In the last 48 hours, Yarra Plenty Regional Library has cancelled all of its events over the coming month because of the coronavirus. Ditto Edendale. Ditto Sprout Fest. Ditto Kevin Heinze GROW. Ditto Incredible Edible Eltham. The Mitcham Community Sunday meals have been put on hold, as have the food swaps at Box Hill South and Forest Hill. And that’s just what I happen to know about. In the coming days, maybe many other food-related events will be put on hold. It’s a fast moving situation. By this time next week, there may not be many events to advertise during April and May. Even if there are, I’m not at all sure that I will be comfortable advertising them. There will certainly be a newsletter next week, but maybe shorn of new events.
If you are planning to go to an event over the coming weeks, I suggest that you contact the organiser in advance to check that it is actually still happening.
Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – all things beetroot
Rather than give you a single recipe, Vasundhara has decided to give you four recipes this month, each of which has beetroot as one of its main ingredients. The four recipes are:
Pictured below are the beetroot and pumpkin galette, beetroot lemon rice, and Turkish raw cheesecake.
Like all of Vasundhara’s recipes, the recipes are plant-based. If you want to try her cooking, she operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma that delivers ready-to-eat meals around Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North or Montmorency.
Want some free accommodation in Humevale?
Newsletter reader Aziza De Fazio is offering free short-term, self-contained accommodation to either one person or a couple in exchange for helping around her property. If potentially interested, ring Aziza on 0411 104276.
Weekly veggie boxes now available in Coburg
You can now buy Joes’s Market Garden veggie boxes online on the Open Food Network. $40 worth of mixed veggies in a box that you can pick up from the farm in Coburg on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Another cafe giving away their spent coffee grounds
Cafe Z in Research. Just pop in and ask for some of their spent coffee grounds. Thanks to newsletter readers Zulal Rogers (for making the coffee grounds available) and Emma Duncan (for the heads up).
There are now 13 cafes listed on our website as giving away their spent coffee grounds. I suspect that the real number is much higher but I can only list them if someone tells me about them. Email me.
Darebin Sustainable Food Program community consultation
Darebin Council are currently developing their Sustainable Food Program for 2021/22 and are seeking your input by 30th March. Complete their online survey.
Local food producers in the news
In our 12th February newsletter, we talked about how Choco’s Hut (the honesty box sales part of Weeping Grevillea Nursery in Kangaroo Ground) was celebrating its 25th birthday. A month later and the Warrandyte Diary has an article about it.
A new article from Angelo Eliades
When he is not fighting off giant possums (see last week’s newsletter), Angelo is often researching for his next in-depth article. This month’s article is about Queensland fruit fly.
Read more of Angelo’s food growing articles.
A video from Cultivating Community
Cultivating Community celebrated their 20th birthday in 2018 and have just released a 5 minute video which shares some of their stories. Watch the video. Cultivating Community, who describe their mission as “to work with diverse and low-income communities to create fair, secure and resilient food systems“, mainly operate around Melbourne CBD and are based in Richmond.
Another world first
The first ever food-related event in Croydon Hills will take place on Saturday, 9th May, 10am-midday: Beginner compost, worm farm and bokashi workshop.
Melbourne Flower and Garden Show – 25th to 29th March
The annual Melbourne Flower and Garden Show will be on 25th to 29th March at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton. One of the exhibitors will be The Melbourne Arboretum (stand 37D), from Mernda.
Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?
The Back to the Earth Initiative’s competition.
Joke of the week
Have you heard of the garlic diet? You don’t lose much weight, but from a distance your friends think you look thinner!
New events – not cooking
Japanese tea ceremony: Thursday, 16th April, 7-8pm; Preston Library.
What: The Japanese tea ceremony is a tradition steeped in history and practiced for centuries. Go along to learn about Japanese tea customs and the ceremonial way of preparing, serving and drinking green tea.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.
Composting and worm farming workshop: Sunday, 3rd May, 9.30am-midday; Camberwell.
What: Learn about the different composting and worm farming options (including low maintenance pet waste composting), how to set them up and how to maintain them successfully. A Boroondara Council Waste Education Officer will be on hand to chat about the new Boroondara FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) collections.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.
The science of composting: Wednesday, 6th May, 9-11am; Central Ringwood Community Centre.
What: Presenter: Ellen Regos from Cultivating Community. The workshop will go beyond the basics of composting and allow you to really hone in on your home composting skills and increase your knowledge to help grow and expand your systems.
