Boobialla is a native juniper berry and has a distinct flavour

A new publication called Warndu Mai (Good Food)  shows you how to embrace our country’s native ingredients and create truly Australia food and drinks at home.

Rebecca Sullivan and Damien Coulthard combine to bring you information, inspiration and practical ways to start using the foods that have grown in this country for thousands of years.

Boobialla Bitters

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Wait Time: 6 weeks

Ingredients (Makes 250ml)

• 6 finger limes
• 40 g boobialla berries
• 15 g dried whole rosella flowers
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground native thyme
• 8 star anise
• 2 tablespoons ground anise myrtle
• 1 teaspoon ground lemon myrtle
• 1 teaspoon pepperberries
• 1–2 teaspoons honey
• 250 ml brandy

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large sterilised jar, seal and shake well.
    
2. Label and store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 weeks to infuse.
    
3. Strain into a sterilised jar.
    
4. Use 1–2 tablespoons in your drink as a bitter flavouring.
    
5. For a digestif, serve in a small glass or on ice.

If native foods are to become mainstream, we need to use them in our home cooking. Many plants are known by their traditional or botanic origins. In some cases it is difficult to understand what they are or what you are supposed to do with them……..grind it and use it as a sauce; cook as a thick spinach; boil and serve as a root vegetable; eat as a fresh fruit or preserve as a jam?

>>MORE>>

Indigenous Australians have used paperbark to provide shelter, in artwork and to cook with for thousands of years but not many know how much and how often you can harvest a tree without killing it.

Up until a couple of years ago there was such a man but ill health forced him to stop and he was not able to persuade his children to take over.

But now an Aboriginal owned and worked property in the far north of Australia has begun to harvest 100 year old trees on the property to supply the market.

It will take 2 years for the thick bark to grow back and be ready again for harvesting.

Taste Australia Bush Food Shop has secured sheets of paperbark to sell and they will be available HERE once they make the long long trip from the remotest corner of the country.

Our Munducklin Curry Powder combines all the ingredients of a great curry with authentic native ingredients for a flavoursome meal.

There is nothing like a Finger Lime!  The casing is just bursting with zesty lime pearls.

Add them to sparkling water, add them to Raita (Natural yoghurt dip), squeeze them over oysters, toss them in a salad.

And yes they are a bush food

Wild Lime Syrup

Place a cup of water and 1 1/4 cups sugar into a heavy-based saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Add 1/4 cup finger limes and bring to the boil.
Lower heat and simmer gently until the volume is reduced by a third (about an hour).
Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve.
Transfer to sterile jars or bottles. It will keep for approx 12 months.

Note: The longer the syrup is reduced, the darker it will become and the flavour will intensify.
Different batches can be reduced to different strengths and are delicious served together.

Found in secluded pockets along the east coast of Australia
Used to enhance the flavour of cooked fruit dishes, desserts, spiced jams as well as in herbal teas  and syrups

Strawberry Gum Syrup Recipe HERE

A native fruit that’s intense and packed with anti-oxidants.

While it’s too tart for most of us to eat as a fresh fruit, in cooking it is one of my favourite bush fruits. A little Davidson plum goes a long way to colour and flavour ice cream, mousse and sweet sauces. It makes a sensational fruity savoury sauce and gives kangaroo goulash a rich fruity tang.

We stock both frozen fruit and powder.  The powder is an excellent addition to biscuits, muffins and icecream.

Davidsons Plum Freezer Jam (no cooking required)

De-seed 30 Davidsons Plums and puree. Combine one cup and 1 Tablespoon of sugar plus 4 Tablespoons Balls RealFruit Instant Pectin and stir until blended then add plum puree and stir for 3 minutes.  Ladle jam into plastic freezer jars ensuring you leave a cm head space .  Adjust caps.  Let jams stand for 30 minutes to thicken.  Label.  Freeze or refrigerate up to 3 weeks.