LFC News September 27 2023

Sep 262023
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Dan Ross, Megan Goodman and Robin Gale-Baker.

Foliar spraying (by Robin Gale-Baker)

Foliar sprays, such as Seasol or Maxicrop, are ones that are primarily absorbed through the leaves of a plant. They contain trace elements and minerals that are vital for the health of the plant and often not available from the soil. They are made from seaweed.

Foliar sprays are not nitrogenous. For a nitrogen-based liquid, buy Charlie Carp. Be aware that amendments containing primarily trace elements and minerals cannot be substituted for nitrogenous ones or vice versa. Rather, they do very different jobs. Read my previous article on this subject.

It is important to apply foliar nutrients by spraying rather than using a watering can. Spraying produces a mist of tiny droplets that adhere to the leaves and allow the plant to absorb maximum trace elements and minerals.

Foliar sprays should be applied to vegetables about every 3 weeks throughout spring and summer, and on garlic from August onward. Crops such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage like a regular dose during the winter months.

Want any more tomato or capsicum seedlings?

If you want any more tomato or capsicum seedlings, you may wish to consider buying them from Eltham-based Seeds of Plenty at Eltham Farmers’ Market on either Sunday, 1st October (i.e. next Sunday) or Sunday, 15th October. They have a huge range of tomato seedlings; for example, when I went to see them, they had the following varieties for sale:

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – Standard size – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Dwarf
Micro
Alices Dream
Amish Paste
Atomic Grape
Atomic Sunset
Beefsteak
Berkley Tie Dye
Black Beauty
Black Cherry
Black Russian
Blue Gold Berries
Brandywine
Chocolate Stripes
Costoluto Florentino
Dancing With Smurfs		 Giant Tree
Green Zebra
Grosse Lisse
Ice
Indigo Rose
Karma Apricot
Karma Purple Multiflora
Lucid Gem
Midnight Sun
Mint Julep
Oxheart
Pineapple
Prosperity
Red Current		 Red Pear
San Marzano
Santorini
Sugar Lump
Thai Pink Egg
Tigerella
True Colours
White Beauty		 Banana Toes
Bendigo Moon
Bendigo Rose
Clare Valley Red
Geranium Kiss
Golden Gypsy
Kookaburra Cackle
Metallica
Pepper Like Stripe
Saucy Mary
Shadow Boxing
Sneaky Sauce
Striped Antho
Uluru Ochre		 Bonsai
Fat Frog
Little Red Riding Hood
Micro Tom
Orange Hat
Regina Yellow
Window Box

 
Says Dan Ross, the owner of Seeds of Plenty: “I really love growing all these different tomatoes and am really happy to be selling them and actually meeting customers.”

   

This is the first year that Seeds of Plenty have grown and sold seedlings but they have been selling vegetable and other seeds online for many years. Their range is huge, covering most vegetables and herbs and, within this, many different varieties of each.

Another new repair cafe

North Carlton. 2nd Saturday of each month, 10am-midday. Book your slot. North Carlton Railway Neighbourhood House, 20 Solly Avenue, Princes Hill.

That makes a total of 13 repair cafes on our map of North East Melbourne.

What seeds to plant in October

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

Cucurbits

Cucumber
Gourd
Pumpkin
Rockmelon
Watermelon
Zucchini
Other warm season veggies

Beans
Okra
Peanut
Sweetcorn
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Parsley
Rocket
Silverbeet
Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Jerusalem artichoke
Parsnip
Potato
Radish

Other veggies

Asparagus
Celery
Chives
Globe artichoke
Rhubarb
Spring onions
Sweet potato

 
Compared with September, the solanums (capsicum, chilli, eggplant and tomato), basil and coriander drop out of the list, whilst the cucurbits (cucumber, gourd, pumpkin, rockmelon, watermelon and zucchini) stay in. Note, however, that these lists are the months that it is ideal to plant particular seeds and that you can sometimes plant in other months. So, for example, if your tomato seeds didn’t germinate in September, it’s better to try again in October (or buy some seedlings) rather than face the prospect of no homegrown tomatoes.

Helen Simpson has previously written ‘how to grow’ articles for us about many of the warm season veggies, namely: basil, chilli, cucurbits and tomatoes. Robin Gale-Baker has previously written about how to grow eggplants and capsicums, parsnips and potatoes. And Helen has written more generally about Spring veggie garden preparation.

Meg’s garden this month (by Megan Goodman)

It is time to blow the dust off the outdoor furniture, brush of the cobwebs and get ready for Spring. The grass is growing strongly but so are the weeds. I really need to get onto the weeding and spring cleaning. This leaves little time for the veggie patch but I have been emptying the herb pots, refreshing the potting mix and starting new seeds and seedlings ready for Spring growth.

It is so tempting to buy when you see the tomato seedlings already stocked in the local nurseries- but it is still too early in North East Melbourne. I am testing my patience and potting on my seedlings under cover. Along with the tomato seedlings, there is also the sparkle of Christmas decorations that have started to be displayed in store. Time to soak all my leftover packets of dried fruit to make a traditional Christmas fruit cake or a small pudding.

Small Christmas pudding

300g mixed dried fruit of your choice (use any leftovers you have)
100ml alcohol or orange juice
100g dark brown sugar
75g butter
100g plain flour
60g breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg and one egg yolk
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon, grated
nutmeg
1 green apple, grated
1 tablespoon golden syrup

Soak the fruit in the alcohol or juice at least overnight but preferably a few days.

Beat the butter and sugar then add the egg and golden syrup. Sift over all the dry ingredients and then add the breadcrumbs. Add the fruit and apple. Mix well to combine. Spoon into your pudding bowl and cover well with foil tying it down.

Steam for at least 3 hours (place a pudding bowl in a large pot in water and keep topped up to about two thirds). Alternatively, use your slow cooker (about 8 hours). Remove and replace foil tightly before storing in a cool dry place.

Read more of Megan recipes on our website.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

This upcoming Sunday’s episode will feature Angelo Eliades talking about spring planting. Listen on 3CR (855 AM) on Sunday morning, 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Audio recordings of previous episodes are available on their website.

Mitcham Community Meal

Mitcham Community Meal provides a free community dinner every Sunday evening, where each meal is cooked by a different local community group. During September, the cooking teams were Belmore Road Church of Christ (see photo right), Team Random, Team Terrific and Vermont Girl Guides. Look at some photos of these teams, plus those of previous teams.

Some things for you to read

An article on gardening habits by Duncan Cocking

Five habits of good gardeners. The five habits are:

  1. Watering your plants.
  2. Observing your garden.
  3. Fostering connection.
  4. Composting.
  5. Planning.
An article on olive harvesting by Angelo Eliades

Harvesting olives, a guide on when and how to pick them.

Read more food-related articles by Angelo.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Angelo’s article on why bean plants develop white spots on their leaves.

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

A parent teaching their child some arithmetic asks: “if I had 4 chocolate treats and you asked for one, how many would I have left?”

The child replies: “As it is you, you’d probably still have 4.”

Read more food-related jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Not food-related but interesting

Loving our lizards through reptile-friendly gardening; Monday, 30th October, 7-8.30pm; free; Nunawading.

