Melbourne, I can’t fault your progression and triumph lately. Our victorious YES win stands as just one instance where we’ve seen you shine. Although, something I’d like to see more of is sustainability when it comes to cooking. I mean, we do live in one of the best food cities in the world, so why not raise our sustainability bar to meet such standards? For those who are already on this tip, Off The Grid festival is no news to you, and although the festival leads the way in environmentally-kind party times, their food offerings are just as worthy of applause. Here’s what to expect this Friday at Off The Grid, and hopefully what we’ll see a little more of in our city.
Hobart-based Rough Rice – whose humble beginnings started just four years ago at David Walsh’s Mona Museum – will be popping up at the festival this year. Founder Adam Jones is known to travel far and wide for his studies, focusing on ancient fermentation techniques, cherishing them dearly, and bringing them home to Rough Rice’s practice. This year, Jones will be working with solar cookers as he crafts Sung Choi Bao using local, seasonal, and organic vegetables. He also uses biodynamic brown rice, beetroot, turnip and carrot kraut, and two-year fermented chilli sauce. Expect no electricity, no gas and definitely no packaging.
Then there’s Fresh Fork, who’ve grown quite rapidly, from a once small catering company to a leading name in plant-based eating. This year, Fresh Fork will be preparing a combination of fresh and sun cooked foods. Expect the likes of quinoa, teff, legumes, root vegetables and fresh summer greens. Don’t be surprised if your taste buds suspect prickly pear throughout the dishes, as Fresh Fork have quite the love affair for this special fruit.
