LFC News February 23 2022

Feb 232022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Evan Gellert, Judith Chivers, Jules Jay and Louise Nolan.

The food garden at Eltham railway station (by Evan Gellert)

Around 4 years ago, a group of us, supported by Metro Trains Victoria, HealthAbility and Local Food Connect, installed two wicking veggie beds on the platform of the Eltham train station. One thought was to plant the idea in heads that growing veggies at home isn’t so hard. (Bicycle Victoria, as it was then known, once planted the idea in my head of cycling to work instead of driving. I then cycled to work one day a week for five years, Montmorency to Maribyrnong – the power of an idea.)

Since then, the railway veggie beds have been tended lovingly by a small band of volunteers. Giving them attention over the past two years has been challenging, often interrupted by Covid lockdowns. Nevertheless, they have been enjoyed by the passing commuters. As we speak, zucchini plants in one bed are fruiting strongly, as are tomatoes in the other bed. Once these veggie plants wind down to the cooling of autumn, we will be re-plant for the winter. New volunteers would be welcomed to help out with the autumn planting, and then with a monthly roster to tidy the plants and water the beds. Conversations might be struck with passing commuters to thank you for tending this mini treasure. All part of the job. If you would potentially like to help out, send us your contact details and we’ll be in touch.

[Editor: I (Guy) would like to thank Evan for his sterling efforts with the food garden over the last few years. Ditto Bev Robertson. It is because of people like Evan and Bev that local food activities survive and prosper. Now we really do need a few more people to get involved in the maintenance of the food garden at Eltham railway station. It only involves a couple of hours a month. As Evan says, send me an email and we can have a chat.

More on Collingwood Children’s Farm community gardens

The most popular link in the last newsletter was the article in The Age about the protests about the current developments at Collingwood Children’s Farm community gardens.

As some of you are unable to read the article online, a hard copy of it is given in the left hand image below, as published on 15th February.

If you want to understand a bit more about the current dispute between, as I understand it, some of the plot holders and farm management, you can read another recent article in the Age, dated 12th February, entitled Gardeners rally before bulldozers roll in, a hard copy of which is given below in the right hand image.

  

At one level, the dispute is about safety but at another level it is about differing visions for the role of community gardens, including allotments versus communal spaces. Here are two articles from six months ago that were published in the Moreland Food Garden Network:

More on allotments versus communal growing for community gardens

There are around 60 community gardens in North East Melbourne. Around half are essentially communal (i.e. shared and open to the public), a quarter are allotments (i.e. closed to the public), and a quarter are a mixture of communal growing areas and allotments. Having visited the majority of these gardens, my experience is that most people who go to a particular community garden simply assume, without thinking much about it, that their type of community garden is the norm whereas the fact of the matter is that different gardens can have very different underlying philosophies and dominant personality types. Perhaps this is one of the underlying causes of the current dispute at Collingwood.

In this context, I thought that this recent article on the Moreland Community Gardens website was interesting given that Moreland Community Gardens oversee the Pentridge and West Brunswick community gardens, both of which are a mixture of allotments and communal growing areas. The article lists a number of advantages of communal growing areas, including:

  • You don’t have the pressure of running a whole plot on your own.
  • Gardening with others is a great way to meet your neighbours and expand your knowledge.
  • The [number] of people who can join [in] is virtually unlimited, with no wait lists.
  • You have the space to grow a huge variety of different crops without being limited to your plot space.

Would any newsletter reader like to draft an equivalent list for allotments? If so, email me.

A wasp-mimic bee hatching

If you have an insect hotel you will know that the action for calendar year 2022 is now coming to an end, with the current generation having hatched and the eggs for the next generation having been laid. As per the picture of one of my insect hotels (right), you will probably now have a mixture of mud wasp eggs (most of the holes in the picture), resin bee eggs (in the holes with the darker brown coverings), and newly empty holes. And, if you are lucky, you might have a wasp-mimic bee (Hyleoides concinna). Newsletter reader Louise Nolan has been doubly lucky, as she saw and videoed a wasp-mimic bee hatching from her hotel (20 seconds). Note the unusual cellophane-like curtain to the entrance.

Lentil as Anything is closing

All three Lentil as Anything pay-what-you-feel restaurants (in Abbotsford, Brunswick and St Kilda) are closing permanently at the end of February. Watch founder Shanaka Fernando make the announcement.

Another article from Angelo Eliades

How to make horticultural oil spray for organic pest control

Read more of Angelo’s food-growing articles.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Simply cut some capsicums in half and add googly eyes.

Interested in food statistics?

If you are interested in statistics, you might like to have a look at Australia’s food environment dashboard, which provides a wide range of statistics about “the healthiness of Australia’s food environments“. For example, number of TV ads in children’s peak viewing time for unhealthy vs healthy food: 2.3 per hour vs 1.0 per hour; cost of a healthy diet per fortnight for a family of four in rural Victoria: $702; and the proportion of packaged food and drinks that displays the Health Star Rating: 41%.

What seeds to plant in March

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

Brassicas  

Broccoli
Cabbage
Kale
Pak Choy
Other cool season veggies  

Broad beans
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens  
Rocket
Silverbeet
Spinach
Roots

Beetroot  
Carrot
Potato
Radish
Other

Chives
Fennel
Leeks
Parsley

 
Compared with February, some of the brassicas are now on the list, plus broad beans, rocket and spinach. The best months for planting brassicas are March and April. What I do is plant seeds in March so that, if they don’t germinate, I can either try again in April or cheat and buy some seedlings.

Some of our articles you might have missed over the last month

Word of the month – La de la verguenza

‘La de la verguenza’, meaning the last morsel of food on a serving plate that everyone is too embarrassed to reach out for. The literal meaning of the phrase in Spanish is ‘the one of shame’.

Read previous words of the month.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Worth one’s salt. Meaning: to be deserving of one’s pay. The phrase was apparently first said in 1805 by someone called Philip Beaver but Mr. Beaver never disclosed how he had invented (or discovered) it. It is assumed that the connection between ‘salt’ and ‘pay’ is via the word ‘salary’: ‘salary’ is derived from the Latin ‘salarium’, which in turn is derived from the Latin ‘salarius’, meaning ‘of, or pertaining to, salt’. The reason why ‘salarium’ (and thus ‘salary’) is about someone’s pay is not completely clear but is assumed to be something to do with how or why Roman soldiers were paid. For example, at some point a soldier’s salary may have been, in part, an allowance for the purchase of salt, which was apparently a valuable commodity in those days.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Your mind is the garden, your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds.” by William Wordsworth.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A pun, a play on words, and a limerick walk into a bar. No joke.

Read more food-related jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

All the material below is extracted from our website calendar of local events.