Ecologist David De Angelis will discuss how you can attract lizards to your garden. He will cover the features of a good lizard longue and the types of lizards we are likely to find locally. This event will be streamed live but not recorded.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Summer veggies workshop (garden tour); Saturday, 14th October, 1-4pm; free; Park Orchards.

Visit a large suburban garden including around 500 orchids, 100 bonsai and a large veggie garden. Plant your own punnets of summer-growing vegetables under the guidance of experienced members of Waverley Garden Club. Organised by Waverley Garden Club.

Community soup night; Wednesday, 1st November, 5-7.30pm; free; Preston.

Share some soup, hear an update from the farm and taste what’s in season on Wurundjeri Country. Organised by Oakhill Food Justice Farm.

Nutrition and menopause – nourishing the transition; Wednesday, 8th November, 6.45-8.30pm; free; Hawthorn.

Understanding how to nourish your body during oeri-menopause and menopause is essential to positive health benefits through menopause and beyond. Join them for a free pilates session from 6.45pm followed by an information session at 7.30pm where a local dietitian will discuss: metabolic change at mid-life and your diet; nutrition for your heart and bone health; foods to support hormonal health; and where to access nutrition resources and support.

Grounded at TarraWarra; Friday, 10th November, 3-6.30pm; $88 ($25 per hour); Yarra Glen.

Begin in the vineyards, planted 40 years ago, for a guided look through the estate’s blocks of chardonnay and pinot noir. Then visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art, where new artworks from the Netherlands, Colombia, Indonesia and Wurundjeri Country are on display in an exhibition called The Soils Project. Gülsen Özer will then join you for a creative movement workshop, before TarraWarra winemaker Sarah Fagan leads you underground to the estate’s cellar door for some wine tastings. Finally it will be time to enjoy cheese and charcuterie, along with a glass of your favourite estate wine.

Chardonnay + fromage; Saturday, 11th November, midday-3pm; $60 ($20 per hour); Warrandyte South.

The ticket price includes a 75ml pour of 4 wines plus 4 matched cheeses. You will explore 4 vintage chardonnays from Rob Dolan Wines’ plus 4 matched cheeses from Stone & Crow Cheese Company. Meg Brodtmann will handle the pairings.

Urban wine walk; Saturday, 11th November, midday-4pm; $82; Fitzroy.

This is a self-guided wine tasting experience, where you choose the order in which you visit the various venues. The ticket includes complementary tastings, a $10 food voucher, a $25 voucher for wine orders and a tasting glass. The participating venues and winemakers: Bonny Bar with A.R.C. Wines; Ichi Ni Nana with Susuro Wines; La Vineria with Pizzini Wines ; Lost Boys Bar with Stappa Wines; Near & Far Bar with Konpira Maru; Odd Culture with Pool Wines; The Belfry with Meredith Wine; The Fitz Café & Rooftop with Alles Klar Wines ; and The Rochey with Patch Wines.

Awara open garden; Sunday, 12th November, 10-11.30am; $20 ($14 per hour); Pascoe Vale South.

Join Leila Alexandra, from Barefoot Food Gardens, on a tour of her 840m2 rental property. Leila will discuss how the lawn was transformed into a productive paradise, and the philosophy of forage gardening and how it translates in practice. Enjoy a chat and garden tea post tour.

Installing drip line irrigation with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 12th November, 1-3pm; $15; Macleod.

Learn how lay out and install drip line irrigation systems, including: how drip irrigation works; what all the irrigation bits and pieces on sale are and what they do; the different ways to lay out irrigation systems; how to connect the pieces together to construct a working watering system; and how to use and repair these irrigation systems. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Organised by Sustainable Macleod.

Food photography; Sunday, 12th November, 2-5pm;$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 lens, composition, exposure, lighting and software.

Smart storage to reduce food waste workshop; Thursday, 16th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free; Ringwood.

This workshop will cover: tips to use your fridge and freezer wisely, to prolong the life of your food; pantry storage to minimise waste; know the difference between ‘use-by’ and ‘best before’ dates; storing and maximising herbs; and what you can do with commonly leftover ingredients. Presenter: Kirsty Bishop-Fox from Sustainability Pathways.

Kitchen medicine – garden farmacy; Saturday, 18th November, 10am-2.30pm; $120 ($27 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. 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. Presenter: Naabi Methe.

Working with water with Dan; Saturday, 18th November, 10am-3.30pm; $15 ($3 per hour); Edendale.

The workshop will explore the human relationship with water, how it fits within our ecology and moves through the land. It will cover: principles and patterns for catching, storing and distributing water; reading water’s behaviour in the landscape; how to work with rainwater, grey water and mains supplies to bring more life to our surroundings; and principles and design approaches to improve your management of water at home. It will also involve walking, talking and designing to explore living examples of water management around Edendale’s buildings, gardens and nearby waterways. Presenter: Dan Milne.

Mushroom farm tour; Saturday, 18th November, 2-2.30pm; $27 ($54 per hour); Alphington.

Go on a walk-through tour of The Mushroomery, showing how the farm operates and how mushrooms are grown. Due to potential fungal contamination, it is important that you wear very clean clothes. Organised by The Mushroomery.

In September
In October
In November
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Japanese cooking class – curry; Friday, 13th October, 1-2.30pm; $15; Greensborough.

Chika will demonstrate how to make traditional Japanese curry. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Christmas cake workshop; Saturday, 11th November, 1.30-3pm; $56 ($38 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Tish will show you how easy it is to make your own Christmas cake. Take a cake tin (20cm square or round tin) to take your cake home. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Gingerbread house workshop; 2 occurrences on Tuesdays, 14th and 21st November, 7-8.30pm; $30 ($20 per hour); Greensborough.

Ros and Trudy will show you how to construct your own, decorated gingerbread house. You will then take it home. All materials will be provided. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Japanese cooking class – shiratama mochi rice sundae; Wednesday, 15th November, 1-2.30pm; $15; Greensborough.

Chika will demonstrate how to make shiratama mochi rice sundae. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Dumpling making workshop; Friday, 17th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $75 ($38 per hour); Park Orchards.

Make Chinese dumplings from scratch. The dough you prepare can be used for either boiled dumplings (shui jiao) or potstickers (guo tie). Then make vegetarian dumplings. Facilitator: Miki. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

In September
In October
In November
Regular classes

LFC News September 20 2023

Sep 192023
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Colleen Duggan, Jaimie Sweetman, Jo Buckle, Lee Hirsh, Liz Morrigan, Maude Farrugia and Monica Ludekens.

The berries of mahonias (by Jaimie Sweetman)

[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.]

There are around 70 species of in the Mahonia genus. All have berries which are edible but extremely sour.

Some mahonias, such as Mahonia aquifolium, have the common name of Oregon grape and originated in North America. The Native Americans would probably not have eaten these berries as they didn’t have access to sugar but now they can make a tasty dessert by mashing the berries in a bowl and adding sugar and milk. At the Edible Forest, we dehydrate our berries and put them in tea blends as they are really high in vitamin C.

The mahonia in the photos below is Mahonia napaulensis.

The yellow flower spikes appear in May and early June and their colour they really does stand out in Winter. The berries are ripe in early spring (i.e. now). The best thing about mahonias is the unusual time that they it flower and fruit when not much else is flowering or fruiting.

