There’s nothing like looking down the line of a steady day, to have it all knocked around with a new opportunity! This is exactly what happened last week when I received a phone call from a local NGO organiser in quick need of catering for a VIP event the following day. Talk about a rushed timeline.
The local NGO was Shine SA and they were planning the launch of their new Adelaide city clinic, just off of Pirie Street. Shine SA is a leading provider of primary care services and a leading educator for sexual and relationship well being in South Australia. They have made massive progress working with and supporting Aboriginal and Torrens Strait Islander peoples throughout the state, which I have immense respect for.
One of their greatest achievements has been the establishment of the Karrparrinthi Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Centre in Adelaide’s western suburbs. Karrparrinthi is Kaurna for ‘Supporting Each Other’, which I believe is at the core of the organisation’s mission. Their services serve such a wide array of cultures and communities here in SA. The launch of their new city centre is especially instrumental for providing support to the LGBTIQ community.
With the time before the event disappearing, I assembled my “Indigenous All-Stars” catering team of Kiah Howard, Carol Collins and Tiffany Willingale, to start preparing for the 70 attendee strong event being attended by South Australian premier Jay Weatherill. Thankfully due to the great range of Creative Native catering solution items we have available, compiling a grazing cocktail menu for the night was a cinch……
To kick-start the proceedings after the “Welcome to Country” ceremony, we served Emu Pate on Native Pepperleaf Lavosh, topped with Muntries Chutney (that cuts through the richness of the pate), along with a Bush Tomato Pesto served on cucumber as a vegetarian option. Some guests were hesitant at the idea of emu pate initially but were considerably surprised at delectable flavours.
After their first tastes of the native foods for the night it was time to follow up with some of my cocktail favourites; Kangaroo Koftas with a Rivermint yoghurt, Pumpkin & Lemon Myrtle Pasties with a Sweet Lemon Myrtle Chilli Sauce, and Crocodile Satays in Lemon Myrtle Tom Yum which turned out to be an over whelming crowd favourite! We finished the nights grazing menu with something sweet in the way of mini Quandong Crumble Pies.
It was great to get to talk to the driven people from an organisation that has done so much for the Aboriginal and Torrens Straight Islander people here in my home state, and to be present for such a great occasion focused on building the support available for those in need.