The Season of Djilba

There's a change in the air. The windy, cold and rainy days are slowly giving way to warmer sunny days. We can see the Willy Wagtails emerging slowly and scattered plots of white and pastel flowers are starting to bloom. The pale pink Boronia flowers are also starting to shine. And don't forget to take cover - Djilba is also magpie (Koolbardi) season so they will be swooping if you get to close to their nests! 

The season of Djilba is well and truly here. To the Noongar people this is a transitional season, the season of conception.  People and animals alike are starting to venture further out of their homes to bask in the warm sunshine and prepare for the upcoming explosion of colour that is wildflower season, Kambarang. Traditionally this was also the season when the Noongar people inland started to move back towards the coast in preparation for the warmer months.

Djliba is a good time to start preparing garden beds for planting native edibles as the soil warms up during the day. Be aware though that the nights are still pretty clear and cold.

In the kitchen, ingredients are still somewhat limited and not in such abundant supply as they are in other seasons like Djeran and Kambarang. Emu and their eggs are still a great source of protein, as is Kangaroo meat. The Pearl meat harvest has also started in Broome and paired with ripe Blood limes (or Red centre limes), this delectable meat is the perfect interlude to the return of fresh, in-season seafood.

Other ingredients to experiment with during the season of Djilba include the eponymous Bush tomato (Kutjera). It's a fantastic ingredient that is in severely short supply at the moment. If you manage to get your hands on some, be frugal! Bush tomato can be used in dips, as a marinade or rub with kangaroo and also turned in fantastic sauces and condiments or added to scones and breads.

Then of course, if you are lucky enough to have access to some Emu Plum trees (Podocarpus Drouynianus), the fruit can be seen growing, especially throughout the Karri and Jarrah forests along the Bibbulmun Trail. Although reasonably tasteless, Emu Plum, which is the largest native fruit to be found in the South West, has a stunning colour that can compliment the plate up of any seasonal dessert.

The white and pale pink flowers of the West Australian native, Geraldton Wax, are in flower everywhere now.  Here's a simple recipe using Geraldton Wax. This is a RiverMint Dining favourite and is aways a hit with clients as the cuttings provide a subtle piney but nutty flavour to the cooked cream. After quickly blanching some sprigs of Geraldton Wax in boiling water, follow the recipe below to make your own native inspired dessert:

Geraldton Wax Set Creams          Serves 6
650ml whipping cream
2 tbsp grated lime zest
1 tbsp lime juice
10 sprigs Geraldton wax (with flowers if possible), blanched quickly in boiling water
130g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
A pinch of salt
4 x gold gelatin leaves, soaked in cold water for 2 mins and squeezed out.

1. Place the blanched sprigs into a saucepan with the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add lime zest and juice, salt and vanilla. Simmer one minute longer. Then set aside for 1-2 hours to infuse.

2. Bring cream mixture back to the boil, stirring frequently until the cream bubbles up almost to the rim of the pan. Take off the heat and remove the Geraldton Wax sprigs. Add the softened gelatine leaf, stir until completely dissolved, then strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring jug. 

3. Let cool slightly before pouring into ramekins or small dessert glasses. Refrigerate for four hours or until set. Can be garnished with crystallised Geraldton Wax flowers and Geraldton wax syrup.

Let us know what you think if you try out this recipe and enjoy the sunny mild days of Djilba.

Seaside Forage

Is it celery? Or is it parsley? It's got stems the texture and look of celery but it tastes strongly of parsley with a hint of the the ocean.......... its Sea Parsley.

One of the many edible plants found along the West Australian coast, sea parsley is a big favourite with chefs at the moment. Added to salads, as a garnish or to form the base of a sauce, this salty celery-flavoured parsley can be found amongst rocks and sand dunes all along the coast. It can even be grown in our gardens.

There are many other coastal greens that have been trending in Australia's best restaurants including but not limited to:

 WA Samphire: Also known as Sea Asparagus, Samphire lines the coastal dunes and estuary banks in clumps of deep green fingers. It is salty and crunchy and works beautifully with fish and in small salads. Harvesting occurs between November and February and it generally turns woody and dormant in the winter months.

Dune Spinach: Also known as Barilla or Coorong Spinach, this plant is covered in time swollen water storage cells and grows extensively in beach vegetation. It is lovely sautéed and fruits in the season of Kambarang,

Crystal Ice Plant: A close cousin of Barilla, this plant is native to WA and also grows in the sand dunes. It is a green succulent, with thicker leaves than the dune spinach which turn slightly grey in the summer and has pink, yellow or white flowers tips in summer.

 Pigface: One of our first blog posts introduces Pretty Pigface. To read this post click

It is always advised to seek guidance from those who can identify plants and who collect in a sustainable way with biodiversity in mind. Strict laws pertain to foraging in Western Australia and licenses should be obtained if you wish to collect these ingredients instead of using a supplier.

Coastal greens can also be grown in garden beds around Perth and Western Australia. If you would like to try your hand at growing some of your own native vegetables such as sea parsley visit the Tuckerbush website to see where you can get a hold of them and start using them in your cooking!