Mahonia are very spiky. So, if you want a living fence that has the potential to keep out deer or unwanted guests, they are potentially your solution.

Some species reach up to three metres in height but can be contained to a smaller size by pruning.

Read more of Jaimie’s articles about unusual edible plants on our website.

More on hot composting

Last week, Alice Glenn asked for suggestions or offers on hot composting bays at local community gardens that she could visit. Lots of you responded, including Colleen Duggan, Jo Buckle, Liz Morrigan, Maude Farrugia and Monica Ludekens. Thanks, everyone!

Jo Buckle’s response included a number of interesting points:

Jo has kindly sent in a couple of photos of her composting bays. The left hand photo shows the bays running along the inside of her fence, with the hole through which her Sharewaste colleagues push through their food scraps above the right most bay (above the cat, which is apparently called Bertie). The right hand photo shows the hole from the street side of her fence, together with a mural and instructions for how people should push through their food scraps.

  

Something for you to read

Why do bean plants develop white spots on their leaves, and is it a problem? by Angelo Eliades.

Quattro formaggio pie (by Julia Busuttil Nishimura)

Julia, who is from Fitzroy North, developed this recipe as a way of using lots of little bits of cheese leftover in your fridge as part of Sustainability Victoria’s I Love Leftovers Challenge.

Serves 4-6.

You can use 2, 3 or 4 cheeses. Just make sure that one of the cheeses is a melting cheese, like mozzarella or provolone.

Ingredients

For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely sliced
3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
3 tablespoons mascarpone or pure cream
2 eggs (1 for filling and 1 for egg wash)
325g mixed cheeses, such as fontina, taleggio, provolone, mozzarella, comte, parmesan
a handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper

For the sour cream pastry:
400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
salt
200g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
100g full-fat sour cream
iced water, as needed

Method

To make the sour cream pastry:

Combine the flour and a good pinch of salt in a large bowl or on a work surface. Toss the butter through the flour to coat then, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it is pebbly. You want to rub the butter into flatter pieces rather than into something that resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the sour cream and, with a gentle touch, bring the pastry together. Sprinkle over some iced water, as needed, if the dough is a little dry. Shape into a rough square, wrap in baking paper or place into a container and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.

To make the pie:

Pre-heat your oven to 180degC. Line a large round baking tray with baking paper.

Warm the extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the onions with the thyme and a pinch of salt and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and beginning to colour. Transfer to a bowl.

Whisk one of the eggs with the mascarpone or cream in a small bowl and add to the onions.

Grate or crumble the cheeses into the bowl along with the parsley. Mix well and season to taste.

On a lightly floured work surface, cut the dough in half and roll out in half to a 28 cm round, 3-4 mm thick. Drape the pastry onto the prepared tray. Tip the filling onto the pastry base and spread it out, leaving a 4 cm border. Roll out the second half of the pastry dough, then drop it over the filling. Press the pastry edges together and use your hands to crimp the edges towards the pie, sealing in the filling. Make a small hole in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape.

Whisk the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the egg wash all over the pastry. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45- 50 minutes, until the pie is golden. Allow to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

This upcoming Sunday’s episode will feature Virginia Solomon talking about suburban homesteading. Listen on 3CR (855 AM) on Sunday morning, 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Audio recordings of previous episodes are available on their website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was The Darebin Fruit Squad’s free citrus tree pruning workshop on Saturday, 14th October, in Bundoora.

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

A man decides that he wanted to make his own honey, so he purchased 100 bees from his local beekeeper. When he got home ,he counted his bees and discovered that he actually had 101 . Being an honest man, he called the beekeeper back to tell him that he had taken one too many.

“That’s ok,” the beekeeper told him, “the extra one is a freebee.”

(Submitted by Lee Hirsh.)

Read more jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Not food-related but interesting

Generating one’s own energy for both home and travel; Thursday, 28th September, 7.30-9.30pm; Eltham,

Guy Palmer [Editor: yes, that’s me!] first installed a battery-based solar system in 2013, the main aim being not to use any grid electricity for most of the year. In 2019, he bought an electric car, the main aim being to utilise his surplus generated energy. In this presentation, Guy will talk about the battery, the electric car and how the whole thing works together to minimise his external energy footprint. Organised by Nillumbik Climate Action Team. At Platform 3095, 965 Main Road, Eltham. Just turn up.

Malahang Community Festival; Sunday, 12th November, 10am-4pm; free; Heidelberg West.

Featuring: entertainment by local and First Nations performers; circus workshops; art workshops; face painting; live reptiles; basketball tournament and soccer clinics; tai chi and zumba sessions; scouts rope bridge and sport try outs; food and drink trucks; and a community BBQ. At Malahang Reserve, Oriel Road, Heidelberg West. Just turn up.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Reducing food waste at home; 3 occurrences on Wednesdays, 11th October, 25th October and 8th November, each 5-7pm; free; Preston.

The workshop will highlight ways to extend the life of seasonally-available produce and ways to put commonly-discarded parts of a plant to good use. Organised by Oakhill Food Justice Farm.

Archie Rose x Cheese Culture x Moon Dog pairing experience; Thursday, 12th October, 7.30-9.30pm; $84 ($42 per hour); Preston.

5 rums, 5 cheeses and 5 beers will be matched together. Jointly hosted by Moon Dog Brewing, Archie Rose and Cheese Culture.

Backyard beekeeping basics; Saturday, 11th November, 11am-1pm; $80 ($40 per hour); CERES.

The session will cover: protective clothing and occupational health and safety; hive components and assembly; bee biology and seasonal management; legislation; diseases and pests of bees; extracting honey; inspecting hive for disease; purchasing hives; and other products from the hive. Presenter: Ashton Edgley-Ashton.

Setting up a worm farm; Saturday, 11th November, 2-3.30pm; free; Edendale.

Learn how to set up a worm farm and the easiest methods to manage and care for these most hard-working of creatures. 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. Discounted worm farms will be available for sale on the day.

Introduction to horticultural permaculture (4 sessions); consecutive Wednesdays starting 15th November, 10am-2.30pm; $50 for all 4 sessions; Edendale.

To be eligible for the government subsidised fee, you need to be either a permanent resident and/or an Australian Citizen/New Zealand Citizen and not enrolled in mainstream secondary school. This practical, hands-on course will give you an understanding of what permaculture is and how it can be applied in both a home garden setting and a commercial setting. Tutor: Justin Calverley. Organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik.

In September
In October
In November
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Tasty meals; Sunday, 29th October, 2-3.30pm; free; Ivanhoe.

Julia, from Green Karma, will demonstrate a range of handy hacks such as turning your leftover rice into a veggie burger.

Pasta making class with Piera; Saturday, 11th November, 10am-1pm; $140 ($47 per hour); Thomastown.

Learn how to make the dough from scratch and how to shape the pasta. You will learn how to make orecchiette, garganelli and maccheroncini. You will also learn how to make two sauces (alla norma and quattro formaggi). At the end, enjoy the pasta you have made together with a class of wine. Presenter: Piera Pagnoni.

Mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella cheese making; Saturday, 11th November, 10am-3pm; $240 ($48 per hour); CERES.

You will learn how to make mozzarella, burrata and stracciatella cheeses. You will take home what you make. Presenter: Kristen Allan.

