Lemon myrtle
“My favourite spices change all the time,” says Mark Olive of Black Olive Catering.
“I use Indigenous spices and they are quite different and fragrant but lemon myrtle
is up there for me right now.” Native to the coastal rainforest areas of Queensland
and New South Wales, the spice comes from the leaves of the lemon myrtle tree
and has a heavy citrus scent. “It’s really aromatic but not harsh or acidic like lemon.
It’s a softer flavour and great to put into biscuits, shortbreads and vinaigrettes.”Wattleseeds
Love coffeebutlesssothecaffeine
jitters?Olive’sgotyoucoveredwith
black wattleseeds.“Whenthey’re
roastedandcrusheddownthey
have thisincrediblecoffeeflavour.
It’s greatforpeoplewhocan’thave
caffeine,”heexplains.Whilethereare
hundredsofvarietiesofwattleseeds
available,Olivefavourstheblack
ones. “Theircoffeeprofileis great
when I’mmakingtiramisuandpeople
love itwhenI putthemin myAnzac
biscuits.”Fora savouryoption,he
suggestsusingblackwattleseedsin
meat rubsorasa basein sauces.➤Saltbush
If the doctor’s given you orders to ease up on the salt
but you fear bland food is now your destiny, let us
introduce you to Old Man Saltbush. “It’s plant-based,
very low in sodium and a good salt substitute if you’ve
got high blood pressure but love your salt,” says Olive
on the native Australian spice. Dried saltbush flakes can
be used to season food and its leaves used in salads or
wrapped around meat and fish. For some bonus dinner
table trivia, guess what farmers feed saltbush lamb? Bushtomatoes
The bush tomato starts life as a
unique fruit that grows in the desert
before being plucked from the shrub,
dried out and shrunken down into a
small raisin shape, then finally ground
into a spice. “You know how people
use Vegeta stock powders?” asks
Olive. “I use the ground bush tomato
in a similar vein. It’s a great base
when making casseroles, sauce and
stews. It’s basically my go-to veggie
stock starter.” ILLUSTRATIONS MELISSA MARTIN.
Mark Olive
Black Olive CateringGOURMET TRAVELLER 61