"People can't get enough of your cakes, they are so beautifully presented, and stay so moist and yummy that I have sold out of all of my weekend's supply just on Friday, we are going to have to do bigger orders starting this week", Ange.
"Well, they have all sold out already, let's get another batch of the same for Monday, people are loving them." Sam.
"We sold out of everything on Saturday, and I would love the same again for Monday, and I would be very interested in your savoury pies, when you get them up and going!" Judith.
It has been a week of wonders!!!
We have the delightful Lucy joining us behind the counter tody at abbotsford.
I laid on a spread for lucy’s aunt for her birthday morning tea a few weeks back, and that prompted young luce to apply for a job with us! So expect to see more of her bagging up your bakes at the farmers market!
Meanwhile Emma, who is an architect and just loves baking, is comin back into the workforce a little after two adorable gals Lotte and Mina! Is also joining us for the second half of the market tomorrow!
So with two new faces and the best bakes at the market, why wouldn’t you pop on over to the convent today!
It’s sunny, chilly but lookin pretty yummy at our stall at the gasworks in Albert park!
We have our new Earl grey tea cakes and mountains of brownie!
Pistachio and rosewater!!! Mmmm
If u have been eying us off all week at our port Melbourne kitchen – now is the chance to actually taste the goods!!
It feels like everything is starting to gel in this little business of ours!
Just this week the Locable kitchen has opened! Which is a major feather in my cap…I am so excited to have the logo on a window!
I don’t know why it all feels so much more professional and real when there is logo on the window!
Uber exciting. My cousin and friends have pitched in enormously to get us up and running, with a month of delays…which are seemingly inevitable when you are doing this sort of thing.
So if you are strolling along Bay St in Port Melbourne, up the city end…every Monday and Thursday you can see us in action.
Peer in the window whilst we bake and decorate cakes for our many orders (that don’t seem to stop flooding in!) Its amazing that it has all culminated in, what may seem a humble shop to many, but huge to me.
It was afterall only 10 months ago that Frank, Food & Me’s beginnings were even more humble, in a home kitchen in North Fitzroy, we now have a fully fledged catering kitchen, and a little studio/ shopfront.
Customers can place their orders with a 48 hour turn around for a Monday or Thursday bake, and collect them, or we can deliver directly to their office/ home. It is so lovely to continue in the farmers market ilk of meeting my customers face to face.
We have also expanded our Farmers Market presence, to include the Melbourne Showgrounds Farmers Market, which is building to be a delightful little market. I will place a listing of Market dates on the side for you – as it can sure get confusing!
So hopefully I will get to meet you face to face really soon!
Coincidentally, Frank, Food & Me was featured on “The Circle” on Network Ten earlier this week. I have attached a link to share with you, in case, like me you were working at 11:30 on monday morning!
a few weeks back we had a little dinner party to thank a few close friends for all thier support of the first year of Frank, Food & Me.
Stupidly I didnt take any more photos of the actual night, but the next day – in a heady state, I did manage to snap the menu, in the clean up! All that beautiful produce from the Farmers Market, went to a great cause!
My wonderful chef friend, Ange, and I rose early and met at the Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmers Market. I love walking down the wooden walkways over the vege plots, and across to the goats, and furry footed hens, as you make your way to the market. The morning mist was hanging low over the bending Yarra.
(why dont I ever think to take photos! – I take them in my mind- that’s why!)
We were hunting and gathering for a “Thank you” dinner to my mates who have actively helped me make Frank, Food & Me what it is, on its 1st birthday.
We picked up a tussy mussy bunch for the table centrepiece…grabbed the pears, oranges and rhubarb for the business for the week.
And then we had some serious fun…
fresh sage and rosemary (grown in a drought so the oils were so vibrant) and some AMAZING sweet heritage tomatoes from Meg & Blakey, pine mushrooms, _(a Growers Espresso Flat white)_ and Kingfisher lemons…the makings of Coq au vin, goats cheese for part of the entree…and we were loaded up! With wheelbarrow in hand, we hauled out of there, stopping by Monique’s “rock the free world” Larder Fresh felafel stand (for next week’s dinner) and on to the next foodie destination…
Sydney Rd we are on our way! LOVE IT!!
At Balha’s pastry we picked up some Katyfi pastry, baclava and Lebanese fairy floss…then nipped into A1 Bakery for a cheese pie for breakfast – ahhh Haloumi how I love thee.
Back at home we made aioli, and gremolata for the Katyfi wrapped deep fried King Prawns, and served them with Dill Chevre on lavosh, and heritage tomato tart tatin.
Mains was a braised Chicken Coq au vin style, served with home grown beans, and roasted beets.
Dessert was the highlight – beurre bosc (poached in mulled wine) stuffed with vanilla bean marscapone, resting on a nest of fried Katyfi pastry, with a little Belgian chocolate tart, and red wine reduction – topped with lebanese fairy floss!
Oh how much fun!
Port, strong coffee, and baklava followed and I am pretty sure we all then died and went to heaven!
You might be interested to know, that coming up in “Broadsheet” paper in Melbourne, I have inspired Jane De Graaf to write a piece on the importance of understanding and living the Slow Food Principles…
Keep your eye out over the next few weeks…
in the meantime, feast your eyes on this
I am so looking forward to getting back to my roots this saturday at the Abbotsford Convent Farmers Market.
My little family will be surrounding me…Kingfisher Oranges family on one side, and Di and rhubarb on the other.
I know its going to be another hot saturday…but one taste of my rhubarb orange cake will make you melt more than the heat!
See you there…
Abbotsford Convent Slow Food Market
Abbotsford Convent
8-1PM SATURDAY 27TH FEB
