My day at The Agrarian Kitchen was like the universe giving me a sneak preview on what my dream life looks like (including the talented gardeners & the humble, yet talented, chef)!
The Agrarian Kitchen is the creation of ex-Sydney chef, Rod, and his beautiful (French) wife, Sev. Five years in the making, they have a five acre property with goats, pigs, bees, chooks and a truck load of edible goodness.
So, the scene is set with a leisurely 45 minute drive from Hobart on Tassie's super efficient roads. From about 3 minutes out of Hobart you're in lovely countryside, quaint villages and other beautiful scenery. Even after 2 weeks of driving around Tassie I still love a roll of hay with a backdrop of rolling green hills.
We arrive. Coffee is made (and it's a good one). Rod's made a cake. And the first thing I notice is that everything they do is good quality and they have that perfectionistic attention to detail that I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. The menu and apron are to keep, utensils to borrow for the day.
We started with a tour of the property. I'll say at this point that if you think this post is long because of all of the photographs, I was BRUTAL with my cull. I had about 3 times this number on the shortlist.
Stop 1 was milking the goats... which involved the goats pulling Rod off his feet in their eagerness to get to the milking shed. Not sure if you've ever milked a goat (or cow), but if you haven't, the udder is incredibly soft and warm. Goats milk for the ricotta - check.
Then we visited the pigs (saddleback, if you're interested)... none of the photographs made the brutal shortlist. Then the chooks (couldn't resist this one of the rooster crowing)... eggs - check!
Because of Tassie's harsh climate, they've put in a couple of 'poly tunnels' (which extends their growing season) and they're positively overflowing which herbs and tomatoes and onions and we just filled our baskets with everything we needed for our cook off.
and a close up for those who just want more...
As if that wasn't enough, our wonka factory tour continued into the outside beds where we harvested potatoes, zuchini, tasted strawberries, blackberries, other berries, dug up carrots, picked peas, marvelled at artichokes etc etc.
And finally, into the kitchen where we got our menu...
and started work led by chef, Rod.
Three hours later, et voila...
followed by...
accompanied by...
Unfortunately I didn't get a photograph of the potato dish without the girls who made it in the image, so I've left that one out. It was divine!
And for dessert...
All accompanied by beautiful Tassie wines (and sparkling rhubarb made with rhubarb from the garden).
If you have a bucket list, you even remotely like cooking, you like the countryside, you hanker for 'the old days' or you've never milked a goat and you'd like to try, I can highly recommend The Agrarian Kitchen. It remains on my bucket list for another visit.
Cate xx
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