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Having your bush food garden and eating it too!

January 6, 2015 By Julie Weatherhead Leave a Comment

The bush food garden here at Peppermint Ridge Farm continues to thrive and we are

Aniseed Myrtle

Anise Myrtle

enjoying watching all of the fruits fatten and the edible leaves glowing. The anise myrtle has a particular secret. If you eat the the new red leaves you will discover they taste like a soft  sweet licorice lolly but without the sugar – bonus. The mature leaves are high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals so perhaps the immature ones have some of these properties too.

The mature leaves make a wonderfully refreshing tea as well as great ice cream.

One of my interests is in encouraging gardeners to add bush foods to their flower and vegetable gardens. This year we have watched the growth of the finger limes, native blueberries, midyim berries, native currants and pepper berries and continue to propagate these in our bush food nursery.

Some of these fruits have very high nutritional qualities – the currant has very high levels of vitamin C, the pepper berries are high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Not all of the fruits have been tested by food scientists, but anecdotal evidence of the native blueberry discusses upset stomachs from eating too many of them. This could be due to a high level of nutrients or a presence of toxins, so caution in eating untested plants is always advised and never go eating fruits or leaves on forest walks as some plants are proven to be toxic (always buy your edible native plants from a reliable and knowledgeable source).

Not only do the tested fruits taste wonderful, the plants are very attractive additions to garden design. These plants are easily grown organically as they are not susceptible to attack by fungus, bacteria or insects – this is from 16 years of trials here. Some plants need a little protection from strong hot & cold winds and dry soil such as the Mountain Pepper and Lemon Myrtle, bit most are tolerant of tough conditions.

macadamia salted caramel chocolate tartsIt is a lot of fun making up new recipes for these wonderful plants, and over the Christmas break we made up a new recipe for our macadamia, salted caramel and chocolate tarts. The new base is a bit softer and has a lovely chewy texture which we think is a great improvement on the original recipe.  The whole eating experience is one of a toasted macadamia biscuit base, a soft gooey salted caramel centre and a crisp dark chocolate topping.  This recipe will feature at our next cooking school class next month.

 

Copyright © 2015 Julie Weatherhead, Peppermint Ridge Farm.  All rights reserved.

At Peppermint Ridge Farm we are passionate about Australian native foods and spices.  We run bush food cooking classes, tours of our Australian Spice Garden, and foodie events on site in Tynong North, Victoria.  We are also available for private functions. Find us on our website: www.peppermintridgefarm.com.au.

Filed Under: Native Plants and Spices, Peppermint Ridge Farm Activities Tagged With: anise myrtle, Mountain Pepper

About Julie Weatherhead

Julie Weatherhead runs the Living Classroom at Peppermint Ridge Farm, the Cornucopia Living Heritage Centre and the Cornucopia Consulting Group with husband Anthony Hooper. She is an Environmental Scientist and Ecologist who has researched and developed the use of ecosystems to enhance organic vegetable gardening. Julie and Anthony have led workshops at Peppermint Ridge since 1996, teaching others about bush food, organic vegetable gardening and sustainable land management. They have developed unique methods of gardening to save time, water and money.

« Finger Limes and Mountain Pepper growing well at Peppermint Ridge
Life Amongst the Peppermint Gums »

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HIGHLIGHTING

  • Native Pantry Cooking School Saturday May 14 2022 $160.00 (incl. GST)
  • Tour and Taste Event Sunday June 5 2022 $110.00 – $120.00 (incl. GST)
  • Tour and Taste Event Sunday July 10 2022 $110.00 (incl. GST)

NEWS FROM THE FARM

  • We have limited quantities of freshly picked finger limes available-200g and 500g. PURCHASE HERE!
  • The nursery now stocks a wide range of advanced native food plants including sexed mountain peppers, strawberry gum, lemon myrtle, finger lime and anise myrtle!
  • We provide a complete native food garden design service for schools, early learning centres and community groups. We can assist with plant selection and garden design, through to supply and delivery of plants from our nursery. Our interpretive signs provide valuable information about the plants, adding to the educational value of the gardens.
  • Peppermint Ridge Farm is proud to support the Kat Muscat Fellowship. The fellowship provides funding  support to a young writer or editor. https://expressmedia.org.au/programs/the-kat-muscat-fellowship/
  • Check out this article from Broadsheet https://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/travel/article/bookmark-eight-lesser-known-wonders-gippsland

 

GIFT VOUCHERS

Our gift vouchers are a popular choice if you are looking for a different experience for a friend or loved one. The vouchers can be used for our regular tour and taste lunches, Native Pantry cooking classes, to purchase native food plants from the nursery, native food spices and teas or our book, Australian Native Food Harvest.

Contact us to arrange gift vouchers.

Australian Native Food Harvest by Julie Weatherhead
Australian Native Food Harvest: a guide for the passionate cook and gardener. Purchase online now!

PRESENTATIONS ON NATIVE BUSHFOODS

Our presentations to libraries and community groups provide an opportunity to learn more about Australia’s wonderful native food plants:

  • history of native food plants
  • plants that grow best in your garden
  • growing and propagating native food plants
  • culinary uses

We also attend a number of field days, garden expos and festivals across Victoria.

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Peppermint Ridge Farm acknowledges the Kulin Nation of peoples as the first inhabitants and the traditional custodians of this land where we live, learn and work.

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