Vegan cooking Italian style; Sunday, 12th November, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.

You will be shown a selection of vegan dishes with an Italian flavour and you will finish with a feast. The menu: napoli sauce, gnocchi, ricotta , arancini, risotto, mushroom florentine sauce, bechamel sauce and tiramisu. Presenter: Nase Supplitt.

In September
In October
In November
Regular classes

LFC News September 13 2023

Sep 132023
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Alice Glenn, Ann Stanley, Georgia Tracy and Graham Rou.

Getting to know bush tucker

Over the weekend, I went to a really interesting event organised by Sustainable Ivanhoe where Hayden Marks, founder of Melbourne Bushfood, talked about a range of bush foods and invited us to taste test about 10 of them (see left photo below).

Of the bush foods that we tasted, the one that I liked the best was perhaps Geraldton wax (Chamelaucium uncinatum) (see right photo below).

    

Later that day, I visited the Melbourne Bushfood shop and nursery in Fairfield and bought a Geraldton wax seedling to plant in my garden. The shop is at 49 Sparks Avenue, is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm, and has a wide range of bush food plants for sale.

Here is a summary of what Hayden said about Geraldton wax.

This herb has zesty and uplifting leaves that are used as a garnish to bring a lemony flavour to your dish. Alternatively, blend the leaves with some oil and a pinch of salt to create a green salsa-verde paste. The flowers, whilst not super palatable, are edible in small quantities and can be used to decorate desserts and dishes.

The plant grows to around 2 metres high and requires full sun to part shade. It can be grown in the ground or in pots. It is relatively hardly and fairly easy to grow in the Melbourne climate. Endemic to Western Australia, it is adapted to dry lands, so water sparingly and ensure the soil at the base is dry before giving it another drink. The colourful flowers are great for attracting bees to the garden.

Different varieties of Geraldton wax taste different so, before you buy a seedling to plant in your garden, eat one of the leaves to make sure that you like the taste of that particular plant.

Do you want?

Graham Rou is moving house and has 1-1½ cubic metres of unused veggie soil from Bulleen Art and Garden Nursery to give away. Also, there are quite a few lengths of wood which could be used to build a large perimeter. Graham lives in Box Hill North. If you are interested in the soil and/or wood, contact Graham by phone (0404 374 919) or email (grou@y7mail.com). First come, first served.

Can you suggest?

Newsletter readers Alice Glenn and Steph Hughes have started a business called Compost Kids setting up and maintaining compost bins at schools. To help them develop their thinking, they are wanting to visit some community gardens or equivalent on Wednesday, 20th September. They are particularly interested in hot composting bays – different designs and processes that people are using to compost fairly large amounts of organic waste quickly. If you have any suggestions about who they should potentially visit, email me and I will pass your suggestions on to them.

Croxton / Marra Guwiyap Community Garden (Northcote)

As you will see from the events listings later in this newsletter, Croxton / Marra Guwiyap Community Garden are having an open day on Sunday, 8th October, 11am-2pm. As well as alerting me to this event, they have updated the description of their garden on our website. They have also sent in the photo right with some of the items that they were able to purchase with the generous donations from their last year’s open garden.

It is always good when people send in photos to be included in future newsletters. If you ever have a photo that you think might be of interest to some of our readership, email it to me.

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

This upcoming Sunday’s episode will feature Chelsea McNab talking about ECOSS, Ecological and Social Sustainability. Listen on 3CR (855 AM) on Sunday morning, 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

Audio recordings of previous episodes are available on their website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was the video about Yarra Valley ECOSS.

Word of the month – Amuse-bouche

‘Amuse-bouche’, meaning a complementary bite-sized hors d’œuvre.

Read about previous words of the month.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

On the wagon. Meaning: having given up drinking alcohol. Also off the wagon. Meaning: returned to drinking alcohol after an attempt to give it up. These phrases date back to the temperance movements in early 20th Century America and began as ‘on the water-cart’, before migrating to ‘on the water-wagon’ and finally to ‘on the wagon’. The water-carts were used to damp down dusty streets during dry weather and did not contain water for drinking. The phrase ‘on the water-cart’ meant that someone who had given up drinking alcohol would rather drink water from one of these carts than drink alcohol.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” by Lady Bird Johnson.

Read more gardening quotes.

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

A man walks into a bakery, points to some bread and asks “is this gluten free?”

The cashier replies, “no, it costs $4.50.”

Read more jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Keeping backyard chickens; Wednesday, 4th October, 6.30-8pm; free; Doncaster.

Ella, from Chooktopia, will cover the essentials of how to keep healthy, happy chooks in your backyard, including chook health, nutrition, housing, safety from predators and pest control. She will also talk about Council and local law considerations and guidelines and will take you on a virtual tour of her chookyard.

Diabetes and healthy eating for older adults; Thursday, 5th October, 11am-12.30pm; free; Lalor.

Someone from DPV Health will discuss diabetes and the importance of eating a healthy diet.

Queensland fruit fly – what you can do; Saturday, 7th October, 10.30-11.30am; free; Lilydale.

Kirsty Bishop-Fox will discuss: how to identify Queensland fruit fly (QFF) in fruit; how deter or manage QFF in your garden; and how to dispose of QFF when you do find it in your fruit or vegetables. She will also show you how to make a cheap and effective detection trap out of re-claimed materials that are easy to come by.

Croxton / Marra Guwiyap Community Garden open garden (Northcote); Sunday, 8th October, 11am-2pm; free; Northcote.

This open day is an opportunity for locals to check out the garden and meet their neighbours. Everyone is welcome. The planting team will be there to show off their vegetable crops, share their tips and knowledge and encourage people to join. Food, entertainment, and sample produce will be available. A shed generously donated by the Lions Club will be officially ‘opened’. Click here to read about the garden.

Kevin Heinze GROW Spring Fair (Coburg); Saturday, 14th October, 9am-3pm; free; Coburg.

There will be a wide variety of tomato and other vegetable seedlings for sale, plus perennials, herbs, succulents, shrubs and trees. Also, enjoy their homemade cakes and coffee. The tomato varieties will include Black Krim, Black Russian, Dr Walter Heirloom, Grosse Lisse, Juliette Hybrid, San Marzano, Tigerella, Tommy Toe and Valiant.

Kevin Heinze GROW Spring Fair (Doncaster); Saturday, 14th October, 9am-3pm; free; Doncaster.

There will be a wide variety of tomato and other vegetable seedlings for sale, plus perennials, herbs, succulents, shrubs and trees. Also, enjoy their homemade cakes and coffee. The tomato varieties will include Black Krim, Black Russian, Dr Walter Heirloom, Grosse Lisse, Juliette Hybrid, San Marzano, Tigerella, Tommy Toe and Valiant.

Citrus tree pruning workshop; Saturday, 14th October, 10am-midday; free; Bundoora.

You will learn how to prune citrus trees, including: how to assess your tree before pruning; where to make your pruning cuts; how much to take off; improving the shape and size of the tree; and increasing sunlight exposure. Take some secateurs if you have them.

Rushall Community Garden open day; Saturday, 14th October, 12.30-3pm; free; Fitzroy North.

See community gardening in action and pick up some homegrown goodies. The activities will include: seedlings and fresh garden produce for sale; baked goods, homemade jams and preserves; gardeners working their plots and sharing tips; and a BBQ, homemade lemon cordial, coffee and tea. Click here to read about the garden.

