LFC News March 30 2022

Mar 292022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Fay Loveland, Felicia Wylie, Jo Townsend, Megan Goodman, Pauline Webb, Robin Gale-Baker, Steve Burnham and Sylvia Bianco.

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.

Note that some of the material that used to be in the end of month newsletters (e.g. proverb of the month) is being moved to mid month.

Want to community garden in Northcote?

Northcote Community Gardens, which is an allotment-based community garden in Hartington Street (next to the Northcote train station), apparently have a few plots available. If interested, contact them by email.

Think you know something about land management in Nillumbik?

Open Food Network is working in partnership with Nillumbik Council and Fair Share Fare on a project to explore how to keep farmland and food systems thriving as the landowners age. The first stage is a series of conversations with interested community members. Read more. If you are interested in being interviewed, email Prue Rothwell (prue@openfoodnetwork.org.au).

Doncaster Garden Club

A month or so ago, I had the honour of speaking at the Doncaster Garden Club, where the audience numbered somewhere between 50 and 100. They meet on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 8pm at Doncaster East RSL and always have an external speaker. Anyone is welcome to attend a few meetings, after which membership will be requested. Their next three speakers are:

  • 13th April: Nigel Philpot on the Doncaster Hill Community Garden and Felicity Gordon on Queensland fruit fly traps.
  • 11th May: Helen Lovel from Neutrog, a fertiliser company.
  • 8th June: Pete the Permie, aka Peter Allen, will be selling dwarf fruit trees.

If you want to have a chat with them, they will apparently be having a ‘learn to pot a plant’ table at Bunnings in Doncaster Road on Saturday, 2nd April. Or you can call their President, Pauline Webb, on 0409 063 060.

I’m only aware of 4 garden clubs around North East Melbourne that are currently holding monthly meetings: Camberwell, Doncaster, Hurstbridge and Preston. If you are aware of any others, send me an email.

Do you know?

Steve Burnham has written in to ask how he should grow edamame (aka soy beans) and where can he get seeds or seedlings from? I know that Diggers sell soy bean seeds (both green and black) and suggest that they be planted in Spring or Summer. Please email any other thoughts.

Not food-related but interesting

Read this article in the Brunswick Voice about some ‘guerrilla gardeners’ who are trying to create an urban forest along the railway line from Jewell Station in the south to Fawkner Station in the north.

Pineapple sage – useful, versatile and spectacular!
(by Robin Gale-Baker)

If you are looking for a versatile, useful and spectacular herbaceous perennial, then go no further than pineapple sage (Salvia elegans). With its whorls of scarlet, tubular flowers (4cm in length) and lime green foliage, this attractive shrub will flower, with careful cultivation, almost year round. It’s a ‘short day’ plant meaning that, as the nights grow longer, it flowers more prolifically.

Culinarily, the leaves have a pineapple fragrance but must be used fresh as cooking destroys the scent. The fragrance is released by rubbing the leaves between your fingers or chopping. Both leaves and flowers can be used in cold drinks, fruit salads, salads and as garnishes. Children and adults alike also love sucking the sweet nectar from the flowers!

In a Melbourne climate, pineapple sage grows to a height and width of around 1.5 metres in fertile, well-drained soil. It provides a good habitat for butterflies and honeyeaters in autumn and winter, especially small thornbills such as the Eastern thornbill (see photo).

At the end of autumn, pineapple sage can look straggly and it benefits from a prune down to ground level. However, rather than prune it all at once, selectively prune out some stems including dead ones, and continue to do this as the stems renew and flower. This will provide winter sustenance for honeyeaters. If hit by frost, the foliage will be damaged but the roots will survive. A heavy prune is then necessary to remove all the dead and damaged leaves and stems.

To propagate pineapple sage, either divide the clumping roots, spade off a section, or take cuttings in spring. For the latter, select a firm, green stem with at least four nodes, remove any flowers and strip the stem leaving a pair of leaves at the top. Then, cut the stem on an angle directly beneath the lowest node, dunk into water, shake off, dip into hormone rooting powder, and insert into a mix of damp perlite and vermiculite. A perlite/vermiculite mix, which will drain well and have plenty of aeration and space for root development, will produce strong white roots within a week whereas placing the cuttings in soil will produce weak, straggly roots. Make sure that the mix remains moist.

Pineapple sage likes to be well watered. It is useful as an indicator that the garden soil is drying out. It will, along with tansy, wilt well before other plants as the moisture content drops, signalling the need of the whole garden for water.

Read Robin’s other articles on our website about growing herbs.

Meg’s garden this month

The long sweet green capsicums and eggplant are finally ripe and mark the end of the summer growing season. The green beans planted in February are now ready for harvesting. The dry weather has meant frequent watering of these last few crops. A joy is the second crop of smaller autumn strawberries that have managed to appear despite a lack of water.

I have netted the quinces early and am watching them carefully for signs of ripeness. The apples and pears are coming into their own and I have been harvesting over the past month and will continue into April with the late Granny Smiths. It’s important to clear up fallen and damaged fruit to avoid pests such as wasps and diseases. Excess produce will be forced on family and friends or taken to the local food swap.

This month I am:
1. Finishing clearing the vegetable beds and preparing one for planting garlic.
2. Sowing seeds of beetroot, carrot and turnip.
3. Trying to thin the self-seeded nasturtiums.
4. Peeling apples for cooking in many different ways, although my favourite is whole baked apples (no peeling!).

Baked apples

6 small apples
⅓ cup brown sugar
½ cup of currents or sultanas
1 tablespoon honey
6 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup boiling water

Cut a hole in each apple by carving out the core, ensuring that you leave the bottom 2 cm intact.

Place the apples in an oven proof dish so that they sit upright. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, honey and fruit and then divide between each apple hole. Top each filled hole with a teaspoon or so of the butter. Add water to the bottom of a baking dish and cook at 180degCc for about 40 minutes or until the apples are just soft.

When serving, coat the apples with some of the syrup left in the dish.

Read some of Meg’s other recipes.

What seeds to plant in April

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

Beetroot
Carrot
Chives
Parsley
Potato
Radish
Shallot

 
If you didn’t plant your cool season veggies in March, April is a good month. So, plant those broad beans, peas and garlic. Also, plant some leafy greens. It’s a bit late for planting broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seeds but, as they say, better late than never.

Read Robin Gale-Baker’s 2020 articles on growing broad beans and garlic.

Read Helen Simpson’s 2016 articles on growing garlic. Also, autumn plantings more generally.

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 Thanh Truong’s video discussing the major Asian greens.

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

If you’re waiting for the waiter at a restaurant, aren’t you the waiter?

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps

Note that the Regent Community Garden produce and plant swaps have changed their start time and are now from 2-3pm.

Most of the local food swaps have now re-started ‘post-Covid’. I have been in communication with those that seemingly haven’t and, unfortunately, the Brunswick and Fawkner food swaps won’t be re-starting, at least for the time being.

Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Growing seeds in season; Saturday, 2nd April, 11-11.30am; free; Rosanna.

Yenni will give a talk on growing seeds in season and give out some seeds for you to grow at home. Organised by Rosanna Library.

Backyard beekeeping for beginners; Sunday, 3rd April, 10am-midday; free; Coburg.

Robert, from Bee Sustainable, will give participants a basic understanding of bee behaviour, establishing and managing a hive, and the items that make up a bee hive and their construction. There will be live bees and honeycomb to look at in a secure exhibition cabinet. The workshop will also cover the equipment that a beekeeper needs to work with bees, key tasks in spring, honey extraction and swarm control.

Easter egg decorating; Thursday, 7th April, 7.30-9pm; $12 ($8 per hour); Kew.

This is an evening event for women. Everything will be provided including a glass of bubbles and light supper.

Autumn obscurity wine masterclass; Saturday, 9th April, 2-4pm; $7; Northcote.

Learn about lesser known grape varietals which are beginning to make an impact in Australia due to the similar climate conditions. This class will lead you through 8 wines, with a grazing platter at intermission.

Easter egg hunts; Sunday, 17th April, 10-10.30am and again at 11.30am-midday; $7; Yarra Glen.

Little hunters ages 12 and under will search for four different clues hidden under tin pails dotted throughout their grounds to redeem for a special Easter gift box from their Easter bunnies.

An introduction to beekeeping, with Claire Coutts; Tuesday, 26th April, 2-3pm; free; Mooroolbark.

Interested in setting up your own beehive? Claire will explain: the benefits for you, the bees and their environment; the equipment required; the maintenance required; the best position for the hive; and the most beneficial plants to have in your garden. Organised by Mooroolbark Library.

Seed libraries – pop-up food swap; Saturday, 30th April, 10-11am; free; Eltham.

Food swaps are a way to meet local veggie growers in your community. Take along your excess garden produce such as seeds, seedlings, fruit and jams, or even pots, jars or gardening magazines. If you don’t have anything to swap, just go along for a chat. Presented by Local Food Connect.

Planning your Winter vegetable patch; Sunday, 1st May, 9.30am-midday; $60 ($24 per hour); Forest Hill.

Learn how to: prepare your soil; find out what to plant and when; plan your planting strategy; reduce the likelihood of pest and disease issues such as white cabbage moth; understand how to avoid the pitfalls new gardeners face in the veggie patch at this time of the year; which types of veggies to grow from seed and which ones to plant out as seedlings; mulching and watering; and growing winter veggies in small spaces such as pots and containers. Presenter: Duncan Cocking from Leaf, Root & Fruit Gardening Services.

The fungus amongst us; Sunday, 8th May, 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.

Introduction to permaculture (two sessions); Sunday, 15th May and Sunday, 29th May, both 10am-3pm; $220 ($22 per hour); CERES.

This course is designed for both those new to permaculture and those thinking of undertaking a Permaculture Design Certificate. What you will learn: the concept of permaculture; and the principles of permaculture and associated design methods. Presenter: Lisa Reid. There will be examples from tiny urban gardens to suburban and rural permaculture properties showing how we can create resilient, sustainable systems that work with nature and the natural limits of our planet.

Backyard beekeeping; Wednesday, 18th May, 7-8.30pm; free; Camberwell.

Join Mary and Henry Trumble from Backyard Honey to learn about what’s involved in establishing, maintaining and harvesting an urban honeybee hive. You will see a live honey bee display and participate in some raw honey tasting.

Fruit tree pruning and care; Thursday, 19th May, 6.30-7.30pm; free; Mill Park.

Kathleen Tants will discuss fruit tree pruning and care, including how to prepare your fruit trees for the Winter ahead. Organised by Mill Park Library.

The art of espalier; Saturday, 21st May, 9.30am-midday; $55 ($22 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: growing espaliered fruit trees; different techniques to make the most of all available space for espalier; and improve your general gardening skills. Topics will include suitable fruit trees, pruning and training techniques.

Growing fruit and veggies in small spaces; Sunday, 22nd May, 9.30am-12.30pm; $50 ($17 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: which produce plants are suitable to grow in small areas; coping with shade and sun for produce growing; and how to make the most of any available space for growing produce. Presented by Kirsteen Macleod. Topics will include fruit, vegetables and berries for small spaces, growing produce in pots and containers, maximising productivity in any size space and plant selection.

Basic inoculation workshop; Sunday, 22nd May, 10am-midday; $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. Organised by The Mushroomery

In March
In April
In May
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Zero waste garden to plate cooking workshop; Saturday, 2nd April, 10am-1pm; free; Fawkner.

See a zero waste meal created by Sharif Hassan and Gregory Lorenzetti, who will also give you tips for waste and fuss free affordable cooking. The session will include a tour of the urban farm at Fawkner Food Bowls. Organised by My Smart Garden.

Preserving the season’s harvest; Saturday, 21st May, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to preserve surplus foods; how to make jams; and improve your culinary skillset. Presenter: Lauren Mueller. Learn how to make jams, pastes, pickles and the art of basic canning so that you can preserve your home harvest or extend your seasonal produce year round.

Blue cheese making; Sunday, 22nd May, 10am-4pm; $170 ($28 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to make blue cheese; how to make sour cream; and how to make your own ricotta cheese. Presenters: Janet Clayton and Charlene Angus from Cheeselinks.

In March
In April
In May
Regular classes

LFC News March 23 2022

Mar 232022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Felicity Gordon, John Wright, Margaret Marshall and Tatiana Coluccio.

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 community garden is being established in Panton Hill

A small community garden is being established at the Living & Learning Centre in Panton Hill. Some raised beds have been built and the first plantings happened on Saturday (as demonstrated by the action picture right).

Want some straw bales?

John Wright has a hay and straw supply business in Lilydale called Complete Hay Supplies. 850 bales of his straw were used for a skateboard race last week and he is now trying to find new homes for these bales. As he says, “great for mulch, etc.” Anyone interested? There will be a cost, but this can be negotiated depending on how many bales you might want. If interested, email John (sales@completehaysupplies.com.au).

Want a job?

Old Evropa, the bakers in Eltham Village, have a position for a mature, experienced, artisan baker to help them take their business to the next level. If interested, send a current CV and cover letter to oldevropa@bigpond.com.

Do you know your Asian greens?

This 4 minute video by Thanh Truong (aka the Fruit Nerd) discusses many of the major Asian greens, including bok choy and pak choy, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), choy sum, water spinach (kang kong), gai choy (small mustard green), wombok (Chinese cabbage) and Chinese chives.

Our guide to local wine makers – updated

As discussed in our updated guide to local wine makers, how many wineries you think there are in North East Melbourne large depends on how far east you think that Melbourne extends. If you include the western part of the Yarra Valley (Coldstream, Dixons Creek and Yarra Glen) then the number is around 65 but this reduces to around 20 if you exclude that area.

Most of the wineries have a cellar door and many also have a cafe or restaurant.

Around 6 are South West of the Yarra Valley and 12 are located in Nillumbik.

The 6 to the South West of Yarra Valley are: Kellybrook Winery in Wonga Park; Rob Dolan Wines in Warrandyte South; and Billanook Estate, Cosmo Wines, Vue on Halcyon and Yarra Edge in Chirnside Park.

Most of the 12 in Nillumbik participate in something called Open Cellars whereby, on one weekend in each of June and October, all the wineries open their doors so that visitors can follow a trail from winery to winery; on these weekends, all of the wineries offer food and many have live music. During the rest of the year, most of them have a cellar door, typically open on Saturdays and Sundays, where they offer (free) wine tastings, some also offer food, and most have great vistas so you can make an afternoon of it. The table below summarises.
 

Name Base Online   Cellar door   Open Cellars
Buttermans Track St Andrews yes   yes
Easthill Estate Kangaroo Ground   yes yes yes
Hildebrand Ridge Organic Vineyard   Cottles Bridge   yes yes
Kings of Kangaroo Ground Kangaroo Ground yes yes yes
Nillumbik Estate Smiths Gully yes yes yes
Panton Hill Vineyard & Winery Panton Hill   yes yes
Punch St Andrews yes yes yes
Shaws Road Winery Arthurs Creek yes yes yes
Swipers Gully Vineyard Kangaroo Ground yes   yes
Watson's Creek Wines Kangaroo Ground     yes
Wedgetail Estate Cottles Bridge yes yes yes
Yarrambat Estate Vineyard Yarrambat yes   yes

Read our updated guide to local wine makers.
 

Every newsletter deserves a good picture

So the question about the picture on the right is: how is your child going to react when you tell him/her to eat it?

Not food but interesting

The first ever Banyule Open Studios is happening over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd April. 25 artist studios will be opening their doors to the public on both the Saturday and the Sunday. No need to book – just rock up.

In addition, there is a free opening reception on the Friday evening and a free evening of performance art on the Saturday.

 

Messy play day is on Saturday, 2nd April, 9.30-11am at Hohnes Road Playhouse, 1 Hohnes Road, Eltham. Not only digging for Easter eggs, face painting and a painting wall but also creepy crawlies in rainbow spaghetti, water world and cars in foam! I want to participate! Why are they limiting the maximum age to 6 years?

Not local but interesting

East Keilor Community Garden is holding an open day on Sunday, 3rd April, 10am-3pm. There will be seedlings & plants for sale, vegetables, a BBQ and Devonshire tea. 10A Tuppal Place, East Keilor. Free entry.

The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will be taking place on 25th March to 6th April at various locations in the CBD.

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show will be taking place on 30th March to 3rd April, 9am-5pm each day, at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was Bruno’s short video on how to plant leek seedlings.

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

I just baked a synonym bun … just like the ones that grammar used to bake.

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Carlton aperitvio food tour; various Fridays, 5-7pm; $89 ($45 per hour); Carlton.

You will indulge in the Italian ‘Aperitivo’ tradition. What exactly is Aperitivo, what can you expect to eat and drink, how did it begin, how did it make its way to Melbourne? You will learn all this and more while sipping on Italian cocktails, prosecco and wines and tasting arancini, cicchetti, pizza, pasta, gelato, salumi and cheese. Walking along Lygon Street, you will visit some foodie venues, meeting the people behind the food. 5 food & drink stops, 11 food tastings and 2.5 standard drinks.

Masterclass: out of the barrel; Saturday, 26th March, 1-3pm; $80 ($40 per hour); Thornbury.

This masterclass will cover barrel aged, wild fermentation and skin contact beer. You will get to sample 5 different beers. Organised by 3 Ravens Brewery.

An intro to beekeeping; Sunday, 10th April, 9.30am-12.30pm; $55 ($28 per hour); Bulleen Art & Garden (BAAG).

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

The fungus amongst us; Sunday, 10th April, 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.

Farmer for a day!; 3 occurrences on Tuesday 19th April, Thursday 21st April and Friday 22nd April, each 8.30am-4pm; $125 ($17 per hour) ; Abbotsford.

For children aged 8-14. At Collingwood Children’s Farm. The day includes a farm tour, woodworking workshop, planting workshop, farm work and barn activities.

Kalorama Chestnut Festival; Sunday, 1st May, 10am-4pm; free; Kalorama.

Savour the abundant chestnuts, gourmet food, Devonshire tea, coffee, artisan beer and mulled wine. Explore the diverse range of stalls, including: roasted chestnuts; poffertjes; homemade cakes; sausage sizzle; local restaurants; mulled wine; coffee, tea and chai; local handmade crafts; and local produce.

Tomato: know, sow, grow, feast with Karen Sutherland; Friday, 13th May, 10.30-11.30am; free; Doncaster.

Karen Sutherland, co-author of Tomato: know, sow, grow, feast  will share her tips and tricks to taste this food. She will do so in conversation with Claire Halliday. Organised by Doncaster Library.

Native edibles for companion planting; Saturday, 14th May, 6.30-9pm; $50 ($20 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: a range of edible natives that are easy to grow in Melbourne; basics of companion planting; and which plants to choose in your garden planning, and how to grow and care for them. You will learn how to incorporate some easily grown edible native plants into your garden so that they work in harmony with your existing plants, as well as a variety of ways to use these plants in your kitchen. Presented by Karen Sutherland, of Edible Eden Design.

Gardening in small spaces; Sunday, 15th May, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

You will learn how to maximise your small space to create an oasis of food, herbs and ornamentals. In particular, you will learn: gardening skills; how to maximise small spaces and grow your own food; and how to transform your balcony. Presenter: Clare.

Compost, worm farm and Bokashi workshop; Tuesday, 17th May, 9.30-11.30am; free; Ringwood.

Discover how to reduce your food waste using a compost bin, worm farm or Bokashi bin. Participants will learn how to set up and maintain a variety of home composting systems and will be provided with troubleshooting tips. Organised by Central Ringwood Community Centre.

Biodiversity and sustainable food systems; Wednesday, 18th May, 10am-4pm; $120 ($20 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: what is biodiversity and why preserve it; how to measure habitat quality; and nature connection activities. Presenter: Lorna Pettifer. The topics to be covered include: understanding of global and Australian biodiversity; measuring biodiversity; biodiversity organisations; ways of making a difference in your backyard; and sustainable food systems.

In March
In April
In May
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Mozzarella making class; Saturday, 14th May, 10am-midday; $120 ($60 per hour); Thomastown.

What you will learn: the process behind producing curd; how to make hand-stretched fresh mozzarella; and how to shape mozzarella into bocconcini and trecce. What you will get: guided cheese tasting with a glass of wine; and freshly made mozzarella to take home. Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

Cultural cooking – Indian breads; Saturday, 14th May, 11am-1pm; $40 ($20 per hour); Alphington.

Manu will show you how to make roti, stuffed roti, paratha and poori. Organised by Alphington Community Centre.

Preserving; Sunday, 15th May, 9-10am; $70 ($14 per hour); Kinglake.

It is always the right time to make preserves! A homemade jam, jelly, chutney or relish enhances any table. Everyone takes home a sweet and a savoury preserve along with a folder of beginner’s recipes and tips. Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House.

Pizza making masterclass; Sunday, 15th May, 11am-1.30pm; $106 ($30 per hour); Northcote.

Edoardo Nicita, from Shop 225, will demonstrate how to create pizza dough from scratch and you will then make margherita and truffle mushroom pizzas. At the end, you will eat the creations with your new found foodie friends!

In March
In April
In May
Regular classes

LFC News March 16 2022

Mar 182022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Bruno Tigani, Delldint Fleming, Jaimie Sweetman, Jane Juliff, Megan Cassidy and Toni Myers.

If you are Gmail user and didn’t successfully receive our newsletter last week, read this short guide.

Jaimie’s unusual plant of the month – perennial sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)

[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.]

For March, I have chosen perennial sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolius), also known as American sunflowers as they are native to the USA.

Whilst they are not edible, they are a great addition to food gardens, both for their flower displays and as a bee attractor.

The flowers appear in late summer to autumn and therefore prolong a garden’s period of flowering. They look good in borders, pollinator gardens, cottage gardens or swamps. Whilst they grow best in wet or boggy areas, they will also grow in normal soils as long as there is some moisture though summer. They can get up to 3 metres tall and are quite the show!

A true perennial, they should be cut down after flowering and will then re-shoot late spring.

I have often seen little native bees having a nap in them and they are really good for attracting pollinators in the garden, which is particularly useful as a lot of other flowers will have finished of the season. At the food forest, we aim to have something flowering at all times throughout the year and the perennial sunflowers help us to achieve this.

Interested in community gardening in Whittlesea?

Whittlesea Council is looking to support residents wanting to set up new community gardens (and, maybe, existing community gardens). More specifically, they have developed a 10-week training program that will provide people with “the skills needed to create and maintain a thriving community garden“. Read more and potentially apply.

The leek seedlings have now all gone!

Well done to everyone who was not put off by the typo in my email address and still managed to send me an email asking for some leek seedlings. I hope that they grow successfully for you Amanda, Andrew, Carmen, Cath, Chris, Dianne, Karen, Mardi, Maria, Monique, Pam, Robin, Robyn, Shibani, Soo Mei, Susan, Thais, Vicki and Victoria!

Victoria has already sent in a photo of her planted seedlings.

Thanks again, Bruno Tigani, for supplying the seedlings!

As Bruno illustrates in this 30 second video, he plants his leek seedlings in deep holes and then, with rain and wind, the soil collapses in gradually. The reason that he does this is that he prefers white leek to green leek and it is only that part of the stem which is underground which will remain white, so he wants to have as much of the leek as possible to have been grown underground. For the same reason, you can hill up the soil around the plant as it grows.

More on rat poisons

Delldint Fleming writes in: “The best poison for rats is Racumin as it does not cause secondary poisoning in other creatures such as owls, reptiles, chooks, etc. Whilst it is expensive, I think that it is worth it to be responsible in the ecosystem. It’s the only poison recommended by my friend George Paras of the Warringal Conservation Society, who used to care for the wildlife reserve at Latrobe Uni.”

Toni Myers: “See this Better Homes and Garden article on how to get rid of rats in your garden without poison or traps.” The methods discussed are: peppermint oil; catnip; removal of food and water sources; keeping your garden clean; soil netting; and sealing gaps.

By the community for the community

We have discussed both of these initiatives before but they are worth discussing again.

Mitcham Community Meal

Mitcham Community Meal provides a free community dinner every Sunday at 18 Edward Street, starting at 5.30pm. “Each Sunday, a different local club, business or church group provides and serves a meal to people in the Mitcham community.” Since they started in October 2018, that’s around 100 different teams who have prepared and served a meal! The organiser is someone called Ben Frawley (email Ben). Read their Facebook page.

It would be a great initiative if it were just the meal. But the fact that it is different groups from the community who make (and pay for) the meals is what makes it a wonderful initiative. Why not go there one Sunday evening and see for yourself?

We maintain a gallery of all the teams on our website.

Reground

As we have discussed before, whilst some of you are a bit wary of using spent coffee grounds in your garden, others of you are extremely enthusiastic.

As the Darebin Food Harvest Network recently reminded its readership, a local organisation called Reground collects spent coffee grounds from a lot of the local cafes and then delivers it to home gardeners. The minimum drop-off amount is 800kg, which is a large pile about 2m wide x 1m high (roughly 2 cubic metres). They deliver to anywhere within 30km of Alphington. Register for a free bulk coffee ground delivery.

Given their minimum amount of 800Kg, taking advantage of Reground’s offer only potentially makes sense if you are committed to using large amounts of spent coffee grounds. If you want smaller amounts, we maintain a list of local cafes who will give your their spent coffee grounds for free.

Moreland Community Gardening

Libby Harper (President) and Richard (Composting King) from Moreland Community Gardening were recently interviewed on “the joy of community gardens, why to get involved and all about composting and worm farms.” Watch the 1 hour video.

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

Me: “Do you serve vegetarians here?”
Waiter: “Of course, how would you like them cooked?”

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

’50 Shade of Pinot’ wine masterclass; Saturday, 26th March, 2-4pm; $53 ($25 per hour); Northcote.

Discover the many different varietals of Australia’s most popular grape family. Explore 6 varietals. Hosted by Broc Willems.

In-depth mushroom cultivation workshop; Sunday, 27th March, 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.

Nillumbik wine tour; Sunday, 3rd April, 10.30am-5pm; $149 ($23 per hour); Research.

You will be driven to Shaws Road Winery, where you will be given a wine tasting followed by lunch. Then you will be taken to two other local wineries.

Setting up a worm farm; Saturday, 30th April, 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.

Waste, organic recycling and life cycle analysis; Wednesday, 4th May, 10am-4pm; $120 ($20 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: how to reduce your waste; e-waste and Life Cycle Analysis; and organic recycling and food waste. Presenter: Lauren Kaszubski. Topics to be covered will include: how to reduce your waste, 4Rs; e-waste & life cycle analysis; organic recycling & food waste; simple actions, big impacts; litter and plastics; waste campaigns and actions; how to teach about waste; and create your own waste education activity.

Edible weeds walk; Thursday, 5th May, 2-3.30pm; free; Warrandyte.

Join Adam Grubb, co-author of The Weed Forager’s Handbook, for a fascinating walk on the wild side, foraging for edible weeds. Organised by Warrandyte Library.

Bush foods & herbs for courtyards & balconies; Thursday, 5th May, 6.30-9pm; $55 ($22 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: which native produce-plants are suitable for growing in pots and small spaces; what to harvest and when; and how to use bush foods and herbs to flavour your dishes. Presented by Karen Sutherland of Edible Eden Design.

Complete urban farmer (14 sessions); weekly, starting Friday, 6th May, 9am-3pm; $880 ($10 per hour); CERES.

14 sessions over a period of a 14 weeks. Presenters: Justin Calverley and Donna Livermore. The topics to be covered will include: permaculture; fruit production; soil preparation; beekeeping; composting, worm farming and fertilisers; vegetable growing; propagation; seed collection; pest & disease management; bushfoods & berries; chooks; and community gardens.

Food photography; Saturday, 7th May, 9.30am-12.30pm; $109 ($36 per hour); Eltham.

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

Composting workshop; Saturday, 7th May, 10-11am; free; Ringwood.

Learn how to set up, maintain and use a compost bin at home. All types of compost bins will be discussed, including the popular eco tumbler. There will also be examples of composting bins and other systems to help you decide what best suits your household. Attendees will also receive a free kitchen caddy to assist them in recycling their food waste at home. Organised by Realm Library.

Edible weeds; Saturday, 7th May, 10am-midday; $50 ($25 per hour); CERES.

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

Worm farm workshop; Saturday, 7th May, 11.15am-12.15pm; free; Ringwood.

Learn how to set up, maintain and use a worm farm at home. There will also be examples of worm farms and other composting systems to help you decide what best suits your household. Attendees will also receive a free kitchen caddy to assist them in recycling their food waste at home. Organised by Realm Library.

Digestion composting workshop; Saturday, 7th May, 12.30-1.30pm; free; Ringwood.

Digesters like bokashi buckets, pet poo composters and green cones are another way of composting. Learn how these systems can help reduce your food waste at home. There will also be examples of digestors and other composting systems to help you decide what best suits your household. Attendees will also receive a free kitchen caddy to assist them in recycling their food waste at home. Organised by Realm Library.

Winter fruit tree maintenance; Sunday, 8th May, 9.30am-midday; $55 ($22 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: pruning – formative and maintenance of new and established fruit trees. Also, selection and planting of new fruit trees; Winter fruit tree maintenance practices for pest and disease prevention, control and treatment; and pruning tool maintenance.

In March
In April
In May
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Miss Penny Cakes; Thursday, 17th March, 7-8.30pm; free; Coburg.

Penny Kerasiotis, owner of Miss Penny Cakes, will demonstrate how to make Greek cakes and sweets. Organised by Coburg Library

Mixed herbs workshop; Monday, 28th March, 7.30-8.30pm; $5; Watsonia.

Learn from Lisa how to make your own herb bowl. Organised by Watsonia Neighbourhood House.

Sourdough for everyone; Wednesday, 30th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $122 ($41 per hour); Richmond.

This workshop will cover sourdough ingredient selection, starter care and the processes of sourdough fermentation and baking. At the end, you will receive a 90-year-old starter and a baker’s banneton basket. Organised by The Fermented Mumma.

Cook Indian by the creek; Friday, 1st April, 6.30-8pm; $49 ($16 per hour); Diamond Creek.

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

Inner peas – cooking program (4 sessions); 4 weekly sessions starting Wednesday, 6th April, 5.30-7pm; free; Hawthorn.

Inner Peas is a 4-week social cooking program for people aged 16-25. The program aims to help you make easy, healthy and affordable recipes as well as make new friends and learn strategies to take care of your mental health. Each week, you will make and then share a meal. Week 1: Italian. Week 2: Mexican. Week 3: Indian. Week 4: Korean.

Ricotta festival; Sunday, 1st May, 11am-midday; $120; Thomastown.

Make your own ricotta gnocchi with Julia Busuttil Nishimura, author of Ostro at either 11am or 1pm. The ticket includes 1 ricotta calda, 1 ricotta gnocchi, 1 salsiccia and 1 cannolo. There will also be live music and a petting farm for the children.

The mighty booch – DIY kombucha; Wednesday, 4th May, 6.30-8pm; $80 ($40 per hour); Fitzroy.

The Fermented Mumma will discuss the process and benefits of fermentation, the problems with pre-packaged kombucha, and the endless flavour combinations for your custom booch. She will introduce you to a scoby (which stands for ‘symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast’) and what you do with it.

Italian cooking (4 sessions); 4 weekly sessions starting Thursday, 5th May, 6-8pm; $250 ($31 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Each week for four weeks, Lucia Silverii will lead a combination of demonstration and hands on cooking, before you all sit down and enjoy the food together. Week 1: gnocchetti sardi (traditional Sardinian gnocchi). Week 2: versatile dough for pizza bases and bread. Week 3: biscuits plus a pasta of tuna and zucchini. Week 4: risotto and arancini balls. Organised by Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.

Middle Eastern cooking; Friday, 6th May, 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. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

Sicilian brunch; Sunday, 8th May, 2-4.30pm; $99 ($40 per hour); Fitzroy.

Family Food Fight Contestants Concetta Pluchinotta-Varone and her mother Pina Pluchinotta will show you how make crispy, golden cannoli pastry shells from scratch plus how to make a traditional ricotta filling. Once you have created your masterpieces, you will then plate and devour your creations with your new found foodie friends!

Sri Lankan cooking class; Tuesday, 10th May, 6-9pm; $90 ($30 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Experience the tastes, smells and sounds of Sri Lankan cooking. You will make two different curries, coconut sambal and a side dish. Afterwards, you’ll sit down and enjoy a Sri Lankan feast. Organised by Balwyn Community Centre.

In March
In April
In May
Regular classes

I have found a new regular cooking class: Al Dente Cooking in Chirnside Park has a cooking class on most Saturdays, 9am-1pm, where they demonstrate various Italian dishes. For those of you who don’t know, ‘al dente’ describes pasta (or rice) that is firm to the bite and is Italian for ‘to the tooth’.

LFC News March 9 2022

Mar 092022
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Bruno Tigani, Karen Olsen, Nick Rose, Nicole Johnston and Olwyn Smiley.

Successfully receiving our newsletter if you are a Gmail user

As I have discussed before, Google has this weird approach towards Gmail email addresses whereby, as a default on your phone or in your browser, it sets up multiple inboxes and then, whenever someone is sent an email, Google looks at that email and decides which of the inboxes to put it in. When someone sends you a personal email, Google usually puts it into your ‘primary’ inbox. When someone sends you a newsletter, however, Google sometimes puts it into your ‘promotions’ or ‘updates’ inboxes rather than your ‘primary’ inbox. How many people actually see a newsletter depends on which of the inboxes Google puts it in because, as a default, your phone or browser often only shows you the contents of your ‘primary’ inbox. For example, Google put last week’s (2nd March) newsletter into the dreaded ‘promotions’ inbox for many (but not all) people and the result is that only half the normal number of Gmail newsletter readers actually saw it. For those of you who didn’t see it, you can (as always) read it on our website, together with any of our previous newsletters.

There is no method to Google’s madness here. I have spent hours sending myself test emails and they get placed in the various inboxes at random. This happens regardless of the contents, timing or method and therefore I can’t do anything to control it.

But you can do something to control it. First, in whatever software you are using to access your emails, you can turn off all the inboxes other than the primary one, which then forces Google to put all emails (other than spam) that are sent to you into your ‘primary’ inbox, which then becomes your only inbox (other than spam). Alternatively, you can look in your ‘promotions’ or ‘updates’ inboxes, find one of our emails and move it into your ‘primary’ inbox. With a bit of luck, Google will then ask you where it should put future newsletters from us and you can answer “primary inbox please”. Finally, you can click any link in any of our newsletters and then, again with a bit of luck, Google will understand that you actually want to see our newsletters and will start putting them into your ‘primary’ inbox.

Let’s hope that Google doesn’t put this newsletter into ‘promotions’ so that you can actually read the words above!

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Tjalf Sparnaay is a dutch artist who specialises in hyperrealistic paintings of food.

Oakhill Farm

Oakhill Farm (aka Oakhill Food Justice Farm) is “a community space and food forest in the heart of Preston“. It is an initiative by Sustain who, in June 2021, took on a 2-year lease of the St Mary’s vicarage and gardens at 233 Tyler Street. Whilst I am not clear about the current status of the food growing at the farm / food forest, it is clear that they have started organising some events. More specifically here is a list of their upcoming events, namely:

NERP at Eltham Farmers’ Market

North East Region Permaculture (NERP) invite you to go along for a chat with them on the 2nd Sunday of each month at Eltham Farmers’ Market. Each month they will be focussing on a different theme to showcase the variety and versatility of permaculture practice. Upcoming dates and themes are:

  • Involving kids in permaculture on Sunday, 13th March.
  • Herbs and medicinal plants on Sunday, 10th April.
  • Backyard beekeeping and growing bee-friendly plants on Sunday, 8th Mary.

When you visit them, you can sign on to their email list to be kept in touch with the activities of this grassroots community group.

Bulleen Art & Garden’s autumn harvest festival

All produce plants are 20-50% off until 14th March. There will be a number of free 30 minute talks: Wednesday, 9th March, 11:30am – growing from seed;
Thursday, 10th March, 1:30pm – backyard chooks; and Friday, 11th March, 1:30pm – backyard beekeeping.

Want some free leek seedlings?

Newsletter reader and commercial seed seller Bruno Tigani has given me a substantial number of leek seedlings to give away to newsletter readers. Variety: Exeter. Thanks, Bruno! 10-20 seedlings per person. More if you are a community garden. Pick up from my house in Eltham. If interested, email me to arrange.

Yes, (a few of) you did (sort of) know!

Fungal issues

Last week, Louise Nolan discussed her widespread fungal issues and her hypothesis that a bale of pea straw was the original source of her problems.

Olwyn Smiley has responded: “As I understand it, fungal diseases are specific to particular plant types so, whilst fungus in pea straw may affect pea plants, it is unlikely to cause the range of fungal diseases described by Louise. However, warm, humid weather is perfect for just about every type of fungal organism, and we have had weeks of warm, humid weather! It also seems to have been a bumper season for white fly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum or Bemisia tabaci species probably) and passion vine hopper (Scolypopa australis).”

Rat infestation

Last week, Sarah Houseman asked what could be done about her rat infestation. Here are two responses.

Olwyn Smiley: I have tried just about every trap, deterrent and also poison. The latter is a last resort, but what else can one do if rats are in the ceiling? Rats have eaten the bait from multiple varieties of snap traps and left them un-snapped (a snap trap in one of those black ‘wildlife-safe’ boxes also unfortunately caught a blue-tongue lizard); an expensive ‘nooski’ trap failed utterly but is not a bad receptacle for wildlife-safe bait; and expensive and complex cage traps have been unsuccessful. The best solution for me has been a simple cage trap that a friend found on hard rubbish (see photo right).

If using poisons then, according to Birdlife Australia, the chemicals which do not affect wildlife should they eat a poisoned rat are Warfarin and Coumatetralyl.

Karen Olsen: Get a terrier or other ‘ratter’ dog. Don’t get a cat as they will often go for native fauna species first. Kookaburras also deal with a lot of our rats (but not all), so please don’t use poisons on rats as they are a common food source. The supposedly eco-‘friendly’ rat poisons appear to only have a little less toxicity, so large predator birds will just take longer to build up the same levels of toxicity in their systems from poisoned food sources.

Welcome to Piggly Park!

[A food-related poem by John Jenkins, from Kangaroo Ground]

We’ve been invited to Piggly Park
To be met by Lord Grunt at the gate,
We’re having an afternoon mud bath with him,
So bring soap and do not be late!

At Piggly Park you are welcome to dine
At a nice picnic spot by the lake.
Lord Grunt eats a bucket or two of stew
And mixes his meals with a rake.

Lord Grunt likes turnips and pink fizzy gin
And he wears a bow tie and top hat.
Admire his moustache and big double chin,
But please don’t tell him he’s fat!

Read more local food-related poems on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was the map of the various community gardens in Nillumbik.

Related to the map, a number of the community gardens in Nillumbik are organising events on Saturday, 19th March, including:

Joke (or pun) of the week

Waiter: “Welcome to the Karma Cafe.“
Me: “What do you sell here?“
Waiter: “Just desserts.“

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – correction

The plant sale at Gunyah garden (Karen Sutherland’s garden in Pascoe Vale South ) is on Saturday, 12th March, 1-5pm (not on the Sunday as previously reported).

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Panton Hill Community Garden drop in; Saturday, 19th March, 9-11am; free; Panton Hill.

Chat to the volunteers and plant seedlings.

Thrive Community Garden tour; Saturday, 19th March, 10am-2pm; free; Diamond Creek.

Take a tour of Thrive community garden, attend a food swap, participate in a seed planting activity for children or eat from the sausage sizzle.

Community garden tour and seed saving workshop; Saturday, 19th March, 10am-2pm; free; Greensborough.

Take a tour of the garden. Take part in a food swap from 10-11am or a seed saving workshop at 1pm.

Tequila & Mezcal Festival; Saturday, 19th March, 5.30pm-midnight; $38; Preston.

There will be presentations about tequila, mezcal and agave distillates plus 4 tequilas to sample. There will also be food and live music.

Suburban permaculture garden tour; Tuesday, 22nd March, 5-6.30pm; $5; Kilsyth.

The property features a solar system, multiple water tanks, a glasshouse, a seed saving box, a pond, a vegetable patch with wicking beds and fruit trees, chickens, beekeeping and a food forest. Organised by Permaculture Yarra Valley.

The Prosecco (and Sparkling) Festival; Saturday, 26th March, 11am-8.30pm; $70; Abbotsford.

There will be 35 different proseccos to taste and all tastings are included in the ticket price. There will also be food and music.

Seed harvesting; Saturday, 2nd April, 10.30-11.30am; free; Eltham.

Kathleen Tants will discuss harvesting, storing and sowing your fruit, vegetable and herb seeds from previous crops.

Farming for our future; Thursday, 21st April, 10am-midday; free; CERES.

Discover the beasts, bugs and plants that make our farming world go round. Tour the Honey Lane Organic Farm and meet their chickens. Make a recycled pot and propagate your own plant to take home.

Community seed library workshop; Thursday, 21st April, 7.30-9.30pm; $51 ($26 per hour); $25 concession; Preston.

The workshop will discuss the importance of seed saving and then teach participants the basics of how to save seeds, as well as storage & sowing. Attendees will then have the opportunity to select, illustrate and annotate their own seed packets to take home. Presenter: Shani Shafrir. Organised by Oakhill Farm.

Brewers Feast Festival; Friday, 22nd April, 5-11pm and Saturday, 23rd April, midday-11pm; $18; Abbotsford.

Brewers Feast is a boutique craft beer and food festival, made by beer and food lovers for beer and food lovers. It will feature around 30 breweries (including cider, wine and gin as well as beer). There will also be food and live music. Throughout the day, there will be craft beer education classes, exploring the tastes and flavours of beer pairing with food, cheese, confectionery and other foods. Enjoy free samples while learning more about your beer.

