so freshsummer 2012 Your seasonal fresh food market magazine!

hamcarving

what’s inside!

Summer SangriaSee inside for a delicious and refreshing summer libation recipe.

Summer SeafoodWe talk about Christmas, the good ol’ Aussie way.

Learn all the little tips and tricks for carving a Christmas ham.

Present time!Check out our Christmas gift guide for some unique and fun ideas.

free

so freshsummer 2012

26 January Celebrate the official national day of Australia! A perfect excuse to crack open a cold one and cook a barbie

with your loved ones! Even better... it’s a public holiday, which means a little

time to relax!

Praise the sun! The warm weather is finally upon us, let us hope that it lasts a little longer than last year!

When I think of summer, I immediately think of the different bright coloured, sweet fruits available such as mango, watermelon, lychees and what about stonefruits too! It’s time to embrace the amazing produce that comes with this warm weather and kick start a healthier year.

We all know the festive season is a time to relax, maybe loosen a belt buckle (or two!) and indulge in some well deserved treats. We know it all too well.

diary notes

school holidays21 December - 1 FebruarySchool holidays are here, and so is the sun. Use this time to go outside with the kids, soak up the warm sun and enjoy the sunshine for the next 6 weeks! With plenty of activities and fun for the family to join in, make these holidays count!

new years eve31 DecemberAs one year comes to a close, we start a new one. How time flies! Bring in the new year with family and friends and kick off 2013 with a bang!

australia day

Why not opt for the beautiful range of fresh, ripe produce and incorporate this into your holiday diet? There really is nothing like a big slice of juicy watermelon to devour while sitting by the pool, or perhaps some juicy local prawns are more your style.

So come around with your family and friends and enjoy what the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets has to offer this summer.

For any suggestions, tips or comments about So Fresh please contact us at info@bffm.com.au

summer lovin’ what’s happening at the markets this summer!

christmas day25 DecemberSanta has come to visit, the kids are ecstatic, and it’s time to relax and enjoy some time with your family and soak up the summer sun. Perhaps, even a game of backyard cricket is in order!

so fresh summer 2012

Colin Buchanan got it right when he penned the national favourite Aussie Jingle Bells by saying “All the family’s there, sitting by the pool, Christmas Day in the Aussie way, by the barbeque!”.

Not one to usually follow tradition, yet instead pave our own, the Australian way of Christmas has become quite an iconic celebration. While a good portion of the world is experiencing cold wintery conditions, Aussies are facing blistering heat, beautiful long days and balmy nights throughout the Christmas season. With many of the Christmas traditions stemming from the British empire still prominent in Australia, there are a few which we can add to the list as being truely unique to Australia.

Sport has long played an important role in Australian culture, and equally now plays a popular role in Christmas celebrations. Boxing Day flags the start of the legendary Sydney to Hobart race along with the start of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), a perfect setting to spend time with family and cheer the national success of our sporting heroes.

As we spend our deliriously hot summers celebrating Christmas, we’ve often found ourselves complementing the hot traditional dinners with cold platters of fresh seafood. Not only is seafood a tasty choice, it can be a relatively easy meal to prepare in advance or simply throw on the BBQ to grill!

Belconnen Fresh Food Markets is home to two of Canberra’s best seafood retailers - Fishco Downunder and Sea Harvest Australia. The summer season finds our surrounding waters thriving, making seafood a natural inclusion in the Christmas menu.

We spoke to John Kalogris from Sea Harvest Australia to get his tips on picking the best types of seafood over the festive season.

John believes that a beautiful fillet of fish is always a winner with the family, and so simple and quick to cook! Local coastal snapper, tuna and NT Wild Barramundi are great choices as they are in season over summer and in high demand. At this time they are coming in at a great price point arriving fresh in store daily.

By far the most popular addition to the Christmas plate are lobster, king prawns and smoked salmon which are great for sharing with minimal preparation time. John sources as much of his produce from the local market as he possibly can. Australia is lucky to be surrounded by water delivering some of the very best produce in the world.

John’s tips for choosing seafood at Christmas are to always look out for a fresh ocean smell, there should be little to no discolouration through the flesh or on the shells of crustaceans. Always buy your seafood at the end of your shopping trip and refridgerate as soon as possible to maintain maximum freshness!

“Jingle all the way....All the family’s there, sitting by the pool, Christmas Day in the Aussie way, by the barbeque! ”

SEAFOODsummertime

so freshsummer 2012

First Choice Johnnie Walker Black Glass Pack $44.95

Pivotal Hair Hard Muk Styling

Mud $22.00fruitapricotbananacherrygrapelimelychee

mangonectarinepassionfruitpineappleplumprickly pear

vegetablesasparaguscapsicumcelerycucumbereggplantokra

peasradishsweetcorntomatowatercresszucchini

mangoMangoes are becoming more readily available in store as they make their way down from the Northern Territory. Typically weighing anywhere between 250g to 900g, depending on the variety, the flesh varies from yellow to golden and is soft, juicy and sweet. Select fruit free from blemishes and black marks, as these indicate the fruit is overripe. The best test of a mango is its aroma, which should be highly perfumed when ripe.

fresh profile!

