How to make your Christmas feast a celebration of Victoria’s produce

Victoria produces enough produce to be the main ingredients in every Christmas meal says Bendigo chef Sonia Anthony. See her tips on how to buy the best directly from farmers.

ERIN DELAHUNTY

3 min read

December 8, 2020 - 3:06PM

The Weekly Times

Masons of Bendigo Christmas feast featuring ingredients from central Victorian farmers and producers. Picture: Zoe Phillips

CHEF and passionate central Victorian food advocate Sonia Anthony is on a mission this Christmas.

Masons of Bendigo’s Sonia Anthony wants to inspire all Victorians to create a Christmas feast using produce from local farmers and growers this year. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Sonia – who runs award-winning restaurant Masons of Bendigo with her chef husband, Nick – wants home cooks across Victoria to consider plating up a central Victorian Christmas, using the “stunning array of quality produce that can be found in the region”.

It’s an approach that’s made the couple’s paddock-to-plate restaurant famous and helped build a growing foodie culture in the city of Bendigo and beyond.

From corn bread from Bendigo’s The Good Loaf to Pyramid Hill salt to McIvor Farm Foods’ roast rolled pork, Warialda Belted Galloway Beef rib eye, Blackwood Orchard cherries to Collins Honey honeycomb from Kangaroo Flat, Anthony says the region has “everything you could ever want for a glorious Christmas spread”.

While some gastronomic regions are famous for one type of produce or groups of products, central Victoria has countless specialities across every season, she says.

“We really do have the most fabulous produce, a beautiful variety of stuff from just about every food category, from meat to salads and herbs, down to the Christmas pudding and handmade petit mince tarts. Everyone focuses on what they do, and do it really, really well,” Sonia says.

“We have lovely fresh, seasonal produce – most of which you can buy at the twilight Christmas Bendigo community farmers’ market on December 22 – but also lots of pre-packaged options, where you can just open the packet and serve and it still feels special.

“You also know it’s something that’s been grown or made by a passionate producer, not from a shelf at a big supermarket.”

Sonia – who was involved in getting Bendigo named as Australia’s first UNESCO “creative city of gastronomy” because of its diverse food culture and the community’s commitment to local, sustainable produce – says there’s a desire to support local producers after a tough 2020.

“I absolutely think people want to support local, buy local and eat local, knowing what a difficult time many have had of late and that’s being reflected in the success of the farmers’ market here.

“While historically there has been a perception of farmers’ markets being elitist, nowadays there is a growing realisation that it can actually be more economical to buy things in-season from markets. It’s not being expensive at all, more about supporting locals directly,” she says.

SONIA’S CENTRAL VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS LUNCH

The produce featured can be bought from the Bendigo Community Farmers’ Market and many of the farmers and producers also have their own online shops, farmgates and produce stores.

Cheese from Long Paddock. Picture: Zoe Phillips

CHEESE BOARD

Long Paddockcheeses Sundew, Silver Wattle, Flannel Flower and Rainbow Wattles flavoured with Davidson plum, pepperberry, sea salt flakes and finger lime;Michel’s Fine Biscuits olive oil crackers; Collins Honey honeycomb and Husk & Harvest walnuts.

Corn baguette with Long Paddock Butter

BREAD AND BUTTER

Corn baguette from The Good Loaf Sourdough Bakery & Cafe with Long Paddock butter.

Green salad with edible flowers.

VEGIES

Zucchini flowers from B&B Basilfilled with Holy Goat cheese.

Simply Greentomatoes served with hummus dip made with Kennedy Farm chickpeas, Nuggetty garlic, lemon juice and tahini.

Roasted carrot salad with carrots from Sandors Harvest, Collins honey, Huntly Organics coriander, Hi Fye pistachios and Goodness Flour whole barley.

Roasted beetroot.

Zucchini salad with pesto dressing made with B&B Basil basil, Nuggetty garlic, Salute Olivaextra virgin olive oil, Pyramid Salt, Australian Pumpkin Seed Co pumpkin seeds and Gravel Hill Community Gardens zucchini.

Green salad featuring Nut Fusion macadamia nut, pistachio and green masala paste, Huntly Organics salad leaves, spinach and coriander, and decorated with B&B Basil edible flowers.

Roasted beetroot from Sandors Harvest with Holy Goat nectar, Huntly Organics spring onions and B&B Basil chard leaves.

Pork joint with hasselback potatoes.

MAIN EVENTS

McIvor Farm Foods roast rolled pork, hasselback roast potatoes from Sandors Harvest, Warialda Belted Galloway Beefribeye and Yapunyah Meadow grazed roast chicken.

Indulge Fine Belgian Chocolates.

DESSERT

Blackwood Orchard cherries, Sandors Harvest strawberries, Pud for All Seasonspudding and vanilla anglaise sauce, Flavour + Heart macarons, Michel’s Fine Biscuits petit fruit mince tarts and shortbread, Indulge Fine Belgian Chocolates , Goodness Flour chocolate and cherry cake made with Goodness Flour pre-mix cake, The Good Life Farm Co eggs and Blackwood Orchard cherries. Top everything with a good dollop of Inglenook Dairywhipped cream.