ripe for someone else to pluck. The truly blue, silver-coated plump berries with the bottom nearly bursting at the seam are the ones to prize. Eight kilos picked in 90 minutes; seven point five made it home…

It's Chinese Spinach!

Featuring in today's hilbarn box is the leaf vegetable Chinese spinach. It was a mystery ingredient to us, too, until we started to know our Asian greens a little better. Chinese spinach has lots of cousins (including red amaranth) and can be eaten raw in salads or stir-fried (most commonly with garlic, ginger, oyster sauce and chilli pepper). It's earthy, packed with vitamins and good in curries too. Notice the way growers harvest it roots and all.

Beetroot Chocolate Cake

Inspired by hilbarn box customer Isis and her beetroot chocolate cake recipe (see comments on "Beet It" below), we tested the recipe (left). The colours of its cooking are only surpassed by the taste itself!

Beet It!

We just love these perfect bunches of beetroot from Lebrina growers Liz and Michael. Picked fresh on Sunday morning for today's boxes, we love them as much for their leaves as their roots. Feel free to share your beetroot recipes with other hilbarners by leaving a comment here.

On The Wild Side

Barn packs wild roquette (or arugala) into bags on delivery morning after collecting yesterday from Claire and Bruce at Yorktown Organics. Claire prefers the intense peppery-ness of the wild version - and we have to agree!
Meanwhile the Asbestos Road State Reserve bushfire was not visible from their Yorktown home, although earlier this week it had reached within 30 metres of their property. We hope today's winds and temperatures are favourable to containing the fire and that Claire, Bruce, their family and neighbours stay safe.

Non-Plastic Packaging

With thanks to Karoola organic producers Lyndy and Dave we've managed to source these biodegradable punnets for packaging local berry fruits into hilbarn boxes. This not only saves us making our own by hand but also has plenty of other advantages:
* they're 100% organic
* available locally in Tasmania
* they break down in 6 to 8 weeks
* they're made from natural palm fibre (a renewable resource)
* they're organically processed with no toxins, chemicals or glues
* you can dig them into your compost or garden - great for enriching your soil.
Drop us an email if you'd like to make contact with the sole Tasmanian distributor Craig Mclaren. He told us that after turning 50 last year, and becoming a grandfather, these punnets have become "my little contribution to my grandchildren's future".
"Having spent a life time on the land," says Craig, "and admittedly doing some terrible things to the environment, this venture is our way of trying to make amends. What seems the biggest hurdle is the fact that our trays are a couple of cents dearer than the plastic equivalent and in the current economic climate most people are not prepared to go the extra mile."
We hope it won't be too long before Craig's punnets are seen in every fruit and veg outlet in the State. In the meantime, local seasonal berry fruits are available (while they last) as hilbarn optional extras and will be packaged using these 100% organic punnets. Email: hilbarn@bigpond.com. (Shell, photographed, from Lulworth beach)

Apricot Season

New season apricots have arrived and feature in the first hilbarn fresh produce box of 2010, along with cherries, red silver beet, basil, watercress, new Pink Eye potatoes, cucumber, lettuce, new season garlic and carrots. We'll share our favourite recipe for apricot tart if you share what you do with your apricots...

A Merry Berry Christmas!

The fruit in this box was picked yesterday from orchards within a 20km radius of hilbarn ‘hq’ in Karoola. Our box of Hillwood redcurrants, Gravelly Beach blueberries, Underwood cherries and Pipers Brook and Lilydale raspberries is what hilbarn fresh produce is all about: the freshest local and seasonal produce that we can find. At this time last year, local apricots were in abundance. This season, though, the first apricots from Coal Valley orchards aren’t expected until after Christmas. (Apricots you see in the shops are most likely from interstate.) Our best efforts went into sourcing fresh strawberries, however all of our local strawberry farms are clean out from now until the later varieties start fruiting in the New Year. Thankfully the first blueberries have just arrived on the West Tamar (Lebrina blueberries start on Jan 4) and raspberries are in absolute abundance in the northeast after record winter rains. We hope you all enjoy the fruitful bounty of where we live.

The Longest Day of the Year

Out early this morning, collecting local, seasonal fruit for hilbarn's Christmas fruit box. Redcurrants from Hillwood add festive shine and plenty of vitamin C. The flavour is naturally a little tart but still sweet enough to be eaten raw, sprinkled with sugar. Redcurrants go well with raspberries and strawberries, as well as lamb (as redcurrant jelly), goose or venison. They can also be frosted with egg white and sugar and used as a decoration for puddings or cocktails. Or throw them in a summer pudding for added zing. To cook, just poach for 4 minutes, sprinkle with sugar and serve with cream.

A Very Cherry Christmas

We spent time visiting local cherry growers this week, sourcing fruit for hilbarn's limited edition Christmas fruit boxes. At one orchard, fifteen varieties were in varying states of ripeness. This early in the season fruit is generally still soft. But, we hope to have the pick of it by next Wednesday!