Cost: free.
Bookings: by phone (9703 5288).
Beginner compost, worm farm and bokashi workshop: Saturday, 9th May, 10am-midday; Croydon Hills.
What: Learn how to turn your waste into a valuable resource for your garden. This workshop will provide you with all the information you need to set up and maintain each of compost, worm farm and bokashi systems.
Cost: free.
Bookings: by phone (9703 5288).
Permaculture workshop: Saturday, 16th May, 10am-3pm; Park Orchards.
What: Trainer: Cass Groves. Learn about permaculture design principles to make your garden more sustainable and abundant. The course includes a brief history of permaculture, zone planning, soil health, companion planting, energy and water harvesting.
Cost: $80 ($16 per hour).
Bookings: their website.
Home brewing: Saturday, 16th May, 10am-3pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
What: What you will learn: make your own beer; all about full grain brewing; and the fermentation process. Presenter: Paul Rigby. The workshop will be a practical demonstration of full grain brewing covering ingredients (including malt, hops, yeast and water), equipment, brewing theory, and (most importantly) the brewing process (including mashing, lautering, boiling, sanitation, fermentation and packaging). Samples will be available for tasting.
Cost: $80 ($16 per hour).
Bookings: Humanitix.
Organic growing with biodynamic methods (2 days): Saturday, 16th May and Sunday, 17th May, both 10am-3pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
What: What you will learn: why biodynamic methods are an essential part of sustainable organic food growing; how to develop a deeper consciousness of the living processes driving vitality of soil, plants and animals; and how to enhance your organic food growing of any scale with biodynamic methods. Presenter: Peter Kearney. You will work with the CERES vegetable growing and orchard areas gaining practical experience of how to work with organic and biodynamic methods.
Cost: $230 ($23 per hour).
Bookings: Humanitix.
The urban farmer: Tuesday, 19th May, 7-8pm; Nunawading Library.
What: Would you like to create a highly productive food forest garden in your backyard? Find out how with Justin Calverley.
Cost: free.
Composting and worm farms: Tuesday, 19th May, 7.45-8.45pm; Brunswick Library.
What: Kaye Roberts-Palmer will discuss the different types of home composting from direct dig through to Bokashi, the dos and don’ts of composting, how to set up a worm farm and the magic of worm tea.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.
Intro to permaculture (3 sessions): Tuesdays 19th May, 26th May and 2nd June, each 10am-3pm; Park Orchards Community House.
What: Trainer: Cass Groves. Learn about permaculture design principles to make your garden more sustainable and abundant. The course includes a brief history of permaculture, zone planning, soil health, companion planting, energy and water harvesting.
Cost: $195 ($95 ACFE funded) ($13 per hour).
Bookings: their website.
New events – cooking
Yogurt making workshop: Saturday, 9th May, 2-4pm; Central Ringwood Community Centre.
What: You will be provided with instructions and a supply of yoghurt starter – and you will take home your first pot of home-made yoghurt. You will need to bring: a one-litre carton of UHT milk; a clean, one-litre, wide-necked bottle/jar with a leak-proof lid; and an insulated container to fit your bottle.
Cost: $25 ($13 per hour).
Bookings: their website.
Parmesan cheese: Sunday, 17th May, 10am-4pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
What: What you will learn: how to make your own parmesan cheese; how to make ricotta cheese; and about different cheeses. Presenters: Janet Clayton and Charlene Angus from Cheeselinks.
Cost: $170 ($28 per hour).
Bookings: Humanitix.
Dairy free, gluten free workshop (thermomix): Tuesday, 19th May, 7.30-9.30pm; Chirnside Park Community Hub.
What: Discover how to make dairy free, gluten and wheat free food, including grain free pastry, chocolate, ice ‘cream’. You don’t need to have a thermomix to attend but they will be using them. They will also cover conventional methods along the way.
Cost: $27 ($14 per hour).
Bookings: EventBrite.
Summary of upcoming events – not cooking
Over the next week
- Beeswax wraps: Thursday, 19th March, 7-9pm; Park Orchards Community House.
- Beeswax wraps: Friday, 20th March, 6-8pm; Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.
- Beginning beekeeping course: Saturday, 21st March, 9.30am-4pm; Edendale.
- Guided tour of Damian’s permaculture garden: Saturday, 21st March, 10-11am; Reservoir.
- Bee hive tour: Saturday, 21st March, 10.30am-12.30pm; Rivers of Yarrambat.
