Summary

Nov 302013
 

Join a vibrant food culture, growing and eating local

Covering all matters food across North East Melbourne

Whether you are a local food producer, want to eat local food, grow veggies in your garden or just want to meet like-minded folks, Local Food Connect is for you. Join now.

Eltham Farmers’ Market, a Local Food Connect initiative, is held every Sunday.

The purpose of this website and associated newsletter is twofold: to promote all aspects of local food around North East Melbourne and to make people around North East Melbourne feel part of a local food community.

The material is centred on 5 databases:

  1. Upcoming local food-related events: all the upcoming events of various types, around 200 per month.
  2. Local food producers: pages on each of around 140 producers, both farmers and makers.
  3. Local community gardens: pages on each of the 70 community gardens in the area
  4. Local food swaps: details of the 30 food swaps in the area.
  5. Local food justice organisations: including ‘food is free’ sites, free food distribution organisations and free community meals.

These databases are brought together into an overall Local Food Directory which contains pages for each of 320 or so local food organisations.

In addition, there are articles written by a variety of local people on:

LFC News November 6

Nov 042024
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Choy Lai, Fay Loveland, Katrina Philip, Lee Hirsh, Paul Morland and Vicki Jordan.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Kathleen Ryan, from New York, makes mouldy fruit out of beads and semi-precious stones. The fruit pictured right is called Bad lemon (creep), was created in 2019, and is decorated with around 10,000 beads and stones. There is a similar lemon, entitled Bad lemon (lichen), at the Art Gallery of NSW. Read this article in the New York Times.

As art critic Sophie Kazan said about Kathleen’s mouldy lemons: “It’s a metaphor for the exorbitant consumption and superficiality of the contemporary art market but she is also exploring aspects of beauty that can be found in the repulsive, grotesque or decomposing.“

Look at some more food-related art on our website.

Flours: whole grain vs wholemeal vs white

Let’s start with some definitions.

Flour is technically any powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts or seeds. The word ‘meal’ can be used as either a synonym for ‘flour’ or as having a slightly coarser particle size than flour.

Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread.

Historically, cereal flour comprised all parts of the grain, namely the germ (the seed embryo), the endosperm (the nutrition for the embryo) and the bran (the hard layers that hold the grain together). Nowadays, the germ is usually removed as that substantially increases shelf life. ‘Whole grain’ is where the germ has not been removed. ‘White’ or unspecified flour is essentially where the bran is also removed, whilst ‘whole meal’ flour is where the bran has not been removed. Note that bleaching of flour is not legal in Australia (unlike in the USA).

 
Whole grain flour
Wholemeal flour
White or unspecified flour
Endosperm
 X X X
Bran
 X X  
Germ
 X    

 

‘Self-raising’ flour (as opposed to plain flour) is where a leavening agent, usually baking powder, has been added. What the Americans call ‘all-purpose flour’ is the same as what we call plain flour.

Wheat flour is usually made from common wheat (Triticum aestivum). Semolina is made from durum/pasta wheat (Triticum durum). Spelt flour is made from hulled wheat (Triticum spelta).

Flours labelled as ‘baker’s’, ‘bread’, ‘pizza’ or ‘strong’ are typically made from varieties of wheat (sometimes termed ‘hard’ varieties) which contain comparatively high levels of protein.

Except for corn/maize, wheat and other cereal flours contain gluten. It is the gluten which gives dough its elasticity, helping it to rise and keep its shape. Essentially, it traps the carbon dioxide bubbles created by the leavening agent during cooking, causing the dough to rise. And it coagulates when heated, giving the dough shape.

Up to 15% of the population have some level of gluten intolerance and this has created a demand for gluten-free flours. Here are some of the gluten-free flours that my local shops sell: almond, banana, buckwheat, cassava, chick pea, coconut, flax seed, hazelnut, oat, potato, rice and sweet potato. Because these flours lack the very product (gluten) that gives dough its elasticity, both their suitability for various types of baking and their ingredients will differ from flour to flour. Most flour labelled as simply gluten-free is made from rice together with various starches and other ingredients.

Finally, at least in Australia, corn flour is rather different than the other flours and is usually used for thickening.

So, what flour to use when baking?

Most recipes will specify which of plain or self-raising flour to use. If not specified, plain flour can be assumed. If self-raising flour is specified but, for one reason or another you don’t want to use it, you can in principle create your own by adding baking powder to plain flour, but this is non-trivial.

Wholemeal flour can be used whenever plain flour is specified. Because it contains more fibre, the end result is a bit closely textured and a bit darker in colour, plus it has a few more nutritional elements.

For those with some gluten intolerance, gluten-free flour can be used as a substitute for standard flour but the end result may well be a bit different in terms of both rise/shape and taste/texture. Also, gluten-free flours often contain starches (which absorb liquid) so a gluten-free recipe may well call for more liquid and produce looser batters. Finally, different gluten-free flours can be very different than others and thus personal experimentation may well be required to find one that suits you.

