LFC News July 19 2023

Jul 192023
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley and Lee Hirsh.

This week is an unusually slow news week so we have been able to sneak in some recipes for making a) gin and b) deep-fried jam sandwiches!

Are you supportive of an urban farm in Eltham? Last change for you to have your say

As discussed last week, Nillumbik Council currently has a consultation page asking you to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question “Are you supportive of an urban farm at Fabbro Fields, Eltham?” plus provide any additional comments that you wish. Now is the last chance for you to have your say as the closing date is 20th July.

If you want to know more about Local Food Connect’s proposals for the farm, there are a number of documents for you to read on our website.

Making gin is both quick and easy (part 2)

In the 14 June newsletter, I (Guy) provided the basic method for making gin at home and said that I would expand on it in a future newsletter (i.e. this one).

There are four key points to bear in mind:

  1. Whereas most spirits are defined by the source of their alcohol, gin is defined by the presence of juniper berries. In a home setting, this means that you make gin by adding juniper berries to vodka (vodka being a reasonably tasteless source of alcohol).
  2. The whole point of making gin at home is to experiment with the botanicals that you add to give the gin flavour. Any seed, berry, root, fruit or herb can count as a ‘botanical’ and you can add whatever botanicals you want.
  3. The two most commonly used botanicals are coriander seeds and citrus peel (e.g. lemon or orange). The rest is up to you. For example, I like to include mustard seeds but my wife doesn’t and we have both learnt not to include nasturtium leaves.
  4. Unlike commercial gin (which is distilled), homemade gin is a pale yellow colour.
Method

Buy a cheap bottle of vodka and either pour into a clean sterile bottle or drink a bit (to leave space for the botanicals).

Add 30 grams (2 tablespoons) of juniper berries, 5 grams (1 teaspoon) coriander seeds and whatever other botanicals you want (except for citrus peel). Leave for 24 hours.

Taste, add more botanicals if desired, add any fresh citrus peel, and leave for another 24 hours.

Taste and, if you want a stronger taste, leave for another 24 hours, shaking at least once.

Use a sieve to filter out the juniper berries and botanicals and leave for another 48 hours.

If you feel the need, filter out any remaining sediment.

Drink!

Read a longer version of this article on our website.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

An audio recording of last week’s episode (Dan Milne on Fabbro’s Farm) is available on their website.

This upcoming Sunday’s episode will feature Claire (no surname) on the practical application of the permaculture ethics Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share. Listen on 3CR (855 AM) on Sunday morning, 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Another article from Leaf, Root & Fruit

Duncan Cocking has published a fifth article in his 37-part(!) series of articles on establishing a vegetable patch from scratch:

Every newsletter needs a good graphic

Vanessa McKeown, from the United Kingdom, creates and then photographs everyday objects made out of food.

15 ways to use your eggshells

  1. Use eggshells to start seedlings indoors.
  2. Garden mulch.
  3. Nourish your tomatoes with a boost of calcium.
  4. Feed eggshells to your chickens.
  5. Use crushed eggshells in the garden to deter pests.
  6. Add them to the compost.
  7. Wild bird food.
  8. Boil eggshells in your coffee.
  9. Toss eggshells in your bone broth or stock pot.
  10. Add them to your apple cider vinegar.
  11. Homemade eggshell toothpaste.
  12. Make an eggshell face mask.
  13. Whiten your laundry.
  14. Scrub your tough-to-clean pots.
  15. Eat your eggshells.

Read more at the Rural Sprout website.

Deep-fried jam sandwich (by Delia Smith)

From Delia Smith, as featured in last Friday’s Guardian.

Start with sliced white bread. Over this, spread a layer of good-quality strawberry jam.

Butter the outside of the sandwich and remove the crusts.

Pinch the sandwich closed, delicately, like you are sealing ravioli.
Let it chill, then cover the sandwich in batter. Keep in the freezer until you’re ready to fry.

Place the sandwich in a deep-fat fryer, giving each side a minute and a half. It should turn golden and puff up.

Rest for a few moments, then roll in caster sugar while it is still warm.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Nillumbik Council’s consultation page re an urban farm in Eltham.

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

I accidentally swallowed some food colouring. My GP said that l will fine. But l feel I’ve dyed a little inside. (submitted by Lee Hirsh)

Read more jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

The Buzz@Catalyst (2 sessions); Saturday, 22nd and Sunday, 23rd July, both 10am-4pm; free; Coburg.

