A dinner put on this week by Georgie’s Harvest, otherwise known as Stall 50 of South Melbourne Market, has been applauded for embodying the spirit of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
Owners Georgina Tousoulis and Michael Dragwidge treated guests to a remarkable four-course meal in their boutique potato stall, which, since they took it over nearly two years ago, has become one of South Melbourne Market’s most loved institutions.
Renowned for their fine root vegetables, Georgie and Michael’s success has been as much about customer service as the products they offer in their homely stall under its cosy ceiling canopy of eucalyptus leaves.
You don’t go to Georgie’s Harvest just to buy vegies, or their great Greek olive oil, or their raw horseradish roots. You go to learn about what real food is, where it comes from, how to cook it, and why every one of their more than two dozen potato varieties, will add something unique to your culinary experience.
You also go – and return – because this is more than a market stall; it’s a meeting place of friends and ideas.
And what a dinner it was to celebrate this real food cycle – with growers, producers and customers sharing the table.
For the dinner, multi-talented farmer and chef Steve Earl (Otway Harvest and La Bimba restaurant, Apollo Bay) prepared a symphony of dishes – combining produce from his own hand-reared Welsh black cattle from the Otways with lush flavours of log-grown shiitake mushrooms, along with a cast of beautifully complimentary dishes.
Farm-fresh choice potatoes – the signature dish of Georgie’s Harvest retail business – didn’t play second fiddle, starring in the first entree – one waxy delicious Nichola potato baked in earth with confit garlic and parsnip cream.
Chef Steve says that his most influential mentors have a very Greek Australian flavour.
“I did my apprenticeship with Sammy Gazis at his seafood restaurant in Lorne. I also worked with Chris Talihmandis at Beacon
Point in Apollo Bay. They both taught me a lot about flavour.”
With places at the table costing $175.00 each, guests were treated to six wines to compliment the menu.
Supplied by Winefields, the Yarra Glen purveyor of fine and lesser-known Victorian wines, a Port Phillip Estate single-vineyard Pinot Noir was the prefect accompaniment to the second sensational dish – a homemade raviola stuffed with shiitake in a smoked tomato and ginger consommé.
As the evening darkened, with passers-by looking on incredulously at the gastronomic feast continued in the otherwise closed market, the main course appeared: a choice cut of marinated organic beef that melted at the sight of a knife, perfectly accompanied by a skordalia (made by Georgie’s mum Matina) with pontiac spuds – apparently a 1940s classic potato making its comeback.
Roasted root vegies and a gourmet salad – crunchy haricot beans, baby endive and succulently ripe figs infused with milawa blue cheese and a light vinaigrette completed the delicious savoury melody.
A velvet chocolate mousse with beetroot ice cream and coffee ‘soil’ finished what had been an unforgettable gastronomic experience. Each diner went away with a gift; a mounted copy of a still-life of root vegies – painted by artist Chris Beaumont, another convert to the Georgie’s Harvest cause, and who created the stall’s enticing signage.
Guest Janet Lillie,who has shopped at South Melbourne Market for 20 years, and who organises gourmet tours of the market describes Georgie’s Harvest as the perfect example of everything that the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival stands for.
“They have something very unique here, they’ve also innovated in the sense of their knowledge from fossicking around finding the growers and bringing them into their store.
“I shop here for my root vegetables, I don’t go anywhere else,” said Janet.
“It’s not easy to compete against the big retailers but I hope eventually people will realise that in Melbourne we have all these wonderful markets, and its better to come and choose what you want rather than buy something in a packet or off the shelf.”
Another guest and regular customer, David Webley told Neos Kosmos: “This place is run by people who care where they get their ingredients from, and you really value your relationship with them.
“When our second daughter was born they came up to me and gave me a very nice bottle of Greek olive oil and said ‘this’ll cure nappy rash’, that’s the kind of personalised service you get.”
Did it work? “I didn’t try, I cooked with it instead!”
A beaming Georgina Tousoulis and husband Michael were in their element. This is a couple whose life philosophies are defined by the care and love they bring to their business; their generous, open invitation is not just to buy from them, but to be part of an extended and growing family.
As their more than satisfied guests melted into the South Melbourne night, Georgie summed up her feelings.
“This evening has been about bringing producers and customers together.
“All my customers wanted to come. They just wanted to support me, so here you’re really part of a community and I treat my customers as my friends.
“Greeks love sharing food and they love sharing good times, so I guess that’s in my blood.”
Georgie’s Harvest. Stall 50, South Melbourne Market, Coventry Street, is open 8.00 am-4.00 pm every Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and Friday 8.00 am -5.00 pm.