Native fruit; Thursday, 28th April, 6.30-9pm; $50 ($20 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: the A-Z of growing native fruit; handy hints and tips from an experienced native fruit grower; and when to harvest native fruit, and different ways to use it. Presented by Karen Sutherland, of Edible Eden Design. Native produce plants – or bush food – are becoming increasingly popular. Whilst many native fruits can’t be grown in Melbourne, some can. You’ll learn how to grow, harvest and use such fruit, with a particular focus on what can be grown in pots.

Organic vegetable gardening; Saturday, 30th April, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 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.

Edible weeds walk; Saturday, 30th April, 10.30am-12.30pm and again at 1.30-3.30pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Brunswick East.

Join Adam Grubb, co-author of The Weed Forager’s Handbook, for a fascinating walk on the wild side, foraging for edible weeds.

Urban food gardening (8 sessions); Tuesdays, 10am-2.30pm starting 3rd May; $60 for all 8 sessions (Government subsidised fee); Eltham.

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. The course will be run by Justin Calverley.

In March
In April
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Pasta sauces from your garden; Sunday, 27th March, 1-4pm; $25 ($8 per hour); Forest Hill.

Scott Hitchins will prepare several vegetarian sauces in this interactive demonstration. You will then sample the sauces.

Easter thermomix workshop; Sunday, 9th April, 2-4pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Eltham.

The menu includes: Lime Grapefruit Cooler; Easter Carrot Cheese Dip; Honeycomb; Honeycomb Butter; Lemon Curd Easter Biscuits; Traditional Hot X Buns (& premade Gluten Free Hot X Buns); Warm Aussie Potato Salad; Salmon with Ginger Sauce & Spiced Cashews; and Hokey Pokey Ice Cream. Everything will be available for tasting. Presenters: Jodie Hodgett and Tess Murray.

Gluten free gnocchi making masterclass; Sunday, 24th April, 11am-1.30pm; $199 ($40 per hour); Northcote.

Edoardo Nicita, from Shop 225, will show you have to make and shape gnocchi dough plus two accompanying sauces. At the end, you will eat the creations with your new found foodie friends!

Sourdough bread workshop; Saturday, 30th April, 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. Organised by Bee Sustainable.

Chocolate discovery class; Saturday, 30th April, 11m-midday; $48 ($48 per hour); Yarra Glen.

This class includes indulging in a range of chocolate and truffle tastings, the chance to learn about how chocolate is made, and finding out about the inspiration behind each of their specialty ranges with their European Chocolatiers. Your chocolate education concludes with the chance to create your own personal chocolate bar and delve in giant lollipop making fun. Organised by Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery.

Artisan bread making; Sunday, 1st May, 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.

Introduction to fermenting at home; Sunday, 1st May, 10am-1pm; $70 ($23 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: the basics to successfully start fermenting vegetables at home; ideas about creating your own fermented condiments; and how to use fermented products in day to day life. Presenter: Monique.

Sri Lankan street food experience; Sunday, 1st May, 2-4.30pm; $99 ($40 per hour); Fitzroy.

MasterChef Contestant Dee Williams will take you through her personal spice range which you will be encouraged to smell, touch and taste. These include a Roasted Chilli Powder, Sri Lankan Unroasted Curry Powder, Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder and Sri Lankan Dark Roasted Curry Powder. She will then show you how to make roti bread from scratch, a Spicy Coconut Sambal and a Sri Lankan Dhal. Once you have created your masterpieces, you will then plate and devour your creations with your new found foodie friends!

In March
In April
Regular classes
In Richmond

Read about the upcoming cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News March 2 2022

Mar 012022
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Beth Ciesielski, Jane MacNeil, Katherine Barling, Laura Nix, Louise Nolan, Megan Goodman, Michelle Casamento, Perri Hillier, Robin Gale-Baker, Sarah Houseman and Sylvia Bianco.

Distinguishing the origanums (by Robin Gale-Baker)

In my experience, gardeners very often find it difficult to distinguish between the different culinary members of the origanum genus. This is not surprising as many plants are mislabelled when sold, the common names can be confusing and there is an array of species with flowers of varying colour, not to mention a range of ornamental plants in the genus. The main culinary plants are:

  • Origanum vulgare – oregano (sometimes called wild marjoram or wild oregano), where O.v. subsp. hirtum (Greek or Italian oregano) is the aromatic, culinary subspecies.
  • Origanum onites – pot marjoram.
  • Origanum majorana – sweet marjoram (sometimes called knotted marjoram).

In the photo, Oreganum vulgate is on the left, Origanum onites in the middle and Origanum majorana on the right.

It is useful to be able to distinguish one from the other because they range in taste from savoury to sweet, and from hot and spicy to mild or bland.

Origanum vulgare (oregano) is best bought as a plant. It should have lightish green, pointed leaves that are relatively small and have a matt or dull appearance. It is a groundcover but, when flowering occurs, it develops long stems and the leaves which grow up these stems become smaller as they climb toward bracts of white flowers. The taste should be hot and spicy. The reason that this oregano is best bought as a plant is that oregano grown from seed is usually very bland. It has larger leaves that are a mid to dark green and mauve or pinkish flowers. From a culinary perspective, it is disappointing, being almost flavourless. Bought plants, on the other hand, are usually the aromatic hirtum subspecies, which is flavoursome and can be used in savoury dishes.

Origanum onites (pot marjoram) looks very similar to seed-grown oregano. The leaves are larger and spade shaped, dark green with a purple underside. The flowers are pink or mauve and rise out of the groundcover on long stalks at flowering time. This is a milder herb and is ‘thrown into the pot’ to flavour stews, casseroles or whatever is simmering on the stove. It is also used in pizzas and pasta dishes.

Origanum majorana (sweet marjoram) is entirely different in taste to the two above. It has a sweet, musky fragrance. While it is often added to meat dishes in the last few minutes of cooking, it is best used with egg or soft cheese (such as cream cheese). Mashed into the latter, it makes a delicious dip or spread. Origanum majorana grows to a height of about 30cm but, once it flowers, it doubles in height. The leaves are small, velvety and either mid green or grey-green. The flowers look like knots and are white on green knots and not especially attractive. It is because of this knot-like appearance that it is sometimes called ‘knotted marjoram’. It is very attractive to bees.

The origanum genus belongs to the family Lamiaceae, which is commonly known as the mint family. It is native to the Mediterranean region and all three herbs discussed above thrive in hot, dry, mountainous conditions. In fact, the name ‘origanum’ means ‘light of the mountains’. Origanums are perennial in Australia but are treated as annuals in colder climates.

To get the best flavour from these herbs, and in fact any Mediterranean herb, plant in poor soil and under-water rather than over-water. Under-watering allows the essential oils to develop and consequently provides strongly aromatic foliage. Herbs that look lush are to be avoided as lushness comes at the expense of flavour. These herbs are best harvested early in the morning and before watering.

If you want to read more about these and other herbs, I recommend The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism, edited by Malcolm Stuart and originally published in 1979.

Read Robin's equivalent articles about chamomile and about the tarragons.

Nillumbik’s community gardens

Nillumbik Council has produced a nice map of the various community gardens in Nillumbik.

Yet more on allotments versus communal growing for community gardens

Last week, I asked newsletter readers to send in lists of the advantages of allotments. Jane MacNeil, President of Canterbury Community Garden (which is currently out of action due to re-development of the site), has risen to the challenge. Here is her list:

  • We can grow whatever we like, for example a whole bed of garlic, a combination of companion plants or just a seasonal range. Some gardeners grow flowers in their plots rather than vegetables.
  • Not being an expert, it is good to see the plots of more experienced gardeners and obtain advice and inspiration from their crops.
  • There is a clear delineation of responsibility for the upkeep of plots, with the committee approaching anyone whose plot is neglected.
  • We still see other gardeners, whether in passing over the weeks or at the regular working bees held to maintain common areas of the garden.

Do you know?

When I include readers’ questions in this newsletter, no one usually answers so I ask again the following week and then usually get lots of answers. So, we get there in the end but we needlessly lose a week, by which time some people have forgotten the original question. How about we turn over a new leaf (sic) and people respond at the first time of asking?!

Rat infestation

Sarah Houseman writes in: “I have an established native garden and we have a big problem this year with rats using our rockeries as highways and homes (see photo). They show their activity by leaving piles of excavated soil and they are destabilising plant roots. As we walk over the garden, our feet subside. Does anyone know of any ecologically friendly method of dealing with rat infestations?” Can anyone advise Sarah – email your responses.

Fungal issues

Louise Nolan writes in “For the last few years my veggie garden has been experiencing fungal disease regardless of crop rotation, adequate spacing and watering only the base. All my beds are mulched with pea straw which is topped up as needed. I believe that the initial culprit was a bale of pea straw that was black and grey throughout. There is rust on my fuchsia and geranium, black spot on my peas and beans, anthracnose on my cucurbits, blight on the my tomatoes and powdery mildew on my zucchini and pumpkin. My apple tree also had a disease which looked like a blight. I also had a terrible whitefly infestation, which has now died down with the summer heat. I regularly water with a seaweed liquid and a fish emulsion as required. I have used Neem oil and also resorted to a copper spray for the diseases. The soil pH is neutral, the garden gets morning north sun but is hot in the afternoons with the west sun. I’m at my wits end on how to get on top of it all.” Can anyone advise Louise – email your responses.

Meg’s garden this month

Finally, I have a good tomato harvest and the smell of them roasting with garlic and basil for passata is permeating the house. The plants are now starting to look a bit sad and it won’t be long before the season is finished. The zucchini have been also been bountiful, but white mildew now dusts the leaves and it is time to think about clearing the beds. The draw of plump bags of horse manure on the roadside is strong. This will refresh the slightly water-repellent soil and, if placed now, there will be time to smother weeds before autumn plantings.

The long, sweet, green capsicums and eggplant are hanging and I am waiting for them to ripen. The beans are still growing strongly. I always plant a second sowing in January and they should be ready to harvest by early March. I am growing a new variety this year, namely bush red snake beans (see photo right). The long red beans sprinkle the garden like tchotchke and are growing well, perhaps due to the humid summer.

This month I am:
1. turning compost ready for topping up cleared beds;
2. picking beans, eggplant and capsicum; and
3. watching the apples closely for ripeness in the hope of beating the birds.

Passata

2 kg tomatoes (any variety but roma types are best)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3-4 cloves garlic or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch of basil leaves

Place all ingredients in a roasting dish and toss together. Cook in the oven at 180degC for around 30 minutes. Cool slightly and process in a moulie until fine sauce.

If you don’t have a moulie, you can blanch and skin the tomatoes prior to roasting or, alternatively, just remove as much skin as you can post roasting and process in a food processor.

I store my passata in the freezer, but you can bottle and preserve.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Not local but interesting

Beth Ciesielski has written in to say that a new food swap is starting in Yarraville. The first pilot session will be on Sunday, 6th March, 10-11.30am (see flyer right). If all goes well, it will then happen on the first Sunday of every month.

Not food-related but interesting

The Nillumbik Repair Cafe now happens every month, on the 2nd Saturday, 9.30am-12.30pm at Hurstbridge Community Hub, 50 Graysharps Road, Hurstbridge. You sit with the repairer, who is a volunteer, while they talk you through what they’re doing and (hopefully) fix your equipment.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was the video of founder Shanaka Fernando making the announcement that all three Lentil as Anything pay-what-you-feel restaurants are closing.

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

Growing your own tomatoes is the best way to devote 3 months of your life to saving $2.17.

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps

Note that the Montmorency swap has moved to a new venue (The Monty Hub) and, furthermore, that next Sunday’s swap is part of a bigger event (The Great Tomato Taste Off).

Note that next Sunday’s Regent swap is part of a bigger event (The Big Picnic) and is not at its usual location.

Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Curry punk & jelly brain – exploring the weird world of fungi; Friday, 4th March, 11am-midday; free; Doncaster.

In this illustrated and interactive seminar, ecologist, photographer and author Alison Pouliot will explore the lives of fungi. Signed copies of Alison’s book, The Allure of Fungi and Wild Mushrooming, will be available for purchase.

Summer/Autumn fruit tree pruning; Saturday, 5th March, 9am-midday; $25 ($8 per hour); Forest Hill.

In Melbourne’s temperate climate, deciduous fruit trees don’t go fully dormant so winter pruning encourages tall whippy growth that will eventually have to be pruned-off. Join Scott Hitchins to learn the ins and outs of Summer/Autumn pruning, plus preferred cuts and trims to produce healthy, bountiful backyard fruit trees.

The Great Tomato Taste Off; Sunday, 6th March, 10am-midday; free; Montmorency.

This annual event gives growers a chance to show off the amazing varieties of tomatoes grown locally. Local growers are invited to bring along their favourite varieties of home-grown tomatoes and put them to a taste test. Both growers and non-growers are invited to taste and compare and to cast a vote for your favourite variety for the People’s Choice Award.

The Big Picnic; Sunday, 6th March, 11am-1pm; free; Reservoir.

12 local community groups from Reservoir will be getting together and everyone is invited. Take picnic gear, food, produce and plants to share. Meet others in your community and join and support those that are building a stronger connected community.

Neighbourhood house community garden bus tour; Thursday, 10th March, 9.30am-3.30pm; free; various in Darebin.

Visit 5 neighbourhood houses and check out their community gardens. Note that the itinerary is still to be confirmed.

Autumn in the Heide kitchen garden; Thursday, 10th March, 10.30-11.30am; $27 ($27 per hour); Bulleen.

Heide’s Kitchen Gardener Alice Crowe will explain the methods that she uses to get the best out of the crops grown at Heide, provide tips and techniques, and the delicate biodiversity that helps plants to thrive in autumn.

Heritage apple tasting; Sunday, 13th March, 4-6pm; $15; Templestowe.

Sample the seasonal flavours of the heritage apple collection. Around 15 varieties will be available for tasting. An orchard tour is included. All funds received go toward the maintenance and expansion of the collection. Organised by the Heritage Fruits Society.

Plant your own food; Thursday, 24th March, 4.30-5.30pm; free; Nunawading.

Learning to grow our own food is an invaluable skill at any age. You will learn how to plant seedlings and take home a potted plant to care for and hopefully eat one day!

Healthy productive compost and worms; Sunday, 3rd April, 9.30am-12.30pm; $50 ($17 per hour); Bullen Art & Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: the importance of compost for soil health; how to fix common composting problems; and setting up and looking after a worm farm. Presented by Kirsteen Macleod. Learn how to make compost, the essential ingredient for a thriving and healthy garden. Look at worm farms and Bokashi as other options. They will also show you how to make a DIY worm farm using recycled products.

Reusable beeswax food wraps; Wednesday, 6th April, 6.30-7.30pm; free; Nunawading.

Learn how to make your own reusable food wraps.

Brain food; Thursday, 7th April, 11am-midday; free; Bulleen.

Lindy Cook, The Nutrition Guru, will discuss which foods can enhance memory and learning. Listen to some practical advice on how to make better healthy food choices.

The joy of backyard chooks; Thursday, 7th April, 6.30-9pm; $50 ($20 per hour); Bullen Art & Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: how to get started with keeping chickens in a suburban backyard; how to house and protect chooks from predators; and how chooks can be used to improve your garden and soil. You will find out just how easy it is to keep a few hens as pets and as the ultimate garden recyclers, as well as everything you need to know about housing, protecting and feeding them, and lots of practical ideas on how to live harmoniously with them in your garden. Suitable for those who have never kept chooks before.

Working to achieve a sustainable organic community garden; Thursday, 21st April, 2-3pm; free; Lilydale.

Join Benson from Lilydale Community Gardens to hear about achieving a sustainable organic community garden in Lilydale. Learn about Bloom, the wicking bed garden in Lilydale which was installed by the Yarra Ranges Council and is maintained by the Lilydale Community Gardens Group. Also, learn how to grow alfalfa.

Edible weeds walk; 2 occurrences on Saturday, 23rd April, at 10.30am-12.30pm and again at 1.30-3.30pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Brunswick East.

Join Adam Grubb, co-author of The Weed Forager’s Handbook, for a fascinating walk on the wild side, foraging for edible weeds.

Urban wine walk; Saturday, 23rd April, midday-4pm; $80; Richmond.

This is a self-guided wine tasting experience, where you choose the order in which you visit the various venues. The ticket includes 30 complementary tastings, a $10 food voucher, a $25 voucher for wine orders and a tasting glass. The participating venues and winemakers: Richmond Club Hotel with Rob Dolan Wines; The Posty with Pacha Mama Wines; The Blacksmith with Innocent Bystander; Maeve Fox with Brown Brothers; Attria Wine Bar with Mount Macleod; Klae with Paringa Estate; South of the Wall with Good Clean Fun Wines; Caddie with Rob Hall Wines; The Precinct with Alkimi Wines; Corner Hotel with Rising Wines; and Waygood with Smallfry Wines.

Australian Distillers Festival; Saturday, 23rd April, midday-7pm; $75; Abbotsford.

There will be around 50 distilleries from around the country plus live demonstrations, food and music. The ticket includes unlimited tastings plus a tasting glass.

Beekeeping workshop; Saturday, 23rd April, 2.30-5pm; $85 ($34 per hour); Brunswick East.

What you will learn: bee behaviour; the various major items that make up a bee hive and how to construct them; and the major tasks in hive management. There will be live bees and honeycomb to look at. The major topics discussed will be: establishing a hive; understanding the tasks to be carried out in Spring; how to go about robbing and extracting honey; and swarm control. Organised by Bee Sustainable.

In March
In April
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Tomato relish; Wednesday, 9th March, 1-2pm; $5; Greensborough.

Sarah will show you how to put your tomatoes to good use. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Cooking up culture with Rita Erlich; Sunday, 27th March, 10.30am-midday; free; Kew.

Experience Jewish culture and watch Rita demonstrate how to make passover cake.

Kombucha workshop; Monday, 4th April, 6.30-8pm; free; Nunawading.

Katherine Barling will show you how to prepare, build and harvest kombucha.

Truffle and praline workshop; Wednesday, 20th April, 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.

Sourdough basics; Wednesday, 27th April, 6.30-8pm; $100 ($66 per hour); Fitzroy.

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.

In March
In April
Regular classes
In Richmond

Read about the upcoming cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News February 23 2022

Feb 232022
 

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

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

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

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

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

More on Collingwood Children’s Farm community gardens

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

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

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

  

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

More on allotments versus communal growing for community gardens

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

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

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

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

A wasp-mimic bee hatching

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

Lentil as Anything is closing

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

Another article from Angelo Eliades

How to make horticultural oil spray for organic pest control

Read more of Angelo’s food-growing articles.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Simply cut some capsicums in half and add googly eyes.

Interested in food statistics?

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

What seeds to plant in March

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

Brassicas  

Broccoli
Cabbage
Kale
Pak Choy
Other cool season veggies  

Broad beans
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens  
Rocket
Silverbeet
Spinach
Roots

Beetroot  
Carrot
Potato
Radish
Other

Chives
Fennel
Leeks
Parsley

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

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

Word of the month – La de la verguenza

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

Read previous words of the month.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

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

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

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

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

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

Read more food-related jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

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

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

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In February
In March
In April
Regular events

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In February
In March
In April
Regular classes
In Richmond

Read about the upcoming cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News February 16 2022

Feb 162022
 

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

Jon Buttery’s podcast of the month

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

ReWine

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

Want a job?

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

The Regent Community Garden food swap

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

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

Collingwood community gardens update

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

So, you don’t want??

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

Orange and date scones (by Jenny Taylor)

[Jenny lives in Bend of Islands.]

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

Ingredients

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

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 180degC.

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

Mix in the chopped dates and the grated orange zest.

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

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

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

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

Repeat with any remaining scone dough scraps.

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

Serve with warm whipped cream or butter.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

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

Joke (or pun) of the week

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

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

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

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

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

Upcoming events – introduction

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

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

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps

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

Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In February
In March
In April

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In February
In March
In April
Regular classes
In Richmond

Read about the upcoming cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News February 9 2022

Feb 092022
 

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

Jaimie on sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our guide to local mushroom growers – updated

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

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

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

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

 
Read our full updated guide to local mushroom growers

Some updates on our local, free community meals

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

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

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

Yes, we can sometimes help!

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

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

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

Want a job?

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

Do you want?

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

A new article by Robin Gale-Baker

Can I save zucchini seed?.

Read more of Robin’s food-growing articles.

Some more articles by Angelo Eliades

Selecting the right size pot or container for growing vegetables.

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

Read more of Angelo’s food-growing articles.

Not local but interesting

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

Joke (or pun) of the week

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

Upcoming events – introduction

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

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

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In February
In March

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read about more cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News February 2 2022

Feb 022022
 

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

Our free community meals

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

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

Some ‘new’ food swaps

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

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

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

A new local mushroom grower

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

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

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

Read their Local Food Directory page. Welcome, Julia!

Some new local videos

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

Want a job?

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

Seed saving (by Pam Jenkins)

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

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

So:

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

Also:

Yes, you did know!

Deformed sweetcorn

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

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

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

Beans not fruiting

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

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

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

Where to buy bulk passata tomatoes

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

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

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

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

Something for you to read

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

Another article by Angelo Eliades

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

Read more of Angelo’s food-growing articles.

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

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

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

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

Makes 8 patties.

Ingredients

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

Method

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.

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

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

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

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

Fry for about 3 minutes on each side.

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

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

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

Joke (or pun) of the week

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

Covid announcement re upcoming events and activities

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

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In February
In March

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LFC News January 26 2022

Jan 272022
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Cathie Nederveen, Elizabeth Hoey, Jian Liu, Judith Chivers, Kerry Bradford, Megan Goodman, Robin Gale-Baker, Rosie Brock, Sarah Mathers and Vicki Jordan.

What’s wrong with my zucchini? (by Robin Gale-Baker)

I (Robin) have always assumed that pollination is a once off event for fruit and vegetables. In other words, I’ve always assumed that a fruit has either been pollinated or it has not. But, from my research, it appears that this is not true for all fruit, including zucchini. Rather, a zucchini requires many pollinations (or pollinators) for it to develop properly. One consequence of this is that you may see both healthy and under-developed fruit on the same plant.

Here are some links to some relevant articles on the Internet. [Editor: some of these articles refer to ‘squash’. ‘Squash’ is an american term which encompasses both pumpkins and zucchini. Read our fun facts about the taxonomy of pumpkins.]

[Editor: since I saw an early draft of Robin’s article, I have been researching the topic as well. Within a typical fruit, there are many seeds and each seed needs to have been pollinated for it to develop. For most flowers, I assume that all the incipient seeds typically get pollinated by the same pollination event but it appears that this is not always the case for plants, such as zucchinis, which have separate female and male flowers. When only some of the incipient seeds within an incipient fruit have been pollinated, the result can apparently be deformed or aborted fruit. This is actually the same phenomenon that I briefly discussed last week in my words about when to harvest sweetcorn.]

Zucchinis, like pumpkins, have separate female and male flowers and are mostly pollinated by bees. Female zucchini flowers that are visited once or twice only by bees or other pollinators will start to turn yellow part way down the fruit or develop a bulbous end nearest the stem (or both). The end furthest from the stem may also begin to rot.

To complicate things, early in the season zucchini plants develop only male flowers. These are recognisable by their thin stem, while the female flower develops a ‘baby’ immature fruit (really an ovary). These early season male flowers are of no use for pollination so you might as well pick them for stuffed zucchini flower recipes.

Given the risk of no, or inadequate, pollination of your zucchinis by nature, it is good if, once female flowers begin to develop, you can offer some help by hand pollinating the female flowers with the pollen from the males.

Hand pollination is best done in the morning when the flowers are open. They generally close in the afternoon.

There are two ways of hand pollinating. First, and possibly the easiest, is to pick a male flower and pull off the petals so that the anther, which will be covered in yellow pollen, is fully exposed. Then use it as a paint brush, smearing the pollen onto the pistil of the open, female flower. The second way is to simply use a fine paint brush to transfer pollen from the male to the female.

If this is too much trouble, an alternative is to fill your garden with biodiverse plantings. Plant as many flowering plants as you can, especially ones that are attractive to bees. While other pollinators do assist, bees, which can enter quite deeply into throated flowers, are the main pollinators of zucchinis.

Finally, note that zucchini is a cultivar (cultivated variety) of the species Cucurbita pepo. This is the same species as the kumi kumi pumpkin, spaghetti squash, the big, orange, inedible fruit that Americans carve coming up to Halloween and some ornamental gourds.

[Read more of Robin’s articles on our website.]

Abbotsford and Carlton Farmers’ Markets are both becoming weekly

Abbotsford Farmers’ Market will be held every Saturday, starting from 12th February.

Carlton Farmers’ Market will be held every Sunday, starting from 13th February. Note the change from Saturdays to Sundays.

A new food swap in Reservoir

At Regent Community Garden, The Regent Centre, 4 Robinson Road, Reservoir. On the 1st Sunday of every month, 1-2pm.

The Regent Community Garden is open every Sunday, midday-3pm and everyone is welcome to go along – no previous gardening experience is necessary!

No you didn’t know (sigh)

Last week, Lucinda Flynn asked “Can tell me the location of the place where all the Italians go to buy their bulk passata tomatoes – I’ve driven past it before (Thornbury, Coburg, Brunswick areas) but can’t remember where.” No on responded but surely someone knows. Email your responses.

Do you know?

Deformed sweetcorn

Kerry Bradford: “What is happening to my sweetcorn and why (see photos)?” Editor: Kerry and I had a chat and she confirmed that the photos show a few (female) kernels growing in the (male) tassels and that this is happening on multiple plants! Email your responses

Beans not setting fruit

Vicki Jordan: “None of my beans are setting fruit – there are plenty of flowers but no beans! Does anyone know why? Full sun, plenty of bees and the pH is 6.9.” Email your responses

A recipe for fatoush (by Cathie Nederveen)

[Following Jaimie’s article last week about golden purslane, Cathie Nederveen has sent in a Syrian recipe which uses purslane.]

Ingredients

2 handfuls of purslane, torn into small pieces (use lettuce and baby spinach if you can’t find purslane)
5 tomatoes, diced
3 Lebanese cucumbers, diced
1 bunch radishes, tops removed, thinly sliced
1 bunch mint, leaves picked
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
2 flat breads, oven dried and crisped, broken up
½ pomegranate, seeds removed (optional)

The dressing
5 lemons, juiced
2 teaspoons sumac
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil

Method

Combine all the dressing ingredients, stir well, and place in the bottom of a large bowl.

Add all the salad ingredients, except the bread, and mix well with hands.

Add the thicker pieces of bread and give them 10 minutes to soak up the dressing.

Just before serving, sprinkle with the remaining smaller bits of crispy bread.

Meg’s garden this month

Clusters of passionvine hoppers (Scolypopa australis) are sheltering from the heat on the underside of the large green leaves of my paulownia tree. Maybe I should be concerned about these sap sucking insects, but they are beautiful with their soft brown, delicate lacy wings. Organic control will be done later in the season when eggs are laid.

The garden has performed well this season, but is now suffering from the heat and my intermittent hand watering. The tomatoes have only just begun to ripen (another late year), with the smaller ‘cherry’ types first. However, the sweetcorn, beans and zucchinis planted back in November have been bountiful, as have the beetroot that we pickled to eat with summer salads (see recipe below).

This month I am:
1. Erecting shade cloth when necessary.
2. Watering each evening.
3. Keeping a close eye out for fruit fly.
4. Collecting seed from dill and other herbs that have gone to seed.
5. Planting more dwarf bean seed.

Pickled beetroot

1 kg fresh beetroot
1 cup sugar
4 cups white vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
about 8 cloves
about 10 peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt

Cook the beetroot in boiling water until just soft. Run under cold water and peel then slice and pack into sterilised jars.

Add all other ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes. Pour over beetroot (ensuring its covered) and seal.

Keep refrigerated.

[Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.]

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Ceramicist William Kidd creates ceramic bowls, vessels, plates, jars and sculptures with the shapes of exotic fantasy fruits and plants.

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

What seeds to plant in February

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Sweetcorn

Cool season veggies

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower

Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Silverbeet

Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Onion
Potato
Radish

Other

Chives
Fennel
Leeks
Parsley

 
In principle, you can start planting some of the brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, etc) but perhaps it would be better to wait until March.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was to Jaimie’s articles on our website about various unusual, edible plants (see right sidebar)..

Word of the month – groak

‘Groak’, meaning to stare silently at someone in the hope that they give you some of their food. This is something that my dog does whenever I am either eating or in the kitchen.

Read previous words of the month.

Gardening quote of the month

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” by Robin Williams.

Read more gardening quotes.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

A nation of shopkeepers. Meaning: either (literally) a description of the English as a people whose power derived from commerce; or (metaphorically) a criticism of the English as a people with little ambition. The phrase originated with the Scottish economist Adam Smith in his Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, where he was using the phrase descriptively (and possibly positively) rather than metaphorically (and disparagingly). It was then reputedly used by Napoleon (who was familiar with Smith’s work) a few years later, where it may or may not have been disparaging.

Another saying sometimes attributed to Napoleon is An army marches on its stomach, meaning either (literally) that it is important for an army to be well-provisioned or (metaphorically) that you must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Submitted by Rosie Brock.

Q (to a New Zealander): What’s a Hindu?
A (from the New Zealander): Lays eggs.

Read more jokes.

Covid announcement re upcoming events and activities

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

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Sustainability in wine making; Thursday, 10th February, 6-9pm; $27 ($9 per hour); Fitzroy.

Mark Foletta will talk about his sustainable wine making practices and how grapevines fit into the natural environment. The ticket price includes a pizza and wine.

Create your own backyard food forest; Wednesday, 23rd February, 6.40-8pm; free; online.

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

Waste in the wine industry; Thursday, 24th February, 6-9pm; $27 ($9 per hour); Fitzroy.

Marshall Waters will discuss his journey in the wine industry, identify where waste exists in the industry, and how it can be made more sustainable. The ticket price includes a pizza and wine.

Home Harvest twilight picnic; Friday, 25th February, 4-8pm; free; Edendale.

This year’s Home Harvest picnic will be a BYO twilight event. Musical entertainment will be provided by Kimba Griffith Quintet, from Hurstbridge, who will play jazz music. Other planned activities include lawn games, a food swap, a seed library and a largest zucchini competition. Cafe Eden will also be open for coffee and food.

Food forest gardening; Thursday, 17th March, 6.30-8pm; free; Edendale.

Learn tips, tricks and the why, when and how of food forest and urban orchard gardening. Find out what’s involved, do some planning and get some handy resources to help with growing some of your food in an efficient way that mimics nature. Suitable for anyone interested in growing food.

The Herb and Chilli Festival; Saturday, 19th March and Sunday, 20th March, both 10am-5pm; $25; Wandin.

This festival will celebrate all things related to herbs and chillies. There will be stalls, demonstrations, talks, tastings, music and dance. There will be around 80 exhibitors.

Bees wax wraps; Saturday, 19th March, 2-4pm; $50 ($25 per hour); Mount Evelyn.

You will learn all about beeswax, how honeybees make it, its antibacterial properties, and how we can use it to reduce our footprint on the planet. You will make your own beeswax food wrap to take home along with a 100% pure beeswax candle and the skills to make more. Organised by Mt Evelyn Community House.

DIY mushrooms; Sunday, 20th March, 10am-4pm; $165 ($28 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.

Starting winter veggies from seed; Sunday, 20th March, 11am-1pm; $30 ($15 per hour); Edendale.

This workshop for beginners will teach you the basics of growing fresh food from seed and will cover: what to plant when; how to make your own seed-raising mix; looking after your seedlings once they’ve sprouted; and troubleshooting common problems such as poor germination, transplant shock and pest attack. Presenter: Jules Jay.

Mushroom cultivation workshop; Sunday, 20th March, 1-4pm; $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.

Wine appreciation (3 sessions); 3 consecutive Mondays, starting, 21st March, 7-8.30pm; $80 ($18 per hour); Brunswick.

Ever thought you’d like to know a little more about wine? Want to find out what “raspberry, oak, tannins on the back palette” really means? Go along and find out from sommelier Kira Janowsky. See, swirl, sniff, sip, savour – you will sample Victorian wines and learn how to recognise the basic structure of wine, and the words to describe it. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

In January
In February
In March

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Ladies day in the kitchen; Thursday, 17th March, 9.30am-midday; $32 ($13 per hour); Yarra Glen.

Jill Bowen Hess will discuss grazing food including BBQs, summer meals and picnics. Organised by Yarra Glen Living & Learning Centre.

Artisan bread making; Sunday, 20th March, 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 savory calzone for lunch, which you make, eat and take home. The focus will be on ciabatta and turkish breads. Organised by Convent Bakery.

Passata day; Sunday, 20th March, 10am-1pm; $15 ($5 per hour); Watsonia.

Learn how to make and bottle/jar passata. Followed by a pasta lunch. Organised by Watsonia Neighbourhood House.

Feta and haloumi cheese making; Sunday, 20th March, 10am-4pm; $170 ($28 per hour); CERES.

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

Truffle workshop at Ratio Cocoa Roasters; Sunday, 20th March, 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.

The art of salad making; Tuesday, 22nd March, 7-8.30pm; $40 ($26 per hour); Hawthorn.

Join them in this hands-on salad making workshop using seasonal produce. You will learn about salads that deliver big, punchy flavours and homemade sauces. Organised by Hawthorn Community House.

In January
In February
In March
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 27th January, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 28th January, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Friday, 28th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 29th January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 29th January, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 30th January, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 30th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 30th January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 3rd February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 4th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 4th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 5th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 5th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 5th February, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 6th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 6th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Sunday, 6th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 10th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 11th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 12th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 13th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 13th February, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Sunday, 13th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 17th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 18th February, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 18th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 19th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 20th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 20th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Sicilian food; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 25th February, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Greek cooking master class; Friday, 25th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 26th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Mexican cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Spanish cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 27th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Sunday, 27th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Italian cooking master class; Sunday, 27th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian); Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 4th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 4th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 5th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 5th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 5th March, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 6th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 6th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Sunday, 6th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 10th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • The cuisine of Central Italy; Thursday, 10th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 11th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 12th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 13th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 13th March, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Sunday, 13th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • A seafood feast; Tuesday, 15th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).

LFC News January 19 2022

Jan 192022
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Cheryl Kearney, Chris Newman, Debbie Crosthwaite, Jaimie Sweetman, Jan Akeroyd, Lee Hirsh, Lucinda Flynn, Marina Bistrin, Sarah Mathers and Yuki Cameron.

Jaimie on golden purslane (Portulaca oleracea var. sativa)

[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 all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.]

Many of you will know common purslane (Portulaca oleracea). Whilst it is readily found, it is considered by some people to be a weed due to its ability to self-seed and grow in poor soils. But did you know that it’s really, really good for you? It has more omega-3 fatty acid than any other land plant and is extremely high in iron. They use it a lot in the Mediterranean areas and it goes great with fresh fish.

The cultivated variety pictured right is called golden purslane (Portulaca oleracea var. sativa). It doesn’t spread or have the weedy attributes of common purslane. But it will re-seed in its spot and come back year after year for your enjoyment. It has larger, fleshier leaves then common purslane and I eat these raw as I’m wondering around the garden but they can be put into salads for extra crunch and texture. Seeds are readily available online and it’s a really great annual which has high nutritional value and is easy to grow, plus it has the added benefit of it re-seeding itself in your garden (but not to the point it would be considered a weed) every year.

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

A new local maker of fudge – Sweetart Kitchen

Sweetart Kitchen, who are based in Ringwood, make delicate, handcrafted fudge. They offer six unique flavours; key lime & meringue, rose & white chocolate, cinnamon chai latte, chocolate & orange, cappuccino creme and vanilla crumble. Each is available in 160g packs of eight pieces. You can buy their products either online or at several of the local markets (Eltham, Heathmont, Hurstbridge, Montrose and Nunawading).

Read Sweetart Kitchen’s page in our Local Food Directory. Welcome Rebecca!

Our guide to local cheese – updated

As this table from our updated guide to local cheese demonstrates, there are lots of local cheese producers and lots of ways of buying their products. There is also a wide choice of different types of cheese.

 
Name		  
Base		 What do
they sell?		 Where do they sell?
Own shop? Other shops? Online? Markets?
AVS Organic Foods Watsonia North vegan . yes yes .
That’s Amore Cheese Thomastown mainly soft, Italian yes yes yes .
The Cheese Rebels Epping . . . . .
Wholemilk Continental Cheese Company Heidelberg West mainly hard yes yes . .
Yarra Valley Dairy Yering mainly soft, goat yes yes . .

 
Read our full updated guide to local cheese

Yes, you did know!

Last week, Alex Salmon asked how she could get rid of the sheep’s sorrel that has overtaken some wicking beds. 6 of you responded, with all 6 contributions being very informative:

3 of you suggested that raising the pH of the soil would help:

  • Chris Newman: Sheep sorrel likes acid soils and, according to this article, adding lime and fertiliser will help control it.
  • Cheryl Kearney: I have had a similar issue with sheep sorrel growing rampant. I am on very acidic soil which sheep sorrel apparently loves. I have managed to gradually reduce it by repeatedly applying lime or dolomite, especially around the edges of the garden bed. In other words, my suggestion is that you increase the pH of the soil in the wicking bed to slow the sorrel and make it more manageable. Note that I also use sheep sorrel as a lemon substitute as it adds a great tangy lemon flavour to fish and salads; however, I can never use it all as it is so prolific. Working with weeds: a practical guide to understanding, managing and using weeds by Kate Wall has some words on the subject – here is an excerpt: “Sheep sorrel, chicory, dandelions, plaintain, bindii and clover all favour slightly acid soils. Adjusting the pH with dolomite will give a competitive advantage to the lawn over the weeds. In the case of plaintain and sheep sorrel, allow them to decompose in situ and they will act to slowly raise the pH of the soil naturally. They do this by being an accumulator of calcium and phosphorous, both nutrients which are limited in the low fertility soils that weeds are commonly found in.“
  • Debbie Crosthwaite: I have been battling sheep sorrel for many years and I have now mostly eradicated it from my garden beds (both ornamental and vegetable). It likes an acidic, low in nitrogen, soil. I have had success by applying a fair amount of garden lime, then mulching heavily with cardboard or newspaper and then pea straw. This takes time and patience. I initially tried to dig the sheep sorrel up, however, it grew up back stronger and more vigorous!

2 of you worried about the seeds that the sheep sorrel has been creating:

  • Yuki Cameron: It looks like the plants have gone to seed so there may be lots of seed in the soil that may be germinating each time the bed is cleared. Removing the plants and roots may not be enough to get rid of this problem. Maybe put a weed mat or black plastic down and plant strawberry and selected veggie seedlings in small holes in the weed mat/black plastic. Note that you would probably need a drip watering system in the bed to keep it moist enough.
  • Marina Bistrin: Sheep sorrel is very persistent. If the soil is removed, sieved and put back, some of the seeds may still be in it as they are quite fine and I suspect that it may need to be done two years in a row. Also, until Alex decides on what permanent solution to adopt, I suggest that she weeds out any of the flowering seed heads as they emerge to stop further spread. I also suggest that she only grows quick growing crops (e.g. lettuce and radishes) in that area so that a weeding can be done in between crops.

Finally, Jan Akeroyd discussed how to get rid of any problematic weed: My approach for any problematic weed that sprouts from root fragments is to cover the area with cardboard and mulch followed by ongoing monitoring to remove any shoots that come up through the cardboard barrier. The root fragments sprout and exhaust their energy growing long shoots under the cardboard looking for a way to get to the light. Once the bulk of the root fragments have died off, and the bed is back in production, ongoing monthly monitoring for any shoots will eventually deal with the rest. For sheep sorrel, there may also be a seed bank in the soil and/or there may be seed coming in from nearby plants so it might be hard to eradicate completely. Note that the leaves are edible so any seedlings can be harvested and used in small quantities (they contain oxalic acid) in a salad – read this website.

Do you know?

Lucinda Flynn: “Can tell me the location of the place where all the Italians go to buy their bulk passata tomatoes – I’ve driven past it before (Thornbury, Coburg, Brunswick areas) but can’t remember where.” Email your responses.

Want a job?

As discussed later under events, Brunswick Neighbourhood House is running a 9 week pre-accredited course entitled Step to employment in horticulture, which will take place in Fawkner and which will run on 9 consecutive Fridays starting 11th February, each 9.30am-3pm. They need someone to run the course. This is a paid position. Candidates will have a gardening/horticulture qualification of some kind and/or considerable, demonstrable experience. Teaching experience will be highly regarded. For more information, contact Janet Thompson, Brunswick Neighbourhood House ACFE Coordinator by email (bnhacfe@bnhc.vic.gov.au).

Want to volunteer?

The Community Grocer is looking for volunteers to help with their markets in Carlton, Fitzroy and Heidelberg West. Read more.

‘Crowd harvest’ – summer herbs

During January, take your surplus herb plants in pots, freshly cut herbs or dried herbs to NewHope Community Care in Blackburn North. They have clients who could make use of these herbs.

Another article from Angelo Eliades

How to protect plants from frost with seaweed extract.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the last newsletter was 3000acres’ announcement that they are joining CERES.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Submitted by Lee Hirsh.

Q: Why was the celery given a restraining order?
A: It was stalking the other vegetables.

Read more jokes.

Covid announcement re upcoming events and activities

Some of the events below will probably be cancelled because of Covid. For example, all upcoming face-to-face events organised by Boroondara Council have just been cancelled, including both their urban backyard food forest tours and their Winter vegetable gardening workshops. So, if you are planning to go to an event, you might want to check in advance that it is actually happening.

Many of the events below will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Regular activities over the coming week

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Because of Covid, all upcoming face-to-face events organised by Boroondara Council have been cancelled. These include both and their urban backyard food forest tours and their Winter vegetable gardening workshops.