What You've Said About Hilbarn

We are loving the boxes! My husband was especially thrilled to see kale last week...he is a huge fan of that and it can be a bit hard to find at the supermarkets! Thank you. Yvette

Thank you again for providing such a wonderful and healthy food experience for the local population. Nicki

We are really enjoying the boxes and I look forward to Mondays! Michelle

Thanks for fresh vegetables, we enjoyed a nice salad for dinner and the children even enjoyed the radishes much to my surprise. Lynette

Thanks very much for the box of goodies we received today. We have enjoyed the freshness and variety of what we have received. Small amounts of a variety of things have been great and we have been impressed with the freshness of what you have sent us. Jill

Thanks for the awesome box! My husband is beside himself with excitement! Bernadette

Those apples we got today are bloody delicious. Even my nine-year-old son declared them sensational! Thanks! Mrs Smith

I was so excited to see strawberries in my box this week - and they were the yummiest strawberries I've tasted in a long time!! Thank you :) Rach

Oh my goodness is all I can say. I'm speechless. Those strawberries are so divine, I’ve been deprived for all of my 33 years having never tasted any like them. Who will buy strawberries at the supermarket again??? Tam

I was so happy to see asparagus in my Hilbarn box today! And to know the effort you went to trying to find it will make it taste even better! Thank you Hilbarn x Raewyn

Did I hear you say rhubarb? I LOVE rhubarb! I can't wait for my Hilbarn box, makes Mondays so much happier.

Loving the local veg, and trying out new recipes with ingredients I don't usually buy. Today we had mustard and cress sandwiches for lunch, and it felt all jolly vintage England, like living in an Enid Blyton novel. Jo

I was very excited to pick up my first delivery this morning and write this week's dinner menu around the goodies in the box... Thanks hil and barn, you are great hunter-gatherers. Jo

Thank YOU! And thanks to all the local growers who love to see their produce shared. Hil & Barn

Try This!

Thank you to Sylvia from Sylvia's Kitchen in Launceston for sending us this inspired recipe featuring the humble broad bean.

Rough Mashed Potatoes with Broad Beans, Peas & Herbs served with Pan-fried Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon

Serves 4
FOR THE ROUGH MASH
450g peeled potatoes (eg Nicolas, Pink Eyes or Dutch Creams) cut into large cubes
140-160g (unpeeled) broad beans podded, blanched and then peeled out of their little grey jackets and set aside
60-80g new season peas, podded and blanched and set aside
4 finely sliced spring onions (white and green parts)
Chopped dill, flat leaf parsley and basil
About 2-3 teaspoons of butter, 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SALMON
4 x 120-150g fillet pieces of Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive Oil and a knob of butter

1. Simply boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked, drain and shake them dry over medium heat until furry.

2. Add sliced spring onions, butter and a some extra virgin olive oil, partly mash the potatoes with a fork then fold in the broad beans, peas, some of the fresh herbs and continue roughly mashing until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and you end up with a mash similar to our photo. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside whilst you cook the salmon.

3. In a non-stick fry pan heat a little olive oil and a knob of butter, when the butter begins to bubble add the salmon presentation side down, cook for about 3 minutes and turn over to cook the other side to your preferred doneness. Turn the heat off, pop the lid onto the fry pan and allow the salmon to rest a minute of two whilst you reheat the mash.

4. To serve, place a portion of the gorgeous mash onto the centre of the plate, sit the salmon fillet on top. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chopped dill. Enjoy!

Sylvia Devlin is a chef who runs cooking classes in Launceston. If you're interested in signing up, classes re-start in the New Year. For details: www.sylvia's kitchen.com.au

Present Harvest

This Farmer Christmas was spotted in a paddock while we picked up produce in the north west. Reindeers are soooo northern hemisphere...

Broadly Eating

Some of the things to be learnt about broad beans from a beautifully written and informative piece by Gay Bilson in the latest The Monthly magazine ("A Fava Fresca!" p 22):
"Pods that are very large and filled with beans so large that they swell the pod itself and push against the inside until the entire pod is hard, have been left far too long. The beans become woody. The perfect culinary broad bean is one whose pod is still soft to touch. The beans inside have not filled the furry, cushioned interior but they are large enough, perhaps not much over one centimetre in length, to be counted as perfect. The outer skin of each one will still be a bright, moist green but you know that in a day or two it would begin to grey. Italians serve young, moist beans raw with pecorino (salty and sharp) as an appetiser, and so should we."
Photographed: a mix of Liz and Gail's broad beans picked fresh on Sunday morning and tossed into this week's hilbarn boxes. After feasting on raw broad beans with salad, we podded the remainder, blanched and then froze them for later.

