A Few of My Favourite Things… Seven Sumptuous Stalls at the Barossa Farmers Market

 by Caroline Dunn


What better way to spend a Saturday morning than dropping into the Barossa Farmers Market where stalls groan with delectable morsels to fortify the soul and belly for the upcoming week?

Here are a just a few of my favourite stalls:   

Alnda Farms – The Market Veggie People

Braving the elements out the front of the markets, come rain or shine, are Alnda Farms with their cornucopia of veggies to tantalise every tastebud. Alnda have 17 acres of farmland at Gawler River, between Virginia and Two Wells, where all their veggies are grown by hand with minimal sprays, guaranteeing maximum freshness and flavour. Almost all Alnda’s produce is sold at weekend markets.

The veggies here are always a delight to the senses, bursting with vibrancy of colour and aroma, from pristine cauliflowers, to earthy beetroots; bright red tomatoes to dark and brooding cavolo nero; and a brilliant array of fragrant herbs. The use of plastic and glass houses allows Alnda to grow vegetables which are normally out of season providing market-goers with an array of produce which may not easily be found elsewhere.

Waechter’s Dux

Matthew and Celeste Waechter from Nuriootpa raise Muscovy and Pekin ducks the old fashioned way, free to roam, with a dam to swim on and Matthew’s parents’ vineyard to wander. Matthew began breeding ducks at the age of seven after his grandfather gave him a pair of Muscovy ducks. The breeding was successful and Matthew started to sell his surpluses at local markets.

The Waechters now sell a diverse selection of free-range, grain-fed poultry including ducks, geese, chickens, pigeons and turkeys. There are whole birds, Marylands, breasts, sausages, pies and more. And for those of you who may not be all that familiar with cooking ducks, grab some ripe Barossa plums (I know it’s not plum season yet but this one’s worth waiting for) and try out this remarkably simply yet divinely delectable recipe from Jamie Oliver. A wonderful chuck-it-all-in-the-pot, slow-cooked duck with plums, star anise and Chinese five spice that will blow your mind.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/duck-recipes/sweet-duck-legs-cooked-with-plums

Eleni’s Barossa Handmade Produce Catering

Eleni is a breadmaking alchemist, turning simple ingredients into scrumptious loaves to warm the heart. Who said man cannot live by bread alone? Eleni makes two types of Italian breads, focaccia and ciabatta, both available either plain or enhanced with olives and rosemary. Eleni’s breads are all handmade with fresh yeast, Lauke’s bakers flour and local extra virgin olive oil. But be warned – there won’t be much left by Sunday morning!

Eleni also makes her own sour cream pastry from Maggie Beer’s recipe – the one recently made famous in the Pheasant Pie celebrity challenge on Masterchef! – which she fills will either Pewsey Vale beef and burgundy or creamy chicken and leek – fast becoming a staple for winter Saturday lunches at my house.

European style cakes and tarts complete Eleni’s range.

Eleni is also loves to cater so why not try something a bit different next time. You can reach Eleni at 0421 544 867 or elenimichau@gmail.com

Hutton Vale Lamb

For some of the most tender, juicy lamb you’ll ever try, you can’t go past Hutton Vale, who’ve been grazing lambs since the late 1840s. Today’s lambs are direct descendants of the original ewes. Hutton Vale is home to fifth, sixth and seventh generations of the Angas family, who also produce the Farm Follies range of artisan chutneys and pickles, merino wool and cereal crops.

Whack a leg of lamb in the slow cooker with some stock, Barossa wine, lots of garlic and veggies and whatever herbs and spices you desire and leave it for seven hours or so until the meat melts off the bone for a mouth-watering winter warmer. Yum.

Sidney Lewis Potatoes

And if you want some luvverly spuds to go with that amazing lamb, check out Sidney Lewis – the potato man. Sidney says that the potatoes he grows are all multi-purpose but some have special talents. My new favourite are the Ceciles, small and red-skinned with a creamy, waxy yellow flesh that are fabulous simply roasted with olive oil, rosemary and salt. Yellow-fleshed Dutch creams are great all-rounders with an extra creaminess, and Sidney believes his Kennebecs make the ultimate chip. Sidney also grows Moonlights and Pontiacs, which are also good mutli-purpose potatoes. Pontiacs, Sidney says, are good for mash and chips but are outshone by Kennebecs in the chip department. But a word of advice from Sid – don’t overcook them!

Ellis’s Paraglen Orchard

Ellis orchards have been growing fruit in the Barossa since the 1920’s. This morning’s wonderful range of winter orchard fruit boasted 12 varieties of apples, including Granny Smiths, Fujis, Pink Ladies, Red and Golden Delicious, Bonzas, Cleos, Johnnies and one that I had never tried before, the Winesap. Something like a red Granny Smith, the Winesap is a crisp and juicy old-fashioned style of apple with a sweet, rich flavour. The Ellis’s also had 4 varieties of pears – Packham, Beurre Bosc, Corella and Josephine. So for all your apple and pear needs, don’t miss Paraglen Orchard.

Carême Traditional Pastry

Well, what can one say about Carême? Sublimely luscious pastries, pies, cakes, croissants, breads and more to seriously tempt you. Delicious savouries like their signature potato galette with lachs schinken and rosemary fight for your attention alongside delectable tarts filled with rich, dark, smooth Belgian chocolate, plump juicy apricots or lemon meringue.

Based in Tanunda, Carême Pastry is owned and operated by William and Claire Wood. Established in 2005 they set out with a clear vision to provide a range of the finest, hand-crafted pastry products made using traditional methods from natural ingredients. Carême also specialises in ready to use pastry dough, which is just as good (an in my case much, much better) than home made, so you can make your own succulent pastry delights at home. Drool and enjoy.

But being so spoilt for choice, it’s a difficult task to mention only seven stalls. Why not let us know your top picks?

The Barossa Farmers Market is open every Saturday morning from 7:30 to 11:30 on the corner of Nuriootpa and Stockwell Roads, Angaston. 
For more information visit their webpage  http://www.barossafarmersmarket.com or 
Facebookpage  http://www.facebook.com/BarossaFarmersMarket