When Sydney-based photographer Luisa Brimble contacted me and came to visit earlier this year….she had stars in her eyes and an event on her mind.  That it would turn into the first ever Australian Kinfolk Dinner, with Kinfolk Magaazine founder & co-owner Katie Searle-Williams and chief event organiser Julie Pointer attending from the USA (for the dinner as well as a weekend of creative workshops in true Kinfolk style at Koskela’s Dickebusch beach house), it was but a pipe dream.

In the intervening months, Luisa drew together a pool of young creative people from across the country.  As well as attending and/or sharing their skills at the weekend workshops, they contributed towards (as well as joining in) the dinner at Glenmore on Tuesday evening.  This has been an ongoing collaboration all year…Luisa with a team of generous souls in tow, contributing their time, energy and creativity, willing to lend a hand to make things happen.  Many hands, as they say, make light work, and this is how the preparation, (as well as dismantling – thank you guys!) happened on Tuesday, with everyone sharing the tasks at hand, amidst fun and laughter. 

While Melbourne-based freelance florist  Phil, went foraging on the roadside, as well as in my garden (lucky there are any flowers left!!!), the team shifted lovely trestles & benches from recycled timber furniture maker Timbermill.  Chairs were dotted around the garden and under trees,  as well as inside Harriet’s still-standing willow structure from our open garden…. 

Mario & Liz, from Mario’s Kitchen, went into virtual lockdown in the pantry, creating a feast for guests inspired by the beautiful seasonal produce that Mario grew up with as a boy, from his parents’ kitchen garden in Sydney.  Shared platters of tomato, fried wheat & goats curd, pizzas of fig, mozzarella & caramelised onion, or olive, onion & rosemary, a salad of lentils with mustard & tomatoes as well as Barramundi with kale & capers, were followed by a rice pudding infused with rose petals and topped with almonds.  But first there was a grazing table laden with bread, nuts, fruit and cheese….  

Our table in the Hayshed was a visual feast of delightful temptations!

Eventually the table was set…

A length of trestles stretched the entire length of the Borders, from the murraya hedge steps to the almond tree (just as well we got that measurement right all those years ago!).

And as we sat to listen to heartfelt thanks to Luisa for bringing the evening – a celebration of food, creativity, and a delightful collection of people together, to feast on Mario’s food and to share stories, the sun sank to a golden dusk and an almost (and huge) full moon rose in the sky.  

Larry and I were delighted to be included in such a delightful event and thoroughly enjoyed having each and every one here to share a memorable evening at Glenmore.

A little postscript….the girls from America were desperate to see a kangaroo and asked several times during the day if there might be a chance? The last time I saw a roo here was several years ago, when I almost jumped out of my skin while watering the garden one morning….so I tried to let them down gently – roo spotting at Glenmore would be an unlikely occurrence!  And so, when I peered into the distance after talking to some guests near Harriet’s structure, I could scarcely believe my eyes when I spotted a tall, dark shape not usually at the bottom of the paddock.  It bent down to graze…then stood up again!  I fetched the girls from where they were mingling and we quietly went back down to the fence.  I found Tassie-based photographer Jonathan….and at some point soon, hopefully he will send me the image he took of two awestruck girls from the US, as they watched in delight before our handsome friend hopped off into the eucalypts….

pps I’ll let you know when there are more professional images than mine ready to view – there are many floating on Instagram that you may stumble across (as you see, taking images was not my priority….there is much missing above!).