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Better Homes and Gardens - Season 32 - Episode 04
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00:01I've come to Dalesford in rural Victoria ahead of International Women's Day this Sunday to catch up with another iconic
00:08woman that didn't just change the way that we talk and feel about food, but who breathed life into this
00:14town. It's all just part of the feast that's coming your way now on Better Homes and Gardens.
00:20Tonight, this dish will totally batter you up. Fish, crumbs, fried, mushy peas and tartar sauce. Basically, fish and chips.
00:31Why not let your imagination and your garden run a little wild? It doesn't matter what style of meadow garden
00:38that you'd like to create, it's a lot easier than what you might think.
00:43Have you tried waking up on the Scandi side of the beck? And nothing says Scandi more than wore timber.
00:49And whether you clip it, trim it, shear it or snip it.
00:53There's no such thing as a no-maintenance garden, so I'm going to share with you a few tips on
00:57getting your garden looking this good.
01:07The town of Dalesford, west of Melbourne, is a tourist mecca. It's full of artists, great produce and stunning scenery.
01:15But it hasn't always been this way.
01:17Alla Wooftusker is a huge part of the revitalisation and gentrification of this region. And with her famed lake house
01:25entering its fifth decade, the good news is she ain't finished yet.
01:33Alla and her late husband, Alan, built an open lake house back in 1984, and it's long been considered one
01:40of Australia's top restaurants.
01:42It now includes a hotel and spa, and it sources most of its produce from Alla's nearby Dairy Flat Farm,
01:49where you can also stay.
01:52Hello, Alla. How are you?
01:54Good.
01:55So nice to meet you today.
01:56Nice to meet you too.
01:57Who are these two?
01:58This is Luna and Leo, our marimmers, who are supposed to be protecting the gardens from all sorts of things.
02:06Well, we're going to go and explore the lake house a little bit later in the show.
02:09But we're here to talk about dairy flat farms.
02:12I'm super proud of it. I'm really, really looking forward to introducing you to it.
02:16We took a lot on, 40 acres. It's been an interesting journey, but it now has very large orchard, olive
02:24grove, five hectares under cultivation for vegetables.
02:28And then there's the polytunnels, where at the moment you'll see a whole lot of eggplant, the cucumbers, the tomatoes
02:35and so forth.
02:36Brilliant. And you employ regenerative farming, is that right?
02:38Yes, regenerative farming. So that's all about leaving it in better shape than when we arrived.
02:44That's building topsoil, improving the microbiome, increasing the number of little helpers.
02:51Yeah, critters. They play a vital part in the ecosystem.
02:54They're essential. Our pollinators, I mean, we wouldn't get honey unless we had enough blossom out for them.
03:00So sometimes we keep the weeds growing until they flower.
03:03The proof's in the pudding. I mean, look, even for the flower section, you've got so much in here.
03:08The flowers are essential. I think they bring joy all year.
03:11There's always something popping up. The rose garden is massive. You can see the peonies in the background coming up.
03:17But we're learning every day. I mean, there's another lesson every day.
03:20So we got things badly wrong the first season and we're getting much better at it.
03:26And we're now producing probably close to 90% in season of our fresh produce that comes from here.
03:34Did you ever imagine that it was going to get this big when you started?
03:38There's no problem with scale in my dreams. It's just the reality creeps in at some time, you know, about
03:46what you can actually achieve.
03:47And getting the right people, it's not even the right people, it's getting people to understand how exciting this can
03:54be.
03:55Well, let's go for a wander. There's so much to see.
03:57Okay, sure. Are we going this way?
03:58Yeah, after you.
03:59Okay.
04:05Is it right that you actually grew up in this area, like foraging for mushrooms, or you used to come
04:09up here?
04:10Well, my parents were post-war migrants and my mother came from a farm and she still grew her own
04:16vegetables and grew some fruit.
04:18But she really yearned to get back into the soil properly.
04:21Yeah, get her hands dirty.
04:22We used to come to Daylesford quite a lot when I was little. In autumn, we'd be out foraging for
04:27mushrooms.
04:28I can see where those influences have impacted you on a number of fronts in your life, but it's also
04:34what you have championed as your philosophy in relation to food, isn't it?
04:39The whole way through your career.
04:40When I eventually got to France and spent time in regional restaurants and saw that whole ethos alive and well,
04:47I thought, I'm going to do this in Australia.
04:50But it couldn't work out why no one else was doing it, why it wasn't happening, why there wasn't destination
04:57dining in the regions.
04:59And there we were, you know, starting something at Lakehouse in a village that no one ever knew of, and
05:05it was crazy.
05:06Well, I think on behalf of Australia, I can say thank goodness you had that thought.
05:11It's very sweet of you.
05:12Very sweet of you.
05:13But there are so many people doing this now, and it's just, you know, it warms my heart.
05:19Dairy Flat Farm is also home to a European-style lodge where up to 12 guests can stay.
05:26So this is quite mind-blowing.
05:29Obviously, we have just seen a very productive working farm.
05:32Yep.
05:32But it would not be a project that you're involved in unless there was, I guess, an element of luxury
05:37involved.
05:37And that is the perfect word for this lodge.
05:40This is amazing.
05:41It's got a feel of sense of place.