cherry sangria

methodCombine the wine and sugar in a large jug. Thinly slice the orange, lemon and lime and add to the wine mixture. Stir in the cherries and raspberries and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to three days). When ready to serve, add the lemonade and serve over lots of ice. Alternately, serve the wine and the lemonade in separate carafes and allow people to mix the sangria themselves, to their taste!

ingredients (serves 8) 750ml red or white wine (a spicy shiraz

or fresh sauvignon blanc is perfect)

1/4 cup caster sugar

1x orange

1x lemon

1x lime

1x litre lemonade

300g pitted cherries, halved

100g fresh raspberries, whole

so fresh summer 2012

First Choice Johnnie Walker Black Glass Pack $44.95

Pivotal Hair Hard Muk Styling

Mud $22.00

Book PassionHouse of Tiffany $30.00

Bunches BelconnenVanilla Bath Sugar

$12.95

ChristmasPick out the perfect Christmas gifts for your loved ones with these interesting and clever ideas from the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets.

Eco MeatsPeter Watson Spice

Rubs $9.95

Qi Massage Chopsticks $5.00

First Choice Moet & Chandon Imperial

$53.00

Bunches Belconnen Elume Candles from $14.95

his hers&Food Lovers

Italian Style Hamper $26.50

Petbarn Christmas Cat Outfit

$27.80

Gift Ideas

so freshsummer 2012

christmas hamthe perfect

Ham is a staple on the Christmas menu for many every year. As each year rolls around, do you find yourself scratching your head thinking - “where do I even start with this thing!?”. Here’s our fail safe guide to preparing and carving a delicious ham for your family.

methodPreheat the oven to 175oC. Remove the skin from ham by inserting a sharp knife and making an incision across the rind. Make the cut just big enough to grip the skin with your fingers (make sure you don’t cut into the fat too deeply as you only want to remove the rind). Using your knife, continue to make small cuts around the outside edge of the rind and then use your fingers to ease back the skin. Using your hands, massage the dried mustard over the flesh of the ham. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and then cover evenly with brown sugar. Before placing the ham in the oven, wrap the leg bone with foil to stop the bone discolouring and becoming too brown. Place the ham (fat side facing upwards) on a rack over a large baking dish with 2-3cm of water in the bottom. Bake for 45 minutes on 175oC. After 45 minutes remove the ham from the oven and coat the flesh with seville marmalade and return to the oven for a further 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, and then your ham is ready to carve!

1x ham

2 tbsp dried mustard

ground cinnamon

brown sugar

seville marmalade

ingredients

so fresh summer 2012

carvingCarving your ham can be the hardest part of the whole operation, so follow our easy steps to ensure you create a beautiful carving every time!

your ham (of course!)

1x very sharp knife

1x roasting fork

you will need:

Place the ham on a cutting board or a ham stand

(if you have one).

step 1:

Carve an end slice off the ham to make the carving easier.

step 2:

Using the first cut as a starting point, cut straight down

the ham at 3-5mm intervals.

step 3:

Once you reach the hock bone, cut around the bone to

allow for the maximum number of slices.

step 4:

1 2 3 4

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Belconnen Fresh Food Markets, unlike a supermarket, offers an assortment of speciality stores delivering some of Canberra’s freshest local food to the ACT region.

Market Meats focus on top-grade produce and friendly personal service in store. Providing an array of beef, pork, lamb and veal produce, their emphasis is on quality and flavour. Customers are always greeted with a smile and the team are happy to deliver any requests to customers. Market Meats also have an in-house smoke room which allows for beautifully smoked products such as ham, bacon and speck.

Q.Tell us a little bit about your journey with Market Meats.

I started out a Market Meats when I was 14 as an apprentice doing basic shop duties like cleaning, serving, maintenance and basic cutting. I took over the store in 2009 and my vision is to create a more traditional style butcher shop with an emphasis on quality and personal service.

Q.Is meat a seasonal product?

No, not really. However we do sell more types of meat in different parts of the year. For example winter is a very popular time for roasts like beef rib and of course a leg of lamb! Summer is a popular time for our gourmet sausages, bone aged steaks and basically any cut of lamb.

Q. Do you source your produce locally?

We try and source as much of our produce from the local region. I have had an ongoing relationship with Paul Darmody of Wynella Farm in Bungendore for over 10 years now. Paul supplies me with the best quality beef and some lamb cuts for the store. I also get some amazing pork from Matthew Houston at Redfern Downs close to Young, NSW.

Q.What is your relationship like with your local suppliers?

I have a really great relationship with my local suppliers, we’ve been working together for such a long time now they know exactly what my customers like and what sells well in my store. They make sure they always provide me with the best quality produce.

Q.What’s the benefit to your customer?

I estimate around 70% of my clientele are return customers, and they really enjoy being able to talk to me and my team personally because they know they are getting great service. We are also very happy to cater to everyone, if you only want a certain amount or a special cut you only have to ask!

‘So Fresh’ chats to Bede from Market Meats about his fantastic butcher shop and the variety of different cuts in store.

Tues: 7:00am - 5:00pmWed, Sat & Sun: 7:00am - 5:30pm

Thurs - Fri: 7:00am - 6:00pm Phone: 02 6253 4162