Hunting and Gathering

As we drive around this country we are always on the lookout for food as we all need sustenance to keep us going. When we strike a place that gives us good service and we get a good result from buying food there we like to mention it.

We normally stock up on all necessary goodies before we take off on our travels. That means certain quantities of frozen foods, tinned foods and dry foods and liquids. We love bush-camping and stay in out of the way places for most of our travels. Eventually we make for a town or we may just pass through one on our journey. In each town we go and check out to see if they have a good Butcher, Baker or Smallgoods supplier. Sometimes you come across top shelf items in out of the way places.

We call this Hunting and Gathering

This page is under construction and should be updated on a daily basis or when I find time to write

Good finds so far by State:

 

 

QUEENSLAND

Butchers:

Winton Butchers, Winton. Excellent range of smoked products most of which are already cryovaced and specialist sausages with different flavours as well a ready to cook Pizza’s with fresh topping
Richmond Butchery in Western Queensland has a good range of meats.
Flinders Butchery, Hughenden. Great range of meat and frozen seafood speialising in gourmet sausages
Cooktown Butcher. Good quality meats and cryovac service
Seisia Meat processors, Top of Cape York. Excellent range meats, seafood and cryovac service
Weipa Butcher. Excellent range of meats.

Bakers:

Moonrock Café and Bakery inside Kronosaurus Korner Complex, Richmond Western Queensland
Gallo Dairyland, Malanda Road, Atherton
Quilpie Bakery for excellent Turkish rolls and grainbread
Blackall Bakery delicious fresh tomato and bacon pies and good range of breads and cakes
Alpha Bakery. Lovely selection of fresh breads and cakes.
Holdens Bakery, Hughenden. Excellent range of bread, cakes and rolls. Opens from 5am every day
Curcios Drivethrough Bakery. Excellent range of cakes and breads
Newland Bakery at Waikerie, South Australia…Chicken and Cauliflower Pies. Donuts to die for !

Fruit and Veg:

Venies Fruit and Veg and Deli Products, Georgetown. Excellent quality
Cooktown Fruit and Veg and organic products. Excellent quality
Umagico Supermarket. Freshest vegetables at Tip of Cape York

Specialty Shops:
The STOP Shop 12174 Bunya Highway, Memerambi 4610 (Between Wondai and Kingaroy)
(Italian Icecreams and Fruit Sorbets, Herbs, Spices, Curry Blends, Jams, Honey,
Chutneys, Nuts, Unique lollies and food lines, Soaps, Shampoos, Coffee Beans,
Ginger, Licorice, Olives, Olive Oil, Peanut Oil, Incense Sticks, Ear Candles)
Spice up your life at this unique shop!

 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Butchers:

Mercers Meats, Main Street, Peterborough
Central Markets, Gouger St, Adelaide

Bakers:

Colton Farmstall for wood oven baked bread, Flinders Hwy, Eyre Peninsula
Central Markets, Gouger St, Adelaide
Newland Bakery, Sturt Highway, Waikerie…assortment of good cakes and breads

Fruit and Veg:
Central Markets, Gouger St, Adelaide

Seafood:

Cowell Roadhouse, Lincoln Highway, Eyre Peninsula for the most delicious Cowell bred live Oysters

 

 

NEW SOUTH WALES:
Bakers:
Roundabout Bakery, 282 Hoskins Street, Temora…Good variety of all baked goods
Roundabout Bakery, 187 Main Street, West Wyalong(same owners as above)
Specialty Shops:
Wirrilla Wine Cellar and Produce, Jugiong (off Hume Hwy)..Great selection of wines, honey and condiments
Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory, 45-61 Lord Street, Junee. Handmade organic licorice and chocolates….yummmm

NORTHERN TERRITORY
Specialty Shops:
Parap Fine Foods:

Parap Fine Foods

Parap Fine Foods

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parap Village 40 Parap Rd Parap, Darwin……..Parap Fine Foods stocks a great range of gourmet groceries, health foods including gluten free products, fruit and vegetables, organic items, deli lines and a range of unusual foods.


