Gourmet Farmer Afloat (ATOM Study Guide)

'Circumnavigate Tasmania on a historic voyage of gastronomy gastronomy … how hard can it be?' – Matthew

Scene: we are aboard a yacht, the Solquest, sailing on the open sea. Boats, they say, are an escape. Harnessing the power of Mother Nature, sails propel these vessels forward with promises of adventure and dreams of exploration, whispered on the wind.

Well, there speaks a romantic; what boats also do is make some of us seasick! They are cramped, often lacking basic space to sleep, cook and eat - and as for privacy, forget it! A sailor's life demands patience, tolerance and good humour. And best mates Matthew, Ross and Nick have all the requirements - apart from a tendency to sea- sickness – to make a cheery, amenable crew. And they are all excellent cooks!

Welcome to Gourmet Farmer Afloat, a six-part television series produced by Essential Media Entertainment in association with SBS Television, directed by Josh Martin and screening on SBS TV in 2015. This series of episodes – ostensibly in celebration of Tasmania's gourmet foods – will also both entertain and instruct us in a unique, clever way about Tasmania, the 'island state' – its history, both Indigenous and colonial, its world-renowned produce, its unique agriculture, its stunning landscapes, its hospitality – all of which also speak to Australia's broad colonial and multicultural heritage.

Fancy a meal of sea asparagus? Ever tasted saltbush? How about a swan-egg omelette? Did you know that there are twenty-six different varieties of potato? How do you cook octopus? Who was Bruni D'Entrecasteaux? Did you know we missed out on becoming a French-speaking nation by just twenty years?

And how good is your food vocabulary?

• Gastronomy
• Culinary
• Cuisine
• Forage
• Groats
• Samphire
• Larding
• Molluscs
• Pipis

What do you know about 'Old World' and 'New World' foods? Well, Gourmet Farmer Afloat will provide the answers to all these questions and many more in and entertaining, informative and enthusiastic style.

Aims of this study guide:

In tracing the voyages of the early explorers, Gourmet Farmer Afloat is both an enjoyable television series in its own right and a valuable supplementary text for school students from Years 9 through to VCE, as well as a broad-themed resource for students pursuing Year 13 subjects.

Specifically, the subject areas for which this series will function ably as a supplementary text are:

• Year 9–10 Geography
• Year 9–10 Australian History
• Year 10 Media Studies
• Aboriginal Studies (elective)
• Aboriginal Studies (stand-alone subject)
• Year 11/VCE Media Studies
• VCE Food Production
• VET Year 13

This Study Guide contains:

• A detailed synopsis of Episodes 1–6;
• Miscellanea lists for episodes where required;
• A supplementary reading list;
• Detailed information/links to the Australian Curriculum;
• Links to classroom curriculum;
• Activities/tasks for the classroom.

Tasmania – also known as the 'Apple Isle' – has much more than just apples in its lunch box these days. Truffles, walnuts, blueberries, pears, plums, gooseberries, raspberries, stone fruit, honey … The whole island is one big food bowl. And Gourmet Farmer Afloat will take us on that gastronomic trip to teach us about the geographical and culinary beauties of this smallest of Australian states. Enjoy!

Please Note: On occasion in this series, (for example, Episodes 1 and 4) there will be scenes in which animals are caught and killed on camera. Any viewer who watches this series needs to recognise that this may occur.