Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Bruce Plain, Carol Woolcock, Chantelle Ladouceur, Choon Yeok, Chris Mills, Joanne Shiells, Jon Buttery, Judy Vizzari, Mala Plymin, Mardi Caracoglia, Marjory Gardner, Paul Hemsworth, Robin Gale-Baker, Sandie Downes, Soo Mei Leong and Velyne Moretti.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

Answer 3: Alphington, Coburg and Eltham. Not Bundoora Park, Carlton or Heathmont.

Judy visited Doncaster Community Gardens

Just before we all started socially isolating, Judy Vizzari visited one of the most extensive, but least known, community gardens in the whole of Melbourne, namely Doncaster Community Gardens. It covers 2½ acres and includes 140 large plots. But it is hidden in that it cannot be seen from any public road and has no presence on the Internet. Indeed, I only discovered it when I was visiting the Kevin Heinze GROW community garden, saw a second, much bigger, community garden across the road and went to explore. It is always verdant, with all the plots rented out and actively worked. It’s well worth a visit.

As Judy says in her write up, “Access to the gardens is via a rough private road which runs downwards through the car park between the Kevin Heinze GROW Centre and its commercial nursery … On the left, 23 rows of plots run south-westward. Each row comprises three large plots (10 metres by 4 metres) plus one smaller one. Grassy paths separate the rows. Each plot has its own access point with a lockable gate and most have high wire fences which double as supporting frames for a variety of climbing vegetables. To walk through them is to negotiate a maze. To the right of the road the layout is mirrored by 10 rows running north-eastward starting at the top of the hill. Each row comprises 5 large plots (10 metres by 4 metres) separated again by paths.“

“It’s tended by an eclectic mix of gardeners of Greek, Italian, Asian and Australian backgrounds” and “there’s a real feeling of camaraderie here“.

The land is available to the community garden because it is near power lines and Judy concludes that it “offers a healthy and productive outlet to many gardeners and presents a model which more councils could potentially adopt to utilise vacant land, encourage community ties, promote larder independence and inspire us all to focus on sustainable living“.

Read Judy’s full interview write up.

Robin’s tip of the month – autumnal jams

Autumn is the perfect time for making unusual jams. Trees are heavy with persimmons, guavas and feijoas at the moment and these make delicious jams.

Jam making is quick and easy and can be made in small or large batches depending on how much fruit you need to process. The basic ingredients are fruit, sugar, lemon and water. You will also need sterilised jars and cellophane covers. These can be purchased as a jam making kit by Fowlers Vacola and contain jamsetta with pectin and 24 kleeview covers. I personally don’t use pectin because I don’t find it necessary and it is easy to overdo it and produce jam that is as hard as a rock!

To sterilise jars, wash them in soapy water, rinse and drain and then place them in a cold oven set to 110degC. When that temperature is reached, turn off the oven and leave the jars for 10 minutes. Make your jam at the same time so that you are ladling hot jam into hot jars.

The basic method of making jam is to wash the fruit, cut it up or scoop out the pulp, simmer it in some water or lemon juice for 30 minutes, add the sugar and raise the heat to medium until the sugar dissolves, and then boil the mix for about 25-30 minutes until it thickens or reaches what is called the ‘setting point when the fruit turns to jam. You can test for this by dropping a teaspoon of the mix on a saucer that has had 15 minutes in the freezer. After 5 minutes on the plate, draw a spoon through it and it should wrinkle. If not, boil it a bit more and test again.

Persimmon jam: 1Kg of ripe persimmon pulp, 700 grams of brown sugar, zest of 2 lemons, juice of half a lemon and 100 ml of water. Put all in the saucepan and proceed as above. If you want to make it a spiced jam, add in a cinnamon stick and a star anise (which you remove before bottling).

Pineapple guava jam: 1Kg of fruit cut in halves, 4 cups of water, 4 cups of sugar, zest of one lemon, juice of 2 lemons, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Put the fruit and water in a saucepan and simmer for 40 minutes. Then strain to remove the skin and seeds. The liquid may look quite grey and unappealing but the moment you add sugar it will turn to a clear, golden jam. Proceed as above adding all the remaining ingredients.

Pineapple feijoa jam: 1Kg of feijoa pulp, juice of 1 large lemon and 1¼Kg of sugar. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and proceed with method above. You can use the same recipe for strawberry feijoa jam.

Our photo competition

And last week’s winner is …

There were 13 entries, each of which is shown below. Thanks everyone! Again, the standard was high and you should click all 13 to see larger versions.

The winner is Chris Mills for her picture of a honey bee. Congratulations Chris! A birds nest fern, courtesy of Bev Middleton, will be wending its way to you.

Honorary mentions go to two very different pictures of dahlias by Joanne Shiell and Mardi Caracoglia. Congratulation Joanne and Mardi!

Here are all 13 entries (click them to see larger versions).

