National Reconciliation Week with Gardening Australia

Join in the conversation about bushfood and native ingredients with Kylie Kwong, Aunt Beryl Van-Oploo and Clarence Slockee with Gardening Australia’s National Reconciliation Week episode filmed at South Eveleigh Community Rooftop Garden.

National Reconciliation Week is a time of reflection, truth-telling and the acknowledgement of the culture of the First Nations People. Food can act as a strong medium for sharing these stories and connecting different cultures together.

Aunty Beryl is an Indigenous Elder who championed the bush tucker cuisine in Australia. Her upbringing on the riverbank of the Namoi, Darling and Barwon Rivers in Walgett NSW helped inform her extensive Indigenous plant knowledge.

Kylie and Aunt Beryl first met at the Carriageworks Farmers Market in Sydney where Aunty Beryl was selling her native produce. Kylie credits Aunt Beryl for teaching her all about preparing and cooking native ingredients traditionally, a skill now reflected in the dishes at Kylie’s Eatery, Lucky Kwong.

Kylie favourite dish is stir-fried Australian native greens. It features four different species of native ingredients – the warrigal greens, saltbush, karkalla and seablite, all grown by Clarence and his team at Jiwah 50 metres away from the restaurant. 

“For us, it’s all about relationships, collaboration, community and families. But as both you and I both know, it’s always food that brings us all together,” said Kylie.

Kylie Kwong’s stir-fried Australian native greens recipe. 
Ingredients
• 60 ml vegetable oil (¼ cup) 
• 3 x small slices ginger 
• 50 gm saltbush leaves (see note) 
• 50 gm warrigal green leaves (see note) 
• 2 tbsp tamari 
• 50 gm karkalla leaves (see note) 
• 50 gm bower spinach leaves (see note) 
• ½ tsp sesame oil 

Instructions:
- Heat oil in a wok over high heat until shimmering, then add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant (5 seconds). 
- Add saltbush and warrigal greens and stir-fry until just wilting (2 minutes). 
- Add tamari and reduce slightly (30 seconds to 1 minute)
- Then add 60ml water and stir-fry for another 30 seconds to reduce. 
- Add karkalla, seablite and sesame oil, and stir-fry to combine (30 seconds), then serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes:
Saltbush, warrigal greens, karkalla and seablite are available from select specialist greengrocers, farmers' markets and nurseries.

Book a table at Lucky Kwong here. We look forward to see you at South Eveleigh soon!