Louise Edwards – Markdale

31 August 2021

Book a Beekeeping Experience – Calenny Orchard

By Louise Edwards on Beehive, Food, Things to Do

We’re thrilled to offer our future guests a hands on beekeeping experience with our delightful friends at Calenny Orchard, just a 5 minute drive from Markdale.

Bees are so important to our livelihood as they help to pollinate most of the crops we eat and many that feed farm livestock.

Between October and March you can book your place in their outdoor classroom. You will be protected in a beekeepers suit and learn about honey bees, how they forage, collect pollen, make honey and their amazing colony structure from their experienced beekeeper.

At the conclusion of the honey bee experience, you will indulge in a honey tasting, learn how it is graded and in doing so will become a connoisseur and knowledgeable of raw honey.

Beekeeping Experience Price List*

Adults $70.00( 13 years +)

Children $50.00 ( 10-12 years)

www.calennyorchard.com.au
calennyorchard@gmail.com
P: 02 4835 3017

*Prices are subject to change

Image and logo credit: Calenny Orchard

13 August 2021

Recipe – Pickled Garlic

By Louise Edwards on Food

Homegrown garlic is beautiful to have on hand and after the bulb is dried will last for many months. However, this year we also decided to pickle some of our garlic to extend the life a bit longer.

This is an easy recipe that can be easily adapted depending on your preferred herbs or flavours – the key is to keep the pickle in the fridge. Once ready the garlic is perfect in pasta, with roasts, on antipasti platters (for the game) – basically everything is better with garlic!

Ingredients

1/4 cup canning salt

2 tablespoons caster sugar

4 cups white vinegar

1 cup water

1kg fresh garlic peeled

Crushed chilli flakes*

Fresh dill

Whole peppercorns

*Note: any herbs or spices can be used in place or in addition to chill / dill. Bay leaves, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and rosemary are just some examples of additions.

Method

Combine canning salt, sugar and vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add spices and herbs to sterilized jars*. Then pack peeled garlic cloves leaving about ½ – 1cm of headspace.
Using a ladle, divide hot pickling liquid between the 4 jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headspace. Tap the jar gently on the counter to help release additional trapped bubbles, clean jar rims, and close lids.
Allow to cool to room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 weeks before opening. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 4 months.

*The jars can be sterilised a number of ways (google will help) – we found heating them in a 120 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes the easiest.

12 August 2021

Winter Activities 2021

on Seasonal Activities, Winter Activities

The ewes are in lamb and have been moved to some of the the best pastures. They were recently scanned to get an estimate of how many lambs the farm will soon welcome.

Firewood has been cut by the family and staff – helped by the new wood splitter that makes the process a lot easier.

Three new chickens have recently been introduced to the farm – and the family is ever vigilant to ensure the pesky foxes don’t make an unwanted appearance.

Our donkeys – Nancy and Nelly – have been exploring the property with the family taking them for long walks. Farmstay guests and can feed them as they are close by the accommodation.

Piles of dead trees and wood pushed together through the year and known as ‘stacks’ will be lit throughout the winter months. Whilst providing wonderful heat and spectacles, such fires are preventive measures for the summer months so that fuel is removed from the property in a controlled fashion.

The farmstay is a perfect spot for nights by the fire (marshmallows and wine for the adults mandatory) and long walks through the garden, near the creek and around the shearing shed. Albeit we have been impacted by COVID restrictions of late and cannot wait to welcome more of our Sydney friends and family back out to the property soon.

Our beautiful Angus cows have recently given birth to calves. All are happy and healthy.

This year’s garlic crop is in the ground (planted a little late) and will soon be accompanied by onions, peas, kale and lettuce. Potatoes will also be planted to grow out of the cold, crisp months.

15 March 2021

Recipe – Prosciutto, Fig and Ricotta Crumpets

By Louise Edwards on Food

This is a perfectly simple and delicious brunch recipe that heros the beautiful fig from their late summer harvest.

This recipe is enough for 4 people and would go well with a crisp sparkling wine.

Ingredients

150 – 200 grams prosciutto

6 figs

200 gram ricotta

4 crumpets

honey (to drizzle)

Method

Place ricotta in mixing bowl and beat on medium speed (using an electric mixer) until cheese is smooth and spreadable.
Toast crumpets.
While crumpets are toasting cut the figs into quarters and separate the prosciutto ready for assembling.
Spread the ricotta mixture evenly between the crumpets.
Top with figs, prosciutto and drizzle with a generous amount of honey to serve.

21 September 2020

Recipe – Slow Cooked Lamb Chops

By Louise Edwards on Uncategorized

Warm days and the odd cooler night calls for one to have a decent and healthy stew recipe up their sleeve. Our slow cooked lamb chop stew is just that – easy to put together and a crowd pleaser. It also contains some of our favourite produce that we grow or rear on the farm, from the lamb to the onions, chili, honey and garlic.

This recipe is enough for 4 people and goes fantastically with a pinot noir.

Ingredients

6-8 lamb chump chops

2 red onions diced

4 garlic cloves (crushed or sliced)

1 red chili (or dried chill to taste)

Can of chopped tomatoes

600 gm of sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

Juice of one big lemon

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Cous cous or pasta to serve

Method

Pre-heat oven to 160c.
Season chops with salt and pepper.
Brown in an over proof pot or pan with a lid.
Once all chops browned set aside and add onion.
Once the onion has softened add the chili and garlic and fry until soft.
Add the tin of tomatoes and stir. Allow to reduce slightly.
Put back in the chops and add sweet potato, lemon juice, honey and soy sauce. Add enough stock or water to cover the chops.
Put the lid on and put in to over for 2 – 2.5 hours.
Serve with cous cous or pasta.