- Guided tour of Monique’s rental abundance garden: Saturday, 21st March, 11.15am-12.15pm; Northcote.
- Garlic Bread Festival: Saturday, 21st March, midday-10pm; Welcome To Thornbury.
- Open Garden at Sylvester Hive Community Garden: Saturday, 21st March, 12.30-2pm; Sylvester Hive Community Garden, Preston.
- Taco & beer masterclass: Saturday, 21st March, 12.30-2.30pm; 3 Ravens Brewery, Thornbury.
- Guided tour of Maya’s fruitful garden: Saturday, 21st March, 1.30-2.30pm; Preston.
- Maya’s pruning workshop: Saturday, 21st March, 2.45-3.45pm; Preston.
- Healthy productive compost and worms: Sunday, 22nd March, 9.30am-12.30pm; Bulleen Art and Garden.
- Citrus care workshop: Sunday 22nd March, 10am-midday; Preston.
- Mushroom cultivation workshop: Sunday, 22nd March, 10am-1pm; Park Orchards Community House.
- Open Farm Day: Sunday 22nd March, 10am-4pm; Nillumbik.
- Productive gardening with kids workshop at Poppy’s Patch: Sunday, 22nd March, 11.15am-12.15pm; Reservoir.
- DIY composting and worm farms: Sunday, 22nd March, 2-4pm; Preston.
- Wine appreciation: Monday, 23rd March, 7-9pm; Box Hill.
- Mushrooms with Ellen from Simply Sustainability: Tuesday, 24th March, 2-3.30pm; Lilydale Library.
- Nutrition gardening – growing nutrient dense food in any space: Wednesday, 25th March, 10am-midday; Edendale.
Over the next month
- Introduction to therapeutic horticulture workshop: Friday, 27th March, 9.30am-1pm; Coburg.
- Compost for beginners: Saturday, 28th March, 10-11am; Preston.
- Happy backyard chooks, happy gardens: Saturday, 28th March, 10-11am; Northcote.
- Guided tour of the Plummery (garden tour): Saturday, 28th March, 10-11am; Northcote.
- Serious backyard vegetable growing: Saturday, 28th March, 10am-midday; Heidelberg West.
- CERES Harvest Festival: Saturday, 28th March, 10am-3pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
- Quail keeping: Saturday, 28th March, 1-2pm; Northcote.
- Composting with Nina Bishop: Saturday, 28th March, 1-3pm; Rosanna.
- Propagation workshop: Saturday, 28th March, 2-3pm; Northcote.
- Small space composting: Sunday, 29th March, 9.30-11am; Alphington Food Hub.
- Growing fruit and veggies in small spaces: Sunday, 29th March, 9.30am-12.30pm; Bulleen Art and Garden.
- Guided tour of the Plummery (garden tour): Sunday, 29th March, 10-11am; Northcote.
- DIY Mushrooms: Sunday, 29th March, 10am-4pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
- Your Winter veggie patch: Sunday, 29th March, midday-1pm; Northcote.
- Organic pest and disease management: Sunday, 29th March, 2-3pm; Northcote.
- Growing garlic successfully: Sunday, 29th March, 2-4pm; Macleod Organic Community Garden.
- Guided tour of Luigi’s Mediterranean inspired garden: Sunday, 29th March, 3.45-4.45pm; Reservoir.
- Waste, organic recycling and life cycle analysis: Tuesday, 31st March, 10am-4pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
- Ready set work permaculture (6 sessions): 6 sessions between 31st March and 9th April, each 10am-2pm; Whittlesea.
- Seed saving: Thursday, 2nd April, 10.30am-midday; Whittlesea Community Garden.
- Moreland Local Food Forum and networking: Thursday, 2nd April, 6-8pm; Peppertree Place, Coburg.
- Native edibles for companion planting: Thursday, 2nd April, 6.30-9pm; Bulleen Art and Garden.
- Silverdale (garden tour): Saturday, 4th April, 10am-4.30pm; Eaglemont.
- Bee hive tour: Saturday, 4th April, 10.30am-12.30pm; Rivers of Yarrambat.
- Growing nutrient dense food in any space: Sunday, 5th April, 10am-3pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
- Silverdale (garden tour): Sunday, 5th April, 10am-4.30pm; Eaglemont.
- Advanced composting: Sunday, 5th April, 1-4pm; Alphington Food Hub.
- Compost for beginners: Sunday, 12th April, 9-10.30am; Alphington Food Hub.
