LFC News April 27 2022

Apr 272022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ellie McSheedy, Jon Buttery, Megan Goodman and Robin Gale-Baker.

For a Queensland fruit fly free spring – act now! (by Robin Gale-Baker)

The material below is a shortened version of a new article by Robin on our website.

I [Robin] have heard a number of people refer to April as the end of the Queensland fruit fly (QFF) season, presumably because their summer veggies and summer fruit have now been harvested. However this is a misunderstanding. The QFF season never ends because the QFF life cycle is a 12 month cycle. Now (April) is the time to do every thing in your power to make sure that the larvae do not enter the soil and pupate ready to hatch in the spring.

The first jobs are:

  • Remove all fallen fruit from the ground.
  • Remove any fruit left on trees that cropped in summer.
  • Remove any veggies such as tomatoes or peppers or chillies still on the bushes.
  • Dispose of any of the above by cooking (baking, boiling) or microwaving, or solarising for 7 days in double black plastic bags, and then wrap anything not in plastic bags in newspaper and place all in the waste bin.
  • Do not put any infested fruit, even treated fruit, in the compost as this is an ideal breeding ground.

Pick autumnal fruits (e.g. feijoas, guavas, and autumn raspberries) as early as you can. Ditto winter fruit (e.g. persimmon and tamarillo). Dispose of any infected fruit as above.

Quite soon the female QFF will die, leaving the males to overwinter in warm places in your garden. These males will then mate with the females that hatch from pupae in the spring, and produce the first flush of QFF infestation around September (the second flush will be from December onwards). QFF males assemble in leks – groups of about 10 – and live through the winter in either the canopy of trees (such as lemon trees) or in trees adjacent to warm spots (such as compost heaps or chook pens). It is therefore a good idea to put Wild May traps which attract males in the canopy of trees in these areas to reduce their number. Do this from May onwards. Place them 1.2-2 metres high on the east side of the tree where it will get the weak morning sun (placing them in hot sun evaporates the liquid quickly and denatures it).

Finally, from late winter onwards:

  • Put out protein baits in August and continue through the year.
  • Net all seedlings at time of planting, especially summer seedlings.
  • Net fruit trees or use net sleeves to cover fruiting branches or spray with kaolin clay.

Read the full article.

Jon’s podcast of the month

Jon Buttery enjoyed this relaxed discussion of home composting, where the emphasis is on doing the best you can rather than applying strict formulae.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Leslie Vigil uses buttercream to make cakes that look like collections of plants or flowers.

Meg’s garden this month

Autumn is the time of restructuring in the garden. I have cleared beds and structures, put away the netting and shade cloth until next year and emptied spent potting mix (and a few curl grubs) from pots ready for the new season. After several years of growth, I have dug, pruned, and divided the raspberries, planting back canes that should fruit next year and passing some onto my neighbours. I have cut and re-located strawberry runners and fed the rhubarb which has replenished itself in time to help use up the apples and pears.

The garlic and some onions are now in and already showing strong green shoots above the soil. Garlic is a slow crop and it needs to be in a bed that you don’t wish to use for a while. The discovery of a flush of tarragon hidden under the eggplants was a highlight this month, leading to tarragon sauce with the first of the newly ripening lemons.

This month I am:
1. Feeding the curl grubs to the chooks.
2. Clearing fallen fruit and leaves under fruit trees.
3. Collecting leaves for the compost.
4. Dividing iris.
5. Thinning seedlings of beetroot, carrot and turnip.

Tarragon and lemon sauce

2 tablespoons butter
½ cup onion
3-4 cloves of garlic very finely chopped
1 cup good chicken stock
1 cup white wine
¼ cup cream
¼ cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of fresh tarragon

Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat then add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat to low and saute until the onion is soft.

Add the chicken stock and wine, stir and increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until reduced by about half (about 10 minutes).

Reduce the heat and add the cream, lemon juice and salt and pepper, stirring gently and simmer for a further 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add tarragon.

Read more of Megan Goodman’s other recipes on our website.

What seeds to plant in May

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

Brassicas

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

If you haven’t planted your cool season veggie seeds yet, plant them now. It’s now a bit late for planting broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seeds (but it’s ok to plant seedlings).

Read Helen’s guides on growing garlic.

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

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

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Jian’s article about how to grow blueberries.

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

I had a date last night. It was perfect.

Tomorrow, I’ll try a grape.

Read more jokes.

Not quite local but interesting

Ellie McSheedy has written in to tell us about a new community garden in Belgrave. Welcome Ellie and colleagues!

The Belgrave Food Garden is a new community garden located at 1624 Burwood Highway, Belgrave. The aim is to create a welcoming space to connect the community through growing and sharing food and experiences. They operate the space as an outdoor classroom, with monthly working bees on the 2nd Sunday of the month, 10am-midday. They also run regular workshops to teach gardening skills, with the next two workshops being on the next two Sundays.

Home composting 101; Sunday, 1st May, 10am-midday; free.

You will learn the basics of composting, including: keep your compost pile odourless and pest-free; the differences between hot and cold composting; and how to set up the right system for you.

Mothers Day working bee; Sunday, 8th May, 10am-midday; free.

They will keep your kids entertained crafting Mothers Day gifts while you help out in the garden with a range of tasks such as weeding and watering. No need to book – just turn up.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Fitzroy Estate Community Garden open day; Saturday, 30th April, 10am-1pm; free; Collingwood.

This 25-year-old community garden is home to 70 plots. Visitors will be treated to garden tours by both community gardeners and Cultivating Community.

The cook, the grower, the gardener and their plants; Saturday, 30th April, 7-10pm; $90 ($30 per hour); Collingwood.

