Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Alice Glenn, Ann Stanley, Georgia Tracy and Graham Rou.
Getting to know bush tucker
Over the weekend, I went to a really interesting event organised by Sustainable Ivanhoe where Hayden Marks, founder of Melbourne Bushfood, talked about a range of bush foods and invited us to taste test about 10 of them (see left photo below).
Of the bush foods that we tasted, the one that I liked the best was perhaps Geraldton wax (Chamelaucium uncinatum) (see right photo below).
Later that day, I visited the Melbourne Bushfood shop and nursery in Fairfield and bought a Geraldton wax seedling to plant in my garden. The shop is at 49 Sparks Avenue, is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm, and has a wide range of bush food plants for sale.
Here is a summary of what Hayden said about Geraldton wax.
This herb has zesty and uplifting leaves that are used as a garnish to bring a lemony flavour to your dish. Alternatively, blend the leaves with some oil and a pinch of salt to create a green salsa-verde paste. The flowers, whilst not super palatable, are edible in small quantities and can be used to decorate desserts and dishes.
The plant grows to around 2 metres high and requires full sun to part shade. It can be grown in the ground or in pots. It is relatively hardly and fairly easy to grow in the Melbourne climate. Endemic to Western Australia, it is adapted to dry lands, so water sparingly and ensure the soil at the base is dry before giving it another drink. The colourful flowers are great for attracting bees to the garden.
Different varieties of Geraldton wax taste different so, before you buy a seedling to plant in your garden, eat one of the leaves to make sure that you like the taste of that particular plant.
Do you want?
Graham Rou is moving house and has 1-1½ cubic metres of unused veggie soil from Bulleen Art and Garden Nursery to give away. Also, there are quite a few lengths of wood which could be used to build a large perimeter. Graham lives in Box Hill North. If you are interested in the soil and/or wood, contact Graham by phone (0404 374 919) or email (grou@y7mail.com). First come, first served.
Can you suggest?
Newsletter readers Alice Glenn and Steph Hughes have started a business called Compost Kids setting up and maintaining compost bins at schools. To help them develop their thinking, they are wanting to visit some community gardens or equivalent on Wednesday, 20th September. They are particularly interested in hot composting bays – different designs and processes that people are using to compost fairly large amounts of organic waste quickly. If you have any suggestions about who they should potentially visit, email me and I will pass your suggestions on to them.
Croxton / Marra Guwiyap Community Garden (Northcote)
As you will see from the events listings later in this newsletter, Croxton / Marra Guwiyap Community Garden are having an open day on Sunday, 8th October, 11am-2pm. As well as alerting me to this event, they have updated the description of their garden on our website. They have also sent in the photo right with some of the items that they were able to purchase with the generous donations from their last year’s open garden.
It is always good when people send in photos to be included in future newsletters. If you ever have a photo that you think might be of interest to some of our readership, email it to me.
The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show
This upcoming Sunday’s episode will feature Chelsea McNab talking about ECOSS, Ecological and Social Sustainability. Listen on 3CR (855 AM) on Sunday morning, 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.
Audio recordings of previous episodes are available on their website.
Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?
The most popular link in the last newsletter was the video about Yarra Valley ECOSS.
Word of the month – Amuse-bouche
‘Amuse-bouche’, meaning a complementary bite-sized hors d’œuvre.
Read about previous words of the month.
Proverb (or phrase) of the month
On the wagon. Meaning: having given up drinking alcohol. Also off the wagon. Meaning: returned to drinking alcohol after an attempt to give it up. These phrases date back to the temperance movements in early 20th Century America and began as ‘on the water-cart’, before migrating to ‘on the water-wagon’ and finally to ‘on the wagon’. The water-carts were used to damp down dusty streets during dry weather and did not contain water for drinking. The phrase ‘on the water-cart’ meant that someone who had given up drinking alcohol would rather drink water from one of these carts than drink alcohol.
Read about more food-related proverbs.
Gardening quote of the month
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” by Lady Bird Johnson.
