Harvest Scene

We set off early this morning to pick up fresh produce from Devonport, Frankford, Flowery Gully and Hillwood. It's been an amazing season for hay, with many farmers reporting nearly twice as much as their normal summer yield. Round bales littered the countryside en route like giant billiard balls, but it was the paddock of old-fashioned stocks that caught our eye. We're going to do some digging to try and track down the farmer who still harvests hay in the traditional way.

Shed Fashion

Sunday nights are for packing at the hilbarn shed. Each week is different. It starts slowly and mindfully, while the four of us decide what goes on the bottom and how each item will fit together. We think about colour and crushability, and whether or not an item needs packaging in brown paper or plastic bags, or otherwise wrapped in newspaper. We like there to be as little fuss and wrapping as possible - only what's necessary to keep an item fresh or from spoiling others in the box - as if it's just been picked or harvested. Once we've settled into the way and how of packing, and the task is understood without hard thinking, the conversation moves to how our week was spent, to recipes tried, or friends enjoyed. And to having a laugh. So when Rhonda turned up in cut-off trackies and farm boots we couldn't resist a snap. This is Rhonda, showing off the latest in Shed Fashion. We aren't the most glamorous puss in boots in town, but on a 25 degree day, it's cool and comfortable and that's what counts.

How To Keep Basil

Graeme and Kym's beautiful hydroponically-grown basil plants filled the van with an intoxicating aroma when we picked them up on Saturday morning to pack in this week's boxes. Just letting you know, if you keep your basil plant on the kitchen windowsill in a glass of water (don't let it go dry) it will last for a couple of weeks at least. Not that we expect it to last that long at all; now is the time for basil with everything! Ever tried Basil Ice Cream?

Cherries On Top

Last year, Pete's cherries, grown in the cool climes of Mt Arthur in Lilydale, were devastated by an unseasonally wet summer. This year, we found Pete in a very happy mood. He says it's one of his best cherry seasons yet, and it's only just begun. Yesterday, we picked up boxes of Pete's freshly picked "William's Favourites", an early variety, and took them straight home to weigh and pop into brown paper bags for this week's hilbarn boxes. We love the way they look and taste like a bag of sweets. Come back in a couple of weeks, said Pete, for the Ron Seedling variety, a large dark red cherry that ripens later in the season. Then, as we were leaving and the sun was setting over Lilydale and the western Tiers, he introduced us to last year's vintage homemade cherry wine - happily shared. Thank you, Pete and Betty, for a cherry season like no other.

Courgette or Zucchini?

Thanks to Tim from Latrobe who provided the zucchini in this week's hilbarn box. You can see it growing here in Tim's great shot of the unmistakable countryside of Tassie's Central Coast. "What's your favourite way of eating your zucchini," we asked him. "I'll send you a recipe," he said. And by the time we got home and unpacked, the recipe had arrived. Here it is, happy to share it with you, especially as we tried it out last night after packing this week's hilbarn boxes. Try it - it works!

ZUCCHINI SLICE

Ingredients:

2 large or 3 med zucchini, grated coarsely

1 large onion, chopped

2 rashers bacon or some ham, chopped finely

1 cup grated cheese

1 cup self raising flour

Half cup olive oil

5 – 6 eggs

Salt & Pepper

Method:

Combine zucchini, onion, bacon, cheese, flour, oil and lightly beaten eggs. Season.

Pour into greased 20cm x 20cm tin

Bake at 350F for 30 – 40 minutes

Nice hot or cold

hilbarn in 2012

We've spent the last two weeks looking up at busy summer clouds while we rested. Now we're back, ready for hilbarn in 2012, with Graeme's lettuce picked so fresh this morning it's still wearing raindrops; Colin and Jenny's tomatoes, Tim's zucchini (recipe to follow shortly), Dave's organic garlic, and Sara's piles of plums from her garden just up the road that Benny and James have just helped us bag, ready for our first pack of the year this evening. Our "blue sky thinking" for this year? Sharing even more of the same wonderful fresh Tasmanian produce with you. We'd love you to spread the word. As Graeme told us today: "a happy customer makes a happy grower "!

Herb Bouquet

The veranda was made aromatic with baskets of our garden bay leaves, rosemary and sage this weekend as we tied little bundles of bouquet garni for hilbarn boxes. Toss it into soups or meat dishes this Christmas for added flavour.

Strawberries & Sunsets

Thank you to neighbouring organic farmers Dave and Lyndy for providing punnets of pert and tasty strawberries (variety: Cambridge Rival) for today's hilbarn boxes. They picked yesterday - just in time before the rain blew in. The Pinners new B&B at their certified organic farm in Karoola is just about open for business. Keep it in mind if you fancy a slice of real farm life, or if you have friends visiting who might love a taste of the rolling Tasmanian countryside, and a local sauvignon blanc on the veranda at sunset.

We're Wrapped!

