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10 Episodes 2010 - 2010
Episode 1
The transformation from big-city living begins as Matthew, a novice yet determined farmer, settles into his rural haven. After unpacking and moving into his farm at Cygnet, Matthew's keen to start his new life on the land. First he gets a dog, then digs up and salvages vegetables from his garden, and tries unsuccessfully to make a fence for the animals he'd like to rear. He knows nothing about farming, but he's determined to learn, so he seeks expert advice. His visit to local Swiss goat cheese producers inspires him to make goats' milk ice-cream for the upcoming Taste of Tasmania. It's a sell-out success and he's encouraged to start his own line of artisan foods.
Episode 2
Matthew is inspired to make prosciutto after checking his friend Ross's efforts. He tests his skills at carpentry and makes a pig sty, then sources two piglets from Jen, a local pig farmer and former vegetarian. It will be months until they're fully grown, so in the interim he buys a pig which he has butchered, a leg of which he turns into prosciutto. Not wanting to waste any of the animal, he learns traditional ways to prepare offal from a Serbian friend, and enjoys full Serbian hospitality, if not the offal so much. The flavor and abundance of Tasmania's summer bounty must be captured, so Matthew picks and preserves the last of the summer apricots, greengages and strawberries.
Episode 3
Matthew embarks on a fishing adventure with his mates Ross and Nick, where they hunt and spear flounder by torch on a moonless night. Then, they brave the elements to catch squid, lobster and tuna out at sea. They celebrate their haul by cooking and eating it on the rocks of a deserted beach, and take back tuna for preserving for the coming winter. Summer is waning, so Matthew visits Greek market gardener George to source buckets of ripe tomatoes to make passata which he bottles with a group of friends.
Episode 4
It's raining apples in Tasmania, and Matthew's ready to make full use of the abundant harvest. He learns how to make cider and cooks an apple and blackberry shortcake for his visiting mum. All very well, but Matthew sorely needs to find a way of earning a living. With his partner Ross, he prepares a range of pork products to sell at an artisan food stall at Hobart's premium marketplace, Salamanca Market. It's a total sell-out, but at number-crunching time they discover they've made a meagre profit of $2.20 per hour.
Episode 5
Matthew is settling into the routine of life on the farm and, impulsively, he decides to add turkeys to his menagerie - a decision he starts to regret. Meanwhile, he attends to installing a wood-fired stove, a practical but initially expensive way to cook and heat his house. To ensure good outcomes from its use, he and Nick visit Nene on Bruny Island for a lesson. In return, he offers to roast one of his turkeys. As it cooks, they go abalone-diving and return for a feast of abalone stir-fry and roast turkey. Back on the farm, another confronting challenge - Matthew must learn how to dispatch his over-supply of roosters, with the help of his friend Jen.
Episode 6
Matthew's farm is not yet a land of milk and honey, but, in this episode, he does his best for the milk component. Matthew introduces another addition to the farm, Maggie the cow, and a further learning curve for himself: learning how to milk and make cheese. His cheesemaker friend, Nick, helps him out. However, Matthew's concerned that he's not providing the right care for his cow and visits an organic dairy farmer, renowned for his healthy cows which haven't seen a vet for years. He finishes with a bushwalk and cheese fondue at iconic Cradle Mountain National Park.
Episode 7
It's the deep heart of winter and Matthew, with his mates Nick and Ross, go deer hunting. Not knowing how to butcher their game, they decide to visit a deer farmer in the central highlands. Along the way, they forage for aromatic black truffles, dig for peat in drizzling conditions with a whisky distiller, and then defrost themselves with a drink or two. Hungover the next day, they head off for a tranquil trout-fishing expedition in a nearby lake - they don't catch anything, but it hardly seems to matter.
Episode 8
Matthew continues to add animals to his farm - this time they're sheep. His Salamanca market stall is proving to be successful. However Matthew's keen to showcase a range of other delicacies to his loyal patrons, yet needs a license to sell them. An alternative is to host a free dinner party where he can serve his own or locally sourced produce to favorite customers. The menu is French-inspired: cassoulet, confit, terrine and soft-curd cheese. More practical matters need his attention, too: a sheep's escaped and possums are decimating his vegetable garden.
Episode 9
Matthew has sourced Tasmanian-milled flour and locally grown olive oil, and catches up with an artisan sourdough bread maker for tips. On an outdoor wood fire, they experiment making bread using local flour and imported flour. He discovers that Tasmanian flour is low in gluten, and better for making cakes. He tracks down a veteran winner of cake prizes to get some tips. His next visit is to the empire of cake, the CWA [Country Women's Association], to test whether his cake, made completely from local ingredients, stands up against those of renowned cake makers.
Episode 10
Matthew's nearing the end of his first year on the farm and it's time to reflect on what's happened. His stall is breaking even, his vegetable garden is pathetic and he's not sure he can call his new life a resounding success - at least financially. He certainly needs inspiration on the gardening front, and so visits a friend who has set up a farm on similar principles as his own, except that he has been doing it longer, and it's commercially successful. Resolved, he returns home to work in his vegetable garden: to plant out and possum-proof it. Matthew wants to celebrate the connections he's made during his journey, whether through sourcing local produce or seeking advice and help. So his finale is cooking up a feast for old mates and new friends.