LFC News January 18 2023

Jan 172023
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Bree Lawson, Cath Lyons, Doug Bell, Evan Jovanovic, Gayle Parkes and Izolde Bensch.

Three new community pantries

Recent changes in Eltham eateries

In the suburb in which I, and many of you, live (Eltham), the following restaurants have opened in recent months (each with a one line comment from me having been there):

  • Grill’d: a burger restaurant at the site of the previous Liquorland. Eat in as well as takeaway. Wide ranging burger menu, including chicken and plant-based. At the quality end of the local burger options.
  • Hecho en Mexico: a Mexican restaurant at the site of the previous La Zanyas. Uncompromising (i.e. non-standard) versions of standard Mexican menu items in terms of both the food and the drinks.
  • Kuzina Kitchen & Bar: a Greek restaurant at the site of the previous Maroush. Some rather unusual (and tasty) options in terms of both the food and the drinks.
  • Walk the Wok: a Chinese restaurant at the site of the previous The Greek Place. As well as dine in, they also do both takeaway and delivery. Reasonably standard chinese food. One of the few places where there is vegetarian singapore noodles on the menu.

The following restaurants have closed in recent months: La Zanyas, Maroush and Noble House.

Snap and snow pea update

Last week, I invited readers to write in with their progress or otherwise in growing Bruno’s pea seedlings. Here are three responses:

  • Evan Jovanovic: “We’re harvesting plenty [see photo right]. Thanks very much for the seedlings. It seems this time of year was far more successful for us than previous attempts.“
  • Doug Bell: “We have had an abundant crop with Bruno’s peas. It has been the best snow pea crop we have ever had and we have been able to give some away to friends and family. Many thanks to Bruno. It’s what home veggie gardening is all about.“
  • Ann Stanley: “Sadly all seedlings were eaten by a hungry creature in the first 24 hours of planting.“

A new article from Angelo Eliades

The best ways to harvest and dry fresh herbs.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

‘Crowd harvest’ – summer herbs

During January, take your surplus herb plants in pots, freshly cut herbs or dried herbs to NewHope Community Care in Blackburn North. They have clients who could make use of these herbs.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Simone’s video on storing your seeds.

b33e661f-c100-4ebe-9ffa-847952e0da4e.jpgJoke (or pun) of the week

Submitted by Olaf Falafel: My attempts to combine nitrous oxide and Oxo cubes made me a laughing stock.

Read more jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets

There will apparently not be any Carlton or Abbotsford farmers’ markets during January.

Food swaps

Note that not all the food swaps below may be happening as some swaps take the month of January off.

Community gardens

Note that not all the community garden events below may be happening as some gardens take the month of January off.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not local but interesting

David’s productive garden; Sunday, 12th February, 10am-4.30pm; $8; Footscray.

A collection of unusual fruit trees and produce including figs North & South American Myrtaceas, Saskatoon berries & cherry guavas, white sapote, fruiting palm, custard apple and many berries. Organised by Open Gardens Victoria.

Francisco & Michael’s food garden; Sunday, 12th February, 10am-4.30pm; $8; West Footscray.

This is a busy, urban garden that will give you many ideas how to grow your own food right in your own backyard. Organised by Open Gardens Victoria.

Marcus and Jen’s productive garden; Sunday, 12th February, 10am-4.30pm; $8; Footscray.

The owners have chosen to grow veggies in raised beds surrounded by wisteria planted to grow on the nearby pergola. Organised by Open Gardens Victoria.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Digital food storytelling workshop; Saturday, 4th February, 10am-2pm; free; Epping.

This workshop is primarily for Whittlesea community and school gardeners but is also open to others who are interested in documenting food stories and cultural practices. It will entail using your smartphone to create a short video. You will learn how to: plan your story; film and gather sound; and edit the film and share it. Facilitated by Digital Storytellers.

Keeping backyard chickens; Saturday, 11th February, 10am-midday; free; South Morang.

Maria Ciavarella, from My Green Garden, will tell you all you need to know to start keeping backyard chickens, including: what is needed to keep chooks; how to keep them safe from pests and foxes; which varieties are suitable for different purposes; and council requirements.

Gut brain connection with Dr. Carol Gubert; Wednesday, 15th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $40 ($20 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Dr. Gubert will talk about how the bugs that inhabit our gut can communicate with the brain and the therapeutical potential that targeting this ecosystem (e.g. with diet) can have in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.

Growing itty bitty greens; Thursday, 16th February, 6-7pm; $27 ($27 per hour); Brunswick.