Saturday will, at 10am, start with local beekeeper Tim sharing their story about keeping backyard bees and an introduction to beekeeping. Following some free lunch there will be a chat with garden experts Indi and Matt from 1pm about planting native gardens for pollinators before a hands-on planting in the Catalyst Cabbage Patch in the last hour. Saturday will end at 4pm. Sunday will, at 10am, start with a honey tasting of some raw monofloral honeys. Following lunch, Marisol, Lauren and Bec will discuss some of the health benefits and herbal medicines that can be created with raw honey. Sunday will end at 4pm.

Continuous hot composting; Saturday, 29th July, 9am-midday; $21 ($7 per hour); Preston.

Joel Meadows will go beyond the basics to look at what is really happening in a hot (or not) compost pile, how to understand the ingredients you put in your pile and how to make the balance that will supercharge our compost pile. Organised by Oakhill Food Justice Farm.

Permaculture design information session; Monday, 31st July, 6-8pm; free; Ringwood.

Kushala will discuss sustainable techniques. Organised by Central Ringwood Community Centre.

Community soup night; Wednesday, 2nd August, 4.30-7.30pm; free; Preston.

Before soup, Farmer Lisa will show you what’s been happening around the farm. Adam Bell from Open Table will then introduce you to the new biodigester (which will turn food scraps into cooking gas for meals and liquid fertiliser for gardens). Organised by Oakhill Food Justice Farm.

Medicinal mushrooms with Caine Barlow; Sunday, 6th August, 1-4pm; $145 ($48 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Caine Barlow will discuss the cultivation and use of functional mushrooms, focusing on what is needed to be successful at home.

Intro to composting; Sunday, 13th August, 10.30am-12.30pm; $21 ($10 per hour); Preston.

You will learn about: different options for composting at home (cold composting, worm farms and bokashi bins); the advantages and limitations of each composting system; how to set up and maintain a cold compost or worm farm; what foods and organic waste can go into each system; and how to balance you waste inputs to get healthy compost. Presenter: Shani Shafrir. Organised by Oakhill Food Justice Farm.

Introduction to beekeeping (2 sessions); Saturday, 2nd September, 9.30am-4.30pm and Saturday, 9th September, 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 (9th September, 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). Organised by The Beekeepers Club.

DIY Beeswax wrap workshop; Saturday, 9th September, 10.30am-12.30pm; $40 ($20 per hour); Brunswick.

Emma will show you how to make beeswax wraps. All materials will be provided, though you can BYO fabric to be waxed and transformed into wraps. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

Australian plants expo; Saturday, 9th September and Sunday, 10th September, both 10am-4pm; $5; Eltham.

Sales of native & indigenous plants, books on related subjects, native flower displays, environmental displays, talks, demonstrations, workshops, giftware and refreshments. The plant sellers are likely to include APS Yarra Yarra growers, Friends of Melton Botanic Gardens nursery, Goldfields Revegetation nursery, La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary nursery, Natural Plantscape nursery, Sunvalley Plants Nursery and Vaughan’s Australian Plants. Organised by the Australian Plants Society – Yarra Yarra.

Complete urban farmer (14 sessions); weekly sessions starting Wednesday, 13th September, 9am-3pm; $895 ($11 per hour); CERES.

Presenter: Justin Calverley. The topics to be covered will include: permaculture; fruit production; soil preparation; beekeeping; composting, worm farming and fertilisers; vegetable growing; propagation; seed collection; pest & disease management; bushfoods & berries; chooks; and community gardens.

In July
In August
In September
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Warm up with winter Asian cooking; Thursday, 27th July, 7-8.30pm; free; Mill Park.

Jean, from Jean’s Asian Cooking, will demonstrate some hot Asian recipes, followed by tastings.

Brioche and puff pastry; Saturday, 26th August, midday-4pm; $85 ($21 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Learn how to make the perfect brioche dough, which is rich, buttery, and perfect for a variety of sweet and savory pastries. Next, learn how to make flaky and crispy puff pastry from scratch. You will learn how to laminate the dough with layers of butter, which creates the signature texture and flavour of puff pastry. They will also show you how to make a cheese twist, palmiers and vanilla slices. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Beginners cheese making class; Saturday, 9th September, 10am-5pm; $250 ($50 per hour); Thomastown.

What you will learn: how to make hand-stretched fresh mozzarella and create bocconcini; how to make primo sale; and how to make fresh ricotta. What you will get: Italian style lunch; and primo sale and freshly made mozzarella to take home. Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

Turkish cooking, an introduction; Tuesday, 12th September, 6.30-8.30; $65 ($33 per hour); Balwyn North.

Join Arzu Yilmaz to learn how to make four different vegetarian dishes: a lentil soup, a meze, Turkish borek and a dessert. Arzu will also talk about her experiences as an Istanbul girl and her Turkish identity. Organised by Trentwood at the Hub.

In July
In August
In September
Regular classes

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