Joke (or pun) of the week
A man walks into a bakery, points to some bread and asks “is this gluten free?”
The cashier replies, “no, it costs $4.50.”
Regular activities over the coming week
Farmers’ and other food markets
- Friday: Community Grocer, Carlton and Farm Raiser farmgate (Bellfield).
- Saturday: Carlton, Coburg and Farm Raiser farmgate (Bellfield).
- Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Yarra Valley.
- Tuesday: Community Grocer, Fitzroy.
- next Wednesday: Really Really Free Market (Coburg).
Food swaps
- Saturday: Brunswick East, Bulleen, Diamond Creek, Fairfield, Forest Hill, Greensborough, Joe’s Market Garden (Coburg), Macleod, North Coburg and Reservoir.
- Sunday: Ringwood, St Andrews and Surrey Hills / Balwyn.
Community gardens
- Thursday: Buna (Heidelberg West), Diamond Valley Library (Greensborough), Edible Hub (Hurstbridge), SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
- Friday: Reynard Street (Coburg) and West Brunswick.
- Saturday: Links (Lalor), Macleod and Thrive (Diamond Creek).
- Sunday: Bellfield, Croxton / Marra Guwiyap (Northcote), Fawkner Food Bowls, Pentridge (Coburg), St Johns (Heidelberg), Regent (Reservoir) and Wilam-nganjin (Reservoir).
- Monday: Panton Hill, SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
- Tuesday: Doncaster Hill and Watsonia.
- Next Wednesday: Bellfield, Eltham Neighbourhood House, Macleod, Newton Street (Reservoir), Span (Thornbury) and Sylvester Hive (Preston) .
Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking
Keeping backyard chickens; Wednesday, 4th October, 6.30-8pm; free; Doncaster.
Ella, from Chooktopia, will cover the essentials of how to keep healthy, happy chooks in your backyard, including chook health, nutrition, housing, safety from predators and pest control. She will also talk about Council and local law considerations and guidelines and will take you on a virtual tour of her chookyard.
Diabetes and healthy eating for older adults; Thursday, 5th October, 11am-12.30pm; free; Lalor.
Someone from DPV Health will discuss diabetes and the importance of eating a healthy diet.
Queensland fruit fly – what you can do; Saturday, 7th October, 10.30-11.30am; free; Lilydale.
Kirsty Bishop-Fox will discuss: how to identify Queensland fruit fly (QFF) in fruit; how deter or manage QFF in your garden; and how to dispose of QFF when you do find it in your fruit or vegetables. She will also show you how to make a cheap and effective detection trap out of re-claimed materials that are easy to come by.
Croxton / Marra Guwiyap Community Garden open garden (Northcote); Sunday, 8th October, 11am-2pm; free; Northcote.
This open day is an opportunity for locals to check out the garden and meet their neighbours. Everyone is welcome. The planting team will be there to show off their vegetable crops, share their tips and knowledge and encourage people to join. Food, entertainment, and sample produce will be available. A shed generously donated by the Lions Club will be officially ‘opened’. Click here to read about the garden.
Kevin Heinze GROW Spring Fair (Coburg); Saturday, 14th October, 9am-3pm; free; Coburg.
There will be a wide variety of tomato and other vegetable seedlings for sale, plus perennials, herbs, succulents, shrubs and trees. Also, enjoy their homemade cakes and coffee. The tomato varieties will include Black Krim, Black Russian, Dr Walter Heirloom, Grosse Lisse, Juliette Hybrid, San Marzano, Tigerella, Tommy Toe and Valiant.
Kevin Heinze GROW Spring Fair (Doncaster); Saturday, 14th October, 9am-3pm; free; Doncaster.
There will be a wide variety of tomato and other vegetable seedlings for sale, plus perennials, herbs, succulents, shrubs and trees. Also, enjoy their homemade cakes and coffee. The tomato varieties will include Black Krim, Black Russian, Dr Walter Heirloom, Grosse Lisse, Juliette Hybrid, San Marzano, Tigerella, Tommy Toe and Valiant.
