Nourishing the Body & Mind at TEDx Sydney

Over 2300 people gathered at this years annual TEDx Sydney festival at the Opera House last Saturday. This year, the signature meal of the festival was a long table lunch especially curated to nourish the body and mind. Soups, curries, flatbreads, chutneys, pickles, veggies and salads; this vibrant celebration of food was prepared by Matt Moran’s ARIA Catering team in collaboration with chefs from the National Indigenous Culinary Institute. A hearty broth filled with locally grown veggies was cooked up using ingredients sourced from local food projects that work to provide opportunities for asylum seekers and refugees.

Marrickville’s social enterprise The Bread & Butter Project trains asylum seekers as fully qualified bakers. The team prepared and served up sourdough loaves  and fresh flat breads on site throughout the entire day. Even the amaranth used in the flat breads was grown by former refugee Hyeronime Tshilengo Bukasa. Pierre of Pepe Saya and his awesome team of cultured butter experts lovingly prepared the ghee that was served alongside the bread (take a peek at Yesterday’s post here). Fresh Herbs and leafy greens were supplied by Rob Caslick’s Organic Soup Kitchen, The Saint Candice Refugee Garden in Elizabeth Bay, The Multicultural Enterprises Farm and Sydney’s Mamre House.

Jill Dupleix, TEDxSydney food Curator said: “the tables will be a place to join up, break bread and share ideas in one big communal celebration. Food has the power to bring people together, and good things always come from that.”

Amen, sister.