Fungus Carol Woolcock	Okra Chantelle Ladouceur	Heather Choon Yeok
Honey bee Chris Mills The winner	Dahlia Joanne Shiells Honorary mention	Camellia Jon Buttery
Eucalypt Judy Vizzari	Persimmon Mala Plymin	Dahlia Mardi Caracoglia Honorary mention
Jacaranda Marjory Gardner	Cosmos Paul Hemsworth	Trumpet flowers Soo Mei Leong
Amaranth Velyne Moretti

This week’s competition

Saturday, 2nd May (i.e. this upcoming Saturday) is World Naked Gardening Day and that is going to be the theme for this week’s competition. The photo must feature some unclothed part of either yourself or someone who lives with you (with their permission of course). To illustrate one possibility, pictured is a selfie that I created earlier this week. The prize will be a $50 voucher for seedlings of your choice from The Mushroom Shed. As well as the winner, any photo given a honorary mention will also win a $30 voucher.

What seedlings you can choose from depends on exactly when you want them but The Mushroom Shed currently have the following available: beetroot, bok choi & pak choy, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chervil, dill, garlic, kale (black tuscan or red russian), komatsuma, lettuce (cos or 4 seasons), oregano, parsley (curly or flat), peas (sugar snap or snow), perennial basil, rocket (wild or normal), sage, silverbeet (rainbow chard or normal), sorrel, spinach (baby or normal), strawberries and thyme.

Email your photo by end of play Sunday, 3rd May.

No, you didn’t know!

No one had any suggestions about what variety Carol Woolcock’s feral tomato plant is.

Do you know?

Vicki Jordan asks: “What is eating my pumpkins (see picture right)? Is it birds, rats, rabbits or something else? One day they are fine and the next time I look they are eaten. The smaller ones are not on the ground but on a trellis around 1 metre high. The large ones are on the ground and just have bits taken out of them.” Email your answer.

Sandie Downes asks: “I have two olive trees, variety unknown. Lots of the olives are falling off. They are small and green. Any suggestions about how to use them?” Email your answer.

Moving Feast – a collaborative response to the current pandemic

Led by STREAT, a number of social enterprises have got together to create a food response to the current pandemic based on the principles of “justice, sustainability and resilience“. Over the coming months, they will “grow, cook and deliver meals to the most vulnerable Victorians“. The response is called Moving Feast.

They envisage three phases in their response:

• Relief: immediate food relief for the state’s most vulnerable people.
• Recovery: mass production and distribution of food boxes and backyard growing kits.
• Rejuvenation: creating integrated and resilient local food systems.

The organisations involved include STREAT, 3000acres, ACRE, ASRC Catering, CERES, Collingwood Children’s Farm, Common Ground Project, Community Grocer, Cultivating Community, Free to Feed, Fruit2Work, Good Cycles, Kinfolk, Laneway, Melbourne Farmers Markets, Open Food Network, RMIT’s Bowen Street Press and Whittlesea Food Collective.

Read more on their website.

A new food outlet in Warrandyte – Replenished Wholefoods

Ann Stanley has written in: “A new food outlet, called Replenished Wholefoods, has just opened in Warrandyte. It stocks bulk wholefoods, native bush foods, fresh produce, natural cleaning products, vegan & gluten-free food, coffee and baked goods. Its espresso machine is almost ready to go! It is an independent business getting established with a strong focus on locally sourced fresh produce and other food products. It’s open 7 days, 272 Yarra Street, Warrandyte.“

Guy’s veggie growing tip – brassicas and cabbage moth

    

Cabbage moths lay their eggs on broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and other brassicas. The caterpillars then eat large volumes of the plant’s leaves. Jodie has written in: “Can you suggest what I can use to repel cabbage moths? They are now everywhere in my garden and holes are appearing on the foliage of my brassicas.“. Kimberley wrote in with a similar question.

Here is my answer. Fine bird netting can stop the moths laying their eggs on your brassicas. You don’t want the netting to rest on the plants, because the moths can then lay their eggs through it, so use some sort of wooden or plastic structure upon which to rest the netting. And make sure that the netting goes all the way down to the ground so that the moths can’t get underneath it.

If, for some reason, you don’t want to use netting, there is another possibility. Cabbage moths are territorial and if they see another cabbage moth in the vicinity, they tend to leave. So, either make, or buy, some decoys – just white butterfly shapes on sticks. Many nurseries sell them.

Is your soil safe?

Bruce Plain has written in to remind newsletter readers that VegeSafe, a program run by Environmental Science staff at Macquarie University, offer a very cheap ($20 donation) way of getting your soil tested for metal and metalloid contaminants. Read more. Submit sample.

18 months ago, Stuart submitted his soil for testing and wrote up the results for this newsletter.

As Stuart discussed, there are a confusing number of standards against which the safety of your soil can be judged. As Stuart discussed, and as we confirmed with the people who do the testing, the most appropriate standards to use when judging whether your soil is safe are the so-called ‘Australian NEPC Health-based investigation levels (Residential A).