Arts in the garden; Saturday, 29th January, 10am-12.30pm; $12; Hurstbridge.

Join artist Leanne Mooney for a workshop on creating sculpture from simple materials found in nature. Take along special rocks, sticks, leaves, feathers or seed pods collected from the garden or a local park. After looking at works by other sculptors, you will explore ways to join your materials together to make a sculpture to take home. Organised by Edible Hub Community Garden.

Food forest tour and workshop; Saturday, 29th January, 1.30-3pm; $40 ($26 per hour); Camberwell.

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

Waste becomes blossoms and butterflies; Saturday, 5th February, 10am-12.30pm; free; Hurstbridge.

Children and adults alike are invited to join them as they turn textile waste into a community wall hanging. Drop in and learn how to create flowers, leaves and butterflies from fabric waste. They will then be attached to a wall hanging where they will turn a bare tree into a blossoming tree, which represents the community working together to solve a problem (in this case textile waste) and the beauty that it creates in the process. Organised by SHIFT.

Step to employment in horticulture (9 sessions); on 9 consecutive Fridays starting 11th February, each 9.30am-3pm; free; Fawkner.

Learn basic skills and gain knowledge necessary for working in the horticultural industry or progressing to further study. Subjects will include plant identification, propagation, planting and pruning. You will be given hands-on gardening experience during the course, understanding both gardening tools and OH&S considerations. Free subject to ACFE eligibility. Organised by Brunswick Neighbourhood House.

Planning your autumn vegetable garden; Tuesday, 15th February, 1-2.30pm; free; Coburg.

Kaye Roberts-Palmer from Blue Bee Garden Design will discuss what to plant and how to prepare your garden for Autumn. Registrations essential.

Pop up garlic farmer (9 month course); a 9 month course starting on Saturday, 26th February.

In this 9 month course, you will get: 8 workshops & farm tours; garlic seed to plant (approx. 500 seeds); land use and access for 10 months; water, mulch and compost; and your own crop of organically grown garlic at the end of the year to sell, give away or simply keep for yourself. You can choose either Heide Kitchen Gardens in Bulleen or The Veggie Empire in Greensborough as the location to grow your garlic.

Introduction to beekeeping; Saturday, 26th February, 9.30am-4.30pm; $225 ($25 per hour); Blackburn North.

The all day program is highly interactive and includes a live hive opening on the following Saturday (10.30am-12.30pm) as well as other hands-on skill building exercises. Background instruction incorporates equipment selection and bee biology in addition to details of the Apiary and Biosecurity Codes of Practice. Included in the course fee are a comprehensive handbook and a copy of the textbook The Australian Beekeeping Manual, 2nd Ed. which retails at $60. Organised by the Beekeepers Club.

Veggie gardening for beginners; Thursday, 10th March, 6.30-9pm; $55 ($22 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: how to set up and prepare a vegetable garden; how to select, plant and care for crops; and how to grow veggies in the ground, in raised beds and in pots. Presented by Tess Gosling. This class will teach you everything you need to know to grow delicious produce in your own backyard. They will cover all of the veggie gardening basics, from setting up your patch to harvesting.

Beginning beekeeping course; Saturday, 12th March, 9am-3.30pm; $245 ($41 per hour); Edendale.

What you will learn: getting started with backyard beekeeping; how to maintain a healthy hive, the wonders of swarms and how to keep them in check; and the wonders of pure raw honey and an understanding of honey extraction. Weather permitting, they will open a hive and have a hands-on demonstration working with hives. Take a packed lunch. Presenter: Benedict Hughes.

Growing mushrooms at home; Sunday, 13th March, 10am-12.30pm; $95 ($38 per hour); Alphington.

Learn how to grow oyster mushrooms from your own home without using expensive kits. Learn how to make your own mushroom growing kits in recycled buckets. Also, tour the mushroom farm. You will take home: the mushroom kit that you made at the workshop plus instructions for how to make more kits. Organised by Sporadical City Mushrooms.

Complete urban farmer (14 sessions); weekly, starting Wednesday, 16th March, 9am-3pm; $880 ($10 per hour); CERES.

Presenters: Justin Calverley and Donna Livermore. The topics to be covered will include: permaculture; fruit production; soil preparation; beekeeping; composting, worm farming and fertilisers; vegetable growing; propagation; seed collection; pest & disease management; bushfoods & berries; chooks; and community gardens.

In January
In February
In March

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Passata party vol. 2; Saturday, 12th February, 10am-4pm; free; Coburg North.

Learn how to pick, clean, boil, mash, sieve and bottle fresh tomatoes. Relax and enjoy the music. They recommend wearing only red – or clothes you are happy to get dirty in. Organised by Newlands Neighbourhood House.

Men in the kitchen; Monday, 7th March, 6.30-9pm; $32 ($13 per hour); Yarra Glen.

Jill Bowen Hess will discuss grazing food including BBQs, summer meals and picnics. Organised by Yarra Glen Living & Learning Centre.

Italian cooking; Thursday, 10th March, 6-8pm; $70 ($35 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Lucia Silverii will teach the time-honoured techniques of southern Italian cooking. This session will focus on desserts. Organised by Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.

Middle Eastern cooking; Friday, 11th March, 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. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

Kitchen garden sessions #1; Saturday, 12th March, 10am-midday; $15; Coburg.

Walking through the kitchen garden, the group will decide what to might cook, create a menu, and share a meal at the end. Organised by East Coburg Neighbourhood House.

Beginners bread making; Sunday, 13th March, 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; pizza for lunch, which you make, eat and take home; and an embroidered apron made from 100% Fairtrade cotton. Organised by Convent Bakery.

The ultimate biscuit class; Tuesday, 15th March, 10am-3pm; $160 ($32 per hour); Blackburn.

Learn about flours and how they interact with other ingredients. Learn a variety of techniques and textures to create many different types of biscuits from shortbreads, to fancy petit fours, wedged with ganache and dipped in chocolate. They will cover shelf life, storage, freezing and nutritional input. They will include gluten free, dairy free and nut free recipes. You will take home 1kg of assorted biscuits made in the class plus their recipes.

In January
In February
In March
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 20th January, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 21st January, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 22nd January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indonesian cooking master class; Saturday, 22nd January, 2-4pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 22nd January, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 27th January, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 28th January, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Friday, 28th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 29th January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 29th January, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 30th January, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 30th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 30th January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 3rd February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 4th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 4th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 5th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 5th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 5th February, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 6th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 6th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Sunday, 6th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 10th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 11th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 12th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 13th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 13th February, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Sunday, 13th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 17th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 18th February, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 18th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 19th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 20th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 20th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Sicilian food; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 25th February, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Greek cooking master class; Friday, 25th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 26th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Mexican cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Spanish cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 27th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Sunday, 27th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Italian cooking master class; Sunday, 27th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian); Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 4th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 4th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 5th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 5th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 5th March, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 6th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 6th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Sunday, 6th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).

LFC News January 12 2022

Jan 122022
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Amy Wong, Bev Middleton, Buttons Mira, Krysty Plumridge, Laura Nix, Merrin Layden, Pauline Webb, Rebecca Gray and Soo Mei Leong.

Bev Middleton writes about soil health

As you may (or may not) remember, 5th December 2021 was World Soil Day. On that day, I met up with Bev Middleton, from Macleod, who is the Director of Healthy Soils Australia. Subsequent to that meeting, Bev agreed to write an introductory article on soil health for our website and, true to her word, she has now done so.

As Bev says in the introduction to her article, “Healthy soil plays a key role in our food security, health, clean water, eco services and our climate. Healthy soil has lots of organic matter, teeming with life, and soil rich in microorganisms, fungi and nutrients produces nutrient dense food. While we cannot see them, microorganisms (aka microbes), protozoa and nematodes all provide the plants with the nutrients that they need plus protection against pests and disease. Soil with lots of organic matter also has a good structure that holds more water and nutrients for the microorganisms in the soil.”

She then sets out six principles for building your own soil health:

  1. Add lots of organic matter and compost.
  2. Limit disturbance.
  3. Keep your ground covered.
  4. Diversity of plants.
  5. Keep living roots in the soil
  6. Limit use of chemical pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides.

Read the full article.

A new local mushroom grower – The Mushroomery

The Mushroomery is a little urban mushroom farm, based in Alphington, which offers a variety of mushrooms to both the local community and restaurants. You can buy the mushrooms either as once-off purchases or via an ongoing subscription/arrangement. They also sell mushroom kits. You can buy either online or at several of the local farmers’ markets (Alphington, Carlton, Coburg and Heathmont). They grow their mushrooms in reusable buckets, rather than single use plastic bags, thus reducing waste.

As well as selling mushroom, Buttons, who is the owner of The Mushroomery, also wants to spread the knowledge of how mushrooms grow and what benefits they can have for both your and the environment’s health. She also feels that those of us in the urban bubble are losing connection and understanding of the food systems that support us. She hopes that by farming in urban areas her farm will be a visible place where people can learn more and that she can contribute to bridging the gap between rural and urban areas.

Read the Mushroomery’s page in our Local Food Directory. Welcome Buttons!

Our guide to local chocolate – updated

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to update the various guides on our website to categories of local food, adding new producers and removing those that no longer appear to be trading. First up is local chocolate producers.

As this table from our updated guide to local chocolate demonstrates, there are lots of local chocolate producers and lots of ways of buying their products.

 
Name		  
Base		 Where do they sell?
Own shop? Other shops? Online? Markets?
Chocolatier Australia Ivanhoe yes yes yes .
Cocoa Rhapsody Coburg . yes . yes
Girl Made Chocolate Northcote . yes . yes
Manuko Thornbury . yes yes .
Organic Times Bayswater . yes yes .
Ratio Cocoa Roasters Brunswick yes yes yes .
Van Nunen Chocolates Eltham . yes . .
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery Yarra Glen yes . yes .

 
Read our full updated guide to local chocolate

Yes, I did know!

Amy Wong has sent in the picture right and asked how she can tell when her sweetcorns are ready for harvesting. Here is my answer:

  1. Harvest the ears 20 days after the silk first appears. Or, press a kernel with a fingernail: creamy=ripe; watery=unripe; no liquid=over-ripe.
  2. Note that every kernel on a cob needs to be separately pollinated and, once pollinated, the attached silk usually turns brown and/or falls off. In Amy’s case, there are some brown silks but many yellow silks, so probably many kernels remain to be pollinated.
  3. Hand pollination really helps: each day, pull off a tassel from the top of the plant (the male) and rub it onto the silks (the female).

If anyone would like to add anything (or correct me), email me.

Do you know?

I asked this question in December but no one answered it so I am asking it again.

Alex Salmon spends time working in a communal garden space in Burwood. Over the last few years, sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella) has taken over several of the wicking beds. She has sifted through the soil with fork and hands to about 15cm deep, removing all pieces of root, but anything that escapes her soon flourishes. Someone else sprayed with Roundup but the plants soon grew back. In desperation, Alex is thinking about removing all the soil and either putting it carefully through a sieve to remove any root material or completely replacing it. Can anyone suggest an easier solution? Email me with your responses and I’ll pass them onto Alex.

Yes, we can help!

Late last year, Rebecca Gray asked if anyone had any water kefir grains that they could give her. And the response is that Pauline Webb could and did.

3000acres is becoming part of CERES

Read their ‘press release’.

Not local but interesting

15 food gardens are being opened to the public on the weekend of 22/23 January in West Gippsland (from Warragul to Moe). $8 per garden or $60 for all 15 gardens. Read more on their Creative Harvest website.

Thanks for the heads up, Soo Mei Leong, who writes: “Having visited various of the gardens each year since Creative Harvest began a few years ago, I am always impressed and in awe of the resilient garden owners who open their gardens to visitors in the heat of summer. From suburbia plots in the Warragul area to rambling country gardens, one learns so much about permaculture principles, chooks, beekeeping and water conservation techniques, as well as tips on growing berries, fruits and veggies organically. There is the added bonus of a creative artist (mosiacs, sculptures, etc) in most of the gardens to chat with. This year, one of the gardens (Green Hills Farm) is an ABC Dream Garden which featured on television in 2021. My favourite phrase from the various garden descriptions is ‘veggie avatar’.”

One of the organisers of the event, Kristy Plumridge, has written an article about the event for our website.

Some new articles from Angelo Eliades

Does watering plants on a hot sunny day scorch their leaves? Interestingly, Angelo’s answer is ‘no’.

The best way to use pest animal scent repellents so they don’t wash away.

How much of a difference does the thermal mass of a wall make for plants and trees in Winter?. Angelo’s answer is effectively ‘quite a lot’.

Read Angelo’s previous food-related articles.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the newsletter was our calendar of free, local events.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Q: How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
A: Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack.

Read more jokes.

Regular activities over the coming week

I presume that all the events below are actually happening but I can’t guarantee it so you might want to check in advance if you are planning to go.

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Vegetable seed saving; Thursday, 3rd March, 6.30-8pm; free; Edendale.

Autumn is the perfect time to save some of your summer vegetable seeds for re-planting in spring. Rachel Bishop will give you the basic knowledge and skills required to save your own true-to-type vegetable seeds. Seed selection, harvesting, processing and storing will all be covered.

Flavours of Coburg food tour; Saturday, 5th March, 10am-1pm; $49 ($16 per hour); Coburg.

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

Grow your own native edibles; Saturday, 5th March, 1-2.30pm; $61 ($41 per hour); Abbotsford.

You will learn how to grow and harvest 10 different native edibles that can be grown in either large gardens or on the patio in a pot. You will also try a native tea of lemon myrtle, river mint or lemon scented tea tree. Organised by Cultivating Community.

In January
In February

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Italian cooking; Thursday, 3rd March, 6-8pm; $70 ($35 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Lucia Silverii will teach the time-honoured techniques of southern Italian cooking. This session will focus on antipasto and main meals. Organised by Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre.

Beginners bread making; Sunday, 6th March, 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; pizza for lunch, which you make, eat and take home; and an embroidered apron made from 100% Fairtrade cotton. Organised by Convent Bakery.

Sri Lankan cooking class; Tuesday, 8th March, 6-9pm; $90 ($30 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Experience the tastes, smells and sounds of Sri Lankan cooking. You will make two different curries, coconut sambal and a side dish. Afterwards, you’ll sit down and enjoy a Sri Lankan feast. Organised by Balwyn Community Centre.

In January
In February
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 13th January, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Friday, 14th January, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 14th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 15th January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Saturday, 15th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 16th January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Sunday, 16th January, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Spanish cooking master class; Sunday, 16th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 20th January, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 21st January, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 22nd January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indonesian cooking master class; Saturday, 22nd January, 2-4pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 22nd January, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 27th January, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 28th January, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Friday, 28th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 29th January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 29th January, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 30th January, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 30th January, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 30th January, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 3rd February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 4th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 4th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 5th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 5th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 5th February, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 6th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 6th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Sunday, 6th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 10th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 11th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 12th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 13th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 13th February, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Sunday, 13th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 17th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 18th February, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 18th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 19th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Saturday, 19th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 20th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 20th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Sicilian food; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 25th February, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Greek cooking master class; Friday, 25th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 26th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Mexican cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Spanish cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 27th February, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Sunday, 27th February, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Italian cooking master class; Sunday, 27th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).

LFC News January 5 2022

Jan 052022
 

Happy New Year everyone!

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Lisa Toone, Meg Montague, Raffaela Ceddia and Savannah Supski.

Lots of new, upcoming events were announced over the holiday period and these are enough on their own to fill this newsletter so you will have to wait until next week’s newsletter for other news, articles, etc.

Regular activities over the coming week

I presume that all the events below are actually happening but I can’t guarantee it so you might want to check in advance if you are planning to go.

Farmers’ markets
Food swaps
Community gardens

Yes, you did know!

In the last newsletter, Gina Wilson asked what the pictured plant is (see left hand photo). As both Lisa Toone and Meg Montague have written in to say, it is a hollyhock. Gina has now decided to keep it. I asked Gina to send me a photo when it had flowered and she has just done so (see right hand photo).

What seeds to plant in January

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Sweetcorn

Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Parsley
Silverbeet

Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Potato
Radish

Perennials

Chives

 
January is not a good planting month: too late for all summer veggies except beans and sweetcorn and, although you can plant leafy greens such as lettuce, mizuna and mustard greens, they are likely to go to seed pretty quickly.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

The photo is of an ‘insect hotel’ at the University of Melbourne. As discussed on their website, the hotel is designed to educate visitors about our diverse native insect population by drawing attention to the role that native bees and other insects play in pollinating native plant species. Some of the holes seem big enough to accommodate a small cat!

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in the newsletter was the evidence-based permaculture Facebook group.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A rabbi, a priest, and a Lutheran minister walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and says, “Is this some kind of joke?”

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

As has become traditional, the list of events below covers the next two months and is divided between non-cooking and cooking events. Clicking the name of any event will take you to the full detail plus a link to register/book your place.

The events listed are restricted to face-to-face events and do not include online events. Obviously, they are also restricted to those that I am aware of. If you know of any local, food-related events that are not listed then please email me. If someone emails me about their event then, because I believe in rewarding effort, I will highlight it in the next newsletter.

You can also look at the various calendars on the website, including:

The website calendars have a number of features which allow you to filter or re-format the list of events to suit your purposes. These include:

  • Filtering by suburb or Council area (click the button top left called ‘locations’).
  • Alternating between a list format and a calendar format (click the button top right called ‘agenda’).
  • Registering/booking your place for a particular event (click the button on the right of the event called ‘tickets’).
  • Reading the event description for a particular event (click the button on the right of the event called ‘+’).

There are also website calendars for all the recurring events including community garden get togethers, food swaps, free meals and markets.

Finally, there are separate website calendars for each of the Council areas in North East Melbourne.

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Food photography; Saturday, 15th January, 9.30am-12.30pm; $109 ($36 per hour); Eltham.

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

Botanical drinks; Saturday, 15th January, 3-4.30pm; $22 ($15 per hour); Bulleen.

Enjoy a summer afternoon tour in the gardens with Heide gardeners David Murphy and Luke Murchie. Sample garden botanicals such as elderflower and prickly currant in gin, tea and soda. Organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art.

Foraging course (5 sessions); on 5 consecutive Wednesdays from 19th January, each 6-8pm; $277 ($28 per hour); Coburg.

The various sessions will explore specific plants, including identification, nutrition, properties and recipes, ending in tastings of wild food treats. You will learn about: the importance of wild foods; medicine as food; the difference between cultivated foods and wild food; sustainable wildcrafting; safe foraging; identification, nutrition and properties of several plants; and recipes for each of the plants. Organised by Taj Scicluna (aka The Perma Pixie).

Bakery Hill whisky distillery tour and tasting; 2 occurrences on Friday, 21st January and Saturday, 29th January, each 11am-12.30pm; $59 ($40 per hour); Bayswater North

Visit the oldest single malt whisky distillery on mainland Australia. The tour will be conducted by the distiller himself where you will learn how Bakery Hill produces its malts. Touch, smell and taste all the elements of single malt whisky production. The tour will conclude with a tasting of the core range and the opportunity to purchase products at discount prices.

Growing mushrooms at home; Saturday, 22nd January, 10am-12.30pm; $95 ($38 per hour); Alphington.

Learn how to grow oyster mushrooms from your own home without using expensive kits. Learn how to make your own mushroom growing kits in recycled buckets. Also, tour the mushroom farm. You will take home: the mushroom kit that you made at the workshop plus instructions for how to make more kits. Organised by Sporadical City Mushrooms.

Sprouting gardens; Saturday, 22nd January, 10.30am-midday; $62 ($41 per hour); Abbotsford.

Make your own sprouted garden that will include, seeds, jar, and cloth top. Learn how a seed germinates, how to start your sprouting garden and how to look after it so your sprouts don’t rot. Try out different types of seeds that have different crunch and flavour once they start to sprout. Organised by Cultivating Community.

How to make beeswax food wraps; Thursday, 27th January, 6.30-8pm; $60 ($40 per hour); Fitzroy.

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

Flavours of Coburg food tour; 3 occurrences on Saturdays, 29th January, 12th February and 26th February, each 10am-1pm; $49 ($16 per hour); Coburg.

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

The herbal apprentice (7 sessions); starting on Thursday, 3rd February, 6-8pm; $732 ($52 per hour); Brunswick East.

This will be an intermediate level herbal medicine internship teaching essential gardening practices, techniques of germination & cultivation, harvesting, drying & storing plant material, and catalysing this material into herbal medicines. Organised by Taj Scicluna (aka The Perma Pixie).

Building wicking beds using recycled materials; Saturday, 5th February, 10.30am-midday; $97 ($64 per hour); Abbotsford.

Learn about the benefits of wicking beds, how they work, what plants are suitable for wicking beds and what are not, and how to make wicking beds using recycled materials. Participants will make a small wicking bed using recycled materials to take home, including soil and seedlings. Organised by Cultivating Community.

Beginners compost, worm farms and bokashi bins; Saturday, 5th February, 1-2.30pm; $67 ($44 per hour); Abbotsford.

In this workshop, you will look at: both hot and cold composting and their benefits; how to set up and run successful above-ground and in-ground worm farms; why run multiple composting systems and how each one can be used in your garden; and how to compost and increase soil biodiversity with your Bokashi bin. Organised by Cultivating Community.

Introduction to horticulture – 9 session course; every Monday, starting 7th February, each 9.30am-2.30pm; $50 for all 9 sessions; Edendale.

This is an entry-level course, so it is designed for participants with no prior knowledge or experience in horticulture. Working as a team with fellow participants, you will gain a broad overview and practical, hands-on experience about such topics as: introduction to plant recognition; propagation; planting; soil properties; environmentally sustainable work practices; and career pathways/further study in the horticulture industry. Organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik.

Growing mushrooms at home; Saturday, 12th February, 10am-12.30pm; $95 ($38 per hour); Alphington.

Learn how to grow oyster mushrooms from your own home without using expensive kits. Learn how to make your own mushroom growing kits in recycled buckets. Also, tour the mushroom farm. You will take home: the mushroom kit that you made at the workshop plus instructions for how to make more kits. Organised by Sporadical City Mushrooms.

Beginners backyard beekeeping; Saturday, 12th February, 10am-3pm; $220 ($44 per hour); CERES.

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

Wine workshop for enthusiasts; Tuesday, 15th February, 7-8.30pm; $40 ($26 per hour); Hawthorn.

Join Lily for a fun introduction to what we can taste from the wine, differences between shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, how to pair food and much more. Organised by Hawthorn Community House.

Complete urban farmer (14 sessions); weekly, starting Thursday, 17th February, 9am-3pm; $880 ($10 per hour); CERES.

Presenters: Justin Calverley and Donna Livermore. The topics to be covered will include: permaculture; fruit production; soil preparation; beekeeping; composting, worm farming and fertilisers; vegetable growing; propagation; seed collection; pest & disease management; bushfoods & berries; chooks; and community gardens.

The joy of backyard chooks; Thursday, 17th February, 6.30-9pm; $50 ($20 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: how to get started with keeping chickens in a suburban backyard; how to house and protect chooks from predators; and how chooks can be used to improve your garden and soil. Presented by Tess Gosling. Keeping a few chooks in the backyard used to be a staple of Australian suburban life, and their eggs made up a healthy part of our diet. But even though our house blocks might be shrinking, a smaller backyard doesn’t necessarily mean an end to raising or enjoying them. In this class, you will find out just how easy it is to keep a few hens as pets and as the ultimate garden recyclers, as well as everything you need to know about housing, protecting and feeding them, and lots of practical ideas on how to live harmoniously with them in your garden. Suitable for those who have never kept chooks before.

Gardening in small spaces; Saturday, 19th February, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

You will learn how to maximise your small space to create an abundant oasis of food, herbs and ornamentals. In particular, you will learn: gardening skills; how to maximise small spaces and grow your own food; and how to transform your balcony. Presenter: Clare.

Make a blue-banded bee apartment block; Saturday, 19th February, 10.30am-midday; $65 ($44 per hour); Abbotsford.

A workshop for all ages and all families; suitable for children accompanied by their parents or carers. Participants will make a mudbrick block for the female blue banded bee. The workshop will also include: learning all about the blue-banded bee nesting habits and how they assist with fertilising plants; what plants will bring the blue-banded bee into your garden; making a blue-banded bee nest using mud and pipe; and advice on how to stack the nests to create an apartment block for the bees. Participants will take home the block that they make. Organised by Cultivating Community.

Healthy productive compost and worms; Sunday, 20th February, 9.30am-12.30pm; $50 ($17 per hour); Bulleen Art and Garden (BAAG).

What you will learn: the importance of compost for soil health; how to fix common composting problems; and setting up and looking after a worm farm.
Presented by Kirsteen Macleod. Learn how to make great compost, the essential ingredient for a thriving and healthy garden. Look at worm farms and Bokashi as other options. They will also show you how to make a DIY worm farm using recycled products.

Winter vegetable gardening; 2 occurences on Saturday, 26th February, each with separate booking arrangements, at 8.45-10.15am and 11am-12.30pm; free; Hawthorn.

Join Teresa Day, from Sustainable Gardening Australia, to receive practical tips and advice on soil preparation, winter plant selection, seeds and seedlings, sustainable pest control and garden maintenance to ensure a thriving and healthy backyard crop. You will also have the opportunity to participate in some hands-on ‘seed’ and ‘soil’ activities. Organised by Boroondara Council.

Growing and cooking with bushfoods; Saturday, 26th February, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 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. Presenter: Belinda Kennedy. Tour the CERES bush food gardens, learn how to identify, grow and maintain a variety of local bush foods, 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.

Beekeeping workshop; Saturday, 26th February, 2.30-5pm; $85 ($34 per hour); Brunswick East.

What you will learn: bee behaviour; the various major items that make up a bee hive and how to construct them; and the major tasks in hive management. What you will get: a wooden beehive frame that will have beeswax foundation inserted as part of the workshop; and a $5 discount on the book Bee AgSkills. There will be live bees and honeycomb to look at in a secure exhibition cabinet and a discussion of bee behaviour and hive management. The major items that make up a hive and their construction will be discussed. The equipment a beekeeper needs to work bees will also be reviewed. The major topics discussed will be: establishing a hive; understanding the tasks to be carried out in Spring; how to go about robbing and extracting honey; and swarm control. Organised by Bee Sustainable.

Beeswax wraps; Sunday, 27th February, 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 & Learning Centre.

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events will be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Become a junior chocolatier; Numerous occasions on Thursday, 6th January (9-9.45am, 10-10.10.45am, 11-11.45am and midday-12.45pm), Wednesday, 12th January (9-9.45am), Thursday, 13th January (9-9.45am), Wednesday, 19th January (9-9.45am), Thursday, 20th January (9-9.45am), and Saturday, 26th February (10-10.45am); $40 ($53 per hour); Yarra Glen.

In a 45 minute ‘parent-free zone’, children aged 6–12 years can learn from their chocolatiers how to make their very own chocolate creations. Includes personalised badge, chef’s hat and apron, graduation certificate plus take home three chocolate creations to enjoy.

Cook Indian by the creek for kids; Tuesday, 11th January, 11.30am-12.30pm; $39 ($39 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Menu: aloo tikki burger, yoghurt chutney and chickpea salad.

Truffle workshop at Ratio Cocoa Roasters; Sunday, 16th January, 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.

Cook Indian by the creek for kids; Tuesday, 18th January, 11.30am-12.30pm; $39 ($39 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Menu: aloo parantha (potato stuffed flatbread) and yoghurt mint raita.

Beginners cheese making class; Saturday, 29th January, 10am-3pm; $180 ($36 per hour); Thomastown.

What you will learn: how to make hand-stretched fresh mozzarella and create bocconcini; how to make primo sale; and how to make fresh ricotta. What you will get: gourmet Italian style lunch; and primo sale and freshly made mozzarella to take home. Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

Beginners bread making; 4 occurences on Sundays, 30th January, 6th February, 20th February and 27th February, each 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; pizza for lunch, which you make, eat and take home; and an embroidered apron made from 100% Fairtrade cotton. Organised by Convent Bakery

Cannoli making masterclass; Sunday, 30th January, 11am-1pm; $106 ($53 per hour)); Northcote.

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

Tortelloni and ravioli class; Saturday, 5th February, 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. Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

Mozzarella making class; Sunday, 6th February, 10am-midday; $120 ($60 per hour); Thomastown.

What you will learn: the process behind producing curd; how to make hand-stretched fresh mozzarella; and how to shape mozzarella into bocconcini and trecce. What you will get: guided cheese tasting with a glass of wine; and freshly made mozzarella to take home. Organised by That’s Amore Cheese.

An Asian street food feast; Sunday, 6th February, 10am-3pm; $180 ($40 per hour); Panton Hill.

Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree. This class will focus on Vietnamese and Thai food for meat lovers. The menu: roast duck treated with a honey, cinnamon and five spice glaze; coconut rice; a pineapple salad with a cumquat, black vinegar and sesame dressing; crying tiger beef salad with a signature hot and sour Thai dressing; cooked prawns in their shells; and water spinach with either dry roasted belacan (shrimp paste) or Vietnamese style with fermented yellow beans and garlic. Then you will sit on the verandah with a local wine or beer and enjoy the feast.

The ultimate biscuit class; 2 occurrences on Tuesdays, 8th February and 22nd February, each 10am-3pm; $160 ($32 per hour); Blackburn.

Learn about flours and how they interact with other ingredients. Learn a variety of techniques and textures to create many different types of biscuits from shortbreads, to fancy petit fours, wedged with ganache and dipped in chocolate. They will cover shelf life, storage, freezing and nutritional input. They will include gluten free, dairy free and nut free recipes. You will take home 1kg of assorted biscuits made in the class plus their recipes. Organised by Sissys Gourmet Delights.

Valentine’s French macaron masterclass; Friday, 11th February, 6-8.30pm; $106 ($42 per hour); Cremorne.

Alexandre Charasse will take you through the process of macaronage, piping, baking and assembling some heart-shaped macarons.

Valentine’s pizza masterclass; Sunday, 13th February, 11am-1pm; $117 ($59 per hour); Northcote.

Edoardo Nicita, from Shop 225, will demonstrate how to create pizza dough from scratch and you will then make a margherita pizza and a nutella calzone. At the end, you will eat the creations with your new found foodie friends!

Sourdough bread baking; Saturday, 19th February, 9am-5pm; $180 ($23 per hour); CERES.

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

Sourdough bread workshop; Saturday, 19th February, 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. Join Rick Lavender of The Life We Want as he demonstrates this age old process and introduces you to the equipment and skills required to get started baking at home. Organised by Bee Sustainable.

Vegan cooking Italian style; Sunday, 20th February, 10am-3pm; $115 ($23 per hour); CERES.

What you will learn: some new vegan dishes; and hands-on learning. 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.

Truffle workshop at Ratio Cocoa Roasters; Sunday, 20th February, 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.

Sourdough breadmaking workshop; Wednesday, 23rd February, 10am-1pm; $90 ($30 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Learn how to make sourdough at home. Taught by Sandy Bennett. Participants will learn step-by-step, have the opportunity to ask questions and receive take-home notes. Lunch will be provided. Organised by Balwyn Community Centre.

Demystifying bread; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-9pm; $60 ($24 per hour); Park Orchards.

Nadine will demonstrate the technique of bread making and baking. Bring a container to take home your dough to bake at home. Suitable for beginners. Organised by Park Orchards Community House & Learning Centre.

Gluten free gnocchi making masterclass; Sunday, 27th February, 11am-1pm; $106 ($53 per hour); Northcote.

Edoardo Nicita, from Shop 225, will show you have to make gnocchi dough plus two accompanying sauces. At the end, you will eat the creations with your new found foodie friends!

In Richmond

Note that there are multiple occurrences of most of the events below.

  • Asian cooking with parents and kids; Sunday, 30th January and Sunday, 13th February, both 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Saturday, 29th January and Saturday, 12th February, both 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Chinese cooking master class; Friday, 7th January and Friday, 4th February, both 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Cooking with Australian ingredients master class; Friday, 11th February and Sunday, 27th February, both 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Saturday, 8th January, Sunday, 9th January, Saturday, 15th January, Sunday, 16th January, Saturday, 22nd January, Saturday, 29th January, Sunday, 30th January, Saturday, 5th February, Sunday, 6th February, Saturday, 12th February, Sunday, 13th February, Saturday, 19th February, Sunday, 20th February, Saturday, 26th February and Sunday, 27th February, each 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Sunday, 2nd January, 2-4pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Dumpling party; Thursday, 13th January, Thursday, 20th January, Thursday, 27th January, Thursday, 3rd February, Thursday, 10th February, Thursday, 17th February and Thursday, 24th February, each 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour).
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia; Tuesday, 8th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Greek cooking master class; Friday, 25th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Saturday, 22nd January and Saturday, 19th February, both 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indian cooking master class; Friday, 28th January and Sunday, 6th February, both 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Indonesian cooking master class; Saturday, 22nd January, 2-4pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Italian cooking master class; Sunday, 27th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Friday, 7th January, Sunday, 16th January and Friday, 4th February, each 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Japanese cooking master class; Sunday, 9th January, Friday, 11th February and Saturday, 19th February, each 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Korean cooking master class; Saturday, 15th January and Sunday, 13th February, both 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Mexican cooking master class; Saturday, 26th February, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Pizza making party; Friday, 28th January and Friday, 25th February, both 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour).
  • Sicilian food; Thursday, 24th February, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour).
  • Spanish cooking master class; Sunday, 16th January and Saturday, 26th February, both 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Friday, 21st January and Friday, 18th February, both 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Street food of Asia; Saturday, 8th January and Saturday, 5th February, both 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Saturday, 8th January and Saturday, 5th February, both 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Thai cooking master class; Friday, 14th January and Friday, 18th February, both 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vegan cooking master class; Sunday, 30th January and Sunday, 20th February, both 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Sunday, 9th January and Friday, 14th January and Sunday, 6th February, each 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour).
  • Vietnamese cooking master class; Saturday, 12th February, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour).

LFC News December 8 2021

Dec 082021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Alex Salmon, Gina Wilson, Jaimie Sweetman, Jon Buttery, Lee Hirsh, Lynn Wallace, Megan Cassidy, Rebecca Gray, Robin Gale-Baker and Stuart Rodda.

This is the last newsletter for 2021. Seasonal greetings to everyone. Don’t eat too much over the holiday period!

Regular activities over the rest of the calendar year

I think that all the events below are actually happening but I can’t guarantee it so you might want to check in advance if you are planning to go.

Farmers’ markets

See the website calendar.

Here are the differences from the usual monthly schedule:

At the Eltham Farmers’ Market on Sunday, 12th December, North East Region Permaculture (NERP) will have an information stall.

Food swaps

See the website calendar.

Compared to the usual monthly schedule, there won’t be food swaps on either Boxing Day (Eltham) or (I presume) Christmas Day (Blackburn North, Brunswick East, Heathmont, Hurstbridge or Preston/Thornbury).

Community gardens

See the website calendar.

The website calendar includes all the usual monthly get togethers for those community gardens which have re-opened. It is difficult to know which of these get togethers will actually happen so, if you want to go to one of them, I suggest that you contact the relevant garden in advance.

Free community meals

See the website calendar.

As I said last week, it is difficult to know which of the community meals have actually re-started and the only ones that have notified me are Coburg (Food Not Bombs), Greensborough, Mill Park, Mitcham and Open Table (Fawkner and North Fitzroy).

Compared to the usual monthly schedule for these meals, (I presume) that there won’t be the normal meals on either Christmas Day (Fitzroy North and Mill Park) or Boxing Day (Mitcham), although there might well be other once-off meals that I don’t know about.

Robin discusses netting for success!

[This article by Robin Gale-Baker, from Sustainable Macleod, is one of a series of articles about growing techniques for fruit and vegetables.]

Purpose of netting

A major purpose of netting is to prevent both mammals (e.g. rats and possums) and birds from accessing your fruit and vegetables. Be aware, however, that rats can tear holes in a net if hungry enough.

Netting is the most successful preventative for Queensland fruit fly in both fruit and vegetables and for this reason is an essential tool in the garden.

Netting is particularly valuable for brassica family plants (including cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and broccoli) to deter white cabbage moth for solanaceae family plants (including tomato, eggplant, capsicum and chilli) to deter various caterpillars.

Choice of netting

Netting selection is a vital aspect of insect control in the fruit and veggie garden.

Appropriate mesh size will protect fruit and vegetables from a range of insects while inappropriate mesh size may actually increase the numbers of non-beneficial insects including aphids and thrips.

For all fruit and veggies, my suggestion is that you use white netting with mesh of 1x3mm or 2x2mm.

A smaller mesh size does not allow sufficient ventilation inside the netting, and creates a warm microclimate that is conducive to heavy breeding of certain bugs especially thrips and aphids. What’s more, such mesh is too fine for these bugs to exit and escape. If you wanted to breed these bugs, you would have created the perfect environment to do so!

I prefer the 2x2mm mesh because I can buy it off the roll at Bulleen Art and Garden. Buying off the roll allows me to determine the lengths that I need and it is also much wider than that purchased in packets. Net that is narrow is rarely useful (except perhaps for a low cloche) as it does not have sufficient margins to hang down the sides or for the edges to be weighted or covered.

Netting which is white in colour helps to prevent sunburn on produce.

Finally, cotton or cotton-based netting is preferable to synthetic netting as the latter heats up considerably more.

Timing of netting

The ideal time to net is just after pollination. Netting too early will exclude the pollinators that transfer pollen from flower to flower and will result in a lack of fruit. Netting too late, while better than nothing, is likely to have resulted in some damage to foliage, for example from sucking insects, which weakens the plant.

Placement of netting

Netting needs to be comprehensive. Any holes need to be sewn up and the edges need to be weighed down with weights or soil. Net over trees should either be weighted around the base or tied firmly to the trunk.

Rats can climb up netting so, in the case of wooden wicking beds, make sure that the netting is not left to drag on the ground and secured instead at the top edge of the bed. Corrugated beds are too slippery for rats to climb but, likewise, keep the net as high off the ground as possible.

Jaimie’s edible plant of the month – juneberry tree (Amelancheir arborea)

[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 all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.]

The juneberry tree is one of our favourites in the forest – a small tree that really gives!

In autumn, it is a flush of red deciduous leaves, followed by cream flowers in spring. But the berries are the main stars! They ripen from pink to a deep purple and taste a little like bubble gum. Whilst they look a bit like blueberries, they are actually more closely related to apples (both being in the rose family – rosacea).

Coming from North America and sometimes called serviceberries or sugar plums, they are not often seen in Melbourne, nor are they easy to find here. If you do stumble upon one, it’s a great find! If not, then the one in our forest fruits through December and is worth the visit!

Another member of the Amelancheir genus is the saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia), which is smaller (only grows to shrub size) and much easier to find in Victoria (although still not common).

[Editor: the juneberry is so-called because the berries set in June. But that, of course, is in the Northern hemisphere and is the equivalent of December in Australia. So maybe we should be calling it the decemberberry.]

Red-veined sorrel (by Megan Cassidy)

[Megan, from Greensborough, is active within Sustainable Greensborough.]

Red-veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus) is also known as bloody dock.

This is a little plant that has surprised me. I grew my red-veined sorrel from seed, which struck quite readily and grew into beautiful, resilient plants.

The look

The vibrant green leaves are relatively long and wide with a pointed end, a bit like a big feather, but it is the deep reddish-purplish veins that make it stand out in the garden and provide some highlights of colour.

The growth

Red-veined sorrel doesn’t get too big. I’ve found that it grows well in semi-shaded conditions, even under several other plants, as an understorey perennial plant. It also grows throughout winter, albeit a bit slower. This makes it a great addition to the food garden for the cooler months. I have around 10 plants dotted around my garden in various positions so that there are always a few young leaves ready for picking.

The taste

Red-veined sorrel has a slightly lemony taste, which makes it a bit different to other greens. It can be eaten raw in small amounts, and looks striking as a garnish in salads. The leaves can get bitter as they get bigger though, so leave those ones to catch the sun.

A warning

The leaves have a high oxalic acid content so don’t eat a whole bowl of them raw, and avoid if you have issues with kidney stones.

To mostly neutralise the oxalic acid, you can blanch in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, like you do spinach or warrigal greens, drain (discarding the water completely), and add to a stir-fry, quiche or another dish.

If you have excess leaves, you can blanche and freeze for a quick addition to your meals whenever you need.

* * * * *

So, if you’re looking for something a bit different to increase your biodiversity, bring some colour to your garden and give you more ‘greens’ options year-round, red-veined sorrel might be for you.

Mattocks (by Stuart Rodda)

[This article by Stuart is one of a series of articles about garden tools. it is the last article about large hand tools.]

A mattock is defined here as a digging tool with a heavy blade at approx. 90 degrees to the handle. Heavier than a garden hoe and similar to a pick but with a wider blade, a mattock is one of the most effective hand tools for digging into hard or rocky ground. It has stood the test of time, such as digging for gold during the gold rush or for digging into the subsoil to make a trench or plant a tree. One side of the head is the main blade while the other side can be in the shape of a pick or an axe.

Mattocks are usually used for breaking up, or moving, previously unworked ground. They are used with a full arm swinging action to make the most of their momentum as they hit the ground. Whilst some people use them for cutting through tree roots, I have found that a sharp axe is easier to use for that purpose because the axe blade is in line with the arc of your swinging blow rather than at 90 degrees to it. So, mattocks with an axe-like blade on the opposite side to the main blade allow you to tackle multiple needs with the one tool.

Mattocks are usually short handled because the head is too heavy to lift otherwise. Because they are used more to break the soil, rather than lifting up a clod, another tool such as a shovel is then used to move the broken ground.