05:44I mean, you look out everywhere, you know, the beautiful gardens and the vineyard and everything.
05:48So you have a sense of place anyway.
05:49And then Larissa, my daughter, is responsible for all the interiors.
05:56My husband's paintings are on the wall, so it's very much a family feeling to this place.
06:01You know, everything I touch has got some memory.
06:04The great thing for me is that people are coming here wanting to be immersed.
06:08Yeah.
06:08Right from in the morning when they're first turning over the fields or planting or harvesting,
06:13they can smell the bread baking, the pastries being made.
06:16They can meet the people involved, meet the people in the vineyard, go for a stroll, see the animals.
06:21And I think that's probably the foundation of this place.
06:25Oh, it's music to my heart.
06:26No, I know it is.
06:33Ella, there's something about the smell when you walk into a bakehouse.
06:37It's magic, isn't it?
06:38Always.
06:39You know, it's a bit of a dream.
06:40You come in in the morning, you haven't had your coffee, and there's fresh bread baking.
06:43It's very special.
06:44How much are you actually producing in here?
06:47Well, we produce enough for Lake House every day.
06:50The cafe every day, and for the local community.
06:54And then you actually ferment them really slightly, don't you?
06:5736 hours.
06:5836 hours.
06:59It's a 36-hour fermentation from beginning to the end.
07:01So it's sort of three days before you actually get a loaf.
07:05And that's to create proper sourdough that doesn't have any yeast added to it,
07:10doesn't have any other artificial ingredients added to it.
07:14We only have basically three ingredients.
07:16You know, flour, water, maybe a bit of salt.
07:18Yep.
07:19Well, it has been so much fun actually having a look around the farm.
07:22And I know we've got to take some projects up because we've still got the Lake House
07:25to explore coming up a little bit later in the show.
07:27Yes.
07:32Next week on Better Homes and Gardens, I'm taking you on a cruise around New Zealand
07:37on the adult-centric Norwegian Spirit.
07:40Thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line, you could also be sailing on a cruise aboard the sophisticated
07:46Norwegian Spirit to the South Pacific.
07:49Now, for details on how to enter this incredible escape, make sure you're watching Better Homes
07:54and Gardens next week.
07:57This week, I'm doing everyone's classic fish fingers, but obviously with a little fastenage
08:02twist with two saucers.
08:06Everyone wants a meadow-style garden.
08:09I'll show you how to achieve it at your place.
08:14So much better.
08:27You know, there's something captivating about a meadow-style landscape.
08:32Maybe it's the way that nature intended or possibly it's the random style of it all.
08:38And of course, it could be created by a mixture of grasses, ornamental plants, a collection maybe
08:44of meadow flowers, bold floral displays or stunning natives.
08:49But it doesn't matter what style of meadow garden that you'd like to create.
08:53It's a lot easier than what you might think.
09:04The word meadow might have you immediately thinking of those rolling hills.
09:10But, you know, a meadow garden is all about the individual flowers and plants that you grow.
09:15And it can be achieved just about anywhere.
09:17Now, take this little patch here in amongst the hydrangeas.
09:20Now, it's only small, but it'll work an absolute treat once we get going.
09:24First up, we need to tidy all this up, get in some use-all, dig it over and get planting.
09:31Here we go again, small talk about our friends.
09:34How Kiara made a man and it didn't have a happy ending.
09:38So what's your story?
09:40Make it up if it's kind of boring.
09:42Won't remember a thing that you told me.
09:47Now, autumn is the time to be planting all your bulbs.
09:50It's also time to be sowing your flower seeds for a great display in spring.
09:56But what are you going to plant into your meadow?
09:58Well, don't worry, because the choice has been made for you by Mr. Fothergools.
10:03And they've got these really amazing seed shaker direct sowing boxes.
10:08They're combos of plants.
10:09For example, there's a bee-friendly, which I love, a butterfly-friendly combo.
10:14Now, if you're into cut flowers, that's the box to choose.
10:17A scented flower garden.
10:19And then an edible flower garden, which I really like.
10:22And a cottage garden mix, which I think a lot of people might be going for.
10:25But the choice is yours.
10:27I'm going for the bee-friendly mix.
10:29I just love having bees in the garden.
10:36And the advantage of direct sowing is you end up with a much better plant,
10:40say, compared to sowing your seeds into a seedling tray.
10:44The plant germinates in the ground where it's going to grow.
10:47It gets a much stronger root system right up front.
10:50You end up with a stronger plant, a quicker growing plant,
10:53and you end up with a quicker flowering plant.
10:56And then just simply rake it in.
10:59Now, don't rake it all up because you'll end up with all the seeds piled up on top of each
11:03other.
11:03So just lightly loosen that soil and it'll create little channels and the seed will go into it.
11:11Then you need to water it.
11:12And you need to water it really thoroughly at this stage and just give it a really good drink.
11:17You might be watering at least once a week.
11:20Or if it's really dry, maybe twice or three times a week.
11:25But you must keep them nice and moist.
11:27You'll find that some of the seeds will germinate in about three or four weeks.
11:31Most of them will be all up in five, maybe six weeks.
11:34And then you'll really start to get a lot of growth in that second month.