The usual caveats apply: some of the events below will probably be cancelled because of Covid and many of the events will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not food-related but interesting

Insects, biodiversity and what you can do in your own backyard; Sunday, 27th February, 10.30-11.30am; free; Eltham.

Professor Philip Batterham, who has a PhD in genetics and is an expert in the field of insecticide resistance, will explain the complex world of insects, biodiversity and insecticides. This is the first of a series of monthly public lectures in relation to Green Wedge issues being organised by the Southern Cross Community Church.

Printing from nature; Sunday, 19th March, 10.30am-1pm; $12; Hurstbridge.

This is one of a series of gardening and arts-related workshops being organised by the Edible Hub Community Garden in Hurstbridge. Artist Leanne Mooney will show you how to use natural materials in printing, including making a printed bag using plants or stencils with plant designs. Take along plants, leaves, flowers, nuts or seed pods from your own garden.

Ekphrastic poetry; Sunday, 26th March, 10.30am-12.30pm; $12; Hurstbridge.

This is another arts-related workshop being organised by the Edible Hub Community Garden in Hurstbridge. Fee Sievers will talk about ekphrasis, which is the art of writing to an object or scene. Fee will guide you on how to ‘paint’ your subject in words, not pictures – not simply describing your chosen subject, but digging deep to discover what draws you to it, and how it makes you think or feel. Take your notebook, pen and imagination.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Beetles with benefits; Friday, 28th February, 4.30-6pm; free; Steels Creek.

Dr Russ Barrow will conduct a farm walk demonstrating his work on dung beetles and livestock farming. He will discuss the benefits of these beetles, how to encourage them to your farm and how incorporate them into your farm. Organised by Melbourne Water.

Permaculture rental garden tour; Sunday, 6th March, midday-2pm; $5; Macleod.

Join Marina Bistrin in her garden in her rental house where she has been 12 years. The main features include: shading the house and garden with plants for summer cooling; cold compost, composting paths and composting weeds; and medicinal plants and edible weeds. Please take snacks to share and cuppas will be provided. Organised by NERP.

Pest and disease drop-in session; Saturday, 19th March, 10am-midday; free; Hurstbridge.

As part of the Home Harvest Community Garden Open Day, a team from AUSVEG will be available to discuss issues that might pose a risk to your home fruit and vegetable garden. You’ll also learn how to monitor for pests of concern, prevent spreading ‘bad’ bugs around the garden, as well as how to spot ‘good’ bugs. At 11am, there will be a presentation on Queensland fruit fly (QFF) by Bronwyn Koll, who will talk about what it looks like, its lifecycle, how it behaves and how to control it.

Autumn plant sale; Saturday, 19th March, 10am-4pm; free; Eltham.

Organised by Australian Plants Society – Yarra Yarra, there will be sales of native and indigenous plants plus books. The plant sellers will include APS Yarra Yarra growers, Goldfields Revegetation Nursery, La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary Nursery, Sunvalley Plants Nursery and Vaughan’s Australian Plants.

In February
In March
In April
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

A vegan summer in Southern Italy: recipes and culinary adventures; Tuesday, 1st March, 7-8.30pm; free; Coburg.

Nadia Fragnito will take you on a tour through the southern towns of Italy, part cookbook and part travel guide. Organised by Coburg Library.

Dehydrating food 101; Saturday, 12th March, 10am-2pm; $170 ($43 per hour); Forest Hill.

Anna, the Urban Nanna, will discuss the skills, useful knowledge and the basic processes of dehydrating foods. You will then make your own herbal tea blend, flavoured salt, and risotto blend. Take a packed lunch, water bottle and apron.

Preserving; Saturday, 19th March, 10-11am; free; Whittlesea.

Learn how to make the most of your garden produce or fruit and vegetables left in your fridge by using preserving techniques to avoid food wastage. Take home some preserves. Organised by Whittlesea Community Garden.

Sweet preserves workshop; Saturday, 26th March, 10.30am-1.30pm; $159 ($53 per hour); Forest Hill.

Anna, the Urban Nanna, will discuss the skills, useful knowledge and the basic processes of making sweet preserves. You will talk through how and why different methods of preserving work, before making a batch of jam. Take a packed lunch, water bottle and apron.

Cannoli making masterclass; Sunday, 3rd April, 11am-1.30pm; $100 ($40 per hour); Northcote.

Edoardo Nicita, from Shop 225, will show you how make cannoli pastry from scratch, including how to roll it out, shape it and fill it. Once you have created your masterpieces, you will then plate and devour your creations with your new found foodie friends!

Sicilian arancini cooking class; Sunday, 10th April, 2-4.30pm; $95 ($38 per hour); Fitzroy.

Family Food Fight contestants Concetta Pluchinotta-Varone and her mother Pina Pluchinotta will show you how to fill, shape and crumb a variety of arancini, including a variety of flavour and shapes. You will then plate and devour your creations with your new found foodie friends!

In February
In March
In April
Regular classes
In Richmond

Read about the upcoming cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News February 16 2022

Feb 162022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Elizabeth Hoey, Jenny Taylor, Jon Buttery, Nicole Milella and Samantha Corbett.

Jon Buttery’s podcast of the month

The latest podcast from All The Dirt: A retired doctor talks about beekeeping, including how 45% of beekeepers will have to give up in their lifetime due to allergies and how he stuck his head in a beehive at the age of 2. Plus why islands are the best place to raise queens.

ReWine

Samantha Corbett has written in to suggest that you might be interested in a local wine merchant called ReWine. ReWine sell some Australian wines in re-usable containers, ranging from 375ml up to 10,000(!) litres. The basic idea is that you go to one of their two shops in Brunswick or Fitzroy with your container and they fill it with the wine of your choice.

Want a job?

Melbourne Farmers Markets is looking for a Farmers Market Manager. 12-18 hours per week, including attendance at a weekend market (starting early) and a weekday in their office in Alphington. Remuneration of $38 per hour on Sundays, $13 per hour on Saturdays and $27 on Mondays to Fridays, all plus super and allowances. Closing date: 25th March. Read more and potentially apply.

The Regent Community Garden food swap

As per previous newsletters, there is a new monthly food swap at Regent Community Garden, The Regent Centre, 4 Robinson Road, Reservoir, on the 1st Sunday of every month, 1-2pm. The first swap was on 6th February.

Elizabeth Hoey has written in to say how the first swap went: "Around 15 local community members joined us to share vegetables, fruit, herbs, seeds, plants and eggs from backyard chickens. Highlights included an abundance of yellow squash, tomatillos, cherry tomatoes and kumquats. We enjoyed getting to know some new locals and chatting about all things garden related. We look forward to welcoming more new faces at future swaps and, more generally, at Regent Community Garden."

