Eight teams head to Australia's culinary capital of Melbourne for the next elimination challenge. They find Colin and Pete awaiting their arrival in an urban community garden in St Kilda. Pete and Colin explain that teams will be creating a Harvest Party for one hundred hungry gardeners at Federation Square. Teams have three hours to source their produce direct from the garden, and to transform it into canapés and finger food.
As always, the guest gardeners will vote for their favourite dish, the chefs of which will be safe from the next two eliminations. The two weakest dishes will be chosen by Pete and Colin, and will go straight into a Sudden Death Cook Off.
As moral support, Colin has embraced the challenge's theme, and is wearing a Har-vest.
The teams commence their hunting and gathering, running around the urban garden in a fashion similar to ants who have had their nest disturbed. Some are more successful than others, and five teams manage to catch the first tram out of St Kilda.
Back in the garden, the wheels have literally fallen off Drasko and Bianca's operation, as the wheels fall off their harvest cart. They then get distracted searching for bay leaves. Refocusing on reality, they look around the garden and realize the bay leaves have left them as the last team in St Kilda Bay, so they abandon their bay leaves and the garden. Carol and Adam are also struggling and falling behind. Shaz and Jac are getting lost in the Big Smoke, and failing to grab a cab or land a tram. They are the last team to arrive at the Federation Square kitchens.
The teams prepare their canapés, and their guest gardeners arrive at 12 midday. Second last to arrive at the kitchens, but first to serve are Carol and Adam, who have prepared Waldorf Prawn Salad. On tasting, Colin says it is a dish they could have whipped up in ten minutes and describes it as a ‘non-event’ – a group of ingredients in a leaf. Waldorf Salad and Prawn Cocktails are both renowned for their unique dressings, but Carol and Adam’s fusion of the two has not provided any dressing whatsoever. Promising the fusion of two classic dishes, they have not managed to produce even one. Pete says they are way out - the dish is not even a line call.
Jane and Emma have made Beetroot with Goats Cheese Mousse and Herb Biscuit. Emma gets in a pickle and forgets to garnish the Judges' dishes with pickled beetroot. On tasting, Colin ironically thinks it is lacking the acidity that maybe a pickle could have provided, but despite this, the dish still works. Pete thinks it is an elegant dish, and that they have nailed the brief.
Ash and Camilla have created Lamb Cutlets with Fondant Potatoes and Beetroot Puree. Colin questions whether it is a main or a canapé. The lamb is the star of the dish, when it was supposed to be the harvest vegetables. Pete says it is a good- looking dish, but not really a canapé, and he has not been wowed. Colin says the girls have gone down today, and Camilla is especially perturbed that Colin did not even comment on her potatoes, because she made them with him in mind. Camilla sweetheart, while your potatoes may be lovely, Colin’s married, he is not interested in your potatoes.
Kool Kat and Understated Andre are making Hoisin Beef Steamed Bun with Pickled Radish. Kool Kate describes it as a garden in a bun. The sun is not helping their dough, and they find it too gooey to work with. On tasting, the Judges think there is a nice flavor to the beef and sauce, it has a good level of heat and a good kick off the radish, but the buns have let them down.
Drastic Drasko and ‘I’ in Bianca are cooking Asian Mushroom Risotto. With his usual grasp of helpfulness, Drasko adds the wine to the pan before the rice, and has to start the risotto again. On tasting, Pete says the dish is too clever for its own good, which has resulted in it not being easy to eat. Colin says a young lady in a dress would refuse to eat it because she would end up wearing it. While they agree that the mushroom has been celebrated, their idea of risotto had ‘mush’ room for improvement.
Jac and Shaz are creating Wasabi Chicken with Asian Slaw. Used to treating their meat as rissoles, Shaz has to remind Jac that they are not making a rissole. On serving, Pete says it looks like an attractive and happy dish. Colin says it presents as something you want to eat. On tasting, Pete thinks it is the best tasting dish, it fits the brief and is summery and fresh. He claims it as his dish of the day, and admires the Mt Isa ladies for continuing to surprise him. They were the last to arrive in the kitchen, the last to serve, but wowsers, what a great dish.
Will and Steve are cooking an ambitious mouthful of Shallot Tarte Tatin with Seared Duck and Crème Fraiche. They are fighting in the kitchen, and the conflict transfers on to the plate. Steve has the idea of presenting their dish as a mini edible garden, complete with rotten produce and vegetable stalks. It resembles a compost heap, and Pete does not like the presentation. Colin forgets himself, and candidly laughs when he sees it. They both agree it is not user friendly. Pete does not know how to begin to attempt to eat it.
When he does finally get it in his mouth, he likes the shallots and the crème fraiche, but the duck is too much and the pastry is undercooked. At critique, Pete says it was a mess, and claims it is the worst he has seen them cook. Cook like that again, and he predicts they will be out of the competition.
Steve foolishly defends their dish, claiming it was a celebration of the garden. Pete counteracts with the question ‘by putting something on the plate that you couldn’t eat?’. Everyone cringes, but Steve continues to justify his idea. Steve says the criticism has crushed his heart. It has clearly also crushed his hair, which appears to have melted down the side of his head. Clearly Steve’s hair reflects his mood, and the predominant air temperature at the time. It appears that Steve’s idea for an edible garden has produced an inedible dish.
Spice Girls Eva A and Debra B have created Crispy Barramundi with Apple and Mango Salad. Despite being cooked well, Colin says the dish does not need the barramundi because the salad is the star and a dish all on its own. Colin claims it as his dish of the day, he says he can eat it, close his eyes, and boom - it takes him somewhere. Pete says it is a gorgeous dish – fresh, fragrant, elegant and memorable. The guest gardeners agree, with them voting Eva and Debra's dish as their favourite. This keeps Eva and Debra safe from the next two eliminations.
Unsurprisingly, Colin and Pete choose Adam and Carol and Steve and Will as the two worst dishes. They go straight into the next Sudden Death Cook Off. Will Will and Steve pick up their game, or will Adam and Carol ace them on all course services? Tune in for the next episode of My Kitchen Rules to find out.