Nip of Courage

ChefBox is about connecting chefs with farmers, growers and makers, enabling them to showcase their produce and products directly. An opportunity for chefs to discover and explore innovative and often new products at their leisure, there is no sales pitch or purchase obligation, just a commitment from the chefs receiving product to provide constructive feedback to enable the producer to improve and perfect their range. 

ChefBox is a professional program designed to foster the producer and chef connections we’ve been forging around the country for 10+ years on the road, but which have been curtailed during covid-19 lockdown restrictions. The response from chefs and producers alike has been so overwhelming that we’re now planning to continue it on an ongoing basis.

So how does it work? If you are a chef, pastry chef, butcher or baker: 

>Commit to providing constructive feedback;

>Register here: I’m interested in ChefBox 

If you're a producer and interested in getting your products into the ChefBox program, please contact Tawnya on 0416 269 142 or Lucy on 0419 299 862, or drop us a line at hello@straighttothesource.com.au 

ChefBox is designed for chefs, to connect them directly with producers to discover innovative and new primary and artisan ingredients without leaving the kitchen!

Straight To The Source is excited to launch ChefBox, a new program connecting chefs and producers

Are you wondering what Christmas will look like this year? Rather than waiting until the last minute, food industry leaders Tawnya Bahr and Lucy Allon from Straight To The Source have tasted their way through hundreds of offerings to curate a premium gift of small-batch artisan products made fresh and wrapped beautifully in a durable market bag in time for Christmas delivery.  This way people can plan ahead and give a Straight To The Source Christmas ‘In The Bag’ gift to family, friends, clients, staff or colleagues and in doing so, support local producers and Aussie farming families.

Straight To The Source co-founder and chef Tawnya Bahr says, “This most certainly isn’t a run-of-the-mill hamper. We have carefully selected every product and curated it to showcase seasonality, sustainability, traditional craftsmanship and innovation. It’s our hope that every person who receives this gift bag filled to the brim with handcrafted products will be surprised and delighted by the variety and quality.”    

The Straight To The Source Christmas ‘In the Bag’ features twenty-one festive edibles to enjoy during Christmas 2021! Here’s what will be included:

Pino’s Dolce Vita Fine Foods (NSW) - Classic handmade salami infused with Garlicious Grown (NSW) black garlic and Moojepin Foods (WA) dried saltbush

Morella Grove (NSW) - Cranberry cherry jam

ALTO Olives (NSW) - Robust extra virgin olive oil

Salumi Australia (NSW) - Coriander & chilli coppiette

Singing Magpie Produce (SA) - Premium sun-dried Riverland fruit melange including white figs from their family orchard and a special hand-dipped chocolate Genoa fig

Mount Zero Olives (VIC) - Lemon & thyme marinated olives 

Mount Zero Olives (VIC) - Rosemary & native pepper olives

Brother Mountain Macadamias (NSW) - Roasted salted nuts in a cloth bag 

Kennedy Farm Produce (VIC) - Popcorn on the cob 

Women's Work (NSW) - Spicy green tomato relish 

Gumnut Chocolate’s (NSW) - Chocolate chip biscuits 

Latasha's Kitchen (WA) - Beetroot horseradish relish

Perfect South (VIC) - Houjicha Australian-grown green loose-leaf tea in a canister

Solomons Gold (NZ) - Chocolate mint organic artisan chocolate (NZ)

Solomons Gold (NZ) - Cocoa nib organic artisan chocolate (NZ)

Herbie's Spices (NSW) - “A Pinch of Christmas” fragrant sweet spice in a bespoke jar 

Food&HeartCo. (NSW) - Golden corner goodness seedy snack bar 

Pundi Produce (SA) - Native dried river mint 

Uniquely Martin Boetz (NSW) - Sweet soy mirin dressing 

Durable natural 100% cotton canvas market bag with inside pocket and double stitched long handles. 

Australian farmers have had another tough year, so Bahr and Allon are showing their support by donating a percentage of sales to Drought Angels, an organisation dedicated to supporting farming families that are impacted by natural disasters such as drought, fire, flood and mouse plagues. 

As an extra bonus, every gift bag includes a card with a QR code linking to all of the producers on the Straight To The Source online directory who have posted Christmas recipes and promotions. This way people who love the products will be able to connect directly with the producers, learn their stories and get lots of ideas about how to use the products.