Collingwood community gardens update

You may remember that Collingwood Children’s Farm community gardens were closed in July 2021 in somewhat controversial circumstances. Well, it appears that they have now received some funding to refresh the site. As per this recent article in The Age entitled Tears as workers move in on Collingwood Children’s Farm community gardens, some of the plot renters remain unhappy with what is going on.

So, you don’t want??

As she said last week, Victoria Kanicki has lots of excess glass jam and passata sauce jars. Pick up at Diamond Creek or she may be able to deliver. No one showed any interest, so I’ll ask again: if interested in Victoria’s jars, email her.

Orange and date scones (by Jenny Taylor)

[Jenny lives in Bend of Islands.]

Adapted from a recipe by Martin Street Cafe and Providore in Brighton.

Ingredients

350g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
40g butter
1 cup fresh dates, chopped and pitted
1 orange, juiced and zest finely grated
½ cup of milk

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 180degC.

Sift the flour, sugar and salt. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

Mix in the chopped dates and the grated orange zest.

Combine the milk and orange juice. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the combined juice and milk.

Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients and bring together to form a ball.

Turn the scone dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press out until about 2cm thick.

Cut the dough into circles with a 5cm scone cutter and place onto a greased baking tray.

Repeat with any remaining scone dough scraps.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. The scones should sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Serve with warm whipped cream or butter.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Robin Gale-Baker’s article about saving zucchini seed.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A little girls’ mother decided that it was time for her to learn how to cook sausages. So, she explained ““You cut off the ends of the sausages, put a non-stick pan over a medium heat, and then add the sausages. Keep cooking, moving them around in the pan and turning them over regularly so they all cook evenly.”

The little girl listens, pays attention, and watches closely as her mother shows her how it’s done. Then she asks “Why do you cut off the ends of the sausages?”

The mother replied That’s just how it’s done, honey.”

Weeks go by, then the girl goes to visit her grandmother and she asks “Why do people cut off the ends of the sausages when they cook them?”

The grandmother replies “Really? Are you guys still using that small frying pan?”

Upcoming events – introduction

All the material below is extracted from our website calendar of local events.

The usual caveats apply: some of the events below will probably be cancelled because of Covid and many of the events will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps

As per the list above, the Greensborough food swap (at Diamond Valley Library) has re-started and there is a new food swap at Rosanna.

Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

DIY flavoured infused oil; Wednesday, 16th February, 1-2pm; $5; Greensborough.

Go and make some flavoured oil. Take a clean sterilised jar/s with you and take home chilli, lemon and/or herb oil. All oil and flavours supplied. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Composting nitty-gritty; Sunday, 27th February, 10-11.30am; free; Thornbury.

With Katrina Forstner of Buzz & Dig. Go and learn about: why it’s important to compost food waste; how to create a compost system; Span’s food waste and composting program; and other systems to access locally. Organised by Span Community House.

Create your own backyard food forest; Wednesday, 2nd March, 6.30-8pm; free; online.

Jian Liu will share her journey in creating a backyard food forest, including overcoming the challenges faced by many in suburban areas of a shady yard, limited space, poor soil, and pests. Her urban backyard now has around 80 varieties of fruits, heirloom vegetables, flowers, chickens, productive fish pond, worm farms, compost bins and a greenhouse. She will share all her tips and tricks to creating your own productive, sustainable and healthy backyard food forest.

Macallan masterclass; Saturday, 5th March, 2-4pm; $170 ($85 per hour); Hawthorn.

The ticket price includes a drink on arrival, four of The Macallan whiskies paired to The Ministry of Chocolate pralines and a bottle of the 12-year-old Macallan Triple Cask to take home.

Whittlesea Garden Expo; Saturday, 5th March, and Sunday, 6th March, both 10am-3pm; $10; Whittlesea.

Pay at the gate. Guest speakers: Melissa King and Clive Blazey. Food, music and drinks. Around 40 stalls, including plants, flowers, pots, garden tools, garden design and garden art.

Sparkling wine masterclass; Saturday, 12th March, 2-5pm; $74 ($25 per hour); Northcote.

Do you know the difference between a Brut and a Cuvee? What makes Champagne so special? What exactly is a Pet Nat? There will be 8 wines to sample plus grazing platters at intermission. Organised by Northside Wines.

Make a bee hotel; Thursday, 24th March, 6.30-8pm; free; Preston.

Create your own wooden bee hotel. All materials will be provided. Organised by Preston Library.

About the bees – closing down the bees for winter; Saturday, 2nd April, 9.30am-12.30pm; free (gold coin donation); Kinglake.

The session will cover: swarm control and management; which queen will reign; and who else lives in a hive. Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

Queensland fruit fly – train the trainer; Saturday, 2nd April, 10am-3pm; free; Hurstbridge.

This workshop is designed for Nillumbik residents who want to upskill in community wide management of Queensland fruit fly through leadership and capacity building. Some prior knowledge of, or experience with, Queensland fruit fly is required. You will learn about a wide variety of control and management options for Queensland fruit fly that could be applied in your community. You will be given an information pack which includes information on products you can use in your own demonstrations and teaching. You will also be given access to a ‘library/borrowing’ kit with a selection of traps, bait and netting. After the training, you will be provided with ongoing support to ensure that you are comfortable supporting others in Queensland fruit fly control.

Growing nutrient dense food; Sunday, 3rd April, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

This workshop will introduce you to growing better quality, nutrient rich produce at home even if you only have a tiny growing space. It will include: selecting your crops; transforming your soil by focusing on the soil food web; an introduction to soil minerals & going beyond NPK; creating nutrient rich composts; fertilising your plants for maximum nutrition; and harvesting and preparing produce to maintain nutrients. Presenter: Donna Livermore.

Winter vegetable gardening; Sunday, 3rd April, 11am-midday; $5; Watsonia.

Learn about Winter vegetable gardening. Organised by Watsonia Neighbourhood House.

Urban foraging; Sunday, 3rd April, 1-4pm; $75 ($25 per hour); Forest Hill.

Anna, the Urban Nanna, will help you find and identify a range of edible fruits, greens and flowers found in ‘wild’ urban spaces across Victoria. You will learn about the basic principles and protocols of foraging, and then move on to plant specifics. You will observe and interact with many types of fruit trees, edible green weeds and useful flowers. You will examine examples of trees bearing late summer fruit, and also be shown the physical features you can use to correctly identify useful trees even when they’re not fruiting. You will discuss the types of locations where you can hunt for wild edibles in the future, and finally how to safely prepare and enjoy eating many of the foods we find. Overall, there will be around 1-2km of walking over grassy terrain involved.

Flavours of Coburg food tour; Saturday, 9th April, 10am-1pm; $49 ($16 per hour); Coburg.