11:42Now, another great way to actually get your seed to germinate easily and quickly and increase its survival
11:49is the seed mat or the seed tape.
11:52Now, the seed mats, they can go into a pot.
11:55If you've got a little trough or a couple of pots, you can just pop those in.
11:58I'm going for the seed tape and some radish.
12:00And the reason for that is I want the youngsters to get involved.
12:03The seed's impregnated inside this little paper tape.
12:07So all the spacing is done for you.
12:10All you've got to do is lay the tape out and then cover it with a bit of soil.
12:14And you just cut it off at the length that you want.
12:17Now, the advantage with radish, it germinates in about a week.
12:21You'll start to see the plants and the little radish forming in two or three weeks.
12:25And you'll be harvesting within a month.
12:27And kids can actually see that quick turnover,
12:30where some seeds take a while to actually get to the harvest point.
12:33But then you get the moisture into it, and I'll be up in a matter of moments.
12:49Now, of course, you might like to grow your seeds the traditional way,
12:54maybe just in a simple egg carton.
12:57Or you could go for these silicone pots.
13:00They're flexible, long-lasting.
13:01In fact, they're reusable.
13:03The seedling grows here, and then you just give it a little gentle squeeze,
13:06and the seeding in the whole root system comes out,
13:08and then you can plant that straight into the garden.
13:10But, of course, there are a couple of other little tips you might like to try.
13:13When you're sowing out carrot seed, for example,
13:17it's very easy to double up,
13:19and then you've got to thin the carrot seeds out later.
13:22If you put them into some sand,
13:24give the seed and the sand a bit of a shake,
13:26and then just sprinkle the sand out,
13:29spreads the seeds out naturally and organically.
13:32And, of course, a lot of seeds like beetroot take a while to germinate.
13:37Parsnips are the same.
13:38They're a large seed, but soak them overnight,
13:41or even for a couple of days,
13:44in some seaweed solution in the water,
13:46and they'll germinate much more easily
13:48because they've already absorbed some of that moisture
13:51and some of the seaweed solution.
13:53Now, I'm actually going to plant into these little fallows
13:56because it's sweet pea planting time.
13:59Put them onto your palm of your hand so you don't lose them.
14:07And just pop them into the seed-raising mech,
14:10and you can keep them in the house on a nice sunny windowsill.
14:14Keep them moist,
14:15and you can see the germination happening very quickly.
14:17And, honestly, when they get to this sort of stage,
14:20then you can start to plant them out
14:21because the roots will be coming through the side of the pot.
14:24But it all starts in autumn,
14:25and you'll be reaping that harvest in springtime.
14:29But, of course, in the meantime,
14:31while you're waiting for these seeds to germinate,
14:33look at the beautiful potted colours that you can have.
14:36That'll bring cheers straight into your garden right away.
14:39See, nature's got you covered at every angle.
14:43OK, so we all know how to get centre of a square
14:46from going corner to corner,
14:47but how do we get centre of a circle?
14:50Well, basically, we draw a square around it.
14:52So I'll simply put my square up against this round pipe.
15:00Bring the circle back in.
15:02Clip my square over.
15:05Repeat that.
15:07Then I can simply go from corner to corner.
15:16Sit my pipe back in the square.
15:18Make sure it touches on all sides.
15:20Transfer those marks.
15:29Simply clip it over.
15:32Join the dots.
15:39And that is the centre of our circle,
15:42and you can use this same technique on anything that is round.
15:47Fish from the ocean, under the harbour bridge.
15:51What a recipe.
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16:32All right, look at this setting.
16:34We've got the beautiful Sydney Harbour Bridge.
16:36We're on the harbour.
16:38There's people fishing.
16:39What best to cook
16:40than fish,
16:42crumbed,
16:43fried,
16:44mushy peas,
16:45and tartar sauce.
16:46Basically,
16:47fish and chips.
16:54So number one,
16:55start with the beautiful fresh fish.
16:57So we're using a bit of ling.
17:02Roughly all the same thickness.
17:06Number two
17:08is
17:09some flour.
17:13Into the flour,
17:14a little bit of seasoning.
17:21stage two
17:22is your egg wash
17:23and your milk.
17:24So that's what's going to stick
17:25the crumbs to the fish.
17:28So I'll have three eggs.
17:37A little splash of milk
17:39just to moisten it.
17:40Not too much.
17:48Stage three.
17:50The crumbs.
17:51The texture.
17:54A little bit of salt and pepper
17:56into the crumbs.
18:01A bit of lemon zest.
18:06I like to put
18:07a little handful of crumbs
18:08into the bowl
18:09and it stops it getting moist
18:11on the bottom.
18:12Get your fish into the flour.
18:14Coat it.
18:15So what you do is
18:19my wet hand
18:21goes into the egg wash.
18:25Then you get your wet hand
18:26and you fish
18:27into your crumbs.
18:31Dry hand.
18:33Crumbs.
18:43All right.
18:44Crumbed all the fish.
18:45Going to get that
18:46in the fridge now
18:46and I'm going to get on
18:47to the accompaniments.
18:57Bit of wind picking up.
19:00What goes with fish?
19:01Mushy peas
19:02or crushed peas
19:04or peas and mint.