Features to look for include: a thick blade around 10 to 12 cm wide at the tip, which is strong and made from steel which will hold a sharp edge; a strong handle; and an overall size/weight appropriate to your strength and the job. A sharpened blade edge gives good soil penetration but can be hazardous for feet or fingers. It is a good idea to wear safety glasses when using a mattock as stones, soil or bits of tree root can fly into your eyes.

Mattocks traditionally had wooden handles, which need to be made from a strong hardwood to withstand leverage. Fitting a mattock head securely to a wooden handle can be difficult because of the need for a precise taper of the wood, the constant loosening effect of pounding into hard soil or rock and the shrinkage of wood as it dries out. I have found that mattocks with a solid fibreglass handle are more durable and secure, although you do get a certain amount of jarring back through a fiberglass handle which can be minimised by wearing gloves.

Jon’s podcast of the week

While not about food, this was an interesting podcast about the Warrnambool Botanical Gardens. We can now go there and this podcast even contains a recommendation on where to have breakfast before the visit. It was lovely to hear about the thinking behind the gardens and also someone who welcomes visitors asking questions.

Do you know?

How to get rid of sheep’s sorrel?

Alex Salmon spends time working in a communal garden space in Burwood. Over the last few years, sheep’s sorrel (Rumex acetosella) has taken over several of the wicking beds. She has sifted through the soil with fork and hands to about 15cm deep, removing all pieces of root, but anything that escapes her soon flourishes. Someone else sprayed with Roundup but the plants soon grew back. In desperation, Alex is thinking about removing all the soil and either putting it carefully through a sieve to remove any root material or completely replacing it. Can anyone suggest an easier solution? Email me with your responses and I’ll pass them onto Alex.

What is this plant?

Gina Wilson has written in: “I have a ‘triffid’ in my backyard. I have no idea where it came from, as it is nowhere near the compost heap, but it is next to one of our bird feeding stations, so I am assuming it has been dropped by a bird. It appeared about July this year and seems to grow about two inches every night, as it has just about pushed the bird feeder over. It is now about 5 feet tall. There are no flowers or fruit of any kind, but there are buds that look like they might turn into flowers but they then just become leaves. Does anyone know what my plant is? Email me with your responses and I’ll pass them onto Gina.”

Do you have?

Rebecca Gray recently took advantage of Karen Olsen’s offer of milk kefir grains. Now she is after some water kefir grains. Can anyone help? Email me and I’ll put the two of you in contact.

More on mycorrhizal fungi

Following the discussions on mycorrhizal fungi in recent weeks, Lynn Wallace suggests that you read the recent article in the Guardian entitled A powerful and underappreciated ally in the climate crisis?.

Has Eltham become the gin capital of Australia?

In the 2021 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards, there appear to have been 6 gin awards, namely for: best Australian, best Victorian, London dry, navy, new world / contemporary and ‘other’. Of these 6, 3(!) were won by Eltham-based distilleries: Naught Distilling won both best Victorian and best new world / contemporary; and Imbue Distillery won the ‘other’ category (for their barrel-aged gin). Congratulations to Chris, Luke, Mel, Mick and Nikki!
  

Some interesting(?) permaculture sites

You may, or may not, be aware of (and may, or may not, care about) the current controversy regarding David Holmgren’s recent participation in one of the Melbourne protest marches holding a sign which included the word ‘permaculture’ in large letters. In any event, one of the unexpected, positive byproducts from the consequent discussions was that someone invited people to list their personal permaculture websites or Facebook pages. Here are some of the responses:

Note that, if you want to find out more about the controversy, one place you could start is by joining the Evidence-based permaculture Facebook group.

My end of year report

As you know, the newsletter is a weekly production which is currently sent to around 3,500 people each week. The website comprises several thousand pages and is currently viewed by around 9,000 people each week. The two are closely intertwined, with any new articles on the website being summarised in the newsletter and with most of the material from the newsletters also being somewhere on the website. Both focus on the geographic area of ‘North East Melbourne’.

The newsletter

The traditional focus of the newsletter has been on advertising upcoming local events. In the first half of 2021, this is what the newsletter concentrated on, with hundreds of workshops, community garden get togethers, meals, food swaps and markets being listed in each newsletter.

In the second half of the year, however, Melbourne locked down again and there were very few face-to-face events (and not very many online events). Therefore, as in 2020, the newsletter had to partially re-invent itself as a more interactive publication where readers ask/answer questions about food-related matters, offer tips, provide recipes and write articles. There were also a number of photo competitions.

The website

The main purpose of the website is to be a source of information about local food organisations and activities, where local means ‘North East Melbourne’.

In total, around 330 local food organisations now have pages on the website, each of which has been developed in concert with the organisation, who have also approved the final presentation. These organisations are of various types including local food producers, local food outlets, community gardens, food swaps and local food justice organisations.

Establishing contact with, and pages for, the local food justice organisations has been a major theme of 2021, with the website now having pages on 7 food relief organisations, 3 neighbourhood houses which offer free food, 13 food-is-free initiatives and 13 community pantries. Go to the food justice section of the web site.

There are also now around 100 ‘growing guides’ and around 50 ‘eating guides’

Newsletter contributors

The quality and scope of both the newsletter and the website have been dramatically increased by the regular contributions of a number of people, including (but not limited to):

My thanks to them all.

More generally, since the start of the pandemic, around 350(!) different people have contributed to the newsletter. Here’s the list:

Agnes Wilson
Aimee Maxwell
Alfred Zahra
Alice Mathieu
Alison Fraser
Alison Raven
Ally Price
Angela Chung
Angela Hewitt
Angela Spencer
Ann Stanley
Aldona Kmiec
Alison Fraser
Alison Raven
Ally Shepherd
Amanda Coombes
Amanda Healy
Amy Thomas
Amy Wong
Angela Harridge
Angelo Eliades
Angie Kristens
Angie O’Connor
Anita Merson
Anjana Mukherji
Ann Hague
Ann Stevens
Anna Matilda
Anna Rosa Pascuzzo
Anna Sanders
Anne Parbury
Annelise Tedesco
Annie Howard
Archna Bhatt
Astrid Judge
Avril Clark
Aziza de Fazio
Bali Portman
Barb Whiter
Beck Holder
Beata Clark
Belinda Lock
Belinda McPhee
Berry McSherry
Bev Middleton
Bev Robertson
Brendon Bolton
Brent Collett
Bronwen Whyatt
Brooke Earl
Bruce Plain
Bruno Tigani
Callie Lastdrager
Cameron Cairns
Carol Woolcock
Carolyn Speed
Cara Horner
Carrie Newbold
Cate Townsend
Cath Lyons
Catherine Knight
Catherine Mortimer
Cathy Romeo
Cecilia Macaulay
Chantelle Ladouceur
Charles Dickerson
Che Hall
Chloe Cann
Chloe Thomson
Choon Yin Yeok
Choy Lai
Chris Kent
Chris Chapple
Chris Mills
Chris Newman
Chris Tankard
Christine Kay
Claire Smith
Clare Quinlan
Connie Curato
Daisy Lio
Dale Martin
Dan Milne
Dan Ross
Dassana
Darryl Wilson
Dave Chambers 		David Hicks
Deb Anscombe
Deb Graham
Deb Thomson
Deborah Taylor
Delldint Megan Fleming
Dianne Parslow
Dione Fisher
Doris Glier
Doris McAllister
Dorothy Kwak
Drew Barr
Duang Tengtrirat
Elaine Rust
Elissa Hunter
Elissa Oppenlander
Elizabeth Doig
Elle Lawrence
Emily Alexandra
Emma Tucker
Emma Tymms
Eric Nuccio
Evan Gellert
Farah Dawwas
Fay Loveland
Felicity Gordon
Fiona Finch
Fran Lennard
Fuchsia Branwhite
Gabrielle Callahan
Gayle Parkes
Gemma Elliott
George Pergaminelis
Georgia Tracy
Georgie Nathan
Georgina Aquilina
Gillian Manson
Gilles Lardy
Gina Wilson
Giuliana Priolo
Glenis Vieux
Graeme Townsend
Guy Palmer
Hanh Truong
Heb Gardener
Heather Miller
Heather Stanley
Helen Besley
Helen Bloustein
Helen Cline
Helen Collier
Helen Corney
Helen Disler
Helen Hewitt
Helen Simpson
Hui Ouliaris
Jacinda Brown
Jaimie Sweetman
James Petty
Jan Akeroyd
Jane Dyer
Jane Glynn
Janet King
Jeanette Lynch
Jen Willis
Jenny Shaw
Jeremy Kesselbach
Jeremy Mather
Jesse Argent
Jian Liu
Jill Renison
Jo Buckle
Jo Douglas
Joanne Driver
Joanne Shiells
John Damiano
John Jenkins
Jon Buttery
Jonathan Warren
Joy Frake
Joy Quinn
Judith Chivers
Judy Vizzari
Jules Jay
Julie French
Julie Kos
Julie Martin 		Julie O’Brien
Karen Cheah
Karen Olsen
Karen Ye
Karin Motyer
Kat Lavers
Kate Lahiff
Kate Shannon
Kate Woodstock
Kathleen Bennett
Kathryn O’Connell
Katrina Forstner
Kaye Flanagan
Kaye Saunders
Kerin Tulloch
Kerri Wellington
Keryn Johnson
Kim Lam
Kim Riazi
Kirsty Bishop-Fox
Kobie Swart
Krystal John
Lachlan Shackleton-Fergus
Larysa Sutherland
Laura Finch
Leah Lux Tame
Lee Hirsh
Lenny Robinson
Leonie Katekar
Liana Gray
Lili Dieguez
Lily Angel
Linda Wall
Ling Wong
Louise Currie
Louise Nolan
Lucinda Flynn
Lyn Richards
Lynn Wallace
Lynn-eva Bottomley
Mahira Sobral
Mala Plymin
Marcela Santos
Mardi Caracoglia
Maria Ciavarella
Marianthi Kougi
Marina Gallo
Marjory Gardner
Mark Pearton
Marsha Merory
Mary Rogers
Maude Farrugia
Maureen Cullen
Meaghan Clayton
Meera Govil
Meg Montague
Megan Cassidy
Megan Goodman
Mei Yen Ooi
Melanie Rankin-Smith
Melissa Tripodi
Melita Proebstl
Merrin Layden
Mia D’Abaco
Michelle Cheah
Michelle Smith
Mick Sheard
Miranda Sharpe
Moira Tucker
Monique Decortis
Morgan Koegel
Nada Cunningham
Nancy Mills
Naomi Walsh
Natalie Nigol
Natalie Nott
Nicky Smith
Niloo Barmanray
Nina Ceddia
Nina Kelabora
Olwyn Smiley
Pam Griffith
Pam Jenkins
Pam Rowley
Pat Natoli
Paul Hemsworth 		Paula Mcleod
Pauline Webb
Penny Grose
Penny Smith
Perri Hillier
Peta Heywood
Peter Allen
Peter Bevz
Peter Dyer
Pollyn Chan
Prue Clark
Rachel Bishop
Raffaela Ceddia
Ramesh Dianat
Raymond Leong
Rebecca Donald
Rebecca Gray
Rebecca Haschek
Richard Kottek
Richard Rowe
Rita Varrasso
Ritika Mahajan
Robert Lastdrager
Robin Gale-Baker
Robyn Patton
Roma Burton
Ros Hardy
Ruth Williams
Sabi Buehler
Saimon Boyle
Sam Dixon
Samantha Patterson
Sandie Downes
Sandra Verdam
Sarah Hardgrove
Sarah Mathers
Sarah Willits
Sean Flynn
Sean Walsh
Senia Kazar
Shelley Evans
Shellie Drysdale
Shiva Vasi
Sigrid McCarthy
Sim Ritchie
Simone Boyd
Siri Hayes
Sofiah Fauzi
Sonia Martinez
Sonia Randhawa
Soo Mei Leong
Sophie Miller
Stella Ramos
Stephen Onians
Stuart Muir Wilson
Stuart Rodda
Sue Dyet
Sue Lockwood
Sue Maric
Susan Arnold
Susan Faine
Susan Palmer
Suzy Georges
Swee Scott
Sylvia Bianco
Thea Wilson
Tom Danby
Toni Myers
Tori Scholten
Tracey Bjorksten
Tracey O’Neill
Trish Kent
Valerie Mudie
Vanessa Nitsos Chan
Vanessa Reynolds
Vanessa Shribman
Vasundhara Kandpal
Velyne Moretti
Vera Herman
Vicki Jordan
Vicki Paras
Victoria Kanicki
Virginia Solomon
Yennie Yong
Yvonne Iliffe
Zofia Di Stefano

 
Thanks, everyone!

Joke (or pun) of the week

Submitted by Lee Hirsh: What did the parmesan say when it broke off with mozzarella? “Sorry, but I’m just too mature for you.”

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Introduction to beekeeping; Thursday, 16th December, 7-8.30pm; free; Doncaster.

Interested in beekeeping but not sure how to start? Join Benedict Hughes – the Practical Beekeeper – for this introductory session about getting started in beekeeping.

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Previously announced
In Richmond

LFC News December 1 2021

Dec 012021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Alice Mathieu, Angelo Eliades, Bruno Tigani, Chris Chapple, Claire Smith, Jeanette Lynch, Jian Liu, Jo Buckle, Jon Buttery, Jules Jay, Karen Olsen, Kathryn O’Connell, Megan Goodman, Nicky Smith, Richard Kottek, Roma Burton and Stuart Rodda.

There were apparently some technical problems with the Internet last week which caused some of the 24th November newsletter emails to be ‘detained in the ether’ for a day or so. Tim Berners-Lee et al give their apologies and say that the issue has now been fixed. If you didn’t receive it, you can read the 24th November newsletter on our website.

Next week’s newsletter will be the last for the year.

This week’s regular activities

I think that all the events below are actually happening but I can’t guarantee it so you might want to check in advance if you are planning to go.

Food swaps

Thursday: Rosanna.
Saturday: Bayswater North, Brunswick East, Fitzroy, Heidelberg West, Pascoe Vale and Warrandyte.
Sunday: Montmorency.

Community gardens

Thursday: Garden of Plenty (Greensborough), SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
Friday: Bellfield and West Brunswick.
Saturday: Links (Lalor) and Thrive (Diamond Creek).
Sunday: Fawkner Food Bowls, Northcote Library and Pentridge (Coburg).
Monday: SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
Next Wednesday: Span (Thornbury).

Farmers’ markets

Saturday: Carlton and Coburg.
Sunday: Alphington, Eltham  and Heathmont.

At the Eltham Farmers’ Market, Healthy Soils Australia will have an information stall on the importance and benefits of healthy soil.

Free community meals

It is often difficult to know whether a particular community meal has, or has not, re-started, because many don’t have either websites or Facebook pages. But it is clear that, whilst very few ran in November, some are re-starting in December. These include:

Lunch: Fawkner (Open Table), Greensborough, Mill Park and North Fitzroy (Open Table).
Dinner: Coburg (Food Not Bombs) and Mitcham.

How to make milk kefir (by Jules Jay)

[Jules, from Hurstbridge, is a permaculture enthusiast who is a leading light in North East Region Permaculture.]

In her ‘pictorial’ (pictures plus words) for our website, Jules sets out a 10 step process for making milk kefir. Milk kefir is made using kefir grains and the process assumes that you are going to use the grains from your previous batch of kefir. If, however, you’re starting with new kefir grains, then first few steps are not required. More specifically: if you received your grains dry then jump to step 5 of if you received your grains in milk then jump to step 3.

Here are the 10 steps:

  1. Shake the old, finished kefir to mix everything up.
  2. Strain the old, finished kefir to separate the liquid from the kefir grains.
  3. You now have the kefir grains in the strainer, with the finished kefir drink in the bowl.
  4. Let any liquid drain from the strainer.
  5. Remove your grains from the strainer and tip them into a clean jar.
  6. Pour the strained and finished kefir from the bowl and pour it into a jar.
  7. You now have your finished kefir in one jar and your grains in another jar.
  8. To make your next batch for fermenting, just add milk to your clean jar with the grains in it.
  9. Place the cloth top on the jar with the grains, and secure with a rubber band.
  10. Place the new fermenting batch in a dark spot like a cupboard, and wait for it to work its lactobacillus magic.

Read the full article.

Karen Olsen, who is based in Eltham, regularly has spare kefir grains to give away (a batch every week or so). If you want some, email Karen with your phone number and she will put you on her list to contact when a batch is ready for you.

On the subject of Karen’s kefir grains, Richard Kottek has written in to say: “I would like to express my public thanks to Karen for delivering a batch of kefir grains to me owing to my mobility difficulties. I have since propagated these and it is the best batch that I have ever grown.”

Hoes (by Stuart Rodda)

[This is the fifth of Stuart’s articles about large gardening tools, the first four having been on shovels/spades, forks, rakes and soil levellers.]

A hoe is defined here as a tool with a blade at approx. 90 degrees to the handle. The hoe is one of the oldest traditional soil working tools and is used with a swinging or pulling action rather than being pushed or lifted like shovels and forks.

‘Digging’ hoes are usually used for broad scale digging, breaking up or moving soil, whilst ‘chipping’ hoes are used for chipping plants such as weeds out of the soil by cutting though the plants near the soil surface. In modern gardening, hoes are used more for chipping rather than heavy duty digging because a shovel or fork is more adaptable to different soil conditions. I find that a hoe is excellent for chopping off plants which have big root systems, such as overgrown silverbeet or parsley, or vigorous weeds. Also, you need a fair amount of space to swing a hoe for digging, whereas a shovel or fork can be deployed into tight corners and between precious plants.

Hoes are usually long handled because they use leverage on the handle to break the soil, or to pull the blade toward you, rather than for lifting a clod of soil clear of the ground like a short handled shovel or fork.

Features to look for include: a steel blade which is strong and springy so it won’t bend under your force; a strong split-resistant handle; and an overall size appropriate to your job. A sharpened cutting edge gives good soil penetration or chipping effectiveness but can be hazardous for feet or fingers.

Traditional hoes have wooden handles which need to be made from a strong timber to withstand leverage. A heavy hardwood handle can assist with soil penetration when digging because of the momentum the wood gets from your swinging action, but a lighter handle is better if you only want to chip out weeds.

Jon’s podcast of the week

This week’s podcast is about plant communication, a subject where some of the thinking has developed a lot in recent years.

Towards a community farm in Eltham

major milestone has been achieved towards Local Food Connect’s goal of revitalising the remaining parcel of Fabbro’s Farm in Bell Street, Eltham as a community farm. On 26th October, Nillumbik Council voted unanimously to proceed with a feasibility study into establishing a community farm in Bell Street. The Council motion calls for the report to be completed by next June.

Who are Growing Farmers?

Following last week’s newsletter, I have received a few enquiries about the people behind the Backyard Farmers Project, which aims to match aspiring farmers and other food growers with people in Fawkner who have some spare land in their garden which is available for food growing. The project is the brainchild of a voluntary group called Growing Farmers, which came into being in early 2020 to support regenerative farming in the Moreland local government area. They aim to do so by assisting aspiring farmers with land, mentoring, networks and business coaching, whilst at the same time also building stronger community connections and providing fresh produce to the local community. Here is an ABC news article about the organisation and here is a video which discusses both Growing Farmers as an organisation and Backyard Farmers as a project.

Several of the people involved in Growing Farmers are newsletter readers, including their Project Manager Alice Mathieu.

A new local, chocolate maker – Really Good Chocolate

Really Good Chocolate, from Coburg, make chocolate blocks including 70%/75%/85% Samoan dark chocolate, rum and raisin, sesame salt, sea salt, peppermint, orange, and vanilla bean. Most of the ingredients, including the cacao, are certified organic and all of the chocolate is vegan. To make the chocolate, they start with cacao mass and grind it with cacao butter and panella sugar, before tempering and pouring it. They think that sustainability is important and all of their wrapping is sustainably sourced and can be composted and/or recycled. They also think that they should support other worthy organisations and they donate some of their proceeds to the Leading Women Fund. Welcome Nicky!

Yes, you did know (maybe)!

Blotchy rhubarb leaves

Two weeks ago, Pam Jenkins asked why her rhubarb leaves were going blotchy. Two people have now responded.

Angelo Eliades: “It looks like downy mildew, which affects rhubarb as well as cucumbers, squash, melons and spinach. If the light-brown patches start on the upper leaf surfaces, and grow in size until large patches of the leaf discolour, and eventually dry and fall out, then this is the problem. During wet mornings, the underside of the leaves will show a fine grey to purplish fungal growth. This fungal disease occurs during cold, wet conditions. Cut off the affected leaves and dispose of them (not in the compost), then spray the plant with a fungicide, such as eco-fungicide, to prevent it spreading.”

Bruno Tigani: “This is likely a result of the cold, wet weather for extended periods, leading to higher fungal pressure. Read this article.”

Suckering bay trees

Two weeks ago, Meg Montague asked what she should do to control her bay trees, both the one that keeps re-growing from the roots and the one that suckers. Two people have now responded.

Angelo Eliades, re the one that keeps re-growing from the roots: “The tree is trying to revive itself and you will need to kill the stump to stop that happening. Either did deeply around the stump and cut it out, or kill the stump using the Epsom salt technique, instructions here.”

Angelo Eliades, re the one that suckers: “The best option is to cut the suckers below the soil line using a suitable tool for the purpose. As long as they’re not too thick or tough, the WOLF planting knife / weed extractor is ideal for the task, as the concave tip of the tool locates easily against the underground stem and cuts through with a sharp diagonal push.”

Jeanette Lynch, re the one that suckers: “It’s best to attack them when they’re small and are easier to control. Spot spray with Slasher Organic Weedkiller to effectively kill the suckers but without harming the main tree, thoroughly spraying the sucker stem for the best results. Alternatively, suckers can be cut or pulled off the root or dug up.”

No you didn’t know (sigh)

Last week, Amy Wong asked what is wrong with her zucchini (see left hand photo) and what should she do about it? No one responded. Can anyone respond this week? Email your responses.

Do you know?

Roma Burton has recently taken several redstem dogwood (Cornus sericea) cuttings, all have struck and they are currently in pots (see right hand photo). When should she re-pot them?

Aphids, ladybird larvae and hoverfly larvae

Last week’s video on controlling aphids with tiny wasps prompted a number of responses.

Jo Buckle: “Your video reminded me to take pictures of my apple tree which has woolly aphids. This year, as before, the crop has been rescued by the timely arrival of hundreds of ladybird larvae and there are now hardly any aphids visible on the tree (although there are remaining woolly bits which are no doubt incubating more).”

Kathryn O’Connell: “My aphid problems were resolved a couple of years ago when I heard a talk on natural solutions to garden pests. I now just watch them and eventually the hoverfly larvae descend, make their way to my infestation and eat.”

‘Crowd harvest’ – seeds for Christmas

Gardeners with excess seeds are invited to send them in a Christmas card or holiday card to one of the not-for profit organisations listed below who will, in turn, either germinate the seeds, store them or distribute them to people facing crisis yet know how to start seeds. Please package the seeds in individual and labelled packages so that food relief recipients can easily take them home. The program runs from 1st December to 15th December. DIVRS in Preston, STREAT in Collingwood or Carrington Health at Level 2, 43 Carrington Road, Box Hill, 3128. Alternatively, Tiny Trowel, PO Box 4076, Box Hill South, 3128.

Meg’s garden this month

The strawberries are ripe and handfuls are now being picked daily. They are carefully mulched with straw and protected from the birds so the fruits are ripening well and remaining whole. Apart from the strawberry success, it has been a slow start to the season. However, the summer seedlings are now in, the salad greens are endless and I’m planting repeating rows of corn and beans in anticipation that a wet summer will see good growth this year.

Wishing you all bumper harvests over the summer and I hope to see some of you in the new year!

This month I am:
1. Furrowing around the potato plants like a wombat to harvest new potatoes.
2. Making potato salad with fresh dill.
3. Looking forward to the first of the early peaches.
4. Squeezing in a few more seedlings.
5. Wondering if I planted too many zucchinis.

Plant-powered Bolognese (by Jian Liu)

[For a full introduction to this recipe, go to Jian’s website, Melbourne Food Forest. Alternatively, view Jian’s 5 minute video instructions.]

If you take the minced meat out of Bolognese — arguably the foundation of the whole dish — is it still Bolognese? I’m happy to say that the answer is yes — with the help of some clever ingredients, plant-powered Bolognese can be just as delicious and satisfying as its beefy cousin. The key is to use the right combination of lentils, mushrooms and tofu to give the Bolognese the right mouth-feel.

Be forewarned: the wrong lentils will not hold up to long cooking times and will not give your dish the best flavour. I use black beluga lentils as a key textural element and black lentils (urad dal) to make for a richer dish — one with real substance — and to give it a satisfying creaminess.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, diced
1 large carrot
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
½ cup black beluga lentils
1 cup black lentils (urad dal)
1½ cups mushrooms, sliced
⅔ cup firm tofu, crumbled
750 ml tomato passata
1 cup stock
½ cup cooking wine, red or white
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bunch kale, chopped
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1-2 cups water
3 cloves garlic, chopped
oregano, basil or other herbs (optional)

Method

Saute the onion, celery and carrots in olive oil until they are lightly browned.

Add the remaining ingredients (except the parsley) to your pot and stir to combine them well.

Add 1-2 cups of water, aiming to start with the consistency of chunky tomato soup. Be aware that the lentils will absorb water over time and that the vegetables release water as they break down.

Cooking is done when the lentils are al dente, 30 minutes in a sealed pressure cooker or 45-60 minutes on the stovetop on medium heat. If you’re cooking on a stove, stir occasionally.

Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.

Serve on your favourite pasta and garnish with finely chopped parsley.

What seeds to plant in December

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Cucumber
Gourd
Pumpkin
Sweetcorn
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Parsley
Silverbeet
Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Potato
Radish
Perennial

Asparagus
Chives

December is not a very good planting month: arguably too late for many summer veggies and, although you can plant leafy greens such as lettuce and mustard greens, they are likely to go to seed pretty quickly.

Recent articles that you might have missed

Articles published over the last month:

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in last week’s newsletter was The Rosanna Food Swap Officer job description.

Word of the month – Yule-hole

‘Yule-hole’, meaning the last hole on a waist belt; in other words, the hole you have to move your belt buckle to after you’ve eaten Christmas dinner. It is apparently a Scottish word.

Incidentally, Macquarie Dictionary’s 2021 word of the year is ‘strollout’, whilst Collins’ is ‘NFT’ (for ‘non-fungible token’), Cambridge Dictionary’s is ‘perseverance’, Oxford Dictionaries is ‘vax’ and Merriam-Webster’s is ‘vaccine’.

Read previous words of the month.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Whet your appetite. Meaning: to have your interest in something stimulated.. The word ‘whet’ means something akin to ‘stimulate’ and the phrase whet your appetite was first used in the 17th Century to mean literally ‘to have your appetite stimulated’. The figurative meaning, referring to sharpening the appetite for things other than food, only came into being in the 19th Century.

The phrase whet your appetite is often confused with wet your whistle, which means to have a drink, usually alcoholic (with ‘whistle’ effectively meaning ‘throat’). But ‘whet’ is a completely different word than ‘wet’, and there is no connection between the two. Wet your whistle as a phrase dates all the way back to Chaucer.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Almost every person, from childhood, has been touched by the untamed beauty of wild flowers.” by Lady Bird Johnson.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

The Black Eyed Peas can sing us a tune but the chick peas can only hummus one.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Botanical beverages; Thursday, 9th December, 6-8pm; $118 ($59 per hour); Brunswick East.

Learn how to harness the properties of plants and create delicious drinks with health benefits. You will make cocktails, mocktails and sodas using herbal brews that have been distilled for their plant potency and flavour. You will receive a botanical beverage kit (includes forest bitters tincture, hibiscus & burnt orange extract, peppermint hydrosol and seasonal elixir) plus instructions on how to make the various drinks. Organised by Taj Scicluna (aka The Perma Pixie).

Medicinal gardening; Saturday, 11th December, 9am-5pm; $118 ($15 per hour); Coburg.

This is a beginner’s course that’s designed to show participants what the plants that heal actually look like, in order to develop an intuitive approach to health and well-being combined with the theoretic and scientific. You will learn about: the growing conditions of individual plants; plant germination and cultivation; basic botany and plant identification; designing a medicine garden using permaculture principles; and basic medicine making of oils and vinegars. Organised by Taj Scicluna (aka The Perma Pixie).

Foraging course (5 sessions); On 5 consecutive Wednesdays from 19th January, each 6-8pm; $277 ($28 per hour) or $180 online; Coburg.

The various sessions will explore specific plants, including identification, nutrition, properties and recipes, ending in tastings of wild food treats. You will learn about: the importance of wild foods; medicine as food; the difference between cultivated foods and wild food; sustainable wildcrafting; safe foraging; identification, nutrition and properties of several plants; and recipes for each of the plants. Organised by Taj Scicluna (aka The Perma Pixie).

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Previously announced
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 3rd December, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 3rd December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 4th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids: Sunday, 5th December, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 5th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 11th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 11th December, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News November 24 2021

Nov 242021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Alice Mathieu, Alrey Batol, Amy Wong, Anna Matilda, Bruno Tigani, Carol Woolcock, Charith Senanayake, James Petty, Jo Douglas, Jon Buttery, Lynn Wallace, Mala Plymin, Pam Jenkins, Stuart Rodda, Vera Herman, Vicki Jordan and Virginia Solomon.

It is great when people contribute material for the newsletter. The material can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s regular activities

I think that all the events below are actually happening but I can’t guarantee it so you might want to check in advance if you are planning to go.

Food swaps

Thursday: Rosanna.
Saturday: Blackburn North, Brunswick East, Heathmont, Heidelberg, Hurstbridge and Preston/Thornbury.
Sunday: Eltham.

A new food swap has started at Rosanna: the Rosanna Fruit and Veg Swap at Rosanna Fire Station Community House, 232 Lower Plenty Road. Initially, the swap will be every Thursday (during school terms only) from 10.30am to midday but it is planned to move to every second Saturday in 2022.

Community gardens

Thursday: SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
Friday: West Brunswick.
Saturday: Links (Lalor) and Thrive (Diamond Creek) (also a garden tour of Thrive in the morning).
Sunday: Fawkner Food Bowls, Northcote Library, Pentridge (Coburg) and West Brunswick.
Monday: SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
Next Wednesday: Span (Thornbury).

Farmers’ markets

Saturday: Abbotsford and Coburg.
Sunday: Alphington, Eltham  and Heathmont.

At the Eltham Farmers’ Market there will be a Council information stall on the subject of Queensland fruit fly.

Large rakes (by Stuart Rodda)

[This is the fourth of Stuart’s articles about large gardening tools, the first three having been on shovels/spades, forks and soil levellers.]

A rake is defined here is a tool with many tines at approx. 90 degrees to the handle. The rake is one of the oldest traditional soil working tools and is used with a pulling action to move soil or gather loose material such as plant debris from the surface of the soil.

Every garden needs a rake as it greatly reduces the amount of work picking up leaves or broken bits of plants, and has a secondary use to help level and smooth the surface of rough soil. A strong rake with a flat back is best for the latter purpose, although a soil leveller may be better for final smoothing.

Rakes come in many sizes and modes of construction, for example the one-piece forged rake with a flat back, or the ‘nail’ rake where each tine is individually attached to a crossbar. For raking up light material such as leaves or grass, a many-tined plastic or springy metal rake is best.

To get through raking jobs quickly, choose a wide rake, but if your garden is small with lots of odd corners, a small rake will be better for you. A rake with flexible teeth is best for raking on hard surfaces or surfaces with projecting plant remnants, and for ‘raking up’ cut grass. A mulch fork held close to vertical also makes a useful rake for quickly clearing deeper layers of plant debris before finer raking of the soil surface.

Take care when putting a rake down between uses not to have the tines facing upwards, as the handle may come flying up at you if you stand on the tines.

Jon’s podcast of the week

I first listened to this podcast about the Koonya Garlic Festival during our first lockdown. The All The Dirt mob from Perth had gone to Tasmania! Now that we’re out and about, we can listen without too much envy … and perhaps make plans to visit a future festival (the festival is an annual festival held in Port Arthur and the next festival will be held in February 2022).

How to prune your tomatoes (by Bruno Tigani)

On my indeterminate tomatoes, I get rid of all the side shoots and keep to one leader, until the plants reach the top of the pole. This helps with airflow, it’s easier to net the trusses against fruit fly and you can see any pests easier. See the before picture left and the after picture right, with the cut off side shoots at the bottom of the latter.

  

The other bonus is that you can grow full tomato plants from the side shoots. I always grow my second lot of tomatoes from the side shoots, to have a harvest gap.

Stink horn fungus – Aseroe rubra (by Pam Jenkins)

With so much rain falling, I have numerous varieties of fungi that I have never seen in my garden before. The one pictured is apparently a common fungus that comes into the garden with woody mulch. It starts off with longer arms but these must have been eaten overnight. It is very pretty and the blow flies love its aroma. It looked beautiful for a day, withered by the next day and there was hardly a trace of it the day after.

More on what to do with your garlic

Last week, Pam Jenkins wrote about what she was doing with her garlic. One of Pam’s suggestions was to store dehydrated garlic in oil.

Carol Woolcock has since written to express some concern about the risk of botulism from storing garlic in oil.

I asked Pam for her reaction and she replied: “I agree that botulism is a risk when preserving in oil. As the Canadian Government says on their website: ‘Botulism bacteria grow in a moist, oxygen-free environment so improperly stored vegetables and herbs in oil can provide ideal conditions for it to multiply and produce the toxin.‘ As CISRO also says, however: ‘Correctly dried vegetables and herbs will not support the growth of food poisoning bacteria … vegetables and herbs to be packed in oil without treatment with vinegar should be dried almost to crispness.‘ That is why I was suggesting that the garlic, which has a high water content, is dehydrated until it is crispy dry before putting into the oil. I also suggest that this method is only used for storing small amounts that you would expect to use within a week or so.”

A new local, ready-made meal option – Island Home

Island Home, from Princes Hill, make Sri Lankan curry meals, both fish and vegan, which you take home and, once heated up, are ready to eat. Their menu changes from week to week. They also make a number of accompaniments, including date and lime chutney, spicy vegetable pickle, preserved eggplants in tamarind, and semolina and rose water (Ceylon Love) cake. They source their ingredients locally where possible and certified organic where possible. Their packaging is 100% home compostable, with their meals being wrapped in banana leaf and their accompaniments in recyclable glass. As well as their ready-made meals, they offer a waste-free catering service.

You can buy their food online, from Ceres Fair Food, at Eltham Farmers’ Market, from Wholefoods Unwrapped Collective (in Brunswick), at The Common Good (in Hawthorn) or at Wild Things Food (in Fitzroy North).

Read their Local Food Directory page. Welcome Michele and Charith!

Want a job?

Rosanna Fire Station Community House is looking to hire a Food Swap Project Officer to coordinate their regular food swaps. 5 hours per fortnight (during school terms only), including 2½ hours every second Saturday morning. $40 per hour. Read the job description. Closing date: 26th November. Apply by sending a cover letter and resume to jasdips@rfsch.org.au.

Want to volunteer?

The Whittlesea Food Collective is looking for a volunteer driver to deliver food parcels as part of their food relief operations. 15 hours per week. Contact them by phone (9401 6666) or email (contact@foodcollective.org.au) if you are potentially interested.

Yes, you did know!

A couple of weeks ago, Nada Cunningham asked what was the greyish, white cakey material in her soil (see photo). 5 of you have now replied. 4 of the 5 people said that it was probably fungal mycelium and all 5 said that it was a good thing for Nada to have, not a bad thing. Thanks everyone!

Lynn Wallace: “If looks like mycorrhizal fungi and, if so, that is a very good thing! This newsletter from Biostim explains the science. I have bought their product and applied it to the root system of seedlings etc as they were planted this spring, with the result that the plants have established and grown with noticeable vim and vigour. Lucky Nadia if she has mycorrhizal fungi occurring naturally!” [Editor: mycorrhizal fungi is a type of fungus that enters a mutually symbiotic association with the roots of plants.]

Virginia Solomon: “It looks like fungal mycelium. If it is also growing in the mulch then I would say definitely.
Mycelium is the facilitator of nutrient transfer to plants, particularly perennial plants such as trees, so treasure it! There may be one possible problem with it, in that it can cause hydrophobia (water repellency) in summer, but all you need to do is add a drop of wetting agent or ordinary detergent (only a tiny bit, mind, to break the surface tension) to your seaweed solution and water your plants with that in dry weather.” [Editor: fungal mycelium is the main part of a fungus, with a mushroom effectively being a flower of the mycelium.]

Vera Herman: “It is soil fungus. Read this web page.”

James Petty: “My best guess is that it is fungal mycelium.”

Alrey Batol: “I think that it might be Streptomyces, which is a bacteria that acts like a fungi, because it doesn’t quite look like the more hairy mycelium you get from mushroom fungi. You might also see Streptomyces happening on the top or the outside of a hot covered compost. Nada should be happy because they are friends, outcompeting pathogenic fungi and nourishing plants’ roots.”

No you didn’t know (sigh)

Blotchy rhubarb leaves

Last week Pam Jenkins asked why her rhubarb leaves were going blotchy (see picture right). No one responded. Can anyone respond this week? Email your responses.

Suckering bay trees

Last week Meg Montague asked what she should do to control her bay trees, both the one that keeps re-growing from the roots (see left hand picture) and the one that suckers (see right hand picture). No one responded. Can anyone respond this week? Email your responses.

  

Do you know?

Amy Wong: “This year I have decided to grow my zucchini in a pot in my greenhouse. It’s been growing fast and with large leaves. Then last week I noticed that the leaves had some yellow, so I thought it was a nutritional deficiency. I then started watering it with Charlie Carp but it’s still having issues. What’s wrong with my zucchini and what should I do about it?” Email your responses.

Congratulations Michelle!

Newsletter reader Michelle Edwards, and the Community Compost Group that she oversees at Rushall Community Garden in North Fitzroy, have won the 2021 Community Initiative of the Year in the City of Yarra. “The Community Compost Group provides a shared composting solution for those in our community who don’t have space or the capacity for a compost bin of their own. The local community drop off vegetable food scraps to the Community Compost Hub located in Rushall Garden, North Fitzroy. Michelle Edwards leads a small group of volunteers to manage this popular community compost bin system, helping to turn food waste into useable compost.” Read more.

A swarm of bees

Vicki Jordan has written in to say that she recently woke up to find two swarms of bees, one huge (in the middle of the photo) and the other small (at the top of the photo). She called Ben’s Bees, who promptly removed them. The person who did the removal was wearing shorts!

A video on controlling aphids with wasps

Jo Douglas suggests that you watch this 3 minute video about controlling aphids with tiny wasps.

Strawberry and rhubarb jam (by Anna Matilda)

[As ‘The Urban Nanna’, Anna, from Forest Hill, has a website which includes a number of recipes, of which this is one.]

This recipe combines sweet and tart. It makes around 6-8 regular jars.

Ingredients

1kg ripe strawberries
½kg rhubarb stems
1¼kg sugar
1 lemon
1 vanilla bean
1 Granny Smith apple

Method

Wash the fruit well in warm water. Trim the leaves off the rhubarb.

Chop the strawberries and rhubarb into similar sized chunks. Combine with the sugar in a large pot.

Wash the lemon, slice in half, squeeze the juice into pot and then add the leftover skin and pulp.

Split the vanilla bean in half, scrape out seeds then add the lot to the pot.

Stir until well combined, cover and leave to macerate overnight.

Peel and grate the apple into the pot and stir to combine.

Bring to a rolling boil and keep there until it reaches a ‘set’.

Remove the lemons and vanilla pods.

Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal while hot.

Store in a cool dark cupboard for potentially years before opening, then in the fridge once you’ve cracked the jar.

Note that, due to the low pectin levels in ripe strawberries and rhubarb, this recipe makes a slightly runnier jam than our other recipes. Be sure to add any white bits of strawberry, as these have more pectin in them and can help reach a set. It can still be tricky to reach a firm set with this jam, so you may like to have some pectin on hand to add if it looks like your batch is struggling to gel enough.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link in last week’s newsletter was Jian’s article about growing oca.

Joke (or pun) of the week

How do you know that carrots are good for your eyes?
Have you ever seen a rabbit wearing glasses?

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

Backyard Farmers project info session; Sunday, 28th November, 3-4pm; free.

The Backyard Farmers Project matches aspiring farmers with Fawkner residents with large backyards. Participating farmers receive access to land rent-free, mentoring, training, resources and access to local food distribution channels. Participating Fawkner land hosts will have an under-utilised part of their garden transformed into a productive backyard farm. They will also receive chemical-free, fresh produce grown on their land, learn growing skills, get to know more members of their local community and support the aspiring farmers. The program will run from January 2022 to April 2023. This event is for anyone who is potentially interested in joining the project, both the aspiring farmers and the Fawkner residents. It will be an information session, with the opportunity to ask questions, meet the team, and hear from urban farmers and land hosts who participated in the pilot.

Christmas make it! After school club; Thursday, 9th December, 4.30-5pm; free.

They will be baking some yummy goodies for Christmas. An ingredients list will be sent out prior to the session. Organised by Boroondara Libraries.

Greek biscuits for your Christmas celebrations; Thursday, 16th December, 5-6pm; free.

You will be shown how to make ‘melomakarona’ (orange, honey and walnut, dipped in cinnamon syrup) and ‘kourambiethes’ (almond and butter covered in icing sugar). Organised by Boroondara Libraries.

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Marketing at tradeshows; Wednesday, 1st December, 10-11am; $50 ($50 per hour); Alphington.