"Tamar Food"

Featuring in hilbarn fresh produce boxes this week are perfectly formed, organic baby beet from Claire and Bruce at Yorktown. By sheer coincidence, Hil's Saturday lunch choice at Daniel Alps at Strathlynn was (at left, snapped) venison with broad beans and baby beet from (you guessed it) Claire and Bruce!
You know when your dining partner's plate arrives and sometimes you wish you'd chosen their dish instead of yours? Well, this wasn't one of those times. Wonderful contrasting colours and a jus that made you salivate like a pet dog. You might have spotted the glowing review of Strathlynn in one of the national weekend papers ("Terroir Tamar" by John Lethlean Weekend Australian Magazine Dec 5-6, 2009 p. 52)? Lethlean's comments on Daniel's approach to food resonate with hilbarn:
"Alps' food is a testament to his growers....A daily changing menu using seasonal local produce, organic in many cases... it's not 'look at me' stuff but reflects what his winemaker colleagues call terroir - that sense of place. Fish, game, meats, fruit and veg from this lovely valley."
Not something ever to be taken for granted, and always something to be shared.

Bouquet of Kale

When we first met Yia earlier this year (he's one of hilbarn's regular growers), we asked him if he had any kale. "No", he replied, "but we can grow some for you." Today's kale is the result - good enough to make the most striking bouquet. Use it chopped in stir fries, steam or blanche it. Look for recipe inspiration at our taste spotting link (right, under Friends Of Hilbarn). Or, you could even try boiling it and drinking the liquid like Peter Cundall...!

Punnet Hunt

Punnet n. Chiefly Brit. a small basket for fruit, such as strawberries.
The hunt for punnets for our hilbarn Christmas fruit boxes has been a challenging one for us. We found local packaging companies who only deal in thousand units (thankfully we're not that successful!). And smaller companies too with all sorts of combinations of punnet sizes, with and without lids, with and without holes... but all plastic. We decided to source a non-plastic version. You know the sort you see in magazines (especially European) featuring luscious strawberries in balsa-like wood or woven carboard punnets? To cut a long story short, friends in London, France, Italy, Margaret River, even the Canary Islands, were at a loss to know where we could find these old-fashioned non plastic punnets. Calls to David Jones Food Hall in Sydney, Donna Hay's General Store, delicious magazine, Accoutrement, Your Habitat, and various other sources proved fruitless (pardon the pun!).
So, what were the alternatives? We found seedling punnets online from America that might have done, but a six week delivery date was past our deadline. We tried to source similar versions in Tasmania through garden wholesale and retail stores to no avail. Even specialist paper stores couldn't help us.
We're sure they're available somewhere (please do let us know if you have any clues!) In the end we decided to make them ourselves. Here's hilbarn's homemade version of the non-plastic punnet: limited edition, available at Christmas only! Hilbarn customers who have ordered their hilbarn fruit box will see the end product (stuffed with luscious, freshly picked local fruits) before throwing it into the recycling bin...Must go - only 40 more punnets to make!

Common Sense

We love noticing the changing blackboard sign at a St Leonards' corner store during our hilbarn box deliveries. Today's homespun philosophy caught our eye: LITTLE POTATOES ARE BENEATH BIG POTATOES PROPPING THEM UP! Nice one.

Nearly Blue

Right now, Hil's young blueberry plants are tiny but lush with berries. Planted in autumn they've thrived in the wetness of winter, while hopefully surviving the worst of what the rabbits had to offer. We'll have true blueberries in hilbarn's fresh fruit boxes this Christmas - from established growers in nearby Lebrina.

Not So Lazy Daisys

En route to picking up hilbarn fresh produce today for tomorrow's deliveries, it's noticeable how Wesley Vale's chocolate soils of September 28th (see previous post) are now pretty with pyrethrum. It's the most effective natural insecticide on the planet, with Tasmania being Australia's sole producer.

New Season Spuds

Craig's freshly dug Dutch Creams from Scottsdale are a feature in this week's hilbarn fresh produce boxes. Planted in June, they've survived floods, record rains, as well as frost (it's a well kept secret how, says Craig). Survival of the fittest - and tastiest!

Like Beans In A Pod

Broad beans from Tulendeena in the northeast are new to hilbarn fresh produce boxes this week. They're from Gail, who also supplied us with one of her favourite recipes to share (inspired by the ABC TV series "The River Cottage"):
Saute leek and/or onion and bacon. Steam or boil podded beans for roughly 5 minutes until tender, add to onion & bacon, serve on toasted bread with a squeeze of lemon. Eat immediately.
Thanks Gail! I especially like double-podded broad beans - remove both the outer fibrous pod, and, after cooking and cooling, the grey-ish, outer skin of the bean itself, revealing a bright green bean inside. Very sassy in a salad with olives, mozzarella and wild roquette (also in this week's hilbarn box).

