Orange NSW - Farmers Market

The Racine kitchen was there, offering  a variety and diversity of breads and pastries. (picture above)










Organised by the Rotary Club, the Farmers Markets are a highlight of any visit to the Orange region.  

Pumpkins and choir (above and below), sausage rolls and pies, these are a few of my favourite things.  When I am feeling sad, when I am feeling famished, I just think of such stuff and then I don;t feel so bad. When the wind blows, when I feel deprived, I soon get a warmth moving away from that.
And on to pancakes, jams and scones!

Bakery delights from the artisan bread Bakehouse chain (above and below) add to the aromatic ambiance of the markets on a nippy Saturday morning.  I love the spelt bread slices.

Apples are a primary feature of the Orange region - it does sound contradictory.  There are Royal Galas, Pink Ladies and more, but I did not see any Granny Smiths. Other stalls that caught my eye and interest were from the Abilene Grove Olive Oil run by John  and Lorraine Milla; the Budgi Werri Prunes from Cheryl Heley, Wirrimah;

Cottesbrook Honey by David and Tracey Parker of Blayney; Goldfields Honey with Jon & Vicki Lockwood of Lucknow, NSW; Jo Robson catering with bottled sauces from Canowindra; Linda’s Red Hot Chili Relish by Linda Wilson of Mudgee; Milnes of Mudgee, with caramelised balsamic & pate mousse, from Jenni Milne; Murrungundy Pistachios from Diana and Richard Barton, Elong Elong; the Original Farm vegetables, run by Jung-Chun Lai of Cowra; Ploughman's Olive Oil & Products from Peter & Shirley Michalk; and Straniero Extra Virgin Olive Oil by Anna & Sam Stranger of Canowindra.

A warehouse shed ( background in picture above) houses many of the stalls and serve as a functional community hall.  The crowd is friendly, unobtrusive and focused on enjoying the variety of produce unique to the region.  Support for local agricultural products and cooking styles is evident, not just in the several restaurants and cafes in town  and surrounding areas, but also at the Farmers Market. (held at the Orange Showground at Leeds Parade from May to October, and at the Northcourt behind the Orange Visitors Centre from November to April).  You can also register your children for cooking classes held on site.

 Honey to warm any heart (above) and raw, wholesome potatoes (below) reinforce the soul of a countryside feel.  You can also get your selections of cheese, sparkling wines, relishes, condiments, freshly laid eggs, mustards, hazelnut products and chocolates.

Scenes from central New South Wales, above and below, hark back to another time, another place in the Australian landscape.

Lolli Redini - Orange, NSW

On a cold night, with single digit temperatures, venison does warm the palate. Siting next to me, Chris chose, as mains, the loin of Mandagery Creek venison, garnished by a horseradish cream, generously swamped by slow cooked and spiced red cabbage and richly accompanied by Waru organic beets and a dollop of celeriac gratin. (picture above).  Welcome to the inner sanctum of the Lolli Redini.

A refreshing choice of side serve is having a choice of green coloured vegetables (broccoli and beans in picture above) doused with Le Barre olive oil and a twist of lemon.  My first taste of Lolli was in the ocean trout carpaccio (image below), as topped up by garlic toasts, horseradish remoulade, celeriac, green apple slices and mint leaves.  Remoulade is a French inspired sauce based on mayonnaise or aioli and may contain paprika, capers and anchovies, always popular to accompany seafood dishes.  Celeriac, also referred to as a knob celery, is turnip-rooted. A carpaccio is an Italian appetiser served with a mayonnaise based dressing, first formulated at Harry's Bar in Venecia in the 1950s.

Right in front of me, as served to Cindy, was the twice cooked Wagyu brisket, graced by rosemary flavoured crumbs, broccolini, Jerusalem artichoke puree and glazed Heirloom carrots and swedes (or Rutubaga, the Swedish turnip), gently surrounded by a brisket sauce, great with barbecued meats.

 

The Orange art fraternity do seem to utilise Lolli as a gathering place, and this is evident from the hung art pieces on the walls as you bite into your anticipated morsel of carefully prepared meals.
Contemporary French and Italian inspirations in the dishes, the restaurant recreates an Euro elegance with fine Australian produce from the central west of New South Wales. My impressions, of my night visit to Lolli Redini at Sale Street (nearest cross road is Byng)  in downtown Orange, are:
Atmosphere: Euro yet Aussie - reminders of Tuscany.
Location: In the centre of excellent local produce.
Taste: My pictures do not do it sufficient justice!
People Engagement: The staff member with a French accent was smiling and made useful suggestions of dishes whenever he spoke to guests.  Tall, slim and elegant, I reckon the lady diners would have considered him a big plus to an already good ambiance.
Service:  Attentive.  A possible blip when some of us had mains while the rest had entrees - what is the protocol in this for clearing the plates?
Best Time to Visit:  Dinner (only time opened)
Fav Dish Experienced: Slow roasted Belubula Pork belly, served with a sweet potato puree, wom bok cabbage and caramelised Granny Smith apples.  Belubula is a local river.
Would I Return?:  Whisk me away and deliver me to Simonn and Leah's gem of a restaurant!
Give me the pressed terrine of veal, rabbit and pork, served with a quince paste and a serving of Waru rocket salad and toasted truffle and buttered walnut sourdough.

