A reader emailed me to say his wife had recently purchased mbK, Mystery Bay kelp, with turmeric and black pepper, which they thought was great on a range of meals from soups to salads to steaks. It was bought when she was at a friend's place at Mystery Bay, met the founder and purchased the product literally from her car boot.
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Lee-Anne Eddie from mbK for Life, says the product is a super veggie of the sea. She grew up on a working property near the beaches of Central Tilba and her grandparents were local dairy farmers on the fertile soil at Mystery Bay.
In 2001, Eddie was diagnosed with thyroid disease from an iodine deficiency. She watched a documentary on "Catalyst" in 2017 that explained kelp was rich in natural iodine, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. That led to her developing a business where the kelp (Ecklonia radiata) is harvested along the shore, selected sustainably by hand from the far South Coast of NSW. It is naturally broken from its holdfasts, washed in the sea, then dried in the sun, spread on waist-high wire mesh, at "Figtree" the family property which was first settled in 1886.
In mid-July, the kelp "was in after weeks away", it comes with the right winds, mainly nor'easters, after storms and currents, and Eddie had done four collections in a week . She was down to her last jar of the product. Last week, at Tilba Real Dairy, Mystery Bay kelp garlic infusion blend was infused into a vintage cheddar. The company has just been selected as a finalist in the Eurobodalla business awards as a "Start-up superstar".
You can order the Mystery Bay kelp products online but Lee-Anne Eddie has a treat for Canberrans. They can be purchased online and collected (postage free) from the Narooma Seafoods stall at Southside Farmers' Markets on Sundays or, from this week, from EPIC Markets in Mitchell at the Tilba Real Dairy stall, where the new garlic infused vintage cheddar will also be for sale.
Eddie's friend Katrina Hawley has created on-trend recipes using Mystery Bay kelp including salmon nourish bowl, vegetarian lasagne, a detox mixed berry smoothie and a 'mocktail' kelp green smoothie. The recipe follows for gluten free tuna coriander balls with kelp dipping sauce. Eddie says they are super delish and you can also use the garlic infusion and turmeric in the recipe.
Kelp also works magic in the compost container and diluted commercial seaweed solution used on edibles at this time of year protects them from frost as well as feeding them.
To accompany kelp, we need lemons, and the winter crop in Canberra this season has been as generous useful as ever.
After lunch at Hoi Polloi at Old Parliament House (MOAD) friends and I went into the House of Reps Garden to the east. To the right of The Centenary of Women's Suffrage Commemorative Fountain were four healthy lemon trees at least four metres tall, bearing a crop to the top of the branches.
Amanda Hynson, Communications Officer at the NCA, has referred me to the Old Parliament House Gardens Precinct Heritage Management Plan (2015) which states that the lemon trees were "transplanted from the edge planting around the tennis courts, as part of the recent major works project (2004). The original date of these trees in unclear".
Are they the largest lemon trees in Canberra? Do email me if you know of similar specimens: bodenparsons@bigpond.com
GOLDEN TUNA CORIANDER BALLS with YOGHURT LIME + KELP DIPPING SAUCE
Balls
425g can tuna, drained
1 sweet potato
one-third cup coriander leaves, chopped
zest of 1 lime
1 tsp grated ginger
half onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp kelp
2 x beaten eggs
gluten free bread crumbs
2 tsp powdered turmeric
coconut oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp natural Greek yoghurt
1 tsp finely chopped coriander
juice of 1 lime
salt + pepper
half tsp kelp
Method
Peel, chop and boil sweet potato then mash in a large mixing bowl. Add tuna, onion, lemon zest, coriander leaves, ginger, kelp, salt and pepper, mix well and allow to cool down. In two separate bowls add beaten eggs and gGF bread crumbs mixed with turmeric. Roll mixture into golf ball size, dip into egg mixture followed by the bread crumbs. Pop into the fridge for an hour to firm up for frying. In a frypan heat coconut oil so it is about 2cm deep. Shake pan or move balls around while cooking, until crispy and golden.
Mix all dipping sauce ingredients together then dip the balls in for an amazing healthy taste explosion! Can be served hot or cold.
