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It's coming up to Christmas, that truly wonderful time of the year when we get together with family and friends and of course Christmas is also traditionally chestnut time. To celebrate we've developed a new page on the website dedicated especially to delicious Christmas chestnut recipes. There's been quite a bit of action around Mountain View over the past few months both on the farm, with Brian getting to know the new orchard and off farm with the first batch of sweetened puree being produced. As well, we've had a Chestnut Growers of Australia AGM in Bright and as part of this hosted two researchers from New Zealand - David Klinac and Ray Knowles. Both have a wonderful understanding of chestnuts and their advice has been valuable in industry efforts to address internal rots of chestnuts, the root disease phytophthora and another newer calamity colloquially called 'bubbly bark'.
Brian and I would like to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year and we look forward to catching up again in 2006. Until next time...Jane
Contents Farm Guest Chef Chestnut Puree Mr Chesty Alpine Valleys Gourmet Weekend
Farm The chestnuts are just starting to flower with the early varieties pollinating at the moment and the later varieties due to start in another week or so. Brian and I have been taking photos of the trees and these will be posted on our Photo Gallery shortly. We've had very good Spring rains and in North East Victoria is appears that the long drought is finally over. Everything is growing like crazy including the trees and the whole countryside is lush and green - something we haven't seen for quite a few years.
Guest Chef We kicked off out guest chef page with Patrizia Simone in September followed by Maggie Beer in October. Unfortunately, we ran out of time with our November guest but we're now back on track and our December guest is Stefano Manfredi. Stefano is the kind of chef that uses a few basic ingredients, combines them together simply, and makes something magical. As well as being gifted he's one of the nicest people I've got to know through my chestnutting.
Michael Ryan is another chef who will be featured in the coming months but he's worth mentioning now because he has just opened his own restaurant called Range in nearby Myrtleford. Brian and I were there on his second night and he's done a great job - the fit out of the room is lovely and matches his excellent and varied menu.
Chestnut Puree We delivered our first batch of sweetened chestnut puree to the Essential Ingredient at the Prahran Market in Melbourne on 1 December. Deliveries will be going to the Essential Ingredient in Sydney, Monaco's Deli in Camberwell and The Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder in the coming week. We can also supply by mail order if you can't get to a shop. I've used the puree to make Nesselrode Ice Cream. This is a great alternative Christmas dessert to the traditional plum pudding especially if the weather is hot as is so often the case in Australia. I've put the recipe on the website under Christmas Recipes, click here.
Mr Chesty At the recent Chestnut Growers of Australia (CGA) Annual General Meeting a presentation was given launching the industry-wide character of "Mr Chesty". Poor Mr Chesty who doesn't have a home - he's not a real nut, not a fruit and not a vegetable, but is so healthy being low in fat, low GI and gluten free. There is much confusion about chestnuts because they are so unlike any other nut and Mr Chesty is a way to help consumers understand that they are unique. It was a initiative developed by Ian Paterson who is a CGA Board member and also a medical doctor. I've posted the information on our Latest News link so you can check the details there.
Alpine Valleys Gourmet Weekend We participated in this weekend last year and had such a fun day we will be attending the "Taste the Valleys" day again on Saturday14 January 2006 at Centenary Park in Bright. The day kicks off at 11:30 am and features stands from the many boutique wineries in the region. Wines can be purchased by the glass and this coupled with regional food platters plus great live music in a wonderful riverbank setting makes a great festival event. We'll be there with our Pietra chestnut beer and chilli roasted chestnuts plus chestnut ice cream. In the afternoon there will be a Masterclass program and I'll be demonstration a chestnut recipe along with Gillian Gasser (walnuts) and Sarah Gutheridge (hazelnuts). Together we are the "Valley Nut Queens"! For more information on other events over this weekend contact Eleana Anderson of the Alpine Valley Vignerons on (03) 5751 1575.
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