19:05So my version
19:06it's a lot like
19:06a pea soup
19:07but not as light.
19:08It adds a vibrancy
19:10and a freshness
19:10to the dish.
19:11So we've got our onion
19:12and garlic
19:14as a base.
19:16So you're just
19:17roughly chopping
19:17your onions
19:18and your garlic
19:19because we're going
19:20to blend it.
19:29All right.
19:30I'm going to add
19:30some butter
19:31because you want
19:31a little bit
19:32of richness
19:32in there
19:33with the peas.
19:41Next we're going
19:42to add
19:42some chicken stock.
19:48To this
19:48I'm going to add
19:49my peas.
19:58So what I'm going
19:59to do is
19:59I'm going to blend
20:00these peas
20:01in a blender
20:03and what I like
20:04to do is
20:04get a little bit
20:05chef-y
20:06because I like
20:06the greenness
20:07and sometimes
20:07when you cook
20:08the peas
20:08they can go
20:09a little bit brown.
20:10So you're going
20:11to add
20:11some spinach leaves
20:12to the blender.
20:17as you can see
20:18the peas
20:18have come
20:19to the simmer
20:19it's seasoned
20:20once they're hot
20:22we're going
20:22to blend them
20:23because you want
20:23a little bit
20:24of texture
20:24in the pea
20:24there as well.
20:43there's something
20:44about a green
20:45vegetable
20:45look at that
20:50so what I like
20:51to do now is
20:52that's the base
20:53of the puree
20:54I like to add
20:56some of the
20:57whole peas
20:57just for a little
20:58bit of texture
21:00they'll melt
21:01inside the hot
21:01liquid
21:06I'm going to
21:06chop in some
21:07fresh mint
21:07at the end
21:12that goes in
21:16give that a mix
21:18look at the
21:18colour of that
21:29lemon zest
21:30lemon zest
21:38so I've got my
21:38pot of oil on
21:40make sure it's not
21:41overfilled
21:41and when you add
21:42your fish
21:42it's obviously
21:43going to bubble up
21:43so just test it
21:44with a little bit
21:45of bread
21:45so you get that
21:46little bit of sizzle
21:46and you know
21:47it's not too hot
21:49alright so our
21:50bread is just
21:51starting to fizzle
21:52there
21:52I reckon it's
21:53about 160 degrees
21:54if you're marking
21:55it at home
21:55you want to bring
21:56it to 180
21:57so basically
21:58when we put the
21:59fish in
21:59we don't overcook
22:00the breadcrumbs
22:01on the outside
22:02they go black
22:02and the fish is
22:03right
22:03you want a nice
22:04gentle cook
22:05so it all cooks
22:06together
22:30second batch is in
22:31timer starts now
22:33let's make a
22:34tartar sauce
22:35mayonnaise classic
22:40cornichons
22:45about the same
22:46amount of capers
22:49and now a bit
22:50of freshness
22:51Italian parsley
22:55a little bit
22:56of lemon zest
22:58bit of juice
23:00you want it to be
23:01really punchy
23:02to cut through
23:02the fried food
23:09the stunningly
23:10green
23:11pea puree
23:14look at that
23:18build our fish
23:21alright
23:22a little bit of zest
23:30and where I come
23:31from you finish it
23:32with a little zest
23:33of malt vinegar
23:35you can put it in the
23:35pea puree if you want
23:36but I like it
23:37directly over everything
23:44gotta try it
23:47so a bit of the tartar
23:49bit of the pea
23:59crunchy fish
24:00creamy tartar
24:01sweet pea puree
24:03about the perfect dish
24:05for the best harbour
24:06in the world
24:08cheers
24:19coastal gardens are becoming
24:20increasingly popular
24:22and this one
24:23is a great example
24:25the planting is fantastic
24:27and it's really low
24:28maintenance as well
24:29but there's no such
24:30thing as a no
24:31maintenance garden
24:32so I'm going to share
24:32with you a few tips
24:33on getting your garden
24:34looking this good
24:37this garden has a lot
24:38of plants that give you
24:39architectural structure
24:41in the form of
24:41cacti and succulents
24:42and to balance that off
24:43there's lovely rounded
24:45shapes from the
24:45Wastringia fruticosa
24:47now you do need to
24:48trim this up
24:48to get this shape
24:49and for that
24:50you're going to need
24:50some shears
24:53whenever you're
24:54trimming anything
24:54with a small leaf
24:55like Buxus
24:56or Wastringia
24:56it's a good idea
24:57to have a bucket
24:57of water
24:58so you can keep
24:59your blades
24:59nice and wet
25:00and the reason
25:00you do that
25:00is it stops
25:01the foliage
25:02from tearing
25:03when you trim it
25:05how much you take
25:06off is really
25:06up to you
25:07but the more
25:07you trim it
25:08the denser
25:08and the busher
25:09it will get
25:10something like this
25:11it only needs
25:12a light clip
25:19whenever you're
25:20using hand shears
25:21it's a good idea
25:23to face them
25:24the right way
25:24so if you're
25:25doing a flat hedge
25:26you want the flat side
25:27but if you're doing
25:27curves like this
25:28you turn them over
25:28and use the curve
25:30of the hedge
25:31on the plant
25:32once you're finished
25:32as well
25:33you do need to
25:33give it a really
25:34good shake
25:34so everything
25:35falls to the ground
25:36and doesn't dry off
