Feast on the Fleurieu – January 15-16

This year’s Harvest Festival will open with the McLaren Vale Harvest Festival Dinner, which will be held under the stars on the McLaren Vale Oval and prepared by chef Todd Steele (known as Chef Steele) using local produce. On the Saturday, renowned chefs Tom Boden (Ellen Street Restaurant), Peter Reschke (d’Arry’s Verandah), Karena Armstrong (Salopian Inn) and Nigel Rich (Elbow Room) will give cooking demonstrations using locally sourced ingredients. There will also be masterclasses in beer and sensory analysis, olives and olive oil, and wine and chocolate as part of the Harvest Festival program.

Unley Gourmet Gala – January 19

As part of the Santos Tour Down Under celebrations, food, wine, fashion and cycling enthusiasts with gather on King William Road for the City of Unley’s annual street party. Running from 4pm until 10pm, it will feature an array of gourmet food stalls showcasing the cuisines of local restaurants, wine and beer from Wirra Wirra, Tomich and Vale Brewing, and cooking demonstrations by former MasterChef contestant Justine Schofield. More information can be found here.

Crush – January 22 to 24

Don’t miss out on the ticketed and cluster events at the Adelaide Hills’ annual wine and food festival, Crush 2016.

Exclusive events include: Dinner with the Broderick family in the tractor shed overlooking their Basket Range Wines vineyard, with wines paired with food by Alice Nettleton from Quince Catering; the transformation of Deviation Road Winery into the feuding streets of Verona for Essential Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet; a degustation lunch at Mt Lofty House where chef Girard Ramsay will pair examples of Adelaide Hills’ Gruner Veltliner wines with Asian-inspired food; and a long lunch hosted by Brian Croser and Richard Gunner at Tapanappa Wines exploring grape variety and terroir alongside animal breed.

Download the Crush Festival program here.

Kangaroo Island Gourmet Gallop – January 24

Food, fillies and fashion will come together at the KI Gourmet Gallop, which promises trackside treats that highlight island produce such as smoked meats, olives, cheeses, honey and wine.

Food vendors will include Two Birds and a Squid, KI Tru Thai and Kevin’s KI Catering, with wine from Dudley Wines (pictured below). Hannaford and Sachs will also supply meals based on co-founder and chef Rachel Hannaford’s recipes drawing on her family legacy and experience of international food cultures.

Gawler Farmers’ Market official opening – January 30

The first Gawler Farmers’ Market will be held this month, with the official opening including cooking demonstrations and kids’ activities alongside more than 30 produce stalls.

As InDaily reported in December, the market’s opening coincides with the closure of the Prospect Farmers’ Market, previously held on Thursday evenings, following a fall in customer numbers.

The Gawler market will be held every Saturday morning from 8am until midday at the Gawler Visitor Information Centre car park. It will also include stallholders from the Showground Farmers’ Market, and new producers from the Mid-North and Clare regions.

Home Fermentation – February 5

Gut Feeling and Dirty Girl Kitchen will present another workshop at The Market Shed on Holland teaching participants how to make natural fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, ginger beer and kombucha. Learn about the history and health benefits of fermented foods and how to make your own at home. The workshop starts at 6.30pm and runs for around three hours. Cost is $70 per person and bookings can be made by phoning Dirty Girl Kitchen on 0439 546 200.

Cellar Door Fest – February 26-28

“Cheesepert” Valerie Henbest and chocolatier Steven ter Horst will join forces for a Cheese, Chocolate and Bubbles event pairing two of our favourite foods with wines from the Adelaide Hills at the Adelaide Convention Centre’s Cellar Door Fest next month.

Other master-class events include a Saturday Arvo Wine Down, SA’s Best Brews, and The Supreme Cheese Experience, with dedicated cheese lovers able to buy an Ultimate Cheese Experience package that gives them entry for all three days plus access to one cheese-themed master-class each day.

You can also book now for a series of Cellar Door Fest Long Table Dining Experiences at The Lane Vineyard, Skillogalee and Howard’s Vineyard, where up to 60 guests will be guided through menus highlighting SA produce.

Details of all events can be found on the Cellar Door Fest website.

Tasting Australia – May 1 to 8

While the full Tasting Australia 2016 program won’t be released until the New Year, bookings are open for some of the exclusive events.

They include: the Barossa Regional Roving Lunch – a progressive lunch tour of Hentley Farm, Appellation and Fino at Seppeltsfield, hosted by celebrated chefs who know how to capture the flavours of the surrounding Barossa landscape; Lamb Tasting at Rawnsley Park – an authentic lamb-inspired dinner in the historic Flinders Ranges woolshed; the Cheong Liew Retrospective –a showcase dinner at which Liew’s team of apprentices are brought back to the Hilton to reinterpret and celebrate the iconic dishes created by their mentor and teacher; The Barossa Camino – a 7km guided walk through the vineyards of Mt Edelstone, Hutton Vale Farm and Hill of Grace with the Henschke and Angas families before a big Barossa lunch; and a Wild Mushroom Forest Feast in the Adelaide Hills with expert mushroom guides to learn the secrets of the local fungi before sitting down to a lunch of wild mushrooms and natural wine.

The full program will be released soon, but first-release tickets to the above events are on sale now. See more details here.

Chef Cheong Liew’s iconic dishes will be celebrated in a retrospective event.

Losing the plot – until June 26, 2015

Losing the Plot: food gardening in South Australia explores the history of growing food in South Australia. It examines the stories behind the food on our plates from Aboriginal food production and school and community gardens to the home garden and market gardens in SA, and is accompanied by a program of workshops and talks focussing on food gardening and the use of garden produce in preserving and cooking.

News, tips and information?

The Forager would love to hear about your news, events and suggestions. Please contact us at [email protected].