You will experience the cultural delights of 6 different countries over 8 unique food stops. With a mixture of sweet and savoury tastings, you will soon discover that Coburg is an ideal foodie destination for anyone who’s tired of the ‘standard’ menu items you find in most modern cafes. Bursting with atmosphere, each foodie stop brings its own ‘personal touch’ with business owners proud of their cultural heritage, so obviously reflected in the food they prepare, the way they serve it and the way they interact with their customers. But that’s not all … you will also pop into a Middle-Eastern gold jewellery shop to learn the cultural significance of various pieces, learn some local history and the best local foodie tips.

The art of espalier; Saturday, 9th April, 9.30am-midday; $55 ($22 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: growing espaliered fruit trees; different techniques to make the most of all available space for espalier; and improve your general gardening skills. Presented by Diana Cotter. “Go vertical” is the cry when garden space is limited. Gardening in two dimensions is what espalier is about and this class will cover the different types and how to get them started and then continue to train them into the desired shape. Topics covered include suitable fruit trees, pruning and training techniques.

Herb and companion planting; Saturday, 9th April, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: improve your gardening skill; plant associations, annual and perennial herbs; and pests and diseases. Presenter: Carol Henderson. This workshop will demystify companion planting by looking at the basic principles of how plants interact with each other, with the soil, and with the good and bad insects in your garden. You will discuss the permaculture concept of ‘plant guilds’ and how to diversify your garden to reduce pests and diseases. You will discuss how to propagate, position, plant, and maintain a number of different herb species.

In February
In March
In April

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Thai cooking class; Saturday, 26th February, 10.30am-3.30pm; free; St Andrews.

Kelly Meredith, from Under The Pickle Tree, will show you how to make Thai chilli jam. That jam will then be used to make an array of Thai dishes, including chicken, eggplant and snake bean stir fry, poached prawn salad, smoked chicken and daikon salad with quail eggs. Finally, you will sit down and consume the food. Organised by Wadambuk St Andrews Community Centre.

The food of central Vietnam; Sunday, 27th March, 10am-2pm; $160 ($40 per hour); Panton Hill.

Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree. In the class, you will make your choice of chicken, pork or tofu satay marinated in a lemongrass paste that is char-grilled on hot coals. This is complemented by a homemade satay sauce and a Vietnamese herb platter. Also on the menu is chilli sauce and you will take home a jar of your own.

Italian Easter treats cooking class; Friday, 1st April, 1-4pm; $68 ($46 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Learn how to make authentic Italian Easter treats with Carmela. You will make several different sweets and, afterwards, sit down and enjoy what you made. Organised by Balwyn Community Centre.

Sourdough bread baking; Saturday, 2nd April, 9am-5pm; $180 ($23 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to make your own bread; how to make your own handmade pizzas; and more about sourdough. What you will get: handmade pizzas for lunch; your own bread to take home and some leaven; and recipes. Presenter: Ken Hercott.

Fermenting made simple; Sunday, 3rd April, 9am-midday; $120 ($40 per hour); Kinglake.

Learn to make kimchi, sauerkraut, lacto-fermented pickles and wild fermented kombucha and sourdough mother. Take them home so that you can continue to ferment for years to come. Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

Middle Eastern desserts; Sunday, 3rd April, 2-5pm; $65 ($22 per hour); Park Orchards.

Learn about the flavours of Middle Eastern cooking. Try out recipes and cooking methods while preparing a three course menu. Stay and share your freshly prepared dinner with the group. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

Vegan cheese making; Sunday, 10th April, 10am-4pm; $115 ($19 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to make your own vegan cheese; and how to make vegan milks, creamy spreads and dairy-free desserts. Presenter: Nase Supplitt.

In February
In March
In April
Regular classes
In Richmond

Read about the upcoming cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News February 9 2022

Feb 092022
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela O’Toole, Jaimie Sweetman, Jenny Taylor, Sarah Mathers, Soo Mei Leong and Victoria Kanicki.

Jaimie on sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

[Jaimie Sweetman is Head Gardener of the Edible Forest located on the Yarra Valley Estate in Dixons Creek. Tours of the Edible Forest, often led by Jaimie, take place on Fridays and Saturdays – read more and book your place on a future tour.]

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is not to be confused with common buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.).

During February, the sea buckthorn looks stunning with its orange berries amongst silver foliage.

We dehydrate the berries and leaves for tea. The berries can also be used in jams and jellies, or frozen and thrown into juices.

Healthwise, sea buckthorn is considered to be a super food and is said to be immune boosting, to help treat diabetes, and to be good for your internal organs such as the liver and heart. It also has anti-ageing properties and the oil is often used in skin care products. Finally, it helps boost collagen levels, which is good for both your skin and your gut health.

Originating from Europe along coastal lines (hence the name), sea buckthorn is dioecious so you do need both a male and a female to produce berries. They can get up to 5m high and are very thorny. Their thorniness means that they can make a living fence to keep out animals like deer, and birds like making their nests in them as they feel safe.

In the right position and garden, sea buckthorn definitely has a place and can become a feature.

Read about more of Jaimie’s unusual, edible plants.

Our guide to local mushroom growers – updated

As discussed in our guide to local mushroom growers, 6 species of mushroom are commercially cultivated and sold in North East Melbourne, namely Swiss/button, oyster, shiitake, enoki, shimeji and the lion’s mane, but most of the local growers tend to focus on either Swiss/button or oyster mushrooms.

You can also grow all 6 species at home using mushroom kits.

The table below lists some of the local mushroom growers, including what types of mushrooms they grow and where you can buy them.

 
Name		  
Base		 What do they sell? Where do they sell?
Swiss/button? Oyster/shimeji/etc?   Kits?   Online? Local markets?
Sporadical City Mushrooms Alphington . yes yes yes .
Sugarloaf Produce Strathewen yes . . . yes
The Mushroom Co Ringwood . yes yes . yes
The Mushroom Shed Montmorency yes . yes . .
The Mushroomery Alphington . yes yes yes .
Urban Farming Collective Heidelberg West yes yes . yes yes

 
Read our full updated guide to local mushroom growers

Some updates on our local, free community meals

In last week’s newsletter, I provided links to a map of the meals that are currently happening plus a discussion of the various organisations and meals. A couple of you have since written in with a few updates.

Sarah Mathers has pointed out that there is a free, monthly community meal at Brunswick Neighbourhood House on the second Thursday of each month, 12.30-1pm. “The Open Table crew collects surplus food and it is used to create a hearty, vegetarian meal. This event is for everyone, from those who don’t have much to those who have plenty. It’s a celebration aimed at connecting diverse people in the area of Brunswick.”

Angela O’Toole, from The Open Table, wrote in to say that a calendar of their upcoming events, including community lunches, can always be found on their website.