Citrus tree pruning workshop; Saturday, 14th October, 10am-midday; free; Bundoora.
You will learn how to prune citrus trees, including: how to assess your tree before pruning; where to make your pruning cuts; how much to take off; improving the shape and size of the tree; and increasing sunlight exposure. Take some secateurs if you have them.
Rushall Community Garden open day; Saturday, 14th October, 12.30-3pm; free; Fitzroy North.
See community gardening in action and pick up some homegrown goodies. The activities will include: seedlings and fresh garden produce for sale; baked goods, homemade jams and preserves; gardeners working their plots and sharing tips; and a BBQ, homemade lemon cordial, coffee and tea. Click here to read about the garden.
Unwrapped – food and beverage quick bites; Tuesday, 17th October, 7-9.15am; free; Epping.
The session will start with an express tour of the Melbourne Market. Three speakers will then discuss the ever-evolving food and beverage sector, including the evolving dynamics of consumer preferences and the balance between sustainable packaging practices, durability and logistics. The three speakers are: Mark Maskiell, CEO from Melbourne Market; Manpreet Sidhu, GM from Costa Group; and Stuart Mead, MD from Viking Food Solutions.
Edible weed walk; Sunday, 22nd October, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; Heidelberg West.
Join Adam Grubb, co-author of The Weed Forager’s Handbook, for an edible weed walk along Darebin Creek. Many of the common urban weed species of Melbourne are edible and can provide valuable and nutritious fresh food. Learn to enjoy dandelion, sow thistle, mallow, amaranth, wild onions, wild celery and stinging nettle. Learn about some of the ecological uses of weeds as soil improvers, soil indicators and compost additives. Also, many weeds are used by health practitioners for their curative properties.
Urban food gardening (8 sessions); consecutive Thursdays starting 26th October, 10am-2.30pm; $80 for all 8 sessions; Edendale.
This course is for people who love gardening and the outdoors, are considering a career in horticulture, would like to learn more about growing their own food successfully or who would like an introduction to aspects of working in the industry before choosing a specific course/study pathway. Tutor: Justin Calverley. Organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik.
Community garden tour; Saturday, 28th October, 10am-2.30pm; $10; Banyule.
Take an electric bus around Banyule to visit each of their five community gardens: Bellfield, Buna (Heidelberg West), Macleod, St Johns (Heidelberg) and Watsonia. The tour will end with lunch at Bellfield Community Garden.
Home brewing; Saturday, 28th October, 10am-2.30pm; $100 ($22 per hour); CERES.
What you will learn: how to make your own beer; all about full grain brewing; and the fermentation process. What you will get: samples of different beers; and recipes to take home. 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.
Organic vegetable gardening; Saturday, 28th October, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.
What you will learn: how to get the most from your garden and have an abundance of vegetables, fruits and herbs; insights into seasonal produce growing; and the skills and knowledge to create an abundant and productive garden. Presenter: Donna Livermore.
Foraging workshop; Saturday, 28th October, 1-3pm; $10; Ringwood.
Join Jess Cogger on a walk in the wild. Learn how to identify plants and forage edible weeds that surround us all. Organised by Central Ringwood Community Centre.
Edible weeds; Sunday, 29th October, 10am-midday; $60 ($30 per hour); CERES.
What you will learn: how to identify edible weeds; and how do use them in your everyday life. What you will get: detailed handouts; and samples in class of prepared edible weeds. Presenter: Lauren. Learn about seasonal edible weeds that thrive in Melbourne inner north, and gain knowledge about the plants’ culinary, medicinal and ecological uses.
Basic inoculation workshop; Saturday, 4th November, 2-4pm; $87 ($44 per hour); Alphington.
You will get a hands-on go at inoculating your own mushrooms. You will also be given a tour of the mushroom farm. Take a clean 2-10L bucket with a lid and some gloves. Presenter: Buttons. Organised by The Mushroomery.
In September
- Wine and Vine Festival; Saturday, 16th September, midday-7pm; $58; Abbotsford.