The evening will include a feast prepared by Noah Crowcroft with ingredients sourced from Victorian producers and growers, gin from Collingwood based maker Melbourne Gin Company, and a discussion between the chef, the producers and Jason Chongue, Creative Director of the Garden State Festival. The menu will comprise: banh khot; larb hed; salt and pepper cauliflower; Vietnamese slaw; smoked broccoli salad; Port Arlington mussels; Sri Lankan beetroot curry; eggplant and tofu ma po; steamed jasmine rice; and pear cake.

Mothers Day cocktail school; Sunday, 8th May, 2-3.30pm; $65 ($44 per hour); Northcote.

Work your way through 3 Distiller cocktails, each highlighting one of their vodkas. Pause between each cocktail lesson to enjoy your creation by their grazing table.

Attracting pollinators to your garden; Wednesday, 11th May, 7-8.30pm; free; Camberwell.

Katrina Forstner, from Buzz and Dig, will discuss the importance of native bees and how to create your own bee friendly garden. She will talk through how to identify native bees, landscaping for bees, pesticide use, the best native plants to use, and how to make your own bee hotels and bee seed bombs. She will also talk about how native bees and honeybees can peacefully co-exist.

Wicking beds; Sunday, 15th May, 9.30-10.15am; $15 (reimbursable at the nursery); Diamond Creek.

Kate Hall will tell you about the benefits of wicking beds and how to set them up. Organised by Nillumbik Nursery.

Composting and worm farms; Sunday, 15th May, 1.30-3pm; free; Reservoir.

Learn how to start and look after your own compost system and worm farm at home. Or, if you don’t have the space at home, sign up to drop your organic scraps to the Regent Centre’s community compost.

Home composting and worm farming; Wednesday, 1st June, 10am-midday; free; Whittlesea.

Avoid sending food and garden waste to landfill by learning how to make home compost. Organised by Whittlesea Library.

Olive to oil harvest festival; at Lalor on Sunday, 15th May, midday-3pm, at Preston on Sunday, 29th May, midday-2pm, and at Brunswick East on Sunday, 29th May, midday-3pm; $10.

You bring the olives and they press them into olive oil for you to enjoy. Book a time to bring your olives. The first 50kg will be processed for you for free and each kilo after that will have a charge of 0.50 cents/kilo, payable on the day. The tickets are free if you are a resident of City of Yarra, Darebin, Moreland or Whittlesea.

Grazing board making workshop for women; Saturday, 4th June, 2-4pm; $189 ($95 per hour); Warrandyte.

Hayley Nicole will take you through the process of choosing from pre-prepared timber blanks, shaping and sanding then finishing and nourishing your unique board. You will also share a grazing board and optional beverage through the afternoon. All materials will be provided.

Growing berries; Saturday, 25th June, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: the wide range of berry fruits that can be grown in Victorian gardens; how to cultivate the plants for great yields and great flavour; and berry selection, planting and fertilising, and how to prune and trellis a range of different berry fruits. Presenter: Poppy Turbiak.

In April
In May
In June
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

How to make food preparation quick and sustainable; Saturday, 7th May, 10-11.30am; $89 ($60 per hour); Ringwood.

Find out about different methods of food preservation and how preserving your own food can help save time, money, stress and reduce food waste. Taste samples.

The food of central Vietnam; Sunday, 22nd May, 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.

Sourdough bread; Saturday, 25th June, 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.

Gluten-free kitchen skills; Sunday, 26th June, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

Presenter: Melanie Leeson, from Mettle + Grace. After an introduction to gluten-free flours and their texture, taste and how to use them, you will have the opportunity to cook a collection of recipes, including: a cake using your own gluten-free flour blend; crackers to pair with a seasonal dip; pizzas; and a short-crust pastry dough for quiche. At the end, the class will sit down to eat lunch together.

In April
In May
In June
Regular classes

LFC News April 20 2022

Apr 212022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Francisca Amar, Jasminn Chan, Jian Liu, Sue Dyet and Vasundhara Kandpal.

Jasminn’s first ever blueberry

Jasminn Chan has sent in a picture of her first ever homegrown blueberry. See photo right.

Maybe Jasminn should read Jian’s article below!

How to grow blueberries (by Jian Liu)

[Jian, from Camberwell, has her own website, called Melbourne Foodforest, where she writes articles to help people to develop their own food forests. She recently published an article about how to grow blueberries. Here she summarises that article. Also, watch her video on the subject (25 minutes.]

Blueberries are small compact plants that don’t take up much space. A well-looked after blueberry plant can be productive and reward you with many kilos of fruit each season (up to 9 kg!). They are easier to grow than you think.

This article discusses my 7 rules for growing blueberries.

1. Blueberries must be grown in acidic soil

The easiest way to achieve a low pH is to use a good quality potting mix for acidic plants. The only brand I know that makes a low pH formula is Scott’s Osmocote Roses, Azalea & Gardenia potting mix. As well as a pH of around 5, this mix has everything you need to grow happy blueberries.

The harder option, requiring some arithmetic skills and patience, is to add some elemental sulphur to the soil. In my experience, sulphur acts slowly and it takes at least 2 months before the pH is lowered.

Regardless of which option you go with, I’d recommend also adding some homemade compost which is generally slightly acidic or pH neutral (don’t add lime to your compost!) to bulk out your mix and increase its moisture-holding capacity.

If the pH isn’t right, you will see veining on the leaves of your blueberry leaves, or very pale leaves.

