I drive in the gate of this beautiful property on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria (Main Ridge to be precise) and I am enveloped in green…lawn, vines and hills in the distance. It has been a hot summer in Melbourne but today is cool and overcast. I don a jacket for the first time in a while.
The green theme continues into the kitchen. The owner, Ciara, converted the Manager’s house last year and created the bespoke kitchen. Her attention will shortly turn to the rest of the house, which she will rent out as short-stay accommodation.
The kitchen is green on green – the tableware, wall tiles, and cupboards are all shades of glorious green. New windows were installed to take advantage of the picturesque ten acres of vines and vistas beyond. Frog Hollow Kitchen only opened this year so Ciara herself is still new to cooking in this beautiful space.
Looking out through the windows around the kitchen, the pinot noir and pinot gris vines are in full flush, on the cusp of harvest. “The vines are like having a huge garden where you can tell the seasons,” says Ciara proudly.
I sit around the curved island bench with my 21 and 24-year-old daughters, along with another mother and daughter, and two friends. We are all keen to learn some cooking and entertaining tips, eat what Ciara demonstrates and enjoy a day of being spoiled. We are not disappointed.
Ciara clearly loves her garden, loves cooking and loves entertaining. She credits her mother and her husband with her love of entertaining, and her sons and their friends with her love of feeding people.
Most of the produce used in Ciara’s seasonal Mediterranean food is picked fresh that morning from her garden. Her dream is to have a large kitchen garden, but that’s a project for another day.
Over the next few hours, Ciara shows us how to create an amazing lunch. Entrée is zucchini ravioli (not pasta, more like zucchini parcels). Main is a delectable eye fillet with garlicky tomatoes and drizzled with basil pesto. On the side is a beetroot and rocket salad with orange and balsamic dressing and oh-so-good duck fat roast potatoes. Dessert is a sweet and salty cream cheese tart served with fresh summer peaches. And, yes, Ciara prepares and cooks all of this in front of us!
As Ciara prepares the food, she gives us cooking and entertaining tips and we ask whatever questions we like. The group becomes a mini-community, sharing ideas and laughs.
We learn by listening to Ciara and by watching her. It is a lovely experience to share with my daughters (even if Ciara does show up my lack of imagination and talent in the kitchen!)
Ciara has designed the kitchen with a keen eye for detail and so that everyone is close. She welcomes people getting up from the kitchen stools and coming closer to look at anything. Ciara put such thought into the kitchen design that she had an electric induction installed in the middle of the island bench. Even though she had never used an electric induction before, Ciara chose it deliberately so that the cooking process was more visible to the group.
We sit at the island bench to eat the ravioli. “A kind recipe, which makes you look really smart,” Ciara tells us modestly. It is delicious as is everything we eat.
Whilst the eye fillet is properly rested, we enjoy a break. We move outside to the terrace to admire the views, drink local sparkling wine and chat with our new friends. On cue, the sun comes out and the vines sparkle. I lose the jacket and put on a hat. The delights of Melbourne’s ever-surprising weather!
We sit outside to eat main and dessert. Both the indoor and outdoor table settings are exquisite and, again, the theme is largely green.
“Cooking is all about love…and patience,” Ciara tells us. We certainly feel the love as we sit at her gorgeous table amongst bountiful bunches of freshly picked hydrangeas, eat lunch al fresco surrounded by vines and gorgeous countryside and chat with our new friends.
Frog Hollow Kitchen is now open and taking bookings, including private cooking experiences for a group of friends, family or colleagues. Owner, Ciara, is happy to curate a menu in conjunction with a host if a private group is booked.
Experiences are available from 11am to 3.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Available dates are listed on the website.
Also find Frog Hollow Kitchen on Instagram – @froghollowkitchen
The author of this article was hosted by Frog Hollow Kitchen for a complimentary dining experience. All opinions expressed are based on the author’s personal experience.