- Spring/Poorneet pruning workshop; Sunday, 17th September, 10am-12.30pm; $21 ($8 per hour); Preston.
- Spring veggie garden design and planting; Sunday, 17th September, 10am-1pm; $165 ($55 per hour); Mount Evelyn.
- Beeswax wrap workshop; Tuesday, 19th September, 2.30-4.30pm; free; Nunawading.
- Beeswax wrap workshop; Wednesday, 20th September, 2.30-4.30pm; free; Doncaster.
- Community meal sharing; Thursday, 21st September, 11.30am-12.30pm; free; Balwyn.
- Irrigation and water management (2 sessions); on Saturday, 23rd September, 10am-2pm and Sunday, 24th September, 10am-3pm; $359 ($40 per hour); Bundoora and Bellfield.
- Watering your garden workshop; Saturday, 23rd September, 2.30-4.30pm; $47 ($24 per hour); Bundoora.
- Introduction to growing microgreens; Sunday, 24th September, 10am-midday; $80 ($40 per hour); Preston.
- Kids composting workshop; Tuesday, 26th September, 10-11am; free; Doncaster.
- Farming for our future (ages 5 to 8); Tuesday, 26th September, 10am-midday; free; CERES.
- Women’s health – how nutrition can improve hormone health; Tuesday, 26th September, 7-8pm; free; Richmond.
- Farm to fork (ages 3 to 5); Wednesday, 27th September, 1-3pm; free; CERES.
- Buzzing around; Thursday, 28th September, 11am-midday; free; Edendale.
- Growing mushrooms at home; Saturday, 30th September, 10.30am-1pm; $135 ($54 per hour); Alphington.
In October
- Growing nutrient dense food; Sunday, 1st October, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.
- Keeping backyard chickens; Wednesday, 4th October, 6.30-8pm; free; Doncaster.
- Keeping chickens with Ella Boyen; Wednesday, 4th October, 6.30-8.30pm; free; Doncaster.
- Diabetes and healthy eating for older adults; Thursday, 5th October, 11am-12.30pm; free; Lalor.
- Urban foraging 101; Saturday, 7th October, 10am-midday; free; South Morang.
- Marketing your product; Saturday, 7th October, 10am-2pm; $125 ($31 per hour); Northcote.
- Queensland fruit fly – what you can do; Saturday, 7th October, 10.30-11.30am; free; Lilydale.
- Edible weeds walk; Saturday, 7th October, 10.30am-12.30pm; $30 ($15 per hour); Coburg.
- Edible weeds walk; Saturday, 7th October, 1.30-3.30pm; $30 ($15 per hour); Coburg.
- Croxton / Marra Guwiyap Community Garden open garden (Northcote); Sunday, 8th October, 11am-2pm; free; Northcote.
- Spoil to soil; Monday, 9th October, 9.30am-12.30pm; free; Brunswick.
- Rosés from around the world; Tuesday, 10th October, 6-8pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Abbotsford.
- Growing food at home (10 sessions); Consecutive Thursdays from 12th October, 9.30am-1pm; $93 ($3 per hour); Heidelberg West.
- Urban food gardening (10 sessions); on consecutive Fridays, starting 13th October, 9.30am-1.30pm; $50 ($1 per hour); Brunswick.
- Kevin Heinze GROW Spring Fair (Coburg); Saturday, 14th October, 9am-3pm; free; Coburg.
- Kevin Heinze GROW Spring Fair (Doncaster); Saturday, 14th October, 9am-3pm; free; Doncaster.
- Citrus tree pruning workshop; Saturday, 14th October, 10am-midday; free; Bundoora.
- Growing great tomatoes; Saturday, 14th October, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.
- Edible weeds walk; Saturday, 14th October, 10.30am-12.30pm; $30 ($15 per hour); Coburg.
- Rushall Community Garden open day; Saturday, 14th October, 12.30-3pm; free; Fitzroy North.
- Composting, worm farming and Bokashi; Saturday, 14th October, 1.30-2.30pm; free; Ringwood.
