Long Table Dinner
On Thursday 23/02/23, The Great Lakes Food Trail hosted “So you want to live on a Farm”, a Long Table Dinner event at River Myall Entertainment Venue in Buladelah.
The speakers were the main focus of this event but, from a kitchen perspective, there are weeks of planning, liaising with Food Trail members and local farmers to find out what local produce is available to create a delicious menu, even as a support act.
I chose to showcase two beers from Coastal Brewing Company in two different desserts, with local produce, to complement Canapes by Chef Sarah, Entrée and Main by Kerry and Ben Hodges from Tillermans Restaurant with Coastal Brewing Company beers and wines by Old Inn Road Vineyard and Great Lakes Paddocks.
I enjoy creating Dessert Cakes that have different components and are a restaurant quality dessert, in a slice of cake. These generally need to be refrigerated and can come with additional components to create a plated dessert, as I did for the Long Table Dinner.
My favourite honey comes from Buladelah. It is lightly floral, not sweet and teamed perfectly with Natural Vanilla Store Vanilla Beans and CBC Peach Saison to poach the peaches. I discovered Jack’s Look Blueberries at the end of the season and had enough to nestle them in between the peach slices in the mascarpone layered between fluffy sponge holding the poaching liquid. A creamy cloud of toasted Italienne Meringue topped this Summer on a Plate beauty.
When I saw CBC Lamington Dessert Stout with Cherry, I knew I could poach cherries in it with spices, lemon and blood orange, use the poaching liquid in the Dark Callebaut Chocolate Mousse then layer it with Coconut Dacquoise, Chocolate Sponge, the poached Cherries and Chocolate Glaze with coconut caramelised in honey for a textural crunch with the luscious slice of Chocolate Cherry Coconut Dessert Cake.
Has your hand gone to your mouth to wipe the drool away? I’m wishing that I had kept a sneaky treat for me as I write this, as I did taste test both desserts and thoroughly enjoy them.
Thank you to everyone that told us how much they enjoyed all the food at this event and to Ardent Soul Photography for the photos. The entire menu is in the images for you to salivate over.
For updates on future GLFT events, head to Great Lakes Food Trail.
