As a chef, I am always looking for new recipes, different ways to cook things and how I can adapt a recipe to suit everyone. This has led me down a path of creating a lot of recipes that don’t contain gluten. But a non-gluten-free person wouldn’t know the difference.
The last harvest lunch I held, there were two guests, from two different bookings, both requested gluten-free. This meant a three-course gluten-free meal, that the non-gluten-free guests didn’t realise was gluten-free. Full of flavour, direct from the garden and still with the mouth crunch expected.
Let’s start with seasonal zucchini flowers filled with fresh ricotta. Coated in cornflour, buttermilk, and cornmeal. They will take a little while, as we have to make the ricotta first. There is always tomatoes here, seasonal or out of a Vacola jar out of season, so fresh tomato relish on the side seasoned with as much garlic as you like and a little bit of Mirboo honey.
Gluten-free sour cream pastry. It’s a little bit crumbly but ideal to top off a tatin of new potatoes. Served with slow-roasted Gippsland beef, wild garden greens and the vegetables you have pick yourself form the garden.
Recently I have gotten into making choux pastry. As mentioned above ‘could I make it gluten-free?’ The answer: Yes, I can.
Profiteroles are a cake that many gluten-free guests thadn’t had in a while before they made it themselves in a harvest lunch. It is filled with fresh cream, homemade lemon curd and served with jersey milk ice-cream. As we make the ice-cream from scratch, it contains no fillers or setting agents, hence no gluten.
After all this food, I don’t think the non-gluten-free guest will realise they have gone without.
Example menu for a gluten-free harvest lunch menu
Zucchini flowers filled with fresh jersey milk ricotta, fresh garden herbs. Fresh tomato relish
Potato tatin, Gippsland beef, wild green, seasonal garden vegetable – cook to enhance their seasonal qualities
Profiteroles, lemon curd, and seasonal jersey milk ice cream
Jacican wine spritzers, tea coffee
Gluten-free harvest lunches are held throughout the year at Jacican and will only serve food suitable for a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free harvest lunches at Jacican can be booked on scheduled dates, or as private functions throughout the year.
Acknowledgment of country
Hello, I’m Jaci Hicken, from the lands of the Brataualung clan, which is where I’ve spent most of my life.
I would like to acknowledge all of us here today to cook together and share a meal.
I love sharing my dream of growing the food this country has to offer and share it with you.
The traditional place that we come together today is on the lands Gunaikurnai people
And I’d like to pay my respects to our elders past, present, emerging leaders, along with all the young people in our community.