Asparagus over, berries begin, truffles in, plants out, veg and biochar back, peonies kick on, and a new stallholder.
It is what we like to call a Bill Lawry week at Harvest: all happening. Let’s take it from the top.
The Spears
Asparagus has a notoriously short season at the best of times, truly a brief delicious wonder of spring. Unfortunately, this season has come to an untimely close, owing to particularly trying growing conditions in the leadup to spring. Our asparagus bestie Lucy Headlam had really hoped to hang on for the extra couple of weeks into December, but alas.
The Berries
But as one season closes, so another begins. We’re delighted to welcome Stuart and BioBerries back to the market for the beginning of their season. We assert that it is a rare Tasmanian that doesn’t list a berry of some kind in their top three fav fruits. 100% of people surveyed in the Harvest office (n=2) have cited the raspberry as such. We’d call that definitive proof of our hypothesis. Certainly, we’re champing at the bit for the start of berry season and all the pies, fools, sauces, creams and crumbles that will follow.
The truffles
Truffles of Tasmania are back in the pen for a run this week too. Yeah, OK, certainly it is far from truffle season. But Louisa and her pack of handsome and faithful truffle doggos are bringing you a beautiful range of value-added truffle products, made entirely from their truffles and other Tasmanian ingredients. In the same vein as asparagus, fresh truffles are a fleeting seasonal treat. Although, unlike asparagus, judiciously used preserved truffle products can add an extra special touch to your dishes throughout the year. The goods Louisa brings are a premier example of just such products.
The New Stallholder
Join us in extending the open arms of Harvest to Sally McCreath and Shelduck Farm! Shelduck Farm Oatcakes are inspired by Sally’s love of Scotland. While working in southwest Scotland as a shepherd, she fell in love with the way of life. As well as oatcakes and her boss cum husband, Rob. A friend from Orkney passed the family’s ancient oatcake recipe on to Sally and from there she has developed her Tasmanian versions, which she handmakes, stamps and packs in her kitchen near Deloraine. The passion for her product and the people and environments of its origins are self-evident in both Sally and the oatcakes themselves. We’re so excited to have a complimentary product for the wonderful dairy, charcuterie and condiments already available at Harvest. Congrats Sally! Looking forward to having Shelduck on the roster.
The Plants
Tim and Karen Brock, of Plants Direct fame, are away for the week, attending the Longford Blooms Festival. Longford Blooms is one of the biggest weekends on the Tasmanian gardening calendar (yes, there is such a thing). It is your chance to tour some magnificent private gardens, as well as explore the riches and varieties of Tasmanian plant producers. Producers like Tim and Karen, who are at the cutting edge – pun intended – of horticulture in Australia. Yes, we’ll miss them this week, but we’re privileged to have them generally, so we’ll let it slide.
Ironically, their absence this week coincides with the return of Frank and Karin of Frank’s Char. Ordinarily, you’d have the plants next to the stuff to grow the plants in. But as we’ve seen, there are no plants (this week). No matter, because the stuff to grow the plants in is equally important and we’re delighted to have Frank’s Char back in the fold after their run of horticultural shows and other engagements.
The Rest
Also back after the rarest of absences is Steve’s Veg. We had a good long hard think about this and consulted stone tablets and market managers of antiquity. It would appear that this is only the second time Mai and her amazing produce and devoted family have missed a Harvest Market in, wait for it, 10 years. By now, that’s about a ratio of (we estimate) 550 to 2. Quite the scorecard we’re sure you’ll agree.
Last but definitely not least, another short but oh-so-fragrant and beautiful season continues its run in the form of Heathermoor Peonies. We’ve seen so far how these types of seasonal blooms can come to an unexpected and upsetting close without warning, so it is incumbent upon you to pick up a bunch of these spectacular flowers whilst you can.
Come to think of it, this is – for the first time in recent memory – a Harvest newsletter that is wholly focused on the Saturday at Harvest and little else. No unhinged rambling, no esoteric social commentary, no controversial opining. Just good ol’ fashioned descriptions of what is happening at Harvest. A Christmas miracle.
That is it from the Harvest desk for now, thanks for reading.