1 FENNEL
“I grow fennel as a self-seeding perennial on the farm to ensure we have a flowing supply of their flowers and seeds.”
2 HOGGET
“In contrast to ‘spring lamb’, we give our animals a longer life in the fields. They don’t make their way onto our menu until the following year, at which point they are referred to as ‘hoggets’. The flavour, fat content, yield and ethics associated with an older animal are far superior.”
3 GREEN GARLIC
“Green garlic is spring’s gift to the lazy chef in all of us – crisp, tender bulbs of garlic that don’t need to be peeled! Keep an eye out for them at the market, often labelled ‘new garlic’ or ‘spring garlic’ and double the quantity if you’re using them in place of older bulbs, as they’re more subtle in flavour.”
4 GRAPEFRUIT
“Although you will find grapefruits throughout winter, I like to wait until early spring when they reach their ultimate sun-kissed sweetness.”
You can feel the seasons at Barragunda Estate. This is something Simone Watts, who will be heading up a new restaurant on the sprawling 1000-acre property in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, knows all too well. When delicious. catches up with the chef and regenerative farmer, she is taking refuge inside from a frosty morning – one of few the region has experienced this past winter – but spring is already in the air.
“It feels like it’s going to be a warmer, earlier spring,” she says. “I’m noticing the telltale signs… the almonds are flowering and the wattle is starting to bloom.
