For nine years, Three Blue Ducks have been serving cafe fare to the famously bohemian residents of Byron Bay, Australia, out of a 35-hectare (86-acre) working farm in the suburb of Ewingsdale.
“When we first opened there was a yoga studio on site, so people would go for a yoga class in the morning and then come right out for juices and breakfast,” co-owner Darren Robertson says. It was a different crowd from their first venue in Sydney’s Bronte, so they had to adapt to local tastes, planning menus with their new clientele and landscape in mind.
“There was a bit of an interest in eating food from around the area, and we were surrounded by macadamia forests, so we made macadamia-based smoothies with leafy greens, heaps of mint and basil, and macadamia nuts and macadamia milk.”
The Farm’s reputation for post-shivasana snacking grew and soon enough the team found themselves catering not just to crowds after class but off-site yoga retreats too.
“I think the outdoors often encourages healthier lifestyle choices,” Robertson says, noting Byron Bay’s beautiful coast and hinterland. “Because it’s so tropical you’re just more inclined to eat food that’s fresh, punchy, full of citrus, herbs and packed with flavour.”
A yoga retreat catering brief
Robertson says most of the catering briefs The Farm receives are pretty similar to the food served in their cafe. “Local fruits and vegetables, the best protein you can get your hands on, an abundance of salads.”
“Typically, it would be a breakfast like granola and yoghurt; sticky rice with various grains; fruits poached in burnt honey and spices; or a sprouted or gluten-free bread.”
“Lunch or dinner would reflect what we had on our menu – lots of proteins and wholefoods, and vegetables roasted in their skin for colour and fibre. Something like a whole fish with a salsa of sorts; leafy greens; a whole roasted pumpkin with a fresh curd or a yoghurt, with coriander, pomegranate and mint.”
While vegan options feature, meals might also include “pasture-raised chooks” and “grass-fed beef”.
Snacks are served in abundance too: usually smoothies, juices or pieces of fruit, and bliss balls or slices with dates and hemp seeds, served alongside tea and iced tea “concoctions”.
Ferments are hugely popular with the gut-health conscious crowd. To learn how to make kombucha, the team attended a talk by the fermentation expert Sandor Katz in Sydney, and began “fermenting everything”.
“There’s a drink that we still do called Fire Engine that was very popular,” Robertson says. “It was soda water, kombucha and plenty of fresh lime and ice.”
What to buy
“Wholefoods and superfoods can be seen as trends or buzzwords, but the dining scene up here is not really that specific,” Robertson says. Unless a dish is explicitly made for vegans, “we know you don’t need a vegan butter and that cooking with animal fats is really good. It’s about eating wholesome, ethically sourced real foods”.
At the restaurant, Robertson says the most popular dishes showcase produce grown on the farm itself, including a simple miso eggplant dish that’s served with tofu, shallots and herbs.
Shopping like the health-conscious Byron locals, he says, is simple: avoid refined foods and stick with whole grains, full-cream dairy and ferments whenever possible.
“Full-cream milk and proper butter, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, a decent olive oil, raw honey, vinegar with its mother and the best chocolate you can get your hands on for a cheeky snack,” he says. “I’d always recommend starting with your local farmers market if you can. I’m a big fan of showcasing vegetables and serving up a good-quality protein as the side.”
He also recommends incorporating citrus in your meals where possible, cooking in animal fats or ghee and roasting whole chickens (then using the bones to make broth).
As for the ferments, he suggests you do it yourself. “Making kraut, kimchi or your own hot sauce is actually really easy.”
Miso eggplant, macadamia and citrus
Here’s a home-style recipe adapted from a dish that’s popular at The Farm: miso eggplant served up with a whipped tofu, and farm herbs. Great as a side or a complete meal with a little rice, tofu or salad and pickles.
1.4kg eggplant (3 to 4 whole eggplants)
olive oil
salt
sesame seeds (to season)
For the miso marinade
3 heaped tbsp white miso
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp rice vine vinegar
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
2 tbsp soy
2 cloves of garlic
1 knob of ginger (grated)
salt
3 tbsp light olive oil (or macadamia oil)
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
For the dressing
3 tbsp macadamia butter
1 tsp white miso
1 tbsp soy
1 tsp honey
pinch of grated garlic
juice of 1 lime and a little zest
1 tbsp fish sauce (use Bragg liquid aminos for a vegetarian alternative)
1 tsp dark sesame oil
To serve
chilli oil
chopped green shallots
torn coriander or other fresh herbs
olive oil
fresh lime
Prepare two trays lined with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 175C.
To make the miso marinade, mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Remove the tops from the eggplant, then cut each one up into little wedges, place in a large bowl and pour over the marinade. Stir it up.
Place eggplant wedges on the lined trays, and make sure they’re nicely spread so they can crisp up. Season with a little oil, salt and more sesame seeds.
Roast at 175C for around 40 minutes, then increase the heat to 185C for a further 10 minutes to give the eggplant a decent colour.
To make the eggplant dressing, mix all ingredients in a bowl and add a little more soy or lime if needed. The dressing wants to have a good kick – or punch!
Remove the eggplants from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
To serve, swipe some dressing onto individual plates, place the eggplants, then dollop more dressing onto them. Top with plenty of torn herbs, sliced shallots, a drizzle of olive oil and a generous squeeze of fresh lime. I serve the chilli oil separately on the side, so it’s kid-friendly.
