Food-rescue organisation OzHarvest has revealed a stellar new line-up of chefs taking part in its Harvest Bites initiative, a swanky meal-delivery service for a good cause.
Over the next five weeks, chefs from some of Sydney’s top restaurants will take turns cooking two-course menus for diners, with meals to be delivered to their homes. The proceeds from the meals will go directly to OzHarvest to feed at least 40 people in need.
in the past few weeks, the menus featured ham hock soup by Lennox Hastie of Firedoor, braised beef cheek with polenta by Otto’s Richard Ptacnik, coq au vin from Bennelong’s Rob Cockerill and lasagne by Quay’s Peter Gilmore. Now it’s time for Andy Evans (Spice Temple), Jacqui Challinor (Nomad), Graeme Hunt (Chin Chin) and Travis Harvey (OzHarvest) to step into the kitchen.
Rob Cockerill’s coq au vin and raspberry Swiss roll, as featured on Harvest Bite’s menu on 8 June.
(Photo: Chris Chen)Evans’ menu will feature soft braised lamb with cumin, fermented chilli, rice and steamed bread pockets; while the following week’s delivery includes Harvey’s sticky-glazed spiced chicken with potato gratin, fennel slaw and pickles. Hunt has a green chicken curry with apple eggplant, krachai and coconut rice on his mind, while Challinor will be rolling pork and veal meatballs with baked white polenta.
Home diners can choose between a meal for two people from $63 or a four-person family meal from $105 (prices include delivery). Deliveries are made on Monday, with orders to be placed by Thursday the week prior. In time, pantry staples including OzHarvest’s own fermented green-chilli sauce and Harvey’s red-pepper sesame oil can be added to each order.
Andy Evans’ white cut chicken with noodles and braised lamb with cumin will be on the Harvest Bites menu on 29 June.
(Photo: Anna Kucera)OzHarvest kickstarted the project in late May to raise money for those around the country suffering from food insecurity, while also returning chefs to the kitchen during the worst of COVID-19 restrictions.
“Harvest Bites grew from the idea of not only raising money to help support the growing number of people suffering food insecurity, but also to get our amazing chef ambassadors back in the kitchen doing what they love, while also supporting local producers and suppliers who had been hit hard by the lockdown,” says Ronni Kahn, founder and CEO of OzHarvest.”It was heartbreaking to watch all our incredible chef ambassadors close their restaurant doors. After so many years of their support for OzHarvest, we wanted to help in any way we could.”
With restaurants slowly returning to business as usual, OzHarvest is working on its next steps for the program. “Our goal is for Harvest Bites to be an ongoing program and we are already considering what it might look like after COVID-19 restrictions have eased,” says Kahn. “With restaurants reopening, our ambassador chefs are busy preparing their restaurants and diners are able to venture out of their homes. However, we hope there is definitely a place for Harvest Bites to continue in the space.”
For more information, visit harvestbites.com.au