As regular hilbarners would know, we are suckers for old fashioned packaging: as little plastic as possible, rustic string or silky, re-usable ribbon, and paper that's taped or tied by loving hands. Which is why we loved collecting our package of beautifully fired clay labels from the naturally gifted Ness at Marley & Lockyer in Beaconsfield this morning. It was a joy to untie the ribbon and sweetly wrapped brown paper and doily to pull out 100 tags ready for us to stamp and label. This year, we'll be labelling all of our Christmas berry boxes with these special, hand-made keepsakes. There are only 5 boxes remaining (priced at $50). If you'd like one, packed with local fresh berries and delivered the day before Christmas Eve, drop us a note at hilbarn.com as soon as you can.

hilbarn In Pictures

When Women in Agriculture (Tasmania branch) asked us to introduce hilbarn to their Statewide meeting held in Launceston not so long ago, we had some fun putting together a not-quite video on You Tube. Thanks to everyone who works with us, to all our growers who keep our Mondays and Tuesdays fresh with produce, and all our customers who seem to find our hilbarn boxes in invisible and precious ways. We couldn't do it without you.

Blue Sky, White Paddock

Some days are just pearlers... we took this photo on the weekend, when a rusty barn, a paddock of pyrethrum daisies, and a typical Tasmanian sky captured our lens and reminded us of a Patrick Grieve painting (his exhibition "Smeared With Toil" opens at the Bett Gallery in Hobart this Saturday, December 10th).

Capsicum Kings

Thanks to Rob, Ann, and their son William from Kindred who grew the capsicum and chillis in this week's hilbarn boxes. The season has just started for Rob and his family who have been farming hydroponically for 15 years. Have you noticed how long capsicum last when you buy them around the time of picking? That's why we love what we do - to find the shortest time from farmer to you so your produce stays as fresh as possible. When we collected freshly picked yellow and red caps, and green and red chillis from Rob last Saturday, he told us he could guarantee their freshness for two weeks. Now that's service for you.

On the Road Again

Barn and Hil are about to set off to deliver this week's hilbarn boxes, so look out for our red van, Versace, who rather fancies himself as an extra in Top Gear. Polished up well, thanks Joe! This weekend Versace travelled country roads from Kindred to Scottsdale, collecting fresh local produce for this week's boxes: basil and snow peas from Graeme, capsicum and chillis from Rob and Ann, potatoes from Chris, bok choy and kale from Song, roses from Stephen and Maryann, wild roquette from Bruce and Claire, and strawberries from Craig and Wendy. Thanks guys! PS. This snap might look magazine-snazzy, but Hil actually took it accidentally on her Iphone when she was hopping back into Versace. "I couldn't have lined it up better if I'd tried!" she says. Just a perfect angle taken by the moment...

The Gift of Christmas

This time last year we received an email from Randall, one of our hilbarn box customers. Did we know anyone locally who made Christmas wreaths? We decided to put him in touch with Lee and Chris at Killiecrankie Farm in Glengarry who we knew as passionate growers of Christmas trees. It was a bit too late for orders last year, but, this year, Lee was ready to supply with her gorgeous apple tree wood wreaths. Hopefully Randall's front door now looks as welcoming as Hil's (photographed top left), who, of course, had to have one of Lee's wreaths too. By the way, Killiekrankie's Christmas trees star as the cover story in the latest issue of Australian Country Style magazine. And - if you look closely at the feature inside - you'll spot a wreath.

Happy December 1st

We went to re-stack the woodshed this morning. And while the sound of firewood knocking together echoed through the shed, we turned to see the gentlest of sights: three pairs of beady eyes bigger than their beaks, poking out from the brim of a teacup nest spun from cobwebs and dust, and hanging perilously from a branch above our heads. Summer is here.

Herb bath

We loved coming across Nigel's backyard herb & veggie garden at the weekend! Never ceases to amaze us how inventive people can be...

Days of Sun & Rhubarb

The day started yesterday picking up freshly harvested broad beans and snow peas from Spreyton; then, rhubarb from grower Tim in Latrobe, snapped here with his vintage seed and fertilizer drill that he still uses for the purpose. Couldn't help but notice the name in inverted commas on the side in raised type: "Sun". Bit different to the corporate slogans preferred today... And the day ended at Libby's on the slopes of Mount Arthur, drinking her rhubarb cordial spritzers at sunset, along with a 1994 magnum of Clover Hill she'd saved especially for a moment like this...

The Art of Spice

Dukkah (zaatar and chip spices) from Tanya and Jamahl of Bodhi Farm Organics, Geeveston, features in this week's hibarn fresh produce boxes. The Middle Eastern dipping spice is made from ingredients grown organically on farm or sourced from local organic producers. Enjoy it with crusty bread and olive oil, or sprinkled over cooked chips, meat or fish, or roasted/deep fried cocktail kipfler potatoes from Scottsdale, also a feature in this week's hilbarn box. Love to hear what you think.