Spring Garden Herbs

Our fresh herbs are flourishing now that the art of ruthless pruning has been learnt and applied. Hil's harvest this week supplied Pat and Rob at the local general store in Lilydale with mint, lemon mint, Vietnamese mint, parsley, Italian parsley and oregano. And we turned some of Alan's basil from last week's hilbarn box into pesto:
Blend together 115g Parmesan cheese, 115g pine nuts, 25g basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 75ml olive oil, adding salt if desired.
Top Tip: Margaret Picton, noting in The Book Of Magical Herbs, writes basil repels mozzies. Just crush a basil leaf and rub the juice onto your skin.

Bunched Radish

Starring in this week's hilbarn box (for select new customers only because there were only seven bunches spare), are Desmond's ravishing radishes. Desmond is an older student who works with Barn at Lilydale School (see our post on Nov 7th). These are the first vegetables Desmond has grown from seed.

Delivery Day

Guido, the hilbarn delivery van, was full house this week, with fresh greens ready for drop off. Our round trip each Monday takes us from our Karoola packing shed to several central Launceston Pick Up Points then back to the last stop at Lilydale School, with home deliveries from St Leonards to Legana in between.

Chick Pix!

We were lucky to get as close as this, so it's a bit of a blur, but here's the first snap of Lyndy's mother hen Lacey with her brood of 8 new chicks. Lacey withdrew into the corner of her coop and managed to entice all of her babies under her feathers to avoid the glare of the paparazzi - except for one brazen young blonde who wanted a share of the limelight. Typical...

Coastal Caps

New to hilbarn boxes this week: the sweetest new season capsicum collected today from Johann (pictured) and Mariette in Lillico.

Episode 2: Lyndy's Chook Gossip

"Lacey, the mother hen, is now doing very nicely with her 8 new chicks. They are gorgeous and one of them is a little Barnevelder, smaller than the rest, probably because she came from a smaller egg we think. Like any babies they are great time wasters - you can stand and watch them for way too long. The grey pullet is still sitting and due on 22 November and Rusty the Silky has laid 11 eggs and should be thinking about sitting on them soon. I could be very busy."
Our neighbours Lyndy and Dave live on a certified organic farm and supply hilbarn's fresh organic eggs. We hope the chicks will pose for photos next Monday!

Snap-fresh Asparagus

Sorry but there's no asparagus this weekend while Jo weeds her patch. Meantime, here's a summary of Terry Durack's wealth of knowledge on asparagus - writing in Good Weekend.
* The natural sugars in asparagus start turning to starch as soon as it leaves the ground, so every minute out of the ground means less flavour and sweetness. (hilbarn collects Jo's asparagus on Saturday AM, and delivers by Monday AM)
* Asparagus is best cooked very quickly in a flat pan of simmering salted water and taken out while it is still bright green - about 2 to 3 minutes for thin spears and 4 to 5 minutes for fat ones.
* Those first few glorious asparagus suppers of the season are to be relished: just you, the asparagus, the butter, the sea salt and the pepper. No knives, no forks, no manners.
* The next time you have snap-fresh asparagus, don't cook it but serve it raw. Just slice the spears finely on the diagonal and toss in extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper and grated parmigiano.
We asked Jo about her variety of asparagus (photographed below on November 3rd). "It's a very unromantic name," she told us. "VC157.1. It's a commercial variety which has been around for nearly 20 years, and is still considered to be one of the best varieties." Leave us a comment here if you can come up with a sexier name for Jo's spears...!

First Strawberry

The Close Up! When you follow the seasons it's exciting when a new taste finally arrives. Enjoy in this week's hilbarn fresh produce box.

First Strawberries!

A perfect morning to pick fresh Seascape strawberries from Dave and Emma's Hillwood Strawberry Farm. With warm days the perfect berries have arrived a week early this year. Make sure you pop in to their farm on the East Tamar Highway if you're passing: their Strawberry Wine is lovely with a chat.

Keeping It Local

These are new radish being grown at the Lilydale District School Farm. Barn spends time each week working with older students to broaden their knowledge base and to offer them practical work experience. Desmond, who's been working with Barn, has also taken on the challenge of growing radish for hilbarn fresh produce boxes. Proceeds from the sale of the radish go towards supporting the participants at the school. You're doing well Desmond, keep up the great work of "keeping it local".

Behind the Scenes #2

Barn trimmed, washed and dried the radishes before packing into hilbarn boxes.

Behind the Scenes #1

Weighing, bunching and tie-ing fresh asparagus on Monday night in the hilbarn kitchen.

