Since you kindly, just keep coming back for more. I am developing new dishes to delight you. Classes will now offer distinct recipes, for you to grow your wholefood repertoire with each new class you attend. As ever classes feature recipes to suit the needs of omnivores, vegetarians, vegans and the gluten free. The Sourdough baking workshops are not for the gluten free.

I frequently say that ‘what grows together, goes together’ and I hold this as a valuable place to begin when creating a dish or a meal. Some foods are marriages for one another, such as the basil and tomatoes with crisp sea salt, mushrooms, leeks and thyme with a little tamari, tempeh and coconut with limes, turmeric and fish sauce, or dare I say sourdough bread and freshly churned raw butter – I dare. But never would I say, olives go with coconuts and lime leaves or tempeh loves olive oil, these are not culturally related ingredients and when I am in the kitchen they simply don’t belong in the same pot.

The ingredients to choose are one thing and then there are the food groups and how to use these to your advantage and for optimum digestion. I am not one for complicated regimes or dieting as such. The This  Goes With That class provides simple recipes and an easy to follow food combining chart that you could use in several ways. Feel lighter and more ‘alive’, look vibrant, lose a few kilos, increase your appreciation of the food you eat and find new inspiration in the kitchen and at your table.

At A healthy View in Balmoral On February 10th. I will teach you a range of quick and easy recipes and Michele Chevally Hedge will provide a wealth of nutritional advice to assist you to cleanse, while you continue to eat delicious satisfying meals. Our aim is that you will leave refreshed and ready to put things together a new.

A few places remain, we love teaching to a full house, so please come or help us spread the word.

More classes and booking details here

I have beautiful gift card vouchers, for anyone wishing to make a gift of classes.

First up I am teaching ‘This goes with that’ on February 10th at A Healthy View in Balmoral. This is a timely class after all that holiday feasting! Learn the what why and how of food combining, to lighten digestion and maybe, if you are so inclined,  shed a little excess weight. The food will be, as ever, delicious and nutritious with the focus on each individuals particular needs; we keep the number to 12 to ensure this is possible. All the classes I teach at Michele’s include her invaluable nutritional advice and they are also a good deal of fun. Justine is seen here tweeting the benefits, thank you Justine, I really must get tweeting myself… 

Bookings are rolling in, to join us be quick and email Michele Chevally Hedge, who also offers snappy Cooking Class Gift Vouchers; for the ones you love.

Testimonials from past participants of our classes:
“Thank you Michele for having such a great day yesterday with Holly Davis cooking us A Winter Dinner Party Meal that we can easily now do in our own homes… delicious. Holly is wonderful and you are so educational … your nutritional tidbits just add the bonus that one normally doesn’t get on a cooking class. You two are quite the team and it shows” Naturopath  from Body & Soul magazine

WOW… Justine Scholfield, former Master Chef star and Lisa Guy from the most sought after health publication in Australia; two food writers and us guests… a really fun and inspiring day.” Wendy Smith, nurse, wife and mum – Mosman NSW

Start the year with a class in Balmoral, Bondi, Bilgola or Brisbane. By the by the garlic was grown in Bowral, isn’t it beautiful!

My blog is being transformed into a more informative and user friendly place to visit.

The upgrade is underway, there will be calendars and booking forms for those who like to pay online, for the rest I will be available by email and the phone. Other dates and details of classes in Rozelle, Melbourne and Perth, coming soon. Once done the blog will be the blog and I can continue to wax lyrical about all things foody. I hope to see you around my table this year; to make and break bread together.