Strawberry Fields Now & Forever

For some reason we can't quite work out, when you follow the seasons, the years seem to fly by. This has its pros and cons. It's not such a welcome quality when it comes to ageing, although we're trying hard not to act our age. It's wonderful, though, when the seasons flick by and you realise it's strawberry time again. Hilbarners are lucky this week - they'll have strawberries in their box before the Berry Patch in Turners Beach even opens on Thursday. We met Craig today, in the midst of re-vamping their shed with a sexy new lick of paint, front counter, and pebbled front step. "The first pick is never the best," said Craig, who, after three seasons, we know to be the master of understatement. We hope you'll agree they still taste as good as ever. So good to be able to get Craig and Wendy's berries to you again: we hope you love the fruits of their labour as much as we do.

New Season

This weekend, Barn travelled east to Jetsonville to meet Adam who was in the process of harvesting sturdy fresh sticks of rhubarb for this week's hilbarn boxes ("picked" - not cut - by twisting each stem off the plant, one by one). Meanwhile, Hil journeyed west to Penguin for new potatoes (hooray - the first of the season!), Thirlstane for spring lettuce, and Northdown for basil. It might be slightly chilly, but we're loving the journeys we're making to find the best of new season produce for you.

In this week's box...

...Scottsdale Dutch cream potatoes, brown & red onions from Jetsonville, organic mizuna & wild roquette from York Town, East Tamar pears, Turners Beach cherry tomatoes, Forth pumpkin, carrots, & in doubles (photographed, above, in the making): North Lilydale lemons plus a splendid splash of waratah from Pipers River.

Waratah Haven

Grand Final Day is when NSW waratah grown in Tasmania are at their peak, says Kate, who harvested these stupendous 'Shady Lady' stems for us this morning ready to pack into hilbarn double boxes this evening. When the morning sun hit these grand bushes in her Pipers River native garden you couldn't help but be cheerful. We're celebrating light today, in all its forms: Day Light Saving is here at last!

Tasmanian macadamians

Rose's macadamias from her orchard in Hillwood are the hardest nut to crack and that's a fact. But well worth the effort, roasted, roughly chopped and mixed with Cheryl's leatherwood honey from Pipers River Aviaries into Hil's honey and macadamia nut Anzacs. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it:

1 cup whole macadamia nuts

1 cup plain flour

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup coconut

2 tbs boiling water

1 tbs leatherwood honey

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

130g melted butter

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Spread macadamia nuts over 1 tray and cook in preheated oven for 6 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool slightly then chop coarsely. Sift flour into large bowl. Add macadamia nuts, rolled oats, sugar and coconut, stir to combine. Combine boiling water, honey and bicarbonate of soda in small jug, then stir in the butter. Add cooled butter mixture to flour mixture and use wooden spoon to combine. Place 2 heaped teaspoons of mixture onto lined tray and use back of spoon to flatten slightly. Repeat with remaining mixture, leaving about 3cm between each. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes, transfer to wire racks to cool.

House of hilbarn

We really appreciate it whenever hilbarners return their hilbarn boxes so we can use them again, but we didn't mind at all when we received this photo from Claire who teaches at Mt Stuart Primary. This sustainable house was made by her grade 1 class out of recycled hilbarn boxes. "Sorry again that I didn't return them," Claire told us, "but my class have gained much pleasure from them and they are so proud of it!"

Thank you Mt Stuart Primary Grade 1. We're chuffed too!

First Day of Spring

The swallows are back, the bulbs are out, the sun was brilliant... so after ordering for hilbarn boxes this morning, we headed for Lulworth beach to celebrate the first day of Spring. Nothing to do with produce, or digging, or planting. Just Spring. Now, for the garden back home... Hope you're enjoying yours.

Let's Yam

In hilbarn boxes this week: freshly dug New Zealand yams from Lefroy market gardener Pottsy (aka Dave), who dropped them into the hilbarn shed during packing tonight on his way to performing at the Junction Arts Festival tent in Launceston. If you don't know what to do with your NZ yams, Dave advises to cook them in the same way as potatoes, but says roasting is best.

Daisies

Somewhere it's written, or been said, or we've heard... that twelve daisies in a group means Spring has arrived. Almost there then!

Truffle Hunting

Yesterday we were invited by Stillwater restaurant to join their truffle hunt in the Tamar Valley. These aromatic black nuggets were freshly harvested yesterday, watched by our robust group who braved the first rain the region has seen for some time. Marcus Jessup (centre) from Tamar Valley Truffles hosted the afternoon on his family's 1600 ha property, just ten minutes from the centre of Launceston. While the truffle lovers returned to Stillwater to enjoy a truffle menu from chef Craig Will, we hot-footed it to the hilbarn packing shed to put together today's fresh produce boxes. We'd love to feature truffle in our box, but we may not be able to put anything else in it: the price is as exotic as their aroma! Look out for Hil's story on Marcus in Country Style magazine coming up soon. And thank you to Kim and Rod for an inspirational day. Truffle with egg, with sausage, with pinot noir...