2. Blueberries are best grown in pots or containers

Because blueberries are fussy about having an acidic soil, it’s easier to grow blueberries in a large pot or wine barrel or, if you want to get serious, in a dedicated bed filled with blueberries. This way, you can create the ideal acidic conditions that they thrive in.

Blueberries are shallow rooted plants so grow well in pots. Choose a pot that’s at least 30cm wide and 30cm tall.

3. Grow blueberries in part-shade

Blueberries enjoy some protection from the western afternoon sun and planting blueberries in a full sun spot in summer can turn their leaves crispy.

A benefit of growing blueberries in pots is that in winter, they go dormant and you can simply move your blueberry pots to a shady spot thereby vacating any full-sun winter spot for your winter veggies.

4. Blueberries like moist soil

In summer you will need to water every day or second day to ensure that your blueberry always has moist roots.

5. Mulch is essential

Being shallow rooted, you need to mulch heavily to prevent your blueberries roots drying out. My favourite mulch for blueberries is pine needles as they are mildly acidic( but note that once they decompose they are pH neutral).

6. Grow more than one variety for cross-pollination

When bees cross-pollinate blueberries, you get bigger and tastier fruit.

7. Soil improvement

You should be topping up with compost and manure each season.

Blueberries are best fertilised in late winter or early spring, just after flowering.

If you notice veining or pale leaves, you will likely need to lower the acidity of your soil. We find that our soil pH tends to creep up over time.

A viviparous tomato

The photo right is currently doing the rounds on the Internet. It shows a tomato where some of the seeds have started germinating whilst still inside the tomato. This phenomenon is called ‘vivipary’ and, whilst it can potentially happen with any fruit, it appears (from Google searches) to be most common with tomatoes and strawberries.

Clearly, a seed ‘wants’ to germinate. Less obviously, but also clearly when you think about it, a plant doesn’t ‘want’ its seeds to germinate until their surrounding fruit has been eaten and the seeds therefore dispersed. It is apparently the presence of certain hormones in the fruit which inhibit premature germination of the seeds. Occasionally, for whatever reason, these hormones go missing and the seeds can germinate whilst still within the fruit.

Note that the word ‘vivipary’ (which relates to plants) should not be confused with the word ‘viviparity’, which relates to animals, and is the development of an embryo inside the body of the parent.

Fun fact

Why is there a ‘d’ in fridge but not in refrigerator?

Fridge is a shortened form of the word refrigerator. Let’s say that you were trying to shorten the word refrigerator, how would you spell that shortened form? Maybe frig. But that would be a problem because all words in the English language which end with the letter ‘g’ are pronounced with a hard-g (e.g. pig), whereas the ‘g’ in refrigerator is soft. So, maybe frige. But that would be a problem because apparently all words in the English language which end with the letters ‘ge’ are pronounced with the previous vowel being long (e.g. huge), whereas the ‘i’ in refrigerator is short (i.e. as in kit rather than kite). So, to turn the ‘i’ from long to short, a ‘d’ is inserted before the ‘g’ (as in bridge).

Note that if the word was spelt phonetically (i.e. as it is pronounced), the shortened form would actually be spelt frij.

Read more at Merriam-Webster.

If you to want to wrap your head round another example of this sort of thing, consider bicycle being shortened to bike.

Read more fun facts on our website.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Jill Bliss creates photos of medleys of fungi, flowers, ferns, and other botanical elements.

Biscuit pot pie (by Vasundhara Kandpal)

[We are running out of new recipes. If you have an interesting recipe that you are willing to share, send it to us by email.]

Ingredients

The filling
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup mushroom, thinly sliced or chopped
¼ cup flour (all purpose; use 2 tablespoons rice flour plus + 2 tablespoons tapioca starch for gluten-free)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups veggie broth
2½ cups veggies (frozen or chopped veggies such as green beans, corn, carrots, peas, zucchini or potatoes)

The biscuit topping
¾ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup almond flour or ground cashews
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons dried herbs (e.g. oregano, rosemary or basil)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and more for garnish
¾ cup chilled almond milk

Method

The filling

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the broth or 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the onion, garlic and a good pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and mix in. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add in the bay leaves, herbs, salt and mix in. Add the flour and mix in. Add in ½ cup of the broth and mix in until there are no lumps, then add the rest of the broth. Stir well to combine. Bring to the boil. Add the veggies and mix in and continue to cook for 4 to 6 minutes. If the mixture is not thick to preference, mix in 1 tablespoon flour in 2 tablespoons broth and add to the saucepan and bring to a boil again. The mixture thickens on cooling, so you just want slightly thick filling.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 9 inch baking dish. Remove the bay leaves. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the biscuit topping. Preheat the oven to 225degC.

The biscuit topping

Add the flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, nutritional yeast, herbs and black pepper in a bowl. Mix well.

Add ½ cup of the chilled almond milk and mix. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time to make a soft sticky dough. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Add spoonfuls of the mixture on top of the pot pie filling.

Bake at 225degC for 17 to 20 minutes or until the topping is golden.

Garnish with fresh herbs and freshly ground black pepper. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then serve.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Robin’s article about harvesting, curing and storing pumpkins.

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

I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa.

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Not food-related but interesting

Habitat planting on the Diamond Creek; Saturday, 21st May, 10am-midday and 1-3pm; free; Edendale.

Join the Friends of Edendale, Edendale Farm and Melbourne Water in a family re-vegetation activity along the Diamond Creek near Edendale to help re-build habitat for our local platypus and their friends. The goal is to plant 500 indigenous plants on the day.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Grow your own way (7 sessions); 7 weekly sessions on Thursdays from 21st April to 2nd June, at 9-11am and then again at 2.30-2.30pm; free; West Brunswick.