- Biodiversity and sustainable food systems: Tuesday, 14th April, 10am-4pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
Summary of upcoming events – cooking
Over the next week
- Preserve my harvest: Wednesday, 18th March, 6-8pm; Preston.
- Chinese cooking with Lillie Giang: Thursday, 19th March, 10am-midday; Bayswater Library.
- Cooking for one: Thursday, 19th March, 10.30-11.30am; Coburg Library.
- Sourdough workshop – sourdough bread: Thursday, 19th March, 7-9pm; Coburg.
- Blokes in the kitchen: Friday, 20th March, 8am-midday; Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.
- Cook Indian by the creek: Friday, 20th March, 6.30-8pm; Diamond Creek.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Saturday, 21st March, 9-9.45am; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 21st March, 10am-12.30pm; Lower Templestowe.
- Vegan cheese making: Saturday, 21st March, 10am-4pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
- Vegetarian Vietnamese: Saturday, 21st March, 10.30am-3pm; Panton Hill.
- Chocolate discovery class: Saturday, 21st March, 11.30am-12.30pm; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Chocolate discovery class: Saturday, 21st March, 1-2pm; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Preserving fruit workshop: Sunday, 22nd March, 10am-1pm; Fitzroy.
- Mozzarella and ricotta cheesemaking workshop: Sunday, 22nd March, midday-2.30pm; Bee Sustainable, Brunswick East.
- The Hellenic food odyssey: Tuesday, 24th March, 7-8pm; Northcote Library.
- Ice cream in your thermomix: Tuesday, 24th March, 7.30-9pm; Kilsyth.
Over the next month
- Zero waste cooking demonstration with the Social Food Project: Thursday, 26th March, 6.30-8.30pm; Preston.
- Nonna & Mum’s homestyle cooking class: Thursday, 26th March, 7.30-10.30pm; Thornbury.
- Cook Indian by the creek: Friday, 27th March, 6.30-8pm; Diamond Creek.
- Feta, halloumi and ricotta cheesemaking workshop: Saturday, 28th March, 9am-12.30pm; Bee Sustainable, Brunswick East.
- Wild fermentation class (pickling and sauerkraut): Saturday, 28th March, 10am-12.30pm; Dixons Creek.
- Sourdough workshop: Saturday, 28th March, midday-4pm; Kinglake.
- Indian cooking: Saturday, 29th March, 10am-3pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
- Emanuela’s tips for cooking and preserving homegrown produce: Sunday, 29th March, 2.30-3.30pm; Reservoir.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Tuesday, 31st March, 10-10.45am; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Kids cooking: Tuesday, 31st March, 10am-midday; Yarra Glen.
- Kids in the kitchen – easy pizza: Tuesday, 31st March, 10am-12.30pm; Coburg.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Tuesday, 31st March, 11-11.45am; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Tuesday, 31st March, midday-12.45pm; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Mediterranean diet: Tuesday, 31st March, 7-8.30pm; Hawthorn Community House.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Wednesday, 1st April, 10-10.45am; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Wednesday, 1st April, 11-11.45am; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Wednesday, 1st April, midday-12.45pm; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Kids in the kitchen – breadmaking: Thursday, 2nd April, 10am-12.30pm; Coburg.
- No Waste Cook Club: Saturday, 4th April, 10am-midday; Fitzroy North.
- Cheese making: Saturday, 4th April, 10am-2pm; Kinglake.
- Soft goat cheese curd and goat camembert cheese: Saturday, 4th April, 10am-4pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
- Truffle workshop at Ratio Cocoa Roasters: Saturday, 4th April, 10.30am-midday; Brunswick.
- Chocolate workshop at Ratio Cocoa Roasters: Saturday, 4th April, 1-4pm; Brunswick.
- Danish dark rye bread workshop: Saturday, 4th April, 2-4.30pm; Bee Sustainable, Brunswick East.
- Feta and haloumi cheese: Sunday, 5th April, 10am-4pm; CERES, Brunswick East.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Tuesday, 7th April, 10-10.45am; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Kids in the kitchen – rice paper rolls: Tuesday, 7th April, 10am-12.30pm; Coburg.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Tuesday, 7th April, 11-11.45am; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Become a junior chocolatier: Tuesday, 7th April, midday-12.45pm; Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Yarra Glen.
- Easter bunny cake decorating with Norma Rose Cakes: Thursday, 9th April, 7-9pm; Chirnside Park Community Hub.