2019-08-01 Eat Well

Grow the

good life

W

e felt so inspired flicking through

Slow Down and Grow Something

that we strolled down the road to

the local fruit market to pick up

ingredients for the featured Fig & Rosemary Tart

recipe. If a cookbook can get us into the kitchen

that fast, it’s safe to say that author Byron Smith

and his partner, Tess Robinson, have created a

masterpiece. Expert horticulturist and all-round

nice guy, Smith designs, installs and maintains

edible food gardens on Australia’s east coast

for his business, Urban Growers. In the book,

Smith shares everything he’s learnt on the job,

inviting you into the world of gardening and the

joy that comes with slowing down and getting

your hands dirty. You’ll learn tricks for building

healthy soil, growing seeds and seedlings,

succession planting, harvesting and caring for

chooks, worms and bees. There’s just so much in

this gardening-how-to-meets-cookbook! Smith

works alongside Robinson, founder of branding

agency Smack Bang Designs and creator of the

many delicious, healthy and simple seasonal

recipes you’ll find in Slow Down and Grow

Something, and together the influential couple

have penned an antidote to the relentless pursuit

of “doing it all”. Instead of getting swept up in all

that faff, they remind you that it’s time to slow

down, grow something and enjoy the good life.

This is an edited extract from Slow Down and

Grow Something by Byron Smith with Tess

Robinson, published by Murdoch, RRP AU$39.99

Sticky Ginger Chai

Serves: 6–8

16 cardamom pods

3 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

8 cloves

2 star anise

1 tsp black peppercorns

1½ tbsp black tea leaves (use a quality

Ceylon tea for a more robust flavour)

2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh ginger

2 tbsp honey

Milk, to serve

Place all spices in mortar and grind for

1–2 mins to release the flavours.

Combine tea, fresh ginger and spices

in small mixing bowl.

Slowly pour honey over top while

continuously stirring mixture to ensure

ingredients are evenly coated with honey.

Place mixture in sterilised jar and

store jar in fridge for up to 4–6 weeks.

Make chai with hot water and milk of

your choice.

Enjoy immediately.

Fennel & Pear Slaw

Serves: 4 as a side

2 tsp honey

Juice 1 lemon

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

⅔ cup slivered almonds

4 fennel bulbs (tough outer layer

removed), thinly sliced

4 pears, thinly sliced

1 tsp caraway seeds

Salt & black pepper, to taste

Fennel fronds, to serve

Place honey, lemon juice, olive oil and

wholegrain mustard in glass jar. Seal jar

and shake well to combine ingredients.

In frying pan over medium heat, lightly

toast almonds until golden brown.

Toss fennel slices, pear slices, slivered

almonds, caraway seeds, salt and pepper

in bowl. Drizzle honey mixture over top.

Garnish with fennel fronds and serve.

Tip: Replace fennel with radishes.

Sticky Ginger Chai

112 | EatWell

RECIPES

slow down and grow something

EWL026_112-113 Cookbook Recipes-PR.indd 112EWL026_112-113 Cookbook Recipes-PR.indd 112 8/1/2019 11:17:20 AM8/1/2019 11:17:20 AM

Grow the

good life

W

e feltsoinspiredflickingthrough

SlowDownandGrowSomething

thatwestrolleddowntheroadto

thelocalfruitmarkettopickup

ingredientsforthefeaturedFig& RosemaryTart

recipe.If a cookbookcangetusintothekitchen

thatfast,it’ssafetosaythatauthorByronSmith

andhispartner,TessRobinson,havecreateda

masterpiece.Experthorticulturistandall-round

niceguy,Smithdesigns,installsandmaintains

ediblefoodgardensonAustralia’seastcoast

forhisbusiness,UrbanGrowers.Inthebook,

Smithshareseverythinghe’slearntonthejob,

invitingyouintotheworldofgardeningandthe

joythatcomeswithslowingdownandgetting

yourhandsdirty.You’lllearntricksforbuilding

healthysoil,growingseedsandseedlings,

successionplanting,harvestingandcaringfor

chooks,wormsandbees.There’sjustsomuchin

thisgardening-how-to-meets-cookbook!Smith

worksalongsideRobinson,founderofbranding

agencySmackBangDesignsandcreatorofthe

manydelicious,healthyandsimpleseasonal

recipesyou’llfindinSlowDownandGrow

Something, andtogethertheinfluentialcouple

havepennedanantidotetotherelentlesspursuit

of“doingit all”.Insteadofgettingsweptupin all

thatfaff,theyremindyouthatit’stimetoslow

down,growsomethingandenjoythegoodlife.

Thisis aneditedextractfromSlowDownand

GrowSomethingbyByronSmithwithTess

Robinson,publishedbyMurdoch,RRPAU$39.99

StickyGingerChai

Serves:6–8

16 cardamompods

3 cinnamonsticks

1 tspfreshlygratednutmeg

1 tspfennelseeds

1 tspcorianderseeds

8 cloves

2 staranise

1 tspblackpeppercorns

1½tbspblacktealeaves(usea quality

Ceylonteafora morerobustflavour)

2 tbspthinlyslicedfreshginger

2 tbsphoney

Milk,toserve

Placeallspicesin mortarandgrindfor

1–2minstoreleasetheflavours.

Combinetea,freshgingerandspices

in smallmixingbowl.

Slowlypourhoneyovertopwhile

continuouslystirringmixturetoensure

ingredientsareevenlycoatedwithhoney.

Placemixturein sterilisedjarand

storejarin fridgeforupto4–6weeks.

Makechaiwithhotwaterandmilkof

yourchoice.

Enjoyimmediately.

Fennel&PearSlaw

Serves:4 asa side

2 tsphoney

Juice1 lemon

3 tbspoliveoil

1 tspwholegrainmustard

⅔cupsliveredalmonds

4 fennelbulbs(toughouterlayer

removed),thinlysliced

4 pears,thinlysliced

1 tspcarawayseeds

Salt& blackpepper,totaste

Fennelfronds,toserve

Placehoney,lemonjuice,oliveoiland

wholegrainmustardin glassjar.Sealjar

andshakewelltocombineingredients.

Infryingpanovermediumheat,lightly

toastalmondsuntilgoldenbrown.

Tossfennelslices,pearslices,slivered

almonds,carawayseeds,saltandpepper

in bowl.Drizzlehoneymixtureovertop.

Garnishwithfennelfrondsandserve.

Tip:Replacefennelwithradishes.

Sticky Ginger Chai

112 | EatWell

RECIPES

slow down and grow something