Tradeshows, festivals and events are all due to open up again in 2022 and they will all provide opportunities to get your food or drink product in front of customers and/or to make relationships with potential business partners. The topics to be covered in this session will include: identifying the best event for your product; understanding why you are there; knowing the customer you are targeting; the cost of participating; and reaping the rewards of your participation. Organised by The Business of Food.

Puss and Mew gin tasting, finger food and networking evening; Thursday, 9th December, 7-10pm; $70 ($23 per hour); Nunawading.

Enjoy a social evening that includes the tasting of 4 core range gins, finger food and networking. Organised by Women of Whitehorse.

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Cook Indian by the creek; Friday, 26th November, 6-8pm; $80 ($40 per hour); Diamond Creek.

Menu: onion bhajis and chutney; butter chicken.

Cooking dumplings; Saturday, 27th November, 1.30-4pm; $50 ($20 per hour); Bayswater North.

Learn how to make dumplings, both steamed and pan fried, as well as vegetable noodle soup, with Chef Oddie. Once you have finished preparing your food, you can sit down to taste test. Organised by Arrabri Community House.

Previously announced
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 26th November, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 28th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 28th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 3rd December, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 3rd December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 4th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids: Sunday, 5th December, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 5th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 11th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 11th December, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News November 17 2021

Nov 162021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Astrid Judge, Helen Corney, Jian Liu, Jon Buttery, Julie O’Brien, Meg Montague, Pam Jenkins, Simone Boyd and Stuart Rodda.

It is great when people contribute material for the newsletter. The material can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s regular activities

I think that all the events below are actually happening but I can’t guarantee it so you might want to check in advance if you are planning to go.

Food swaps

Saturday: Box Hill South, Brunswick East, Fairfield and Forest Hill.
Sunday: St Andrews, Surrey Hills / Balwyn and Warranwood.

Community gardens

Thursday: SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
Friday: West Brunswick.
Saturday: Links (Lalor) and Thrive (Diamond Creek).
Sunday: Bellfield, Fawkner Food Bowls, Incredible Edible Eltham (Spring planting), Northcote Library and Pentridge (Coburg).
Monday: SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
Next Wednesday: Span (Thornbury).

Farmers’ markets

Thursday: Alphington Midweek Farmgate.
Saturday: Coburg.
Sunday: Alphington, Eltham  and Yarra Valley.

North East Region Permaculture (NERP) at Eltham Farmers’ Market

North East Region Permaculture (NERP) is one of the more active permaculture groups in North East Melbourne. Mainly operating in Nillumbik and the surrounding suburbs, they share skills and knowledge plus organise workshops and garden visits. My understanding is that they now have a monthly stall at Eltham Farmers’ Market on the 2nd Sunday of each month where anyone can talk to them about their activities. At the last stall on 14th November, they gave away a variety of veggie seedlings.

World Soil Day at Eltham Farmers’ Market on 5th December

World Soil Day, a United Nations initiative, is held annually on 5th December to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil. This year the campaign is ‘Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity‘. In Australia, Healthy Soils Australia is promoting the importance and benefits of healthy soil via their Soil Week Australia website.

Newsletter reader Bev Middleton is a Director of Healthy Soils Australia and is taking a leading role in the campaign. As Bev says, “Healthy soil matters, more than we think. It matters for our food, our food security, health, clean water, eco-services and our climate.”

To mark World Soil Day, Bev and others will have a stall at Eltham Farmers’ Market on 5th December. This is one of a series of stalls at the market for local food and sustainability groups to present their programs, last week’s being NERP (as discussed above).

Bev is also giving an online presentation called Healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy people on Wednesday, 1st December, 8-9.30pm.

Why and how to grow oca (by Jian Liu)

[Jian, from Camberwell, is an occasional contributor to this newsletter who has now set up her own website, called Melbourne Foodforest, where she writes articles to help people to develop their own food forests. One of her recent articles is about why and how to grow oca. She has also set up an associated YouTube channel where one of the videos is about growing oca. Below is a summary of the article and video.]

Oca is a root vegetable that you may not have heard of. It is a hardy, nutritious and tasty tuber which tastes quite similar to potato but is a little more nutty and (some say) lemony. It can be steamed and mashed, baked or fried, just like potato or, unlike a potato, it can be eaten raw. It has a low Glycaemic Index. As per the photo, it looks like a witchetty grub!

As a plant, it is hardy, easy to grow, highly productive and can be grown in part shade. The hardest part is finding some tubers to get started. It is a warm season vegetable which should be planted in late winter or early spring. Like potato, it is a perennial grown as an annual. It likes compost but not too much manure or nitrogen, as this promotes leafy growth over tuber growth.

As the plant grows, it is good to top up with compost as more tubers will form wherever the stems touch the soil.

Only harvest when all of the foliage has yellowed. This generally occurs around the shortest day of the year in winter. Dig around carefully with your hands to unearth the brightly coloured tubers. Wash, clean and dry in the sun, then cure in the sun for up to a week for sweeter tubers. Then store away somewhere airy and dry, like a pantry or in a shed.

Read the full article.

Watch the video.

Read other articles by Jian on our website.

Large forks (by Stuart Rodda)

[This is the third of Stuart’s articles about large gardening tools, the first two having been on shovels/spades and soil levellers.]

A fork is defined here as a tool with multiple straight tines (prongs). They are usually used for digging soil, or for lifting loose bulk materials such as hay, mulch or compost, because the narrow tines penetrate these materials readily. The spacing between the tines determines how well a fork will retain loose material, i.e. if it will fall through the gaps when lifted. Sharper or tapered tines penetrate more easily than broad ones.

  

You would typically choose a ‘spading’ or digging fork rather than a shovel when digging previously worked soil such as a garden bed, and when you don’t want to cut your produce (carrots, potatoes) or worms in half. A fork is also a better initial choice when the soil is not moist, because the tines penetrate easier than a shovel. A fork is also an essential tool for turning compost due to the difficulty of driving a shovel into such a mixture. Finally, ‘lifting’ root crops is best done with a fork by digging underneath the roots to be harvested and letting the soil fall through the tines.

Your fork can be long handled or short handled (the latter usually with a D-shaped handle for better control). With the long handle, you have plenty of leverage and reach, and it doesn’t matter how short or tall you are. Smaller forks require less effort but they take longer to get through the job.

Features to look for when buying a fork include: tines which are strong and springy or hardened so they won’t bend under your force; a strong but lightweight handle; and an overall size appropriate to your job. Sharp pointed tips on the tines give good penetration but can be hazardous for unprotected feet. A digging fork ideally has the tines emerging from a horizontal ‘frame’ so that you can use your weight through your foot to drive the tines into the soil. Wooden handles can be strong, but hardwood can be heavy, and cheaper wood may leave splinters in your hands. Hollow fibreglass and steel handles are also made.

Specialised forks for hay, manure or mulch have smooth and tapered tines which slide easily into and out of the material being moved (see photo). A cheaper mulch fork with tines looking like thick wire works well on coarse mulch, and doubles as a rather crude rake for levelling your mulch layer after placing. Forks with sharp pointed tines can be a nuisance for moving mulch when the tines are constantly ‘spearing’ pieces of mulch.

Jon’s podcast of the week

As someone who has two oaks on his nature strip – one adopted from the park behind before they put a bike path through and the other a refugee from the former Borlase Reserve – I found this podcast about oak trees fascinating. It explained why my oaks took so long to start growing really well, the wide variety of insects that they support and why oaks are interesting trees.

Say “no” to bitter lettuce (by Simone Boyd)

[Simone is owner of the online veggie seed shop, Heirloom Naturally.]

[Watch this video, where Simone discusses bitter lettuce.]

What is your go to ingredient for a quick and easy salad in Summer? If you answered ‘lettuce’, you are not alone. In Australia, and probably around the world, lettuce is enjoyed throughout the Summer months as a light, tasty and refreshing vegetable.

But did you know that lettuce is really a cool season crop? Whilst we can, and do, grow it all year round, lettuce prefers the cooler seasons and will need to be nurtured during the warmer months.

A strong sign that your lettuce is struggling in Summer, is a bitter taste. Whilst bitterness is not a bad thing – it stimulates the appetite and digestive juices – if you are not accustomed to the taste, it can be off putting and lead to a crop destined for the compost heap.

Bitter lettuce is generally caused by one of two things:

  1. Not enough water.
  2. Too much heat.

So growing lettuce in Summer becomes a challenge as it is generally hot, with little rainfall.

To avoid bitter lettuce, it is essential to ensure that your lettuce crops receive around 25mm of water each week (this is true for most vegetables). If mother nature is not providing this amount of rainfall, you will need to water your crops. Whilst we cannot change the level of heat that we receive during Summer, we can mitigate it by providing our lettuce with shade, particularly from the afternoon sun. Covering with shade cloth, or planting on the Eastern side of a taller growing crop such as tomato, will offer your lettuce some relief from the hot sun. Commercial growers often mist their lettuce crops with water three or four times per day during the height of the Summer to offer a similar cooling effect.

I have also read that one may reduce the level of bitterness in lettuce by popping it in the fridge for a couple of days prior to eating – worth a try!

The history of the local Chinese market gardens

Watch this 30 minute video about the early 20th Century history of the Chinese market gardens in Northcote, Coburg and Heidelberg.

No you didn’t know (sigh)

Sometimes we receive really comprehensive and thoughtful responses to newsletter readers’ questions. Last week was a good example, with Bruno Tigani’s response to Yennie Yong’s romanesco failure and Brendon Bolton’s response to Eliza McCumstie’s contaminated herbicide (a belated thanks to Bruno and Brendon!).

Other times, however, we receive no responses at all. Such is the case with Nada Cunningham’s question from last week, where she asked what was the greyish, white cakey material in her soil (see photo) and what should she do about it. Would anyone like to rectify the situation by responding this week? Email your responses.

Do you know?

Blotchy rhubarb leaves

Pam Jenkins has written in: “My rhubarb is planted in an alkaline bed, even though I understand that it would prefer acid soil. It has been doing okay there for at least 10 years but every time I give it some plant food the leaves go blotchy like those in the photo. In the past, I have been feeding it with pellets of dynamic lifter or similar and thought that perhaps it was too strong and was burning the leaves. This time I fed it cow manure and ended up with the same result. Any ideas of what is happening?” Email your responses.

Suckering bay trees

Meg Montague has written in: “I would appreciate some advice on how to control one bay tree and how to destroy the roots of another. I foolishly allowed both bay trees to get very tall, around 10 metres. I have now cut one down but am having trouble destroying its roots and stopping it from suckering (see left hand photo). The other I am keeping but again it madly suckers and cutting these off only seems to encourage it to grow more (see right hand photo). What can I do to keep it under control?” Email your responses.

  

Want to know more about noisy miners and how to deter them?

Banyule Council has just published a really interesting 45 minute video entitled noisy miners – bullies in your own backyard by Professor Mike Clarke (who lives in Rosanna).

To illustrate the breadth of the presentation, one 4 minute section of the video (from minute 8:50 to minute 12.50) discusses their breeding habits. As per the diagram, noisy miners are communal breeders who operate as ‘brotherhoods’ (aka ‘coteries’). The brotherhood apparently comprises a number of related males (usually brothers, according to Prof. Clarke) together with a number of unrelated females. Whilst the females just feed their own young, the males often help out at multiple nests (because, being related to the chicks, it is genetically in their interest to so do). When the male chicks grow up, they become members of the brotherhood. By contrast, when the female chicks grow up, they fly away and try and find vacancies in other brotherhoods.

Much of the video discusses what, if anything, can be done to lessen the dominance of noisy miners in home gardens and thus increase the likelihood or other small songbirds. Whilst Prof. Clarke has a number of suggestions, his overall message appears to be that you can’t really do anything about it.

What I am doing with my garlic (by Pam Jenkins)

My garlic has continued to fall over so I decided to dig it up a little early to save what I could.

Some of the garlics had rotten centres but some usable cloves. I gave the bulbs a good blast with the hose to wash away as much of the fungus as I could before separating out the cloves. Knowing that they weren’t going to keep well, I decided to ferment them. The skin on each clove is still soft but needs to be removed.

After some research, I decided to use this simple recipe. After 3 days, I moved the jar to an external storage area as it really does make the house smell strongly of garlic! After 4 to 6 weeks of fermenting, I will be able to store it in the fridge, where it will keep for months. Fermenting makes the flavour more subtle so, when using it in a recipe, double the suggested quantity of cloves. After using the cloves, the pickling brine can be used in ‘dirty’ cocktails, salad dressings or for making garlic butter.

I am holding the cloves under the brine with the little support ‘table’ found in takeaway pizza boxes. It works really well!

  

Other garlics had a little black fungus growing on the outside but it hadn’t encroached far between the cloves or got into the centre of the stems. With these, I have decided to ferment some in honey to create a sore throat treatment. Here is a recipe for honey fermented garlic.

The remainder of the garlic will be plaited for long term storage in the cool dry area under the house. Here is Penny Woodward’s instructions on how to plait garlic.

You need to check your plaited garlic regularly to make sure that the cloves aren’t showing signs of sprouting. If they are, and I don’t want to plant them out, then I dehydrate them. The dehydrated garlic rehydrates really well and tastes as strong as fresh. Once it has been dehydrated, it can be left as it is, powdered or stored in oil. Storing in oil has the advantage of being soft and easy to use and you also get a byproduct of garlic-infused oil. When preparing for dehydrating, you need to slice the bulbs so that the water can escape. Remember how many slices per clove as it is easy to put too much into your recipe. Over doing the powder is even more of a risk!

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Jaimie’s video about linden trees.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Cash.
Cash who?
No thanks, I prefer peanuts!

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

Urban agriculture and anthropogenic trace metal contaminants; Friday, 19th November, 1-2.30pm; free.

This is the 30th Memorial Leeper Lecture and the keynote speaker is Professor Mark Taylor, who is the Chief Environmental Scientist at EPA Victoria. He will discuss such questions as: Do I know what’s in my backyard soil? Can I send my soil somewhere to have it tested? Is my backyard safe for honeybees, or chickens, or my veggie patch? He will also discuss why we need to measure urban contaminants and how we can empower citizens to act through initiatives like the VegeSafe program that he initiated at Macquarie University.

Healthy soil, healthy plants, healthy people; Wednesday, 1st December, 8-9.30pm; $15.

To celebrate World Soil Day on 5th December, this workshop will explore the connections between how our agricultural system produces our food and what this means for the food we eat. They will touch on what nutrient dense food means and explore the connection with healthy soil. Presenter: Bev Middleton. Organised by Sustainable Macleod.

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Community gardening in Moreland; Sunday, 21st November, 10am-midday; free; Brunswick West.

Moreland Community Gardening and Moreland Council will be talking about food growing in Moreland and will have some community garden stories from gardens in the neighbourhood. You will be split into two groups: those who are new to community gardening (to discuss what goes into starting a community garden) and with those familiar with community gardening (who will discuss opportunities, challenges and support).

Farm lunch; Sunday, 21st November, 12.45-2.45pm; $75; Alphington.

Join the East African Sisters (Fahan and Safiya) at the Melbourne Food Hub Farm for a multi-course vegetarian lunch featuring fresh, seasonal produce grown at the site. They will also showcase Somali and Ethiopian food, culture and community. Have a guided farm tour with Clare Harvey. Listen to speakers Kelly Donati (from Sustain) and Rasha Tayeh. All the profits from this event will be donated to a Gofundme campaign connecting Palestinian food producers and female agripreneurs with grants to expand their businesses and farm practices. Organised by Melbourne Food Hub.

Plant sale – fundraiser for Boroondara Greens; Saturday, 27th November, 10am-midday; free; Kew East.

 

Span Sustainability Fest; Saturday, 27th November, 11am-3pm; free; Thornbury.

There will be five events during the day organised by Span Community House:

Spring plant sale at Gunyah garden; Saturday, 27th November, 11am-3pm; free; Pascoe Vale South.

Spring plant sale of edible and other native plants including: old man saltbush ‘de Kock’, chocolate lily, bulbine lily, yam daisy, flax lily, mat rush, kangaroo grass, hop goodenia, native violet, running postman, native mint (chocolate and spearmint flavours), bottlebrush red, kurrajong and lilly pilly (dwarf variety). Organised by Edible Eden Design (Karen Sutherland).

Grow your own mushrooms; Wednesday, 1st December, 1.30-2pm; $25 ($50 per hour); Greensborough.

Ros, from Here For Ya Mate will show you the basics for growing your own mushrooms. Learn about different edible mushrooms, grain spawn, substrates, fruiting bags and how you can grow them at home indoors. Organised by Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

Northside Wines – Christmas market; Sunday, 12th December, 1-7pm; $22; Northcote.

They will have around 100 wines for you to sample and learn about, with several of the wine makers on hand. The ticket price includes a free tasting glass that is yours to take home. Unlimited sampling. Organised by Northside Wines.

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

The art of fermenting; Sunday, 5th December, 2-5pm; $55 ($18 per hour); Hawthorn.

This class will focus on obtaining great gut health through fermented foods. You will learn how to make sauerkraut and other fermented produce. You will also look at ways to make it healthier and more delicious with the addition of different spices and seasonal vegetables. Organised by Hawthorn Community House.

Previously announced
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 18th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 20th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 21st November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!; Tuesday, 23rd November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 26th November, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 28th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 28th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 3rd December, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 3rd December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 4th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids: Sunday, 5th December, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 5th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 11th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 11th December, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News November 10 2021

Nov 092021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Aimee Maxwell, Alison Fraser, Brendon Bolton, Bruno Tigani, Felicity Gordon, Jaimie Sweetman, Jian Liu, Jon Buttery, Julie French, Nada Cunningham, Pam Griffith and Stuart Rodda.

It is great when people contribute material for the newsletter. The material can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

Re-opening plans

Food swaps

Roughly half of the local food swaps have now announced that they are re-starting (see our food swap calendar). Over the coming weekend, these include:

Saturday: Collingwood, Hurstbridge and Mooroolbark.

Community gardens

Roughly half of the local community garden have now announced that they are re-starting (see our community gardening calendar). Over the coming week, these include:

Thursday: SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
Friday: West Brunswick.
Saturday: Links (Lalor), Tables (Heathmont) and Thrive (Diamond Creek).
Sunday: Pentridge (Coburg) and West Brunswick.
Monday: SEEDs (Brunswick) and Whittlesea.
Next Wednesday: Span (Thornbury).

If you want to go to any of these community gardening activities, I would suggest that you contact them in advance just to make sure that the event is actually happening and that you are invited to it.

This week’s farmers’ markets

Thursday: Alphington Midweek Farmgate.
Saturday: Coburg and Collingwood Children’s Farm.
Sunday: Alphington, Eltham  and Whitehorse.

Jaimie’s edible plant of the month – linden tree (Tilia cordata)

The Linden tree (Tilia cordata), sometimes called the small-leaved lime, is a deciduous tree originating in Europe, where it is widely grown as an ornamental tree, quite often as a street tree. It can grow up to 40m high, although it can be kept smaller or even hedged.

The leaves, flowers and sap are all edible.

The heart shaped leaves sprout in spring and, when soft, can be eaten straight off the tree, used as a lettuce substitute, added to salads or used to make pesto.

The sap can be used as a sweet syrup (although I have not tried it yet).

Come summer, when the leaves get tougher, they can still be dried and used as a herbal tea, as can the flowers that bloom in spring. The tea has a nice mild sweet flavour and is quite enjoyable.

The health benefits include relieving coughs and congestion, as well as easing fevers and anxiety.

There are around 30 species of Tilia but the linden tree is the one most considered as edible. In a food forest situation, it is a great first layer in the system creating shade and shelter for other plants. We currently have two in the Edible Forest.

One of the good things about edible trees is the minimal work that they require. There isn’t the annual turnover like vegetable crops. Rather, once planted, you have access to greens without any effort except for the harvesting.

* * * * *

Watch Jaimie’s video about the linden tree.

Read about Jaimie’s previous edible plants of the month.

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 all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.

Shovels and spades (by Stuart Rodda)

[The material below is a shortened version of an article Stuart has written for our website on shovels and spades. It is the second of Stuart’s articles about large gardening tools, the first having been on soil levellers.]

Spades Semi-pointed shovels Square shovels

To dig the earth, you need a tool and, for larger areas, a shovel, fork or hoe is essential.

In this discussion, a shovel is defined as a tool with a fairly flat but contoured blade, which can be used to lift out a chunk of soil and turn it over.

Shovels will cut into the soil, allowing you to lift the chunk out in one action, whereas a fork pierces the soil with multiple tines (prongs) and will only lift out a chunk if the soil doesn’t break up when lifted. Forks work better on harder soils, or soils containing stones, which would stop the blade of a shovel from penetrating. Forks for digging like this can have flattened tines and are also called ‘spading’ forks. Shovels, because they cut the soil, are not as affected by the presence of plant roots and can be used to turn in a previous crop with less effort than using a fork.

A spade is a type of sharp edged shovel but its primary purpose is to cut in a straight line rather than to lift and turn the soil. A spade is usually used to make straight edges on lawns or garden beds and, because the blade may not be contoured, it can bend under strain, so I suggest not using one for general digging.

Shovels can also be used for quickly moving soil or other bulk materials from place to place, or mixing different components together, such as compost and soil.

I find the most useful type of shovel for general purpose use to be a semi-pointed type. The shape of the shovel allows it to cut into the soil progressively rather than all at once which is the case with square shovels (see photo) and thus the semi-pointed type is easier to use.

Square shovels are better for moving or mixing loose materials, especially when the materials to be moved or mixed are on a hard flat surface such as a concrete path.

[Read the full article, in which Stuart also discusses features to look out for when buying a shovel and how best to use shovels.]

Jon’s podcast of the week

This episode of the 3CR Gardening Show is worth a listen. It stars John Arnott of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Chris Williams from Burnley Horticultural College at Melbourne University.

De-growth and re-growth (by Alison Fraser)

[Alison has recently moved to Montmorency.]

With the onset of Spring, our whipper snipper gave up the ghost. Reluctantly purchased as part of our initiation into ‘life in Monty’, it has languished in the tool shed ever since, with lockdown and a determination to reduce our household consumption conspiring to prevent its replacement. As a result, our small sloping house block (natives out the front, veggies out the back, yellow box and she-oak above) is looking decidedly unkempt. The El Nina rains have unleashed a multitude of indigenous and introduced grasses and we are now knee deep in a gracefully swaying sea of green.

This proliferation has brought forth invertebrates in every form imaginable – bees, flies, hoverflies, wasps, butterflies, moths and beetles – all feasting on, and living among, the grasses. Our social anxiety at being holdouts among the daily din of leaf blowers, line trimmers and mowers has disappeared as we witness daily small revelations of new species or behaviours. The skinks and bluetongues are living high on the hog, while our resident pigeons (bronzewings and cresteds) and friendly galahs peacefully forage for seed, while we watch from above, ready and armed to deter next door’s cat.

This morning brought yet more unexpected visitors. Opening the bedroom blinds early, I could see two brown animals moving among the long grass on the backyard hill. Quelle horreur! Rabbits? Foxes? Then up popped the war-painted faces of a pair of Pacific black ducks, pootling along, stripping the seed heads with a quick vibrating movement, then bobbing down to hunt for live prey, no doubt enjoying the slater explosion from the damp weather. Through the undergrowth, up and over the herb bed they foraged busily, working along vegetable beds and compost bins, with our delighted family watching from behind the bird hide venetians.

This morning our staffie can snooze inside a little longer while the wildlife goes about its business in our ‘untidy’ garden and, as far as I am concerned, the whipper snipper can stay silent.

Yes, you did know!

What’s eating the passionfruit?

Vanessa Shribman asked what ate her green passionfruits last year and what can she do about it this year.

Julie French responded: “Maybe possums. They used to eat all mine so I gave up growing them. I know it was them because I caught them in the act.”

This, combined with my previous response (“maybe rats“) covers the two most likely culprits. I have found that the bagging of individual fruit can sometimes deter them.

Safe and trustworthy sources for compost

Eliza McCumstie asked for recommendations for safe and trustworthy sources for compost.

Aimee Maxwell: “The compost from Riverside Sand and Soil is good (as is their vege soil). Fast delivery as well.”

Brendon Bolton: “Unfortunately, many companies that sell compost are actually waste industry companies that derive the greater portion of their revenue streams by dealing with waste, which often includes turf thatch from sports ovals, golf courses, etc. The contaminated compost that was sold in recent times was most likely as a result of chemical contamination from the turf thatch and could have been avoided with better protocols and testing.

“As part of my role (Garden Organics Business Development & Education) at the City of Greater Geelong, we test all of our compost before it goes to market. This is done by simply planting tomatoes, peas and sunflowers into various samples of the compost (these species being good indicators of the presence of residual herbicides).

“For home gardeners wanting to avoid contaminated compost, I suggest planting out sample pots with tomatoes, sunflower and peas into a mix of 75% potting mix 25% compost and observing the results before using it over their entire patch. They may also consider asking the composter about their processes and protocols.

“Your readership might also be interested in reading about the many benefits of quality compost as well as fact sheets and case studies at Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA).

Romanescos gone wrong

Last week, Yennie Yong asked what had gone wrong with her romanesco, which hadn’t formed the usual distinctive, tight heads.

Bruno Tigani has written a long, interesting and comprehensive reply which I will paraphrase. Bruno, who works in commercial horticulture, thinks that Yennie’s romanesco simply bolted to seed without first forming a tight head and he thinks that this happened because the romanesco was planted too late in the season. “Generally, for the home gardener, you should start brassicas in late summer and harvest in winter. If plants go in later, then the plant will remain small during winter, the heads will be loose and small, and they will go straight to seed once spring arrives. The home gardener waiting for their brassica head to get larger in spring will never succeed, as the plant is now in its reproductive phase. Rather, you will get much better results if you plant in, say, February, mainly due to the plant making better growth before the onset of the really cold weather. With cold exposure, the plants will vernalize and that is the cue to form a head, which you harvest, and the head will be larger simply because the plant is larger.”

When I asked Bruno when he planted what, he replied: “I finish planting my cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and large cabbages by end of February. Broccoli and small cabbages you can go well into March. April is too late for winter brassicas in Melbourne if your aim is to harvest a large, well-formed head.”

I have amended our veggie planting guide to be in line with Bruno’s advice. Thanks, Bruno!

My veggie growing tip of the week – Brussels sprouts as a summer crop

This tip builds on Bruno’s advice above and takes it one step further.

Historically I have never managed to grow Brussels sprouts successfully – the plants grew ok but the sprouts never really formed. So, last year I went to Adams Farms in Coldstream to seek their advice (Adams Farms specialise in growing Brussels sprouts and supply, amongst others, Coles). They told me that they plant their Brussels sprouts in November through to February (rather than in Autumn as I was doing) and they gave me 18 of their seedlings.

The result? I planted the seedlings last November and harvested literally thousands of Brussels sprouts from May onwards: 18 plants with an average of 60 sprouts each equals 1,080 sprouts!

More on cross-pollination of sweetcorn

Following my little article last week on the dangers of cross-pollination of sweetcorn, Jian Liu has written in to say that she has just published a video on how to grow sweetcorn and part of the video discusses the dangers of cross-pollination of sweetcorn!. As well, as my suggestion (only grow one variety at a time), Jian has two other suggestions: separate the varieties by physical barriers, such as a shed or your house (sweetcorn is pollinated by the wind) and/or separate the varieties over time (Jian suggests that plantings should be at least 3 weeks apart). Watch Jian’s video, where the discussion about cross-pollination is from minute 8.45 to minute 12.45.

The video is actually only the second of four videos that Jian is producing on how to grow sweetcorn. Watch the first video. The third and fourth videos are yet to be produced.

Do you know?

Nada Cunningham asks: “When digging a hole for a new plant, or pulling out one that has recently died, I sometimes come across a layer of greyish, white cakey material. In the case of the recently dead plants, this material is encrusted around the roots. In the past, I have attributed it to being near large gum trees (of which I have many) or the application of uncomposted eucalyptus mulch. What is the cause of this problem and what are the possible solutions?” Email your replies.

Want a job?

Very Edible Gardens (VEG) is seeking to hire a Warehouse and Workshop Assistant. The role is based in Brunswick, and primarily involves preparing and packing online orders of their DIY wicking bed conversion kits. 1-2 days per week. Closing date: Friday, 19th November.

Rhubarb chutney (by Pam Griffith)

[Pam is from Wattle Glen.]

Ingredients

2 cups rhubarb, chopped small
2 cups onions, sliced
2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons curry powder

Method

Mix the curry powder with a little of the vinegar.

Put the rhubarb, onions and rest of the vinegar into a pan and cook until the onions are softening.

Add the curry powder, salt and sugar to the mixture. Cook until the onions are tender (around 15-20 minutes).

Add a little cornflour mixed with water to thicken for a few minutes before taking off the heat.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the 3CR gardening show.

Joke (or pun) of the week

I once worked at a pizza shop to get by. I kneaded the dough.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Want to see some food-related art?

Felicity Gordon has an art exhibition called Germinate at ILCH, 275 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe from Wednesday, 17th November to Sunday, 5th December. Using sculpture, wall drawings, collage, worried paper, violent splashes and pools of ink, Felicity’s works mimic naturally occurring systems of decay and renewal. They chart a mostly unknown world of diversity where plant seeds, bacteria and fungi work together to sustain life. Every gallery visitor will be able to sow a food plant seed in a pot to germinate at home. Open during regular library hours (i.e. 7 days a week, from 10am at the latest to 5pm at the earliest). Felicity will be working as an artist in residence at Mungga Artist Studios (adjacent to the gallery) most times while the exhibition is running so feel free to call in and say hello.

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Gourmet Christmas gifts; Wednesday, 17th November, 10am-2pm; $110 ($28 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Prepare five gourmet Christmas treats to impress your family and friends over the holiday period. During this workshop, you will prepare and take-home raspberry jam, mini fruit truffles, shortbread stars, mince pies and Parmesan crisps. At the end of the class, you will be shown exciting ways to package and present your gifts. Presenter: Sandy. The cost covers all ingredients and materials, morning tea and lunch. Organised by Balwyn Community Centre.

French cooking workshop; Wednesday, 17th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Balwyn North.

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

Italian Christmas crostoli class; Thursday, 2nd December, 1-3pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Surrey Hills.

Learn how to make Italian crostoli with Carmela. Homemade crostoli is a crispy sweet biscuit. Organised by Balwyn Community Centre.

Middle Eastern cooking; Friday, 3rd December, 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. Organised by Park Orchards Community House.

Sri Lankan street food experience; Sunday, 5th December, 4-6pm; $89 ($45 per hour); Fitzroy.

MasterChef Contestant Dee Williams will take you through her personal spice range which you will be encouraged to smell, touch and taste. These include a Roasted Chilli Powder, Sri Lankan Unroasted Curry Powder, Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder and Sri Lankan Dark Roasted Curry Powder. She will then show you how to make roti bread from scratch, a Spicy Coconut Sambal and a Sri Lankan Dhal. Once you have created your masterpieces, you will then plate and devour your creations with your new found foodie friends!

Sourdough bread; Sunday, 12th December, 1.30-4pm; $55 ($22 per hour); Park Orchards.

Nadine will demonstrate the technique of sourdough bread making and baking. Bring 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.

Previously announced
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 11th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 12th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 12th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 13th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 13th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 13th November, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 14th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 14th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 14th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 16th November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 18th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 20th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 21st November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!; Tuesday, 23rd November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 26th November, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 28th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 28th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 3rd December, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 3rd December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 4th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Asian cooking with parents and kids: Sunday, 5th December, 2-4pm; $91 ($46 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 5th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 11th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 11th December, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News November 3 2021

Nov 032021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Hague, Ann Stanley, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Claire Smith, Dale Martin, Elissa Oppenlander, Jian Liu, Jon Buttery, Lucinda Flynn, Rebecca Haschek, Robin Gale-Baker, Soo Mei Leong, Stuart Rodda, Vera Herman and Yennie Yong.

It is great when people contribute material for the newsletter. The material can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

Re-opening plans

Food swaps

A few food swaps have announced that they are re-starting. These include:

As Mooroolbark’s organiser, Claire Smith, says, “People are requested to be double vaccinated, will still be required to sign in and use the hand sanitiser. We’re looking forward to finally being able to meet up again and swap our home grown produce.“

Community gardens

Quite a lot of community gardens have now announced that they have re-opened, including:
Bellfield, Condell Growers and Sharers (Fitzroy), Incredible Edible Eltham, Fawkner Food Bowls, Links (Lalor), Northcote Library, Pentridge, Stock Street (Coburg), The Patch (Bundoora), Renown Street (Coburg North), Thrive (Diamond Creek), West Brunswick and Whittlesea.

This week’s farmers’ markets

Thursday: Alphington Midweek Farmgate.
Saturday: Carlton and Coburg.
Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Soil levellers or spreaders (by Stuart Rodda)

[Stuart, from Eltham, is going to write a series of articles for this newsletter on large hand tools (spades, forks, etc). The material complements his previous articles on a variety of other garden tools. To start with, he discusses an uncommon tool, namely a soil leveller or soil spreader.]

For decades, I have been flattening soil to make planting beds using the back of a rake or a straight piece of wood. However, for other reasons (namely, to create a flat surface for a gravel path), I recently acquired a soil leveller from Bunnings. Having that tool, I then tried using it to create a flat soil bed for planting out seedlings and it worked brilliantly, so now I use it all the time for that purpose.

Why is it better than the flat back of a rake (see the photo of the both of them)?

  1. It is heavier and more ‘self-levelling’.
  2. With 4 rounded bars joined together, it easily moves away lumps of soil while flattening out the fine soil, and also tends to break lumps into smaller crumbs.
  3. It is wider.
  4. There are fewer holes left behind where slugs etc can hide and come out at night to chomp any seedlings or emerging shoots.
  5. It is cheap ($19).

For a small home garden it may not be worth having this extra tool but for a larger veggie patch or community garden I highly recommend it.

Read Stuart’s previous articles on a variety of garden tools.

How to make, or refresh, kombucha (by Lucinda Flynn)

[Watch this video, where Lucinda discusses making kombucha from a very overgrown SCOBY.]

To make kombucha, you need to start with a SCOBY, and this can come from either your previous attempts or from other people. SCOBY stands for ‘symbiotic combination of bacteria and yeast’ so it’s actually a living organism of bacteria and yeast together. It grows by feeding off sugar, which you give it in the form of sweetened tea.

If starting from your previous overgrown SCOBY, cut off a small piece of the solid part and put it aside together with around a cup of the liquid. Either chuck out the rest, or give some to other people or feed it to your chooks.

Make some tea and sweeten it. The amount of sugar that I put in is ¼ cup per litre, where the reason for this amount is that the SCOBY will be able to eat about that much sugar so the resulting kombucha will be largely sugar-free.

Put the small piece of solid SCOBY, the cup of liquid from the previous kombucha and the sweetened tea together into a container and put the lid on.

Leave it for about a week to help it get really strong. It will start feeding on the sugars and you’ll notice of a film start to form at the top of the liquid, which is the new SCOBY starting to develop.

Throughout, make sure you keep sterile by keeping your hands really clean.

Note that this this is the primary fermentation of the kombucha. If you want to do a secondary one as well, wait until the primary has become strong, that means it’s building its new SCOBY on top, then decant some of the kombucha into a sealable bottle (e.g. any sort of glass bottle with a top). Drop in a couple of berries or some ginger or citrus or anything else that has a bit of sugar in it, and put the lid on. The kombucha will then start to digest the sugars in the fruit and will create a bit of a fizz and that’s how you get the secondary ferment of a fizzy kombucha.

Jon’s podcast of the week

The beauty of podcasts is that your favourite radio shows are available at any time that suits you. The 3CR gardening show is great, with different special guests at different times. The most recent episode that I heard (from 17th October) had a slow start (the technician had apparently plugged the printer cord into the wrong USB port – this is community radio!) but then became much more interesting, with material on how plants are imported to the country and also mulch and where to get it.

A comment on last week’s article about fertilisers

Rebecca Haschek has written in to say that she found Robin Gale-Baker’s article last week entitled organic versus inorganic fertilisers both interesting and informative. It sparked some thoughts on terminology that can be usefully clarified.

The words ‘organic’ and ‘inorganic’ mean somewhat different things to different people. Rebecca’s concern is that ‘organic’ is sometimes thought to be synonymous with ‘nature/natural’ (and therefore good!), while ‘inorganic’ is therefore linked with ‘synthetic’ or ‘man-made’ and carries negative connotations. However, rock and water are inorganic but obviously occur in nature. Furthermore, as discussed in Robin’s article, ‘organic’ fertilisers contain rock dust (which is inorganic) whilst ‘inorganic’ fertilisers contain petroleum (which, in the traditional sense of the word, is organic because it is derived from once-living organisms).

To clarify such matters, Robin has agreed to two changes to her article regarding usage of the terms. The first change is to add a definition of the word ‘organic’ at the start of the article, namely: “In this article, the word ‘organic’ is used to mean ‘in line with certified organic principles’, with the word ‘non-organic’ being used to mean ‘not in line with certified organic principles’.” The second change is to refer to ‘non-organic fertilisers’ throughout rather than ‘inorganic fertilisers’. The website version of the article has been updated for these changes.

The meaning of the word ‘organic’

Stimulated by Rebecca’s comments, I thought that I would say a few words about the word ‘organic’.

In Australia, unlike in some other countries, there is no legal definition of the word ‘organic’ as it applies to food.

In the olden days, when I was a child and before you were born, the term ‘organic’ had two possible meanings, depending on the context. One meaning, which came from chemistry, was ‘any compound that contains a significant amount of carbon’. A second, related meaning, which came from farming, was ‘any matter which came from the faeces, parts or remains of living or once-living organisms’. In both meanings, gases like carbon dioxide plus a few other simple compounds were excluded. Historically, these two meanings were effectively equivalent (because all life forms on Earth are carbon-based), that is until the early 19th Century when someone called Friedrich Wohler demonstrated that a number of ‘organic compounds’ (in the first meaning) could be produced in the laboratory from ‘inorganic’ sources and therefore that some materials could be ‘organic’ using the first meaning but ‘not organic’ using the second meaning. Examples are urea and oxalic acid. Note that, in both original meanings, petrol and plastic, which are both carbon-based and derived from the remains of once-living organisms, are considered to be ‘organic’.

More recently, at roughly the time of my mid-life crisis, the Certified Organic movement came into existence. Something is ‘certified organic’ if and only if two conditions apply. The first condition is that its production is in accordance with all the standards set out in the Government’s 68 page document entitled National Standard for Organic and Bio-Dynamic Produce. The second condition is that the producer has successfully applied to one of the official certifying bodies to have their produce accepted as meeting these standards.

The standards do say many things that are relevant to one or both of the original meanings of the word ‘organic’ as discussed above but they also cover a much wider field and are sometimes very specific. If you have never read the standards, you may be surprised by how comprehensive (and readable) they are. For example, for livestock, they have sections on breeding, nutrition, medications, welfare, housing and handling. For more detail, read my article about organic certification on our website.

Some of the standards relate to the source of the inputs. For example, excreted urea and manufactured urea are identical products but, whilst urea produced by animals is permitted in certified organic farming, urea produced by factories is banned. Also, most fertilisers produced using minerals as a major source are banned. I presume (although I haven’t actually checked) that petrol and (at least, most) plastics can never be certified organic. In general terms, certified organic products can only use inputs which are ‘certified allowed’, as specified in the standards.

Because ‘certified organic’ has a precise meaning, it is a good term to use in any analysis. However, the second condition above (that something can only be called ‘certified organic’ if its producer has actually and successfully applied to it to be called ‘certified organic’) means that there are lots of products which are effectively equivalent to ‘certified organic’ but which are not actually certified. For example, many of us garden according to the certified organic standards but for obvious reasons (starting with cost) would never apply to any organisation for any certification. We need a word for such products and approaches and the word that many people now use is ‘organic’, meaning ‘generally in line with certified organic principles’. We then need a word for the opposite, and the best of a bad bunch is perhaps ‘non-organic’, meaning ‘not in line with certified organic principles’.

To summarise: whilst the term ‘certified organic’ has a precise meaning, there is no legal definition of the word ‘organic’. Many people who broadly believe in the certified organic standards tend to use the term ‘organic’ to mean ‘generally in line with certified organic principles’. By contrast, as alluded to in Robin’s article, many companies who are trying to sell their products tend to use the term ‘organic’ much more broadly, in a way that harks back to the original meanings of the word, namely either carbon-based or derived from once-living organisms.

A new mobile creperie: La Louche

La Louche, who are based in Eltham, make ready-to-eat savoury galettes and sweet crepes, including both gluten-free and vegan options. Where possible, they use local fruit and vegetables. They have a stall outside of the Platform 3095 cafe from Wednesday to Saturday, and you can order either from there or online. They are also at Eltham Farmers’ Market on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. Read their Local Food Directory entry. Welcome Marine and Steve!

Yes, you did know! What’s attacking the plums?

Last week, Trish Kent asked what was eating her plums and what can she do about it. The one response was from Vera Herman, who suggests that Trish reads this article. From that article, Vera concludes that the problem might well be the caterpillars of a winter moth.

No, you didn’t know (sigh)

Safe and trustworthy sources for compost

Last week, Eliza McCumstie asked for recommendations for safe and trustworthy sources for compost, after having had some unhappy herbicide-related experiences in the past. No one responded. It would be great if you could respond this week by email.

Choon Yin Yeok did write in to say that she thinks that she has also had some herbicide-related problems with some of her veggies seedlings.

What’s eating the passionfruit?

Last week, Vanessa Shribman asked what ate her green passionfruits last year and what can she do about it this year. No one responded. It would be great if you could respond this week by email.