Yes, we can sometimes help!

In our 19th January newsletter, we advertised a job at Brunswick Neighbourhood House to run their horticulture course. Newsletter reader Melissa applied and got the job!

Here is what Melissa wrote to us: “Thank you so much for advertising the job to be a tutor of the horticulture course at Brunswick Neighbourhood House. I applied for the role, had an interview yesterday and was offered the job today! How exciting! I hadn’t seen it advertised anywhere, so without the wonderful work you do to produce the newsletter, this opportunity would never had happened for me. A huge heartfelt thank you!”

And there is what Brunswick Neighbourhood House wrote to us: “We have been able to recruit a wonderful teacher for our horticulture course. A big thank you from us for listing it in your newsletter.”

Want a job?

Foraging picker for Spurrell Foraging. Casula employment. Working out of Warrandyte South and Silvan, the main duties will include: picking of the produce, including flowers and leaves; packaging produce into designated containers; sorting products in preparation for delivery; and loading delivery vehicles. Read more and potentially apply.

Do you want?

Victoria Kanicki has lots of excess glass jam and passata sauce jars. Pick up at Diamond Creek or she may be able to deliver. There is a good chance of there being an ongoing supply as well. If interested, email Victoria.

A new article by Robin Gale-Baker

Can I save zucchini seed?.

Read more of Robin’s food-growing articles.

Some more articles by Angelo Eliades

Selecting the right size pot or container for growing vegetables.

The complete food additive code number list to decode food ingredients.

Read more of Angelo’s food-growing articles.

Not local but interesting

Bass Coast Edible Gardens are having an open food garden weekend on 19th and 20th February. 17 gardens are participating. $5 per garden or $20 for all the gardens. Read their brochure and map. Soo Mei Leong writes in “In addition to penguins and pelicans, Bass Coast (from Inverloch to Philip Island) can also boast of having many varied backyard, acreage and community gardens. There will also be a celebratory dinner on the Saturday evening in Corinella using produce from the region ($55 per person for a 3 course meal inclusive of soft drinks, with wine extra).”

Joke (or pun) of the week

I just burned 2,000 calories. That’s the last time I going to take a nap while baking brownies.

Upcoming events – introduction

All the material below is extracted from our website calendar of local events.

The usual caveats apply: some of the events below will probably be cancelled because of Covid and many of the events will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Tea tasting and tea blending workshop; Sunday, 20th February; 4 occurrences of 1 hour duration starting at 9.30am, 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm; $68 ($68 per hour); Northcote.

Enjoy a guided tea tasting experience that explores unique aromas and tastes of a range of teas. Explore around 80 organic botanicals and create your own tea blend with the guidance of a certified tea expert. Take home your tea blend in an amber jar.

An intro to beekeeping; Sunday, 27th February, 9.30am-12.30pm; $55 ($28 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: a foundational knowledge of keeping bees; the set up and tools of a hive; and the financial, time inputs and responsibilities. You will see a working hive and taste some honey. Presented by Sarah Buchanan.

Wine Selectors 50 best tasting; Thursday, 3rd March, 6-9pm; $149 ($50 per hour); Richmond.

Sample all 50 of Wine Selectors 50 Best Wines for 2021. Also, savour a selection of canapés and dine at a grazing table.

How to make beeswax food wraps; Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-8pm; $60 ($40 per hour); Fitzroy.

Using fabric and beeswax, Helena from Work-Shop Melbourne will show you a foolproof process for food preservation involving zero plastic. You’ll learn how to mix, apply and bake your wraps, as well as how to care for them. All the necessary supplies will be provided.

About the bees – honey extraction; Saturday, 5th March, 10am-2pm; free (gold coin donation); Kinglake.

The session will cover: bees and their behaviour; legal responsibilities; and preparation for beekeeping. Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

Tea tasting and tea blending workshop; Sunday, 6th March; 4 occurrences of 1 hour duration starting at 9.30am, 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm;; $68 ($68 per hour); Northcote.

Enjoy a guided tea tasting experience that explores unique aromas and tastes of a range of teas. Explore around 80 organic botanicals and create your own tea blend with the guidance of a certified tea expert. Take home your tea blend in an amber jar.

Food photography; Saturday, 12th March, 9.30am-12.30pm; $109 ($36 per hour); Eltham.

This class is for food bloggers, bakers or restaurant/cafe owners. It will focus on taking great images of food using your own, or easily obtainable, equipment. It will cover such aspects as: the right equipment; the best camera settings to make your food look good; choosing the right backgrounds; lighting; basic food styling; being creative; the perils of incorrect white balance; and using software to enhance colour and presentation.

Plant sale at Gunyah garden; Sunday, 13th March, 1-5pm; free; Pascoe Vale South.

Plant sale of edible and other native plants including: old man saltbush, chocolate lily, bulbine lily, yam daisy, flax lily, mat rush, kangaroo grass, hop goodenia, native violet, running postman, native mint (chocolate and spearmint flavours), bottlebrush red, kurrajong and lilly pilly (dwarf variety).

Produce in pots; Saturday, 26th March, 9.30am-midday; $55 ($22 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: why edibles fail and how to improve their chances of success; how to choose the right pots, potting mix, additives and mulches; the best fruit and vegetables options for pots; and the best sustainable and organic maintenance techniques, including watering and feeding. Presented by Diana Cotter.

Beginners backyard beekeeping; Sunday, 27th March, 10am-3pm; $220 ($44 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: the inner workings of a bee hive; the healing properties of raw honey; how to maintain a healthy hive, the wonders of swarms and how to keep them in check; and hands-on demonstration of working with a hive. Presenter: Benedict Hughes.

Urban foraging; Friday, 1st April, 10am-1pm; $75 ($25 per hour); Forest Hill.

Anna, the Urban Nanna, will help you find and identify a range of edible fruits, greens and flowers found in ‘wild’ urban spaces across Victoria. You will learn about the basic principles and protocols of foraging, and then move on to plant specifics. You will observe and interact with many types of fruit trees, edible green weeds and useful flowers. You will examine examples of trees bearing late summer fruit, and also be shown the physical features you can use to correctly identify useful trees even when they’re not fruiting. You will discuss the types of locations where you can hunt for wild edibles in the future, and finally how to safely prepare and enjoy eating many of the foods we find. Overall, there will be around 1-2km of walking over grassy terrain involved.

In February
In March

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

How to make dumplings; Thursday, 17th February, 6.30-8pm; $65 ($44 per hour); Balwyn North.

Join Jessica in learning to make pork dumplings, then enjoy eating some on the night. Organised by Trentwood at the Hub.

Gozleme and baklava; Wednesday, 23rd February, 6.30-8.30pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Balwyn North.