Learn how to grow microgreens. While you are planting your own microgreens to take home, you will learn about: varieties of microgreens; where to source organic seeds or those not treated with chemicals or genetic modifications; growing mediums including soil and coconut coir; the nitty gritty of how to grow and care for microgreens; when to harvest them; and how to use them in the kitchen.

Introduction to beekeeping (2 sessions); Saturday, 18th February, 9.30am-4.30pm and Saturday, 25th February, 10.30am-12.30pm; $225 ($25 per hour); Blackburn North.

This all day program is highly interactive and includes a live hive opening on the following Saturday (25th February, 10.30am-12.30pm) as well as other hands-on skill building exercises. The background instruction includes equipment selection and bee biology in addition to details of the Apiary and Biosecurity Codes of Practice. Included in the course fee are a comprehensive handbook and a copy of the textbook The Australian Beekeeping Manual, 2nd Ed. (which retails at $60).

Beeswax wrap workshop; Saturday, 18th February, 10am-midday; free; Ringwood.

Ben from Ben’s Bees will show you how to make your own beeswax wrap and have a large beeswax wrap to take home. You will also receive a small block of beeswax to take home to make your own wraps.

Kitchen medicine – garden farmacy; Saturday, 18th February, 10am-2.30pm; $120 ($27 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: an introduction to herbal medicine making; plant identification; guidelines for foraging and wild-crafting; medicinal uses for plants; and how to introduce medicinal herbs into the kitchen for medicine. What you will get: a remedy and a seedling. Take a walk through the CERES garden beds and bring the wisdom of traditional herbal medicines into a modern context. You will explore traditional and modern uses of the plants and how to introduce these plants into the kitchen as medicine. Presenter: Naabi Methe.

Vegetable gardening 101; Saturday, 18th February, 2-3pm; $15; Ringwood.

Get a crash course in veggie gardening.

Autumn edible gardening; Sunday, 19th February, 10am-midday; $30 ($15 per hour); Forest Hill.

The weather is going to get cooler soon, but what should you do next? How can you ensure that those big fat pumpkins will keep for most of the year? What is ‘green manure’ and why would you want it?

Presenting the Merri-bek community food hub; Thursday, 23rd February, 6-8pm; $15; Coburg North.

Hear from Food Leadership Action Group (FLAG) members who are leading a collective impact approach to addressing food security in Merri-bek through a Community Food Hub model. You will also meet the project teams who have been funded to test ideas for a shared Community Food Hub model that delivers socially inclusive food security across Merri-bek’s diverse communities.

End of summer fruit tree pruning; Saturday, 25th February, 10am-1pm; $30 ($10 per hour); Forest Hill.

Join them amongst the former and grafted apple trees at Strathdon House to learn all the ins & outs, and cuts & trims that produce healthy, bountiful fruit trees. Deciduous fruit trees are traditionally pruned in winter but in Melbourne’s temperate climate, trees don’t go fully dormant so winter pruning just encourages tall whippy growth that will have to be pruned-off anyway.

Wicking beds workshop; Saturday, 25th February, 1.30-3.30pm; free; Kilsyth.

Learn the techniques to build a garden bed that wicks the water up into the soil from below, saving water from above and increasing drought tolerance. Organised by Japara Living & Learning Centre.

Growing native edibles workshop; Monday, 27th February, 6.30-8pm; free; Richmond.

Cultivating Community will guide you through identifying, growing and tasting native bush foods and bush teas.

In January
In February
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Let’s get cooking (4 sessions); On 4 consecutive Mondays, starting 30th January at midday; $90 ($23 per hour); Epping.

Healthy eating tips and practical cooking skills. Tutor: Daniela Calcagno. Organised by Greenbrook Community House.

Italian cooking (2 sessions);Thursdays, 16th and 23rd February, both 6-9pm; $195 ($33 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Lucia Silverii will teach you the time-honoured techniques of southern Italian cooking. The first session will cover pasta with zucchini and tuna and lemon biscuits. The second session will cover chicken scallopine and almond biscotti. Organised by Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.

Lacto-fermented cherry tom bomb M.O.B.; Friday, 17th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $85 ($43 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Learn how to ferment your cherry tomatoes. M.O.B. stands for ‘mingling over bacteria’.

Sourdough bread workshop; Saturday, 18th February, 9-11.30am; $185 ($74 per hour); Brunswick East.

What you will learn: ways to create and look after your own sourdough starter culture; the flour to use for the best nutrition and results; ways to knead sticky high hydration dough for a more authentic sourdough loaf; the equipment needed to produce a sourdough tin loaf at home; and ways to bake sourdough bread using a bread tin in a home oven. What you will get: comprehensive workshop notes; sourdough starter culture; and a discount on a professional quality bread tin. Presenter: Rick Lavender of The Life We Want. Organised by Bee Sustainable.