21 September 2020

Spring Activities 2020

By Louise Edwards on Seasonal Activities, Spring Activities

The most significant event for Markdale in Spring (and arguably all year) is the birth of our lambs.

Over the next month or so over 3,000 lambs are expected to be born on Markdale.

The team will vigilantly monitor the ewes and their new bubs to ensure that the lambs get the best start in life.

We will also be looking to purchase some more rams from Bogo (Merino) and Glenfinnan (White Suffolk) given the greater number of ewes to be joined next March.

The garden is set to put on a real show this Spring, with our head gardener Phil constantly seeking to upgrade in line with Edna Walling’s designs. A couple of new highlights for those garden enthusiasts include a new tulip garden which is already blooming under net, a new garden space at the back of the lake and the beginnings of a Magnolia grove.

The bees are back into production as the weather warms and the flowers begin to colour our wonderful Edna Walling garden again.

Weed control intensifies as we the team tries to control the spread of blackberry, serrated tussock and Bathurst burr before the long, windy Summer days.

Many families from Sydney and Canberra will visit us as they look to get away during the school holidays and escape for some clean, country air. The pool and tennis court are popular spots as are picnics by the creek which is full now the worst of the drought has broken.

Spring veggies to be planted include tomatoes, capsicum zucchinis, chillis and beans. We will also be harvesting our garlic shortly – the second time we have grown it at the farm and the Italian Red variety is looking great.

4 September 2020

Bulls arrive at Markdale

By Louise Edwards on Farm

This week we were very excited to welcome 2 high performance Angus bulls to the farm.

Purchased from Bannaby Angus Stud, they both have ease of calving and excellent early growth rate genetics highly suitable to start our weaner cattle operation.

Buying bulls is an important part of running a beef herd. Bulls contribute greatly to the returns of a commercial herd and influence how that herd develops in the future.

Another useful residual benefit of bringing cattle onto Markdale is that we will be introducing dung beetle that will help naturally fertilise and aerate our soils as part of our long term commitment to care for and work with nature.

27 June 2020

Recipe – Cauliflower Risotto

By Louise Edwards on Food

Autumn grown cauliflower is abundant at the farm and will continue to grow throughout the winter months. This recipe is comfort food at its best – slow and cathartic to cook, and warming to eat. It is a vegetarian recipe, but bacon, pancetta or ham could easily be added.

Best cooked and eaten with a clean white like Fiano or a light Southern Highland pinot noir.

Ingredients

1 brown onion diced

Head of cauliflower (chopped)

6 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of arborio or carnaroli rice

Fresh thyme

100gms of taleggio cheese (or if not available brie or camembert can be substituted

Butter

1 cup of white wine

Good handful of grated parmesan

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180c
15 mins before you start the risotto, toss half the cauliflower in olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for 25-30 mins. The cauliflower should be brown but not burnt.
Gently fry the onions and thyme in some olive oil and a good knob of butter.
When onions are translucent add rice and other half of the chopped cauliflower. Stir for 2 – 3 mins to coat.
Add wine and simmer for until reduced by half.
Add stock, a ladle at a time, stirring until stock is absorbed. Slow and steady at this stage with a glass of wine in one hand and wooden sppon in the next.
Continue with remaining stock until rice is al’dente and stock is absorbed (this will take 20-25 minutes).
The finishing touch is to turn off the heat – put the chopped taleggio cheese, parmesan and a knob of butter ontop of the risotto and put a lid on.
Let is set for 5 mins and then stir the melted butter and cheese through the risotto as well as the roasted cauliflower before serving.

27 June 2020

Hive update – Winter prep

By Louise Edwards on Beehive, Farm

In late May our amateur beekeepers travelled from Sydney to the farm to prepare the bees for Winter. Thankfully the NSW Government had exemptions in place for beekeepers and the trip out to the property was quicker than usual given the limited traffic!

In preparation for Winter, and to help the colony of bees to conserve energy and keep the brood nest warm, the number of hive boxes was reduced to one. The theory behind reducing the hive is simple – a small house does not need as much heating as a big house when it is cold. The ideal temperature for the hive to maintain during winter is 34 degrees and the closer the bees are together the better. This allows the bees to concentrate on surviving the winter months ahead. We also removed a number of frames to put in place an internal feeder for the beers filled with sugar syrup.

The bees were a little annoyed about the intrusion but will no doubt be thankful in a few months’ time when we open the hive again in Spring. Our bees play an important role in the homestead’s garden allowing many plants to be pollinated and reproduce.

27 June 2020

Winter Activities 2020

on Seasonal Activities, Winter Activities

The ewes are in lamb and have been moved to the best pastures. Over the coming weeks they will be scanned to make sure the mothers are healthy and to get an estimate of how many lambs the farm will soon welcome.

Stacks are alight across the property on any given weekend. During the previous months of the year dead trees and woods are pushed together to make piles or ‘stacks’. They are lit during the winter months as the risk of the fire getting out of hand is low and it clears the property of potential fuel during the summer months.

The bees have been bedded down for Winter with sugar syrup to see them through the cool months. We look forward to opening the hive in Spring to see how the colony and the honey they will have stored over the winter months.

Piles of firewood have been cut by the family and the staff of Markdale in anticipation of cool winter nights and red wine and marshmallows around the fire.

The farmstay is in full swing as many families from Sydney and Canberra look to get away from town as social restrictions ease. Long walks in the cool clear winter days and nights by the fire are a perfect remedy.

Winter veggies to be planted include potatoes for the first time on the farm, spinach, onions, peas, kale and brussel sprouts.