25:37and look dead
25:38in your plant
25:46having plants
25:47around stepping stones
25:48like this
25:49zoysia 10 year folate
25:50is really lovely
25:51and I like the way
25:52it creeps over
25:53but you do need
25:54to trim it back
25:54otherwise it's just
25:55going to take over
25:56I don't like it
25:57when people cut
25:58around the steppers
25:59and give you a hard edge
26:00because it just
26:00doesn't feel organic anymore
26:02so you need to be careful
26:03when you're pruning
26:03what I like to do
26:04is pull the top edge
26:06back away from
26:07the stepper
26:08and then get underneath
26:09to prune it
26:11and that way
26:12once this stuff
26:13has been removed
26:14you can push the top
26:15back over
26:16and it maintains
26:17that soft look
26:24the layering in this garden
26:26is really lovely
26:27when it comes to the planting
26:29but they do have
26:30some very brittle plants
26:32next to the path
26:32so it's important
26:33to prune that back
26:34but you don't want
26:35straight lines
26:35so you need to be careful
26:36the way you do it
26:37when it comes to something
26:38like this
26:38Kalanchoe silver spoons
26:40you want to use your secateurs
26:41and find a point
26:43like this one
26:44where the plant
26:45is going to continue
26:46to grow
26:46but maintain that nice shape
26:48gives you a cutting
26:49to keep for later
26:50just go through
26:51each and every branch
26:53cutting back
26:54what you want
26:55step back
26:55have a look
26:56make sure you don't
26:57take off too much
26:58remembering that
26:58where you cut
26:59is going to shoot again
27:00so it will bush out
27:01when it comes to things
27:02like this Senecio serpens
27:03you just want to
27:04get underneath it
27:05like you did
27:05with the zoysia
27:07and just prune off
27:08any bits like that
27:08keeping them
27:10because I'm going to show you
27:11how to pot them out
27:18with all your cuttings
27:19it makes sense
27:19to pot them up
27:20that way
27:21you can grow them on a bit
27:21and fill in any gaps
27:23in the garden
27:23and these plants
27:24really couldn't be easier
27:25what you want to do
27:26is take off
27:27the majority of the leaves
27:28just snip them off
27:29like this
27:30until you have
27:32a rather sad looking
27:34stem like that
27:35you want to do that
27:36with all of them
27:37and then you've got to
27:38leave them alone
27:38for a couple of weeks
27:39that way all these scars
27:41that were forming
27:42on the plant
27:43they're going to harden off
27:44and you're not going to
27:45get this plant
27:46rotting too much
27:47when it goes into
27:48potting mix
27:48with the Senecio
27:49it's very similar
27:50you just want to
27:51take off these lower leaves
27:53because that's the bit
27:54that's going to stick
27:54into the potting mix
27:55and by removing the leaves
27:57you activate the bud
27:58which will then push
27:59out some more roots
28:00so you want to get
28:01all of those done
28:02and like the kalanchoe
28:04leave it in a shady spot
28:05for a couple of weeks
28:06and then you can start
28:06potting them up
28:12fast forward two weeks
28:13all your plants
28:14have calloused over
28:15and it's time to pot them up
28:16now you need to get yourself
28:17a dibble stick
28:18which is a fantastic name
28:19for basically just a stick
28:20I've got an old bamboo cane here
28:21and I'm making holes
28:23in the side of the pot
28:24that I will place
28:25my cuttings into
28:26the reason you do it
28:28on the side of the pot
28:28is because that is going
28:29to heat up quicker
28:31and you're going to get
28:32better root growth
28:33you want to do that
28:34with all your plants
28:34exactly the same process
28:36a little bit of a hole
28:37work all the way
28:38around the outside
28:38once that's full up
28:39you can put a couple
28:40in the middle
28:40but you will notice
28:41the ones on the outside
28:42will root much quicker
28:43if you just give them
28:44a bit of a tug
28:45you'll know when they
28:46start to root
28:46because you'll feel resistance
28:47you can dig up a clump
28:49and go stick it in the garden
28:50and you've got plants for free
29:01with them set up
29:02I'm going to put them
29:03into a shady area
29:04you're not going to need
29:05to water them
29:06and in around
29:06four weeks time
29:07it should be good
29:08to get out into the garden
29:11coming up
29:12it stood for more
29:13than four decades
29:14of flavour
29:15and I'm going back
29:17to where Ella's journey
29:18all started
29:19we have come
29:20to her iconic lake house
29:21to see what magic
29:23her chefs create
29:24plus weave your way
29:26to a better night's sleep
29:27absolutely love it
29:29stuck in a gardening rut
29:31well this issue
29:32of Better Homes
29:32and Gardens magazine
29:33is all about exploration
29:35with lots of new things
29:36to try
29:37some plants
29:38are stranger than fiction
29:39take a look
29:40at some weird
29:40and wacky ones
29:41you'll have to see
