Carol West talks to sea changers who have swapped city life for gourmet delicacies.

Backyard gourmet gurus are springing up all over the Noosa hinterland, selling their organic, and often highly original, produce at the Wednesday farmers' market at Eumundi, just 15 minutes from Noosa's famous restaurant strip.

These local horticulturists have identified a market niche and turned their back gardens into nice little earners which many, courtesy of the internet, are running as small-scale "international businesses" exporting overseas and around Australia.

Established in 1979, the Saturday Eumundi market is an institution for locals and a highlight for visitors. Dozens of small growers are sandwiched between herbal remedies, massages and the usual arts and crafts of a country market.

There are sweet strawberries that burst in the mouth, farm fresh lettuces and Makuta Organics glossy silverbeet and trays of spiky wheatgrass.

Over the past four years, David Groom's Yandina-based business has mushroomed literally. His Portobella mushrooms are the largest and most flavoursome, making an ideal vegetarian course, while local chefs clamour for his elegantly named Bellini and Baby Bellas.
Pulp Addition started when the mango harvest got out of control. Today the brightly painted cart serves 100 per cent frozen fruit, and although mangoes are still top of the bill, they're supported seasonally by bananas, pineapples and strawberries.

Queues form early at Paul Lloyd's Gourmet Gum stall that holds pride of place on the street front. Welsh ex-pat Lloyd and his wife Kathryn developed Gourmet Gum on their Cooroy property where they grow chilli, basil, bunya nuts, rocket and coriander for their relishes, jams and pestos.

"I made the sea change eight years ago from IT to selling jams and pestos," Lloyd said. "I grow the herbs and buy in local fruits and Kathryn creates our range of gourmet comestibles in our commercial kitchen."
Customers lining four deep to buy his rocket fetta, red bunya and coriander, macadamia nut and chilli pesto would agree.

"We started Taste of the Rainforest six years ago planting orchid-grown rainforest trees," said co-owner Martha Shepherd. The results are jars of tangy fruits called rainberries, raincherries and rainplums to serve as fruit sauces with game or poultry or over ice-cream and desserts.

Modern interpretations of bush tucker have been adapted at Fraser Island's Kingfisher Bay Resort where the Seabelle Restaurant features a diverse menu cooked with passion.

"We introduced tastings and talks on bush tucker around seven years ago and the reaction has been fantastic," general manager Ivor Davies said.

"Guests can see many of the native fruits when they go bushwalking around the resort."

Meanwhile, back in Eumundi life is good, says Sam Caines, who spent 18 months developing his Life's Good range of curries. Caines works with local growers who produce turmeric, macadamia nuts, coriander, lime leaves and chillies for his natural curry pastes.

"We sell to a huge amount of Melbourne and Sydney customers through our website and our individually hand-painted oil bottles are very popular," Caines said.

The Crunchy Dumplings Noodle Cart, arguably the smallest noodle bar in Australia, offers handmade vegetable spring rolls at $1 each and cheese and vegetable omelets are mid-morning essentials.

The nearby trawler-fresh seafood stall exemplifies changing tastes in Australian cuisine. Along with tuna and fish sticks, there are Thai fish cakes, prawn rolls and sushi to savour.

Celebration Foods, the brainchild of Lizzie Hall and Mary Bowtle, started out more than two years ago producing handmade gourmet products that are doing a roaring trade. With hand-me-down recipes for lemon curd, raspberry vinaigrette, preserved lime sauce and onion jam, Celebration is poised to expand nationally.

"We use local produce including rhubarb from Toowoomba's Endeavour

Foundation Farms who also provide work training for disabled young people," said Bowtle, busily pouring samples of delectable rhubarb syrup diluted with soda water "but perfect with ice and vodka". Made to a traditional Persian recipe, it's just one in their rhubarb range that includes crumble and cakes.

Other Celebration innovations include lime- or cappuccino-flavoured meringues and heavenly almond and orange friands.

If you're looking for retreats with your treats, then book into David and Jenny Mathers Cudgerie Homestead for an overnight stay. Located in nearby Cooroy, they delight in presenting locally grown gourmet food in a relaxed country style.

Making contact
Life's Good: www.lifesgoodcurrypastes.com.
The Gourmet Gum: gourmetgum@squirrel.com.au.
Cudgerie Homestead: www.cudgerie.com.
Celebration Foods: echall@froggy.com.au.
Taste of the Rainforest: www.galeru.com.au.

For general Informationon Noosa: See www.tourism noosa.com.au.