Tasmania

We travelled through Tasmania from February until May 2016 and sampled many fine foods.

Gourmet Food Shops

The Callington Mill at Oatlands. Stone ground flour, coarse and fine and Organic Baking Powder.

Oatlands Mill

Oatlands Mill

 

The House of Anvers Chocolate Factory at Latrobe
Huge range of handmade Chocolates, Fudges and Truffles, Also: Broken chocolate with recipe for Hot Chocolate to die for!

Ashgrove Gourmet Cheese Products at Elizabethtown
Extensive range if handmade cheeses and butters. Entrance decorated with life size painted cows

Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm at Elizabethtown
Huge range of berry products including Pick Your Own and Fresh Berry sales

Van Diemens Land Ice Creamery at Elizabethtown
Great range of handmade ice-creams in a multitude of flavours

The French Bakery at Sheffield served the bested Chicken and Camembert Cheese Pies ever

Wild Blackberries may be found on many road verges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found Blueberries at an Organic Farm near Greens Beach

On the road from Scottsdale to Launceston via the ranges we found the Springfield Farm Stall which sold fresh organic farm produce

 

 

 

 

At Evandale  we found the Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company which produces delicious Mustard, Pickles, Sauces and Jams made from local ingredients and including our favourite, Chilli Jam

St Helens Paddle Steamer Seafood Café. Delicious fresh seafood including Oyster Burgers and boxed servings of Scollop and Chips and Prawn and Chips

 

 

 

Mt Elephant Fudge Shop in St Marys. A select range of hand crafted Fudges and Chocolates. Also sells coffees and ice-creams. Absolutely divine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wall of Lollies at Geeveston. A most comprehensive range of sweets from all around the world. They also stock hand-made Turkish Delight Chocolates and Fudge and a full on hand-made Ice-cream Bar

The Wall Coffee Shop, Derwent Bridge. Freshly brewed coffees or teas with the best ever Scones, Jam and Cream.

 

Kates Berry Farm near Swansea and the Just Desserts Café, was another delight for us. Luckily we arrived at a slow time as parking was limited for those with caravans in tow. The Farm sells fresh berries, jams and chutneys and we enjoyed fresh scones and cream with our tea at the café

Kates Berry Farm

Kates Berry Farm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hillwood Berry Farm, Hillwood. Spray-free berries including Strawberries, Raspberries, Black and Red Currants and Loganberries. Pick your own or prepacked. The Café serves berries with Scones or Pancakes. The Cafe has a large range of Berry Jams and Vinegars, as well as Southern Sky Cheese Company products and including Truffle Butter

Hillwood Berry Farm

Hillwood Berry Farm

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APIARIES

The Honey Farm at Chudleigh have over 50 varieties of Honey and a range of Honey Products. They also have a Living Hive display

The Honey Farm

The Honey Farm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Tasmanian Honey Company at Perth. Organic Honey from native Tasmanian plants including Leatherwood Honey

 

FRUIT and VEG

 

A short way east of the town of Sorrell we found this great fruit and veg shop The Country Fresh Market 

Port Arthur Lavender Farm was another delight in our travels and their Lavender Milkshake was a new experience. The Farm lies a short distance before arriving at the Port Arthur  Tourist  Complex

Freycinet Marine Farm at Freycinet. Farm Gate sales of fresh Oysters, Mussels, Scollops and Crayfish harvested daily

Tasmania Pyengana Dairy Company at Pyengana. Excellent range of Cheddar and flavoured cheeses. Café serves the most amazing Cheesecake.