Unwrapped – food and beverage quick bites; Tuesday, 17th October, 7-9.15am; free; Epping.

The session will start with an express tour of the Melbourne Market. Three speakers will then discuss the ever-evolving food and beverage sector, including the evolving dynamics of consumer preferences and the balance between sustainable packaging practices, durability and logistics. The three speakers are: Mark Maskiell, CEO from Melbourne Market; Manpreet Sidhu, GM from Costa Group; and Stuart Mead, MD from Viking Food Solutions.

Edible weed walk; Sunday, 22nd October, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; Heidelberg West.

Join Adam Grubb, co-author of The Weed Forager’s Handbook, for an edible weed walk along Darebin Creek. Many of the common urban weed species of Melbourne are edible and can provide valuable and nutritious fresh food. Learn to enjoy dandelion, sow thistle, mallow, amaranth, wild onions, wild celery and stinging nettle. Learn about some of the ecological uses of weeds as soil improvers, soil indicators and compost additives. Also, many weeds are used by health practitioners for their curative properties.

Urban food gardening (8 sessions); consecutive Thursdays starting 26th October, 10am-2.30pm; $80 for all 8 sessions; Edendale.

This course is for people who love gardening and the outdoors, are considering a career in horticulture, would like to learn more about growing their own food successfully or who would like an introduction to aspects of working in the industry before choosing a specific course/study pathway. Tutor: Justin Calverley. Organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik.

Community garden tour; Saturday, 28th October, 10am-2.30pm; $10; Banyule.

Take an electric bus around Banyule to visit each of their five community gardens: Bellfield, Buna (Heidelberg West), Macleod, St Johns (Heidelberg) and Watsonia. The tour will end with lunch at Bellfield Community Garden.

Home brewing; Saturday, 28th October, 10am-2.30pm; $100 ($22 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to make your own beer; all about full grain brewing; and the fermentation process. What you will get: samples of different beers; and recipes to take home. Presenter: Paul Rigby. The workshop will be a practical demonstration of full grain brewing covering ingredients (including malt, hops, yeast and water), equipment, brewing theory, and (most importantly) the brewing process (including mashing, lautering, boiling, sanitation, fermentation and packaging). Samples will be available for tasting.

Organic vegetable gardening; Saturday, 28th October, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to get the most from your garden and have an abundance of vegetables, fruits and herbs; insights into seasonal produce growing; and the skills and knowledge to create an abundant and productive garden. Presenter: Donna Livermore.

Foraging workshop; Saturday, 28th October, 1-3pm; $10; Ringwood.

Join Jess Cogger on a walk in the wild. Learn how to identify plants and forage edible weeds that surround us all. Organised by Central Ringwood Community Centre.

Edible weeds; Sunday, 29th October, 10am-midday; $60 ($30 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to identify edible weeds; and how do use them in your everyday life. What you will get: detailed handouts; and samples in class of prepared edible weeds. Presenter: Lauren. Learn about seasonal edible weeds that thrive in Melbourne inner north, and gain knowledge about the plants’ culinary, medicinal and ecological uses.

Basic inoculation workshop; Saturday, 4th November, 2-4pm; $87 ($44 per hour); Alphington.

You will get a hands-on go at inoculating your own mushrooms. You will also be given a tour of the mushroom farm. Take a clean 2-10L bucket with a lid and some gloves. Presenter: Buttons. Organised by The Mushroomery.

In September
In October
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Mid-autumn moon cakes; Monday, 25th September, 6-7.30pm; free; Brunswick.

Cristina Chang will show you how to make moon cakes. Think mung bean, red bean and curried pork.

Cheesy stuffed arancini (for children); Thursday, 28th September, 11am-midday; $15; Lilydale.

For children aged 6-12. Parental supervision is required for 6-9 year olds. Learn how to make arancini balls with Glen from Glen Cooks Food. Organised by Lilydale Community House.

The cook program (9 sessions); on Thursdays starting 5th October, 9.30am-1.30pm; $50 ($1 per hour); Brunswick.

The objective is for you to develop skills, social connection, and self-confidence to seek further study or work in hospitality. You will prepare, eat and gain an overview of different styles and types of cooking. You will also learn how to cook for a large group. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

Jaclyn Crupi; Wednesday, 18th October, 2-3pm; free; Northcote.

Jaclyn Crupi, author of Pasta Love, will discuss all things pasta.

Cooking for one (5 sessions); on Thursdays, starting 19th October, 11am-1pm; $50 ($5 per hour); Lilydale

Learn how to cook easily just for one person. Make the meals each week and eat together what you have made. Organised by Lilydale Community House.

Warm up with no waste cooking; Thursday, 19th October, 7-8.30pm; free; Thomastown.

Open Table will share some tips and tricks about reducing food waste and how to make delicious zero waste recipes.

Nutrition and food literacy (6 sessions); on Thursdays, starting 26th October, 9.30am-12.30pm; $70 ($4 per hour); Preston.

You will explore nutritional theory, healthy eating concepts and gain hands-on culinary skills. You will learn about the nutrients specific to each food group and their benefits, including how energy is balanced to maintain a healthy weight. The course will also cover how to decipher labelling on food packaging to build a healthy meal plan on a budget. Presenter: Bernadette Scicluna. Organised by Bridge Darebin.

Croissants workshop; Saturday, 28th October, 1.30-4pm; $64 ($26 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Learn how to make the dough, the art of the fold, rolling the perfect croissant and how to prove and cook your eight croissants at home. Take an apron and a container. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Healthy cooking hacks for families; Saturday, 28th October, 2-3.30pm; free; Lalor.

Julia, from Green Karma, will show you some delicious and healthy recipes that will feed your whole family in an economical and sustainable way.

Macarons workshop; Wednesday, 1st November, 6-8pm; $91 ($46 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Tish will pass on her techniques for making macarons. Take an apron. A limit of 4 participants in total. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Growing and cooking with bushfoods; Saturday, 4th November, 10am-3pm; $120 ($24 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to identify and harvest bush foods; how to grow and maintain bush foods in the home garden; and how to incorporate bush foods into everyday recipes. Tour the CERES bush food gardens and gain knowledge of bush foods from further afar – tropical delights from the north, peppery spices form the south. During the workshop, you will learn how to incorporate bush foods into simple, tasty and nutritious meals, desserts and snacks. The group will make a bush food inspired lunch and afternoon tea – all food prepared on the day will be vegetarian and vegan friendly. Presenter: Belinda Kennedy.

In September
In October
Regular classes

LFC News September 6 2023

Sep 062023
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Bruce Plain, Fay Loveland, Jade Hence, Kathryn Brookes, Leila Alexandra, Liz Cronin, Nathacha Subero, Pam Jenkins, Pauline Webb , Richard Kottek, Richard Smith, Robin Gale-Baker, Tahlia Sleeman, Teagan Crouch and Virginia Solomon.

I (Guy) am now back from my holiday in Western Australia so the weekly newsletters will now resume. The fruit shops in northern Western Australia sell an interesting variety of tropical fruits that you rarely see for sale in Melbourne and cannot grow here. I was particularly taken with the black sapote (photo right) and custard apple.