Our Sourdough christmas cake is still on offer, with tea of course, to welcome in this new year. May yours be as deliciously, naturally sweet and nutty. I am currently unlaxing in Northern NSW, home of the macadamia, it’s beyond beautiful here, the perfect place to rest and remember the value of time alone. Yesterday I walked through rainforest to a secluded beach a few bays from Byron, but with 5 people to Byron’s 5000! On the way I ate a fabulous breakfast at Harvest a charming cafe  offering excellent local produce made with care. All the  staff  were unusually committed to offering fantastic service; with warm smiles, this is not common in these relaxed, hippy environs. Harvest is at the site of the old Newrybar bakery, which was once run by my friend and sourdough baking teacher John Downes. I made my sourdough leaven in his class in 1983 and I share it with all who come to my baking classes; it makes extraordinarily fine fare. I have some dates to finalise before posting my next term of Sydney classes, apologies to those who are keen to make bookings. I am teaching a two day Sourdough Bread, Pastry, Biscuits and Cake Baking Workshop in Brisbane at Mondo Organics March 24th and 25th, bookings via their site. If you have friends or associates in Queensland who might like to come to this class, please help me spread the word. What whole food cooking classes and workshops would you like this year? I will be teaching in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth and I am hatching a plan to be teaching classes in the UK mid year. I have added a Like me on facebook button, Like away please!

email michele@ahealthyview.com.au now to get one of the remaining places 

December 5th 10.30am-2.30pm Balmoral, Mosman 

Please see my last post for the class outline

November 29th Class just opened

November 30th fully booked

More Quick spring into summer

delights at Balmoral Beach.

Spring is the season of renewal, the colour green abounds. It is the perfect time to consider our selves and to cleanse while enjoying a wide variety of exquisite tastes, colours and textures; that raise our spirit and lighten the load on our digestive system.

A cooking class at ‘A Healthy View’ Balmoral Beach Mosman

Nutrient-dense wholefood meals to nourish you well; without being calorie-rich. Learn to make quick, cost effective and delicious meals to suit the season and satisfy those you feed. This class provides you with a comprehensive guide for stocking your fridge, freezer and pantry and outlines how to make eating well an accessible option on a daily basis hence the reference to the little black dress.

The classes I teach at nutritionist Michele Hedges home and business, ‘A Healthy View’ have the added benefit of her valuable input. Together we are an informative team and these classes are always a lot of fun.

10am-2pm November 29th $125
Be quick to contact Michele; numbers are strictly limited. michele@ahealthyview.com.au

This class demonstrates the dietary principles that traditional societies have used for millennia; using the least refined local and organic ingredients.

The benefits of eating this way include: ease, reduced sugar cravings, an improvement in behavioural issues, natural weight loss, increased satisfaction and hormone regulation

Please respect Copyright Holly Davis, these notes and recipe are for personal use only

Why might you make and eat lacto fermented foods?

The lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli preserves the vegetables or fruits and increases their digestibility. This also puts beneficial microorganisms in the digestive tract, which promotes the growth of healthy digestive flora throughout the intestine. This aids digestion and the absorption of other nutrients.

The fermentation process can increase the vitamin levels by as much as 100 times!

Useful enzymes are produced in this process.

Antibiotic and anticarcinogen substances may also be created.

Eating a little fermented food with every meal can aid digestion, particularly of fats.

Eating lacto fermented foods can also reduce the desire for refined sugars.

Oh and they taste fabulous and are a great meal enhancer!

Here is the basic recipe to lacto ferment vegetables

There are many variables when making these foods, always begin with the best quality freshest foods and avoid contaminants.

To make a batch of pickles you will need:

A good board and very sharp knife and / or a food processor with vegetable chopping attachments

Sterile glass jars with airtight lids.

Fresh vegetables clean and dry, chop according to your preference. Root vegetables and cabbages are ideal but softer veg can also pickle well.

Celtic Sea salt approximately 1% of total weight of the vegetables. (If you prefer not to use any salt make sure you add the whey or culture. The presence of the salt prevents putrefying bacteria growing while the beneficial bacteria increase their numbers) personally I prefer the flavour with salt.

Lemon zest is a favourite addition of mine, finely sliced

Spices of your choosing (optional) i.e.chilli, cumin, coriander, fennel seeds.

Home made whey, to introduce lacto bacillus more consistently and rapidly.