In the meantime, here is my answer: I think that it is most likely rats and that bagging of individual fruit can sometimes deter them.

Do you know? Romanescos gone wrong

Yennie Yong writes in: “I’ve been growing romanesco for the first time, and was excited to see the baby head forming a few weeks ago. Then the head split into multiple florets (see photo)! Now I can also see some florets changing to be broccoli-like, more specifically like purple sprouting broccoli. I’m wondering if this could be caused by the romanesco cross pollinating with the some purple sprouting broccoli planted in the same bed. In future, should I only plant one variety at a time to ensure I get true to type results?” Email your replies.

Guy’s veggie growing tip of the week – only grow one variety of sweetcorn at a time

Yennie’s question has prompted me to reflect on some related, wider issues. My granny smith apple tree always produces granny smith apples even though it is sometimes/usually pollinated by some nearby red apple trees. My pumpkins are usually the same as was on the original label even though pumpkins often cross-pollinate (i.e. the male flowers from one plant pollinate the female flowers of another plant) and I grow multiple varieties at the same time. I’ve therefore always assumed that the results of cross-pollination don’t manifest themselves until the next generation. Putting this another way, the fruit is always the variety of the mother plant.

[In passing, if this is true for fruit (which are post-pollination) then it is certainly true for flowers (which are pre-pollination) and thus Yennie’s problems are not because of cross-pollination between her romanesco and purple sprouting broccolis. Rather, a more likely explanation is that Yennie’s ‘romanesco’ plants are the progeny of a previous cross-pollination and have thus not grown ‘true to type’.]

But, as always, there is an exception that proves that rule and, in this case, that exception is sweetcorn. I realised this last year when all of my sweetcorn, both the normal golden bantam and the less common popping corn, produced inedible, somewhat deformed, cobs. From a bit of Internet research, it became clear that the unique aspect of sweetcorn is that what you eat are the seeds (rather than the fruit), that the seeds have a mix of both the mother’s and the father’s genes, and that their physical characteristics can be a mishmash of the two.

Here is a scientific explanation from a New Zealand website: “The proper development of corn kernels requires double fertilisation — that is, two sperm (carried in the pollen) are required to fertilise an ovule. One of the sperm fertilises the egg within the ovule, which becomes the plant embryo. The other sperm fuses with other nuclei in the ovule to become the endosperm of the seed, which will develop into a food source for the developing plant. The endosperm makes up the majority of a corn kernel, which is why the genetics of the pollen source matter so much.” If that has whetted your appetite, the sweetcorn page in Wikipedia also discusses some of the issues.

So, my tip this week is actually very simple: only grow one variety of sweetcorn at a time.

Read more of my veggie growing tips.

Want a job?

Collingwood Children’s Farm is looking for a Farm Operations Manager, who would be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the farm. The roles include planning, overseeing the worksite and coordinating all farm operational activities, where this latter role includes day-to-day maintenance of farm site, buildings & equipment, garden & animal requirements, and working with the volunteers on the farm. Location: Abbotsford. Read more. Apply by email to conor@farm.org.au with the subject heading: ‘APPLICATION – Farm Ops Manager via NRMjobs’

A new seed library at Whittlesea Library

There is now a seed library at Whittlesea Library. There will also be a free event on Thursday, 9th December, 10-11.30am to celebrate its existence.

That makes a total of 16 seed libraries on our map of North East Melbourne

Australian Pollinator Week is 13th to 21st November

As discussed on the Australian Pollinator Week website, the activities appear to be threefold: a global waggle dance, where you upload a dance video; a pollinator picnic, where you are encouraged to have a picnic in a local park; and a wild pollinator count, where you count pollinators (not just bees) and submit your observations.

As part of the wild pollinator count, CERES are organising a backyard bee census on Sunday, 14th November.

The Local Government Climate Emergency Toolkit

Newsletter reader Dale Martin has updated his Local Government Climate Emergency Toolkit (a 41 page pdf), which is a guide for individuals and community groups to help tackle our shared climate emergency. You might find section C7 on open space and agriculture of particular interest.

The results of last week’s photo competition

The theme was ‘your best ever food- or garden-related photo’ and it attracted (only) 5 entries.

Ann Hague
 
Blacky. I love my chooks – eating veggie scraps, producing eggs & manure, and always happy to see me!
Choon Yin Yeok
 
We went to a Shinto temple in Kyoto, Japan for a banquet. The pictures are of 2 of the 10 courses, both of which looked beautiful and were delicious.
Chris Kent
 
Happy January harvest.
Soo Mei Leong
 
Made from agar-agar (gelatin-based seaweed), this is one piggy that not only looks delectable but is also delicious to eat.

 

Cheesy garlic roasted asparagus (by Elissa Oppenlander)

[Elissa is from Macleod and this recipe originally appeared in the Sustainable Macleod newsletter, which is one of the most interesting local newsletters. The recipe has been adapted from one by Cafe Delites.]

Ingredients

250g asparagus spears, woody ends removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 2 cloves garlic, minced)
sprinkle of salt and pepper
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (or pre-packaged ‘pizza cheese’ if you can’t be bothered grating mozzarella)

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 220degC.

Arrange the asparagus in a roasting pan. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil mixture over the asparagus and toss to evenly coat.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until vibrant and just beginning to get tender.

Remove from the oven and top with cheese. Return to the oven and grill until the cheese melts and becomes golden (about 4-5 minutes).

Add salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the photo of the chicken wire Pam Jenkins uses to protect her peas from cockatoos.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Customer: There is a fly in my soup. Waiter: Don’t worry, the spider in your bread will get it.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

Productive gardens workshop; Thursday, 18th November, 7.30-8.30pm; $30.

Presenter: Jian Liu. Jian will talk you through all you need to know to create your own garden patch. She will discuss how she created her own backyard food forest and some weird, wonderful and productive edibles to incorporate into a backyard. Organised by Open Gardens Victoria.

Zen permaculture, starting at the kitchen sink: de-clutter and reset your life; Sunday, 12th December, 2-3.45pm; $donation

Presenter: Cecilia Macaulay. You will: do kitchen sink declutter; learn design principles; and fall in love with your kitchen sink.

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Building wicking beds using recycled materials: Saturday, 20th November, 10.30am-midday; $97 ($64 per hour); Fitzroy.

Learn about the benefits of wicking beds, how they work, what plants are suitable for wicking beds and what are not, and how to make wicking beds using recycled materials. Participants will make a small wicking bed using recycled materials to take home, including soil and seedlings. Organised by Cultivating Community.

Oktoberfest 2021: Saturday, 27th November, midday-10pm; $45; Brunswick East.

As well as entry, your ticket includes 3 pints of beer and a pretzel. There will be 5 German-style beers on tap: Pilsner 56, Temple-Weiss Weissbier, Vienna Lager, Maibock and Dunkelweiss. Organised by Temple Brewing Company.

Beginners compost, worm farms and bokashi bins: Saturday, 4th December, 10.30am-midday; $67 ($44 per hour); Abbotsford.

In this workshop, you will look at: both hot and cold composting and their benefits; how to set up and run successful above-ground and in-ground worm farms; why run multiple composting systems, and how each one can be used in your garden; and how to compost and increase soil biodiversity with your Bokashi bin.

Make a blue-banded bee apartment block: Saturday, 4th December, 1-2.30pm; $65 ($44 per hour); Abbotsford.

A workshop for all ages and all families; suitable for children accompanied by their parents or carers. Participants will make a mudbrick block for the female blue banded bee. The workshop will also include: learning all about the blue-banded bee nesting habits, and how they assist with fertilising plants; what plants will bring the blue-banded bee into your garden; making a blue-banded bee nest using mud and pipe; and advice on how to stack the nests to create an apartment block for the bees. Participants will take home the block that they make.

Whittlesea community seed library opening: Thursday, 9th December, 10-11.30am; free; Whittlesea.

Go and celebrate their new community seed library.

Edible weeds walk: Saturday, 11th December, 10.30am-12.30pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Brunswick East.

Join Adam Grubb, co-author of The Weed Forager’s Handbook, for a fascinating walk on the wild side, foraging for edible weeds. Organised by Very Edible Gardens.

Previously announced

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Vegan pizza making masterclass; Sunday, 14th November, midday-2pm; $106 ($53 per hour); Northcote.

Edoardo Nicita, from Shop 225, will demonstrate how to create your own gluten-free pizza dough from scratch. You will then learn how to roll out and shape pizza dough. You will make a margherita pizza and a nutella dessert one.

Mediterranean summer cooking workshop; Thursday, 25th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $65 ($33 per hour); Balwyn North.

Arzu will show you how to cook a three course Mediterranean summer feast. She will also explain the health benefits of using olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs.

Wood fire oven pizza marking masterclass; Sunday, 28th November, midday-2pm; $106 ($53 per hour); Northcote.

Edoardo Nicita, from Shop 225, will demonstrate how to create your own gluten-free pizza dough from scratch. You will then learn how to roll out and shape pizza dough. You will make a margherita pizza and a nutella dessert one.

Healing herbal teas for mothers; Saturday, 11th December, 1-2.30pm; $61 ($40 per hour); Abbotsford.

Learn about all the wonderful herbs and native edibles that can be used to make teas to calm the nerves and rest the soul. Make time for yourself to connect with other mums, carers and their children, enjoy an easy laid-back session making fresh herbal tea blends that you can grow in your own home garden. Organised by Cultivating Community.

Vietnamese salad master class; Sunday, 12th December, 10am-2.30pm; $160 ($36 per hour); Panton Hill.

Presenter: Kelly Meredith from Under The Pickle Tree. Learn how make: a poached Vietnamese chicken salad with a range of homemade oils and dressings; a Vietnamese green papaya salad with grilled lemongrass beef; and a sour mango salad with fresh Vietnamese herbs and poached prawns.

Previously announced
In Richmond
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 5th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 6th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 6th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 6th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 7th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 7th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 11th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 12th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 12th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 13th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 13th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 13th November, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 14th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 14th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 14th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 16th November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 18th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 20th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 21st November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!; Tuesday, 23rd November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 26th November, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 28th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 28th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 3rd December, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 3rd December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 4th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 5th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 11th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 11th December, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News October 27 2021

Oct 272021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Eliza McCumstie, Fay Loveland, Hui Ouliaris, Jon Buttery, Keryn Johnson, Megan Goodman, Pam Jenkins, Rita Varrasso, Robin Gale-Baker, Soo Mei Leong, Sue Sedelies, Trish Kent and Vanessa Shribman.

It is great when people contribute material for the newsletter. The material can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

Re-opening plans

As most of you will know, the lockdown was eased in 22nd October and will be eased further in early November. Some local food organisations have already responded by re-activating their activities. Here is the current situation as far as I can make out.

  • A few, but only a few, food swaps have re-started. These include: Blackburn North and Hurstbridge
  • A few, but only a few, community gardens have re-opened. These include: Northcote Library, Pentridge and West Brunswick.
  • Quite of lot of the events deferred because of the lockdown have now been re-arranged for November or December (as listed later in this newsletter).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Thursday: Alphington Midweek Farmgate.

Saturday: Coburg.

Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Organic versus inorganic fertiliser (by Robin Gale-Baker)

The fundamental difference between organic and inorganic fertiliser is their source. Organic fertilisers are derived from living things, including plants, animals and manures, while inorganic are synthetically derived chemicals plus minerals from the earth.

The main active components of all fertilisers are the three macronutrients that all plants need (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium or N:P:K) plus some micronutrients which are minerals, also known as trace elements. The table below sets out the sources for these components for both organic and inorganic fertilisers.

Component
Sources for organic fertilisers
Sources for inorganic fertilisers
Nitrogen Mostly derived from animal manure Mostly from petroleum
Phosphorus Mineral sources such as rock dust, colloidal phosphate or bone or fish meal Rock phosphate treated with sulphuric acid which then converts to other substances and finally to superphosphate or via other processes to triple superphosphate
Potassium (potash) Wood ash, kelp, greensand (ancient seabeds) and compost Potash ores such as kainit and sylvanite

Those favouring organic fertilisers say that the advantages include:

  • The slow release of nutrients.
  • The addition of organic material to the soil.
  • The resulting ability of the soil to retain moisture.
  • Sequestering carbon into the soil.
  • It is made from renewable, rather than finite, resources.
  • The fact you can produce your own by making compost.

Proponents of inorganic fertilisers (which include many companies producing it and many broad acre farmers) argue that the advantages include:

  • High in nutrients.
  • Quick release and this results in quicker uptake and growth.
  • The exact amount of nutrient needed can be measured and used (no under or over feeding).
  • They are less bulky, saving money in transport and spreading costs.

Organic growers argue that, whilst inorganic fertilisers give plants nutrients, they do not build soil fertility, biomass or contribute to moisture retention. They also point to loss of soil through erosion by wind and water when soil is ploughed and bare, the build up of chemical toxicity in the soil from repeated applications, and the degradation of soil long term. Regenerative farmers – 12% of Australian farmers – argue that what makes their farms viable is that they do not have to spend anything on buying fertilisers. Keeping the soil under a cover crop throughout the year, as they do, also builds biomass in the soil and moisture retention for only the cost of the initial cover crop. (Regenerative farmers plug seedlings into the cover crop so that the cover crop roots are always left in while the above ground growth is slashed and pushed back down into the soil mechanically).

Inorganic growers say that organic inputs are too inexact as they are not measurable, result in slow growth, require microbial activity to break them down for plant uptake, and are too bulky and expensive to transport to use on large areas.

As I mentioned in my article last month on seaweed tonics and liquid fertilisers, manufacturers often try to have it both ways – or both markets, you might say, i.e. organic and inorganic – so don’t be taken in by a fertiliser that has ‘organic’ incorporated into its name, e.g. ‘prorganics’ (a name I have made up), as this is to mislead. The packaging needs to state that an organic product is a ‘Certified organic’. There will always be some organic matter in any inorganic fertiliser (the minerals) but this does not make it ‘organic’. Strangely, it does not seem to work the other way: I’ve never seen an organic product presented as an inorganic one.

My peas and the cockatoos (by Pam Jenkins)

[A few weeks ago, we had a discussion about how to deter cockatoos. Pam Jenkins, from Diamond Creek, has now contributed to the debate.]

Earlier this year, cockatoos reduced the height of my climbing peas to the size of dwarf peas. My initial response was to cover the peas with nets but the peas continued to grow and started getting tangled in the nets. Then the wind got stronger and the nets started damaging the pea tips so I decided to dispense with them. I hoped that, by then, the cockatoos would have lost interest. But they were back and into mischief within the hour!

So, onto my next solution. Remembering that floppy top fences can keep possums at bay, I wondered if something unstable to land on might keep the cockatoos away. I folded some chicken wire to form a rough tube shape and loosely tied it above the wooden frame supporting my peas (see the photo). Hooray! No problems since then.

Jon’s podcast of the week

Watch this video, which is a lecture rather than a podcast. The subject is soil biology and the material includes nitrogen-fixing microbes and the importance of multiple species to promote diversity in cover crops.

Julian Fang, departing manager of Alphington Farmers’ Market, has recommended three podcasts in the latest newsletter from Melbourne Farmers Markets:

  • One bite by Xavier Calluaud, which explores the work of various Australian influencers (Costa Georgiadis, Alice Zaslavsky, Tammi Jonas, etc) on changing the food system.
  • Dirty linen by Dani Valant.
  • Cooking the books by Robbie Bell, who is part of local food producer City Larder.

Do you know?

Get your thinking caps on and your typing fingers at the ready because we have a lot of questions this week.

Herbicide in compost

Eliza McCumstie writes in: “I first encountered herbicide in bought compost a few years ago and lost all my tomatoes. It was devastating and no one seemed to know much about it. This year, I used a certified organic compost to pot my tomatoes up and it’s happened again (see photo), where I used Angelo Eliades’ article on how to identify and treat herbicide contamination of commercial soil, compost and manure to diagnose the problem. I thought I’d be safe with a certified organic product but unfortunately that was not the case. It’s such a waste of effort when you put all the time into growing seedlings only to have to throw them away. Whilst I make my own compost, it is not enough for all my garden beds and I need the convenience of a ready-made product for growing seedlings. So, my question is this: can anyone recommend a safe and trustworthy source for compost?” Email your replies.

What’s eating the passionfruit?

Vanessa Shribman asks: “Can anyone suggest how to protect passionfruits? I only had 3 ripe ones last year although there were many green ones which mysteriously disappeared. The same critter took large bites out of the tomatoes. Possums or rats? Any suggestions?” Email your replies.

What’s attacking the plums?

What is attacking Trish Kent’s plums (see the photo) and how should she treat it? Email your replies.

Foodbank’s annual Hunger Report

“The Foodbank Hunger Report is an annual spotlight on food insecurity in Australia bringing together Foodbank’s research and on-the-ground information and observations.” Read their 2021 report (32 pages). Read their website overview of the report

Bundoora Park Community Garden

“The team at the farm have been working hard to improve our community gardens during the lockdown, so Gardener Stacy thought she’d take you on a tour.” Watch the video (3 minutes).

Some suggestions from Chris Kent

Got a loquat tree?

If you have a loquat tree, you know that its fruit will be ripe in November and that you are quite likely to have much more fruit that you can use.

According to ABC News, Melbourne fruiterer Thanh Truong wants to buy your excess loquats. If you think you have at least 4Kg surplus, direct message him on Instagram.

Want to watch some free films?

Kanopy is a website where anyone with a library card can watch up to 6 films per month for free. Chris Kent recently used it to watch Seed: The Untold Story, which is a film about the importance of heirloom seeds to the agriculture of the world, focusing on seed keepers and activists from around the world.

Meg’s garden this month

The rain has filled the tanks and there are now deep puddles around the veggie beds. It is still too early on our south-facing block to pot up the seedlings that we have started indoors but summer is on its way with the Spring blossom on the pears and apples setting to tiny fruits in the past week or so. The cool weather and rain has ensured that the cos lettuce is full hearted and delicious and that the spinach is yet to run to seed.

We have recently been trialling mushroom kits (with great success). The current kits are much improved over the old Styrofoam box kits that I have dismally failed with in the past. We have successfully grown both Shitake and Oyster mushrooms (see photo) in a large clear box in our bathroom. The family has missed hunting for field mushrooms this year with Grandma at the farm, but watching them grow has been fascinating. I did manage to obtain Grandma’s recipe for her breadcrumb topping for field mushrooms (it would be good on a slow roasted tomatoes too).

This month I am:

  1. Counting down the days until we can head to finally see the grandparents on the farm.
  2. Harvesting the last of the Emperor mandarins (this large variety takes a long time to ripen in Melbourne).
  3. Trying to sort the various unlabelled cucurbit seedlings from one another.
  4. Telling myself to wait until the threat of frost has passed before planting them out.
Breadcrumb topping for mushrooms

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
? cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
leaves from 2-3 springs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Mix all the ingredients with enough olive oil to bring the mixture together. Season to taste and then press the mixture onto mushrooms. Bake at 180degC for about 15 minutes.

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

Guy’s veggie growing tip of the week – grow sugar snap peas over Summer

In the UK, where I come from, broad beans and peas are both warm season vegetables which you plant in early Spring and grow over summer. That fitted with my intuition that access to more sun and heat help the juicy beans and peas to develop. But, as standard green beans are also a warm season vegetable, that means that, in the UK, there are too many legumes competing for space in your legume bed over Summer and too few legumes that you can grow in your legume bed over Winter.

When I came to Australia, I found, to my surprise, that broad beans and peas are both cool season vegetables here. At first, I found this a bit disconcerting as it showed (once again) that my intuition can be wrong. But, on further reflection, I became delighted as it means that I can grow broad beans and peas over Winter and then standard green beans over summer. And it also means that I have some spare space in my legume bed over Summer (there are only so many green beans one can eat) to grow a second ‘experimental’ legume, such as peanuts or soybeans. But sometimes being experimental is a bit too much of a fag and one hankers to grow standard vegetables. That is when I discovered that sugar snap peas (but not standard garden peas) can be grown all year round. So, last November, after harvesting the broad beans, we planted some sugar snap pea seedlings and the crop grew beautifully.

So here’s my tip: if you have some spare space in your legume bed after harvesting your broad beans, grow some sugar snap peas.

Read more of my veggie growing tips.

What seeds to plant in November

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Cucumber
Gourd
Okra
Peanut
Pumpkin
Sweetcorn
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Parsley
Rocket
Silverbeet
Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Potato
Radish
Sweet potato
Perennial

Asparagus
Chives
Globe artichoke
Jerusalem artichoke

Compared with October, the list gets a bit shorter, with some summer veggies dropping off (e.g. rockmelon, watermelon and zucchini) and with nothing added. But there’s still lots that you can plant during November. Or, of course, you can buy seedlings for any of the summer veggies.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘garden art’ and attracted 14 entries. Thanks, everyone!

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Soo Mei Leong’s Covid wombat.

Commendations to Ann Stanley’s dog in a boat and to Hui Ouliaris’ kids playing on the lawn.

Soo Mei Leong
 
THE WINNER!
 
Wearing a face-mask, with a bottle of hand sanitiser in one hand and a foot on the Covid-19 virus, my garden art wombat reflects the changing world that we all live in.
Ann Stanley
 
COMMENDED
 
A little dog enjoying a boat ride in my pond. A ceramic by Eltham artist Jessie Pittard.
Hui Ouliaris
 
COMMENDED
 
3 kids playing on our front lawn.
Ann Stanley
 
A salad bowl from the local op shop used as both a decoration and as a drink bowl for chooks and visiting creatures.
Cathy Romeo
 
One of many incredible glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly in Kew Gardens, London.
Choon Yin Yeok
 
You have been watched.
Chris Kent
 
A cube, globes and diagonal leading lines provide an artistic composition.
Chris Kent
 
Garrya elliptica (or silktassel bush) is a native to California with a tassel wall art vibe. The long tassels of individual flowers appear in the winter months.
Chris Kent
 
The ‘Parterre Bas’ in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. A parterre is a formal garden, typically laid out in a symmetrical pattern. The potted citrus trees from the orangery are stored here, outside, during the summer months. An orangery is an indoor area of a large fashionable residence from the 17th century, where orange and other fruit trees are protected during the winter.
Hui Ouliaris
 
I had found 2 broken pieces of tree branches in the garden and thought it would look cute transformed into a whimsical scene with an elf climbing out of the wood and possibly down the makeshift stairs.
Nada Cunningham
 
This sculpture on the wall of our house is made from the remains of a Pandorea pandorana vine which killed three large trees in our garden during its 30 year reign as it twisted its way through their canopies. Doug Smidt took the bundle of dried-out vines that I gave him, added the red cedar birds carved from the remains of church pulpit in Richmond, and created this sculpture (which I love).
Rita Varrasso
 
Emu in the ‘burbs.
Rita Varrasso
 
In Wycheproof, farm machinery is recycled to make garden sculptures. Check out the plough discs.
Sue Sedelies
 
Ring-tailed lemurs in the Montreal Botanical Garden.
This week’s competition

As we are now out of lockdown, it is time for this newsletter to focus again on upcoming events. But I thought that we would have one last photo competition, with the theme being ‘your best ever food- or garden-related photo’. Email your photos together with some words about them.

To get you started, here is what I think was the best photo from our competitions last year (i.e. 2020): male blue-banded bees hanging out by Alison Raven. Click the picture to see it at a goodly resolution.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the photo of Elissa Hunter’s miniature French patisserie shop and florist. The second most popular link was the photo of Elissa’s miniature veggie garden outside of a house. As several of you have said to me over the last week, Elissa’s miniatures are simply extraordinary.

Recent articles that you might have missed

Articles published over the last month:

Word of the month – Tyromancy

‘Tyromancy’, meaning the art of telling the future through the observation of cheese, especially as it coagulates. Types of emerging mould and patterns of growing holes are apparently both important aspects.

A variant is to write the names of possible suitors or suitresses onto pieces of cheese and then place these pieces around a mouse. Whatever name is on the piece of cheese that the mouse eats first is then destined to be your love mate. [Editor: I am currently running an experiment to see if this works in practice using three pieces of cheese with the names Jennifer Lawrence, Taylor Swift and Kate Upton on them.]

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Let them eat cake. Said to have been spoken by ‘a great princess’ upon being told that the peasants had no bread. As cake is obviously a luxury item, and way more expensive than bread, the anecdote went to show either the princess’s frivolous disregard for the starving peasants or her poor understanding of their plight. Note that the original French phrase referred to brioche rather than cake.

The phrase was supposedly said by Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI, in 1789, during one of the famines in France. But, as discussed in Wikipedia, many people now attribute it to Marie-Thérèse, wife of Louis XIV, from around 100 years earlier. Marie Antoinette was, of course, executed in 1793, at aged 37, during the French Revolution.

In passing, Let Them Eat Cake is ““Melbourne’s premier and longest-running arts, culture and dance music festival held every New Year’s Day” in Werribee.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” by James W. Douglass.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Germany is now advising people to stock up on cheese and sausages. This is called the Wurst Käse scenario.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

Spring into growing; Thursday, 28th October, 11am-midday; free

Organised by Museums Victoria. Presenter: Jaclyn Crupi, author of the new book Garden like a nonno. Learn how to make your own seed-raising mix and use household items to grow seeds in preparation for your garden or balcony. You will need some seeds of your choice, something to plant the seeds into, some seed-raising mix, and some weed tea fertiliser.

Cooking for kids with a witch! – Chocolate spiders; Friday, 29th October, 4-4.30pm; free

Organised by Eastern Regional Libraries. Jump in the kitchen and with four ingredients whip up a tasty and sweet Halloween treat. For kids of all ages with adult supervision.

Cardinia Community Food Forum; Tuesday, 9th November, 9.30am-3pm; free

Organised by the Cardinia Food Circles Project. Host: Thanh Truong, the Fruit Nerd. Keynote speaker: Sandro Demaio, CEO of VicHealth. The day will include a range of short talks and panel discussions with Young Food Leaders, Young Farmers, Agri-Food Social Enterprises, Siri Guru Nanak Darbar (Sikh Urban Farm), United African Farm, Cockatoo Sustainable Food Project, The Community Grocer and others. The event will be recorded.

Managing food waste at home; Tuesday, 9th November, 2-3pm; free

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Presenter: Ella from Chooktopia. Ella will share some tips around managing your household food wastage, from the avoidable (using leftovers, correct storage, etc) to the unavoidable (composting, the council’s green bin service, etc).

Pop-up pantry audit workshop; Thursday, 11th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free

Organised by Whittlesea Council. Presenter: Angela Chung from Pop-up Pantry. Angela will share ideas, tips and tricks on how to create a beautiful and functional pantry free of pesky plastic packaging.

Edible garden tour With Karen Sutherland; Thursday, 18th November, 11am-midday; free

Organised by Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries. Presenter: Karen Sutherland. On this virtual tour, Karen will share her knowledge and answer questions from the audience.

Cooking demonstration: san choy bao and mango sago pudding; Thursday, 25th November, 7-8pm; free

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Presenters: Helen and Hay. Learn how to how to bring authentic Asian flavours into your home with two classic Asian dishes.

Keeping backyard chooks with Felicity Gordon; Saturday, 27th November, 3-4pm; free

Organised by Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries. Learn some tips and hints on keeping backyard chickens. Find out the best breeds for laying eggs, what chickens eat, and how to ensure they are not prone to feral animals, particularly at night.

Take your recipe to retail; Wednesday, 15th December, 9-10am; $50

Organised by Business of Food. Learn the practical steps to running a thriving food business and understand the obligations of taking your food product to a retail market. Suitable for anyone in the food industry that would like to re-visit the basics, or those that have developed a new food product and ready to launch.

Previously announced online events
  • Fussy eaters – meal ideas from 0 to adolescence; Thursday, 28th October, 10-11am; free; organised by Eastern Regional Libraries
  • Herbs for the kitchen garden; Thursday, 28th October, 6-8pm; $50; organised by CERES
  • Keeping backyard chooks; Thursday, 28th October, 7-8pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries.
  • Preventing and treating pesky pests organically; Saturday, 30th October, 11am-12.30pm; free; organised by My Smart Garden
  • Design a small and productive garden; Wednesday, 10th November, 6.30-8pm; free; organised by My Smart Garden.
  • Composting at home; Wednesday, 10th November, 7-9pm; free; organised by Banyule Council

Upcoming face-to-face events – not cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Building wicking beds using recycled materials: Thursday, 4th November, 10.30am-midday; $20 ($14 per hour); Fitzroy.

Organised by Cultivating Community. Learn about the benefits of wicking beds, how they work, what plants are suitable for wicking beds and what are not, and how to make wicking beds using recycled materials. Participants will make a small wicking bed using recycled materials to take home, including soil and seedlings.

Plant sale: Sunday, 7th November, 8.30am-1pm; free; Hurstbridge.

Organised by Hurstbridge Sow & Grow Garden Club. There will be a wide range of interesting, unusual and drought tolerant plants for sale.

Pick and eat – Spring harvest: Saturday, 13th November, 10.30am-12.30pm; $41 ($21 per hour); Bulleen.

Organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Join Heide gardener Alice Crowe for a tour of the kitchen gardens with a focus on the care and cultivation of the spring harvest. Then enjoy a glass of wine and a gourmet treat at Heide Cafe.

Sprouting gardens: Saturday, 20th November, 1-2.30pm; $20 ($14 per hour); Fitzroy.

Organised by Cultivating Community. Learn how a seed germinates, how to start your sprouting garden and how to look after it so your sprouts don’t rot. Try out different types of seeds that have different crunch and flavour once they start to sprout. Make and eat a salad using sprouts and other ingredients.

Edible weeds: Saturday, 20th November, 3-4.30pm; $22 ($14 per hour); Bulleen.

Organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Learn about the edible weeds in your own backyard with gardeners David Murphy and Luke Murchie.

Re-activated or re-arranged following the end of the lockdown

Upcoming face-to-face events – cooking

Many of these events may be restricted to fully vaccinated people only.

Wok it real good: Sunday, 21st November, 10.30am-3pm; $160 ($36 per hour); Panton Hill.

Organised by Under the Pickle Tree. Learn how to season a wok for its first use. Then use your wok to cook some Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian dishes. You will learn how to smoke the wok and how not to overcrowd it. Menu items will include classic Thai pad thai (vegetarian available), Thai stir fried beef with basil and chilli, Malaysian belachan spinach and chilli tamarind prawns.

Fermenting made simple: Saturday, 4th December, 9am-midday; $120 ($40 per hour); Kinglake.

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

Cheese making at home; Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $120 ($40 per hour); Kinglake.

Organised by Kinglake Ranges Neighbourhood House. Learn how to make labneh, ricotta, feta and halloumi cheeses. You will take home 3 cheeses and your own cheese mould. Take an apron, a cooler and 3 or 4 plastic containers to take your cheese home. With Narelle.

Gingerbread house workshop; Wednesday, 8th December, 7-8.30pm; $55 ($22 per hour); Chirnside Park.

Organised by Chirnside Park Community Hub. Embrace your whimsical side with a centrepiece that looks as good as it tastes or give a handmade gift to that special person in your life. You will receive a glass of bubbles on arrival and all the equipment for the workshop is provided, namely: prebaked gingerbread; an assortment of lollies; icing sugar; base board (15cm x 15cm or 20cmx 20cm); icy pole sticks; cellophane and ribbon.

Re-activated or re-arranged following the end of the lockdown
In Richmond
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 30th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 30th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 31st October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 5th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 6th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 6th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 6th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 7th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 7th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian); Tuesday, 9th November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 11th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 12th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 12th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 13th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 13th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 13th November, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 14th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 14th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 14th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 16th November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 18th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 19th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 20th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 20th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 21st November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 21st November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!; Tuesday, 23rd November, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 26th November, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 27th November, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th November, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 28th November, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 28th November, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 3rd December, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 3rd December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 4th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 4th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 5th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 10th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 11th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 11th December, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 12th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy; Thursday, 16th December, 6.30–10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th December, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 17th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 18th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th December, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 19th December, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News October 20 2021

Oct 202021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Carolyn Speed, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Elissa Hunter, Evan Gellert, Jon Buttery, Kathryn O’Connell, Kerin Tulloch, Lee Hirsh, Lynn Wallace, Monique Decortis, Penny Smith, Pam Jenkins, Rita Varrasso, Soo Mei Leong and Suzy Georges.

It is great when people contribute material for the newsletter. It can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Thursday: Alphington Midweek Farmgate.

Saturday: Abbotsford and Coburg. Not Wonga Park.

Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Heathmont.

The avocado tree, veggie bed and big eucalypt tree (by Evan Gellert)

This is a story of competition for sustenance and moisture in my Eltham garden. The big eucalypt tree won against the avocado tree, but the veggie bed was saved by pond liner.

Six years ago, I planted an avocado tree (a Gwen?) about 6 metres from the base of a large eucalypt, inside its drip zone. I thought that this location would suit the avocado as it would be screened from some of the Melbourne summer sun and from winter frosts. Unfortunately, the bigger threat was underground in the form of eucalypt roots.

At about 3 years, the avocado looked great and grew several large avocados (which unfortunately dropped prematurely after frost damage). This frost damage finally throttled the tree.

The replacement seedling in 2018 was an avocado (a Bacon) which never did well, and the problem became evident as massed rooting throttling the avocado roots. The rooting was so thickly matted that it became impractical to stir tree food into the avocado soil base.

Roots also invaded the adjacent raised garden bed used for our zucchini and cucumber. I applied a major intervention two winters ago by converting that ground contact bed into a giant pot by installing pond liner to keep the eucalypt roots out plus I added an above ground drainpipe. It works well and we have successfully grown zucchini and cucumber here over about 5 seasons without crop rotation, supplementing the soil annually with compost. The cucurbits love the room to spread runners beyond the raised bed.

The avocado tree was a dream that, in practice, failed. After about 6 years of summer watering, feeding, incessant frost protecting and sun-screening, I have given up. We now buy our avocados instead.

Original avocado tree with frost damage A premature avocado from the original tree The replacement struggling tree
with a large eucalypt behind it

 
* * * * *

Have any newsletter readers successfully grown avocados (i.e. obtained full grown fruit)? In The complete book of fruit growing in Australia, Louis Glowinski says that it is perfectly possible in Melbourne and, indeed, says that it is easier in Melbourne than elsewhere because our climate keeps both the male and the female flowers open all day. Email us with your success story.

My garlic woes (by Pam Jenkins)

I have read in many places that garlic is easy to grow and has very few pests and diseases. Well, there is always the exception that proves the rule. I sometimes wonder why I always have to own that exceptional garden!

In recent years, we have had lots of rain. Last year I had to dig out my garlic really early as the soil got saturated and the garlic rotted at the neck. You don’t get much of a crop if you dig it out early and, because it is a fungal infection, what you manage to save doesn’t keep well. I preserved my much diminished crop by dehydrating it.

This year, after the last heavy fall of rain, a couple of plants fell over and I dug them up to discover that the same was happening to this season’s crop.

More rain being forecast, I had to think of a solution fast! In my resources area, alternatively known as my useful junk store, I found a plastic cover from a mini hothouse that had succumbed to the wind and have now used it as a makeshift rain shelter for the garlic. The top of the soil is quite dry even after the 25 mm rain that we received over the last two days and the remaining garlic is still standing. Fingers crossed that it will complete its cycle and I will once again have garlic plants in my store cupboard.

Jon’s podcast of the week

I think that we all experiment to find a method of composting that suits us. I’d tried bokashi but hadn’t really taken to it. After listening to this podcast, I’m going to give it another go. The author says that the end result is nutritionally good and that you can feed it to your worms or chooks.

More on cape gooseberries

Following Megan Cassidy’s article last week, Penny Smith has written in to say that cape gooseberry can be weedy. “I grew it a few years ago and, while I was a bit distracted, it threatened to take over my backyard. I pulled it all out but am still getting seedlings popping up. I have also seen it as a weed along the Merri Creek.“

Daleys Fruit say “It is not a dominant weed but it can be somewhat of a nuisance when working to restore native vegetation areas.“

More of Elissa Hunter’s miniatures

The most popular item (by far) in last week’s newsletter was the photo of Lynn Wallace’s daughter’s miniature garden shed. I therefore asked Lynn a) if she had any more photos to share and b) what is her daughter’s name?

Lynn’s daughter is called Elissa Hunter.

Elissa’s first miniature is of a French patisserie shop and florist. There are three photos:

The overall shop A close up of the deli counter A close up of the flowers

 
Elissa’s second miniature is of a veggie garden outside of a house. There are four photos:

The overall garden and house A side on view A top down view of the garden A close up of the mini greenhouse

 
Of the first photo, Lynn says “I love the view through the kitchen window. Spot the apple pie!“

Some unusual edibles that you could grow

Pentridge Community Garden in Coburg have written an article about 5 unusual things that they are growing, namely daikon, hops, luffa gourd, romanesco and tomatillo.

Where to buy tromboncino seedlings

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on why you should grow tromboncino this summer. Since then, a number of people have asked me where they can buy tromboncino seedlings and I now have an answer: Organic Fix, 937 Main Road, Eltham. They are in punnets and are therefore very cheap.

Ever need access to a commercial kitchen?

Melbourne Farmers Markets have a commercial kitchen in Alphington which is available for hire by “any food business who has a ‘registered kitchen space’ through their local council“. Start a conversation by completing their expression of interest form.

France to ban plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables

Earlier this year, France banned plastic straws, cups and cutlery. Over the next five years, they will progressively be banning plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables, with such packaging being banned from 1st January, 2022 for eggplants, leeks, round tomatoes (but not cherry tomatoes), apples, bananas, oranges and around 20 other fruits and vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, green beans and peaches will then follow by June 2023; endive, asparagus, mushrooms and cherries by end 2024; and raspberries and strawberries by June 2026. A key challenge will apparently be how to stop potential customers touching the produce when it is not packaged or only loosely packaged using cardboard. Read more. Thanks for the heads up, Monique Decortis!

Guy’s veggie growing tip of the week – grow capsicums and chillies in pots

There are two big reasons why you should grow your capsicums and chillies in pots rather than in your veggie patch.

The first reason relates to frost tenderness. Capsicums and chillies are both perennial, albeit short-lived (typically living for around three years). But they are also frost tender and are typically killed off by the Melbourne Winter. So, if you want to get full value from your capsicums and chilli, grow them in pots and put those pots in a warm place (e.g. a greenhouse) during Winter before taking them out again in the following Spring.

The second reason relates to crop rotation (about which Robin Gale-Baker wrote an article a few months ago). One of the annoying points about crop rotation is that you have to allocate equal space in your veggie patch to each of the groups in the rotation. So, for example, you have to have equal space for solanums (capsicums, chillies, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes) as for legumes (beans and peas).

But most people want to grow lots of tomatoes and don’t want to lose space for these because of space taken up by capsicums and chillies (with all three of these veggies being grown over the same Spring/Summer period). Growing your capsicums and chillies in pots resolves this issue.

A final point: use large pots! Both capsicums and chillies grow much better in large pots than in small pots. I use 330mm (18 litre) pots.

Read my previous veggie growing tips.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘nature strips or other streetscapes’ and attracted 14 entries. Thanks, everyone!

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Chris Kent’s photo of a street in Spain.

Commendations to Cathy Romeo’s photo of a road in Research and to Kathryn O’Connell’s photo of the Japanese garden at Watsonia Library.

Chris Kent
 
THE WINNER
 
An ornamental fig (Ficus microcarpa hillii?) initially trained as a standard. Near Alicante, Spain and the only area along the coast that we encountered this form of pruning.
 
[Editor: a ‘standard’ is apparently a formal, ornamental way of growing shrubs which aims to bring the bulk of the ornamental growth into the eyeline.]
Cathy Romeo
 
COMMENDED
 
Allendale Road, Research. The lack of footpaths adds to the charm of the street.
Kathryn O’Connell
 
COMMENDED
 
The Japanese garden at Watsonia Library.
Carolyn Speed
 
Laneway poppies (and weeds) to brighten a passerby’s day.
Cathy Romeo
 
Epeney, France. A town ready for the Tour de France.
Cathy Romeo
 
France. There’s always space for a garden, no matter how small.
Choon Yin Yeok
 
My street.
Chris Kent
 
Pleached citrus trees providing a shady area for a midday rest. Orgiva, Spain.
 
[Editor: ‘pleaching’ is apparently a method of training trees to produce a narrow screen or hedge by tying in and interlacing flexible young shoots along a supporting framework.]
Kathryn O’Connell
 
A splash of colour with spring flowering succulents and pink lavenders, african daisies and native daisies.
Kathryn O’Connell
 
The lomandras at Watsonia shopping strip have just had a haircut.
Kerin Tulloch
 
We planted out our nature strip and front lawn some years ago to reduce the maintenance that a lawn requires and to create more biodiversity. We have kept it to low plants as our council did not have a policy allowing such plantings then (that may well have changed now).
Rita Varrasso
 
A food is free garden box is a gentle reminder to share within the community.
Rita Varrasso
 
A nature strip garden.
Soo Mei Leong
 
The magnificent spring blooms of crab apples with under-planting of beautiful contrasting foliage from dwarf nandina is such a visual delight in this Melbourne suburban street.
 
This week’s competition

As we are still (as we speak) in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition.

The theme this week is ‘garden art’, as suggested by Cathy Romeo. ‘Art’ in this context, has a wide definition and you can submit anything that you concider to be ‘artistic’. Email your photos together with some words about them.

To get you started, here is a piece of art from my garden. It is by Tim Reed from Bend of Islands and is effectively the entrance to my back garden. Although it looks like a complete circle, this is actually an illusion as there is a big metal plate just under the grass to keep the whole thing stable.