Testing your seed for viability (by Robin Gale-Baker)

It can be disappointing to sow seed and none of it comes up. There is, however, an easy way to check whether your seed is viable and how viable it is. Now is the time to test any seed you might want to sow this spring.

Seeds have varied lifespans. Parsnip and angelica, for example, need to be sown fresh soon after they are harvested and certainly within a few months. The onion family (which includes chives, leeks and garlic) are the same. Sometimes these are referred to as ‘very sensitive seed’. Short life expectancy seed (2-3 years) includes carrot, celery and sweetcorn. Mid life expectancy (4-5 years) applies to beans, capsicum, lettuce, peas, radishes and silverbeet. Long life expectancy (5 years plus) applies to tomato and to many seeds that are best bought commercially because they cross-pollinate between varieties in home gardens – these include brassicas, pumpkins, melons and cucumbers.

To test for viability, you will need:

  • Kitchen paper.
  • Permanent pen.
  • Zip-lock bag.
  • Seed.

In summary, you will label the kitchen paper, wet it, spread the seed, roll it up and place it in a closed zip-lock bag for 7 days in a warm place. After 7 days, you will unwrap it and check whether the seed has germinated. If it has, this suggests that your seed is viable.

In more detail:

  • Tear off as many sheets of kitchen towel as you have seed packets to test.
  • Write the name of each seed type on the BOTTOM of the sheet in permanent pen.
  • Stack the sheets neatly on top of each other and dip them in water. Either press them down to expel as much water as possible or fold the bundle in half and do the same so that you end up with damp but not wet sheets. Don’t twist or scrunch the sheets as this makes them very difficult to separate.
  • Gently peel one labelled sheet off at a time and place on a bench – be careful as they will tear easily.
  • Sprinkle seed across the TOP of the sheet.
  • Roll the sheet up tightly from the TOP to the bottom. This ensures that, when you unroll, the label will be visible.
  • Fold the roll in half and place it in a zip-lock bag unless you have a very wide bag which will accommodate the width of the kitchen paper. Zip the bag closed. (You can put multiple rolls in one bag) .
  • Leave the bag in a warm place for 7 days.
  • Unroll each bundle and check whether the seeds have germinated.

To test for percentage of seeds that are viable:

  • Place exactly 10 seeds across the top of the sheet.
  • Count the number of seeds that have germinated and multiply by 10. This gives you your percentage e.g. If 7 seeds out of 10 germinate, you have 70% viability.

Note that it is easier working with medium to large seeds. It can be difficult to count out 10 very tiny seeds but you will get a rough idea even if you sprinkle a few extra).

Finally, don’t be discouraged if you get a low germination rate. Simply sow more seed to make up for this. If, for example, you want 50 seedlings and your germination rate is 25%, (i.e. 25 out of every 100 seeds will germinate) then sow 200 seeds to arrive at 50 seedlings.

A new community garden in Mooroolbark

There is a new community garden in Mooroolbark, at the corner of Station and Charles streets. They did some initial planting on Saturday (see photo). More information will follow in due course but in the meantime here is an article from the Mt Evelyn Star Mail.

A new food swap in Kew East

On the 2nd Saturday each month, 10-11am. At Willsmere Station Community Garden, corner Willsmere Road & Carnegie Avenue, Kew East, Victoria, 3102. Congratulations to newsletter reader Tahlia Sleeman and colleagues at the community garden for setting this up.

There are now 33 regular, active food swaps in North East Melbourne. See the map on our website.

Yes, you did know!

In the last (9th August) newsletter, Judith Cooke asked for advice about organic suggestions for dealing with black aphids on alliums. Here are the responses:

Angelo Eliades: Black aphids on onion family plants can be difficult to get rid of if pest controls aren’t used correctly. Aphids breed very quickly and can produce offspring every few days, so the schedule for spraying horticultural oil (such as Eco Oil) needs to be quite frequent to break their breeding cycle. For aphids, apply two sprays, 3-5 days apart, preferably 3 days apart in this case, and repeat up to 3 sprays over a 4-8 week period. The application rate of horticultural oil for aphids is approximately 5ml/litre of water. To increase the effectiveness of this controls, hose off the plants the next day after spraying using a moderate pressure jet of water that’s strong enough to blast the pests away while not damaging the plants. The combination of these controls used over a 9 day period should eliminate any aphid problem.

Pam Jenkins: I used white oil a couple of times with little success. I then added in drenching the plants in used washing up water daily for a few days between sprays. No sign of the aphids now.

Pauline Webb: I gave my garlic chives with black aphids a dose of Seasol last week to (surprisingly) find none a few days later. I had done similar a couple of months earlier to no avail. Good timing? Luck?

Richard Kottek: I have sadly found out over the years that, once a garden or site has been infected, that is the end of the story with growing alliums. The only thing I have found is to grow alternatives such as European wild garlic (an edible garlic flavoured herb), society garlic, asafoetida or (as an onion alternative) onion weed.

Do you want?

Richard Smith, who lives in Cheltenham East, has a dwarf Jonathan apple tree to give away. First come, first served. Contact Richard by phone (0432 085 271) or email (brookys_4@hotmail.com).

The Melbourne ‘Local Food Connections’ community radio show

This upcoming Sunday’s episode will feature Nick Rose on urban agriculture. Listen on 3CR (855 AM) on Sunday morning, 10-10.30am, by tuning into either the station (855 AM) or its livestream.

An audio recording of previous episodes is available on their website.

Bits and pieces

Warrandyte Food Swap’s 8th birthday!

Warrandyte Food Swap’s 8th birthday was last Saturday. They have written in to say that they “had a great swap with lots of fantastic local produce, a cake to share and a hamper that was raffled off to one lucky winner.” See the photo right.

Entries for the 2023 Eltham Wine Show are now open

The 2023 wine show will be on Sunday, 19th November. Entries are now open and will close on 20th October. Download the entry form as either a word document or in pdf format.

Mitcham Community Meal

Mitcham Community Meal provides a free community dinner every Sunday evening, where each meal is cooked by a different local community group. During August, the cooking teams were Karinya Counselling Centre & Syndal Community Care, The Blackburn Lions, The Mitcham Baptists and Tulsi’s Crew (see photo right). Look at some photos of these teams, plus those of previous teams.

An SGA lawn survey

Sustainable Gardening Australia are undertaking a very brief (1 minute) survey of what people use their lawns for and how many are pulling them out. They would appreciate any responses from newsletter readers. Complete the survey.

Some videos for you to watch

Yarra Valley ECOSS, who are based in Wesburn, has published a 2-minute video about one of their initiatives called Pollination Place.

Simone Boyd, from the online veggie seed shop, Heirloom Naturally, has published a 9-minute video on how to plant rhubarb crowns.

What seeds to plant in September

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

Cucurbits

Cucumber
Gourd
Pumpkin
Rockmelon
Watermelon
Zucchini
Other warm season veggies

Basil
Beans
Capsicum
Chilli
Eggplant
Sweetcorn
Tomato
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Parsley
Rocket
Silverbeet
Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Jerusalem artichoke
Parsnip
Potato
Radish
Other veggies

Asparagus
Celery
Chives
Coriander
Globe artichoke
Leeks
Rhubarb
Spring onions

 
It’s Spring time! Time to get planting! I try and plant all my warm season veggie seeds in September – that way, if they fail to germinate, I can try again in October.

