Victoria Cosford
Each of us is the product of one: without them we would never have existed. If only for this fact, mothers should be celebrated – and this Mother’s Day, consider serving up a three-course feast for the mother in your life, most of the ingredients springing from a visit to the farmers’ market.
Start with a zucchini and basil soup; move on to a glorious chicken dish; finish up with chocolate. For the soup, soften a kilo of chopped zucchini (from Everest Farm) and two cloves of garlic in olive oil and do this slowly, so it takes around 20 minutes. Season, then add 500ml chicken stock and simmer for several minutes. Pour the lot into a food processor and reduce to a puree before returning the mix to the saucepan. Stir through 140ml cream, the chopped leaves of a small bunch of basil and one of parsley (from Gourmet Salad Hut), and 120g finely-grated parmesan. Check the seasoning and serve with a toasted chunk of Crabbes Creek Woodfired Honey and Macadamia bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil.
For the main, roast chicken, you’ll be mashing together softened butter and a round of Deb Allard’s brie-style ‘Claude’ cheese, then folding through finely chopped garlic and parsley. Gently loosen the skin of a Misty Creek Farm chicken and insert this ‘butter’ all over, as far as possible. Season, and pop into a 200°C oven until the juices run clear. Alongside, serve Edens Landing potatoes you’ve roasted in Misty Creek’s fantastic organic rendered chicken fat, till crunchy and golden, and Gourmet Salad Hut leaves.
The only possible ending after that is organic chocolate from Puremelt: your work is done, the table adorned with Ahana candles and beautiful flowers from Blue Lotus or Glenyce Creighton. Happy Mother’s Day!
Everest Farm, Crabbes Creek Woodfired, Cheeses Loves You, and Glenyce Creighton are at New Brighton Farmers Market every Tuesday from 8 to 11am and at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7 to 11am.
Gourmet Salad Hut, Misty Creek Farm, Edens Landing, Puremelt Chocolate, Ahana Candles and Byron Bay Blue Lotus are at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7 to 11am.
