Peppermint Ridge Farm

New Bush Food Spice Mix and Slow Winter Soup

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We continue to experiment with our Australian Spices, full of flavour and punch and then add all of those vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and lutein (keeps your macular healthy) how can you lose? We have been blending the spices and have some great combinations. Our favourite at the moment is  Mountain Pepper and Lemon Myrtle.  Add the blend to any dish you want to give a real zing to. The Mountain Pepper provides a great flavour with hot afternotes – add as much you like for even more flavour.  I’ll post my recipe for fresh bush herb sauce next.

Spice Mix Recipe

  • 10 Fresh Lemon Myrtle leaves
  • 5 Fresh Mountain Pepper leaves

Chop finely in a food processor, store covered in the refrigerator. Add to all of your favourite dishes. Here’s one we made today.

Bush Spice Slow Winter Soup
Author: Julie Weatherhead
Ingredients
  • Bush Spice Blend
  • Carrot
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Silver beet stalks
  • Parsnip
  • Leek
Instructions
  1. Saute a chopped onion with 2 tbsp of the Bush Spice blend and 1/4 tsp salt.
  2. Stir in any chopped vegetables, we used carrot, cauliflower, celery, silver beet stalks, parsnip and leek.
  3. Add 1.5lt stock and cook in a slow cooker for 6 hours or put on slow heat on the stovetop until veges are tender.
  4. Add chorizo if desired.

Taste and add more bush spice if you want even more flavour.

I have used this mix also for frittatas, curries and stir fries – a winner every time.

Lemon Myrtle Tea Infusion

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Lemon Myrtle TeaLemon Myrtle is a wonderful native spice.  We make a delicious Lemon Myrtle Tea Infusion daily and really enjoy the benefits. Here are some quick tips on how to use this bush food:

Lemon Myrtle Tea Infusion

Lemon Myrtle TeaWe make Lemon Myrtle tea everyday – it is very uplifting. All you have to do is to pick a handful of fresh leaves from the bush and put into a tea pot. Pour in the boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes.

If you don’t have access to fresh Lemon Myrtle leaves, we sell packets of dried Lemon Myrtle Tea at Peppermint Ridge Native Food.

The tea is highly aromatic and full of antioxidants, Vitamins E  & B, Iron, Magnesium and lots of calcium.  It also has Lutein that is a compound that helps keep the macular in your eye healthy – pretty good eh? The tea has no caffeine or tannins – we drink at least 2 pots every day.

Lemon Myrtle Oil.

The oil from Lemon Myrtle can be extracted by steam – try a few drops in your bath or mix with olive oil for a wonderful dressing.

Growing Lemon Myrtle.

It grows well in Victorian gardens. It prefers some protection from hot and drying summer winds and winter frosts.  I grow it to the south of larger shrubs which give the ideal protection. In my garden it grows to about 2.5 to 3 metres tall. If you’d like to try growing your own Lemon Myrtle, we propogate and sell Lemon Myrtle plants at our bush food nursery so you can grow them in your backyard.

Copyright © 2014 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.

Hummus Recipe with Mountain Pepper and Lemon Myrtle

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lemon myrtle mountain pepper hummus

Hummus is one of my favourite fast food treats.  I am sharing a much loved hummus recipe that I have created to showcase the wonderful flavours of bush foods.  My passion is to encourage people to grow Australian spices in their own backyard – you can then use these native spices in everyday recipes. Experiment with these flavors – and most of all – have fun!

I created a Hummus recipe that has a kick of Mountain Pepper with the background of Lemon Myrtle in a creamy texture using some ingredients not usually used in traditional Hummus.

I would love to hear from you if you give this Hummus recipe a try.

Hummus with Mountain Pepper and Lemon Myrtle
Recipe Type: Entree
Author: Julie Weatherhead
Ingredients
  • 1 can of drained chickpeas – reserve the liquid
  • 2 tbsp fresh Lemon Myrtle leaves – finely chopped*
  • 1 tbsp fresh Mountain Pepper leaves – finely chopped*
  • 1 tbsp sesame sauce**
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp plain yogurt
  • 1 clove crushed garlic
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground Mountain Pepper berries or ordinary peppercorns
Instructions
  1. Process together until smooth and add some of the reserve liquid if mix is a little dry.
  2. Enjoy with plain biscuits or sticks of carrot and cucumber.

 

Cooks notes:
* Available from Peppermint Ridge Farm as a plant from our nursery or in bags of fresh leaves.
**A roasted sesame seed sauce available from Asian groceries – worth the hunt for the extra flavor.

Hummus Recipe and all Content Copyright © 2014 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.

Have you tried this hummus recipe?  Please feel free to comment below.

Bush Food Cooking School Recipe: Native Creative Pickled Carrot

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Native Creative Pickled Carrot

Native Creative Pickled Carrot Recipe

Today we ran a new cooking school called an Asian Style Lunch with an Australian Twist. After a recent trip to Malaysia and Vietnam, I thought our lovely Australian Spices would fit perfectly with many Asian dishes – the lunch recipes are a result of that thinking. Here is a pic of my take on Vietnamese pickled carrot: a Native Creative Pickled Carrot recipe. The recipe is easy and will keep for weeks in the fridge.I put these carrots into spring rolls,  stir fried vegetables and  San Choy Bao.

Pickled Carrot with Anise Myrtle
Author: Julie Weatherhead
Ingredients
  • 500g small carrots – sliced or finely julienned
  • 2 tbsp anise myrtle – finely chopped
  • 3 fresh red chilies – finely sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
  • 2 cups rice wine vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/3 tsp sugar
Instructions
  1. Prepare carrots and place in a large jar.
  2. Add anise myrtle, chilies, and garlic.
  3. In a small saucepan, boil the vinegar, water, salt & sugar for 5 minutes.
  4. Cool and store in the refrigerator.
  5. Pour liquid over the carrots and leave for 24 to 48 hours before eating.
  6. Enjoy!

 

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.

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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.