A food festival in Western Australian's Gascoyne region is drawing chefs and tourists from across the country as it celebrates local produce and agriculture.
Key points:
- The Gascoyne Food Festival attracts some of Australia's best chefs
- Local growers say the events showcase the region's produce to tourists
- More food events are being held across the region later this month and in September
Events are being held around the region this month and in September for the Gascoyne Food Festival, with 'Australia's Biggest BBQ' at Mount Augustus and 'Canapes on the Gascoyne' at Brickhouse Station still to come.
Chef Sophie Budd said the event helped to put the Gascoyne on the map in the culinary world.
"I think a lot of people in Perth would have no idea where their fruits and vegetables come from," she said.
"This is really to get people who follow these chefs on social media to start to realise what the Gascoyne is and what's growing up here.
"There really is everything you could possibly need. Some regions you go to and they're lacking in bits and pieces, but the Gascoyne has it all."
Students get involved
One of the main events of the festival was the long table gala dinner, which Ms Budd said was a team effort to put together.
"Every year we have different dishes and different chefs. It's an endless menu and it's all about teamwork," she said.
"The menu is 90 to 95 per cent local produce."
The chefs worked with TAFE students from Geraldton and Carnarvon in the kitchen at Carnarvon Community College to prepare meals for the festival's Twilight Dinner event at Bentwater Plantations.
"We've been cooking for the last couple days preparing all of the local produce, veggies, fruits, seafood, meats," Ms Budd said.
"We've got beef and goat."
Later this month Ms Budd will create a ten canape menu at Brickhouse sheep station.
Limes, seafood on show
Local grower Dudley Maslin's Tahitian limes have been highlighted by the festival.
Mr Maslin was the Carnarvon Shire President when the food festival started with the goal of showcasing local produce.
"At the time I was producing organic beef from the Gascoyne which really highlighted the area. That was some 15 to 20 years ago, and it's gone on from there, and I like to think it's improving," he said.
The region's seafood will continue to be a fixture for the rest of the food festival.
Scallops and Spanish mackerel from the local Sea Harvest Fishing Company were key ingredients in two of the signature dishes served at the Twilight Dinner earlier this month.
General Manager of Fleet Operations Johann Botha, who arrived in Carnarvon from Cape Town in February, said it helped to showcase their processes.
"The Spanish mackerel is line caught … filleted on board, packed in boxes, snap frozen immediately and packed in the freezer at minus twenty five degrees. So it's frozen at sea, prime fillets," he said.
Fresh flavours
Chef Mei Yong said she was excited to use local long beans and sweet bananas for her dishes.
"We're going to bring spicy [flavours] with a lot of fresh produce bringing flavours from our Malaysian heritage," she said.
"We're going to be cooking up a storm with some rendang flavours, so very excited."
It was Perth chef Melissa Palinkas' seventh time in the kitchen for the Gascoyne Food Festival.
Ms Palinkas said the dishes were an improvisation, working with the fresh produce supplied by local growers.
"The produce speaks to me basically. It's all beautiful and pristine and delicious," she said.
"We just got some amazing tomatoes. I'm going to simply roast them with salt and pepper and make a beautiful basil sauce and put a little bit of goat cheese, let the tomato sing by itself and not mess with it at all."