Sunshine Coast Food

I have a thing about food… I really like it. I especially like food that is regionally produced, and in this case, Sunshine Coast produced.

There are so many fabulous Sunshine Coast produced foods, it is hard to pick a favourite, and my favourites tend to change from week to week. “Ahh, this is my favourite”, I will say as I am eating it… until I eat my next favourite thing.

But I have tried to narrow it down to my 10 favourite Sunshine Coast foodie finds that if your are new on the Sunshine Coast foodie scene or have only just adopted a local food awareness, you simply must try.

These are my 10:

1. Mighty Bean’s tempeh

Mighty Bean’s tempeh is my all time ultimate favourite Sunshine Coast made product. I know I shouldn’t have ultimate favourites, but this tempeh is incredible. I am not a vegan, not even a vegetarian, so the tempeh shelf of a health food store or supermarket it not usually on my radar. Tempeh is just not like that. I actually think it should be redefined as a ‘gourmet’ product, rather than only be enjoyed by the dietary conscious amongst us. Tempeh is made of cultured fermented soybeans. It is kind of a ‘cheese’ of the soybean world. Additionally it is Certified Organic, GMO Free and DELICIOUS! Fry it up in some macadamia oil as a snack, or drizzle with pesto and serve with salad and salsa for a nice light lunch. I cannot sing its praises enough. Check it out…
www.mightybeantempeh.com.au

2. Cedar Street Cheeserie Buratta

Oh gosh, this is good stuff…
As if Cedar Street Cheeseries mozzarella wasn’t good enough, Trevor has introduced this extra bombshell into the equation… the mighty buratta. It is a combination of mozzarella and a molten cream centre… it is the molten lava cake of the cheese world. Made from Mal Thompson’s buffalo milk you are supporting two great Sunshine Coast producers in one go… like you need an excuse. Fresh crusty sourdough, buratta, and olive oil… ahhh *mouth waters*
Visit Cedar Street Cheeserie’s Profile
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com.au/item/cedar-street-cheeserie/

Image by Lachlan Millard

3. Coyo

Moderation has never been my forte, and the discovery of Coyo has led to a number of overindulgent incidents with this fabulous coconut alternative to yoghurt. It is quite delicious, once I learn the art of moderation and how to share, I will eventually introduce this divine product to the rest of my family. Strangers… you will just have to take my words for it and try some – unlikely I will be sharing with anyone outside the family any time soon.
Visit Coyo’s Profile
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com.au/item/coyo/

4. French Sin duck rillettes

Oh dear, another mad favourite. I am doomed every time I go to the farmers market and I see the French Sin stall. I feel like I have walked into a Parisian market… and then there they are… the Duck Rillettes. OMG. These small decadent jars of yumminess are lucky to last the drive home… out comes the crusty baguette and I lather the rillettes on thick and hard – it is unlikely I will I will get a second sitting out of them. Ahhh… just thinking about it!
Visit French Sin’s Profile
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com.au/item/french-sin/

5. Franz Continental Smallgood’s Schinken

A visit to Franz’s is always a trip down memory lane for me. Walk into the factory shop and the smell of the smallgoods is just sensational. I grew up on this stuff, so finding a local producer that makes a traditional schinken (it is a German style of smoked/cured meat similar to prosciutto – but better) that tastes like the traditional schinkens of my childhood, was just heaven. The factory shop is dangerous for me – I will stock up for a month and eat it in a weekend. The schinken is delicious, but try the braunschweiger and traditional country style liverwurst, oh, and the mettwurst too… there is no going back to the supermarket stuff once you try these…
Visit Franz Continental Smallgoods Profile
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com.au/item/franz-continental-smallgoods/

6. Woombye Cheese Brie

Another cheese weakness. My son was once known to walk 3 kilometres to our local IGA to come home with just one block of Woombye Cheese’s Brie, which he then went on to devour all by himself within the hour… boy, was I MIFFED, and boy was he tired after that major effort! Sensationally creamy, it is nearly always on my cheese platter wish list.
Visit Woombye Cheese’s Profile
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com.au/item/woombye-cheese-company/

7. Fat Hen Farm Olive Tapenade

I love a good tapenade, and they don’t get much better than this. Mounded on to a cracker with some cheese, dolloped onto my steamed potatoes… ahhh… Fat Hen Farm is a grower of olives from out Kilkivan way and they produce this beautiful savoury tapenade from the olives grow on their property. #yesplease
Visit Fat Hen Farm’s Profile
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com.au/item/fat-hen-farm/

8. Sue’s Natural Cuisine Raw Super Food Dressing

This was another one of my weak moments where I need to learn the art of moderation. This is just the most fabulous salad dressing. Well, actually let me redefine, it is a fabulous food dressing… why restrict it to just the boring old salad. I was splashing it on everything, poached eggs, steak, chicken, eating it by the spoonful from the jar… no modesty here. Made a delicious combo of greens, ginger and herbs. #OMG and #yesplease moment combined into one.
Visit Sue’s Natural Cuisine’s Profile
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com.au/item/dvine-flavours-ta-sues-natural-cuisine/

9. Noosa Fish Providores Cold Smoked Salmon

One of my absolute pleasures in life is Noosa Fish Providores cold smoked salmon. If I see it on a menu (as it is often on Thomas Corners Eatery’s menu) I can’t go past it. Again… I need to learn some self-restraint when it comes to good food… and how to share. I usually burst in the door, pull it out, and eat it all at once – I don’t want to mess up the flavours by diluting it with unnecessary frills…. just as it is. Their smoked kingfish is pretty amazing too.
Visit Noosa Fish Providore’s Profile
http://www.noosafishprovidores.com.au

10. Gympie Cheese Pure Chevre

One more cheese… I like cheese, correction, I love cheese and this has been a favourite for YEARS. There are not many people in the foodie community that don’t know about Gympie Cheese’s delicious goat’s cheese, and if by chance you are a foodie that does not, then you need to hunt this cheese down (oh, and buy some of their butter as well), spoil yourself with a fabulously fresh baguette and indulge!
Visit Gympie Farm Cheese’s Profile
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com.au/item/gympie-farm-cheese/

So that is my ten favourites for this week – it was a tough choice, as there are so many wonderful producers producing so many wonderful things. I could have done a post on the cheeses alone… in fact I think I will… watch this space!