'Dear Lizzy. The 2015 olive harvest is approaching and we'd love to invite you and Peter to join us with Kangaroo Valley Olives to be an olive farmer for a day,' came the delicious invitation from my friend and colleague, Jacqueline Weiley of Foodscape Tours. 

'Beevangelist' and author, Doug Purdie (image courtesy Murdoch Books)

'I am captivated by bees. I love bees. Bees are fascinating and working with a beehive is an amazing opportunity. You can see the girls coming and going [from the hive] with all this different coloured pollen on their legs, and [you] wonder where they've been. And what started the journey for me really is that bees are in big trouble. All around the world everybody knows about it and [people] are doing things about it. Obama just gave a whole lot of money to looking after bees in America, 20 million I think, to doing something about and [yet] in Australia people aren't really aware of it, or are only just beginning to be aware of it now...'
     — Beekeeper and author, Doug Purdie,  in an interview with Natasha Mitchell, RN Life Matters, July 2014

This jar of blood orange honey that I purchased from Two Skinny Cooks larder door in Berrima is sitting on my kitchen bench and, as you can see, it's begging to be opened and enjoyed. Crumpets or toast? What say you, my friends? 

The 2014 Canberra & Capital Region Truffle Festival begins on 21 June and I'm absolutely delighted to partner once again with Anne and Denzil Sturgiss from Tarago Truffles who have generously offered readers of Good Things the opportunity to WIN a truffle hunt for two during this year's season.

Sponsored post

There are some ingredients that always go into my market basket, and mushrooms are right at the top of that list. Being one of the most versatile foods, mushrooms can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I will often add handful of mushroom morsels into a dish, for not only are they delicious, they also provide a rich source of antioxidants, are low in kilojoules, and contain a range of essential vitamins and minerals.