How to make someone jealous

From Paul Hemsworth: “My friend in Warburton has a 12+ metre high avocado tree. I’ve no idea how old it is but it is big. Last year, it produced around 1,400 delicious avocados.“

What seeds to plant in May

Here is a list (see the planting guide for more detail):

Brassicas Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Kale Mizuna Mustard greens Pak choy

Cool season veggies Broad beans Coriander Fennel Garlic Peas

Leafy greens Lettuce Rocket Silverbeet Spinach

Other Carrot Chickpea Chives Onion Parsley Potato Radish Shallot

If you haven’t planted your cool season veggies yet, plant them now.

Read Helen’s guides on growing brassicas and garlic.

Read Robin’s guides on growing broad beans, cauliflower and garlic.

Meg’s social isolation week

The multi-coloured sweet peas that I saved from last season are up already along the fence. I planted them in the last week of March. I am reminded that it is definitely time to plant peas in the veggie patch.

Thank goodness that the mail continues! I received my pea seeds today. It feels a bit like Christmas: snow pea Yakumo, sugarsnap pea Cascadia and pea Massey Gem. They should all be ready for harvesting in spring. In spring, I always make a fresh pea soup. It can also be made with frozen peas.

The weather has been fine for Anzac day and the dawn driveway services gives me plenty of time in the day to plant the peas under sturdy frames cut from a black bamboo. If birds are a problem, cover with some netting until the seedlings are established.

Fresh pea soup

350g potatoes, peeled and cubed
350g onions, diced
2 leeks, washed and diced
1½ litres good quality chicken or vegetable stock
500g peas
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onions and leeks in a little oil for 2-4 minutes then add the potatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the stock and cook until the potatoes soften. Add the peas and bring to the boil quickly. When the peas are just done, remove from heat.

Blend and season to taste.

Can be served with a little cream.

Want some free seeds?

Megan has some excess pea seeds (including lots of sweet peas) that she would like to give away. If you would like some, simply email us with your preferred pea types and postal address and Megan will send you 10-20.

The most popular post on the Permaculture Victoria Facebook page currently is a post offering to send you some unspecified seeds if you send them a stamp addressed envelope. The author of the post lives in the Mornington Peninsula.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Callie Lastdrager’s winning picture of water droplets on a plant.

Proverb of the month

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Meaning: eating fruit helps to maintain good health. The original phrase, first found in print in the mid 19th Century, was ‘eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread‘ but then a few years later someone decided that this didn’t scan well and therefore re-worded the phrase as used nowadays.

There is some ambiguity as to whether the reference to ‘apple’ should be taken to relate specifically to ‘apples’ or more generally to ‘fruit’. This reflects a longstanding ambiguity in the English language where the word ‘apple’ used to refer to any round fruit that grew on a tree. So, for example, whilst Adam and Eve’s forbidden fruit is now often depicted as an apple, it is just called a fruit in the King James Version of the Bible. According to Wikipedia, it could have been any of fig, grape, pomegranate, banana, mushroom or wheat. And Michelangelo painted the Tree of Knowledge as a fig tree (e.g. see picture right).

Whilst everyone agrees that eating fruit, including apples, is good for you, it appears to be a matter of scientific dispute whether or not eating an apple a day does actually have any significant health benefits. A 2015 study found that adult consumers of one small apple per day had the same number of doctor visits as those who did not eat apples but it also found that people who ate an apple a day used fewer prescription medications. They suggested that the phrase be amended to an apple a day keeps the pharmacist away but this doesn’t scan well and has therefore not caught on. There seems to be general agreement that obtaining the full health benefits from eating apples requires you to eat the peel, as this is where much of the ‘goodness’ is.

Read more proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves.” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Read more quotes.

Joke of the week

Why did the cookie cry? Because his mother was a wafer so long!

Read more jokes.

Regular, current, online events

If you know of any others, email me.

Previously announced events

Sustainable Macleod are producing a series of videos entitled growing tips starring our very own Robin Gale-Baker.

Kat Lavers is publishing a series of videos entitled gardening in hard times on her Facebook page.

Pip Magazine (some of whose journalists live in North East Melbourne) are producing a series of videos entitled simple skills for self sufficiency.

3000acres are organising three, free online workshops to discuss how to preserve olives, using fresh olives harvested from our local area. Then, all together, you will preserve a small batch to put away in the cupboard. The workshops will be on: Wednesday, 29th April, 2-3pm; Sunday, 3rd May, 2-3pm; and Thursday, 14th May, 10-11am. Register on EventBrite

Formidable Vegetable are producing a series of videos entitled ‘grow-vid-19’ permaculture pandemic.

Good Life Permaculture are producing a series of videos entitled crisis gardening.

Birdlife Australia are giving weekly talks on their Facebook page. The talks can be watched live starting at midday on Thursdays, or as videos afterwards.

