Slow Food Hunter Valley

14/06/2026

💚 RECIPE IDEA 💚
Our Slow Foodie, Marcus, has really been getting into weekend breakfasts lately. He has offered to share a couple of his favourites for this week. Both the Green Shakshuka and the Crispy Corn Fritters were made using produce from the Earth Market Maitland and Marcus’s own garden. It’s always important to and .

Notes from the chef:
The Shakshuka is great way to use up the gigantic broccoli from Nebo Farm, stalk and all!
Substitute the asparagus for Nebo Farm green beans because we always eat in season. Eggs were from Oakhampton Farm, potato also from Nebo Farm and herbs were all home grown. Substitute the cottage cheese with feta (because the protein junkies have bought it all 😜) If harissa is not your thing, we reckon you could pimp this with tomato and aniseed myrtle sauce from We’ve Got the Munchies for a great kick of flavour.

Click on the link below for the original recipe:
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/egg/green-shakshuka/

The Crispy Corn Fritters would be perfect for an Earth Market breakfast or light lunch.
The corn was from Nebo Farm, spring onion from Aspect Hunter High (Maitland Urban Farm), eggs were from Oakhampton Farm, coriander was home-grown from Maitland Seed Library seeds served with a little chopped tomato on the side care of Nebo Farm.

Click on the link below for the original recipe:
https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-corn-fritters/

We love to see what you are cooking with your fresh produce so please feel free to share your favourite brekkie recipes and food pictures with us.

Helen, Marcus and Liz

12/06/2026

Sri Lankan Feast Fundraiser……
supporting a Sri Lankan’s family’s migration journey

What a great night, 100 full bellies, three happy prize winners and $5000 raised to support a family on their migration journey. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this great cause.

Thank you to our amazing Sri Lankan cooks- Amorelle, Thillin and Rumesh for creating he most wonderfully vibrant and delicious food ever. Thank you to the great Organic Feast crew and the Slow Food Hunter Valley volunteers for all the hours of work getting it together. And special thanks to Simon, Charlie, Ruby and Maggie, our fabulous dishies, who did such a great job cleaning everything up by 10.30pm. What a night!

09/06/2026

One of our wonderful partners in this great program, giving a helping hand up to the locals on the east side of town.

07/06/2026

💚 RECIPE IDEA 💚

Each month we feature one of our Earth Market producers in our socials. Charlie, from Margins Mushrooms, is our June producer so last Thursday we kicked off with a cooking demonstration at the market using a mix of his delicious mushrooms to make a Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff.
We thought we’d share the recipe for this week’s . It’s a hearty winter meal perfect for this cold weather. The recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and ready in 30 minutes. Serve with boiled brown rice, pasta or mashed potato and enjoy.

See link below for original recipe by Michaela Vais:
https://elavegan.com/vegan-mushroom-stroganoff-gluten-free-recipe/ -recipe-container-3708

We love to see what you are cooking with your fresh produce so please feel free to share your favourite recipes and food pictures with us.

Helen, Marcus and Liz

05/06/2026

What a wonderful treasure for Maitland. Go the Earth Market Maitland!

02/06/2026

A few tickets left for this terrific fundraiser.

31/05/2026

💚 RECIPE IDEA 💚
Let’s celebrate winter and the abundance of cruciferous vegetables (brassica) now available at the Earth Market Maitland for our recipe. The list of cruciferous vegetables includes broccoli, broccolini, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, Asian greens and rocket as well as the cabbage family. To find out more about these vegetables and their health benefits, visit: https://www.eatright.org/food/vitamins-and-supplements/nutrient-rich-foods/the-beginners-guide-to-cruciferous-vegetables

Eating more vegetables is good for us but we often fall short of the recommended five serves a day. Come along to the Earth Market this Thursday and get a basket full of winter veggies. The great thing about buying fresh and local is that the veggies last so much longer. To help you on your way, our Slow Foodie, Marcus, has whipped up a delicious cauliflower broccoli cheese from Jamie Oliver using Nebo Farm vegetables.

Click on the link below for the recipe:
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables/the-best-cauliflower-broccoli-cheese/

Notes from the chef:
I didn't "simmer" the broccoli in the sauce. I steamed it separately then blitzed it into the sauce.
I also subbed the flaked almonds for chopped and crushed macadamias.
We served it with Nebo corn and a vegan sniddy.
For vegans, use olive oil spread, soy milk and vegan cheese to make the sauce.

We hope you enjoy this week’s dish. We love to see what you are cooking with your fresh produce so please feel free to share your favourite winter recipes and food pictures with us.

Helen, Marcus and Liz

31/05/2026

June Planting Guide

We are all thankful here in the Lower Hunter, for some good and badly needed rain last week Here's some ideas for what to do in your food garden this month. June is a quieter month for planting as the days continue to shorten and the soil cools. It is the last month to plant your garlic crop, so if you haven’t got it in, do it in now. And pop in some strawberry runners while you are down there. 🍓🍓
Direct sow in the ground:
🌱 Asparagus Crowns
🌱 Broad Bean
🌱 English Spinach
🌱 Garlic - see our guide at: https://www.facebook.com/SlowFoodHunterValley/posts/3851965038223009
🌱 Lettuce (winter varieties)
🌱 Peas
🌱 Radish
🌱 Rhubarb Crowns
🌱 Snow Pea
🌱 Strawberries
🌱 Onion
Plant in seed trays:
See our tips for growing from seed https://www.facebook.com/SlowFoodHunterValley/posts/2911739518912237
🌱 Cabbage
🌱 Kale

Sustainable Gardening Australia has provided a June garden to do list, which serves as a reminder on what garden tasks to tackle right now:
☘️ Planting – to ensure your garden is producing all year round.
☘️ Herbs like chamomile, lemon grass, mint and lemon balm are all great to plant at this time of year, but you might like to plant the mint and lemon balm in pots so they don’t take over.
☘️ Feeding - Plants feel the need for a feed at this time of year. A seaweed tea or low environmental impact liquid fertiliser is perfect, especially for the new seedlings.
☘️ Weeding - Cut down the competition in your veggie patch.

Thanks to Cecily for the original June post

28/05/2026

Congratulations Marcus. Thank you for all that you do for the community with Slow Food Hunter Valley. You are a star.🌟

A great turnout at today's meeting as we awarded FIVE Pride of Workmanship Awards to people from the local community who have been recognised for their individual achievement & commitment to their workplace. Awardees were Tahnee Millerd, Store Manager at IGA Tenambit, Cassie Cooper & Scott Woodward, owner operators of Hunter Valley Environs, Marcus Bridges, Deputy Chair at Slow Food Hunter Valley, and Lisa Kaye, Manager at Bunnings Maitland. Congratulations to all - so well deserved. Thanks also to our Vocational Director Narelle Tilden who did a great job of organising the presentations.