Read Helen Simpson’s articles on our website about growing basil, chillies, cucurbits, tomatoes and Spring veggie garden preparation more generally.

Read Robin Gale-Baker’s articles on our website about growing eggplants & capsicums and tomatoes.

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

People who say that their wedding day was the best day ever have obviously never had two Kit Kats fall out of a vending machine.

Read more jokes.

 

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ and other food markets

North East Region Permaculture (NERP) will be at Eltham Farmers’ Market, where their topic of the month will be Queensland Fruit Fly, with a talk and trap-making demonstration 10-11am.

Food swaps
Community gardens

Not food-related but interesting

Insects – their importance and value in your garden; Tuesday, 12th September, 6.30-7.30pm; $28 ($28 per hour); online

Denis Crawford will show you how to avoid plant damage without killing all the insects and thus how to manage insects to create improved garden health and biodiversity. This session is being organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia, who organise regular online sessions on gardening matters.

The everlasting gardener; Saturday, 23rd September, 10am-3pm; $125 ($25 per hour); Edendale

This workshop will introduce you to some simple ways of reminding your body to move easily and safely in your garden. Explore the movements involved in gardening tasks like; weeding, shovelling, pruning, lifting, digging, pushing a wheelbarrow or mower and relieving residual stress. Discover the ‘less pain, more gain’ approach. Presenter and Feldenkrais practitioner: Jenni Evans.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Introduction to permaculture (2 sessions); on Saturdays 9th and 16th September, both 10am-3pm; $150 ($15 per hour); Coburg.

Learn permaculture fundamentals in this hands-on course, combining concepts and practices of sustainability, gardening, horticulture, ecology, community development and design thinking. Participants can expect a combination of permaculture concepts and practical applications. and they will be encouraged to apply their learning to their own lives (household, community, neighbourhood, etc).

Community meal sharing; Thursday, 21st September, 11.30am-12.30pm; free; Balwyn.

Kylie Ryan from Boroondara Cooks will discuss the ins and outs of their community meal sharing program. Learn how this service is helping feed the community.

Irrigation and water management (2 sessions); on Saturday, 23rd September, 10am-2pm and Sunday, 24th September, 10am-3pm; $359 ($40 per hour); Bundoora and Bellfield.

Geoff Connellan will deep dive into identifying limitations, opportunities and considerations when it comes to water management and growing crops. Organised by Farmer Incubator.

Watering your garden workshop; Saturday, 23rd September, 2.30-4.30pm; $47 ($24 per hour); Bundoora.

Geoff Connellan will discuss: how to best set up your at-home irrigation system; how to access your water quality; at what time of the day it is best to water; and how much water to give your plants. Organised by Farmer Incubator.

Women’s health – how nutrition can improve hormone health; Tuesday, 26th September, 7-8pm; free; Richmond.

Nina Trinquet and Jenny Cameron will discuss the role of nutrition in balancing hormones, particularly as it relates to women’s common health conditions such as PCOS, heavy painful periods, endometriosis and menopause. Organised by Green Karma.

Buzzing around; Thursday, 28th September, 11am-midday; free; Edendale.

For children aged 3-8. The child will need to be accompanied by a supervising adult. Through dance, art, observation and play, the children will discover how the honey bees live their busy lives. They will play with props to understand how bees collect nectar, make wax and honey and look after their babies. They will learn the bees’ famous waggle dance and find out how well the bees work together.

Spoil to soil; Monday, 9th October, 9.30am-12.30pm; free; Brunswick.

Harness the power of your kitchen and garden spoils by turning it into free, nutrient-rich fertiliser for your plants. Learn about small and large space composting options, plus how to build a DIY worm farm. Presenter: Melissa Houselander. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

Rosés from around the world; Tuesday, 10th October, 6-8pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Abbotsford.

Jenny Polack will take you on a tour around the world by trying rosés from Austria, Australia (Victoria), Croatia, France (Provence) Lebanon and Slovenia.

Urban food gardening (10 sessions); on consecutive Fridays, starting 13th October, 9.30am-1.30pm; $50 ($1 per hour); Brunswick.

The course will cover such topics as: growing in pots, raised beds, wicking beds and no-dig gardens; site analysis and design considerations; re-generating soil health and fertility; seasonal planning and crop rotation; companion planting and beneficial insects; upcycling waste through composting and worm farms; propagating plants from seed and cuttings; saving seed; and natural pest and weed management. Presenter: Melissa Houselander. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

Your happy vegetable garden memory turned to art; Sunday, 15th October, 1.30-3.30pm; free; Reservoir.

Go and share your stories of your happiest vegetable garden memory. Bring a photo of your memory if you have one to show. They will then use your stories to make some art facilitated by Kitty Harrison from The Curved House. Paint your own pot and plant some herbs to take home.

Awara open garden; Sunday, 22nd October, 10-11.30am; $20 ($14 per hour); Pascoe Vale South.

Join Leila Alexandra, from Barefoot Food Gardens, on a tour of her 840m2 rental property. Leila will discuss how the lawn was transformed into a productive paradise, and the philosophy of forage gardening and how it translates in practice. Enjoy a chat and garden tea post tour.

DIY mushrooms; Sunday, 22nd October, 10am-4pm; $175 ($29 per hour); CERES.

Presenter: Buttons Mira from The Mushroomery. You will be shown the secrets to successfully growing mushrooms at home. You will learn the growing methods for oyster and shitake mushrooms, including inoculation and sterilisation, and be introduced to basic mycology. You will undertake practical sessions and learn how to start master cultures.

Watch it grow; Tuesday, 24th October, 4-5pm; free; Edendale.

For children accompanied by a parent or guardian. Your child will learn all about: what a seed needs to grow; the environmental benefits of growing some of your own food; and why worms are such amazing creatures when it comes to recycling food waste and creating quality soil. Visit the Edendale veggie gardens, worm farms and compost areas. The children will also get to plant a seed in a biodegradable pot that they can take home with them.

In September
In October
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Bliss ball treats with Liana; Wednesday, 13th September, 10-11.30am; free; Montrose.

Liana will show you how to make bliss balls.

Milk kefir magic; Thursday, 14th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $145 ($73 per hour); Fitzroy North.

They will show you how to easily incorporate this little SCOBY into your daily routine. You will make some milk kefir and then move onto flavouring, making butter, labneh, catching the whey and then making a naturally fizzy and gut-loving soda. You’ll go home with: a milk kefir SCOBY in a jar and ready to feed when you get home; a whey soda flavoured with fresh fruit of your choice to finish fermenting at home; milk kefir cultured butter; and an illustrated recipe card.

Cooking with bean curd; Friday, 15th September, 6-8pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Forest Hill.

Explore a wide range of soybean curd products, including tofu and fermented soybeans. Hui will guide you through the world of vegetarian cooking, sharing insights on how to embrace a plant-based diet while ensuring you get all the essential nutrients you need.

Cookie decorating; Wednesday, 20th September, 3-5pm; free; Coburg.

For 12-17 year olds. Join Lori and Vanessa in some fun cookie decoration.

All day art day – feeling fruity fantastic; Friday, 22nd September, 9.30am-3.15pm; $89 ($15 per hour); Forest Hill.