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Bev Robertson, Daisy Lio, Dan Milne, Helen Disler, Jan Akeroyd, Jian Liu, Jon Buttery, Lenny Robinson, Lily Angel, Louise Nolan, Mala Plymin, Marina Bistrin, Megan Goodman, Natalie Nott, Pollyn Chan and Samantha Patterson.

Which markets will be happening this weekend?

In terms of farmers’ market, it looks like Alphington, Coburg and Eltham will be happening, but not Carlton or Yarra Valley.

In terms of community and craft markets, it looks like only Fitzroy Mills will be happening.

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – desserts

The theme for Vasundhara’s three recipes this month is desserts. The three recipes are:

Chickpea bliss balls	Chocolate mousse	Oat and rice bars

Like all of Vasundhara’s recipes, the recipes are plant-based.

As I’ve got space, I’m going to put my favourite of the three recipes (chickpea bliss balls) in full below but you will have to go to the website to read the other two (chocolate mousse and oat and rice bars).

Chickpea bliss balls

Ingredients

1¼ cups icing sugar
4 cups chickpea flour
¼ cup dry fruits
¾ cup coconut oil

Method
Dry roast 3 cups of the flour until it is golden brown and fragrant. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add the oil and the remaining cup of flour. Cook until golden brown and fragrant. Remove and collect in a bowl. Let it cool down to room temperature.

Dry toast the dry fruits and add to the mixture. Add the dry roasted chickpea flour and the icing sugar. Mix well.

Make balls and garnish with chopped almonds and pistachio.

Tip: the oil shouldn’t be too hot when adding the chickpea flour because it will burn the flour. Keep stirring the chickpea flour when roasting because it burns at the base.

Tip: you can use whole wheat flour instead of chickpea flour.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

Vasundhara operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma in Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North and Montmorency. Read her menu and order.

Yes, you did know!

Last week Margot Meredith asked where she could buy flour, especially bakers flour. Lots of you answered. Here are your answers in alphabetic order: Apples and Sage Organic Wholefoods, Balwyn; Conga Foods (aka Fine Food Depot), Preston; Costco, Ringwood (they do 10Kg bags); Dynamic Vegies Organic Food, Eltham; Hindustan Imports, Dandenong (Laucke flour); Organic Fix, Eltham; Penny Olive Sourdough, The Patch (they mill their own flour); Proserpina Bakehouse, Sassafras; Terra Madre, Northcote; and Thrive Bulk Wholefoods, Eltham. It is noteworthy that most of these are health food stores, organic stores or bulk stores.

Several people mentioned online ordering from the Laucke website, which is, however, temporarily out of action because of a lack of stock.

A new competition

Jon Buttery has written in to suggest that we have a competition whereby you email me with a photo from either your garden or a nearby park and I choose the best photo. I am more than happy to do so, but it is difficult to think of prizes other than shoutouts in the current crisis. Also, I would like to do it as an ongoing, weekly thing, perhaps with a properly constituted judge or judges, but that would depend on it being a popular initiative.

So, this is what we are going to do this week. You email me, by end of play Sunday 19th April, with a photo from either your garden or a nearby park. I will choose the best photo. The winner will be announced next Wednesday and their photo will be published in this newsletter. Whilst reading the newsletter, you will all then clap and cheer the winner from your home.

The picture can be of anything. To illustrate, if it had been someone else’s competition, I could have entered the picture right, which is of a pied currawong in my garden eating cuckoo pint (Arum italicum) berries.

A message to our local food producers

If you ever have any news, particularly new products or new ways of selling, email us with your information and we’ll put it in this newsletter. It’s both free and effective.

To illustrate: last week, we had a little article about how The Mushroom Shed are now delivering their mushroom kits, with no delivery charge if you live in one of the suburbs bordering their base in Montmorency. Helen Simpson, the owner of The Mushroom Shed has now written in to say “we’ve had a considerable number of orders from newsletter readers – many thanks! I’ve spent a hectic last few days processing and despatching them all.“

Beginners’ veggie growing tip – broad beans

Before we started growing our own veggies, my wife had never actually tasted broad beans (aka fava beans). They are yum, they are easy to grow and the best time to plant them is now or in May.

Broad beans are a type of legume, like peas, beans, chickpeas, peanuts and soya (all of which can be grown Melbourne). Legumes can fix their own nitrogen, so you shouldn’t fertilise the soil. They grow to around 1½ metres tall and, whilst they don’t need staking, it best to avoid them being in a windswept position. My experience is that all the varieties grow similarly and taste the same, so it doesn’t matter what varieties you plant. Germination rates from seeds are usually very good, so if you ever want to try and grow veggies from seed, this is a good one to start with. Pre-soak the seeds overnight before planting and plant them directly into your veggie patch rather than into a seed tray. It will take around 6 months before the beans are ready to harvest. Harvest early rather than late and just harvest what you want for the next meal. In principle, you can freeze your excess beans, particularly if you blanch them first, but in practice, it doesn’t usually work well for me.