29:42to believe
29:43are you wanting
29:44to move beyond
29:45the gardening basics
29:46find out how to
29:47take your skills
29:48to the next level
29:49and spice things up
29:50by growing colourful
29:51chillies with me
29:52then cook up
29:53tasty favourites
29:54from your harvest
29:55grab this month's magazine
29:57for a whole world
29:58of gardening inspiration
29:59and don't forget
30:00your chance
30:01to win a million dollars
30:05so much better
30:14I have had the most
30:16exquisite morning
30:17with the legendary
30:18Ella Wolfe Tasker
30:19at Dairy Flat Farm
30:21harvesting the most
30:22beautiful fresh produce
30:24now we have come
30:25to her iconic lake house
30:27to see what magic
30:28her chefs create
30:29let's do it together
30:32till here comes the time
30:34oh I love that
30:36for all of you
30:37I can be anyone
30:41hello again
30:42Ella
30:43hey Jo
30:44the famous lake house
30:45I finally see it
30:46hey
30:46yes
30:47it's about time
30:48I think
30:48oh it is
30:49I'm just
30:50as I walked in
30:50I've popped
30:51like some of the awards
30:52that you've got
30:52which are the ones
30:53that mean the most
30:53to you
30:54the most special thing
30:55I think is that
30:56we're still
30:57winning them
30:58and we're on
31:00all the lists that matter
31:01but really
31:01that's about the team
31:03you know
31:03they deserve the accolades
31:04they really really
31:05deserve the accolades
31:06I'm just so enormously
31:08proud about
31:09them in this place
31:10well speaking of the team
31:11I'd love to go
31:12into the kitchen
31:13and see what they do
31:13with some of that
31:14incredible produce
31:15well we'll show you
31:16we'll show you
31:16a couple of dishes
31:17excellent
31:18great
31:18beautiful
31:18great
31:27it's quite exciting
31:28being in the kitchen
31:29do you ever
31:30imagine you want
31:30to get back hair
31:31on the pans yourself
31:32well why should I
31:33I mean look at me
31:34I'm much too old
31:35but also we've got
31:36stars like Annabelle Greig
31:37who's my head chef here
31:38fantastic
31:39great to meet you
31:40Annabelle
31:42great busy
31:43bustling kitchen
31:43of people who
31:45really enjoy
31:45and love
31:47what they're doing
31:47so tell me about
31:48this dish
31:49so we start
31:50with some
31:50violet mustard
31:51on the bottom
31:52of the plate
31:54and then we've
31:55made a soil
31:56of beetroot
31:58so it's beetroot
31:59juice
31:59almond
32:00salt
32:01so it's kind of
32:02resembled the soil
32:02that the beetroots
32:03have come out of
32:04yeah okay
32:04and then we're going
32:05to be putting on top
32:06of this some beetroots
32:07from the farm
32:07the colour in those
32:08varieties is something
32:09else
32:09you have got my mouth
32:11watering
32:11I know we're going
32:11to get to taste it
32:12later but I'm going
32:13to seal her away
32:13for a quick tap down
32:14by the lake
32:15awesome watching you
32:16in action
32:26so Ella we're
32:27sitting here
32:28at the beautiful
32:29lake house
32:30and I cannot get
32:31over the vision
32:32that's behind us
32:33that the size
32:34of the lakes
32:35the growth
32:36in the gardens
32:37and all the rest
32:38of it
32:38it didn't always
32:39look like this
32:40though did it
32:41it was a denuded
32:42terrible paddock
32:43covered with gauze
32:44and blackberry
32:45and it had no topsoil
32:46all the topsoil
32:47that eroded
32:47but it was cheap
32:48this was all swampland
32:50so you couldn't even
32:51get round this part
32:52of the lake
32:53what was the appeal
32:54with it
32:54because that sounds
32:56like quite horrific
32:56to be honest
32:57well you know
32:57what the appeal was
32:58the appeal was
32:59it was cheap
32:59you know
33:00no one had ever
33:01heard of Daylesford
33:02and so
33:03I saw a swamp
33:05and I thought
33:05lakefront potential
33:07you know
33:07my mother wandered
33:09around
33:10praying to the saints
33:11what has she done
33:13what has my daughter
33:14done
33:14so when you talk
33:16about all of that
33:16hard work that was
33:17done in the early days
33:19and how hands on
33:20it was
33:20really it was just
33:21you
33:22your late mum
33:23and your late
33:24gorgeous husband
33:25Alan wasn't it
33:25mum was a hard
33:27hard yakka
33:28sort of woman
33:28and Alan
33:29was single handedly
33:31building the first
33:32building
33:32which was the
33:33little 45-seater
33:34restaurant
33:34and I'd strap
33:35the nail bag
33:36on occasionally
33:36too
33:37he could
33:38see things
33:39three-dimensionally
33:40much more
33:40than I could
33:41you know
33:41I just said
33:42hurry up
33:45but you were
33:46still both
33:46working at your
33:47real jobs
33:47in Melbourne
33:47as well
33:48sure
33:48I was running
33:49a cooking school
33:50and catering
33:50business
33:51and he was
33:51teaching
33:52he really
33:53wanted to
33:53paint
33:54so he was
33:55either
33:56teaching
33:56or building
33:57you know
33:57that was
33:58the some
33:59content
33:59of our
