I have a list of things, attractions, places to eat, that sort of thing, that are on my Discover the Local Area list. The big-ticket items are easy to tick off. They’re the places you go when you have interstate and overseas visitors, but there are small hidden gems known more to locals that are equally worthy of visiting. Hidden caves and waterfalls, walking trails and small sections of forest, places that need a little time to find and to explore.
There is a small patch of forest located in the hills behind Franklin, a spot about 15 minutes along the highway north of where we are. Finding it requires turning off the main road and traversing a side road that quickly turns to dirt. The road is a potholed logging road but in reasonable condition and a reminder that being precious about a clean car is a waste of time. As is the way when you are unsure where your destination is, I drove for what seemed like quite some time, but on the return was nowhere near as long as I thought. The surrounding area has recently been logged and is just starting to show signs of regrowth, it’s hard to believe that anything resembling a forest exists in the area. I was beginning to wonder if I was on the right track until I saw a couple of cars parked on the side of the road and a rough sign with ‘forest trail’ and a wonky arrow painted on came into view.
Franklin Forest is a pocket of eucalypt forest, a fern gully and an impressive stand of leatherwood trees that had been earmarked for logging in 2021 but was removed from the harvesting schedule. It’s maintained by local Landcare groups who mark out walking tracks and run regular guided walks. Logging has long been a mainstay of this area and one of the industries (salmon farming is the other) that creates some tension in the local community. Traditionally, both have been significant employers of locals, a source of blue-collar occupations that have contributed a lot over the years. Those who have lived here for generations and have been dependent on logging and salmon farming for work are often at odds with those who have moved into the area more recently. Newer arrivals tend to have an environmental focus at odds with these industries and are less reliant on these traditional occupations for work. It is a complex issue, and the fight to save landscapes such as this remnant pocket makes the news regularly.
I was thinking about this as I walked through the beginnings of the walk that takes you from the road to the forest entrance, that perhaps if more people were able to experience these places, they might be more inclined to save them. From open woodland, you turn the corner and step into a densely canopied space. It is otherworldly. It is damp and verdant and smells of leaf litter. The trees are covered in moss and lichens, and at this time of year, it is a fungi lovers paradise.
Searching for strange fungi is a collective Tasmanian pastime. Where many places have a lot of one particular fungus, we are fortunate in the diversity of species, with hundreds or more identified. There are local Facebook groups with over 20,000 members dedicated to fungi finding. A Field Guide to Tasmanian Fungi is a necessity on any self-respecting Tasmanian’s bookshelf, along with the Fungiflip, a laminated guide suitable for field excursions. And if you are truly serious, a fungi mirror is an essential part of the bushwalkers kit, allowing you to view the underneath of mushrooms without having to resort to picking them.
It has been a slow start to fungi season this year. The dry conditions have pushed autumn fungi hunting well into winter when, after some recent rain, they are finally starting to emerge. Each step through the forest reveals yet another mushroom pushing through the dirt or a delicately ruffled fungus clinging to the side of a tree fern. Some are thick and fleshy, others tiny and delicate. Some are perfectly shaped circles, and others emerge from the earth, looking like seaweed and coral. Even without being able to identify any of the different species, it is a uniquely satisfying way to while away some time in this small pocket of bushland. It is brimming with life, from tall eucalypts to the tiniest mushroom and all just down the road from home.
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All of this talk of fungi would be the ideal segue into a recipe featuring mushrooms. However, as mushrooms remain one of the very few things I don’t like to eat (it’s a texture thing rather than the flavour), that isn’t happening. Rather, this week’s recipe is more of a winter fungi search/hiking snack. One to be consumed alongside a flask of tea while sitting on a rock surrounded by nature. Although in the cold and wet, they can be equally enjoyed at home in front of the fire.
I’m partial to a savoury scone, and these Indian spiced ones have a lovely warming flavour that is ideal on these colder days. Over the years, I have made several thousand scones using a simple method of adding cream and milk to flour. Like most people, I was always taught that a light touch was necessary and that overworking scone dough would lead to disaster. I recently read
‘s tips for making scones, which debunks these long-held beliefs and have incorporated Nicola’s advice to actually knead the scone dough for a short time. I’m happy to report that it is indeed true, and the reward is lovely evenly risen scones.These scones are delicious and served with a herby butter or chutney, and for paid subscribers, there is a recipe for both of these as well as a printer-friendly recipe card.
Indian Spiced Scones
Makes 8
250 g plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
125 g cold, salted butter
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 spring onions, white and green sections finely sliced
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, finely chopped
120 ml buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon panch phoran
8 fresh curry leaves
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Put the flour, baking powder, salt, garam masala and fenugreek leaves into a large bowl and use a balloon whisk to combine the ingredients. Cut the cold butter into chunks about 1 cm square and rub these into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Stir in the ginger, chilli, spring onions and coriander. Pour in the buttermilk and use a knife to mix the batter.
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently a few times so that there are no bits of dry flour left. Pat or roll it out into a 2.5 cm high disk. Use a 6.5 cm cutter to press out the scones. Take care not to twist the cutter in the dough. Reroll and cut the scraps. Place them on the baking tray, leaving a couple of centimetres between each one.
Crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Brush the egg wash over the tops of the scones before sprinkling with a little panch phoran and topping with a fresh curry leaf. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the scones have risen and are lightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack. Serve with herby butter or chutney.
Next week: cauliflower redemption + a cauliflower, shallot & stout pie
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Julia, I so get the walk and woods! I lived in Germany for many years, there are little areas of green in the cities, passive parks. Just for sitting, wildlife, birds. Here, my neighbors called it a vacant lot (!) and convinced the city to put in a disk course throughout. Instead of owls, I now hear plastic disks ricocheting off of trees and metal baskets. Most people only see something that needs to be changed or adapted to human needs. I like the serenity of nature in her raw state. But I must also admit that I love my salmon and wood furniture. Hmm.
Ooh, a scone recipe I can get behind! Mushrooms are wonderful adaptogens. If you don't like the texture, try Real Mushrooms ground lions mane in your tea. Great for the brain!