Tender Tips

Spring hasn't really sprung until fresh asparagus has hit the shelves. But the hunt for locally grown asparagus has proved quite a challenge for hilbarn. We'd been making inquiries for some weeks, and thought we'd finally struck gold when (via an internet search) we found a local grower just up the road from us in Pipers River. Sadly, they'd stopped producing last year....too hard, they said, with supermarkets cutting the price and - with all the effort entailed - just no longer worth it. So, back to the start again. A blackboard sign outside a shop in Launceston which read "Local Asparagus" stopped us at the traffic lights. On investigation, "local" meant "it's from Victoria". Excuse me? That's not exactly local...Finally, after one of our trips to pick up fresh produce on the central coast, we found Jo. Yes, she'd have asparagus...not sure how much until she picked it...it'd been a really hard year with all the rain... Well, Jo picked today's hilbarn box asparagus on Saturday morning for us. Just enough for all our customers...and there might just be enough in the patch for next week too. How sweet and tender it is. Don't stop Jo - you're the only local asparagus grower we know!

Freshbox Diary #2

Kim Seagram of Stillwater River Cafe & Restaurant, shares her moments with a hilbarn fresh produce box:

Made the BEST duck soup last night with home made won tons (Harrison is a wizard at these now). Just a clear duck broth simmered briefly with some ginger, lemongrass, soy sauce, garlic and garnished with spring onions and coriander....YUMMY! Broth was from a roasted duck that I shredded to go on top of slow braised red cabbage with Granny Smiths (Stephanie Alexander recipe....VERY good!) that I drizzled with a cumquat reduction that I made with the cumquats, just 2-3 cups of leftover Sauvignon Blanc simmered with the cumquats until reduced to about 200ml then sweetened to taste with sugar, reduced to 150ml and drizzled over duck and cabbage....yum! Served with a roasted pear, parsnip and rocket salad with goat's fetta and balsamic dressing.

Please feel free to share your recipes too. Send us an email, or post your comment here.

The Maths of Flowers

How does it know how to bloom so perfectly?

Extremely Lemon-y

Thank you to Bec, (a loyal hilbarn customer) who donated a wonderful surplus of lemons for this week's hilbarn box - from her mother-in-law Robyn's prolific fruiting tree!

Episode 1: Lyndy's Chook Gossip

"It's always a happy time when one of the hens decides to go broody. Last week I discovered one of the older hens (Lacey Locks as she has lace feathers) had made a nest outside in the same place she had produced 12 gorgeous chicks about 9 months ago. She'd been studiously laying an egg a day and when she got to 10 she started sitting. We decided to leave her there and "go natural" in her chosen spot. Unfortunately the next morning I discovered one egg in her water bowl and another, broken, a small distance away. We decided to move her with her eggs to a special enclosure (an old dog kennel). But when we lifted her up she only had one egg left. Something - we don't know what - had taken her eggs in the night. We set up a lovely straw nest, donated another 11 eggs, and she is now studiously sitting on 12 mixed eggs from other hens on the farm.

It takes 21 days for them to hatch and the day she started sitting there was a thunder storm. According to folklore, eggs affected by a thunder storm may not hatch... What's more, will they be fertile? We'll have to wait and see - 6th November is Lacey's due date. Stay tuned for the next episode in Chook Gossip."

Clever Re-use #1

We love re-thinking uses for things - it's another way of recycling. Spotted in one of our customer's front yards during a home delivery: a laundry basket doubles as a garden waste bin. It's light, easy to carry, and has excellent air flow. Got any other neat ideas?

A Poem of Flowers

Billy (who's 10) was inspired by this rainbow of spring blooms in Barn's garden. Thanks for the brilliant snap Bill! x

Success: It's Hard to Find

A view of Jetsonville, which, after Karoola, must be the most perfect valley you could possibly imagine. The rhubarb in this week's hilbarn fresh box was grown in this valley by Gerard and his family. The type is called "Success", and as Gerard will confess, it hasn't come easy. He says it's taken two years to develop the crop to a reliable point. Now, his fine rhubarb travels to markets in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. In Tassie's cool climate, it's able to be produced all year round. We picked ours up from Gerard in Scottsdale Main Street on Sunday morning.

Welcome to Scottsdale

The land is the colour of the Red Centre, but this is the heart of the vegetable growing northeast. It's also where this week's heritage King Edward potatoes were dug. You'll find them in the latest hilbarn fresh box, with a label made for us by growers Michael and Gail (complete with cooking tips).
Red volcanic basalt soil makes the area fertile for crop growing. When James Scott first surveyed Scottsdale in 1855, he deemed the soil and mild climate ideal for farming. How right he was. The town (named after Scott) is now one of Tassie's premier market garden areas.

Yesterday... tomorrow?

We like to think this truck carried fresh produce in its day... it caught our wistful eye holed up in a local sawmill yard. And got us thinking: were the good old days really the best days, before long distance transportation left local communities behind. We think they were the best days - from the point of view of fruit & veg. Which is why hilbarn is re-visiting fresh, local and quality produce that supports our local community. Cute truck too.

Mint Barrow

Here's a way of growing mint so it doesn't over-run your garden.

Buy Local Because...

1. So we can support people around us.

2. We will save fuel emissions.

3. It will be better quality.

4. You will save more money.

Written by a student from Wesley Vale Primary School.