For children aged 6–12. The children will whip up apple dumplings in the cooking session, create a fantastic fruity collage and a fruit themed recycled paper pencil holder. Take a snack lunch, hat, sunscreen and smock/apron.

Junior chefs – main course; Monday, 25th September, midday-3pm; $5; Hawthorn.

For young people in High school. Gnocchi is on the menu and chefs are welcome to take home any leftovers.

Junior chefs – desserts; Wednesday, 27th September, midday-3pm; $5; Hawthorn.

For young people in High school. Cookies are on the dessert menu and chefs are welcome to take home any leftovers.

The basics of pickling (2 sessions); on Sundays 1st and 8th October, each 11am-2pm; $74 ($12 per hour); Forest Hill.

Learn the art of pickling, both non-fermented (quick-pickle) and fermented. Learn about the history, significance, and health benefits of pickling. Experiment with fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices, and create unique fermented pickle recipes.

Jaclyn Crupi – pasta love; Wednesday, 4th October, 6.30-8pm; free; Fitzroy North.

Jaclyn Crupi’s book Pasta Love is a celebration of pasta and the people who make it. Unlock the secrets of starchy salty pasta cooking water, hear stories of the Italian grandmothers that Jaclyn has made pasta with, and learn their pasta-making ways. Jaclyn will demonstrate how to make a semola rimacinata flour and water pasta dough and then shape it into cavatelli, orecchiette, fusilli al ferretto, lorighittas and more.

More than a loaf of bread; Saturday, 7th October, 10am-12.30pm; $51 ($20 per hour); Brunswick.

Interested in learning how to bake grissini, English muffins and pita (pocket) bread? Michael and Therese Slee will discuss the versatility of basic bread dough. You will be provided with the dough, which will have risen overnight, ready for shaping and baking. The session will end with a taste test, where participants will sample their creations accompanied with butter, dips, cheeses and vegemite. Take a container for your fresh baked goods. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

Herbal tea workshop with Monique; Saturday, 7th October, 10.30-11.45am; $59 ($47 per hour); Northcote.

The workshop will include: a discussion of the benefits and indications of different herbs to help you understand more about plant medicine and its effects; you choosing from this range of organic herbs to create a blend that’s suited to your tastes; and brewing your teas to enjoy together. You will receive: an amber jar to take your tea home in; the chance to taste different tea blends; and 20% off a Naturopathic Consultation with Monique (valid for 3 months).

Cooking with your grandkids; Tuesday, 10th October, 11am-12.30pm; $10; Hurstbridge.

For a grandparent and their grandchild/ren. There will be a dietitian-led cooking lesson where you learn about the nutritional value of what you are cooking. Then eat what you have cooked together.

Cooking from the pantry (9 sessions); on 9 consecutive Tuesdays from 10th October, 9.30am-midday; $50 ($2 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

This is a cooking course that will develop your basic skills and confidence around the preparation of food. Taste test your creations and share a meal at the end of each class. Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Sourdough basics; Thursday, 12th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $120 ($60 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.

Sourdough bread making; Sunday, 15th October, 10am-1pm; $55 ($18 per hour); Panton Hill.

Learn how to make sourdough bread. You will make a pizza base to enjoy together and you will make a bread dough ready to bake the following day at home. You will also be given a starter so you can continue to make bread at home. Take an apron, tea towel, sealable container and jar with a screw top lid. Tutor: John.

FFS … ferment four staples; Sunday, 15th October, 11.30am-4.30pm; $425 ($85 per hour); Fitzroy North.

This is a fermenting ‘101’ class, where you will learn about salt, different preserving techniques, two of the most popular cabbage recipes (kraut and kimchi), a drink (kvass) and all about SCOBYs, with a focus on milk kefir. You will take home everything you make during the class: kimchi, sauerkraut, milk kefir butter, milk kefir with SCOBY, whey soda and kvass.

Cooking with your grandkids; Tuesday, 17th October, 11am-12.30pm; $10; Box Hill.

For a grandparent and their grandchild/ren. There will be a dietitian-led cooking lesson where you learn about the nutritional value of what you are cooking. Then eat what you have cooked together.

Kombucha / Jun M.O.B.; Thursday, 19th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $150 ($75 per hour); Fitzroy North.

They will demonstrate how to feed your mother/SCOBY (choose between kombucha or jun). You will then flavour your own batch ready for second phase fermentation using fruits, herbs and spices. Take home your selected SCOBY and your personally flavoured bottle of kombucha/jun. M.O.B. stands for ‘mingling over bacteria’.

Croquembouche workshop; Saturday, 21st October, 1.30-5.30pm; $134 ($34 per hour); Lower Templestowe.

Tish will teach you the art of making croquembouche, starting with how to make the choux pastry and the creme patisserie and then how to cook toffee and build the croquembouche. Take an apron, a container to put extra profiteroles in and something to carry the croquembouche (base of a container at least 20cm). Organised by Living And Learning @ Ajani.

Vegan chocolate making; Sunday, 22nd October, 10-11.30am; $80 ($53 per hour); Collingwood.

Start by unravelling the story of cocoa butter. Then delve into the intricacies of chocolate making, from melting and mixing the perfect blend of ingredients to mastering the art of setting. Presenter: Tina Gelberidis.

Three ways with red curry paste; Sunday, 22nd October, 10.30am-3pm; $190 ($42 per hour); Panton Hill.

You will make your own red curry paste from scratch, then use it to cook three very distinct dishes: as a stir fry to make a dry Choo Chee fish curry (pumpkin for vegetarian substitution); without dry spices to make a sour orange curry using fresh fish, bamboo, snake beans and tomatoes; and with dry spices, coconut cream and ground cashews to make the creamy Gaeng Paenang curry made with your choice of chicken or traditional pork. Skills learned will include how to use a traditional mortar and pestle, the use of stock for deglazing, how to dry roast and grind your own spices and how to use a wok. At the end, team your lunch with a fresh Asian salad and rice, a local wine and beer and enjoy a shared feast. Go home with your own curry paste. Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree.

Pizza masterclass with Antonio; Sunday, 22nd October, 11am-2pm; $86 ($29 per hour); Eltham.

You will learn: how to make dough by hand; stretching techniques; how to use a pizza paddle; and pizza classico (classic style pizza in the oven) & pizze fritte (fried pizza). You will make both savoury and sweet pizzas, and you will get to cook and eat the pizzas. Organised by Platform 3095.

Finger foods to make at home; Tuesday, 24th October, 6-8.30pm; $65 ($26 per hour); Hawthorn.

Learn to make a set of small, tasty treats and share them with a glass of wine at the conclusion of class. While waiting for the blinis, tartlets and dumplings to cook, run through an extensive list of easy things to wow your guests. Take home whatever doesn’t get gobbled up throughout the class! Organised by Hawthorn Community House.

Cooking for one; Tuesday, 24th October, 7-8.30pm; free; Eltham.

Learn some delicious and healthy recipes for one from Julia from Green Karma. Do you find yourself accumulating leftovers in your fridge that end up in the trash before they can get used? Are you wasting food that could be re-purposed into another meal? Julia will show you some economical and sustainable recipes which are perfect for one, like sushi, veggie pancakes and curry.

In September
In October
Regular classes