Read more of my baking articles on our website.

Sylvester Hive’s Halloween celebration

The Sylvester Hive community garden in Preston had a Halloween celebration on Thursday last week. Have a look at the photos that they posted on Facebook.

Hurstbridge emergency relief

Diamond Valley Community Support (DVCS) have a new outreach program at the Hurstbridge Community Hub. It is only open one day a month, with the next day being Tuesday, 26th November. To secure your spot, ring them on 9435 8282.

The BANSIC Christmas hamper appeal

The Banyule Support and Information Centre (BANSIC) is seeking your support to fill our Christmas hampers, which are distributed to individuals and families in need. Each hamper will provide a complete Christmas meal for a family of four, including tinned ham, tinned vegetables, Christmas pudding or cake, custard, festive decorations & sweets, Christmas biscuits, gravy and bonbons. Items can be dropped off at their Foodhub (Shop 48, The Harmony Centre, The Mall, Heidelberg West, Monday-Friday, 10am-3pm).
Alternatively, you can donate here.

The 2024 Australian Food Awards

Melbourne Royal’s 2024 Australian Food Awards have been announced for the categories of dairy, preserves and smallgoods. Three organisations from North East Melbourne won best in class awards, namely:

  • Alot of Good Stuff, from Bulleen, for their mandarin marmalade.
  • Floridia Cheese, from Thomastown, for their pecorino pepato.
  • Yarra Valley Dairy, from Yering, for their Persian fetta.

There is a new bar in Eltham

Bar Conexao; Shop 4, 10-18 Arthur Street. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 4pm-late. Sells cocktails, wine, beer, cider and bar snacks. Owned (I think) by the same people at the Little Drop of Poison.

This makes a total of 12 bars in Eltham – see the map on our website. I think that there was only one bar a decade ago when I moved to Eltham. Read what you want into this 1,200% increase since my arrival!

To repeat an offer that I made some time ago: if you would like to work with me to map the various eateries in your suburb, drop me a line.

Some recent articles from Sustainable Gardening Australia

Vicki Jordan has written in to suggest that you might like to read the following articles from Sustainable Gardening Australia’s (SGA’s) recent newsletter:

Another new article from Angelo Eliades

Chilli growing guide.

Read more of Angelo’s articles about food growing.

Got any tools that need sharpening?

Fay Loveland has written in to say that the Greensborough Repair Cafe has someone who is good at sharpening tools, including secateurs, spades and scissors. Their next cafe is on Saturday, 16th November, 12.30-2.30pm at Greensborough Christian Book Centre, 14 Church St, Greensborough Victoria 3088. Book your place.

Greensborough is one of at least 12 repair cafes in North East Melbourne – see the map on our web site.

Critter of the week from my garden – earthworm

The photo (from Choy Lai’s garden) is of an unknown species of earthworm. We (or, at least, I) tend to assume that all earthworms are basically the same but there are actually around 6,000 different species of earthworm worldwide, of which around 1,000 are native to Australia.

As shown in the photo, Choy’s earthworm is a whopping 18cms long. Depending on species, earthworms can range from around 1 cm long to over 1 metre (or much longer in the case of the Gippsland giant worm).

Most earthworms are scavengers that feed on dead organic matter. They feed by passing soil through the gut, from which nourishment is extracted, or by eating organic debris, including leaves accumulated on the surface of the soil. These methods of feeding do not require highly developed sense organs (e.g. eyes) or food-catching structures. Hence their simple shape.

All earthworms are hermaphrodites (that is, a single individual can produce both male and female gametes, the eggs and sperm). During mating, both earthworms become pregnant. They both lay eggs, which then hatch into baby earthworms.

Charles Darwin spent many years studying earthworms and, in terms of their impact on our planet, considered them to be one of the three most important groups of animals (the other two being corals and humans).

Thanks to Choy for sending in this week’s photo. If you have any interesting photos of critters in your garden, email them to me.

Read about our previous insects (or other critters) of the week on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Angelo’s coriander growing guide.

The most popular event link in the last newsletter was the upcoming Fairfield Community Garden open day on 10th November.

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

You are the coffee to my expresso. And I love you latte. (submitted by Lee Hirsh)

Read more food-related jokes on our website.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets

North East Region Permaculture (NERP) will have a stall at Sunday’s Eltham Farmers’ Market where they will be holding a plant, seedling and seed swap.

Food swaps
Community gardens

Not food-related but interesting

Over the weekend of 16-17 November, 10am-5pm, 23 professionally designed home gardens around Melbourne are having open days as part of something called Garden designfest. Of these 23 gardens, 11 are in North East Melbourne, namely:

Book your tickets for individual gardens. Alternatively, buy a weekend pass to all the gardens ($70) or book your place on a bus tour to some of the gardens ($245-$280).