The Spud Man was closed on Sunday morning, but we loved this poster spotted in the shop window. We agree with everything.

The New Water Cooler Moment

This week's hilbarn fresh produce box fronting up at a Launceston office reception. "Wow!", went the conversation on the way in... You heard it here first: hilbarn, the new water cooler conversation!

Duck Egg Frittata

Six fresh duck eggs from last Sunday's Don Village Market went into making last night's potato, leek, bacon and Perino tomato frittata. Larger and stronger tasting than hen's eggs, duck eggs have firm shells almost too hard to crack, and whites as thick as double cream. So good, no seasoning required.

Recipe:

Beat in a bowl 6 duck eggs, 2 Tbspn mayonnaise, 1 tspn lemon juice

1 tspn lemon zest. Par boil 4 medium potatoes (til just tender). Strain water, then melt 60g butter into potatoes with one finely sliced leek, and two rashers of chopped bacon. Saute for a few minutes then place in an ovenproof flan dish, adding a handful of chopped perinos. Pour over egg mixture. Cook in a moderate oven until egg is set and the top is golden brown. (Approx 25 mins). Serve with rocket or steamed pak choi.

Today's Freshbox

Today's $25 fresh box from hilbarn, filled with fresh, seasonal and local produce from growers in northern Tasmania.

NEW! Organic Eggs

We picked up our neighbour Lyndy's fresh organic eggs early this morning just before heading off on deliveries. Lyndy, her hens and some very fine roosters live with her fiance Dave Pinner on a certified organic farm, just up the road from us in Karoola. Her clucky free range hens are housed in barns with runs, and fed on spelt, peas, oats and sunflower seeds, all grown organically on farm. Lyndy's beautiful buff-coloured eggs were washed prior to packing in recycled egg cartons.

Hot Cress

New to hilbarn freshboxes this week: Alan's purple radish cress. The butterfly shaped leaves on elegant stems make a great garnish on fish and in salads and is peppery to taste.

Chocolate soils

This weekend the furrowed red fields of Wesley Vale were busy with farmers dodging gales and rainstorms. A treat to see blue skies for once.

Made To Snack

There are only two "Perino" tomato growers in the whole of Australia contracted to grow this special snack tomato, launched just this month. One is located in Queensland, the other in North West Tasmania. We're lucky to be able to share this delicacy with you in this week's hilbarn boxes. Spread the word - they're yummos!

Superb Herbs

Alan's herbs are new to hilbarn this week: the sweetest fresh basil and coriander, both harvested yesterday for Monday's boxes. We collected direct from Alan's Wesley Vale farm on the sunniest of northern Tasmanian mornings.

Fresh This Week

Today's box goodies: lettuce, Dutch Cream potatoes, spring onions, carrots, Cox's and Jonagold Apples, Packham pears, silver beet, plus freshly cut rhubarb, celery and cauliflower - packed with love yesterday from Hilbarn.

Dam weather!

The rivers are breaking their banks...dams spilling over... water is covering the roads. But, with a break in the downpour, Pipers River cows finally get a chance to admire their own reflections!

Juice It

Leftover carrots and parsnips? Hilbarn box customers Tim and Joanna invested in a juicer to get optimum usage from their produce box.

Why Hilbarn?

Here's your answer to David Penberthy's defense of Australia's supermarket duopoly in today's Weekend Australian. The Punch columnist writes:

"Ask yourself this. If a woman (sic) has 90 minutes to pick up one kid from school and the other from child care and drop kid No.1 at soccer practice and then do the shopping with kid No.2, pick up kid No.1 again, then get home and throw dinner together in time for the arrival of the domestically challenged man in her life, what is she going to do?

"Get a quaint wicker basket and stroll up the high street, loyally visiting the butcher, the baker, the greengrocer and the continental deli, or tear into Woolies and chuck a couple of hundred bucks' worth of stuff into a whopping great trolley in one frantic hit?"

No, David, there are other ways. Like ordering a weekly box of home delivered hilbarn fresh produce - or maybe get a more helpful spouse...

Gail's Kale

New in this week's box, cavolo nero (or Tuscan cabbage) - a staple of Tuscan cooking. Click on the headline for inspiration from the ABC's The Cook and the Chef.

Food Miles

Hilbarn fresh produce is sourced each week from local growers and producers within a 2 hour travelling radius of Launceston.

At Your Door

Hilbarn home delivery is simple:-
Step 1. Pay for your box subscription.
Step 2. On Monday morning (weekly/fortnightly) we will deliver your hilbarn box fresh to your doorstep.
Step 3. We'll text you when it's arrived.

If you're already a convert to hilbarn (providers of best quality, local and in season fruit & veg) spread the word!

Fresh Eggs

New to hilbarn boxes: these eggs (all shades from pure white through to honey brown) were laid by happy free range hens and collected in the past couple of days. So fresh (their shells have signs of the farmyard!) that a simple wipe before use is recommended.

