ABOVE: Lilah and Charlie taste test the new Rappville ice cream at the mobile van at the tennis court in Rappville. Photo: Susanna Freymark
Susanna Freymark
Rappville has its own ice cream made from local mulberries and myrtle leaves.
Deb Babb who lives in the village picked the mulberries that were used by ice cream maker Wal Foster to create a unique Rappville ice cream.
The ice cream was one of the projects in the Arts Northern Rivers Creative Recovery Project bringing the community together after the 2019 bushfire that hit Rappville.
The projects included a recipe book, a Rappville tablecloth signed by residents and a photographic exhibition pinned to the tennis court fence.
Wal bought his blue mobile ice cream van from Brunswick Heads and is serving the probiotic sugar-free ice cream in Rappville today.
Lilah and Charlie from Rappville gave the botanical organic ice cream and edible cup the thumbs up.
The honey in the ice cream is from ‘Honey Man’ Reg Crouch in Casino.
“The idea was for the ice cream to give a sense of place,” Wal said.
Wal knows too well how fire impacts a community when he was living at Nymboida looking after his mother who had lung cancer.
His interest in food that was good for the gut came from the 14 months he was there.
His mother died five days before the bushfires hit.
“The hardest thing an about being an ice cream maker is not eating it all,” Wal said.
Part of the arts recovery project was a recipe book collated by artist Charlotte Haywood. The book features recipes from locals in Rappville and surrounds and is available for free.
A tablecloth signed by residents and printed was also being given out.
Along the tennis court fence, photos taken by those impacted by the fire were on display. The images tell the story of the community.
The arts projects are on display to see, read and taste at Rappville tennis court, today, October 30 from 2pm-4pm.
Everyone is welcome.