34:00early marriage
34:00we opened
34:02with a
34:03fixed menu
34:04of I think
34:04it was
34:04$29 a head
34:06and the juice
34:07orange
34:07fresh orange juice
34:08was 60 cents
34:09I've still got
34:10the menus
34:10all handwritten
34:11you know
34:12crazy
34:12and I had
34:13thought that
34:14there would be
34:14all of these
34:15local suppliers
34:16around here
34:16you know
34:17local producers
34:18we only had
34:19those great
34:19big monocultural
34:20farms
34:20we now have
34:21small growers
34:22you know
34:22we've got some
34:23really good
34:23producers
34:24we've got some
34:24fine chefs
34:25and cooks
34:26and bakers
34:27so when you
34:28think about
34:28that
34:28and you
34:29look around
34:30at the
34:30lake house
34:31now
34:31and you've
34:31got the
34:32hotel
34:32and you've
34:33got the
34:33spa
34:33and it's
34:34just this
34:35incredible
34:35place
34:36and then you
34:36go down
34:37the main
34:37streets of
34:38Dalesford
34:38and they're
34:39just jam-packed
34:40and buzzing
34:41do you have a
34:42sense of pride
34:42for the role
34:43that you played
34:44in that
34:44I'm very proud
34:45of Dalesford
34:46there's an
34:47awful lot of
34:47people that have
34:48contributed to
34:49its growth
34:50the thing that
34:50happens here
34:51is the people
34:52who run
34:52businesses here
34:53live here
34:54they love it
34:55and they want
34:55to contribute to
34:56and I think
34:56that makes
34:57a big difference
34:57which means
34:58that we really
34:59need to look
34:59after the place
35:00too
35:00to hear you
35:01talk with
35:02such passion
35:03such pride
35:04and just
35:05such knowledge
35:06of what you've
35:07done
35:07it is extraordinary
35:08and I've loved
35:10every bit about
35:10today so far
35:11but I also have
35:12to say I'm
35:12just a little
35:13bit excited
35:13to taste
35:14what your team
35:15have prepared
35:15for us in the
35:16kitchen which is
35:16coming up
35:17not too far away
35:18well you know
35:19my favourite
35:19thing is feeding
35:20people
35:20so I feel
35:21very comfortable
35:22about that
35:23you're a fellow
35:24a kindred spirit
35:25love it
35:25and my favourite
35:26thing is eating
35:26so we are a
35:27match made in
35:28heaven
35:30add a heap
35:31of personality
35:32to your space
35:33without putting
35:33a single hole
35:34in the wall
35:36if you're after
35:37international
35:38inspiration or
35:39you just want
35:39to try something
35:40new
35:40this month's
35:41Better Homes
35:42and Gardens
35:42magazine is
35:43all about
35:44exploration
35:45how would you
35:46explore if you
35:47won a million
35:47dollars
35:48discover how
35:49you can win
35:50within the issue
35:51then test your
35:52taste buds by
35:53cooking up spicy
35:54favourites with
35:54chilli
35:55including a chilli
35:56jam that you'll
35:57want to put on
35:58absolutely everything
35:59and Matt Moran
36:00makes a slow
36:01cooked lamb tagine
36:02and a one pan
36:04Tuscan roast
36:05chicken
36:05so grab your
36:06issue of
36:07Better Homes
36:07and Gardens
36:08magazine right
36:08now for a
36:09whole world of
36:10cooking to
36:10explore
36:26last week I
36:27helped Alana
36:28create a bold
36:29padded bedhead
36:30to update one
36:31of the bedrooms
36:31in her rental
36:32without putting
36:33nails in the
36:34wall
36:34well you asked
36:36for a pop of
36:36colour so I
36:37thought I'd give
36:38you exactly that
36:39on this bare
36:39white wall
36:42for the second
36:43bedhead I'm
36:44going for a
36:44more pared
36:45back Scandi
36:45look and
36:46nothing says
36:46Scandi more
36:47than raw
36:48timber so I'm
36:49using some
36:50dowel and
36:51square pine
36:51I've had them
36:52cut to size
36:53I've pre-drilled
36:55some holes and
36:56now I'm just
36:56going to attach
36:57the dowel
36:58between the two
36:59pieces that will
37:00form the top
37:00and the base
37:22now I'm just
37:23going to fill
37:23the holes
37:24give everything
37:24a light sand
37:25and then wax
37:26it
37:53with the
37:54leather frame
37:54now complete
37:55I'm going to
37:56cut some
37:56fabric strips
37:57to weave
37:58through the
37:59slats
37:59I'm using
37:59upholstery grade
38:00fabric
38:01I've measured
38:01it out
38:02I'm just going
38:02to cut it
38:03and then
38:03with those
38:04strips I'm
38:04going to apply
38:05some hemming
38:05tape along
38:06the edges
38:06to hem
38:07it
38:09my fabric
38:10strips are
38:10125 millimetres
38:12wide and I've
38:12worked out I'll
38:13need seven of
38:14them to fit
38:14my frame
38:38some upholstery
38:39fabrics can be
38:40quite thick
38:41so it's a good
38:41idea to test
38:42the hemming
38:43tape on
38:43whatever fabric
38:44you're using
38:45just to make
38:45sure that it's
38:46going to stick
38:58now I'm going to
38:59start the weaving
38:59process and I'm
39:01placing the first
39:02one about half a
39:03centimetre from
39:04the top rail
39:04I'm going to
39:05start with it
39:06underneath and
39:08then go up
39:09and over
39:12and then under
