A box of local Jervis Bay produce from Source Food Co.- fruit vegetables, honey and coffee
Jervis Bay is slowly cementing its reputation for seasonal bio-dynamic produce, artisanal breads and cheeses. And a few innovative local eateries are showcasing these ingredients such as Hyams Beach Cafe and The Gunyah Restaurant at Paper Bark Camp in Woollamia.
Another exciting Jervis Bay enterprise is Source Food Co. which – as the names suggests – sources the best local produce and sells direct to the consumer from a rustic shed in Huskisson. No pesticides, no chemicals, no supermarkets. Source is also ambitious in its aims to teach people the lost art of how to grow food. The owner showed me a huge glossy purple eggplant grown by a 12-year-old boy in his backyard!Inspiring.
A little further down the road and on the Princes Highway is the Contadino Olive Farm where I always stock up on my extra virgin olive oil when I’m passing through. Their oil is a delicious all rounder with warm mellow flavours. The Morabito family use their traditional Italian farming knowledge to companion farm their olives with vegetables and flowers, and with chooks and turkeys scooting around providing that all-important rich manure.
Happy eggs from happy chooks
Because they look imperfect you just know they’re going to taste perfect
Zucchini flowers picked fresh that morning
sweet green peppers – I hope mine look like these!
Mr Morabito with a bottle of his wife’s fiery chilli
This sauce was pricey at $7 a bottle but made up the most delicious Bolognaise sauce.
And when we got home that organic tray of vegetables went straight into the oven with some of the Contadino olive oil and a few herbs from the edible balcony. This is how vegies use to taste – earthy, sweet with lots of flavour. A fitting way to end our south coast road trip.
Saucy Onion 