[Editor: although this course started last week, the organisers have told me that it is structured such that people can still sensibly attend even if they miss a session or two. Furthermore, there are still some spots available in both the morning and the afternoon sessions.]

Presenter: Angelo Eliades. This course will give participants the skills to compost, grow nutritious food, harvest, forage and benefit from community life and nature. The topics will include: introduction to community gardening; the importance of soil, compost and worm farms; planning your plot and food to grow; options to grow food in a community garden; hands on planting; harvesting and foraging; and nutritious food and waste free living. All participants will receive a one year free membership to West Brunswick Community Garden. Organised by Moreland Community Gardening.

The Bubbles Festival; Friday, 29th April, 6-8pm and Saturday, 30th April, midday-5pm; $95 ($48 per hour); Fitzroy North.

The ticket includes: admission to 1 * 2 hour tasting session; a tasting introduction by Natalie Pickett, Founder, The Bubbles Review; 10 or more tastings of sparkling wine; a champagne tasting glass; and canapes.

Beer and cheese tasting; Wednesday, 4th May, 6-9pm; $53 ($18 per hour); Brunswick.

Featuring artisan cheeses from Cornelius Cheesemongers matched with the beers of Inner North Brewing.

Beeswax wraps workshop; Saturday, 21st May, 2-4pm; $20 ($10 per hour); Warrandyte.

Make your own beeswax wraps. You will need to bring your own 100% cotton material. Organised by Warrandyte Neighbourhood House.

Looking after our bees with Melbourne City Rooftop Honey; Thursday, 2nd June, 6.30-7.30pm; free; Watsonia.

Rooftop Honey founders Vanessa and Mat will talk about bees and the important role they play in pollinating our cities, including the plight of the bees, their importance, community local awareness, and planting for bees. Find out what you can do to help them, which in turn helps us all. You will also get the opportunity to taste honey from a couple of different locations. Organised by Watsonia Library.

Setting up a worm farm; Saturday, 18th June, 2-3.30pm; free; Edendale.

This workshop will cover both the theory and practice of worm farming in a household setting. It will be useful for those wishing to recycle household food waste in order to produce worm products for use in the improvement of soil in gardens and pot plants.

In April
In May
In June
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Intro to Turkish workshop; Wednesday, 27th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Balwyn North.

Join Arzu Yilmaz to learn how to make four different vegetarian dishes: a lentil soup, a meze, Turkish borek and a dessert. Arzu will also talk about her experiences as an Istanbul girl and her Turkish identity. Organised by Trentwood at the Hub.

Tomato relish; Wednesday, 25th May, 1-2pm; $10; Greensborough.

Make, taste and take home some homemade dips. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Indian cooking class (thermomix); Saturday, 28th May, 2-4pm; $27 ($14 per hour); Mooroolbark.

They will be making some spice mix blends and pastes and turning them into dishes, including paneer cheese, paneer makhani, creamy coconut chicken curry, garlic & coriander naan, rava payasam and lassi.

Sourdough basics; Thursday, 9th June, 6.30-8pm; $100 ($66 per hour); Collingwood.

The Fermented Mumma will discuss ingredient selection, starter care, and the processes of sourdough fermentation and baking. At the end, you will take your fermenting dough home to bake in the morning.

French patisserie workshop; Friday, 17th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $60 ($30 per hour); Park Orchards.

Learn the art of making traditional French croissants. Topics to be covered will include: how to make the dough; the art of the fold; how to roll the perfect croissant; and how to prove and cook the croissants at home. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

Triple cream brie cheese; Sunday, 19th June, 10am-4pm; $170 ($28 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to make your own triple cream brie and gourmet feta cheeses; how to make ricotta cheese; and about different cheeses. Presenters: Janet Clayton and Charlene Angus from Cheeselinks.

Truffle workshop at Ratio Cocoa Roasters; Sunday, 19th June, 11am-12.30pm; $75 ($50 per hour); Brunswick.

A behind-the-scenes tour of the 10 step chocolate making process at Ratio Cocoa Roasters. Followed by a guided chocolate tasting. Then make your own milk or dark truffles with a selection of toppings.

Truffle and praline workshop; Wednesday, 22nd June, 6-10pm; $180 ($45 per hour); Blackburn

Learn how to create handmade chocolates from start to finish using your creative influences to make unique flavours and shapes. They will cover flavour combinations, ganache based flavours, nut pralines, enrobing methods and finishes. You will take home all you make in the workshop along with the recipes and an instruction booklet.

In April
In May
In June
Regular classes

LFC News April 13 2022

Apr 132022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Dione Fisher, Francisca Amar, Jaimie Sweetman, Jian Liu, Jon Buttery, Julian Merkenich and Robin Gale-Baker.

If you are Gmail user and didn’t successfully receive our newsletter last week, read this short guide on how to stop Google’s blocking of our future newsletters.

Jaimie’s unusual edible plant of the month: cucumber bean (Cyclanthera pedata)

[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.]

Cyclanthera pedate is an annual vine originating from South America.

I [Jaimie] call it ‘cucumber bean’ as it tastes a little like both yet is actually neither!

The small fruits can be eaten straight off the vine, while older fruits need to be cooked.

The vine grows up to 4m long and thus requires a trellis of some sort. We grow it over our bean tunnel, which gives it almost a tropical look as well as creating shade in the heat of the summer.

The seeds are unusual and look almost like charcoal. They are best planted in Spring. At the Edible Forest, we collect and save the seeds each year and have some available for anyone wishing to try and grow this unique annual.