39:13the next one
39:13and repeat
39:14until I get
39:14to the end
39:17I'm going to
39:17weave all my
39:18fabric strips
39:19onto the board
39:20before I start
39:20securing them
39:21so I can make
39:22sure they're
39:22evenly spaced
39:40I'm using a staple
39:41gun just to hold
39:42the fabric in
39:43place you want
39:44to pull the
39:44fabric fairly
39:45taut and then
39:48just staple it
39:49if you don't have
39:49one of these you
39:50could also use a
39:51couple of small
39:52nails we'll do the
39:53same job
40:19and that is it
40:21let's have a look
40:21on the front
40:22side
40:24absolutely love
40:25it now I just
40:26need to add some
40:27legs and then I
40:27can place it in
40:28the room
40:30my legs are 630
40:31millimetres tall
40:32but you'll need to
40:33measure the height
40:33of your bed to
40:34make sure your
40:35bed head sits at
40:36the right height
40:36and July hit my face
40:39like a straight ride
40:40walking slow to your
40:42place in a straight
40:43line
40:44oh the light and
40:46the rain and now
40:47you're driving
40:49watch the brain drop
40:50shadow race
40:51oh my gosh it looks
40:53amazing oh my goodness
40:55thank you oh you're
40:57welcome I'm so glad
40:58you like it we've
40:59gone for a modern
41:00Scandi look but I
41:01kept similar tones to
41:02what you had in here
41:03before we've just
41:04introduced some
41:05beautiful textiles and
41:06these lovely textures
41:07oh my gosh you've done
41:09such an amazing job
41:10honestly it's it feels
41:13so fresh it feels like a
41:15place I can just
41:16unwind this feels like
41:18the vibe of the house
41:20it does because I
41:20noticed you did have a
41:21lot of timbers in this
41:22same tone in the
41:24living space so now it's
41:25sort of unifies and it
41:26perfectly matches I can't
41:27believe that oh my
41:28goodness thank you I
41:30love it
41:51well Ella this is just
41:53the perfect setting here
41:54in the lake house we've
41:55got you beautiful
41:57husband's artworks on
41:58the walls and I feel
41:59like we're looking at
41:59artworks equal to that
42:01on these plates can you
42:02run me through some of
42:03them so starting with
42:05the bread so this comes
42:06out warm from the oven
42:07it's made from spelt
42:08wheat people love this
42:09bread people who tell me
42:11no no no I'm gluten
42:12for a kind of they eat
42:13this bread it's a very
42:14ancient grain I've got a
42:16pork dish in front of me
42:17and a lamb dish in front
42:18of you and then the
42:20beetroot well the beetroot
42:22is one of our totally
42:23vegetarian dishes
42:24this is so exceptional
42:27today has been
42:27exceptional when I think
42:28about the whole day like
42:29you know we hear and
42:31you hear words like
42:32icon and legend being
42:33thrown around but I've
42:35been thinking it's not
42:36worthy of you you're
42:37like the lady of the
42:38lake you're like the
42:39queen of the coif you're
42:40like the I don't know
42:41the doyen of dining and
42:43it still doesn't actually
42:44express the impact that
42:46you have had on the food
42:47scene it's been such a
42:48joy getting to know you
42:50and hearing your story
42:51from you today
42:52Jo I'm really grateful
42:54but it's it's not just
42:55me if I do have to
42:56pinch myself when I sit
42:58here and look at what's
43:00coming from the farm and
43:01look at the craft of the
43:02kitchen and I want to
43:04applaud all of them it's
43:05not just me well I am now
43:07going to add that you are
43:07the heroine of humbleness
43:13cheers to you you too what a
43:15day you can't talk about me
43:17like that because I've
43:18wanted just well if today
43:22wasn't exciting enough I've
43:23got some more fabulous news
43:24to share with you because
43:25during the AFL season not
43:27only are we joining you
43:28every Friday night but we
43:29have a whole new hour of
43:31Better Homes and Gardens on
43:32a Saturday night as well so
43:33I'll see you tomorrow
43:37next time Dr. Harry's
43:39catching up with some
43:41living legends a walking
43:42dinosaur with a shell this
43:46cracker of a dish comes with
43:48its own view my Thai beef
43:50salad will transport you to
43:52a tropical beach in Thailand
43:55give messy meal prep the
43:57job this is practical but
43:59also I have to say be a
44:01work of art in any kitchen
44:02plus could this be your
44:05lucky break I'll show you
44:07how to create a little
44:07cactus garden out of a
44:09broken pot it's super
44:10simple and looks amazing
44:13tell your unwanted guests
44:14to buzz off they'll be
44:16gorgeous on the table and
44:17the mozzies are gonna hate
44:18them and when you're stuck
44:20between a rock and a hard
44:22place it's okay to go a
44:24little potty we're gonna
44:25create a lovely container
44:26oasis so we can sit down
44:28relax and watch the world
44:30go by that's next time on
44:32better homes and gardens
44:33better homes and gardens
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