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Watch VideoGourmet Farmer
Matthew Evans
Ever wondered what it’d be like to leave a cushy city job and set up a small farm without any experience of rural life? Join Matthew Evans as he adjusts from being a restaurant critic to learning exactly where his food is coming from, on a farmlet in Tasmania’s beautiful Huon Valley.
Matthew Evans was once trained as a chef, before crossing to the dark side of the industry and becoming a restaurant reviewer. After five years and 2,000 restaurant meals as the chief reviewer for The Sydney Morning Herald, Matthew realised that chefs don’t have the best produce in the land, normal people who live close to the land do. So he moved to Tasmania, to a small patch of earth where he’s raising pigs and sheep, milking a cow and waiting for his chickens to start laying.
The food van
5 CommentsIt’s been a busy couple of weeks. Moved 32 pigs, some by trailer, some by walking them to their permanent homes. Some to the abattoir. Had another seven slips (piglets) born. Hand raked a new seven (of a potential 15!) winter garden beds. Went to the big Launceston food fair, Festivale, with the new caravan and sold free-range hot dogs and free-range pulled pork buns.
Chook season
Chickens. Hanging from the wall. Well, from the fence. Ten chooks, mostly sussex, destined for the pot. I was lucky this time, as Ross was over and took charge of the killing, Sadie the plucking, though I had the job of cleaning up. I’m not sure which job is worse. Though now the freezer is brimming with chicken meat, for only the second time in Puggle Farm’s existence.
Featured Food & Recipes
Hot Tips
Rare roast beef
Using a meat thermometer helps to determine precisely when the beef is cooked to rare. Simply insert the thermometer into the centre of the thickest part of the beef (avoiding the bone, fat and gristle), it will be cooked to rare when it is 50°C, medium-rare will be 55°C, medium is a little over 60°C.
Glossary
Rice Flour
Rice flour can be used to thicken soups and stews, as well as providing an alternative to wheat flour in cakes and biscuits.