Harvesting, curing and storing pumpkins (by Robin Gale-Baker)

Robin has written a very timely article about how to harvest, cure and store pumpkins. The subjects covered include:

  • How to harvest pumpkin (e.g. leave around 10cm of stalk attached)
  • What are the signs that a pumpkin is ready for picking? (e.g. the stem has withered, the rind is hard and the leaves have begun to lose colour).
  • Can you pick a pumpkin too early? (e.g. yes, and they will then rot).
  • Can you pick a pumpkin too late? (e.g. do not leave until the first frost).
  • Curing (e.g. rest of its side in a sunny spot and turn every few days).
  • Storing (e.g. on straw or newspaper, on its side in a dark, cool, dry place).
  • Rats (e.g. store in a rat proof environment).

Read the full article.

Growing fresh food and herbs using permaculture methods (by Angelo Eliades)

Angelo has just had a ‘bookazine’ (a cross between a book and a magazine) published, entitled Growing fresh food and herbs using permaculture methods. It is 170 pages long and the material is organised under the following headings:

  • Fundamentals of organic gardening (e.g. selecting locations, setting up new garden beds, how to plant seedlings).
  • Ecological design principles (e.g. backyard permaculture, resilient gardens, zone planning, biodiversity).
  • Attitudinal design principles.
  • Putting the design principles into practice (e.g. Summer protection, water-saving, garden harmony).

Wild mushroom foraging in Australia (by Anna Matilda)

Read Anna’s article on her Urban Nanna website. The material is organised under the following headings:

  • Deadly mistakes.
  • Identification is key.
  • Basic mushroom anatomy.
  • How to identify wild mushrooms.
  • How to hunt.
  • Questions to ask.
  • What to look for and where.
  • When to go hunting.
  • Species to look for.
  • Edible species.
  • Toxic species.
  • Further reading.
  • Online resources.
  • In-person classes.

Note that, as discussed later, Anna is running numerous mushroom foraging events during May.

Does your organisation want to set up a food hub?

VicHealth is offering up to $4 million in funding for up to 10 Victorian food hubs, to help give organisations the boost they need to revolutionise the way we grow, buy and share food. Applications due by 16th May. Online briefing on Wednesday, 13th April, 1-2pm. Read more and potentially apply.

Sourdough focaccia (by Jian Liu & Julian Merkenich)

Ingredients

The dough base:
250 grams wholemeal flour
250 grams baker’s flour
9 grams salt
5 grams malted barley
100 grams ripe levain
400 grams warm water
12 grams olive oil

The toppings:
2 small tomatoes
10 grams aged cheddar
3 small jalapenos
1 handful basil
2 cloves minced garlic
10 grams olive oil
1 pinch salt

Method

Mix the flours, salt and barley together in a clear container.

Mix the ripe levain, water and olive oil in a measuring jug.

Add the wet ingredients to the flours and combine thoroughly.

Let the dough sit for 1 hour to develop strength.

Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds spaced half an hour apart.

Oil a baking dish.

Loosely shape the dough and place it into the baking dish.

Leave the dough in your fridge overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit for a few hours on your benchtop until there are large bubbles visible on under its surface.

Dimple the dough with your fingers.

Drizzle the focaccia with olive oil, the minced garlic and sprinkle it with salt.

Chop the tomato into small cubes, slice the jalapenos, finely chop the basil and grate the cheese.

Scatter all of the remaining ingredients over the focaccia.

Bake at 230degC for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and rest on the counter for 20 minutes before serving.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Jane Edmanson’s free gardening masterclass on 21st May.

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

A skeleton walks into a bar. The bartender says, “What’ll you have?” The skeleton replies, “Give me a beer and a mop.”

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Not food-related but interesting

Clothing swap with purpose ~ Winter; Sunday, 1st May, 3-5pm; $25; Edendale.

This is an opportunity for you to update your wardrobe in a sustainable manner based on an understanding of how to buy for your body shape and colouring. Donate your pre-loved clothing in return for tokens that can be used to acquire other clothing. There will also be: speakers discussing fast fashion, textile waste and colouring; an auction of styled outfits; a styling competition; an auction of styled outfits; and leftover garments.

Not face-to-face but interesting

The good life: how to grow a better world, with Hannah Moloney; Thursday, 21st April, 11am-midday; free; online.

Hannah, who is author of The Good Life, will provide insights into how to gain the skills, self-reliance and confidence needed to engage meaningfully with your space, your food and your community. Organised by Diamond Valley Library.

A brief review

Living & Learning Nillumbik periodically run an 8-session class called Urban food gardening. Jon Buttery went to a previous series of the classes, having read about them in this newsletter. Here is his brief review: “I highly recommend this series of classes. Justin [Calverley] is an inspiring teacher and really helped to develop my gardening knowledge. Much of the course is at Edendale Farm, which is a delightful venue, and the course involves using its gardens. If you are an Australian or NZ resident and not in school, then you are eligible for a massively reduced fee of $60 for all 8 sessions.”

Have you recently been to an event that you read about in this newsletter? If so, it would be great if you could submit a brief review of the event. Just email it to us.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Grow your own way (8 sessions); 8 weekly sessions on Thursdays from 14th April to 2nd June, at 9-11am and then again at 2.30-2.30pm; free; West Brunswick.

Presenter: Angelo Eliades. This course will give participants the skills to compost, grow nutritious food, harvest, forage and benefit from community life and nature. The topics will include: introduction to community gardening; the importance of soil, compost and worm farms; planning your plot and food to grow; options to grow food in a community garden; hands on planting; harvesting and foraging; and nutritious food and waste free living. All participants will receive a one year free membership to West Brunswick Community Garden. Organised by Moreland Community Gardening.