Holy Cow Cafe, Pyengana

Holy Cow Café, Pyengana

 

Grandvewe Cheese, Birch’s Bay. This not just a Cheesery but the whole sheep is used for product. Cheeses include Soft and Hard, Blue and Halumi and Lamb Chiritzo sausages

Duck River Butter, Smithton. Both Hard and Soft Butter. The best I have ever tasted

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BAKERIES

The TKO Bakery at Oatlands serves beautiful hand-made pastries, cakes and pies. The restaurant also gets good reviews

Ross Village Bakery. Set in the leafy Main Street of the Heritage town of Ross in the Cnetral Midlands. Wonderful Breads made in a wood-fired oven. They have won awards from their Vanilla Slices

Main Street, Ross

Main Street, Ross

The Frog Bakery. Deloraine. Beautiful selection of bread and including Rye Bread and Cheesecake by the slice

Tamar Cakes, George Town. A wonderful range of all types of Cakes and Slices, Gourmey Breads and Rolls

CELLAR DOOR

Devils Corner Cellar Door at Apslawn. Not just the Cellar Door but a wonderful lookout. This a part for Brown Brothers Company at Millewa on the Mainland serving excellent wines and fresh oysters from Freycinet.

Lookout Tower

Lookout Tower

Tamar Ridge at Rosevears. Also part of Brown Brothers. Excellent range of Sparkling wines and Pinot Noir. They also stock a range of gourmet Truffle products including Risotto and Salt

Beautiful Isle Wines at Devoit, Tamar Valley. Excellent Sparkling, Sweet White and Rose wines in a beautiful setting

 

Wines for Joanie at Sidmouth. This is a small boutique winery with some very nice reds

 

Moores Hill Winery, Sidmouth. They produce a very nice range of Pinot Noir wines. They also have Whiskey tastings, and local cheese platters

BUTCHERS

Snug Butchers and Snug Township. Fresh and cured meats. Full Delicatessan Products and Fresh Farm Eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAMPFIRE COOKING

 

Campfire in the Great Sandy Desert

Campfire in the Great Sandy Desert

                                               Photo by Peter Blakeman

 

From the humble Bush Billy to the 1 minute Bush Kettle and from the Camp Oven to the Weber Baby Q Grill we are now progressing in to the future . Times they are a changing.

Camp Billy

Camp Billy

Bush Kettle

Bush Kettle

Camp Oven

Camp Oven

 

 

Weber Baby Q

Weber Baby Q

 

 

 

Meat Recipes:

Noccundra Corned Beef

1 kg Corned Beef
1 Onion quartered
1 Carrot cut into pieces
1 Bayleaf
8 Peppercorns
Parsley
Method: Place ingredients into a cast iron pot or similar and cover with cold water
Bring to boil and then simmer for 4-5 hours over slow cooking fire
When meat is soft remove from pot and set aside to rest. Discard cooking water and other ingredients
Serve with boiled vegetables: potato, sweet potato, carrots, onion, peas or whichever vegetables you wish to eat with your dish.
Slice meat into thin slices and serve with boiled vegetables and cover with Parsley White Sauce.

Fletcher Creek Lamb Shanks in Red Wine for 2

2 lamb Shanks
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Teaspoon Mixed Herbs
Half Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Carrot sliced
1 Onion quartered
2 Cloves of Garlic crushed
4 Chat Potatoes
1 Tin diced Tomatoes
1 Stock Cube
1 Glass Red Wine
Method:
Put Shanks into plastic bag with tablespoon of flour, teaspoon of mixed herbs and half teaspoon of Cinnamon
Shake bag until shanks are covered with flour mix
(retain flour mix in small bowl and mix with dessert spoon of Gravox and set aside)
Oil the base of camp oven and brown the shanks over fire
Add onion, garlic, carrots, potato, tomatoes, stock cube and glass of Red Wine
Top up with water to cover the meat.
Cook over fire for one and a half hours.
Add water to flour mix to make a smooth paste and add to oven contents stirring in well
Cook for further 20 minutes
Serve with home style bread to mop up the gravy

 

Seafood Recipes

Red-Claw Yabby Risotto:

(Risotto is the food of love…to make it you need two glasses of wine. One for the dish and one for the cook)
This recipe is best prepared over a gas stove but can be done over a campfire
Ingredients:
8 Cooked Red Claw Yabby
40 grams butter
1 Carrot sliced
1 Small Onion quartered
6 Peppercorns
250 grams Arborio Rice
Half a cup Peas
Grated Tasty Cheese
Black Pepper
Cup of wine of your choice
Method:
Cut and clean Yabbies (see photographs). Remove urinary tract
Place claws and tail shell in a pot to make Bisque (stock)
Add 2 cups of water, peppercorns, carrot and onion, bring to the boil. Simmer for 25 minutes
Strain Bisque through a sieve. Discard the solids and return Bisque to pot. Leave to simmer while you make the Risotto

Making Risotto:
Melt 40 grams of butter in a saucepan. Add 250 grams of Arborio Rice and stir until butter is absorbed.
Add a cup of wine and stir until absorbed. Add half a cup of peas.
Now start adding the Bisque, half a cupful at a time, stirring in between each addition until all liquid is absorbed by the rice.
Rice should be glutinous by now. Add Yabby meat. Stir in gently. Add grated cheese. Stir that in as well.
Risotto should be ready to eat!!!    Enjoy!

Dessert Recipes

Lake Elphinstone Apple and Raspberry Crumble:
3 Apples (Fresh or Pie Apples)
Half packet frozen Raspberries
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Good pinch of Cinnamon
Method: Peel and slice the apples
Place together with rest of ingredients in saucepan. Cook apples to soften them.
In a bowl, mix equal quantities of flour, coconut and sugar = One and a half Tablespoons each
Mix 400 grams of butter with fingertips into the flour mix until crumbs form.
Place fruit in pie dish and cover with crumbs. Place Pie dish on trivet in oven with oven lid on top
Place oven on hot fire coals and cover lid with fire coals as well
Cook for 20 minutes or until pie is brown on top.
Enjoy with Yogurt or Fresh Cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strawberry and Cream Damper:
1 tin strawberries
200gm Long Life cream
2 Cups Self-Raising Flour
Sugar to dust top
Method:
Line a foil pie plate with baking paper
Drain strawberries from tin and retain juice for syrup
Place self raising flour in a bowl
Cut strawberries into slices and add to flour
Toss mixture to coat strawberries
Make a well in the centre and pour in all of the cream
Mix with a spatula to form a soft dough
Turn on to a floured board and need gently into a round loaf
Place on the prepared foil plate and sprinkle with sugar
Place in Cap Oven on Trivet and cover with lid
Place on coals and cover oven lid with hot coals
Bake for 35 minutes. Top will be caramelised and crunchy.
To make syrup place strawberry juice in a small pan with 1Tblspoon of sugar
Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Add juice of half as lemon and allow to boil for 10 minutes, until thick
Pour into jug and serve over damper with a dash of cream
Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
We used tinned strawberries but fresh or frozen ones can be used instead of.
Beer Bread at Starcke Station, Cape York:
3.25 cups Self Raising Flour
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Sugar
1 Can Cold Beer

Sift dry ingredients together. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour all of the beer in at once. Mix to a sloppy dough. Turn on to floured board and knead quickly. Spray cooking oil into your pot and then place baking paper in the pot and oil that as well. Place bread mix in Pot and cook in coals of fire for 30 minutes or until cooked. Enjoy with you favourite spread and condiments

 

Here is a Christmas tradition in our family:
IceCream Christmas Pudding

2/3 cup                       Milk
100g                             Marshmallows
1 teaspoon                   Cocoa
1 teaspoon                  Instant Coffee
1/3 cup                        Raisins
1.5 tablespoon            Sultanas
1.5 tablespoon            Currants
2 tablespoons             Cherry Brandy
1.25 cups                     Cream
2 tablespoons             Icing Sugar
1 tablespoon               Red Glace Cherries

Put the Milk, Marshmallows, Cocoa and Coffee into a saucepan. Heat gently until, Marshmallows are nearly melted. Allow to cool. Meanwhile mix the dried fruit with the Cherry Brandy. Allow to stand for 30 minutes then add to the Marshmallow mix. Dice the Cherries and add to the mixture. Freeze for a short time until slightly thickened. Fold in the whipped cream. Pack into a chilled basin. Freeze until firm. Turn on to plate and decorate with cream and cherries (optional)