On The Road

Most of the time most of us are travelling way too fast to pull over and stop at a roadside stall for fresh fruit & veg. But it only takes a couple of minutes. And, for the price of a gold coin or two, you know your hard-earned money will go direct to the grower.

Ewe Beauty

The sight of three ravenous little lambs on wobbly legs stopped us on the way home from picking up fresh apples and pears on the West Tamar.

More Please!

Roisin McCann (photographed) calls this her "hilbarn soup": leeks, potato, onion and parsley from this week's freshbox, warmed in the office canteen microwave for a healthy lunch...at her desk.

Rainy Day Heaven & Hell

Pipers River in flood on Sunday the 12th. Good for farmers planting now for spring - not so good for winter crops. "Flood watch welcomed" was the headline in Tasmanian Country which reported 150 mm of rain over two days in some areas of northern Tasmania - farmers claimed "the best we've seen for three or four years".

Stripey Garlic

Hilbarn sources fresh produce from a variety of local growers. This week certified organic garlic, collected 15 minutes from Karoola, is a welcome addition. Seriously good garlic...

Packing at Sunset

Barn packs Guido (he's the hilbarn van) at sunset Sunday night, ready for early morning deliveries. The day started early collecting fresh produce from growers. We've cabbage for the first time, plus three varieties of apples. It's been a tough week for growers, keeping veggies from drowning, with way above average rainfall over the week. Rivers are flowing fast now and the dams are full.

Feed the birds

Click on the headline to find our Twitter feed. It's not that techie - like texting in public really. It's the place to share what you do with your hilbarn freshbox (or your local Tassie produce) by telling us what you cooked today. Recipes, ideas, things that worked - or didn't - in 140 characters max. Leave a tweet by following the title link and hopefully a flock of birds will gather...eventually to be served up, perhaps even roasted slowly in red wine, pepperberry and bay leaf...you've got the idea!

Freshbox Diary #1

Here, Kim Seagram, from Launceston's Stillwater River Cafe, generously shares her refreshing skills with a Hilbarn Freshbox.

"I was so excited to receive the box on Monday, couldn't wait to get in the kitchen!

Monday: Slow braised osso bucco with your leek, carrots, onion, garlic, lemon and from my pantry/garden some tinned tomatoes, celery, continental parsley, thyme, white wine and of course vealer/beef shin in slices. Served on lovely creamy mashed potatoes from the box too.

Tuesday: Stir fry with leek, garlic, carrots, baby bok choy, broccoli, fresh coriander, and from our pantry; chicken, chilli, ketjap manis (Indonesian ketchup), noodles.

Thursday: Having just returned from Hobart yesterday and a big day of Zone Marketing and presentations I picked up a pumpkin and ricotta cannelloni from Pasta Merchant on Charles St and made a warm salad of beet-greens wilted with garlic and, from the pantry, pine nuts (toasted) and sultanas with a splash of an aged balsamic to accompany the pasta. Also cooked the beets up to have them handy in the fridge to throw a yummy salad of beetroot, Persian fetta and rocket dressed with Tamar Valley Olive Oil, Tassie tarragon vinegar from Hill Farm, Hill Farm dijon mustared, salt/pepper.

Finally. on the weekend, with time to cook.......

Saturday: I cut up most of the silverbeet and sauteed it with the remains of one of the leeks and garlic with nutmeg from the pantry and a generous handful of mint and continental parsley. While the spinach was cooling I mixed eggs, Persian fetta, and ricotta together to toss through the spinach and with filo from the freezer made Spanikopita. We were over at a farming friend's place for dinner near Cressy that night and had a lovely butterflied leg of lamb with the Spanikopita and a green salad with her roasted beetroot from the garden. I will serve the rest on its own with greek salad (minus the fetta) one night this week and if any leftover from there it will end up in Harrison's lunch box.

Sunday: Made hearty minestrone soup using the leek, onion, garlic, carrots and silverbeet from the box. From my pantry: barlotti beans, handful of penne pasta, few grains of barley and a large tin of chopped tomatoes. From my fridge: celery, green beans, zucchini and pesto from last summer (frozen and cut off in chunks when needed), all simmered long and slow and pulled together with grated parmesan on top and fresh homemade wholemeal buns from the oven for dinner. As I was cooking this off I also used up some of the last of my quinces and poached them in a light syrup (long and slow as well) until deep red. Served for pud with a generous dollop of King Island yoghurt....yum!"
Thanks Kim!

What do you do with your hilbarn freshbox? Email hilbarn@bigpond.com, leave a comment here, or at hilbarn on Twitter

Winter Box

Some of this week's Winter Solstice fresh local produce includes organic garlic, broccoli, Russet Burbank potatoes, carrots, Packham pears, Royal Gala apples, silver beet, coriander, bok choy, leeks, beetroot and onions. Photographed in a sunlit trug made out of recycled fence palings by the Ross Men's Shed, designed by the Ross Nursery.