Arzu will teach you how to make gozleme and baklava from scratch. Turkish coffee will be served. Includes ingredients. BYO some containers (you will be going home with what you cook, usually about 1.2 kg of baklava and 3-4 gozlemes), apron and oven tray. Organised by Trentwood at the Hub.

Cook Indian by the creek; Friday, 25th February, 6.15-7.45pm; $69 ($46 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Menu: chicken saagwala (spinach based purée chicken), palak paneer (veggie version) and flatbread parantha.

French cooking workshop; Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-8.30pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Balwyn North.

Have fun and become a French chef during this cooking class with Marie-Emilie from Le Pot de Moutarde. Organised by Trentwood at the Hub.

Cook Indian by the creek; Friday, 11th March, 6.15-7.45pm; $69 ($46 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Menu: aloo gobi wraps with chutney flatbread chapati and cauliflower potato dish in wrap.

Smoothies with Liana; Tuesday, 15th March, 1-3pm; free; Bayswater.

Liana will demonstrate how to make smoothies with fresh summer fruits and vegetables. You will also learn their health benefits and there will be tastings.

Gozleme and baklava; Thursday, 24th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Balwyn North.

Arzu will teach you how to make gozleme and baklava from scratch. Turkish coffee will be served. Includes ingredients. BYO some containers (you will be going home with what you cook, usually about 1.2 kg of baklava and 3-4 gozlemes), apron and oven tray. Organised by Trentwood at the Hub.

Sourdough bread making workshop; Saturday, 26th March, 9am-midday; $61 ($20 per hour); Panton Hill.

Tutor Jenna Farrington-Sear. This workshop will cover basic theory as well as the tactile pleasure of all the steps of making bread from milled flour. Suitable for both novices and those who want to expand their bread making repertoire. Topics to be covered: the essential ingredients and tools of the trade; the principal steps of bread making; baker’s percentage and hydration; mixing, kneading and folding dough; shaping loaves, scoring and baking; and maintaining a starter. You will take home: a piece of dough which can be baked at home; and a sourdough starter. Organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik.

Sourdough bread; Saturday, 26th March, 10am-12.30pm; $65 ($26 per hour); Park Orchards.

Nadine will demonstrate the technique of sourdough bread making and baking. Take a container to take home your dough to bake at home. This class is best suited to those who have some experience with bread making, however it is not essential. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

Italian marzipan sweet-making workshop; Saturday, 26th March, 11am-1.30pm; $30 ($12 per hour); Brunswick.

Join Anna as she shows you how to make traditional Italian marzipan fruit. Starting from scratch, you’ll make the marzipan, shape and decorate it – then take home a beautiful display of sweets. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

Dumpling journey; Saturday, 26th March, 2.30-4.30pm; $40 ($20 per hour); Brunswick.

Learn how to make three types of dumplings. You will ‘visit’ Turkey, Japan and the Czech Republic, creating three quite different dumpling experiences along the way. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

In February
In March
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 10th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 11th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 12th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 13th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 13th February, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Sunday, 13th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 17th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 18th February, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 18th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 19th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 20th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 20th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Sicilian food; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 25th February, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Greek cooking master class; Friday, 25th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 26th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Mexican cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Spanish cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 27th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Sunday, 27th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Italian cooking master class; Sunday, 27th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian); Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 4th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 4th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 5th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 5th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 5th March, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 6th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 6th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Sunday, 6th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 10th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • The cuisine of Central Italy; Thursday, 10th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 11th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 12th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 13th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 13th March, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Sunday, 13th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • A seafood feast; Tuesday, 15th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 17th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • A night in Rome; Thursday, 17th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • The cuisine of Central Italy; Friday, 18th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 18th March, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 18th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 19th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 19th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Saturday, 19th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 20th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 20th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Pasta e basta!; Tuesday, 22nd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 24th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Sicilian food; Thursday, 24th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • La cucina Toscana; Friday, 25th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 25th March, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Greek cooking master class; Friday, 25th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 26th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Mexican cooking master class; Saturday, 26th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Spanish cooking master class; Saturday, 26th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 27th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Sunday, 27th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Italian cooking master class; Sunday, 27th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegetarian cooking class; Tuesday, 29th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).

Read about more cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News February 2 2022

Feb 022022
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Anna Buzzell, Bruce Plain, Bruno Tigani, Dan Wilson, Irina Zahra, James Petty, Jian Liu, Judy Vizzari, Jules Jay, Julia Laidlaw, Kerry Bradford, Lesley Shuttleworth, Mardi Caracoglia, Maria Ciavarella, Marie Attlee, Pam Jenkins, Penny Smith, Sofiah Fauzi, Sonia Randhawa, Steve Burnham, Susie Lightfoot, Tracey Higgins, Victoria Johnson and Yennie Starkey.

Our free community meals

I have spent much of the last week ringing up the providers of the various free community meals around North East Melbourne to find our whether they are still operating or whether they have stopped because of Covid. Here is a map of the meals that are still happening. Here is a discussion of the various organisations and meals.

It is clear that Covid has had a major impact on the number of meals: around half of the pre-Covid meals have stopped, seemingly permanently.

Some ‘new’ food swaps

The Greensborough Food Swap is re-starting. On the 3rd Saturday of every month, 10-11am. At Diamond Valley Library Community Garden, Civic Drive, Greensborough.

The Rosanna Fruit and Veg Swap has changed dates. Now on alternating Saturdays during school terms only. At Rosanna Fire Station Community House, 232 Lower Plenty Road, Rosanna.

The food swap is only one of a number of food-related activities at Rosanna Fire Station Community House. On the same day as the swap, they have a ‘grow free’ cart of herbs where people can either take or donate herbs. They also have a free community meal on the 1st Wednesday of every month during school terms, 12.30-1.15pm. Plus they manage one of the Food Collective’s pantries. Finally, they have something called a ‘chatty cafe’ every Wednesday during school terms, 1.30-2.30pm, where anyone can go for a chat and a cuppa.

A new local mushroom grower

Sporadical City Mushrooms is a small urban mushroom farm based in Alphington which supplies a variety of mushrooms to both local restaurants and to the public through box schemes, farmgate sales and markets. They also sell vegan xo sauce, mushroom confit, cold smoked dried mushroom broth, mushroom kits, certified organic mushroom mulch and straw bales. They also give farm tours and run mushroom growing workshops. Indeed, they have upcoming workshops on Saturday, 12th February and Sunday, 20th March, both 10am-12.30pm – read more and potentially buy your tickets.

A good way to buy their mushrooms is by signing up for their 3 month, 6 month or 9 month supply of mushroom boxes, where you also choose how much you want in each box (pick up weekly or fortnightly from the farm in Alphington). One off purchases also available and welcome. You can buy both online. By buying directly from the farmer, you are guaranteeing yourself access to the freshest mushrooms while minimising your ecological food-print and investing in your local economy and food security. This is called Community Supported Agriculture or CSA for short.