The bags are $245 each and strictly limited release - once they’ve sold out, there won’t be any more available. Available to pre-order now, all of the products are being made fresh in small batches and the bags will be shipped nationally, or ready for collection from Sydney, from December 6th. Australia-wide shipping is available. Shipping costs are additional and calculated at checkout. 

Click on 'Shop' in the menu to purchase an exclusive Straight To The Source Christmas ‘In The Bag’

Support Local Producers & Aussie Farming Families with a Straight To The Source Christmas Gift Bag

Christmas 'In The Bag' - supporting artisan producers and Aussie farming families

When Kimchi Club founder, Minka Park, made the move from Seoul to Adelaide, she brought with her a strong love and respect for Korean food and culture.

She says, “My parents taught me that food is medicine and I grew up making healthy food from scratch with my mum.”  

And after meeting a group of like-minded women from South Korea also living in Australia, Park encouraged them to found the plant-based business.

“We know Korean food and culture intimately and we make authentic Korean kimchi in small batches by hand, using local, organic, premium ingredients,” she says. “We’re very proud to be making this healthy Korean staple food for Australians. You can taste the difference and that’s why our products are so popular.”

Probiotic and prebiotic rich, as well as vegan, gluten-free and keto-friendly, Kimchi Club’s range has no added sugar and no artificial flavours. Four varieties of kimchi are currently on offer: ‘Naked Kimchi’ (non-spicy cabbage), ‘Beet Kimchi’ (non-spicy beetroot), ‘Hot Kimchi’ (mild spicy cabbage) and ‘Hot Hot’ (spicy cabbage).

The brand also produces a range of slow, lacto-fermented condiments, including ‘Fermented Garlic’, ‘Fermented Ginger’, ‘Fermented Chilli’ and ‘Fermented Horseradish’.

Park says, “I’m so lucky as a Korean Australian to have this cultural heritage but also to live in one of the world’s most revered food bowls and to make food with this produce every day, exploring fusions of my traditional recipes with wonderful, local organic produce.”

Whether using Kimchi Club as an ingredient or side dish, Park recommends chefs to explore and experiment. “For example Naked Kimchi with a broth, Beet Kimchi with Kangaroo or to colour a rainbow salad. It’s hard to go wrong with kimchi. Any dish that needs a little crunch, sourness or spiciness can benefit from kimchi.”

To find out more, please visit https://straighttothesource.com.au/producer/kimchi-club

We chat to Minka Park about moving from South Korea to South Australia, and founding condiment brand, Kimchi Club to provide healthy Korean food for Australians.

Ferment with a kick, handmade with love in South Australia

The literal translation of umami in Japanese is perfectly, ‘the essence of deliciousness’ and can often be found in fermented, roasted or pickled foods – but can also include fresh food and pastes.  Herbie's Spices Umami Seasoning Blend works wonders with this chicken and mushroom casserole, which is perfect for serving with mashed potato or a mixture of wild and white rice to soak up the sauce.

800g chicken thighs, with skin (trimmed of excess fat)

150g chanterelle mushrooms (or mushrooms of choice, sliced)

Heat oven to 160C. Use half the Herbie's Spices umami seasoning to coat the chicken thighs.

In a casserole or heavy, deep frying pan, cook chicken, skin down on medium heat for 7-10 minutes until the skin has rendered (released fat).  Turn and cook for 2 minutes on the non-skin side, then set aside.

Pour out half the oil from the pan, then cook onions on low heat until soft.  Add garlic and umami seasoning for 2 minutes.  Add wine and stir until the alcohol has evaporated and it’s reduced by just over half.  Add mushrooms to sauté for 3-4 minutes, before adding stock and bringing to a simmer.

Return chicken to the pan, skin-side up and cover with a lid. Cook on low heat until tender, about 20 minutes. 

Stir through cream 5 minutes before serving, taste for seasoning, and top with some freshly chopped parsley.

Note: Chicken breast can also be used, reducing cooking time accordingly.

Words & recipe: Kate Hemphill; Image: Herbie's Spices

Herbie’s Spices 'Umami Seasoning Blend' is a delicious combination of porcini powder, black garlic powder, sweet paprika, tomato powder, white garlic, onion, and sea salt, and we’ve yet to find a dish it doesn’t enhance.

Recipe: Umami-rich Creamy Chicken and Mushrooms from Herbie's Spices