2023 SHARE THE LOVE OF GREAT FOOD!

Under the Pickle Tree’s Cooking School at the foothills of the Yarra Valley is relaxed and convivial place to journey to south-east Asia without leaving the country. The kitchen overlooks bushland in beautiful Panton Hill.

My cooking classes are very “hands on” and focus on familiarising you with authentic Asian ingredients and flavours and teaching you methods to replicate street food classics in your home.

Classes have a maximum of eight people - and work is done in pairs so you can get through many more dishes than working alone.

Menus for the classes are inspired by my time living and working in Thailand and Vietnam and by seasonally available ingredients sourced from Springvale’s fresh food and seafood markets.

Under the Pickle Tree is located on a bushland property in rural Panton Hill, with accommodation and recreational activities nearby including the weekly St Andrews Community Market, wineries, mountain bike and hiking trails and more.

The cooking school has outdoor dining and a rustic aspect with both indoor and outdoor cooking over charcoal. Classes run for about 4–4.5 hours. The cost is $160 a person. This includes a Vietnamese iced coffee on arrival, a shared banquet on the outdoor deck with your choice of a Thai beer or local red or white wine and recipe cards to take home.

Private classes - with a custom-made menu - are available on a day of your choice. Private lunches and dinners fully catered in a bushland setting or at your home are also available. Minimum group size is 6 people. For further details contact Kelly on 0418 534 511 or email kelly@underthepickletree.com.au.

Cancellation Policy: On Extreme and Code Red Fire Danger Days classes will be rescheduled or a full refund offered.

Classes only run with a minimum of six people. If there are insufficient people booked into a class, you will be offered a full refund or a transfer to the next available class of your choice.

Gift vouchers are also available.

AUTUMN CLASSES 2024

Autumn is a time for comfort food. When the seasons change I turn from salads and barbecues to soups, curries and slow-cooked food, with Asian flavours. The two classes I have for you to choose from are a For the Love of Coconut Thai class that uses coconut in a myriad of ways and teaches you how to make a curry paste from scratch and to get the most flavour out of it by combining it with coconut milk. The second class is another in my Friday evening series One Pot Wonders of the World. It is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for boosting the immune system, deceptively flavoursome and delicate Hainanese Chicken Rice known as Khao Man Gai in Thailand. It is something I ate every day for lunch when I worked there as an English as a Second Language Teacher.

The For the Love of Coconut Class is adaptable to vegetarians and vegans. Asian food is gluten free so it is coeliac friendly. My classes are hands-on and you will use mortar and pestles, woks and bamboo steamers. Full classes include a welcome drink and snacks, a four-course feast on my outside verandah with a local wine or beer, recipe cards and extensive information on ingredients and substitutions.

To book a private lunch cooked by me or a private cooking class contact Kelly on 0418 534 511

Autumn/Winter Classes 2023

One Pot Wonders of the World - Khao Man Gai or Hainanese Chicken - Friday 3rd May 5 pm start - BOOK NOW -

Learn to perfectly poach chicken, prepare a garlic rice cooked in homemade chicken stock, a chilli sauce and eat one the classic dishes of the world, so delicate, so delicious, it soothes the soul. It is a labour of love but well worth it!

For the Love of Coconut - my class celebrates the myriad of uses of coconut in Thai cuisine - Sunday 2nd June 10.30 am start - BOOK NOW -

Who doesn’t love coconut in all its forms - coconut milk, coconut cream, dessicated coconut, grated coconut and coconut water. In this class you will get to make a Thai curry paste of your choice (red, yellow or green) and combine it with coconut milk or cream to make a curry using seasonal vegetables. For starters we will make northern Thai grabong fritters (thickened with coconut milk) and a favourite street food dessert kanom krob - chewy two-layered coconut pancakes.

Cost is $180 per person.

I am available for private cooking school bookings on a date of your choice and a menu to suit your dietary needs. I can also cater for your events.