Three Course Meal Plan Creative Process & Inspiration
Gum Trees & Native Bush Walks
My inspiration and creative process for this Australian Vegan Fine Dining meal plan. It started with a walk in the bush while out in the Illawarra coastal region. The intricate designs, colours and patterns in gum trees is just stunningly beautiful. The gum trees shed their bark annually in a process called “decorticating”. It sheds in long strips or flakes and exposes the smooth bark underneath. I researched these distinctive scribbles that appear are made by moth larva as it tunnels between the layers of bark. Every year the markings will be different, shedding the past and exposing a new pattern.
Seasonal Produce, Native Herbs & Ayurvedic Balancing
This walk was particularly peaceful and reflective as it was just after massive rains which caused devastating floods to the region. It was beautiful to see nature’s resilience. From here I began to look into native Australian herbs and spices. I came up with a selection that would pair well with some of the initial vegan meal components I want to work with – such as tofu, quinoa, and seasonal vegetables. We’re fortunate in Australia to have a wide selection of seasonal fruit and veg all year long. Since we are heading into Autumn, I wanted to use foods also inspired by Ayurvedic remedies for Vata dosha balancing. Cooked, warm foods such as sweet potato, carrots, peas, tofu, and quinoa. Balancing these heavier cooked foods with light, fragrant and citrus elements inspired by the Aussie outback. The spice and herb set I decided on includes Lemon Myrtle, Kunzea, Salt Bush, Finger Limes, Cinnamon Myrtle and Sandalwood Nuts.
Nutrition & Greens
I popped into the Sydney Wildflower Nursery. I wanted to learn more about what these herbs looked like before harvest, and how to identify them. They had several of the popular herbs I had been researching and it was fun to see them “in person”! It kind of felt like meeting a celebrity, but in a nerdy, plant person type of way. I couldn’t help but take home a few new friends. Including a Native Pepper Berry (aka the mountain pepper). Both the leaves and berries can be dried and used as a cooking spice, and when milled, the hardened berries make for a great substitute for conventional pepper. Compared to our everyday pepper, however, mountain pepper has more of a herbal dimension, and packs more of a spicer, sharper, hotter punch so it should be used sparingly for those not accustomed to it! It has potent antioxidants too, 4x more powerful than my beloved blueberries. I also took home a Cinnamon Myrtle plant full of cute, light yellow flowers. It’s a small tree, where the cinnamon comes from the leaves, not the bark. The leaves are best harvested while young and tender while they are light green.
One nutritious aspect I always have found useful is growing my own microgreens. From my journey through my nutrition diploma I was fascinated by the nutrient-dense qualities. Many studies showed higher nutritional quality in microgreens than in their mature plants. They are an easy, quick method to add instant flavour and nutrition to any meal. Plus, they couldn’t be easier to grow from home. I have included the link to my microgreen planter here in case you’re curious.
Aboriginal Art
It is important to consider plating early on in the creative process. I had inspiration from the gum trees, but I also wanted to get a bit more familiar with Aboriginal art. I went to an art gallery to view some local art at the Kate Owen Art Gallery in Sydney. Incredibly beautiful pieces and sculptures definitely gave me some inspiration especially for my starter dish. The circular pattern concept is something I want to use to tie the meal together.
Three Course Meal Prep & Execution
The Starter
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Myrtle Croquette with Curry Yoghurt, Black Sesame Crisp, Beetroot & Microgreens
From here I began to come up with the Australian vegan fine dining meal plan. Showcasing the local produce and herbs and spices, I knew I wanted to do a Sweet Potato Croquette for a starter and have it spiced with Cinnamon Myrtle. The croquette will also include red lentils for a binder and to add extra flavour and protein to the dish. The natural colours of these items together play well with the frequently used tones in Aboriginal art. At the farmer’s market I found a local herb artisan who sells black sesame flour. I wanted to play with creating a component of the dish with this new product. Black sesame is a great source of protein, iron, zinc and antioxidants. The colour would also play well in creating the theme.
The Main
Bush Tucker Quinoa Stuffing in Smoked Tofu, Vegemite Gravy, Carrot Fritters, Pea Puree, Swede Mash, Pumpkin Puree, and Sandalwood Dukkah
This is my more complex main dish for further study and breakdown into Gantt chart prep and documentation. Many native items were used in this dish and techniques used from my culinary training. The term ‘Bush Tucker’ is used commonly in Australia, referring to an assortment of native foods. To start this dish, I made the tofu from soaked soy beans and nigiri. This gives me the ability to control the firmness of the tofu so it blitzed into a texture suitable for moulding. I also marinated the tofu in liquid smoke and tamari to enhance flavour and colour as well as add umami. The Australian quinoa stuffing includes lemon myrtle, salt bush, pepper leaf, sandalwood nuts and kunzea. Kunzea is a an absolutely delicious and unique herb with a strong, robust flavour similar to rosemary but with citrus, eucalypt and honey notes. From the moment I smelled it I knew I had to incorporate it into the dish! Simple yet flavourful pea and pumpkin purees both bring the dish together with their buttery & creamy textures and sweetness. In contrast, the crunchy fried carrot fritter gives a salty, yet sweet and crisp element to the dish. Another contrasting texture is the incorporation of the sandalwood dukkah. Dukkahs are such a lovely, easy way to add some interest, texture and flavour to a dish. Plus I love that Australia is a very diverse nation, with many influences from all over the world. I wanted to incorporate that ideology as well. The swede mash is a seasonal produce item, but also I desired a ‘mashed potato’ concept to give a nod to the autumnal, comforting feeling of American Thanksgiving. And who could have mash without gravy? This one made with Vegemite, of course. Since rosemary is such a common herb to use this time of year, the kunzea is a lovely alternative to have on hand.
Everything worked well to plan on execution of this dish, thought the Vegemite Gravy was thicker than I initially had in mind. This made me pivot my plating plan a bit, but I ended up being very happy with the result. The Vegemite Gravy added a salty, umami flavour to the dish which paired so well with the natural sweetness of the pumpkin puree.
See my full recipe for Bush Tucker Quinoa Stuffing in Smoked Tofu here.
The Dessert
Lemon Myrtle Cake with Macadamia Pistachio Ginger Crumb, Cream Cheese, Finger Limes, Rosella, Candied Lemon, Lemon Zest Simple Syrup & Touille
We’ve finally made it to dessert! I have a wonderful, gluten free & vegan Lemon Cake Recipe I absolutely love. I wanted to amend this to include lemon myrtle as well as some other Aussie flavours such as Finger Limes. It pairs well with the mixture of the moist lemon cake with cream cheese quenelles and the sour, citrus punch of the finger lime. I wanted to try a new touille technique in this dish too, really just having a play around for fun on this final dish!