How life in the opposite hemisphere brought the inspiration to create "Snowy Foodie".
Living seasons upside down, when moving from the other side of the world, can be interesting, to say the least! It doesn’t always make sense, especially when comes Christmas, Halloween, Easter... Adapting to a different lifestyle, culture and climate can be very challenging but enriching as well. From the province of Québec (Canada) to the Snowy Valleys of New South Wales (Australia), I still get the four seasons cycle but at the opposite time of year. Winters are milder, but that does not mean more comfortable... In fact, my body has never had to fight the cold temperatures as much as I do now (but that’s inside the house of course)! Due to extreme heat waves and droughts, Australian bushlands each year are at risk of fires, and with global warming records have been increasing. In summer 2020, renamed the “black summer”, was an unimaginable event and the scariest experience I’ve ever lived before... Snake and big spider encounters were nothing compared to this. So, I much prefer spring and autumn (fall) as these seasons are just so gorgeous and pleasant (with the exception of my new grass pollen allergies)! In Australia, season transitions are defined differently than in the northern hemisphere. In the tropical north, there are only two seasons, the dry and the wet (not including the notorious “build-up” I was told about). But across most of the country, including the zone that we live in, spring is officially starting on September 1st, summer on December 1st, autumn on March 1st and winter on June 1st.
Seasons are the direction for my food photography and recipe development. This is a slow process, and it usually takes me a year or two to complete a recipe, including the photos. For many reasons like budget, availability and nutrition, I often have to wait a while before doing a new test. If I mess it up, which sometimes happens, the recipe goes in the “next time” pile, which often means the following year. Harvest photos are made as the produce comes up, and once I get the recipe finalized (or close to be), I can start propping, shopping, styling and cooking the real thing to make the final shots. I have to time the sessions with the weather forecast as I am mostly using natural light. All the fresh produce pictures presented here are from my backyard, the family farm, friends' gardens or bought from a local grower. I still buy some from the grocery shops of course for our everyday meals as we can't always find everything locally or in the garden. Our backyard food forest is in good progress but not yet fully productive. There are many benefits to grown food and eating seasonal: such as encouraging the reduction of one's carbon footprint, supporting local growers, eating food that is richer in vitamins and taste, saving money, and so much more.
I love the idea of consuming food in harmony with what is in season and the garden as a menu choice. In my previous life in the city, this did not count as much for many reasons. Now, I never really eat zucchini and salad vegetables in winter. It’s too cold for cold food and after eating those veggies every day for most of the summer, I don’t mind a break (especially zucchinis!). Same with pumpkins, I’m only cooking those in cold seasons, and there is no way I’ll want any until the next round. A warm soup or an oven-baked dish in summer, not very interested… However, most Australian families celebrate Christmas with a hot roast meal, at lunch (which means right in the heat of a summer day at around 35C) so I have to respect the traditions...! I'm still exploring some versions of Québec holiday dishes with a summer twist to beat homesickness but also for the fun of it. It's like living eight seasons a year! Change of season brings new beginnings, many memories, different ways to dress-up, activity switches and variations of the food we eat. Growing food is one of the best ways to connect with each season, and one thing’s for sure by learning and practising most of it in this Australian climate, this is one thing that does not feel strange to me here. In my garden, and by writing this blog, I’m feeling at home all year long!
Snowy Foodie recipes are published and categorized by season.