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Growing food in small spaces; Saturday, 9th November, 11am-1pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Coburg.

Learn how to maximise your growing area and produce fresh, healthy food right at home. You will cover: benefits of growing your own food; the challenges and solutions for small space gardening; choosing the right containers for different plants; soil mixes and drainage considerations; vertical gardening (e.g. trellises, wall planters); selecting plants suitable for vertical growth; and companion planting and succession planting. Facilitator: Angelo Eliades. Organised by Reynard Street Neighbourhood House.

Kevin Heinze GROW Coburg site and program tour; on Saturday, 16th November, at 10.15-10.45am and again at 11.15-11.45; free; Coburg.

Kevin Heinze GROW is opening its new Coburg nursery. You will be guided through a variety of spaces and how they are used in their programs. The spaces and programs to be explored include: their core Grow Program; their therapeutic program offerings (including occupational therapy and speech therapy); the nursery space; and the therapeutic horticulture space. The tour is recommended for people interested in attending any of the programs, support coordinators and potential volunteers, as well as other community members.

FINBAR garden party; Monday, 18th November, 10.30am-3pm; free; Richmond.

Celebrate the opening of their refurbished food recycling depot. Learn how it works, what you need to do when you deposit your scraps and find out how you can get compost to take home for your garden. Kath Jones will be holding a workshop from 1-3pm on ‘why grow organic?’ Learn about the soil food web, and how you can feed the soil that feeds us. Tour their community garden. Click here to read about the garden. Organised by Richmond Neighbourhood Centre.

Organic pest and disease management; Saturday, 23rd November, 1-2pm; free; Fitzroy North.

Learn how to minimise pests and disease in your garden by making some simple changes that are completely organic. Learn how using chemical fertilisers and insecticides can actually cause more pests. Learn how to increase the health and resilience of your plants and soil to reduce the occurrence of pest and diseases in your garden. Presenter: Bridget Kuch, from Cultivating Community. Organised by My Smart Garden.

Dalmore Whisky masterclass; Wednesday, 27th November, 6-10pm; $60 ($15 per hour); Croydon.

John Raphael will provide a guided tasting of 6 Dalmore Whisky whiskies, paired with cheese and charcuterie. You will receive a cocktail on arrival.

In November
In December
Regular events

There is a new regular coffee brewing event: Brewing coffee, various; Saturdays, 12.30-1pm (free) and Sundays, 1-4pm ($150); Brunswick East.

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Induction cooking demonstration; Tuesday, 12th November, 6.30-8pm; free; Ivanhoe.

Join Open Table for a cooking demonstration of how to reduce food waste and cook meals on induction.

Healthy cooking class (2 sessions); Wednesday, 13th November and Thursday, 14th November, both 10am-1pm; free; Kilsyth.

Make cupcakes and learn about alternative ingredient choices. Organised by Japara Living & Learning Centre

Kimchi M.O.B.; Thursday, 14th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Make your our kimchi under the guidance of Sharon Flynn and take it home to finish fermenting. M.O.B. stands for ‘mingling over bacteria’.

Sake x fermented food pairing; 2 occurrences on Sunday, 24th November, at midday-1.30pm and again at 2-3.30pm; $107 ($71 per hour); Fitzroy North.

Discover how different types of sake enhance the flavours of various fermented dishes. There will be 3 kinds of fermented food paired with 3 types of sake. Presenters: Kana Aoyama, Rieko Hayashi and Sharon Flynn.

St John’s Christmas gingerbread house making event; Friday, 29th November, 7-9pm; $45 ($23 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Create a gingerbread house complete with an abundance of lollies, gingerbread people and snow. Tickets are for two people, sharing one gingerbread house. Then partake in a light supper with cold drinks, followed by a short Christmas talk from a guest speaker. Organised by St John’s Anglican Church.

A flavourful night with Nana Africa and ReWine; 2 occurrences on Saturday, 30th November, at 1-3pm and again at 4-6pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Brunswick East.

Nana Africa will showcase the versatility of her spice rubs. There will be two courses: pizza topped with Nana Africa’s Ghana stew; and fettucine & ravioli with a bolognese sauce, including Nana’s spice rubs. Both will be paired with a wine from ReWine.

Festive cooking with Natalie; Wednesday, 4th December, 6-8pm; $48 ($24 per hour); Forest Hill.

Learn how to prepare healthy and fresh Middle Eastern salads and dips. Presenter: Natalie. Organised by Strathdon House.

In November
In December
Regular classes

There is a new regular cooking activity: The art of French crepe making class; Wednesdays 10am-1pm and Saturdays, 3-6pm; $120 ($40 per hour); Thornbury.