- Edible weeds walk; Saturday, 14th October, 1.30-3.30pm; $30 ($15 per hour); Coburg.
- Your happy vegetable garden memory turned to art; Sunday, 15th October, 1.30-3.30pm; free; Reservoir.
- Unwrapped – food and beverage quick bites; Tuesday, 17th October, 7-9.15am; free; Epping.
- Composting, worm farming and Bokashi workshop; Tuesday, 17th October, 10.30am-midday; free; Bayswater North.
- Awara open garden; Sunday, 22nd October, 10-11.30am; $20 ($14 per hour); Pascoe Vale South.
- DIY mushrooms; Sunday, 22nd October, 10am-4pm; $175 ($29 per hour); CERES.
- Edible weed walk; Sunday, 22nd October, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; Heidelberg West.
- Watch it grow; Tuesday, 24th October, 4-5pm; free; Edendale.
Regular events
- Beekeeping workshop; roughly once a month on Saturdays, 1-3.30pm; $85 ($34 per hour); Brunswick East.
- Carlton aperitvio food tour; every Friday, 5-7pm; $139 ($70 per hour); Carlton.
- Classic cocktails; various Tuesdays, 7-10pm; $70 ($23 per hour); Fitzroy.
- Edible Forest tours; every Friday and Saturday, 11am-1pm and again at 1-3pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Dixons Creek.
- Eltham trails (walking food tour); various Saturday mornings and Thursday evenings; $65 ($22 per hour); Eltham.
- Flavours of Coburg food tour; 3rd Saturday of each month, 10am-1pm; $65 ($22 per hour); Coburg.
- Gin making masterclass; most Saturdays, 10am-1pm; $175 ($58 per hour); Nunawading.
- Gin masterclass; most Saturdays and Sundays, midday-1pm; $80 ($80 per hour); Eltham.
- Ratio Cocoa Roasters behind the scenes chocolate factory tour; various Fridays and Saturdays; $20 ($14 per hour); Brunswick.
- Spoon carving workshop; various Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-1pm; $130 ($43 per hour); Coburg North.
- Truffle workshop at Ratio Cocoa Roasters; 3rd Sunday of each month, 11am-1pm; $75 ($38 per hour); Brunswick.
- Wine tasting masterclass; Saturdays, 3-5pm; various prices; Northcote.
Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking
Mid-autumn moon cakes; Monday, 25th September, 6-7.30pm; free; Brunswick.
Cristina Chang will show you how to make moon cakes. Think mung bean, red bean and curried pork.
Cheesy stuffed arancini (for children); Thursday, 28th September, 11am-midday; $15; Lilydale.
For children aged 6-12. Parental supervision is required for 6-9 year olds. Learn how to make arancini balls with Glen from Glen Cooks Food. Organised by Lilydale Community House.
The cook program (9 sessions); on Thursdays starting 5th October, 9.30am-1.30pm; $50 ($1 per hour); Brunswick.
The objective is for you to develop skills, social connection, and self-confidence to seek further study or work in hospitality. You will prepare, eat and gain an overview of different styles and types of cooking. You will also learn how to cook for a large group. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.
Jaclyn Crupi; Wednesday, 18th October, 2-3pm; free; Northcote.
Jaclyn Crupi, author of Pasta Love, will discuss all things pasta.
Cooking for one (5 sessions); on Thursdays, starting 19th October, 11am-1pm; $50 ($5 per hour); Lilydale
Learn how to cook easily just for one person. Make the meals each week and eat together what you have made. Organised by Lilydale Community House.
Warm up with no waste cooking; Thursday, 19th October, 7-8.30pm; free; Thomastown.
Open Table will share some tips and tricks about reducing food waste and how to make delicious zero waste recipes.
Nutrition and food literacy (6 sessions); on Thursdays, starting 26th October, 9.30am-12.30pm; $70 ($4 per hour); Preston.
You will explore nutritional theory, healthy eating concepts and gain hands-on culinary skills. You will learn about the nutrients specific to each food group and their benefits, including how energy is balanced to maintain a healthy weight. The course will also cover how to decipher labelling on food packaging to build a healthy meal plan on a budget. Presenter: Bernadette Scicluna. Organised by Bridge Darebin.
