B.-d. Farm Paris Creek’s Blueberry Yogurt is fruity and mild with a touch of sweetness. Made with real blueberries that contain natural antioxidants.

I’ve eaten cheap, commercial yoghurt; expensive, biodynamic, hand-made yoghurt; pot-set yoghurt; stirred yoghurt; Greek yoghurt; natural yoghurt and even sheep’s milk yoghurt. But only one yoghurt gave me a thrill. It happened when I placed a spoonful of B-d Farm Paris Creek yoghurt into my mouth. Tart, runny and totally unlike the thick, heavily sweetened yoghurts that dominate supermarket shelves, it transported me instantly back to my childhood.

“Come here,” I called to my seven-year-old. “This is what yoghurt tasted like when I was little.”She sampled some and screwed up her nose. “It’s a bit sour and a bit runny,” she said. Then she tried some more. “But I like it.”

B-d Farm Paris Creek owner Ulli Spranz says this is a common reaction.

“People remember having natural yoghurt and how healthy it is for you,” she explains from her production facility in the Adelaide Hills.”But a lot of our customers, who grow up with the thicker, creamier yoghurts, think there’s something not quite right about the runnier yoghurt, which has no milk powders, gelatins and stabilisers in it. But once people get used to the consistency, there’s no going back.”

– Culture club

Yoghurt, a product traditionally made from adding cultures (bacteria) to milk, has been a staple food in Western cultures for more than 2000 years. According to Dairy Australia, it is one of the most nutritious products available.

“Like milk and cheese, yoghurt provides more than 10 essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamins A and B12, riboflavin, carbohydrate, protein, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc,” says Glenys Zucco, nutrition media manager for Dairy Australia.

Yoghurt’s principal benefits are promoting bone health and strength, but unlike milk and cheese, it can also aid digestion.

“In addition to the starter bacteria cultures, other bacterial cultures, known as probiotics, may be added to yoghurt for their health benefits,” Zucco says. “Probiotics are ‘friendly’ bacteria that promote intestinal health by restoring the balance between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria.”

Although many cultures have believed in yoghurt’s health-giving properties for centuries, an increasing number of recent studies are also pointing to its health benefits. One, published in June 2011 in the New England Journal Of Medicine, showed that eating yoghurt is beneficial for weight management.

The report’s authors said: “Yoghurt consumption was… associated with less weight gain in all three cohorts [studied].” They added that “intriguing evidence suggests that changes in colonic bacteria might influence weight gain”.

Another study, published in the British Journal Of Nutrition in 2011, found that full-fat dairy products such as natural yoghurt may not have as detrimental an effect on cholesterol and blood pressure as previously estimated.

Full story Herald Sun

The Sticky Rice Cooking School in Stirling has two cooking classes on Mother’s Day Stars of Siam and Middle Eastern Mezze.

Learning to prepare an exotic meal will get Mum’s creative juices flowing and eating what you’ve both created together is as much fun as cooking it.

The school’s Thai, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Japanese and Moorish Moroccan cooking classes are taught by chefs including Kurma Dasa and Katrina Ryan.

Classes cost $145. (08) 8339 1314 or see stickyricecookingschool.com.au

Australia’s best ice cream is being made in a family-owned business in the Adelaide Hills.
Dessert and chocolate maker Cocolat, based in Balhannah, recently secured the Champion Ice Cream for its pistachio flavor at Dairy Australia’s 2012 Australian Grand Dairy Awards last month.

Making the win just a little bit sweeter was the fact that it’s the second year in a row the artisan business has won the award, last year it took home the accolade for its Ferrero Rocher flavor.

Judges said Cocolat’s entry, secured in the nationals after wins at a State level, was “just delicious” and had “an incredibly smooth and creamy mouth-feel with the true flavor of pistachio”.

It is made with Tweedvale Dairy milk which Cocolat marketing manager Christine Robertson said gives it its creamy taste.

“It’s handmade in the Adelaide Hills, we’re proud of the quality of the gelato we make, we’re proud that we can support local people, everyone who works here is from the Adelaide Hills and we’re proud of the relationship we have with our suppliers,” she said.

“There was even a French judge who said it was the best gelato he’d ever tasted.”

By Caitlin Carey – Full story in The Courier

Adam Voysey of Roseneath Organics (photo Stock Journal).