Sporadical City Mushrooms aims to be a zero-waste company and chooses to grow their mushrooms in reusable plastic buckets instead of single use plastic bags like most other commercial growers. They believe that cities have a much bigger role to play in feeding themselves and that small scale farming and local food systems are essential for food security & sovereignty, a healthy environment and the future of our community and the planet.

Read their Local Food Directory page. Welcome, Julia!

Some new local videos

Banyule Council recently sponsored the production of a series of videos, including:

Want a job?

Permaculture Assistant at Templestowe College. 1 day a week (Mondays). Responsible for: student supervision; poultry care; plant propagation, planting & harvesting; orchard & market garden maintenance; and craft activities (basic woodwork, weaving, spinning). Closing date: Wednesday, 9th February. Read more and potentially apply.

Seed saving (by Pam Jenkins)

With the arrival of the hot weather, many spring vegetables are now going to seed. Leaving some vegetables to flower and go to seed means that there are flowers in the veggie garden for the bees and other small insects to forage from.

Some veggies will already have mature seeds that are ready to harvest. Also, you might have noticed that some of the drawers in the local seed libraries are currently depleted. [Editor: see our map of where the local seed libraries are.] Combining these two thoughts, my suggestion is that you collect some seeds, allocating some for yourself and some for the seed libraries.

So:

  1. Decide what seeds you are going to save.
  2. Write the name of the plant on a ribbon or strip of brightly coloured fabric and tie it to your chosen plant so that you can recognise what plant it is after it is all dried out.
  3. Wait until the seeds mature then collect the seed heads and place in a paper bag with the ribbon label.
  4. Clean and sort.
  5. Make and label some seed packets.
  6. Store some and share some with the seed libraries.

Also:

Yes, you did know!

Deformed sweetcorn

Last week, Kerry Bradford asked how come there are a few (female) kernels growing in the (male) tassels of her sweetcorn.

As Bruno Tigani responded, the phenomenon that Kerry is seeing is something called ‘tassel ears’. As most of you will know, sweetcorn has separate male and female flowers, with the male (called a ‘tassel’) at the top of the plant and the females (called ‘ears’) lower down the plant. As most of you probably don’t know, however, both types of flower start of as being bisexual, with one sex then being aborted early on. Sometimes environmental triggers, such as soil compaction or wet soil, can apparently lead to hormonal changes which stop the abortion happening. Then some kernels can develop on the tassel. Google ‘”tassel ears” corn’ and you will find a number of articles on the subject, including this article. There is even a video.

As an addendum, Kerry tells me that most of the kernels that grew on the tassels have now been eaten by critters, presumably birds.

Beans not fruiting

Last week, Vicki Jordan asked why her beans were flowering but not fruiting. 3 of you responded and all 3 said that the recent hot temperatures are a likely problem:

  • James Petty: They may be getting overheated. Runner beans like good sun but don’t like getting too hot. I once tried growing them on a trellis against a brick wall that absorbed a lot of heat: lots of flowers but no fruit.
  • Maria Ciavarella: Too hot and bean fruit might not set. The ideal temperature range is 24-30degC. Note that the presence/absence of bees is not relevant because bean flowers pollinate themselves.
  • Pam Jenkins: Climbing beans prefer temperatures below 29degC. They will fruit when the weather cools a bit.

Pam also mentioned two other possible problems. 1. Not enough sunlight: bean plants need around 7 hours of sunlight to produce beans. 2. Not enough water: beans are thirsty plants and quickly react to a lack of it by dropping their blossom.

Where to buy bulk passata tomatoes

A couple of weeks ago, Lucinda Flynn asked where all the Italians go to buy their bulk passata tomatoes in the Thornbury, Coburg and Brunswick areas. 13(!) of you have now responded (albeit with 11 different answers!):

  • Dan Wilson: Psarakos Market, 2/8 Clarendon Street, Thornbury.
  • Penny Smith: Psarakos Market, 2/8 Clarendon Street, Thornbury.
  • Susie Lightfoot: Preston Market.
  • Yennie Starkey: Preston Market.
  • Victoria Johnson: corner of St Georges Road and Oakover Road, Preston.
  • Anna Buzzelli: Gervasi Foodworks, 870-872 Sydney Road, Brunswick. Also, Mediterranean Brunswick, 482 Sydney Road, Brunswick.
  • Lesley Shuttleworth: on Gaffney Street, near the intersection with Sydney Road, Coburg North.
  • Irina Zahra: Morabito Wholesale Fruit & Vegetables Grocery Market, 169 Settlement Rd, Thomastown.
  • Judy Vizzari: On weekends, you can usually buy bulk tomatoes from a truck which parks in the car park at the Veneto Club in Bulleen Road, Bulleen. Perhaps best to phone the club 9850 7111 before visiting.
  • Bruno Tigani: There is always a site westbound on Mahoneys Road in Thomastown, just before it goes underneath the Western Ring Road. When they have the tomatoes, it is well signed
  • Steve Burnham: On the west side of Sydney Road in Fawkner, not much past where the tram line ends. Look for a sign pomodore per salsa.
  • Maria Ciavarella: Thomastown, Lalor and Bulleen are all popular places to go where they’ll stock them but it is best to pre-order if you want more than one box at a time.
  • Mardi Caracoglia: if Lucinda is willing to go a bit further out, corner of Metropolitan Ring Road and Sydney Road, Campbellfield; you can’t miss it with the sign and tomato crates out the front.

Several of you warned that it is much too early to be seeking such tomatoes:

  • Bruno Tigani: The people that I know who make their own passata tend to do it in late February or early March. That is when the tomatoes are plentiful from the Goulburn Valley. The people tend to buy them and process immediately, so you would not buy them ahead of time by more than a few days.
  • Steve Burnham: The tomatoes won’t be available until around Easter. You could also check the Il Globo newspaper around the same time.
  • Maria Ciavarella: It’s too early for passata tomatoes. They start about mid-February and continue into March and even April. Your local greengrocer can pick them up for you if you pre-order them.

Something for you to read

Bruce Plain suggests that you read this report, entitled Re-thinking food and agriculture. To give you a flavour, here is the very first sentence: “We are on the cusp of the fastest, deepest, most consequential disruption of agriculture in history.” Note that you can read the summary online but you have to enter your name and email address to get the full report.

Another article by Angelo Eliades

The definitive guide on how to compost everything from the garden and kitchen.

Read more of Angelo’s food-growing articles.

A recipe for veggie burgers (by Jian Liu & Julian Merkenich)

[Editor: I’ve had this veggie burger and it is yum which is why I asked Jian and Julian if I could include it in this newsletter.]