Beef and potatoes (by Suzy Georges)

Ingredients

500g beef eye fillet cut into medium-size cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
one onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
400g potatoes cut into medium-size cubes, the same size as the meat (I use waxy potatoes as they both hold their shape and soak up the flavour)
1 tablespoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon plain flour
1½ cups of water
salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Although the meat and potatoes need to be cooked separately, only one pan is required.

Prep everything before you start cooking.

In a heavy bottom pan, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cook the potatoes for 5-7 minutes (don’t stir too much), put aside in a warm spot lower the heat and let them crisp a bit.

Sear the meat in the same pan after you take the potatoes out. Then remove the meat from the pan.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onions for 1 minute then add the garlic. Keep stirring until the onion and garlic are translucent.

Add the flour and stir well.

Mix the water and the vinegar together then add it to the onion and garlic mix. Stir until it comes to the boil.

Add the meat and the potatoes, mix gently, cover the pan and leave it on low heat until it is cooked well (not too long otherwise it will stick to the pan).

Joke (or pun) of the week

Submitted by Lee Hirsh: Why was the celery given a restraining order? Because it was stalking the other vegetables.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming face-to-face events

We’re still not generally advertising face-to-face events, but here is one outdoor event which is scheduled for after when such events are allowed.

Plant sale; Sunday, 7th November, 8.30am-1pm

Organised by Hurstbridge Sow & Grow Garden Club. There will be a wide range of interesting, unusual and drought tolerant plants for sale. Saunders Automotive Carpark, 941 Main Road, Hurstbridge.

Upcoming online events – an update about non-working hyperlinks

I’ve now worked out a way of linking to Whitehorse Manningham Libraries’ events that doesn’t use the (non-working) Spydus hyperlinks so it is now only the Yarra Plenty Regional Library events that can’t be included in these newsletters until and unless someone from the library tells me how avoid their non-working Spydus hyperlinks.

Upcoming online events – newly announced

If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Cook Indian by the creek; Friday, 22nd October, 5.30-7pm

$49. Aloo jeera (cumin roasted spices potatoes) and punjabi chicken (chicken and herbs with fenugreek leaves). Book by Facebook Messenger.

Fussy eaters – meal ideas from 0 to adolescence; Thursday, 28th October, 10-11am

Organised by Eastern Regional Libraries. Free. Presenter: Su-Ling, who is a dietitian. Learn how to create harmonious meal times and how you can take the stress out of feeding children. Read more and potentially book your place.

Preventing and treating pesky pests organically; Saturday, 30th October, 11am-12.30pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Karen Sutherland from Edible Eden Design. Learn about managing pests in your edible garden using organic methods. The workshop will cover prevention and treatment of common garden pests, as well as Queensland Fruit Fly. Read more and potentially book your place.

Upcoming online events – previously announced

Spring picnics (thermomix); Friday, 22nd October, 7.30-9pm

Organised by Thermotess, Tess Murray. Free. Presenters: various. The menu will includes: minted mosco mule (a cocktail), gourmet crackers, beetroot salad with raita dressing, peanut soba noodle wonton cups, peanut dressing, mini spiced lamb pies and pecan pie cheesecake cups. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 10-11am

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a compost bin at home. Read more and potentially book your place.

Worm farming and Bokashi at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 11.30am-midday

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a worm farm and Bokashi bucket. Read more and potentially book your place.

Home composting for beginners; Saturday, 23rd October, 2-3.30pm

Organised by Edendale Farm. Free. Learn the basics of home composting including how to set one up and maintain it, the simple recipe for success, what to add and what not to add. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing fruit and veggies in small spaces; Sunday, 24th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. Topics will include fruit, vegetables and berries for small spaces, growing produce in pots and containers, maximising productivity in any size space, and plant selection. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting for kids; Sunday, 24th October, 11-11.45am

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenters: Charlie Mgee (musician) and Brenna Quinlan (permaculture illustrator). This will be a fun and musical tour of life in our soil, learning about how we can keep it healthy through composting and worm farming. Read more and potentially book your place.

Grow more, work less; Monday, 25th October, 2.30-3.30pm

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Free. This workshop will cover soil health, seeds, seedlings, growing fewer weeds and succession planting. Presenter: Alison Sizer from Urban Harvest. Read more and potentially book your place.

Setting the right price for product; Tuesday, 26th October, 10-11.30am

Organised by Business of Food. $45. Learn about accurately costing your product and setting a retail price. Read more and potentially book your place.

Wicking bed workshop; Wednesday, 27th October, 7-8pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Craig Castree. Learn about permaculture design principles, how to conduct a site analysis and working with vertical gardens, pots and containers plus how to make the most of your space to increase your harvest. Read more and potentially book your place.

Preparing for a summer veggie crop; Wednesday, 27th October, 7-8.30pm

Organised by Boroondara Council. Free. You will learn about: garden maintenance and preparation; selecting what to plant and when to plant it; growing summer veggies in pots; managing hot weather, including mulching and smart watering; improving productivity sustainably, including crop rotation and companion planting; and soil preparation and management. Read more and potentially book your place.

Herbs for the kitchen garden; Thursday, 28th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Learn the best herbs for sunny or shady spots, which grow well pots and what to grow when. Discover rules of thumb to know which herbs you can take cuttings from and which grow best from seed. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Keeping backyard chooks; Thursday, 28th October, 7-8pm

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Free. This workshop will cover chook health, nutrition, housing, protection from predators and pests, the benefits of having chooks and Council bylaws. Presenter: Ella from Chooktopia. Read more and potentially book your place.

Design a small and productive garden; Wednesday, 10th November, 6.30-8pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Kat Lavers. Learn how to grow herbs in whatever space you have, from the smallest balcony to the biggest garden, in dry areas, wet areas, shade or sun, outside or indoors. They will cover how to plant, propagate, harvest, dry and store herbs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting at home; Wednesday, 10th November, 7-9pm

Organised by Banyule Council. Free. Learn about all the tips and tricks to make great compost. Find out about different containers, worm farming and Bokashi buckets. Read more and potentially book your place.

Otao Kitchen cooking classes; various dates

Otao Kitchen have moved many of their cooking classes online including chinese, dumpling making, indian, indonesian, japanese, korean, thai and vietnamese. Read more and potentially book your place.

LFC News October 13 2021

Oct 132021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Archna Bhatt, Avril Clark, Brooke Earl, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Dorothy Kwak, Helen Simpson, Jaimie Sweetman, Jon Buttery, Kathryn O’Connell, Kayla Blackmore, Larysa Sutherland, Lyn Richards, Lynn Wallace, Megan Cassidy, Monique Decortis, Rita Varrasso, Robin Gale-Baker, Sandra Verdam, Simone Boyd, Sonia Martinez and Soo Mei Leong.

Given that we are not covering face-to-face events at the moment, there is lots of space to include other things. Now would therefore be a really good time for you to submit some words about any food-related matters. It can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Thursday: Alphington Midweek Farmgate.

Saturday: Coburg.

Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Yarra Valley.

As listed above, Melbourne Farmers Markets have started a new midweek farmers’ market at Alphington, every Thursday, 2-5pm.

Because of Covid-19, the Community Grocer has had to temporarily move some of its markets:

  • Carlton: re-located to Carlton Neighbourhood Learning Centre, 20 Princes Street, Carlton North. Fridays, 8am-midday.
  • Fitzroy: re-located to Fitzroy Learning Network, 198 Napier Street. Tuesdays, 9am-1pm.
  • Heidelberg West: still at The Bell Street Mall, Corner of Bell Street and Oriel Road. Saturdays, 9am-1pm.

Jaimie’s edible plant of the month – angelica (Angelica archangelica)

This month I have chosen angelica as my edible plant of the month because it’s really beautiful at this time of year and has so many uses.

Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is in the Apiaceae family. Also in this family is celery and angelica is sometimes referred to as wild celery.

All parts of the plant are edible. The stems can be eaten raw in salads or prepared in the same way you use celery or asparagus in stews or stir-fries. The leaves are also edible too but can be quite bitter; we dry them and use them in herbal teas, with some of the listed health benefits being treating heartburn, respiratory issues, runny nose, benefit sleeping and reducing nervousness.

The roots are traditionally used in Chinese medicine where they are dried and ground up.

The other great thing about having angelica in the garden is that it attracts beneficial bugs, including bees and hover flies. Also, due the strong tap root as they self-seed around the garden, they help break up the soil.

A true biennial, the first year there is lots of leafy lush growth followed by umbel flower heads the next year. They are prolific in seeds that you can collect or just let them sow themselves around the garden as we do.

If you are looking for a low maintenance useful plant that is also edible, angelica would be a good choice.

* * * * *

Watch Jaimie’s video about angelica.

Read about Jaimie’s previous edible plants of the month.

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 all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.

Why you should choose a cape gooseberry plant for your garden (by Megan Cassidy)

[Megan Cassidy, from Greensborough, is active within Sustainable Greensborough. But, of course, her main claim to fame is that she has started writing articles for our website, with her first article being on growing cape gooseberries.]

A cape gooseberry bush grows to around 2 metres wide and 2 metres high, with multiple stalks from a central root. Megan originally grew hers to help keep one of their external brick walls cooler. Depending on conditions, it can be either perennial or annual, with Megan’s being perennial. Water needs are moderate and flowering starts in late winter.

The berries are small (1-2cm across), yellow and round. Each is “encased in a papery husk that starts out green and flexible, and turns into a cool-looking ‘skeleton cage’ with the yellow berry peeping through, so that you know it is ready.” Megan got around 500 berries from her plant last year!

Each berry has “lots of tiny edible seeds, and it tastes a little like a tiny, tangy, zingy tomato. It has to be tried several times to fully appreciate its flavour though, as it’s a very distinctive and different taste.”

“They are great for eating straight off the bush – they often don’t even make it past the little helpers who gather them! I do prefer to give them a wash first, to get the waxy, slightly sticky sheen off it, but this is not essential. They also go well in salads in place of cherry tomatoes, in salsas and baked tomato dishes. You can jam them easily because they are high in pectin. Don’t eat the green ones though! If you have a dehydrator, you can even make your own inca berries – yes, those expensive superfoods you see at the health food shops for $50/kg!”

Megan’s final thought: “My daughter’s room has been cooler since we put this plant in and I enjoy looking out her window and spotting the brown papery pods I can go out and pick. It’s a reminder to get out in the garden and enjoy the fruits of my labour!”

Read the full article.

Jon’s podcast of the week

Here is a podcast about eating acorns. It answers such questions as: Why would anyone want to eat acorns? What is the best method for gathering, and how can you tell if an acorn is no good? How do you remove the tannins in order to make acorns edible? What’s the best way to prepare acorns to eat?

More on making homemade gin

Robin Gale-Baker has written in to say that she recently made a bottle of gin using rock samphire which was great. It apparently took longer than usual to develop a really good flavour.

Rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum) is one of the plants that Jaimie Sweetman suggests that you grow. Read her article on the subject on our website.

Every newsletter needs a good photo

Lynn Wallace has written in to say that, during the lockdowns, her daughter has discovered a talent for making ‘miniatures’. For Lynn’s recent birthday, her daughter gave her a miniature garden shed measuring 22cm x 15cm (see the photo)! Not surprisingly, Lynn loves it!

New free food pantries in Diamond Creek, Eltham and Watsonia

Every week we seem to be announcing new community pantries or food is free locations!

There are new free community pantries in Diamond Creek, Eltham and Watsonia. The Diamond Creek one is at St John’s Anglican Church, 61 Main Street. The Eltham one at the Eltham Lions Club, 2 Youth Road. The Watsonia one is at Watsonia Neighbourhood House, 47 Lambourn Road. All three are the initiative of The Food Collective and are open 24/7 to whoever needs food. Give what you can, take what you need.

Look at a map of where all the free community pantries are.

Want to volunteer?

Diamond Creek Primary School is looking for a volunteer Garden Club Coordinator, starting late January. 4-6 hours/week during Spring/Summer and 2-3 hours/week during Autumn/Winter. The garden is substantial, comprising 22 raised garden beds, the majority of which are wicking beds. There is an aluminium framed polycarbonate greenhouse, large garden shed, a netted greenery area, a compost area and a potting shed. The garden is self-funded, where sales from seedlings, produce, plants and market stalls assist with the upkeep and running of the garden and the club. Read more. All expressions of interest and enquires should be directed to Jessica Betts, jebetts@hotmail.com or on 0411 067621.

Yes you did know!

Last week, Valerie Mudie asked for any advice about growing strawberry spinach (Blitum capitatum syn. Chenopodium capitatum).

Simone Boyd has provided a comprehensive response: “I have grown strawberry spinach mainly for the tiny, edible ‘strawberries’ which form towards the end of the plants season. Not a true strawberry, but they make a great addition to salads or as an edible flower alternative. The leaves are also edible as a spinach substitute (just pick them off as soon as they get to a size that you can harvest).

“The plants are pretty easy to grow. I sow direct into well-prepared soil (addition of compost prior to planting) then just keep moist until germination. They tend to do better here in the cooler months, but are also worth a try during Summer. The plant will readily self seed so let it go if you want free plants, or make sure you eat the berries if not.”

Tomato and other veggie seedlings available at Kevin Heinze Grow (Coburg and Doncaster)

As discussed last week, Kevin Heinze Grow are currently selling their tomato and other veggie seedlings via a ‘call and collect’ service. You choose what you want from their website and send them an email (plantsales@kevinheinzegrow.org.au). They will then contact you re payment and to organise collection.

Guy’s veggie growing tip of the week – copper tape to deter snails and slugs

The most popular link (by far) in last week’s newsletter was Angelo’s article entitled How to control snails and slugs without toxic chemicals. Part of that article discussed copper tape barriers. This is a method that has been successful for me so I thought that I would say a few words about it.

The theory behind using copper tape is that, because snails/slugs are moist and copper is highly conductive, the snail/slug will receive something of an electric shock if the two come into contact and will retreat. No killing is involved.

Just about whenever my wife and I plant a veggie seedling, we cover it with a pot which has its bottom cut out and some copper tape going round it. The copper tape has to form a continual barrier around the whole of the pot as otherwise the snails/slugs will go through the gaps.

We usually remove the pot when the seedling is, say, around 30cms in height. In this way, we have a stack of around 50 pots which are continually being circulated around the veggie patch. Most of the pots are intact apart from having their bottoms cut off but we also have a few with a vertical cut through them as these are easier to remove for ‘wide’ seedlings.

The copper tape is about 2-3cm wide and typically comes in rolls of 4 metres in length. For example, Bunnings call it ‘snail & slug barrier’ and sell a 4 metre roll for $10, which is sufficient for around 15 pots.

Read my previous veggie growing tips.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘your garden (or someone else’s garden)’ and attracted 15 entries. Thanks, everyone!

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Archna Bhatt’s photo of someone’s garden.

Commendations to Chris Kent’s roses and to Larysa Sutherland’s garden.

Garden
Archna Bhatt
 
THE WINNER
 
A pretty colourful front garden somewhere in Doreen.
Roses
Chris Kent
 
COMMENDED
 
A few years ago, an elderly gardening customer finally allowed me to prune her ‘prize’ rose – a magnificent ‘Just Joey’.
My garden
Larysa Sutherland
 
COMMENDED
 
We know that Spring is definitely here when our wisteria is in full bloom.
Calendula
Archna Bhatt
Hippeastrum
Soo Mei Leong
 
When the clump of Hippeastrum papilio blooms in my little patch of garden, it brings me great joy and happiness.
My garden
Avril Clark
 
This is my beautiful snowball tree covered in blooms. To the left is a ballerina crab apple wreathed in a hop vine. To the right is a gingko just coming into leaf.
My garden
Brooke Earl
 
This section of the garden has cost me nothing as all the plants are cuttings from existing plants elsewhere in the garden.
My garden
Cathy Romeo
 
The beauty of a fruit tree garden laden in spring blossoms as the sun is setting.
My garden
Choon Yin Yeok
My garden
Dorothy Kwak
 
Lots of colour getting into summer.
Rainbow
Archna Bhatt
 
A rainbow in my local community garden (Buna).
Re-purposed school desk
Larysa Sutherland
 
An old school desk, re-purposed as a shady plant stand for cyclamen, ferns, ginger, begonia, etc.
Spring watering
Lynn Wallace
Succulent garden
Rita Varrasso
 
Note the flowers.
Under the verandah
Dorothy Kwak
This week’s competition

As we are still in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition.

Thanks to Cathy Romeo, Chris Kent, Helen Simpson, Kathryn O’Connell, Larysa Sutherland and Lyn Richards for their various suggestions for themes for future photo competitions, some of which we will use in the coming weeks.

The theme this week is ‘nature strips or other streetscapes’. I realise that this is a narrower theme than last week’s but let’s hope it attracts some interesting entries. Email your photos together with some words about them.

The theme is based on a suggestion by Kathryn O’Connell who wrote: “What about nature strips? When my local council (Banyule) removed an old and limb dropping gum, they left a great gap which I couldn’t mow, so I popped in pieces of pigface to cover it and the whole thing became an addiction. Now I regard nature strips as an urban desert, waiting for gardeners to adorn the space with whatever suits their style – natives? Succulents? Mediterranean? Unfortunately Banyule Council has a ‘no plant’ policy, so any plants must be seen as temporary but for many of us the joy of watching a dead space turn into a beautiful canvas outweighs the threat of losing all. Here is a photo of my nature strip after NBN was installed, as part of which they kindly put some top soil on the bare clay.”

Mandarin cake (by Sonia Martinez)

This is a good way of using up any mandarins that are still on your tree.

Ingredients

5-6 mandarins, already poached with some sugar and brandy (brandy optional)
100g soft butter
150g sugar
3 eggs, separated
250g self raising flour
Grated lemon rind of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
about 1 cup milk (any type will work)

Method

Cream together the butter, sugar, egg yolks and ground cloves.

Add in the lemon zest, flour and milk, so that it forms a thick batter.

Add in the mandarin segments, gently folding through.

Whisk the egg whites separately and gently fold into the batter.

Bake at 180degC for around 40 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Add some icing sugar if you wish.

Joke (or pun) of the week

By replacing your morning coffee with green tea, you can lose up to 87% of what little joy you still have left in your life.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming face-to-face events

For obvious reasons, we’re generally not currently advertising face-to-face events, but here is one outdoor event which is scheduled for after when such events are likely to be allowed.

Plant sale; Sunday, 7th November, 8.30am-1pm

Organised by Hurstbridge Sow & Grow Garden Club. There will be a wide range of interesting, unusual and drought tolerant plants for sale. Saunders Automotive Carpark, 941 Main Road, Hurstbridge.

Upcoming online events – an alert about non-working hyperlinks

Some of our local libraries (e.g. the Whitehorse Manningham and Yarra Plenty libraries) use a website called Spydus for their events management and booking. The problem is that Spydus hyperlinks don’t work in a normal way. More specifically, the hyperlink to any particular event seems to change from day to day so whenever I add any hyperlink into the newsletter it works for a time and then ceases to work. So, newsletter readers can’t easily book their place at the event and sometimes get (or should get) irritated. Until and unless someone from either the libraries or from Spydus tells me how this problem can be avoided I am, regrettably, not going to be able to include any of their events in this newsletter any more. So, at least for the time being, there won’t be any events in this newsletter from either Whitehorse Manningham Libraries or Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries (which covers Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea).

Upcoming online events – newly announced

If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Keep the Yarra Valley fruit fly free; Friday, 15th October, 10.30-11.30am

Organised by Eastern Regional Libraries. Free. Presenter: Bron Koll. Learn how to prevent this pest getting a foothold. Read more and potentially book your place.

Introduction to fermenting at home; Saturday, 16th October, 10am-midday

Organised by CERES. $50. Presenter: Monique. You will learn: how to turn cabbage into sauerkraut; the easiest way to experiment with vegetables fermented in salt brine; and how to ferment your own kombucha. Read more and potentially book your place.

Grow herbs at home; Tuesday, 19th October, 6.30-8pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Learn how to grow herbs in whatever space you have, from the smallest balcony to the biggest garden, in dry areas, wet areas, shade or sun, outside or indoors. They will cover how to plant, propagate, harvest, dry and store herbs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Spring picnics (thermomix); Friday, 22nd October, 7.30-9pm

Organised by Thermotess, Tess Murray. Free. Presenters: various. The menu will includes: minted mosco mule (a cocktail), gourmet crackers, beetroot salad with raita dressing, peanut soba noodle wonton cups, peanut dressing, mini spiced lamb pies and pecan pie cheesecake cups. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting for kids; Sunday, 24th October, 11-11.45am

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenters: Charlie Mgee (musician) and Brenna Quinlan (permaculture illustrator). This will be a fun and musical tour of life in our soil, learning about how we can keep it healthy through composting and worm farming. Read more and potentially book your place.

Wicking bed workshop; Tuesday, 26th October, 7-8pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Craig Castree. Learn about permaculture design principles, how to conduct a site analysis and working with vertical gardens, pots and containers plus how to make the most of your space to increase your harvest. Read more and potentially book your place.

Design a small and productive garden; Wednesday, 10th November, 6.30-8pm

Organised by My Smart Garden. Free. Presenter: Kat Lavers. Learn how to grow herbs in whatever space you have, from the smallest balcony to the biggest garden, in dry areas, wet areas, shade or sun, outside or indoors. They will cover how to plant, propagate, harvest, dry and store herbs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting at home; Wednesday, 10th November, 7-9pm

Organised by Banyule Council. Free. Learn about all the tips and tricks to make great compost. Find out about different containers, worm farming and Bokashi buckets. Read more and potentially book your place.

Upcoming online events – previously announced

Harvest work information session; Thursday, 14th October, 12.30-1.15pm

Organised by Yarra Ranges Council. Free. Learn how you can apply for harvest jobs available in the Yarra Ranges over this Summer. Hear from a current harvest worker and a local cherry farmer.

SecondBite’s mission is to end waste, end hunger; Thursday, 14th October, 1-2pm

Organised by Manningham Council. Free. Presenter: Steve Clifford, CEO of SecondBite. SecondBite rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers and farmers and re-distributes it free of charge to local charities and not-for-profits that run food programs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to pruning; Thursday, 14th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Skill up in all the basics so you can get started pruning right away. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing great tomatoes; Saturday, 16th October, 10am-midday

Organised by CERES. $50. This workshop will cover: how to choose which tomato varieties to grow; whether to grow from seed or seedling, in pots, raised beds or directly into soil; when and how to plant and tips for success; training growth with stakes, cages or string vs free range; pros and cons of pruning; preventing common problems; feeding; and crop rotation. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Understanding and improving your soil; Sunday, 17th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. Learn how to identify the various types of soils and improve them to create a healthy and productive garden. Learn about the fundamentals of soil ecology, plant nutrition, soil pH management and soil care. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to urban farming (7 sessions); starting Sunday, 17th October, 2pm

Organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre. $82 for all 7 sessions. The 7 sessions will cover: 1. making a wicking pot, starting seedlings, container gardening, introduction to permaculture; 2. soil, making biochar, trench composting, soil carbon, hugelkultur, soil food web, fungi; 3. composting, worm farming, bees wax wraps, weed tea; 4. straw bale gardens, hidden hugelkultur, no dig gardens, bee scaping, food scaping; 5. creating a guild, plant companions, polycultures, building soil, maximising space, increasing vigour and yield; 6. feeding the soil, organic control of common problems and pests, chop and drop, looking after our insect friends; and 7. seed saving, cuttings, produce sharing, seed sharing and making community connections. Read more and potentially book your place.

Take your recipe to retail; Wednesday, 20th October, 9-10am

Organised by Business of Food. $50. Learn the practical steps to running a food business and understand the obligations of taking your food product to a retail market. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 10-11am

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a compost bin at home. Read more and potentially book your place.

Worm farming and Bokashi at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 11.30am-midday

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a worm farm and Bokashi bucket. Read more and potentially book your place.

Home composting for beginners; Saturday, 23rd October, 2-3.30pm

Organised by Edendale Farm. Free. Learn the basics of home composting including how to set one up and maintain it, the simple recipe for success, what to add and what not to add. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing fruit and veggies in small spaces; Sunday, 24th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. Topics will include fruit, vegetables and berries for small spaces, growing produce in pots and containers, maximising productivity in any size space, and plant selection. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Setting the right price for product; Tuesday, 26th October, 10-11.30am

Organised by Business of Food. $45. Learn about accurately costing your product and setting a retail price. Read more and potentially book your place.

Preparing for a summer veggie crop; Wednesday, 27th October, 7-8.30pm

Organised by Boroondara Council. Free. You will learn about: garden maintenance and preparation; selecting what to plant and when to plant it; growing summer veggies in pots; managing hot weather, including mulching and smart watering; improving productivity sustainably, including crop rotation and companion planting; and soil preparation and management. Read more and potentially book your place.

Herbs for the kitchen garden; Thursday, 28th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Learn the best herbs for sunny or shady spots, which grow well pots and what to grow when. Discover rules of thumb to know which herbs you can take cuttings from and which grow best from seed. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Otao Kitchen cooking classes; various dates

Otao Kitchen have moved many of their cooking classes online including chinese, dumpling making, indian, indonesian, japanese, korean, thai and vietnamese. Read more and potentially book your place.

LFC News October 6 2021

Oct 062021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Annie Howard, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Claire Smith, Gabrielle Callahan, Helen Simpson, Jesse Argent, Jon Buttery, Meg Montague, Natalie Nigol, Penny Smith, Rebecca Haschek, Rita Varrasso, Soo Mei Leong, Valerie Mudie and Zofia Di Stefano.

This week’s farmers’ markets

Saturday: Collingwood Children’s Farm and Coburg.

Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Whitehorse.

How to make homemade gin

A few years ago, I (Guy) was lucky enough to attend a workshop at Sustainable Macleod where Gabrielle Callahan showed us how to make gin. It was a revelation: gin is really easy, really fun and really quick to make at home!

Most spirits are defined by the source of their alcohol. Brandy is made from fermented grapes. Rum is made from fermented sugarcane. Whisky is made from fermented grain. Vodka is made from fermented potatoes (or fermented grain). But gin is an exception because it can be made with any neutral spirit. Whilst commercial gin makers usually use spirit bought from industrial ethanol factories, home gin makers usually use vodka.

Rather than the alcohol, the thing that defines gin is the presence of juniper berries.

Nowadays, all gins contain ‘botanicals’ to give them flavour but basically any seed, berry, root, fruit or herb can count as a ‘botanical’. In concept, therefore, you can add just about whatever you want to give the gin flavour.

Finally, whilst commercial gins are usually made by distillation, homemade gin is simply made by adding the ingredients together and waiting.

So, the recipe for gin is really simple. Ingredients: vodka, juniper berries and ‘botanicals’. Method: mix all the ingredients together and, after a few days, sieve.

And the fun part of making gin is that you can experiment with different botanicals and thus different flavours. Every bottle that you make will taste a bit different.

The two most commonly used botanicals are coriander seed and citrus peel (e.g. lemon or orange). Other often used botanicals include cardamom pods, nutmeg, angelica root and orris root. Wikipedia also lists anise, liquorice root, cinnamon, almond, cubeb, savory, dragon eye (longan), saffron, baobab, frankincense, coriander, grains of paradise and cassia bark as possibilities. Or, if you have them, you could include lavender, chamomile, rose, rosemary or sage.

Example ingredients

a bottle of vodka
30 grams (2 tablespoons) juniper berries
5 grams (1 teaspoon) coriander seed
1 strip of citrus peel, either fresh or dried
other botanicals to taste

Method

Mix all the ingredients together, except any fresh citrus peel, in a clean sterile bottle and leave for 24 hours.

Taste, add more botanicals if desired, add any fresh citrus peel, and leave for another 24 hours.

Taste and, if you want a stronger taste, leave for another 24 hours, shaking at least once.

Use a sieve to filter out the botanicals and leave for another 48 hours.

Don’t worry that if the gin is not as clear as commercial gin (that’s why they distil) but, if you feel the need, filter out any remaining sediment.

Drink!

You can find a slightly longer version of this article on our website.

Jon’s podcast of the week

Just before interstate travel became an exotic thing, Deryn from Western Australia visited Tassie for this podcast about the garlic festival in the tiny Koonya in Tassie.

Another free food pantry – JJ’s Community Support

JJ’s Community Support, in Reservoir, is about helping create community spirit, supporting one another and being a central place to come to for support. It includes a ‘community table’, which typically has a variety of food, health and hygiene products which anyone in need is free to take, and which is accessible 7 days a week, 9am-7pm. The food available usually includes fruit, vegetables and pantry products. There is also a fridge and freezer for storing frozen meals. The community table relies on the donations and support from community members and businesses. Welcome Jesse!

Look at a map of where all the free community pantries are.

Yes, you did know!

Last week, Victoria Kanicki asked where and how she should plant bergamot, korean mint, valerian and calendula seeds. Two of you replied, both very helpfully.

Helen Simpson: “For the bergamot, mint and valerian, as the seed is small, start in small containers (away from snails, etc). When the seedlings grow to around 5–10cm tall, they can go into large pots or the garden. The calendula seed, being larger, can be planted directly into large pots or the garden (again protect from snails).“

Penny Smith: “For each of the seeds that they sell, The Seed Collection has a useful table with details of their growth method (you have to scroll and I assume that the method ‘raise seedlings’ means grow them in a punnet or pot first and then transplant). So: bergamot, korean mint, valerian and calendula.“

“I just germinated Korean perilla (Perilla frutescens) and that was a bit of a hassle: 3 days in the fridge in sand (I used succulent mix) followed by soaking overnight in warm water (how was I meant to keep the water warm all night?) and then germinate at 25degC on my heat mat. I wasn’t sure how deep to plant so I did half on top of the soil and half with a sprinkle covering it. A week later, only the seeds in the light have germinated. Green perilla (Perilla frutescens var. crispa) germinated outside with little care but purple perilla (which I assume is the same species or sub-species) didn’t. So the purple is now on the heat mat inside and I’ll see what happens.“

Yes, you did help!

A couple of weeks ago, Annie Howard asked if anyone could sell her some young or laying hens. Now, courtesy of Pauline Crosby, her wish has been granted. Says, Annie: “I have become the proud owner of 2 black australorp hens – they are huge! It took a couple of days to introduce them to our remaining feathery bantam (see photo), but they now seem to be getting along well and laying eggs every day.“

Do you know?

Valerie Mudie has just sown some seeds of a herb called strawberry spinach (Blitum capitatum syn. Chenopodium capitatum). Has anyone got any advice or her on how to grow it, when to harvest it, what parts are edible, etc? Email your responses.

Tomato and other veggie seedlings available at Kevin Heinze Grow (Coburg and Doncaster)

As discussed last week, Kevin Heinze Grow are currently selling their tomato and other veggie seedlings via a ‘call and collect’ service. You choose what you want from their website and send them an email (plantsales@kevinheinzegrow.org.au). They will then contact you re payment and to organise collection.

Guy’s tip of the week – mizuna and mustard greens

Some people like eating lettuce as their main leafy green. Others like something more peppery, such as rocket (aka arugula). I’d like to suggest that you try either/both mustard greens or mizuna. Both have a pleasant peppery taste which is a bit milder than rocket. Both grow easily and quickly, and you can start harvesting leaves within two months of planting. You can plant them at any time of year. The plants should be spaced around 30cm apart. They also grow well in pots.

Mustard greens comes in two main forms, one with thin frilly leaves and the other with wide flat leaves. I eat both but prefer the former, with ‘golden frills’ being my favourite. Mizuna comes in a single form, with leaves of a similar size to those of rocket. I tend to grow mizuna during the summer because I find that it bolts (i.e. goes to seed) more slowly than mustard greens and I grow mustard greens during the rest of the year because I slightly prefer the taste.

Mizuna Mustard greens red giant Mustard greens golden frills

Another beginner veggie – lettuce

Last week, I asked for suggestions on any veggies for beginners to grow. Meg Montague responded: “I love lettuce, because it readily self-seeds all over my garden – even in the lawn sometimes – and provides fresh leaves for garden salad lunches for months and months. I transplant tiny seedlings that pop up in the ‘wrong’ spots to the veggie garden and to the pots in the urns on my North facing front verandah – they have made a brave show this winter! See the lettuce next to my overgrown marjoram.“

 

Want a job?

At Farmer Incubator

Farmer Incubator is a Melbourne based not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to grow conscious farmers, empowering them with knowledge, experience, community and connection so that they can contribute to the regeneration of land and a sovereign food future. They are currently recruiting for two positions, namely General Manager and Human Resources Manager.

The General Manager role is the main executive role in the organisation and will report to the Board. The job is for 20-24 hours per week at $40 per hour over a 1 year contract. Read more and potentially apply.

The Human Resources Manager role will be responsible for all aspects of human resources and will report to the General Manager. The job is for 4-6 hours per week at $37 per hour over a 6 month contract. Read more and potentially apply.

At Melbourne Farmers’ Markets

Melbourne Farmers’ Markets operate a number of farmers’ markets around Melbourne, including at Alphington, Carlton and Coburg. They are currently recruiting for two positions, namely Market Manager at Alphington Farmers’ Market and market assistant roles at any/all of their markets, the latter being casual work. Read more and potentially apply.

Video of the week

Watch this 3 minute video by Sustain about their Melbourne Food Hub in Alphington.

Angelo’s article of the week

How to control snails and slugs without toxic chemicals.

Read more of Angelo’s articles about food growing.

Urban birds – an illustrated comic

Newsletter reader Sofia Sabbagh has just published an 34 page A5 illustrated comic called Urban birds. A learning journey of bird life in Melbourne, with local stories and urban bird facts. $15 by pickup in Coburg or $19 posted. Read more and potentially buy.

Panton Hill Vineyard & Winery is now famous!

As you presumably know, Leo recently bought a winery on Neighbours. What you might not know, however, is that the winery that he ‘bought’ is Panton Hill Vineyard & Winery. This is the same winery that Chloe and Pierce, also from Neighbours, got married at in 2019 – watch this behind-the-scenes video from the wedding.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘pictures from your veggie patch’ and attracted 11 entries. Thanks, everyone!

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Chris Kent’s smorgasbord.

A commendation to Zofia Di Stefano’s spinach, carrots and broad beans (look at the height of those broad beans).

Smorgasbord
Chris Kent
 
THE WINNER
 
A harvest from our garden in the middle of February.
Spinach, carrots and broad beans
Zofia Di Stefano
 
COMMENDED
Broad beans
Soo Mei Leong
 
The broad bean flowers, with their contrasting black eyes, show that an edible garden can be both bountiful and beautiful.
Jerusalem artichokes
Rita Varrasso
 
It’s a beautiful sunflower with the added bonus of a root vegetable. It grew quickly from a tuber and has a sweet nutty taste. Great for soups and roasting but beware of the post digestion effects.
Mustard greens
Soo Mei Leong
Pea shoot
Rebecca Haschek
 
A pea shoot in mushroom compost.
Silverbeet
Claire Smith
 
The self-sown silverbeet probably should have been thinned out!
Silverbeet
Rebecca Haschek
 
Silverbeet blowing slightly in the breeze.
Spinach
Choon Yin Yeok
Veggie patch
Cathy Romeo
 
Our vegetable garden is lush and green at the moment. We have broad beans, spinach, silverbeet, radishes, lettuce, roquette, coriander, parsley and broccoletti all competing for space. Self-seeding tomatoes are also popping up. The nets are to protect the veggies from birds.
Zucchini
Rita Varrasso
 
Zucchini Ronde de Nice Cucurbita Pepo. It spread itself out all over my lawn. I enjoyed my zoodles (zucchini noodles) and I kept some seeds to grow them again this year.
This week’s competition

As we are still in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition. The theme this week is ‘your garden (or someone elses garden)’. Email your photos together with some words about them.

To get you started, the photo right is of a row of orange-flowering plants in my garden. From front to back, heart-leaf flame pea (chorizema cordatum), orange african daisy (arctotis x) and natal lily (clivia miniata). In summer, their flowers will be replaced by the equally orange red ice plant (malephora crocea) and lilium forever susan (lilium x).

I am beginning to run out of ideas for future photo competitions. If you have any suggestions, email me.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Robin’s article on how to grow potatoes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A friend suggested putting horse manure on my strawberries. I’m never doing that again, I’m going back to whipped cream.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events – newly announced

If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Marketing your product; Saturday, 9th October, 11am-1pm

Organised by Farmer Incubator. $40. Through discussions with farmers, buyers and facilitators who work in the industry, this event will be an exploration of the many ways for small scale producers to sell their produce. Read more and potentially book your place.

Cooking Indian by the creek; Saturday, 9th October, 5.30-6.30pm

Organised by Ritika Mahajan. $45. Chicken biryani and raita cook along session. Book your place using Facebook Messenger.

Business planning for food products; Tuesday, 12th October, 10-11.30am

Organised by Business of Food. $45. Starting small but planning for big means that you’ll experience fewer growing pains. Read more and potentially book your place.

Harvest work information session; Tuesday, 12th October, 7-7.45pm

Organised by Yarra Ranges Council. Free. Learn how you can apply for harvest jobs available in the Yarra Ranges over this Summer. Hear from a current harvest worker and a local cherry farmer.

Bush food for beginners; Wednesday, 13th October, 7.30-8.30pm

Organised by Open Gardens Victoria. $30. Topics will include: 6 of the best bush food plants for beginner gardeners; which plants to pot vs those to plant in the ground; basic growing information; harvesting; and uses for both fresh and dried plants. Presenter: Karen Sutherland. Read more and potentially book your place.

Harvest work information session; Thursday, 14th October, 12.30-1.15pm

Organised by Yarra Ranges Council. Free. Learn how you can apply for harvest jobs available in the Yarra Ranges over this Summer. Hear from a current harvest worker and a local cherry farmer.

Take your recipe to retail; Wednesday, 20th October, 9-10am

Organised by Business of Food. $50. Learn the practical steps to running a food business and understand the obligations of taking your food product to a retail market. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing fruit and veggies in small spaces; Sunday, 24th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. Topics will include fruit, vegetables and berries for small spaces, growing produce in pots and containers, maximising productivity in any size space, and plant selection. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Setting the right price for product; Tuesday, 26th October, 10-11.30am

Organised by Business of Food. $45. Learn about accurately costing your product and setting a retail price. Read more and potentially book your place.

Sustainability book chat; Tuesday, 26th October, 7.30-8.30pm

Organised by Sustainable Greensborough. Free. The book for this month is Call of the reed warbler: a new agriculture, a new earth by Charles Massy. Read more and potentially book your place.

Upcoming online events – previously announced

Wicking beds; Saturday, 9th October, 1-2.30pm

Organised by Sustainable Macleod. $15. Paul Gale-Baker will discuss the how and why of wicking beds, including a detailed explanation on how to put them together. Read more and potentially book your place.

Cook with Rosa; Saturday, 9th October, 2-4.30pm

Rosa’s traditional Italian cooking classes have moved online. $55. Menu: nonna concetta amaretti plus homemade tiramisu with homemade ladyfinger biscuits. Book by email (rosascookingclass@gmail.com).

Veggie gardening for beginners; Sunday, 10th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. This will cover all of the veggie gardening basics, from setting up your patch to harvesting. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Gut health workshop; Tuesday, 12th October, 7-8pm

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Free. This workshop will cover practical dietary and lifestyle tips to nourish and support your gut microbiome, supporting good health, wellbeing and productivity. Presenter: Lindy from The Nutrition Guru. Read more and potentially book your place.

SecondBite’s mission is to end waste, end hunger; Thursday, 14th October, 1-2pm

Organised by Manningham Council. Presenter: Steve Clifford, CEO of SecondBite. Free. SecondBite rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers and farmers and re-distributes it free of charge to local charities and not-for-profits that run food programs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to pruning; Thursday, 14th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Skill up in all the basics so you can get started pruning right away. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing great tomatoes; Saturday, 16th October, 10am-midday

Organised by CERES. $50. This workshop will cover: how to choose which tomato varieties to grow; whether to grow from seed or seedling, in pots, raised beds or directly into soil; when and how to plant and tips for success; training growth with stakes, cages or string vs free range; pros and cons of pruning; preventing common problems; feeding; and crop rotation. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Understanding and improving your soil; Sunday, 17th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. Learn how to identify the various types of soils and improve them to create a healthy and productive garden. Learn about the fundamentals of soil ecology, plant nutrition, soil pH management and soil care. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to urban farming (7 sessions); starting Sunday, 17th October, 2pm

Organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre. $82 for all 7 sessions. The 7 sessions will cover: 1. making a wicking pot, starting seedlings, container gardening, introduction to permaculture; 2. soil, making biochar, trench composting, soil carbon, hugelkultur, soil food web, fungi; 3. composting, worm farming, bees wax wraps, weed tea; 4. straw bale gardens, hidden hugelkultur, no dig gardens, bee scaping, food scaping; 5. creating a guild, plant companions, polycultures, building soil, maximising space, increasing vigour and yield; 6. feeding the soil, organic control of common problems and pests, chop and drop, looking after our insect friends; and 7. seed saving, cuttings, produce sharing, seed sharing and making community connections. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 10-11am

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a compost bin at home. Read more and potentially book your place.

Worm farming and Bokashi at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 11.30am-midday

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a worm farm and Bokashi bucket. Read more and potentially book your place.

Home composting for beginners; Saturday, 23rd October, 2-3.30pm

Organised by Edendale Farm. Free. Learn the basics of home composting including how to set one up and maintain it, the simple recipe for success, what to add and what not to add. Read more and potentially book your place.

Preparing for a summer veggie crop; Wednesday, 27th October, 7-8.30pm

Organised by Boroondara Council. Free. You will learn about: garden maintenance and preparation; selecting what to plant and when to plant it; growing summer veggies in pots; managing hot weather, including mulching and smart watering; improving productivity sustainably, including crop rotation and companion planting; and soil preparation and management. Read more and potentially book your place.