Charmaine declared the risotto of asparagus, sweet peas, zucchini and parsley, as topped by king prawns from the Spencer Gulf in picture above, as outstanding.

Below, I had my main dish of Belubula pork belly, slow roasted instead of double cooked, providing me a hint of southern Chinese influences and yet with the reminder of Australian flavours in pumpkin and green taste of Granny Smiths.

The comprehensive wine, champagne and aperitifs list includes Pimms, and items from Reims in France and the Tamar Valley in Tassie.  Local Orange produce are illustrated by Ross Hill, Canobolas-Smith and Philip Shaw.

 

Canobolas-Smith Vineyard - Orange, NSW

There are easily more than a few dozen vineyards in the Orange District of New South Wales. Apart from its other reputation as the food basket of the state, its viticulture traditions and output are spread out along Pinnacle Road ( mountain topography, as with Ross Hill estate); Cargo Road in Lidster; the Escort Way (also known as the Borenore Trail, with names like Philip Shaw and Barton Creek); the Canowindra Trail; and the Eastern Heritage Trail. It was along Cargo Road that I enjoyed discovering the Canobolas-Smith Cellar Door, Winery and vineyards. This is a mature establishment since 1986 and significantly dry-grown area, which specialises in the Alchemy Cabernet blend. William Rikard-Bell and Murray Smith run the operations here.

We met Murray, an easy going and down to earth fella, patient at letting us explore our palate, starting with the sublime and moving us on the path  towards the Alchemy. Alchemy is a combination of the very best in Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Shiraz.

French oak is utilised in the casking and Murray emphasises the artisan approach in the wine making here, preferring the practice of small batches to allow as much as possible the outcome of the house's unique and natural flavours.  Interesting enough, all fruits are hand pruned and picked.  The six hectares planted lie on the northern slopes of Mount Canobolas. 

 

The Canobolas-Smith bottle label stands out bright blue, centring on a representation of the cheery sun with the crescent moon, and was designed by Orange artist Tim Winters.  The ladies in my group enjoyed their adventures with the Chardonnay produced here, whilst I reserved my tastings to the heavier reds which caught my eye, though I skipped the Shiraz on its own.  Commencing with the Semillon/ Sauvignon Blanc, I was heightened in interest with the Pinot Noir and was sold in conviction with my tasting of the Cabernet Sauvignon. I highly recommend the Alchemy.

The neighbouring Gordon Hills Estate in comparison is relatively new, established in 1999 and run initially as Burke and Hills until 2008.  The distinctive feature of the Gordon Hills is the elevation of the grown vines at around 900 metres above sea level and thus it benefits from such a cool climate in its output.

Racine by Arantz - Orange, NSW

Shaun and Willa Arantz do not only operate a restaurant, but offer a cellar door, cafe, vineyard, events and a wholesome experience.  The dishes are lovingly created, shaped and served in a manner complementary to making wine, with patience, much thought, innovation, care and an eye for the taste. The surrounding La Coline vineyard offers Pinot Noir, sparkling and Riesling on the surface, but once you get inside and saviour what is beneath the surface, you begin to better understand the underlying passion and drive that motivates the Racines.  For example, earlier this year, Willa selected her favourite art pieces for Shaun to then create follow up inspired dishes for an event - the Eating Art Dinner.  This 'eating art" concept comes alive when you see a dish like the twice cooked pork belly (image above) accompanied by rather sweet tasting, local produce green beans.

I chose the entree of whole pressed deboned duck (image above). Inside the layers of what can be compared to a multi-layered cake were sensations and bites of whole bread crumbs, interlaced with beet root puree and just the right amounts of radish, not overpowering but bringing out the best from the main ingredient - duck.  It went well with my glass of Merlot.

Chris had the entree of a slow cooked hen's egg (pictured above) resting on a bed of broad bean ragout, pea puree, asparagus and whole peas.  I was captivated that the exact temperature used to prepare the egg was provided, at 61 degrees Celsius.  There are other starters like crumbed lambs brains and poached water trout, but this almost initially simply named dish of hen's egg was to me the clear winner in a unique creation.

To have two meat dishes in a row can be a bit rich, but I could not resist the saddle of lamb for my mains.  With sweet bread, I found a balanced contrast with the medium rare juicy and flavourful lamb slices, on the left in the picture above.  Sweetbreads or ris are made by soaking the thymus, pancreas and glands of the sheep in water and then poached in milk, before breading and frying them.

The result I had that evening was savoury, sweet and sensational - never mind the actual and original  ingredients.

Located in the midst of the La Coline Wines estate, the restaurant has a pretty cottage setting amidst the vines.  We travelled towards Lake Conabolas Road after sunset, so it was delightful to settle down on a table beside a veranda window and with a high expectancy hanging in the air.

My impressions of the Racine Restaurant in Orange are:

Atmosphere: Country chic.
Location:  Away from the cares of the outside world.
Taste: Lovingly formulated, crafted and nurtured.
People Engagement: Satisfactory.
Service: Efficient and Busy.
Best Time to Visit: Dinner
Fav Dish Experienced:  Whole Pressed Deboned Duck
Would I Return?:  In whatever season. I was recommended the twice cooked pork belly dish to try next time.