“I love both growing and eating good food, but gourmet cook I am not,” she quipped.

“Simplicity is key and I often substitute ingredients when recipes are not in sync with our season.

“The taste of the ingredients do all the talking; it is a return to the tastes and aromas of my grandparents’ kitchen before the rise of 'supermarket' convenience, where the focus of food production turned to long shelf life for transportation.”

The physiotherapist founded RAD (Real and Delicious) Growers in November 2015 on a small parcel of land on her parents’ mixed property at Bungowannah, south-east of Howlong.  

Ms O’Callaghan said people living on the Border were lucky to experience four true seasons.

“The heat of summer allows us to grow great melons, cool of winter to forage for mushrooms and the frosts in winter allows us to grow super sweet carrots, parsnip and brassicas,” Ms O’Callaghan said.

“Eating seasonally means not only are we sourcing ingredients from our backyard veggie patch or local growers when they are at their tastiest, but also when they are at their peak nutritional value because of the short field to table chain.” 

Ms O’Callaghan said at a time when four out of five Australians were not eating enough fruit and vegetables (CSIRO, April 3, 2017) eating fresh produce was vital.

“If seasonality is not a big part of your repertoire, there is not time like the present,” she said.

Ms O’Callaghan said food was an experience rather than just something that stopped people from feeling hungry.

She said food provided fuel for minds and bodies to develop to fulfil their potential.

“It's often a mode for connection – for parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren cooking together – celebration of birthdays, achievements, monumental events in life,” she said.

RAD Growers offers veggie boxes and free-range eggs from pasture-raised hens.

They deliver for pick-ups on Mondays on the corner of East and Schubach streets, Albury, 3.30pm to 5.30pm. From April 12 until late May, they will harvest and deliver produce on Wednesdays from the front of the Beechworth Food Co-op between 3.30pm and 5.30pm. The eggs are available at Beechworth Food Coop, Albury retailers Border Just Foods, Butts Gourmet Smokehouse, Ebden & Olive and Quickstop in West Albury and Yackandandah’s Saint Monday.

If you have a Casual Cook recipe, email chris.young@fairfaxmedia.com.au.