Croissants workshop; Saturday, 28th October, 1.30-4pm; $64 ($26 per hour); Lower Templestowe.
Learn how to make the dough, the art of the fold, rolling the perfect croissant and how to prove and cook your eight croissants at home. Take an apron and a container. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.
Healthy cooking hacks for families; Saturday, 28th October, 2-3.30pm; free; Lalor.
Julia, from Green Karma, will show you some delicious and healthy recipes that will feed your whole family in an economical and sustainable way.
Macarons workshop; Wednesday, 1st November, 6-8pm; $91 ($46 per hour); Lower Templestowe.
Tish will pass on her techniques for making macarons. Take an apron. A limit of 4 participants in total. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.
Growing and cooking with bushfoods; Saturday, 4th November, 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.
In September
- Milk kefir magic; Thursday, 14th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $145 ($73 per hour); Fitzroy North.
- Cooking with bean curd; Friday, 15th September, 6-8pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Forest Hill.
- Halloumi cheese making, traditional ricotta and ricotta salata; Saturday, 16th September, 10am-3pm; $240 ($48 per hour); CERES.
- Mozzarella making class; Saturday, 16th September, 10am-midday; $150 ($75 per hour); Thomastown.
- Cheese making; Saturday, 16th September, midday-4pm; $130 ($33 per hour); Kinglake.
- Sourdough bread baking; Sunday, 17th September, 9am-5pm; $190 ($24 per hour); CERES.
- Cookie decorating; Wednesday, 20th September, 3-5pm; free; Coburg.
- Preserving and drying citrus; Thursday, 21st September, 11am-midday; free; Greensborough.
- All day art day – feeling fruity fantastic; Friday, 22nd September, 9.30am-3.15pm; $89 ($15 per hour); Forest Hill.
- Family miso soup ball making with Rieko Hayashi; Saturday, 23rd September, 10am-midday; $35 ($18 per hour); Fitzroy North.
- Introduction to fermenting at home; Sunday, 24th September, 10am-1pm; $80 ($27 per hour); CERES.
- Junior chefs – main course; Monday, 25th September, midday-3pm; $5; Hawthorn.
- Mid-autumn moon cakes; Monday, 25th September, 6-7.30pm; free; Brunswick.
- No waste cooking workshop; Wednesday, 27th September, 10-11.30am; free; Bayswater North.
- Junior chefs – desserts; Wednesday, 27th September, midday-3pm; $5; Hawthorn.
- Cheesy stuffed arancini (for children); Thursday, 28th September, 11am-midday; $15; Lilydale.
In October
- The basics of pickling (2 sessions); on Sundays 1st and 8th October, each 11am-2pm; $74 ($12 per hour); Forest Hill.
- Jaclyn Crupi – pasta love; Wednesday, 4th October, 6.30-8pm; free; Fitzroy North.
- The cook program (9 sessions); on Thursdays starting 5th October, 9.30am-1.30pm; $50 ($1 per hour); Brunswick.
- Fermenting vegetables for beginners with Jen Willis; Thursday, 5th October, 7.30-9.30pm; free; Bundoora.
- More than a loaf of bread; Saturday, 7th October, 10am-12.30pm; $51 ($20 per hour); Brunswick.
- Herbal tea workshop with Monique; Saturday, 7th October, 10.30-11.45am; $59 ($47 per hour); Northcote.
- Handmade sobagaki workshop with Rieko Hayashi; Saturday, 7th October, 11am-1pm; $75 ($38 per hour); Fitzroy North.
- Sri Lankan cooking class; Monday, 9th October, 6-8.30pm; $95 ($38 per hour); Surrey Hills.
- Cooking with your grandkids; Tuesday, 10th October, 11am-12.30pm; $10; Hurstbridge.
- Cooking from the pantry (9 sessions); on 9 consecutive Tuesdays from 10th October, 9.30am-midday; $50 ($2 per hour); Lower Templestowe.
