Kambarang – Celebrating a Bounty of Bush Foods at Margaret River’s most Unique Gourmet Event

Sixteen indigenous hospitality students from WA’s Kimberley, Pilbara and South West regions travelled to this year’s Margaret River Gourmet Escape (Festival) to join a series of Master classes. Working alongside the Australian indigenous cooking stars; Mark Olive (the Black Olive), Josh Whiteland and a range of other industry professionals, their ‘classroom’ was the Kambarang South West Aboriginal Gourmet Experience – a ‘Long Table Lunch’ for 100 guests – which I was fortunate to join!

The Kambarang gourmet experience showcases a fusion of contemporary and native bush flavours, with locally ‘foraged’ ingredients. Foraging expeditions are part of the students’ on country training activities during the lead up to the cooking tutorials. Josh Whiteland, who has inspired many professional chefs with his knowledge of native foods, said “we collected grains, sea celery, saltbush and dune spinach and identified native medicine and food plants”.

lemon myrtle beer battered reef fish served with grilled king prawn and quandong sea celery mayo dips

 

lunch was served with local wines and a specially brewed beer – a dark stout – fermented with the native quandong fruit

The ‘cutting edge’ of the week-long coaching is when the students – aged between 15 and 17 – are fast tracked into a real life restaurant situation where they prepare, plate and serve the five course gourmet menu. This exercise reflects the main aim of Kambarang which, alongside the staging of a uniquely different long table lunch, is to give indigenous students from remote communities an opportunity to gain first hand insights into what the hospitality industry is all about and to boost their confidence and self-esteem to do the job.

Hospitality students from the (Northwest) Yandeyarra community 

Kambarang is one of the six seasons on the (south west) Aboriginal calendar – marking the transition between the flowering plants and the end of the rain, it is a bountiful time for local seafood such as crab and abalone. The lush menu of fresh culinary creations was served with some ‘shy’ smiles, a pride and passion for country and a portion of heart-melting cuteness.

The (Motown) Merindas, with Mark Olive

Local Aboriginal art, artefacts and music decked the venue with ‘glitter and glam’ and the Merindas, whose music is influenced by Motown and the Sapphires, set the ‘soul train’ rolling.

The Kambarang Aboriginal Gourmet Experience provides a unique opportunity for Hospitality High School students from remote communities to gain hands-on experience preparing European style gourmet cuisine, and flavouring the menu with their own special touch.

                    home made passion fruit marsh mallow

harvest

Back at the vegetable patch (see ‘home grown’ 09.Feb post) we dug up our potato crop today

OK  the yield is far from overwhelming and one of these is a stone, just to boost it a bit – but we should take some credit for quality and creative design – look at that chook!

good mornin’

just found a koala in this breakfast egg – no seriously!

mr whippy

he’s alive and well and living in Perth – still playing the ear-piercing music chimes and still serving my favourite cone – plain vanilla with a flake.