The edgy veg trail has returned to the Macedon Ranges for a second year, with voting for the awards set to close on April 30.
The initiative launched last year as part of the Autumn Festival in the aim to help people eat more vegetables and try new dishes.
Project coordinator Lucy Campbell said they wanted to get residents thinking about their food choices and the impact it can have.
“Our angle is getting people to think about the environmental impact their food choices have and how it’s better for the planet and people’s health to eat more veg,” Ms Campbell said.
“There’s things like improved heart [and] gut health from eating more veggies… it lowers your cancer risk.”
“Cultures associated with eating more veggies generally live longer than [heavy meat eaters].”
Ms Campbell said they have almost double the amount of cafes, restaurants and pubs involved compared to last year.
“This time we have 26 cafes, pubs and restaurants on board, and 49 dishes have been submitted,” she said.
“In the first week we got 400 votes, it’s been going really well so far.”
Ms Campbell said they encourage the eateries to use local produce, with dishes including: nori beer-battered banana blossom, chickpea flour frittata and magmour.
“We also encourage the cafes to serve something seasonal, a lot of the dishes are connected to autumn and use local produce.
“During COVID-19 when a lot of deliveries were stopped, people released how important it was to be able to access local produce… [it also] lowers carbon emission [and] supports local farmers.”
Every time you vote on a dish you also go into a draw to win a weekend away for two at the Lancefield Guest House.
Details: https://bit.ly/3H0GrCZ
Zoe Moffatt
