SONIA GHIGGIOLI 

I have fermented, preserved and pickled many foods over the years and this festive season I have decided to blend my own pickling spice and use it to make pickled eggs, a perfect accompaniment to the many craft beers I am planning on tasting during the hot Queensland summer. I was given a dozen eggs from a friend that was laid by her chooks in the height of a heatwave and fires in Queensland, so it was suggested that I do the 'float' test before I use them. I was grateful tha

I am so very excited to announce the release of my small batch aged vanilla extract. I am proud of the aroma and flavour of this unique artisan product, due to the twelve month ageing process. At the Discovery Coast in Queensland the organically grown vanilla flowers were hand pollinated in October and November of 2016, hand harvested in August 2017, the pods were traditionally cured for a couple of months then steeped for over a year to form this rich, flavoursome quality ex

I had the supreme pleasure of travelling down to Solum Farm in Yamba NSW in May to attend Feast in the Field. This event has built up over the years to become the Clarence Valley’s iconic farm to plate 8 course lunchtime degustation amidst the spectacular grounds of Solum Farm. This year’s theme was Wild Harvest, Native Produce - Local and wild ... land and sea ... the best of bush food celebrating the taste of our bioregion. Solum Farm is the property of Mike and Cheryl Smit

I have had very little to do with orchids in my life except to admire their beauty. Since being back in Agnes Water the past two years I have been up close and personal with these beautiful displays of nature. There is everything to love about them, from their foreign looking vine with its rigid leaves, to the growth rate they have if they are in the right environment, and their amazing flowers with both male and female parts inside. The flower is most spectacular, not for it

I looked at the cupboards today after my son told me there was 'nothing to eat'. He had just baked a loaf of bread from scratch so I suggested a big tomato based minestrone soup would soak up the bread nicely. Of course he leaped at that idea and that is how this recipe was born. We are fortunate to have a few jars of our own Ghiggioli Family Passata (recipe can be found here) left over for days like today, where quality pre-preserved ingredients can be combined with fresh br

Living a lifestyle whereby you consciously choose what you put in your mouth, whether that is spray free or organic produce, free range animal products, vegetarian or vegan foods (and any variation in between) does not mean you have to forego the luxury of wine. I have had the great pleasure of tasting many organic, biodynamic and preservative free wines from around the world and routinely choose them over any other wines. I have spent much time in certified organic or biodyn

Nearly everyone you talk to knows the distinct aroma of vanilla. It is in their icecream, their perfume, their baked goods, chocolate, medicine and is sometimes said to be a strong aphrodisiac. With all these uses it is strange to think most people do not know much about how it is grown, and that extreme weather events can have a detrimental affect on supply, which sees prices jump in this global commodity. Vanilla is a natural agricultural product, but an artificial replica

I was first introduced to a rack of lamb through a home delivered mixed box of organic local lamb. Prior to this, I would never have picked up such an intimidating looking cut of meat. Once the rack was sitting out it was up to me to work out how to cook it! Google is my friend. I often look at the fresh ingredients I have at hand then google them to see which recipes come up in my search. I always have a variety of cheeses in my fridge, and these days homemade cheeses in my

Yesterday my family and I spent some time making jars of Passata and Rustic BBQ Sauce with the 10kg of tomatoes we hand picked the day earlier. As I use the passata as a base in dishes I cook from all around the world, I wanted to keep the recipe very simple and I chose the only other ingredients to be homegrown organic rosemary, garlic and onions and did not strain out the skins or seeds, and the result is a more textured sauce. Now the BBQ sauce is a different story, spicy