The art of Thai salads; Saturday, 18th February, 3-7pm; $160 ($40 per hour); Panton Hill.

Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree. The menu: a traditional green papaya salad plus a version using carrots; a pork and a vegetarian larb salad with chilli and roasted rice powder dressing; a mung bean noodle salad that is packed with Thai herbs plus some char-grilled prawns; and sticky rice.

Vegan cheese making; Sunday, 19th February, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to make your own vegan cheese; and how to make vegan milks, creamy spreads and dairy-free desserts. Presenter: Nase Supplitt.

Thai beef salad – cooking class; Tuesday, 21st February, 10-11.30am; $28 ($19 per hour); Doncaster East.

Thai salad (yum nua) is a balance of sweet, salty, tart, and spicy flavours. It is made with tender beef steak, fragrant herbs and a zingy dressing. Organised by Pines Learning.

Indian cooking – Punjabi (2 sessions); Wednesday, 22nd February and Wednesday, 1st March, both 6.30-8.30pm; $118 ($30 per hour); Panton Hill.

Learn how to cook a healthy North West Indian vegetarian meal from scratch using authentic ingredients. Tutor: Taariq Hassan. Organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik.

Truffle and praline workshop; Tuesday, 23rd February, 6-10pm; $180 ($45 per hour); Blackburn.

Learn how to create handmade chocolates from start to finish using your creative influences to make unique flavours and shapes. They will cover flavour combinations, ganache based flavours, nut pralines, enrobing methods and finishes. You will take home all you make in the workshop along with the recipes and an instruction booklet.

Mediterranean summer cooking; Thursday, 23rd February, 6.30-8.30pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Balwyn North.

Arzu Yilmaz will demonstrate three dishes. This workshop will also explain the health benefits of using olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs. Don’t forget to bring containers. Organised by Trentwood at the Hub.

How to make fresh gnocchi; Thursday, 23rd February, 6.30-8.30pm; $36 ($18 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Make gnocchi from scratch the Italian way. Enjoy tasting the dishes with the other participants. You will take home your freshly made gnocchi. Take a container and an apron. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Farmhouse sake / doburoku night; Friday, 24th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $125 ($63 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Make your own sake using rice, koji and water and time. This is a 3 step process and you’ll take home stage one in a 3 litre jar – with koji for step 2 – and a couple of bottles for the final bottling step. They will also cover amazake – the sweet, more immediate (overnight) drink.

Sourdough bread making; Saturday, 25th February, 10am-12.30pm; $64 ($26 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Learn all the steps to make your own sourdough at home with this simple recipe. You will take home a sourdough starter and some home dough to bake. Take a 2 litre container with a lid and an apron. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Growing and cooking with bushfoods; Saturday, 25th February, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to identify and harvest bush foods; how to grow and maintain bush foods in the home garden; and how to incorporate bush foods into everyday recipes. Tour the CERES bush food gardens and gain knowledge of bush foods from further afar – tropical delights from the north, peppery spices form the south. During the workshop, you will learn how to incorporate bush foods into simple, tasty and nutritious meals, desserts and snacks. The group will make a bush food inspired lunch and afternoon tea – all food prepared on the day will be vegetarian and vegan friendly. Presenter: Belinda Kennedy.

Kombucha workshop; Saturday, 25th February, 11am -midday; free; Box Hill.

Learn how to brew your own kombucha with advice from the skilled brewing team at The Good Brew Company. Organised by Box Hill Library.

Beginners cheese making at home; Sunday, 26th February, 10am-3pm; $240 ($48 per hour); CERES.

You will learn how to make: buttermilk ricotta; yoghurt (both pot-set and greek-style); labneh (and marinated labneh in oil); creme fraiche; cultured butter and flavoured butters; and ghee. You will take home what you make. Presenter: Kristen Allan.

Flavours of Middle Eastern cooking; Tuesday, 28th February, 6-9pm; $65 ($22 per hour); Hawthorn.

Shella will welcome you with traditional tea plus tips and tricks for preparing a healthy three course Middle Eastern meal with traditional spices, ingredients and techniques. The menu will include: a summery salad with fresh herbs and vegetables; crisp saffron rice cake with chicken and aromatic spices; and pleated sheets of filo pastry, soaked and flavoured and topped with cinnamon and a sprinkle of nuts. Organised by Hawthorn Community House.

In January
In February
Regular classes

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