[Editor: Obviously this is very short notice but the organisers tell me that it wouldn’t matter if you miss the first session.]

Lavazza cup of learning (2 day); 2 occurrences on Tuesday, 3rd May and Wednesday, 4th May, both 9am-4pm and then again on Tuesday, 7th June and Wednesday, 8th June, both 9am-4pm; free; Hawthorn.

This course will leave participants with practical skills in all aspects of making a coffee, from grinding beans through milk texturing to machine maintenance.

Mushroom foraging; 2 occurrences at Saturday, 7th May, 10am-2pm and Sunday, 22nd May, 10am-2pm; $122 ($31 per hour); Nunawading.

Join Anna, the Urban Nanna, for an educational session about wild mushrooms: when, where & how to find them, what to look for and how to use them. You will find and identify a range of wild, edible mushrooms. You will learn the basic principles and protocols of foraging, and then move on to mushroom specifics. You will examine examples of the types of mushrooms to look for on the day, and be shown the physical features you can use to correctly identify them. There will also be information on how to safely prepare and enjoy eating the mushrooms you find. Included in the session fee is a learning pack to take home with you, a sample of how wild mushrooms can be cooked, and a hot drink. Overall, there will be around 1-2km of walking over grassy terrain involved.

Mushroom foraging; 5 occurrences at Sunday, 8th May, 10am-2pm, at Friday, 13th May, 10am-2pm, Saturday, 21st May, 10am-2pm, Friday, 27th May, 10am-2pm and Sunday, 29th May, 10am-2pm; $122 ($31 per hour); Forest Hill.

Description as for the equivalent events in Nunawading discussed above.

Edible forest gardening; Saturday, 21st May, 9am-midday; $10; Forest Hill.

Anyone with a small patch of land can grow a forest garden. This workshop will give you an introduction to: the theory behind edible forest gardens; plant guilds (polycultures) and the different functions that plants can play; wildlife, insects, domestic animals and how they integrate with an edible forest garden; mycelium and the role it plays in an edible forest garden; design considerations; and preparing the soil and planting. Presenter: Duncan Cocking from Leaf, Root & Fruit.

In-depth mushroom cultivation workshop; Saturday, 21st May, 10am-4pm; $165 ($28 per hour); Alphington.

You will learn the growing methods for oyster mushrooms, including inoculation, sterilisation and be introduced to basic mycology. You will undertake practical sessions and learn how to start master cultures. You will also be given a tour of the mushroom farm. Take a clean 2-10L bucket with a lid and some gloves. Organised by The Mushroomery.

How to compost food and garden waste; Sunday, 29th May, 1-2.30pm; $20 ($14 per hour); Forest Hill.

Ella Boyen, from Compost Community, will show you how to manage garden, organic and food waste effectively. She will cover tumbler systems, worm farms and Bokashi bins. She will also trouble-shoot your ongoing issues and provide some useful tips. This workshop is suitable for both those new to composting and those who have just started.

Home composting for beginners; Saturday, 4th June, 2-4pm; free; Edendale.

What you will learn: how to compost at home; simple to follow composting steps; and common problems and solutions.

Beeswax wraps; Sunday, 5th June, 10am-midday; $55 ($28 per hour); Park Orchards.

This workshop will show you how easy beeswax wraps are to make for yourself or as gifts. You will need to bring along with you a piece of material 28cm by 28cm. It must be 100% cotton, non-stretch, pre-washed and free from embellishments. All other materials supplied. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

The fungus amongst us; Sunday, 5th June, 10am-12.30pm; $55 ($22 per hour); Alphington.

Explore the Darebin park lands through a fungal lens. Participants will be guided to see and get close to the local world of fungi. The park adventure will be led by local ecologist Dr Sapphire McMullan-Fisher. Founder of Sporadical City Mushrooms, Julia Laidlaw, will then share the world of zero waste mushroom farming at her farm on the edge of the park land.

In April
In May
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Sourdough bread making; Saturday, 14th May, 9am-midday; $61 ($20 per hour); Panton Hill.

Learn how to make sourdough bread. You will take home both a crusty loaf and you own sourdough starter. Tutor Jenna Farrington-Sear.

Middle Eastern cooking; Friday, 3rd June, 6.30-9.30pm; $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.

Tortelloni and ravioli class; Saturday, 4th June, 10am-1.30pm; $125 ($36 per hour); Thomastown.

What you will learn: how to make fresh pasta dough; and how to make tagliatelle, spinach & ricotta tortelli and pumpkin ravioli. What you will get: cheese tasting and drinks; and a That’s Amore apron to take home.

Fire cider tonic making; Saturday, 4th June, 2-4.30pm; $75 ($30 per hour); CERES.

Fire cider is a winter warming digestive and immune system boosting tonic made from commonly available kitchen ingredients. What you will learn: the history and beneficial properties of fire cider; how to prepare and preserve your ingredients; and how to incorporate fire cider into other recipes. Presenter: Naabi Methe.

Artisan bread making; Sunday, 5th June, 8am-2pm; $220 ($37 per hour); Abbotsford.

What you will learn: experimenting with bread; the bread baking process with each step explained; and how to replicate the process at home. What you will get: 1 kilo of organic flour to take home; and savoury calzone for lunch, which you make, eat and take home. The focus will be on ciabatta and turkish breads.

Vegan cooking Italian style; Sunday, 5th June, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

Presenter: Daniele. You will be shown a selection of vegan dishes with an Italian flavour and you will finish with a feast. Menu: Napoli sauce; arancini; rosemary and olive focaccia; cavatelli pasta; and chocolate cake.