Read a more in-depth discussion about growing broad beans.

Read more beginners’ veggie growing tips.

Some interesting articles

Here is a Facebook post with photos of 21 ideas to put a vegetable garden in your garden.

Here is an article from the Permablitz Melbourne website entitled what permaculture can look like in a rental property.

Meg’s social isolation week

[Editor: this article by Megan Goodman is hopefully the start of a regular weekly contribution.]

As the season changes, I [Meg] would normally be scrambling to find time to deal with the end of season produce as well as an influx of autumn fruit. But the days are now long and I have plenty of hours to look at recipes in the hard copy books that sit a bit dusty on my shelves.

Leaves are starting to turn on my stone fruit. I clear out summer crops like the tomatoes that did not ripen. I turn to my aunt’s green tomato pickle.

I am planting broccoli (that I started from seed indoors), beetroot, spring onions and garlic. Hands in dirt. The autumn sun peaks through every now and again.

Harvesting apples starting with Early McIntosh and Abas, moving onto the Jonathans and Snow Apples. The Golden Delicious is still ripening. I’m fighting the birds for the Faccia rosa pears and quinces.

Quince paste is a favourite. I have tried the stovetop version. It’s long and arduous. I have a microwave version but it seems too fast for these days. So I fall back to a slow cooker version, which doesn’t set but is soft and spreadable with that lovely coral red colour imbued. It allows time for other quiet things.

Slow cooker quince paste

4-8 quinces. Wash the ‘fluffy coating’ from the fruit, de-seed and peel. Place the seeds in a muslin bag. Stew the fruit and seed bag with around a cup of water until soft. Remove the seed bag. Puree the fruit.

Weigh your quince puree. Place in the slow cooker with an equal weight of white sugar.

Cook in the slow cooker, stirring occasionally until the colour changes and the mixture thickens. Place in sterilised jars or containers. Can be frozen.

My aunt’s green tomato pickle

1Kg green tomatoes
1Kg onions
2 tablespoons mustard powder
2 tablespoons keens curry powder
1 dessert spoon turmeric
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup golden syrup
1 litre white vinegar plus 1 tablespoon extra
1½ tablespoons cornflour

Slice and layer the onions and tomatoes and sprinkle with about half a tablespoon of salt. Leave for around 2 hours then drain.

Bring the mustard powder, curry powder, turmeric, pepper, golden syrup and the 1 litre of white vinegar to the boil then add the tomatoes and onions. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Mix the extra vinegar with the cornflour and add to the mix. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

Pour into sterilised jars.

Some new delivery options

Fine Fruits Of Eltham, who are a greengrocer based in Eltham, are doing free delivery for orders $30 or more. Orders can be placed Monday to Friday before midday for same day delivery. Order by phone (9439 8644) or email (finefruitsofeltham@gmail.com). If you want, they can give you a list of their available produce.

Black Vice Café & Roastery, who are a cafe in Hurstbridge, are doing home-delivered food boxes for $65. These boxes will typically contain a variety of fruit and vegetables plus milk and flour. Order by phone (9718 1386) for delivery on a Wednesday. Read their Facebook page to see what is in next week’s box.

Our website page of the month – food videos

One of my favourites is the page of food videos, where I have collected together around 30 of the best videos that have featured in the newsletters over the years. They are in reverse chronological order so don’t look at the first 10 or so as they have been in recent newsletters.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The Melbourne Farmers’ Market online shop.

Joke of the week

Why did the skeleton go to a BBQ? For the spare ribs.

Read more jokes.

Regular, current, online events

A number of people have suggested that we should collectively maintain a list of relevant, regular, current, online events. I know of the four below. If you know of any others, email me.

Sustainable Macleod are producing a series of videos entitled growing tips starring our very own Robin Gale-Baker.

Kat Lavers is publishing a series of videos entitled gardening in hard times on her Facebook page.

Formidable Vegetable are producing a series of videos entitled ‘grow-vid-19’ permaculture pandemic.

Good Life Permaculture are producing a series of videos entitled crisis gardening.

J.B. Shackleton’s marmalade wins again!

Lachlan Shackleton-Fergus, from local marmalade maker J.B. Shackleton’s in Wonga Park, has just won a gold medal in the 2020 World’s Original Marmalade Competition in the UK! Their winning marmalade was ‘Luxury Tangelo Marmalade with 11 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky‘. They had previously won gold medals in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Congratulations, Lachlan!

Another free giveaway

Partly to mark his recent gold medal and partly to show solidarity in these difficult times, Lachlan is giving away another 20 or so jars of his marmalade! Given social distancing etc, I have decided to give them away as follows: any newsletter reader who goes to the Organic Fix health food store at 937 Main Road, Eltham will be given a jar if they ask for one until supplies run out.

Note that, whilst they remain open, Organic Fix have, for social distancing reasons, put a table across their entrance and are serving people one-by-one across this table.