- Sourdough basics; Thursday, 12th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $120 ($60 per hour); Collingwood.
- Food storage workshop with Open Table; Saturday, 14th October, 2-4pm; free; Carlton.
- Sourdough bread making; Sunday, 15th October, 10am-1pm; $55 ($18 per hour); Panton Hill.
- Soft fresh cheese making including goats cheese; Sunday, 15th October, 10am-3pm; $240 ($48 per hour); CERES.
- FFS … ferment four staples; Sunday, 15th October, 11.30am-4.30pm; $425 ($85 per hour); Fitzroy North.
- Cooking with your grandkids; Tuesday, 17th October, 11am-12.30pm; $10; Box Hill.
- Jaclyn Crupi; Wednesday, 18th October, 2-3pm; free; Northcote.
- Cooking for one (5 sessions); on Thursdays, starting 19th October, 11am-1pm; $50 ($5 per hour); Lilydale.
- Kombucha / Jun M.O.B.; Thursday, 19th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $150 ($75 per hour); Fitzroy North.
- Warm up with no waste cooking; Thursday, 19th October, 7-8.30pm; free; Thomastown.
- Sourdough; Saturday, 21st October, 10.30am-1.30pm; $130 ($43 per hour); Kinglake.
- Croquembouche workshop; Saturday, 21st October, 1.30-5.30pm; $134 ($34 per hour); Lower Templestowe.
- Vegan chocolate making; Sunday, 22nd October, 10-11.30am; $80 ($53 per hour); Collingwood.
- Three ways with red curry paste; Sunday, 22nd October, 10.30am-3pm; $190 ($42 per hour); Panton Hill.
- Pizza masterclass with Antonio; Sunday, 22nd October, 11am-2pm; $86 ($29 per hour); Eltham.
- Finger foods to make at home; Tuesday, 24th October, 6-8.30pm; $65 ($26 per hour); Hawthorn.
- Cooking for one; Tuesday, 24th October, 7-8.30pm; free; Eltham.
Regular classes
- Al dente cooking (Italian); most Saturdays, 9am-1pm; $155 ($39 per hour); Chirnside Park.
- BBQ classes; various days and times; $135-150 ($45-50 per hour); Brunswick East.
- Bread making; various Sundays, 8am-2pm; $230 ($38 per hour); Abbotsford.
- Brunswick Kitchen (many different classes); various dates, times and prices but mostly 2½ hours long and $120; Brunswick.
- Chocolate making and pastry classes for children; various days and times; various costs; Yarra Glen.
- Chocolate making workshop; various Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; $152 ($38 per hour); Blackburn.
- Chocolate making workshop; various Saturdays and Sundays; $125 ($63 per hour); Box Hill North.
- Juanita’s Kitchen (plant-based); various dates, times and prices; Preston.
- Kombucha brewing workshop; last Thursday of each month, 7-11pm; $49 ($12 per hour); Brunswick.
- La Cucina di Sandra (Italian); various evenings, 6.30-10.30pm; $120 ($30 per hour); Richmond.
- Margot & Montanez (alfajores biscuits); monthly on Sundays, 10am-1pm ; $109 ($36 per hour); Camberwell.
- Nonna & Mum’s cooking class; 4th Thursday of each month, 7-10pm; $24 ($8 per hour); Thornbury.
- Otao Kitchen (many different classes); various dates, times and prices but mostly 3 hours long and $197; Abbotsford.
- Rosa’s cooking classes (Italian); various Saturdays and Sundays, 10.15am-3pm; mostly $165 ($35 per hour); Bundoora.
- Sourdough bread workshop; roughly once a month on Saturdays, 9-11.30am; $185 ($74 per hour); Brunswick East.
- Taiwanese cooking; 1st Saturday of each month, midday-2.30pm; $126 ($50 per hour); Brunswick.
- Tea blending; various Sundays; $75 ($60 per hour); Brunswick.
- The ultimate biscuit class; various Tuesdays, 10am-3pm; $162 ($32 per hour); Blackburn.