Explore the beauty and wisdom of nature, the changing parade of the seasons and the tides of change that have elevated the old to the new
About Roots Recipes Reasons
Roots, Recipes, Reasons shares the pleasures of our table, the recovery of endangered flavours and creation of new ones and our agrarian adventures as we attempt to tread a little more lightly on the planet today than we did yesterday.
It reflects the love, memories and connection with friends & family, the terrior of the land and sense of place through the foods we grow.
It traces the ongoing conversation between generations of plants and families and our shared food heritage and culinary diversity.
It’s a celebration of the beauty and wisdom of nature, its web of life, the changing parade of the seasons and the abundant harvest that abounds from nurtured soil.
Roots Recipes Reasons explores the culinary landscape of a gardener, cook, forager, artisan and writer in the quest to find beauty, balance and meaning in our noisy, disconnected and contradictory world.
Explore Roots to discover what comes from the land, Recipes to transform nature’s abundance and Reasons to unearth our culinary linage.
Roots
Our soil is our culture and future. It defines who we are. The terroir of the land, showering us with distinctive local characteristics, shapes the plants, products, and cultural life of a region.
Each plant, each garden and its web of life carries its own personality and shares it bounty unreservedly. This collection ranges far and wide. Sometimes tracing a plant's ancestry and trading routes as it morphs into an important food source. Other times, it highlights the tides of change that elevate the old to the new or uncovers a plants culinary myths, mysteries, and other miscellany.
At its root, the purpose is to ignite an appreciation of the natural world.
- Myths, Folklore & Trvia
Rubescent Seeds of Fertility, Entrapment & Death
How many times do I walk past you every day? A worn track, a desire line that marks my travels, opens the tale to answer the question...
- Myths, Folklore & Trvia
The Sumptuous Fig
In winters cold, as wind shuffles through my bare branches that look like the gangly limbs of youth searching for their boundaries, my story begins...
- Myths, Folklore & Trvia
A Miscellany of Strawberries
For centuries, the strawberry has been interwoven with our lives. In our cuisine, folklore, art, and herbal medicine...
Recipes
Welcome to my world of preserving. This collection contains recipes to suit every taste, from the sweet and luscious, hot and fragrant through to wonderful tongue tickling salty and tangy flavours.
With recipes for beginners as well as those ready to step up to the next level, it contains classics as well as artisanal preserves.
Adding vibrancy, diversity and sustenance, life is better with a preserve on the table. Delve into the art of preserving and if you have any questions or need more information, I would love to hear from you.
- Jams, Jellies & Marmalades
Kumquat Marmalade
Kumquats are revered by marmalade aficionados, particularly the Nagami Oval variety. Its deep orange colour, aromatic flesh and sweet tangy...
- Jams, Jellies & Marmalades
Chocolate Persimmon and Cinnamon Jam
Persimmons may be a bit quirky and looked over by those that haven’t been seduced by their charms yet, but...
- Jams, Jellies & Marmalades
Feijoa and Lemon Jam
The feijoa shrub is a relatively common ornamental plant in subtropical locations, but its wonderfully tropical fruit flavour and aroma...
Reasons
Food is a common thread that binds us all. It sits at the heart of our cultures and shapes family life, relationships, traditions, and rituals.
It’s meaning, our foodscapes, provenance and farming system and the conversations that flow from its daily consumption from the ordinary through to the remarkable is celebrated in this collection of articles, interview’s, and stories.
The science of the kitchen provides a practical knowledge for those who want to know how food is transformed.
- Fruit Cheeses, Butters & Curds
Culinary Capers of the Curd
Fruit curd, the high priestess of the sweet preserves family, is easily conquered. My top 10 tips explain how to make the perfect fruit curd.
- Food Science
- Technique
Understanding Pectin: A Masterclass
Its gelling ability is legendary. It’s an indispensable humble polysaccharide. Let’s take a closer look a pectin...
- Technique
All in a Pickle
Pickling, an easy and versatile preservation technique, is a great segway into the wonderful world of home preserving. There’s no season...