After you have consumed some of the marmalade, Lachlan would love to know what you thought of it. Email me and I’ll pass your comments onto him. If you want to submit some sort of photo, that would be great too.

And the winners from last week are …

The four jars of The Bearded Bee honey go to Judith Chivers, Kim Riazi, Melissa Tripodia and Soo Mei Leong.

I was completely overwhelmed by the number of people who asked for some of Bruno Tigani’s leeks. They were given away on a first come, first served basis and went to the following people amongst others: Angie Kristens, Cathy Romeo, Emma Duncan, Jane Thurman, Jo Stackhouse, Liz Eadie, Mala Plymin, Marina Bistrin, Michelle Hegarty, Pam Jenkins, Sara Browne, Shellie Drysdale and Tracey Bjorksten.

Pre-order some seedlings from KABUU

You might have noticed that veggie seedlings are currently hard to find in our local nurseries. You might also have noticed that, for coronavirus reasons, seedling grower KABUU are currently not attending farmers’ markets. One way around both of these problems is to pre-order seedlings from KABUU. Pre-ordering allows them to grow to demand, conserving resources and saving costs. It is available for asian greens, beetroot, lettuce, silverbeet and spring onions. Pricing: $5 for a set of 8-12 seedlings (a discount of around 50% over standard prices). Place your order by 7th April, with the seedlings to be ready by 15th May.

Help Maude establish a microbakery

Maude Farrugia and family want to create a microbakery in their home. The business will be subscription-based, meaning that they will bake to order, thus avoiding the waste that occurs in conventional bakeries. They need to raise some funds to turn their back room into a council-approved microbakery and are therefore running a crowdfunder. Read their crowdfunding page and potentially support them. Look through the list of rewards (bread, pizza, etc) and select your level of support.

Markets this upcoming weekend

Only 3 of the 6 scheduled farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend: Alphington, Coburg and Eltham. Although Carlton Farmers’ Market will not be taking place, most of the stallholders have apparently been re-allocated to either Alphington or Coburg Farmers’ Markets. Both Bundoora Park Farmers’ Market and Heathmont Farmers’ Market, like all the farmers’ markets operated by Regional Farmers Markets, will not be happening for the foreseeable future.

Of the 5 other markets with food stalls, only the Fitzroy Mills Market will be taking place. In other words, the markets at Hurstbridge, Kingsbury Drive, St Andrews and Warrandyte will not be happening.

Want to receive a newsletter from Eltham Farmers’ Market?

Chris Chapple, market manager at Eltham Farmers’ Market, has written in: “The importance of local food was recently brought into sharp focus when some of our supermarkets were cleaned out of fresh vegetables a couple of weeks ago. The coronavirus has demonstrated the fragility of our supply chains and our vulnerability to global trade. But the virus now presents an existential threat to our food future as our remaining local farmers lose what little opportunity they previously had to sell their produce. Many local markets have closed but the State Government has permitted food-only markets such as the Eltham Farmers’ Market to continue. We are working hard to keep the market operating so that there is something left to re-build when ‘we get to the other side’. Our aim is also to make sure that the market is a safe place to do your shopping. A variety of safety measures have been introduced, including restricting numbers on site at any one time and ensuring that the space provided exceeds government guidelines and facilitates good social distancing. To keep customers informed of the rapidly changing local food landscape, whether it be the traders who continue to make it to market or the stallholders who offer alternative ways of sourcing their produce, we will be producing a market bulletin.“

A source of free food at Diamond Creek

The Rotary Club of Diamond Creek has partnered with SecondBite to give away free food every Saturday, from 9-11am, at Diamond Creek Church, 32 Wensley Street, Diamond Creek (opposite Aksorn Thai and the police station). Pictured is some of the food that they distributed last Saturday. Read more.

Website page of the week – home delivery of fruit/veggie boxes by postcode/suburb

Perhaps not surprisingly, one of the pages on our website which has become massively more popular over the last week is the home delivery of fruit/veggie boxes by postcode/suburb page. Basically, you enter your postcode or suburb and it tells you some of the local organisations who will home deliver fruit and veggie boxes to you.

An alternative to standard food swaps

With most food swaps currently in abeyance, some people are thinking about alternative ways of keep swapping going. Whitehorse Urban harvest swap have set up something called ‘seedling give & take’ at Box Hill South Neighbourhood House, 47 Kitchener Street, Box Hill South. The ‘give’ element is that people are invited to donate food plants, potted in soil and labelled. The ‘take’ element is that people in need are invited to take the seedlings to grow and use.

Do you know?

Richard Lee, from KABUU, writes in: “I would like to learn about vegetables indigenous to the African continent. I’m thinking about plants we could potentially grow in Melbourne as a food crop. Having a greater diversity of species would increase food security. Which African crops could we grow in Melbourne?” Email me with your answers.

