By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
SOME of Australia’s most promising young chefs visited Kooweerup this week to discover more about locally-grown asparagus.
Representatives from the Australian Culinary Federation Young Chefs Club and the Australian Culinary Federation joined with members of the Australian Asparagus Council and Cardinia Shire Council to partake in a farm visit followed by an asparagus-themed lunch.
On Monday 15 February, the group met in Melbourne to catch a bus to Vizzarri Farms in Kooweerup. There, they witnessed the growing process and were able to pick their own spears.
Vizzarri Farms was started by Mario and Gina Vizzarri in 1971 but only grew broccoli until the late 1980s.
Today the company owns a total of 1900 acres across 26 properties and the Vizzarri pack house expects to produce about 4000 tonnes of asparagus in 2016.
After the farm visit, the group was bussed to the Royal Hotel, Kooweerup, where members enjoyed an asparagus themed lunch prepared by Chef Renan Maiorino.
The carefully selected menu included an entre of a poached egg in rested on a trio of asparagus spears, followed by lamb tortellini on a puddle of mint pesto, roasted pine nuts and tempura asparagus tips.
For the main fare, guests enjoyed either pan seared crispy skin duck breast served on premium asparagus with spiced saffron poached pear and a port wine reduction or a herb-crusted fillet of beef with char grilled asparagus wrapped in a ribbon of prosciutto and Dutch carrots.
Matching wines were served to accompany.
One of the guests was 21-year-old Jess McEwan who is the Young Chef Ambassador for Australia and the Pacific.
Originally from Traralgon, Jess now works as a full-time chef at Society on Burke Street.
She said visiting the farm was a valuable experience in better learning where the food she cooks with comes from.
“It was great to see how it all works,” she said.
“Using local asparagus is good for our farmers, fresher and better for the environment. And it’s available year-round.”
Jess recommended asparagus paired with egg or added raw to salads.
Speaking to guests before the lunch, Cardinia shire Mayor Jodie Owen said asparagus was crucial to the local economy and played an important role in achieving council’s vision of creating one job per household in Cardinia.