Indian cooking – Punjabi (two sessions); Wednesday, 8th June and Wednesday, 22nd June, both 6.30-8.30pm; $110 ($55 per hour); Hurstbridge.

Tutor: Taariq Hassan. Learn how to cook a healthy North West Indian vegetarian meal from scratch using authentic ingredients.

In April
In May
In June
Regular classes

LFC News April 6 2022

Apr 062022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Amanda Wheeler, Anna Matilda, Bron Elmore, Fay Loveland, Jon Buttery and Marisa Howard.

A total of 400(!) different people have now contributed to this newsletter since the start of the Covid pandemic. Read the list.

If you are Gmail user and didn’t successfully receive our newsletter last week, read this short guide on how to stop Google’s blocking of our future newsletters.

A new community garden in Northcote

Croxton Community Garden / Marra Guwiyap Garden is a new membership-based community garden at 31-35 Spencer Street, Northcote (at the site of the former tennis courts near Croxton railway station). In addition to raised beds for veggie growing, the garden will include: dedicated garden space for children to explore and learn about the natural world; wheelchair accessible gardening plots and sensory garden plots to enhance mental health through special plantings; and a compost hub.

The garden is a place for growing food, eco-sustainability, sharing activities, fun and learning together. The vision is for a shared, accessible space, creating a safer, healthier and more resilient environment and providing an amenity where the broader neighbourhood can come together in shared social and educational events.

To discuss any aspect of the garden, contact them by email. Also, see their Facebook page.

Welcome Amanda, Marisa and colleagues!

There are now a total of 60(!) community gardens in North East Melbourne that each have a page on our website. Look at a map of all 60 gardens, with links to all 60 pages.

Want to community garden in Fairfield?

Fairfield Community Garden, which is an allotment-based community garden in Hamilton Street, Alphington, apparently has a few plots available. If interested, contact Caitlin by email.

Do you want some wool carpet?

In Winter, Bron Elmore is lifting the pure wool carpet from four of her rooms and she doesn’t want to send it to landfill. Would anyone like it as a weed suppressant before mulching? Alternatively, while some of the edges have been eaten by carpet beetle, there is plenty of usable carpet in excellent condition if anyone wants to re-lay it for a beach house or studio etc. Pick up from Warrandyte. If interested, email Bron.

Have you recently been to an event because of this newsletter?

Jon Buttery has written in to suggest that it would be interesting if anyone who had been to local events that they read about in this newsletter could submit short reviews for us to publish.

To start things off, here is a review from Jon himself: “On 31st March, I went to a session called ‘food forest gardening’ at Edendale. The session was run by Ian Culbard, Sustainability Officer at Nillumbik Council. It was a wonderful session – not surprisingly, I later learnt that he is a former teacher who is knowledgeable about permaculture and gardening. We began with a short tour of Edendale Farm and a discussion about how it was set up. Then Ian discussed gardening ideas and encouraged us to contribute our ideas and imagine our own gardens. One thing that I really liked was that he made me think about options for my own garden. It was a very well worthwhile evening!”

It would be great if you could submit an event review. Just email it to us.

A reminder that Queensland fruit fly is still about

Even though the weather is cooling, the Queensland fruit fly (QFF) larvae are still around and are attacking autumn-fruiting crops, such as feijoas. Here are some resources that discuss what you can do: our QFF page, the Edendale QFF page and the Sustainable Macleod QFF page.

Cooking with wool

Watch these short animated ‘cooking with wool’ videos by someone called Andrea Love: breakfast, bagels, cake, pasta with red sauce and pizza.

Not food-related but interesting

Jane Edmanson is giving a free gardening masterclass on Saturday, 21st May, 2-4pm in Box Hill. Read more and potentially book your place.

Dukkah (by Anna Matilda)

A longer version of this recipe, including lots of photos and variations, can be found on Anna’s website, The Urban Nanna.

Ingredients

100g nuts
50g sesame seeds (white for preference)
10-15g spices (whole is best)
salt and pepper

Method

If your nuts have skins on them (e.g. almonds or hazelnuts), remove these by either blanching or roasting and rubbing between tea towels.

Roast the nuts in the oven until starting to brown. Watch the nuts closely while roasting – they can go from ‘underdone’ to ‘burnt’ very quickly. It is good to stir occasionally.

Set the nuts aside to cool. It’s important to let them cool before chopping them or the heat brings out the oils and you run the risk of getting nut butter rather than chopped nuts.

Toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan until they begin to go golden. Set aside in a mixing bowl.

Toast the spices in a frying pan until they become aromatic (around 1-2 minutes). Allow to cool.

Grind the spices to a coarse finish, using either a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Place in the mixing bowl.

Chop the nuts to a coarse finish using either a food processor or a sharp knife. Add to the mixing bowl.

Combine the ingredients and then season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. It should be slightly saltier than you think.

Keep in an airtight jar in the pantry for a couple of weeks, or the fridge if you want it to last longer (the oils in nuts can go rancid/off if left out for too long), or freeze.

The variations on the Urban Nanna website include: lemon myrtle & wild fennel blend; chilli & garlic blend; and original Egyptian blend.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was the article in the Brunswick Voice about their local ‘guerrilla gardeners’.

Word of the month – Molotov cocktail

Molotov cocktail, meaning any homemade, bottle-based incendiary weapon. In the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland (1939-1940), the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov declared that their bombing missions over Finland were actually airborne humanitarian food deliveries for their starving neighbours. As a result, the Finns sarcastically dubbed the bombs ‘Molotov bread baskets’. When they developed a hand-held bottle firebomb to attack Soviet tanks, the Finns called it the ‘Molotov cocktail’, as “a drink to go with his food parcels”. Read more.

