The third Mornington Peninsula Food Forum invited farmers, producers, business owners and chefs to join the biennial event on June 6 at RACV Cape Schanck Resort. When speakers on the day referred to the assembled group as “heroes”, it dawned that the event did indeed bear the hallmarks of a superhero convention.
Mornington Peninsula Mayor Steve Holland – what superhero story doesn’t feature an appearance by the mayor? – opened proceedings, reinforcing the value of the Mornington Peninsula Produce logo – the letters ‘MPP’ in white against a black background. The stamp identifies the provenance of produce as grown, bred or raised entirely on the Mornington Peninsula. You won’t find it beamed into the night sky; keep an eye out for this logo on shelves.
Alice Zaslasvky – seen on MasterChef, now an award-winning author and broadcaster – greeted the audience as though they were already friends, which, in truth, some may have been. Alice lives on the Peninsula and is passionate about supporting locally grown. The ‘Vegelante’, as she is otherwise known, recommended the assembly’s mission should be to surprise customers with the diversity of food available in their community, and delight by empowering them to cook something different. She challenged the crowd: “How can we support our community to become cooks?”
Torres Strait Islander Nornie Bero, founder and head chef of Melbourne restaurants Mabu Mabu and Big Esso, suggested customers should “see what they can get and what they can do with it”. Her own approach one of openness and curiosity, Nornie encourages consumers to engage in dialogue with farmers and providers to learn as much as they can about the produce and its potential at its source. These interactions inform her own menu planning, often kicked into gear by the excitement of discovering new flavours. If at-home cooks are seeking inspiration, a great place to start is to visit restaurants showcasing Peninsula food and drink in their offerings.
At Dromana’s Torello Farm, Sophie O’Neil and her team thrive on customer connections. The Torello team serves as an excellent model for supporting their community to become cooks, offering workshops and providing recipe suggestions.
Jakob Wolki, owner of Albury’s regenerative Wolki Farm, asked: “You know your child’s teacher. You know your doctor. Do you know your farmer?” He makes a fair point. Are we satisfied to place trust in the sustenance of food we serve our families without knowledge of its source?
A strong proponent for seeking provenance and of the largely untapped versatility of Australian native foods, author, journalist and farmer Sam Vincent observed: “This country is full of food.” While an abundance of fresh produce exists, its value exists only in how – and if – it is used.
In Australia, one-third of all food produced goes to waste, and one in five people don’t have enough food to eat. The issue isn’t one that only affects other communities. In the first half of 2023, OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, delivered more than 120,000 meals to families in need on the Peninsula. Supported by the shire, OzHarvest also runs a program educating adults about healthy eating and affordable cooking.
Revealing the diversity of produce available and empowering the community to become cooks and to try something different, this year’s Mornington Peninsula Food Forum unveiled the local heroes dedicated to this mission. Let them guide the way.
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