Local Press Cafe is one of my favourite cafes in Canberra. They serve healthy, fresh and flavoursome whole foods and that’s our kind of food. They’re also located at the beautiful Kingston Foreshore so you can enjoy a delicious lunch or breakfast, soak up the surroundings and go for a walk around Lake Burley Griffin before or after you have a bite to eat or something to drink. MasterChef Australia contestant, Trent Harvey, also worked at Local Press Cafe when he finished filming the show and is still involved with the Local Press Cafe team. If you haven’t heard, Eat Canberra is hosting our very first event at The Truffle Farm where guests will be treated to a two-course lunch cooked by Trent, desserts by Naked Foods Braddon and lots more.
Each guest will receive a gift bag valued at over $50 and we’ve also teamed up with some fantastic local foodie businesses to give our guests a chance to win some special giveaways. Two lucky guests will receive a voucher to claim a signed copy of The Capital Cookbook 3, a book of recipes and stories from more than 40 of Canberra’s best restaurants, cafes, bars and street food. The cookbook is created by Quicksand Food who are passionate about food and make books, share recipes, take photos and tell stories about chefs and producers from small and unique regions of Australia. The Capital Cookbook 3 features local producers, market holders, and food personalities and sheds a light on Canberra’s bustling food culture.
Quicksand Food‘s previous publications include The Capital Cookbook 1 & 2, The South Coast Cookbook 1 & 2, The Southern Highlands Cookbook.
The book will be on shelves and online from the 28th of November and will launch on Sunday the 4th of December.
Running parallel to the book is the second season of The Quicksand Food Connection Podcast. The team chat to all the contributing chefs and producers about their philosophies, motivations, stories and the dishes they contributed to the book. The podcast will be available on iTunes, Stitcher and on the website for free.
To celebrate The Capital Cookbook 3 and Lunch with Masterchef Australia contestant Trent Harvey at The Truffle Farm, Quicksand Food have shared the recipe for the amazing green pea pancake dish that’s found on the menu at Local Press Cafe. This dish is so good and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you. The Truffle Farm also feature in The Capital Cookbook 3 and guests at the event will also receive a printed version of the recipe to take home.
GREEN PEA PANCAKE W/ CORN SALSA, SMOKED SALMON & POACHED EGGS
SERVES 4-6
vegetable oil
8-12 eggs, poached
250g smoked salmon
1 avocado, smashed & seasoned
200g feta cheese, crumbled
mint leaves, to serve
pomegranate seeds, to serve
balsamic reduction, to serve
salt and pepper
pancake batter
250g wholemeal flour
2 free range eggs
400ml milk
100g green peas
1 handful spinach
¼ bunch parsley leaves
2 medium shallots, chopped
2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper, ground
30g butter, melted
corn salsa
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 corn cobs, charred on a grill
50g green peas
¼ red onion, finely diced
1 handful parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of ½ a lemon
chili jam
1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
4 long red chillies
4 cloves garlic
20g ginger, peeled & finely sliced
500g tomatoes, chopped
300g brown sugar
100ml red wine vinegar
Note: The chilli jam in this recipe will make more than you need, but you can keep it in the fridge for future use. Local Press makes their own balsamic reduction for this recipe. You can make it from scratch or buy it from specialty delis.
For the chilli jam – place a pot over a medium-high heat with some vegetable oil, add the onions and sweat until translucent. Blend the chilli, garlic and ginger in a food processor, then add to the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until browned. Add the remaining ingredients, lower the heat and reduce for 15-20 minutes to a jam-like consistency.
For the corn salsa – slice the kernels from the cobs and mix together with the peas, onion, tomatoes and parsley. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the pancakes – place the shallots, spinach, parsley and three-quarters of the peas into a food processor and blitz to a paste. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together, then stir through the paste. Add the flour, butter, salt, pepper and remaining peas, whisking thoroughly to achieve an even consistency. Heat a frypan to a medium heat and add a splash of vegetable oil. Ladle the batter into the centre and cook until the sides begin to set. Flip and cook until golden on both sides.
To serve – place one pancake onto each plate. Place some salmon in the centre, followed by 2 poached eggs. Add a spoonful each of the chilli jam and smashed avocado. Spoon over the corn salsa, then scatter with crumbled feta, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS to join us for lunch with MasterChef Australia contestant Trent Harvey at The Truffle Farm. There are only limited spots available so don’t miss out on this exclusive event.
When: Saturday 12 November, 11am-2:30pm
Where: The Truffle Farm
Amelia Bidgood
Amelia is the Founder and Editor of Eat Canberra and the Founder and Managing Director of Eat Canberra Food Tours. She's a qualified journalist, presenter, freelance writer and also runs a boutique communications agency working with small business owners on all things social media, content creation and marketing. She's taught cheesemaking classes, judged hospitality and tourism awards, completed the WSET Level 1 Award In Wines, loves to cook and has travelled to 23 countries. She's also passionate about mental health and has recently started studying to become a Counsellor.