Or

Plantarum bacteria culture (‘Culture’ is available from Donna Gates Body Ecology Stockists online at www.bodyecology.com )

Or my preferred method : With no addition of a culture, allowing for the capture of organisms present in your kitchen. Often this works well and occasionally you might lose a batch due to having caught some putrefying bacteria. (You will know if this has happened because your pickle will smell awful and possibly also have become slimy, there is no danger you will want to try them!)

Lacto fermented vegetables can be kept many months when stored correctly and in a cool dark place.

Red Cabbage lemon and ginger pickles

Copyright Holly Davis

1 large fresh organic red cabbage, sliced finely

1 knob organic ginger, grated

1 organic lemon, zest only

Sea salt (1% of total weight of cabbage)

Chop the vegetables

Add the salt and rub in a loving but vigorous manner; until the cabbage has released plenty of liquid

Mix very well with the other ingredients

Contain completely covered in liquid in sterile glass jars, push vegetables down firmly so they are tightly packed and covered in their own juices

Ensure there is a good 5cms between the top of the vegetables and liquid and the lid of the jar as they expand a little during fermentation.

Lid tightly and leave on the kitchen bench 4-7 days depending on the weather. 18-20˚C is ideal (fermentation takes longer when the weather is cold)

The mix will bubble and if you were to open it, it would smell rather unpleasant for the first few days, don’t open the jars now as the process is anaerobic and oxygen at this stage may cause them to spoil. With red cabbage you will notice it turn from purple to bright pink, this is due to the action of the acid produced by the lacto bacteria.

On about day 5 you can place the pickles in the fridge and store there as you use them. Be sure to use only spotless utensils so you dont contaminate the mix.

The flavours continue to develop over several months but these can be eaten any time after the fermentation process has completed, say around 5 days

Note re something course participants are often confused by: Lacto bacillus are not dairy food; though they grow happily in milk products. Lactose is the sugar in dairy food it is not present in lacto fermented vegetables unless you add a dairy product such as whey.

Naturally leavened Christmas cake in the making, one for tomorrows class and one for the pantry.

If you are keen and very quick, there is a place in my Sourdough baking, including cake class tomorrow November 6th. The class is being held in a private home, an intimate event with only 6 participants and lots of time to get your baking questions answered. It runs from 11-4 at Coaster retreat, access is by ferry from Palm Beach wharf, give me a call if you are interested to join us. I ran this class while in Perth last and it was a massive success. Using a natural sourdough leaven and slow fermentation ensures that the delicious sweetness of organic fruit is supported by the most digestible organic flour. My Chistmas cake gets its light, moist texture and rich flavour from the addition of Coopers stout and a little unpasteurised white miso!

The November 9th class, Quick Spring Delights; wholefood meals in 20 minutes is full to bursting. Jude Blereau was just here in Sydney, lucky us, she coined this The Little Black Dress Class!- Due to the rush of interest Michele and I  have opened a new date for this same class on Wednesday November 30th from 11am-3pm, cost $125. Michele’s Balmoral address is provided after booking. Places are already being snapped up so if your interested or know someone who might be, please contact michele@ahealthyview.com.au at your earliest convenience.

Christmas Catering I have already taken a few bookings for Catering jobs leading up to Christmas. You might like to consider having me cook you a range of delicious wholefood canastables for stocking your festive fridge. If you are planning events prior to December 20th or during January please be in touch soon, to assist me in planning and to avoid disappointment. Here are a few ideas for the sorts of things that keep well, which I could deliver to you to make your Christmas delicious and a little easier. Beluga lentil salad with assorted mushrooms, Gravlax King fish (a more sustainable and healthier option than farmed salmon), Organic Mushroom and chicken liver pate, Organic cucumber, ginger and mint salad, Star anise and ginger roasted organic pork neck for slicing cold, Mirin and vanilla poached organic summer fruits, Gin and orange pickled organic cherries-these are fantastic with cold meats or summer fish dishes, Cultured organic red cabbage pickles, Organic Kim chi pickles, and of course an organic Chrissy cake and so much more… The price for such home delivered treats? The food costs plus $70 an hour to shop, cook and depending on your location, to deliver.