[For a full introduction to this recipe, go to Jian’s garden education Melbourne Foodforest website. Alternatively, watch their video instructions (5 minutes).]

Many veggie burgers fall apart. This recipe creates veggie burgers which are easy to make, taste good and don’t fall apart.

Makes 8 patties.

Ingredients

½ cup soaked, uncooked chickpeas
¼ cup cooked black beans
¼ cup cooked navy beans (aka haricot beans)
1 small onion
1 bunch parsley
2 cloves finely crushed garlic
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin
½ cup oats
¼ teaspoon bicarb soda

Method

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.

Run the food processor for about 10 seconds or until the texture of the mixture is like breadcrumbs.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat.

Arrange some egg rings on your pan. Grease the pan and the rings well.

Dispense about a third of a cup of the mixture into each of the rings.

Fry for about 3 minutes on each side.

Serve the burger with a brioche bun, mayonnaise, onion rings, tomato, lettuce and tomato sauce.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was to the booking page for Jian Liu’s upcoming webinar (23rd February) on creating your own backyard food forest..

Joke (or pun) of the week

A panda eats for around 15 hours a day. So does a human in isolation and that’s why it’s called a ‘pandemic’.

Covid announcement re upcoming events and activities

The usual caveats apply: some of the events below will probably be cancelled because of Covid and many of the events will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Food forest tour and workshop; Sunday, 6th February, 1.30-3pm; $40 ($26 per hour); Camberwell.

This is an extra workshop in Jian Liu’s garden. The workshop and tour will cover all of their different styles of growing (intensive raised beds, Vegepod, in-ground beds), their pond (which provides both food and free fertiliser), greenhouse, chicken run, worm farm and composting system. You will learn how to make most of your space, deal with shade, poor soil and pests, and garden with sustainable and free materials. You will also learn about many interesting and unusual edibles that can be grown in Melbourne’s climate.

Urban foraging; on Sunday, 13th February, then again on Saturday, 19th February, and then again on Sunday, 6th March, each 1-4pm; $75 ($25 per hour); Forest Hill.

Anna, the Urban Nanna, will help you find and identify a range of edible fruits, greens and flowers found in ‘wild’ urban spaces across Victoria. You will learn about the basic principles and protocols of foraging, and then move on to plant specifics. You will observe and interact with many types of fruit trees, edible green weeds and useful flowers. You will examine examples of trees bearing late summer fruit, and also be shown the physical features you can use to correctly identify useful trees even when they’re not fruiting. You will discuss the types of locations where you can hunt for wild edibles in the future, and finally how to safely prepare and enjoy eating many of the foods we find. Overall, there will be around 1-2km of walking over grassy terrain involved.

This event is happening multiple times, each with its own booking arrangements. You can find all the occurrences on the Urban Nanna’ Eventbrite page.

Yarra Ranges Food Connections online forum; Wednesday, 16th February, 9.30-11.30am; free; online.

Is the Yarra Ranges food system the best it can be? What is happening now? What is possible? How can we work together and make a difference? There will be a range of speakers followed by discussions.

Intro to urban farming (8 sessions); weekly sessions, each 9.30am-1.30pm, starting Thursday, 17th February; $112 ($4 per hour) or $72 concession; Preston.

Get your hands dirty and learn all the skills necessary to work on micro farms, residential edible gardens and community gardens. Subjects to be covered include: wicking beds, mushroom growing, hydroponics systems, crop planning, water/soil/pest management and plant propagation. A number of excursions will be included in the course, such as to the Melbourne Food Hub, mushroom farms in Alphington, Oakhill Food Justice Farm in Preston and Fawkner Food Bowls. The course was designed in partnership with Sustain.

Indigenous plants in the home orchard and vegetable garden; Saturday, 19th February, 10am-midday; free; Hurstbridge.

A walk and talk event about using indigenous plants in home food production systems. You will learn how to incorporate indigenous plants into your orchard or vegetable garden plus the many benefits that they provide, including protection from sun and wind, promoting biodiversity, generating soil nutrients, animal and insect habitat, and creating microclimates. Organised by SHIFT.

Make a macrame plant hanger; Saturday, 26th February, 10.30am-12.30pm; $13 ($5 per hour); Hurstbridge.

This workshop will teach you some of the basic knots used in macrame, and how you can use them to make a plant hanger. You will also learn how to make macrame feathers or leaves from the leftover trimmings, which can be turned into earrings, broaches, or decorative pieces. If you already have a decorative plant pot that you’d like to hang, take it along so you can make your hanger to size. Organised by SHIFT.

In February
In March

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Hands on dumpling making workshop; Saturday, 5th February, 1-3.30pm; $15 ($6 per hour); Nunawading.

Learn how to fold dumplings. Steam your dumplings. Sit and eat together at the end. Hosted by Otao Kitchen. Organised by Nunawading Homemaker HQ.

Pickling and fermentation workshop; Saturday, 19th February, 1-3pm; free; Watsonia.

Learn to pickle and preserve your summer harvest. Organised by Watsonia Library.

Pasta making workshop; Thursday, 24th February, 11am-1.30pm; free; Carlton.

Cassandra Hogan will take you through the art of pasta-making by utilising equipment from the Carlton Kitchen Library. You will make and share rotolo from scratch with fillings including radicchio and ricotta in a burnt sage butter sauce, and spinach and ricotta in a tomato sauce. There will also be some fresh pasta to take home.

Vegan Italian supper club; Thursday, 10th March, 7-10pm; $119 ($40 per hour); Northcote.

Nadia Fragnito, author of A Vegan Summer in Southern Italy, will share her journey to becoming a vegan, how her discovery of vegan friendly cuisine throughout Southern Italy inspired her, and what it takes to write your own self-published book.

In February
In March
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 3rd February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 4th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 4th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 5th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 5th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 5th February, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 6th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 6th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Sunday, 6th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 10th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 11th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 12th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 13th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 13th February, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Sunday, 13th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 17th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 18th February, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 18th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 19th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 20th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 20th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Sicilian food; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 25th February, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Greek cooking master class; Friday, 25th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 26th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Mexican cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Spanish cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 27th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Sunday, 27th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Italian cooking master class; Sunday, 27th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian); Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 4th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 4th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 5th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 5th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 5th March, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 6th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 6th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Sunday, 6th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 10th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • The cuisine of Central Italy; Thursday, 10th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 11th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 12th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 13th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 13th March, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Sunday, 13th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • A seafood feast; Tuesday, 15th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 17th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • A night in Rome; Thursday, 17th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • The cuisine of Central Italy; Friday, 18th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 18th March, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 18th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 19th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 19th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Saturday, 19th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 20th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 20th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Pasta e basta!; Tuesday, 22nd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).