Read about previous words of the month.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

In a pickle. Meaning: in a quandary or some other difficult position. The allusion is to being as disoriented and mixed up as stewed vegetables when they have been pickled. This allusion dates back to the 16th Century and was then popularised by Samuel Pepys in his diaries in the 17th Century. Shakespeare also used the phrase in The Tempest but the allusion there was probably to being drunk (e.g. the person was so pickled in alcohol that their body was protected from rotting).

Incidentally, most dictionaries seem to define the word pickle specifically to mean a food stuff which has been preserved in either vinegar or brine but some people also use the word for food stuffs preserved in other liquids, such as alcohol or vegetable oils. Yet others extend the use of the word to include fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, kimchi, etc).

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.” by Abraham Lincoln.

Read more gardening quotes.

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

I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know.

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Collingwood Community Gardens renewal – workshop; Friday, 8th April, 6.30-8.30pm; free; Abbotsford.

The Collingwood Community Gardens Association will be holding a public meeting about the Collingwood Community Gardens site. The purpose of the meeting is to seek Yarra community views about the future of the site. To be chaired by Peter Clarke.

Gourd it; Saturday, 30th April, 10.30am-2pm; free; Carlton North.

Learn how to make a plant pot from a gourd. All materials provided. Then watch a demonstration on how gourds are used in Ethiopia and also tour the Balam Balam Community Garden. Organised by Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre.

Indie spirits tasting; Sunday, 8th May, 1-4pm; $76 ($25 per hour); Collingwood.

This event showcase of craft spirit and will feature around 30 exhibitors, with distillers on hand and free seminars discussing the world of independent spirits.

Kitchen medicine – garden farmacy; Saturday, 28th May, 2-4.30pm; $75 ($30 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: an introduction to herbal medicine making; plant identification; guidelines for foraging and wild-crafting; medicinal uses for plants; and how to introduce medicinal herbs into the kitchen for medicine. What you will get: a remedy and a seedling. Presenter: Naabi Methe. Take a walk through the CERES garden beds and bring the wisdom of traditional herbal medicines into a modern context. You will explore traditional and modern uses of the plants and how to introduce these plants into the kitchen as medicine.

Mushroom cultivation workshop; Sunday, 29th May, 10am-1pm; $70 ($23 per hour); Park Orchards.

Learn how to grow mushrooms at home. Gain an overview of the fungi life cycle, the cultivation process, building a mushroom growing chamber, harvesting and storage. Includes: course materials, an oyster mushroom growing kit per person (valued $30), course notes and ongoing support. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

In April
In May
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Tomato passata demonstration; Sunday, 10th April, 12.30-3pm; free; Reservoir

Make some passata in Regent Community Garden and take home your own bottle of freshly made passata. Meet their garden volunteers and enjoy a tour of the garden. Click here to read about the garden.

Pizza making workshop with Karen Martini; Saturday, 7th May, 12.30-2pm; free; Hawthorn East.

Learn the secrets of celebrity chef Karen Martini’s 24 hour pizza dough. After the event concludes, you will receive a take home pizza kit including gourmet pizza dough, tray and work mat.

Talking plant-based meals with Alice Zaslavsky; Wednesday, 18th May, 6.30-8pm; free; Box Hill.

Alice Zaslavsky will discuss her new book In Praise of Veg, which pays tribute to the world of vegetables and plant-based cooking, and will provide her plant-based cooking tips and tricks.

Cup cake decorating workshop; Friday, 27th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $60 ($30 per hour); Park Orchards.

Decorate cupcakes using buttercream icing. Topics to be covered will include: how to make Italian buttercream frosting; different butter cream frosting; how to add different colour frosting in a piping bag; how to pipe six different types of flowers; how to pipe leaves; how to do two tone colour affects; and how to make a bouquet to hold the six cupcakes. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

Sourdough bread workshop; Saturday, 28th May, 9-11.30am; $185 ($74 per hour); Brunswick East.

What you will learn: ways to create and look after your own sourdough starter culture; the flour to use for the best nutrition and results; ways to knead sticky high hydration dough for a more authentic sourdough loaf; the equipment needed to produce a great looking and tasting sourdough tin loaf at home; and ways to bake sourdough bread using a bread tin in a home oven. Presenter: Rick Lavender of The Life We Want

A master class in Thai cooking on charcoal; Sunday, 29th May, 10am-2.30pm; $160 ($36 per hour); Panton Hill.

Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree. Learn how make: Thai jungle curry (barramundi or vegetarian); char-grilled isaan chicken with three sisters spice paste; green papaya salad; sticky rice and Thai dipping sauce; and laarb chicken or mushroom.

Camembert and gourmet fetta cheese; Sunday, 29th May, 10am-4pm; $170 ($28 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to make your own camembert and fetta cheese; how to make ricotta cheese; and about different cheeses. Presenters: Janet Clayton and Charlene Angus from Cheeselinks.

Truffle and praline workshop; Wednesday, 1st June, 6-10pm; $180 ($45 per hour); Blackburn

Learn how to create handmade chocolates from start to finish using your creative influences to make unique flavours and shapes. They will cover flavour combinations, ganache based flavours, nut pralines, enrobing methods and finishes. You will take home all you make in the workshop along with the recipes and an instruction booklet.

Italian kids cooking class; Thursday, 2nd June, 10am-3pm; $35 ($18 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Your child will learn how to make Italian pasta from scratch. When they are finished cooking, the group will sit down to enjoy their home-cooked dinner. The class is taught by Carmela. Organised by Balwyn Community Centre.

In April
In May
Regular classes