This week we spoke to Adam Voysey of Rosneath Organics. Adam’s organic garden at Mylor was established with a herbal healing philosophy “born out of a personal sickness, an eclectic blend of unpleasant doctor experiences, an urgent need to resolve personal health problems and the passion to make affordable all-natural products that work … naturally”. Listen to the podcast here.

More than 70 medicinal plant species are grown at the Roseneath Organics medicinal herb farm, which is spread over four hectares of NASAA-certified Organic Bio-dynamic land.

Adam talked about soil, compost and how he feels about bio-dynamically vortexed water. Listen to the podcast here.

Podcast here.

In the late 90s, Barker Boy built a new state of the art premises located in Mount Barker, South Australia and then a sister plant in the Cavan, South Australia area. It was around this time that the company’s General Manager, Ken Borg, joined Barker Boy and helped shape it into the award-winning business that it is today.

Barker Boy’s industry success is highly dependent on the skills of its workers, so the company goes to great lengths to provide employees with on-site, hands-on food handling training at its facilities. Currently, there are 50 employees working for the company.

In addition to top-notch customer service, Barker Boy has focused on providing quality fruits and vegetables to local government institutes, bakeries, pubs, hospitals, clubs and other hospitality facilities. They also supply their products to bulk manufacturers, national airlines and international food franchises.

– Business Review Australia

Sharon Mackay

Sharon Mackay, strategy leader at city renewal project 5000+, who is working with government and the public to help renew inner-city Adelaide and make it an even better place to work and play.

“At our Green City forum, held at Adelaide Zoo, we set ourselves the task of feeding everyone only sustainable produce from within 100km of the city.

“It was difficult. Well-meaning issues around insurance and safety made it difficult to get carrots from the Adelaide hills and put them on the table.

“We discovered a series of blockages to growing food in public parklands and to sharing a meal. 5000+ is identifying and challenging these issues.

“At all of the forums we unlocked opportunities by bringing together people who have overlapping responsibilities, for example people from ETSA and those from the street tree program, who shared ideas about greening our city.”

- Adelaide Now

Like Kanzi, the Greenstar apple was also developed by the European organisation Better 3 Fruits, from a natural cross between the Delbarestival and Granny Smith varieties, both of which are known for their juiciness and fresh taste.

Look out for apples with the Kanzi and Greenstar logos in your local retailer this autum.

Stock Journal

It might be savoring a glass of local wine while overlooking a magnificent vineyard, picking your own fruit at a local orchard or getting close to nature on a hidden walking trail.
Whatever it is, Hills residents are being urged to share their favorite places and experiences to help sell the region to tourists.
The Adelaide Hills Tourism Committee wants to hear locals’ views on the area’s best stories, destinations, events and activities.
It has launched a community survey and all information it collects will be used to create a plan to market the Hills to visitors.
Chairman Helen Edwards said many people were familiar with the region’s popular drawcards.
“If we ask people in Adelaide about the Hills they always say they know what’s on offer here,” she said. “They have been down the main street of Hahndorf, to the summit of Mt Lofty or to the Cleland Wildlife Park.
“But the aim of the survey is to unearth all the new experiences and the new reasons for them to come and see those favorite attractions.
“We want to show that around every corner there’s a new experience, a new story or something to discover.
“This survey is asking people about where they live and what they love about the Adelaide Hills.”
Last year the region experienced a 6% increase in tourist numbers, with about 829,000 day trippers visiting the area in 2011.
But a high Australian dollar and a tough local economy will make it challenging for the area to continue to draw visitors.
Mrs Edwards said the region was the “day trip capital of SA” but by showcasing new experiences and attractions, it could help encourage people to stay overnight.
“We know that on average people who come to the Hills day tripping spend $96 a head,” she said.
Overnight
“That’s an important regional contribution to our economy – it creates jobs and it creates profitable businesses.”
Many people who do stay overnight stay with friends or family, Mrs Edwards said. “So we want to give them (locals) a range of exciting things to do with their visitors so that coming to the Hills is a memorable experience,” she said.
“… As a tourism destination we are quite a young region so this survey will be critical in developing the Adelaide Hills brand in a way that highlights our food, wine, nature, towns and villages, walking trails and art and heritage.
Survey forms are available in today’s edition of The Courier, as well as online at www.dcmtbarker.sa.gov.au and www.ahc.sa.gov.au.

By Lisa Pahl – The Courier

By Lisa Pahl – The Courier