I have Probiotic cultures and cultured vegetables for sale too, these are fabulous to have on hand to prepare your digestive system for the festive times ahead and to aid recovery afterwards. I have Kombucha, dairy kefir and water kefir SCOBy’s, to give away if you come to Palm Beach or for sale when posted to you. I charge $25 for one $35 for two or more; they come with instructions for maintaing them. I also make and sell a range of cultured vegetables which make a fabulous addition to many meals, these valuable foods help to reduce sugar cravings whilst also supplying vast amounts of beneficial bacteria, vitamins and live enzymes. Red cabbage, lemon and ginger is a favourite of mine. I will post the basic recipe for making your own soon. Many people who have not been to a Capturing Cultures Class, and actually also many who have,  prefer to buy these pickles; rather than make their own. The cost when collected is $25 per 750 mls glass jar or $40 per 2 litre glass jar. It isn’t difficult to make these pickles but many folk fear the B word!

Lightness of being and stunning light itself makes Spring into Summer a glorious time. Enjoy every moment…

Quick spring delights.

November 9. Balmoral Beach.

Spring is the season of renewal, the colour green abounds. It is the perfect time to consider our self and to cleanse while enjoying a wide variety of exquisite tastes, colours and textures; that raise our spirit and lighten the load on our digestive system.

A cooking class at ‘A Healthy View’ Balmoral Beach Mosman

Nutrient-dense wholefood meals to nourish you well; without being calorie-rich. Learn to make quick, cost effective and delicious meals to suit the season and satisfy those you feed.

The classes I teach at nutritionist Michele Hedges home and business, ‘A Healthy View’ have the added benefit of her valuable input. Together we are an informative team and these classes are always a lot of fun.

11am-3pm November 9th $125
Be quick to contact Michele; numbers are strictly limited. michele@ahealthyview.com.au

The class demonstrates the dietary principles that traditional societies have used for millennia; using the least refined local and organic ingredients.

The benefits of eating this way include: ease, reduced sugar cravings, an improvement in behavioural issues, natural weight loss, increased satisfaction and hormone regulation

The Organic Expo and Green show has arrived today is the first day, this year it is in both Sydney and Melbourne.

For details go to http://www.organicexpo.com.au/

Each year its popularity grows and the numbers of visitors increase. The organic industry has come a very long way since I opened Iku in 1985. At that time organic was associated with muddy vegetables and not much else. Biodynamic rice was only available 9 months of the year and everyone thought us crazy for championing the cause. It is heart warming to see the growth and burgeoning interest.

I will be onstage tomorrow August 13th  at 1.30pm demonstrating a few simple dishes that reflect the principles of a wholefood way of eating, if your about do come and say hello. I will have recipe cards with menu suggestions for a wholeday of winter wholefoods and I will be discussing foods that harm and foods that heal. I will be making and discussing a compound butter mix, which offers a range of highly nutritious fats, an Andean grains Casserole which demonstrates all the principles of nutrient dense eating and showing people how to make their own delicious chicken stock.

I will post the recipes here next week for all to trial and enjoy. I hope to see you there.

August 13th and 14th  The MINDD Conference is being held at the Jockey Club in Randwick I will be discussing fats and their benefits at 12.30pm August 14th, for more information go to http://mindd.org/s/archives.php/266-MIFOC-2011.html  this is an invaluable event for all parents and would be parents.

I have a Capturing Cultures Class in Palm Beach NSW on August 28th, there are places still for that one.

I will be in Perth teaching with Jude Blereau  at her Wholefood Cooking School September 10th-18th contact Jude for the programme and for bookings, be quick these sell out very fast. jude@wholefoodcooking.com.au

Bondi Class programme is yet to be confirmed, please contact me if you are interested in these, or subscribe here for future updates.

Bookings for private and small group classes in your home are being taken too.