Kerryn Johnson writes in: “My son brought home a mango from a property in Brunswick that he was working at a few weeks ago. The mango had been grown in their backyard! It was a lot smaller than your average mango, with a much smaller pip/seed. As any good gardener would do, I’ve saved the seed. How should I propagate this seed and can one grow mangoes without too much work in Melbourne or am I wasting my time?” Email me with your answers.

How to make sauerkraut

Marina Bistrin has sent in her recipe for making sauerkraut. Thanks Marina!

As Marina says in her introduction: “Sauerkraut is just salt and cabbage, with the fermentation of the natural sugar in the cabbage being done by the lactic acid bacteria that are in the air and on your hands. It’s best eaten raw as a side dish. You can also add small amounts of the juice to foods without cooking them, as this is meant to be a good inoculant for your gut health.“

There are now 224 recipes in our website database.

Alternatives to the pasta aisle

Thanks to Karen Olsen for this article on alternatives to pasta.

Empty pasta aisles in the supermarket remind us how much we love a Mediterranean diet. So, it’s good to know that yummy alternatives to pasta have also been with us for a long time. Pasta-less meals can include any of the following healthy options.

1. Creamed cauliflower (aka mashed cauliflower). Creamed cauliflower appears to offer all the bonuses of comfort food, with few of the calories and more of the nutrition. Steam cauliflower florets until tender, then blend in food processor or mash, together with your preferred flavourings. Add salt & pepper, olive oil, butter or sour cream. Optionally add a little crushed garlic, some coriander seeds, dried/fresh parsley or other herbs. Tip: drizzle olive oil in slowly while the food processor or mashing is happening for a lighter, ‘fluffier’ outcome.

2. Zucchini fettuccini. Peel fresh zucchini lengthways into long strips to any width you like and dress with lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Eat hot or cold.

3. Polenta, coarse, fine, or instant. A time-honoured staple, polenta is traditionally cooked in a pot on the stove, with the ingredients for success being some salt, herbs or butter (and/or cheese when we are feeling particularly indulgent). Remember that the coarser the polenta, the fuller the flavour. Serve straight into a bowl and top with bolognaise, ratatouille, osso buco, lentils, or any other casserole-type dish. Another option is to spread into a tray to set, then fry in oil or butter cut as triangles, squares, or chunky ‘chips’.

4. Potato or sweet potato. Mashed tatties make a great casserole or pasta sauce under-layer, like polenta.

5. Homemade gnocchi. This is a quick and relatively painless way to bulk up potato and flour options.

6. Make your own pasta. This can be a whole afternoon’s activity during these home-based school holidays and, once the experimenting with vegetable additions in the pasta mix begins, can open the doorway to a whole new world of colours, flavours, and possibilities.

Queensland Fruit Fly in Nillumbik

Evan Gellert, whose tomatoes are currently infested, writes about his recent experience with Queensland Fruit Fly.

Queensland fruit fly (QFF) (Bactrocera tryoni) can infest nearly all fruits and fruiting vegetables, including solanums and cucurbits. Our Eltham neighbours have been devastated by the infestations to their stonefruit this summer. Separated by about 100 metres from them, our stonefruit escaped but our tomatoes are now being infested in March. The larvae and less than 2mm long when they first hatch, and then grow to 5-9mm long. Look for these on the move inside infested fruit. Adult flies are 5-8mm long, generally brown, with yellow shoulder pads and a yellow patch on the mid lower back.

QFF was recognised as being on the rise in Nillumbik from January this year. But this was not the first time: a co-volunteer with the Heritage Fruits Society told me some years ago that QFF had been here. The Nillumbik Council website has some advice of the subject, including a downloadable fruit fly guide. If your fruit has been infested by the small larvae this season, I suggest you download this guide.

QFF is found throughout eastern Australia, from Cape York to Victoria. They prefer to gather in dark spaces, probably due to their forest origins. Creek lines have been suggested as a likely transmission route through suburbia. They rarely fly across open grassland. Where I live backs onto the Diamond Creek. I wonder whether there are notable differences between the ridge-lines and creek-lines for infestations in Eltham. The flies are reported to be repelled by white surfaces which might explain their low incidence in plastic greenhouses. They mate for only around 30 minutes at dusk.

Why did we escape infestations to our apricots and nectarines only 100 metres from our neighbour when QFF is known to circulate over 500 metres (but rarely more than 1 km)? It could have been our insect net which we use as fruit tree netting. The mesh size of 1 x 3mm should exclude the flies, and the white colour might deter them. I have finally netted our tomatoes late in March and seen the QFF inside trying to get out. I’ve made a calendar note for earlier next year to erect netting over tomatoes. Infested fruit can’t be just composted, or the cycle continues.

Why have the flies been much more active here this year? We can only guess. Perhaps we have had a series of milder winters which otherwise keep numbers in check. Or perhaps other random environmental drivers have favoured their breeding.