Great grapes

Our love of fresh local Tassie produce is shared in a feature on Jansz Tasmania's winemaker Natalie Fryar in this month's issue of Australian Country Style magazine (written by Hil). 

Australian Country Style

Fresh Produce To Your Door

Hilbarn Fresh Produce currently delivers Freshboxes to central Pick Up Points in Launceston and George Town. If you're concerned about swine flu, or someone you know is in home isolation, we can also deliver a Freshbox of seasonal local produce to your door. Don't hesitate contacting Hilbarn Fresh Produce by sending an email to hilbarn@bigpond.com. Please note that delivery charges may vary depending on your location.

Credit Crunch Cuisine

In Britain, it's the latest culinary trend: "credit crunch cuisine". The sale of baking dishes has increased by 56% according to Channel 4 News' website - people are cooking at home again instead of spending depleted finances on eating out. Here, Curried Parsnip Soup is a hearty staple for winter. Cook up a batch and freeze it for a rainy day. An onion, some garlic and four medium parsnips, tenderly cooked. A teaspoon of curry powder, and a tablespoon of flour to thicken, and 2 pints of chicken or vegetable stock. Simmer until fully cooked. Liquidise and serve with yoghurt and coriander. Yum.

Spud We Liked

We don't standardize sizes into 'perfect' breeds. Veggies have their own way. Here, for example, the faceless potato man. Not exactly the supermodel potato in terms of looks - but freshness and taste? That's what counts.

What To Do With Quince

Sadly, the quince season is nearing its end. Some believe this strangely lumpy and blotchy fruit, (better cooked not eaten) is older than the apple itself, and that it was, in fact, a quince that Eve bit into on that fateful day in the Garden of Eden. Origins are Middle Eastern, but Tasmanians have a love affair with the old fashioned quince - its jam and its jelly - as well as the way it turns rosey when cooked. Many have old trees in their garden, including Rose, who supplied carefully picked and dusted "golden apples" or "love apples" (as they're also known) for last week's Hilbarn boxes. Thanks Rose. One of our box customers turned her quince into tart with this version of a recipe from Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion (p 613). Thanks to Kate for the quincepiration!


Ingredients:
Shortcrust pastry to line a 24cm loose bottomed flan pan, blind baked at 200°C for 20 minutes.
30 slices of poached quince (poached in oven for several hours at 150°C), well drained
2 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1 heaped teaspoon of plain flour
125g of unsalted butter

Quinces were put into the pastry after it had cooled.
Eggs and sugar beaten until pale, flour added.
Butter melted and cooked until golden.
Melted butter added to egg mix and stirred.
Spooned over quinces in the pastry case
Cooked until set (25-30 minutes in our oven)

Doing the Rounds

Supporting local Tassie growers, Hil delivers fresh produce boxes this morning (and every Monday, except on Public Holidays when it's Tuesday) - free to central Launceston Pick Up Points. (Barn took the photo and chauffeured).

Mind the Quince!

The trusty Mr Avery (centre) features in the weighing and packing of today's fresh produce: carrots, Dutch Cream potatoes, Tom Thumb tomatoes, capsicum, rhubarb, silver beet, curly and Italian parsley, mixed leaves, apples and quince from northeast growers.

Boxes in the Back Seat

Boxes of perky fresh produce heading off in the back seat of a car.

Sunday Market at Lilydale

What a great day! A cool morning start led to warming sun amongst occasional cooling breezes. The day could be summarised as "the perfect autumn day".  Lots of eager customers went home once again with the freshest produce - some picked this morning. It's funny how the people who really know quality search it out, appreciate it beyond belief, and let others know about it. It's not easy making a difference, but well worth the effort. The last Lilydale market until winter has passed is on Sunday, 24th May 2009.

Meeting Local Growers

Rowan and Hil catch up on local history while Bruce and Barn load the veggies and talk new-fangled hot houses...

Views of Lilydale

Tassie has so many views you hope will never change - this one snapped on the way home from seeing local growers. 

Collecting Capsicum

Bruce and Rowan's freshly picked boxes of capsicum (all the colours of a traffic light) fill the car with an exquisite aroma as we drive home on an autumn afternoon the day before Market. 

Thinking: that Sally Wise recipe heard on ABC Local Radio this morning? What was it? Couscous with Tomato and Red Pepper Tagine?

Roadside Fruit & Veg

Hilbarn sells roadside seasonal produce and plants at Barney's Karoola Hobby Nursery (on the big bend before the long straight), just up the road from the Karoola Community Hall. 

Libby's Produce

We source produce from many local growers; here's a colourful, freshly picked sample from Libby.

Next Market May 10th

We'll be at Lilydale Village Market, northern Tasmania this Sunday, May 10th, from 10am - 2pm. Come and taste the region's seasonal produce, stock up on fresh and potted herbs, or buy a plant for Mother's Day.