Kathi beams at us. Her radiance & warm-hearted friendliness immediately put us under a spell, having arrived at her organic farm “Maierlgut” in Flachauwinkel about an hour south of the city of Salzburg. The farm, jointly managed by Katharina Schmidt and her partner Christine Mooslechner, is idyllically located at the foot of the surrounding mountains overlooking the huge Tauern massif. “In the winter, we sometimes get well over six feet of snow,” she laughs surrounded by all the plants that now grow in her herb garden during summer. Hard to believe the variety of species that thrive here at 1,000 meters above sea level: sage, catnip, mullein, “Quendl” (wild thyme) & much more as we gather for a creative workshop called (Make Your Own) “Natural Medicine Chest“. The course, which takes place as part of the creative festival week “Natura.Kreativ” in Altenmarkt is well attended; with the jointly held workshop “Baking Bread & Culinary souvenirs” counting close to 30 participants in Kathi’s comfy kitchen room! Kathi delivers her goods as far as the city of Salzburg, receiving the flour for her bread from the original Fuchsmühle Mill in Anthering, which I have already had the pleasure of visiting during the Salzburg Gourmet Festival earlier this year: Pure, authentic ingredients to our experience of baking typical farm bread!
“First, we start by mixing the bread dough. I need a few hands! Then, we weigh and knead; see how delicate the dough feels?”
Kathi is mirrored in delight and joy by her daughter, who I immediately recognize from my first visit to this bread baking course over a year ago. She helps to keep track of the baking process with so many hands and inquisitive course participants floating around. Each participant receives a detailed list of ingredients and quantities for baking at home, as well as Kathi’s phone number: “Should you have any questions, just give me a call – yours, Kathi!” Cool!
Arriving at the Maierlgut farm in the province of Salzburg means relaxing, taking a deep breath, and enjoying life.
Kathi loves to show off her farm and garden, including those wooden huts that are home to a cosy lounge area as well as a herb sauna!
Humour is all over the place, as the old farmer’s saying goes (ask Kathi for an adequate translation). 😉
The best thing about visiting Kathi and her farm: The aroma of fresh bread greets you immediately upon arrival …
But it is not only fresh bread we learn how to bake. We also learn to make a fresh herb spread and homemade jam! Whatever is left after we finish our tasting gets bottled and handed as a souvenir to each participant. The freshly cooked jam from blueberries harvested during summer is a true delight! Not even a single crumb is left from our bread, passed around during the evening event “Natura.Entfaltung” where all works of the creative course participants of the Natura.Kreativ are presented. Altenmarkt here in Salzburg really gets our creative juices flowing!
While others are still kneading the dough for our bread, we start making a fresh herb spread in the meantime.
Kathi is there to explain each step of the baking process to us.
My dear friend & fellow creative traveller Janett meanwhile has taken to kneading the dough …
… until all loaves have finally been prepared and ready to bake for about an hour in granny’s old electric oven!
For the first time during the “Natura.Kreativ” creative mountain festival, Kathi offers a course on how to make your own “Natural Medicine Chest”. I realize: Herbs are a girl’s best friend!
“Elena, you are just too young for these things!” : D
What might sound like a nice compliment, is in actual fact the “bitter truth” about my modest knowledge of the natural healing processes of many plant species that exist around us. “All that we need to live, is contained in the plant – either to strengthen our health or to avoid a certain condition or illness. Citrus fruit or olive oil, for instance, both cool the body and therefore grow more in the southern realms. We can, however, also get our Vitamin C in sufficient quantities from local, ‘warming’ plants such as nettle or spinach leaves!” Listening to Kathi is like learning all there is to know about health, nutrition and good food. I really want to come back and join one of her courses, lectures & seminars about herbs again soon: The opportunity to stay directly on her Maierlgut farm including the delight of her freshly baked bread, a homemade herb sauna and comfy rooms makes for a perfect combination I believe.
Starting off our creative workshop “Make Your Own Medicine Chest” at the Maierlgut farm of Kathi Schmidt & Christine Mooslechner in Salzburg.
Diving into this garden …
… and being welcomed with a glass of fresh peppermint mountain water …
… as well as finding such a beautiful herb garden is simply heaven. And did you know that Kathi even has a calming sirup, made from lavender? As a busy travel blogger, I must certainly get myself one of those …!
Or perhaps, a bit of “Quendl” to calm my nerves?
I find it hard to leave this beautiful spot full of life and light …
… but we carry on in the most interesting of ways, learning how to preserve plants for the benefit of our own health.
A little later, the creative workshop “Make Your Own Medicine Chest” teaches us how to alleviate throat ache, what to rub on sore muscles and much more …!
Quite proud of what we have been able to create: Thank you dear Kathi for an interesting afternoon at your farm!! I really want to come back soon again.!
The “Natura.Kreativ” creative mountain festival with well over a dozen different creative courses featuring painting, crafts, vocal training and singing here in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee has again completely thrilled me this year. Everything that we learned in less than a week’s time, everything that we sung, worked, drilled, painted, baked, filled and made, is really quite unbelievable. Check out my “joy of creation” over having painted a most beautiful cityscape from Porto in Portugal, for instance! Now, I can only hope to see you back in 2015 for some more creative travel adventures in Salzburg? 🙂
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Altenmarkt-Zauchensee Tourism Destination in order to experience the Natura.Kreativ Creative Mountain Summer in Salzburg. All opinions are my own.