Beginners veggie growing tip – mustard greens

One of the consequences of the current crisis is that I am now writing weekly veggie growing tips for Nillumbik University of the Third Age (U3A). I thought that I would also include these tips in this newsletter. The first tip relates to mustard greens.

Some people like eating lettuce as their main leafy green. Others like something more peppery, such as rocket (aka arugula). I’d like to suggest that you try mustard greens. It has a pleasant peppery taste, but not as strong as rocket. It grows easily and quickly, and you can start harvesting leaves within two months of planting. It grow well in pots. You can plant it at any time over the coming months. The plants should be spaced around 30cm apart. It comes in two main forms, one with thin frilly leaves and the other with wide flat leaves. I prefer the former, with ‘golden frills’ being my favourite variety.

Are you a senior living in Nillumbik or Banyule?

During the current crisis, Nillumbik University of the Third Age (U3A) is producing a free weekly newsletter, written by yours truly, which aims to keep seniors connected, informed, entertained and engaged. If you would like to receive this newsletter, complete a simple signup form. If you want to see what sorts of things they cover, read this week’s newsletter.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Mala Plymin has sent in a photo of some seeds packets that she has just made with her children. She is going to share her excess seeds via the Heidelberg Good Karma Network. Thanks Mala!

More articles from Angelo Eliades

Not content with his 3 articles about coronavirus from last week, Angelo has now embarked on a series of 7(!) articles entitled Emergency Survival Prepper Gardening. The first three articles are:

• Selecting a location for a food garden.
• How to prepare the soil.
• When to sow seeds and plant seedlings.

He has also just published an article entitled What are the best rocks to use for building wicking beds?.

New food delivery options

Eltham

Here are a few new food delivery options in the postcode where I live (3095).

Bolton Street Fruit Market (in the group of shops where Bolton Street and Main Road meet in the south of Eltham) will put a box of fruit and vegetables together and you just have to go to the door and collect it. Alternatively, they will deliver to postcodes 3088, 3093, 3094 and 3095. Phone: 9439 5654. Text: 0478 067 733.

Earthbound Bolton Cafe (at 5/266 Bolton Street, near the 24 hour medical clinic) will not only deliver coffee and takeaway meals but also fruit, vegetables, milk, bread, eggs and other staples. if you want, you can go to the cafe and view what fruit and vegetables they have before placing your order. Read their Facebook page. Tel: 9439 3932.

And finally, as discussed in last week’s newsletter, Organic Fix (937 Main Road) has started a home delivery service throughout postcode 3095 and the surrounding suburbs. Tel: 9424 1861.

Diamond Creek

Three of the local food shops are working in partnership to offer free, contactless home delivery, or pick up at the shops. They are Local Fine Foods (fruit and vegetables), DC Meats and Bakers Delight. Contact Local Fine Foods (who can take orders for all three shops) by email, phone (0433 435 142 or 0438 604 339) or Facebook messenger (Local Fine Foods).

Hurstbridge

The Lettuce Inn is offering delivery in Hurstbridge (free) or surrounding suburbs ($5), or pickup at the shop (803 Main Road). Order by email or phone (9718 1150).

Other suburbs

Is there any news from your suburb that you would like to share? Email me.

Which cafes are open for takeaway in your suburb?

I have just rung all 30 cafes in my suburb (Eltham) to ask if they are currently open for takeaway or closed.

• Bean Alive (tel: 9134 7997)
• Bolton Street Deli and Liquor (tel: 9439 6922)
• Brents Patisserie (tel: 9439 9625)
• Cafe Z (tel: 9437 2022)
• Earthbound Bolton (tel: 9439 3932)
• Ferguson Plarre Bakehouse Eltham (tel: 9431 6422)
• Health Bar Melbourne (tel: 9437 1972)
• Lilies On Brougham (tel: 9431 6622)
• Little Drop Of Poison (tel: 9424 8186);
• Miss Pryor (tel: 8407 3839)
• Old Evropa Bakery (tel: 0433 981 414)
• Oregon Xpress (tel: 9435 9640)
• Papa Bear (tel: 9439 8736)
• Pierross Pasticceria Italiana (tel: 8407 3830)
• Teapot Cafe (tel: 9431 2611)
• The Greek Place (tel: 9431 4241)
• The Main Cafe Bar and Restaurant (tel: 9431 6611)
• Zen Den Coffee and Food (tel: 9439 8838).

The other cafes appear to be closed.

If anyone is willing to ring the cafes in their suburb, I’d be more than happy to publish the results in the next newsletter. Email me.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Angelo’s article on the coronavirus panic and how to prepare properly.

Joke of the week

Today, I will be as useless as the ‘g’ in lasagne.

Useless fact of the week: lasagne and lasagna both refer to the same food. The difference is that, whilst lasagne is the plural, lasagna is the singular.

Second useless fact of the week: the singular of spaghetti is apparently spaghetto.

See photo right. Ravioli anyone?

Read more jokes.