Herbs for the kitchen garden; Thursday, 28th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Learn the best herbs for sunny or shady spots, which grow well pots and what to grow when. Discover rules of thumb to know which herbs you can take cuttings from and which grow best from seed. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Otao Kitchen cooking classes; various dates

Otao Kitchen have moved many of their cooking classes online including chinese, dumpling making, indian, indonesian, japanese, korean, thai and vietnamese. Read more and potentially book your place.

LFC News September 29 2021

Sep 292021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Amanda Coombes, Angela Harridge, Anna Rosa Pascuzzo, Bali Portman, Bruno Tigani, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Chapple, Chris Kent, Claire Smith, Dave Chambers, Doris Glier, Dorothy Kwak, Georgia Tracy, Jon Buttery, Julie French, Kim Riazi, Ling Wong, Lyn Richards, Megan Goodman, Rebecca Haschek, Robin Gale-Baker, Simone Boyd, Suzy Georges, Victoria Kanicki and Yennie Yong.

Given that we are not including any face-to-face events at the moment, there is lots of space to include other things. Now would therefore be a really good time for you to submit some words about any food-related matters. It can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Saturday: Carlton and Coburg.

Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Seaweed tonics or liquid nitrogen fertilisers? (by Robin Gale-Baker)

[Robin, from Sustainable Macleod has produced another article for us, this time on which liquid solutions to use in which circumstances, a summary of which is given below. Read the full article.]

Liquid solutions are valuable because plant roots can only absorb nutrients in liquid form. Essentially, there are two types of liquid solutions:

  • Foliar sprays that contains trace elements (also known as micronutrients) such as seaweed sprays e.g. Seasol and Maxicrop. Trace elements are mineral elements needed by plants in minute amounts, and are essential for plant health. Foliar sprays are sometimes called ‘tonics’.
  • Nitrogen-based sprays made from fish e.g. Charlie Carp and Powerfeed. Nitrogen is an essential element in many plant functions including creating chlorophyll, which is vital for photosynthesis in plants. Photosynthesis converts the sun’s energy, water and carbon dioxide from the air into sugars for plants to consume. Nitrogen sprays are sometimes called ‘fertilisers’.

Both types of liquid solution help plants to grow, help condition the soil and help protect the plants against stress, diseases and pests.

In addition, seaweed tonics help prevent transplant shock and also strengthen cell walls, which in turn helps water delivery.

Nitrogen-based sprays stimulate leaf growth, but sometimes at the expense of fruit production.

To illustrate the different usage, let’s take garlic. After the shortest day in June until the end of August, garlic may need additional nitrogen as it uses up what is present in the soil. This will feed and strengthen the leaves and roots. However, if nitrogen is applied later than August, it will result in the growth of the leaves at the expense of the bulbs. Applying liquid seaweed, on the other hand, will result in swelling of the bulb. So, apply a nitrogen spray in July and August followed by a foliar spray from September onwards.

So, before purchasing/using any products:

  • Work out what you are trying to achieve through a liquid application; then
  • Decide whether you want to use a product which is seaweed-based or fish-based; then
  • Choose accordingly; and then
  • Follow the instructions on the label.

Read the full article.

Kale-ini – an early Spring taste sensation (by Simone Boyd)

[You may remember that the most clicked link in the 8th September newsletter was the online veggie seed shop, Heirloom Naturally. Its owner, Simone Boyd, has now volunteered to write a few veggie-related articles for this newsletter. The material below is her first contribution.]

“What on earth is kale-ini?“, you may ask. Well, it is a word that I have made up to describes the crop that you are about to be introduced to.

If you have grown kale throughout Winter, you will know that the change in temperature and sunlight signals it is time to create the next generation, and your kale will start developing flowering stalks.

But, before you pull it out to make way for your summer crops, wait! The florets produced by your kale plants are 100% edible and rather delicious, providing that you harvest them prior to the floret opening. Hence, why I call the crop kale-ini, as it is effectively a broccol-ini alternative.

Harvest the thicker stems and pop the thin, spindly ones in the compost as they are often fibrous. Aphids will love your kale-ini as much as you do, so inspect the florets for these little critters (a jet of water will dislodge them from the plant, or even a flick of the floret onto your palm once harvested will often do the trick).

As the weather warms up, you will need to harvest stems daily. Doing so will then see the plant reward you with more kale-ini stems. Steamed, stir fried or even roasted – it makes the hungry gap of Spring something to look forward to.

The humble teaspoon (by Amanda Coombes)

I enjoyed reading the recent article about knives. It got me thinking about one of my most favourite, useful implements that I use in the garden, namely the humble teaspoon!

Apart from the obvious (stirring a cuppa, or measuring bicarb or Epsom salts), the teaspoon has a myriad of uses in the garden. I love it because it helps me gently remove seedlings that I have propagated without damaging the delicate roots. For me, it is the perfect size.

Anyone else got a favourite, simple, basic tool that they could tell us about?

Jon’s podcast of the week

I listen to both real time webinars and after-the-event podcasts. You can do both at My Smart Garden, which is a collaboration of various Melbourne councils.

Meg’s garden this month

Like others, I have been tackling the cockatoos that have come to visit. They have just spent a morning uprooting my herb pots on the deck. They also had a lot of fun uprooting, chewing and discarding seedlings. I have tried various deterrents over the years, but only strong wire covers seem to work.

Rhubarb is at its best new in early Spring and I am picking weekly. Make sure you twist the stems at the base rather than cut the rhubarb. The stems are wonderful roasted at 160degC for about 20 minutes with the juice and rind of an orange, a teaspoon of vanilla paste and about 200g of sugar (or to taste).

My new fruit trees are planted now, replacing the damage of the fallen tree. I have planted Moorpark and Trevatt apricots and a Hicks Fancy mulberry. They will need watering while they establish but they are already budding with green shoots. I have tied up the raspberry canes and checked and strengthened the supports plus put in some carrots and beetroot seeds.

This month I am:

  1. Scaring the cockatoos from the vegetable patch.
  2. Enjoying the quince in full flower.
  3. Mulching under the fruit trees.
  4. Starting seeds in seed trays inside ready for spring planting and wishing that I had labelled them.
  5. Telling myself that we do not need more marmalade.

Another free food pantry – Annie Borat Community Cupboards

The Annie Borat Community Cupboards are a free food pantry, street library and a craft/games cupboard for everyone to use for free and open 24/7. Take what you need. You do not need to make an appointment, you do not need to provide ID or a bank statement and use of the cupboards is completely anonymous. Donations are what keeps the cupboards full and they welcome any unopened non-perishable food, fresh fruit & veggies and toiletries. Please do not donate any food that needs refrigeration or freezing. The street library accepts any books, magazines or comics but not CDs or DVDs. The craft/games cupboard accepts any craft items and games but not toys. Welcome Bali, Melinda and Kim!

 

I think that their yellow theming is very striking!

That brings the total number of free community pantries to 12. Look at a map of where they all are.

Remember when we could travel?

In 2013, Dave Chambers went to Milan in Italy, ate lots of gelati, and wrote an article about his experience. In 2021, unable to travel, Dave went into his living room, re-read his article and wept. Read Dave’s article on our website.

Tomato and other veggie seedlings available at Kevin Heinze Grow (Coburg and Doncaster)

As discussed last week, the 2021 Kevin Heinze Grow (KHG) Spring Fair has had to be cancelled but they have replaced it with a ‘call and collect’ service. Their tomato and other veggie seedlings (grown by KHG participants under the guidance of horticulturalists) will be available for purchase using this system during October (until sold out).

You choose what you want from their website and send them an email (plantsales@kevinheinzegrow.org.au). They will then contact you re payment and to organise collection.

An urban farm for Eltham?

Local Food Connect is working to establish an urban farm in Eltham. They recently presented to Nillumbik councillors to promote the idea that part of a small parcel of former farmland in central Eltham be used as an urban farm. The site is on the last remaining part of what was once Fabbro’s Farm. Fabbro’s was the last operational farm in Eltham, which was once a centre of agriculture before urban development progressively replaced the plough and the orchard. Sign up to join their Urban Farm Interest Group and to receive occasional updates on progress.

The 52nd Eltham Wine Show

The Eltham & District Winemakers Guild’s Eltham Wine Show is Australia’s largest annual competition for amateur grape winemakers, meadmakers, country winemakers and liqueur makers. They have decided that their 52nd show will go ahead on 21st November.

Amateur winemakers are invited to enter your wine, cider or kombucha to the show. The entries will be judged by wine industry professionals, and all entries will be scored and receive constructive comments. The competition classes are:

  • Red, white and sparkling grape wines.
  • Country wines.
  • Fortified wines and liqueurs.
  • Meads.
  • Ciders.
  • Kombuchas.

Entries close on 23rd October. The entry forms are available on their website.

Every newsletter deserves a good picture

Rebecca Haschek has sent in a photo of a honey bee being revived: “My daughter Matilda found a bee today which was not moving much, so she picked it up and we gave it some honey and water.”

Do you know?

Victoria Kanicki: “I recently purchased some bergamot, korean mint, valerian and calendula seeds. Despite having looked on the Internet, I can’t seem to find anywhere reliable to advise me on where or how to plant them. In large pots? Straight into the earth? Any other advice?” Email your thoughts.

Can you help?

Suzy Georges is look for a Thompson table grapevine cutting that she can grow. Can anyone offer one. Email me and I’ll put the two of you into contact.

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. And Helen has written more generally about Spring veggie garden preparation.

Guy’s tip of the week – silverbeet

For beginners, what is a good vegetable to grow? Here is my argument for silverbeet (aka chard): you can plant it any time of year, it always seems to grow successfully and you can harvest leaves from it at any time. It also looks more interesting than other leafy greens, particularly if you grow a mix of the various coloured stemmed varieties (white, red, yellow, orange and pink). And, finally, it is the favourite food of my chickens!

Would anyone like to nominate any other vegetables that are both easy and rewarding to grow? Email me with your choice together with a few words about your reasons why.

In passing, for beginners, what are difficult vegetables to grow? Here is my list: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, peas, rockmelon, sweetcorn, sweet potato and watermelon.

Angelo’s article of the week

Why you shouldn’t fertilise gardens in winter in cool and temperate climates.

Read more of Angelo’s articles about food growing.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘exotic (i.e. non-native’) flowers’ and we had 20 entries. Thanks, everyone!

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Julie French’s photo of a Jacobean lily.

Commendations to Doris Glier’s two-headed bird of paradise, Amanda Coombes’ Corydalis porcelain blue and Dorothy Kwak’s carrion plant, in each case because of their unusualness.

Many of the other photos are also interesting.

Jacobean lily or sprekelia (Sprekelia formosissima)
Julie French
 
THE WINNER
 
This is a bulb that I’ve grown in a pot for years, a gift from my mother who passed away last year, and very special to me. She was a gardener who loved flowers and, wherever she lived, created beautiful gardens. I love its unusual shape, vivid colour and old fashioned name.
Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
Doris Glier
 
COMMENDED
 
A double-headed bird of paradise in my garden.
Corydalis porcelain blue (Corydalis flexuosas)
Amanda Coombes
 
COMMENDED
 
Lightly fragrant, it has delicate blue blooms over airy foliage. Gorgeous in spring and repeats in autumn.
Starfish plant or carrion plant (Orbea variegata)
Dorothy Kwak
 
COMMENDED
 
From South Africa. Smells a bit like off meat, which is how it attracts flies as pollinators.
Banksia rose or Lady Banks’ rose (Rosa banksiae)
Cathy Romeo
 
Named after the wife of botanist, Joseph Banks. Native to China, it has a rambling habit and is an early flowering rose which is out in all its glory at this time of the year.
Cactus (Mammillaria unknown)
Dorothy Kwak
Crassula springtime (Crassula rupestris)
Kim Riazi
 
A bee can be seen on the top of flower.
Dianthus (Dianthus unknown)
Yennie Yong
 
A cheerful perennial. Thanks to Woolies seeds giveaway!
Giant spear lily (Doryanthes palmeri)
Choon Yin Yeok
 
On Camperdown golf course
Natal or bush lily (Clivia miniata)
Cathy Romeo
 
A native of South Africa. Growing happily in our garden where it has shade and good drainage.
Natal or bush lily (Clivia miniata)
Soo Mei Leong
 
Clivias in colours of apricot and orange-red brighten a shady corner.
Peony (Paeonia unknown)
Julie French
 
This is my favourite flower and I love to watch the buds slowly open to this glorious cloud of pink.
Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans)
Ling Wong
 
Good for planting along borders.
Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans)
Chris Kent
 
Native to the island of Madeira, a Portuguese autonomous region. It is apparently classified as a potential weed of the future by the Victorian Department of Primary Industries.
Tower of jewels (Echium pininana)
Chris Kent
 
Endemic to the Canary Islands, a Spanish autonomous region. The photo is from St Ives, Cornwall, UK.
Quince – Smyrna variety (Cydonia vulgaris)
Lyn Richards
 
Quince blossom, palest pink, just opening after battering from the hail. For the bee – and for me – the fruit is just a bonus.
Rose (Rosa x)
Claire Smith
 
A beautiful rose at my bubble buddy’s place in Bayswater
San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi)
Bruno Tigani
 
Bees in my cactus flower (left hand photo) plus what it looks like fully loaded (right hand photo). It is apparently hallucinogenic (it contains mescaline) but I haven’t eaten any!		  
Sunflower (Helianthus unknown)
Rita Varrasso
 
It self-seeded in my garden. Can you spot the morning dew?
Treasure flower or clumping gazania (Gazania rigens)
Rita Varrasso
 
The happy daisy.

 
Incidentally, in reference to Doris’ photo of a bird of paradise, the plant is called a bird of paradise because it supposedly looks like the drawing on the left of the sketch, not the drawing on the right.

Even more incidentally, watch these 3 short David Attenborough videos featuring real (i.e. avian) birds of paradise: video 1, video 2 and video 3.

This week’s competition

As we are still in lockdown, and as last week’s competition attracted a reasonable number of entries, we are going to have another photo competition. The theme this week is ‘pictures from your veggie patch’. Email your photos together with some words about them.

To get you started, the photo right is of a harvested peanut plant that I grew. The summer season is just long enough to grow peanuts successfully in Melbourne. Plant in November. The peanuts start developing above ground (where the pretty yellow flowers were) then, by gravity, the stem bends down to touch the ground then, by some mysterious force, the incipient peanut buries itself just below the surface. Until you harvest the plant, you don’t know whether you have zero or hundreds of peanuts.

Recent articles that you might have missed

Articles published over the last month:

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Angelo’s article entitled Robin’s article on how to grow potatoes.

Word of the month

‘Plirding’, meaning to pick up litter whilst bird watching. Watch this 60 minute webinar on the subject by Julia Cirillo, from Merri Creek Management Committee.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Bubble and squeak. Meaning: a dish of cooked potatoes and cabbage, mixed together and fried. In Australia, it sometimes also includes peas and pumpkin.. The phrase dates back to 18th Century England, when it meant a dish of fried beef and cabbage. According to Francis Grose’s Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, published in 1785, it was “so called from its bubbling up and squeaking whilst over the fire.“. By the 1950s, potatoes had replaced beef as the main ingredient, perhaps due to the scarcity of meat after World War II.

It is similar to the Scottish dish rumbledethumps and to the Irish dish colcannon.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“To dwell is to garden.” by Martin Heidegger.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

How do you milk sheep? Release a new iPhone and charge $1,500 for it.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events – newly announced

If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Grow into Spring; Saturday, 2nd October, 10am-midday

Organised by CERES. $50. Explore: which veggies grow in spring; when to start and plant your spring vegetables; how to grow them from seed and seedlings; preparing your soil and potting mixes for optimum spring growth; and looking after your veggies through the growing season. Presenter: Donna Livermore. Read more and potentially book your place.

Cook with Rosa; Saturday, 9th October, 2-4.30pm

Rosa’s traditional Italian cooking classes have moved online. $55. Menu: nonna concetta amaretti plus homemade tiramisu with homemade ladyfinger biscuits. Book by email (rosascookingclass@gmail.com).

Veggie gardening for beginners; Sunday, 10th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. This will cover all of the veggie gardening basics, from setting up your patch to harvesting. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Gut health workshop; Tuesday, 12th October, 7-8pm

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Free. This workshop will cover practical dietary and lifestyle tips to nourish and support your gut microbiome, supporting good health, wellbeing and productivity. Presenter: Lindy from The Nutrition Guru. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to pruning; Thursday, 14th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Skill up in all the basics so you can get started pruning right away. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing great tomatoes; Saturday, 16th October, 10am-midday

Organised by CERES. $50. This workshop will cover: how to choose which tomato varieties to grow; whether to grow from seed or seedling, in pots, raised beds or directly into soil; when and how to plant and tips for success; training growth with stakes, cages or string vs free range; pros and cons of pruning; preventing common problems; feeding; and crop rotation. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Understanding and improving your soil; Sunday, 17th October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bulleen Art and Garden. $35. Learn how to identify the various types of soils and improve them to create a healthy and productive garden. Learn about the fundamentals of soil ecology, plant nutrition, soil pH management and soil care. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Read more and potentially book your place.

Composting at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 10-11am

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a compost bin at home. Read more and potentially book your place.

Worm farming and Bokashi at home; Saturday, 23rd October, 11.30am-midday

Organised by Maroondah Council. Free. Learn how to set up, maintain and use a worm farm and Bokashi bucket. Read more and potentially book your place.

Home composting for beginners; Saturday, 23rd October, 2-3.30pm

Organised by Edendale Farm. Free. Learn the basics of home composting including how to set one up and maintain it, the simple recipe for success, what to add and what not to add. Read more and potentially book your place.

Grow more, work less; Monday, 25th October, 2.30-3.30pm

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Free. This workshop will cover soil health, seeds, seedlings, growing fewer weeds and succession planting. Presenter: Alison Sizer from Urban Harvest. Read more and potentially book your place.

Preparing for a summer veggie crop; Wednesday, 27th October, 7-8.30pm

Organised by Boroondara Council. Free. You will learn about: garden maintenance and preparation; selecting what to plant and when to plant it; growing summer veggies in pots; managing hot weather, including mulching and smart watering; improving productivity sustainably, including crop rotation and companion planting; and soil preparation and management. Read more and potentially book your place.

Herbs for the kitchen garden; Thursday, 28th October, 6-8pm

Organised by CERES. $50. Learn the best herbs for sunny or shady spots, which grow well pots and what to grow when. Discover rules of thumb to know which herbs you can take cuttings from and which grow best from seed. Presenter: Carol Henderson. Read more and potentially book your place.

Keeping backyard chooks; Thursday, 28th October, 7-8pm

Organised by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries. Free. This workshop will cover chook health, nutrition, housing, protection from predators and pests, the benefits of having chooks and Council bylaws. Presenter: Ella from Chooktopia. Read more and potentially book your place.

Guiness world records extra virgin olive oil tasting; Thursday, 28th October, 7.30-8.30pm

Organised by Cobram Estate. $10 (or $5 if you use the promotion code FOODWINE). Cobram Estate is trying to break the world record for the number of participants in a virtual olive oil tasting event. You will receive an oil tasting kit delivered to your home and will undertake some guided testing. Read more and potentially book your place, noting that ticket sales end at 5pm on 30th September.

Upcoming online events – previously announced

Backyard Honey; Thursday, 30th September, 11am-midday

Organised by Boroondara Libraries and featuring Backyard Honey. Free. Watch life inside a live honeybee hive and learn about the role bees play in our world. Read more and potentially book your place.

Worms, wonderful worms; Thursday, 30th September, 1-2pm

Organised by Cultivating Community. $12. Suitable for children 6 to 12 years. What do worms get up to when nobody is looking? What is the difference between earthworms and composting worms? And how to make your own in-ground worm farm to promote free-range worms and healthy soil in your garden? Read more and potentially book your place.

Know and grow heirloom tomatoes with Penny Woodward; Saturday, 2nd October, 1.30-3pm

Organised by Nillumbik and Banyule Councils. Free. Learn about: where and how to grow and care for tomatoes; some of the health benefits of eating tomatoes; and how to deal with the pests and diseases that can affect tomatoes. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing fruit & veggies in small spaces with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 3rd October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bullen Art and Garden. $35. Angelo will teach you how to grow your own food in the smallest of spaces. Fruit, veggies, berries and herbs can be all squeezed in, it’s all just a matter of knowing where to begin. Read more and potentially book your place.

Eating for energy and strength; Tuesday, 5th October, 1-2.30pm

Organised by Manningham Council. Presenter: Karen Lovell. Free. Find out more about the foods that the body needs to get the most out of every day. Understand what to eat and why. Read more and potentially book your place.

Wicking beds; Saturday, 9th October, 1-2.30pm

Organised by Sustainable Macleod. $15. Paul Gale-Baker will discuss the how and why of wicking beds, including a detailed explanation on how to put them together. Read more and potentially book your place.

SecondBite’s mission is to end waste, end hunger; Thursday, 14th October, 1-2pm

Organised by Manningham Council. Presenter: Steve Clifford, CEO of SecondBite. Free. SecondBite rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers and farmers and re-distributes it free of charge to local charities and not-for-profits that run food programs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to urban farming (7 sessions); starting Sunday, 17th October, 2pm

Organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre. $82 for all 7 sessions. The 7 sessions will cover: 1. making a wicking pot, starting seedlings, container gardening, introduction to permaculture; 2. soil, making biochar, trench composting, soil carbon, hugelkultur, soil food web, fungi; 3. composting, worm farming, bees wax wraps, weed tea; 4. straw bale gardens, hidden hugelkultur, no dig gardens, bee scaping, food scaping; 5. creating a guild, plant companions, polycultures, building soil, maximising space, increasing vigour and yield; 6. feeding the soil, organic control of common problems and pests, chop and drop, looking after our insect friends; and 7. seed saving, cuttings, produce sharing, seed sharing and making community connections. Read more and potentially book your place.

Otao Kitchen cooking classes; various dates

Otao Kitchen have moved many of their cooking classes online including chinese, dumpling making, indian, indonesian, japanese, korean, thai and vietnamese, Read more and potentially book your place.

LFC News September 22 2021

Sep 222021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Annie Howard, Chris Chapple, Doris Glier, Emily Alexandra, Georgia Tracy, Jon Buttery, Megan Cassidy, Simone Broekman, Robin Gale-Baker, Sue Maric, Tom Danby and Vasundhara Kandpal.

More than 300 people have now contributed to this newsletter since the start of the pandemic! Have a look at the list.

Given that we are not including any face-to-face events at the moment, there is lots of space to include other things. Now would therefore be a really good time for you to submit some words about any food-related matters. It can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, send in a recipe, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Saturday: Abbotsford Convent and Coburg. Not Wonga Park.

Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Heathmont.

Growing great spuds (by Robin Gale-Baker)

Way back in 2016, Helen Simpson wrote a great series of veggie growing guides for this newsletter and for our website. But they didn’t cover how to grow potatoes and that has been a big gap ever since. Now, thanks for Robin Gale-Baker, that gap has been filled with her new article entitled Growing great spuds.

Central to Robin’s article is the distinction between ‘indeterminate’ and ‘determinate’ potatoes. Determinate potatoes grow beneath ground essentially at the depth they were planted. Indeterminate potatoes, however, grow along the stem and may therefore become exposed to the light, turn green and become poisonous. Indeterminate potatoes, therefore, benefit from being ‘hilled up’ with soil, whereby they are planted in a trench which is then gradually filled as the shoots re-appear above the surface of the soil. Putting this another way: whilst determinate potatoes can be planted in the obvious way (i.e. plant them a bit under the ground), indeterminate potatoes benefit from being planted in a particular way (e.g. dig trenches, which are then gradually re-filled).

Indeterminate potato varieties include Brownell, Dutch Cream, Nicola, Sebago, Up to Date, King Edward, Salad Rose and Pink Fir Apple.

Determinate potatoes varieties include Kipfler, Purple Congo, Pink Eye, Red Pontiac, Spunta, Russian Banana, Burgundy Blush and Pentland Dell.

Two final thoughts. Only ever plant certified seed potatoes as these will be disease and pest free. And start harvesting when the plant flowers.

Read the full article.

Guy’s tip of the week – potatoes

My tip this week is inspired by Robin’s article above.

Potatoes are a great veggie to grow: you get lots of potatoes for your potato, you choose your varieties, you can plant them throughout the year, and they don’t suffer from the ‘everything comes at once’ glut. But they have one major problem: once you have grown them in a place, it is very difficult to get rid of them from that place! This is because, although one thinks of them as an annual vegetable, potato plants are actually perennial, with the potato itself simply being a temporary energy storage repository between periods of growth. So if, when harvesting, you miss any of the potatoes, as you invariably will, the plants will simply re-grow and this will screw up any plans or crop rotation systems that you might have.

In this context, my tip is simple: don’t grow potatoes in your main veggie beds. Rather, if you can, grow them in containers (such as bags or sacks) where you can harvest them by emptying out the soil and thus ensure that no potatoes remain.

Read more of my veggie growing tips.

Jon’s podcast of the week

All The Dirt is a wonderful, regular Australian podcast on gardening. Here is one of their recent episodes, which then led me onto another fascinating podcast about biodiversity in a famous English garden: www.allthedirt.com.au/podcast/2021/8/16/episode-150-michael-mccoy-gardener-designer-and-writer and then www.rootsandall.co.uk/portfolio-item/podcast-44-fergus-garrett-on-biodiversity-at-great-dixter.

Another food relief organisation – Thornbury Church of Christ

Thornbury Church of Christ do a number of things. They operate a food relief program, open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 2.30-5pm. There is a free community meal on the 4th Sunday of every month, midday-1pm (currently takeaway only due to Covid). There is also a pantry (Smith St Community Pantry) which is open 24/7 and typically contains unopened non-perishable food, bread and garden produce. Read their Local Food Directory entry. Welcome Sue and colleagues!

    
Read about some of the other local food relief organisations on our website.

Fruit trees and other plants available at Kevin Heinze Grow (Coburg and Doncaster)

Georgia Tracy has written in to say that the Kevin Heinze Grow (KHG) Spring Fair (their annual event which celebrates spring with the sale of veggie seedlings, herbs, etc) won’t be on again this year. This is really disappointing and, as it is traditionally the disability charity’s biggest fundraiser, having to cancel will negatively impact the organisation financially.

However, you can still support their work by shopping with them. More specifically, they have now organised a ‘call and collect’ system for the KHG nurseries in both Coburg and Doncaster. Initial offerings cover fruit trees and other plants, and these can be viewed at https://kevinheinzegrow.org.au/nursery-cafe/nursery/.

You choose what you want, send them an email (plantsales@kevinheinzegrow.org.au) and they will contact you re payment and collection details.

In early October, they will be adding their tomato and other veggie seedlings to the system. Stay tuned!

Veggie seedlings available at Eltham Farmers’ Market

There will be lots of veggie seedlings available for sale at Eltham Farmers’ Market on Sunday.

Peace Farm will have beetroot, beans, cucumbers, herbs, pumpkin, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes, zucchini and more.

The Mushroom Shed will have a wide range of veggie and herb seedlings, including around 20 different tomato varieties, edible flowers and native saltbush. Ginger and turmeric plants will be available in the near future.

Yes, you did know(sort of)! Wicking beds

Sonia Martinez wants to install some wicking beds in her back garden but she has no experience with them and asked for people’s thoughts. Two people responded.

Emily Alexandra: “Get your wicking beds from Ceres Fair Wood.”

Tom Danby: “I plan to establish a tailored wooden garden bed service but, because of Covid restrictions, I currently mostly install Biofilta Foodcubes.”

I have added Tom to our website list of local people who build planter boxes, wicking beds or raised garden beds, including his contact details.

Do you want any silkworms?

Doris Glier has some surplus silkworms that she would like to give away. Says Doris, “So many of my silkworms hatched this year and I would love to share them with others to give them the interesting experience of observing the silkworms’ life cycle. If you have access to mulberry leaves, it would be the perfect project for kids all ages (including pre-schoolers) to observe the life cycle (September to December) of these little creatures and learn to take some responsibility for little animals.” If you are potentially interested, contact Doris by email.

    

Can you help?

Annie Howard: “Is anyone willing to sell me one or two young or laying hens? We were down to 2 older hens and one of them died on the weekend (peacefully from old age). Given Covid restrictions, I am finding it hard to source hens locally to where I live in Brunswick.” If you can potentially help Annie, email me and I will put the two of you in touch.

Interested in joining a sustainability book club?

Sustainable Greensborough have started a monthly book club (currently online) to chat about issues of sustainability on our planet, and how we can grow the future we want to see. The 4th Tuesday of every month, 7.30-8.30pm. This month’s meeting (on 28th September) will discuss Retrosuburbia  by David Holmgren.

Another article by Angelo Eliades

Manure application rate, how much should we use in the garden?

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Every newsletter deserves a good picture

Spanish photographer Tessa Doniga became famous for her series of pictures ‘Break/Fast’, which are surreal images that take the word ‘breakfast’ literally and misappropriate everyday objects. See more of her photographs.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘amusing or interesting meals that you have cooked’ and it attracted zero entries. That’s right, no entries whatsoever. How embarrassing (for me certainly but, I suggest, perhaps also for you!).

This week’s competition

I’m going to classify last week’s lack of entries as an anomaly and, as we are still in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition this week. I’m choosing a theme which I’m hopeful will attract a goodly number of photos, namely ‘exotic (i.e. non-native’) flowers’.

To get you started, the photo right is of one of my bulbs that is currently in flower, namely poppy anemone (anemone coronaria). The flowers last a long time, they are less than 10cm off the ground and lots of them pop up every year in early Spring.

Email your photos together with some words about them.

Dairy-free cardamom almond shake (by Vasundhara Kandpal)

Ingredients (for 1 litre)

3 tablespoons oats
10 almonds (for ease, use blanched almonds)
3-4 saffron strands (optional)
1 cardamom pod (or equivalent in powder)
a pinch turmeric (optional, for colour)
sugar (according to taste)

Method

Soak everything together for 1-2 hours (except the almonds if using regular almonds) in ¼ cup of water.

If using regular almonds, soak the almonds separately for 8 hours or quickly boil to easily remove the skins before soaking with the rest of the stuff.

After all the soaking, blend to a very fine paste.

Add 1 litre of water to form the shake.

Strain the shake if you want.

This drink can be stored in fridge for around a week.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes.

We are running out of recipes. Why not send us one of yours? Email it to us.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Angelo’s article entitled What happens if you don’t turn your compost?.

Joke (or pun) of the week

I’m not saying my family is inbred, but my cousins’ names are Cheddar and Jarlsberg.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events – newly announced

If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Sustainability book club; Tuesday, 28th September, 7.30-8.30pm

Organised by Sustainability Greensborough. Free. Read, watch and chat about issues of sustainability on our planet, and how we can grow the future we want to see. This month’s book is Retrosuburbia  by David Holmgren. Read more and potentially book your place.

Super seeds; Wednesday, 29th September, 1-2pm

Organised by Cultivating Community. $12. Participants will have the opportunity make some ‘seed tape’, seed packets for seed storage, and ‘seed bombs’ for seed distribution. You will need to bring the raw materials for each of these seed creations. Read more and potentially book your place.

Worms, wonderful worms; Thursday, 30th September, 1-2pm

Organised by Cultivating Community. $12. Suitable for children 6 to 12 years. What do worms get up to when nobody is looking? What is the difference between earthworms and composting worms? And how to make your own in-ground worm farm to promote free-range worms and healthy soil in your garden? Read more and potentially book your place.

Know and grow heirloom tomatoes with Penny Woodward; Saturday, 2nd October, 1.30-3pm

Organised by Nillumbik and Banyule Councils. Free. Learn about: where and how to grow and care for tomatoes; some of the health benefits of eating tomatoes; and how to deal with the pests and diseases that can affect tomatoes. Read more and potentially book your place.

Foods for energy and strength; Tuesday, 5th October, 1-2.30pm

Organised by Manningham Council. Presenter: Karen Lovell. Free. Find out more about the foods that the body needs to get the most out of every day. Understand what to eat and why. Read more and potentially book your place.

SecondBite’s mission is to end waste, end hunger; Thursday, 14th October, 1-2pm

Organised by Manningham Council. Presenter: Steve Clifford, CEO of SecondBite. Free. SecondBite rescues surplus food from retailers, manufacturers and farmers and re-distributes it free of charge to local charities and not-for-profits that run food programs. Read more and potentially book your place.

Beginners guide to urban farming (7 sessions); starting Sunday, 17th October, 2pm

Organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre. $82 for all 7 sessions. The 7 sessions will cover: 1. making a wicking pot, starting seedlings, container gardening, introduction to permaculture; 2. soil, making biochar, trench composting, soil carbon, hugelkultur, soil food web, fungi; 3. composting, worm farming, bees wax wraps, weed tea; 4. straw bale gardens, hidden hugelkultur, no dig gardens, bee scaping, food scaping; 5. creating a guild, plant companions, polycultures, building soil, maximising space, increasing vigour and yield; 6. feeding the soil, organic control of common problems and pests, chop and drop, looking after our insect friends; and 7. seed saving, cuttings, produce sharing, seed sharing and making community connections. Read more and potentially book your place.

Upcoming online events – previously announced

Pest control with companion planting with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 26th September, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bullen Art and Garden. $35. Learn how to bring good bugs into your garden and keep the bad bugs at bay, as well as ensuring that your garden is as chemical free as can be. Read more and potentially book your place.

Backyard Honey; Thursday, 30th September, 11am-midday

Organised by Boroondara Libraries and featuring Backyard Honey. Free. Watch life inside a live honeybee hive and learn about the role bees play in our world. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing fruit & veggies in small spaces with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 3rd October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bullen Art and Garden. $35. Angelo will teach you how to grow your own food in the smallest of spaces. Fruit, veggies, berries and herbs can be all squeezed in, it’s all just a matter of knowing where to begin. Read more and potentially book your place.

Wicking beds; Saturday, 9th October, 1-2.30pm

Organised by Sustainable Macleod. $15. Paul Gale-Baker will discuss the how and why of wicking beds, including a detailed explanation on how to put them together. Read more and potentially book your place.

Otao Kitchen cooking classes; various dates

Otao Kitchen have moved many of their cooking classes online including chinese, dumpling making, indian, indonesian, japanese, korean, thai and vietnamese, Read more and potentially book your place.

LFC News September 15 2021

Sep 162021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Beck Holder, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Newman, Claire Smith, Emma Tucker, Emma Tymms, Jon Buttery, Julie Kos, Karin Motyer, Lucinda Flynn, Lyn Richards, Nada Cunningham, Naomi Walsh, Pam Jenkins, Pat Natoli, Peter Allen, Robin Gale-Baker, Sean Flynn, Sim Ritchie, Sonia Martinez, Soo Mei Leong, Stuart Rodda, Suzy Georges, Thea Wilson, Vanessa Reynolds, Victoria Kanicki, Virginia Solomon and Yennie Yong.

Particular thanks to the person who wrote in to say “This is seriously the best newsletter ever!”

Given that we are not including any face-to-face events at the moment, there is lots of space to include other things. Now would therefore be a really good time for you to submit some words about any food-related matters. It can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Saturday: Coburg.

Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Yarra Valley.

More ‘Food is Free’ initiatives

Thanks to Claire Smith and Naomi Walsh, I am now aware of 5 new ‘Food is Free’ initiatives in Lilydale, Mitcham, Montrose, Nunawading and Ringwood respectively. That brings the total around North East Melbourne up to 13. I’ve added all 5 to our map of local food justice organisations and have entered into discussions about adding each of them to the food justice section of our Local Food Directory.

Thus far, the discussions have resulted in 3 of them being added to the Local Food Directory.

Mitcham
 
Like many of the others, they collect donations from various local businesses to help keep the pantry full and also rely on community donations from neighbours.
 
Welcome Emma and Thea!
Montrose
 
It has weekly deliveries of both bread and flowers plus a street library. You can donate anything going unused in your pantry, excess produce from your garden or household items
 
Welcome Pat and Sim!
Nunawading
 
It was borne out of a desire to give back and build community connections through the sharing of surplus food and produce.
 
Welcome Julie and Beck!

Knives (by Stuart Rodda)

[This article on knives is one (and, I think, the last) of a series of articles on hand-operated cutting tools.]

Often the quickest way of cutting plants is with a sharp blade or knife rather than the more elaborate secateurs, shears, etc. For small soft plants, that may be a small kitchen knife or, for larger tougher plants, it may be a specialised tool such as a hook or scythe, or even a machete. The photo shows examples of all these tools.

A small kitchen knife kept in the garden can be used to harvest and trim vegetables before bringing them to the kitchen; the trimmings can go straight into the compost bin.

A larger knife, such as a curved ‘hook’, is great for rapid slashing of overgrown weeds or unwanted plants before digging in the remnants to enrich the organic content of the soil. A hook is also strong and sharp enough for removing vines, brambles and the smaller branches of shrubs or trees.

Another large knife is a machete. With its extra weight and size, I find that it is great for cutting up large pumpkins in the garden before bringing them inside for trimming, which reduces the risk of accidentally cutting yourself when trying to cut through a large pumpkin on a benchtop.

Finally, an asparagus cutter is a specialised harvesting knife designed for cutting off the asparagus spears below soil level.

Knives should be kept sharp with a file or sharpening stone and used with care when in use, such as by wearing sturdy gloves.

Making homemade wine (by Lucinda and Sean Flynn)

Lucinda and Sean, from Hurstbridge, have written a ‘pictorial’ (pictures plus words) for our website on how to make wine using an off-the-shelf kit. For each of the 9 steps, there are usually at least 3 photos to illustrate the process (the photo right is from step 5. stir in oak shavings). The 9 steps are:

  1. Add sanitiser to water.
  2. Wash then sterilise your fermenting drum.
  3. Open the box and remove the additional ingredients. Pour 1 litre of boiling water into the fermenter and stir in the Bentonite.
  4. Remove the lid from the grape concentrate and pour into the fermenter. Add another 2 litres of boiling water, then top up to 23 litres with water.
  5. Stir in oak shavings then, when temperature is in the right range (see instructions), sprinkle yeast on top. Add the lid and airlock half filled with water, and leave to ferment.
  6. When your hydrometer shows the initial ferment is complete, ‘rack’ (transfer) into a second sterilised fermenting container using your syphon. Then, add sulphite and stir as per directions, and then Kieselsol. Re-attach the lid and airlock, then leave one day.
  7. After a day, pour in Chitosan and leave the wine to clear for another week.
  8. When your wine is ready to bottle, clean and disinfect your bottles and syphon. Syphon the wine into each bottle, re-attach the lid, and label. You can drink it straight away, but it improves with age.
  9. Drink and enjoy!

Read the full article.

Jon’s podcast of the week

[Jon Buttery, stalwart of St Johns Riverside Community Garden in Heidelberg, has volunteered to provide this newsletter during lockdown with some suggested podcasts. Thanks, John!]

There’s a wealth of information about gardening out on the Internet – the issue question is just how to find it. I listen to a lot of podcasts while doing the dishes, hanging out the washing, etc and, over the coming weeks, I am going to give you the links to some of my favourites.

I recently attended a webinar by an arborist from the Smithsonian Institute on middle level skill pruning, which was not so much about fruit trees, but provided great information. Here is a recording of a previous one that he did – it really has helped develop my understanding.

Yes, you did know!

Last week, Shiva Vasi asked about homemade aphid sprays. A number of you replied.

Lyn Richards: “Water! There are lots of homemade sprays on the Internet and they all work because an ingredient is water. Just firmly spray the buds being attacked with water and dislodge the aphids – they’re too stupid climb back up!”

Victoria Kanicki: “I always use washing up liquid, diluted and in a spray bottle.”

Suzy Georges: “I use this recipe. Ingredients: 4 litres of water, 1 tablespoon of epsom salt, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 2½ tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Mix well, put it in a spray bottle and spray on your flowers & vegetables. Don’t spray it on during the day when the sun is shining.”

Yet more on what to do with your large mesh netting

As discussed last week, it is no longer legal for households to use large mesh netting (greater than 5mm x 5mm at full stretch) to protect their fruit trees (read more).

Peter Allen (aka Pete the Permie) has now written in to point out that the new law making small mesh netting mandatory only applies to households, not to commercial farmers, orchardists or ‘ABN registered for food production permies’. Thus a possible re-use for a household’s large mesh netting is to give it to one of these groups who could, for example, use it to patch bigger systems if they get holes or to fill in the sides if they only have it overhead.

Peter also points out that, whilst Agriculture Victoria recommends the use of netting which is white in colour, this is not mandatory. In his opinion, any colour is fine, with black disappearing so that neighbours only see the blossom whereas white produces ugly structures such as he sees all over the hills with the plastic igloos.

In addition, Kerin Tulloch has written in to suggest that expert sewers could double over the netting, perhaps into fruit/veggie bags.

Do you know?

Sonia Martinez wants to install some wicking beds in her back garden but she has no experience with them. She would like to know whether she should a) make them herself, b) get someone else to make them or c) purchase a ready made set up such as Foodcube? She would appreciate any thoughts about cost, effort or likely edible results. Email your thoughts.

Guy’s tip of the week – tromboncino

Consider growing tromboncino this summer. In terms of both texture and taste, it is roughly halfway between a pumpkin and a zucchini. In terms of growth pattern, it is a vine (like standard pumpkins) but can (and should) be grown up vertical structures (unlike standard pumpkins). And its massively long and unusual fruit are both interesting and a talking point.

Tromboncino is sometimes called ‘tromboncino zucchini’, which is a bit odd given that they are different species (tromboncino is Cucurbita moschata whilst zucchini is Cucurbita pepo). I assume that it happens because the Australian language doesn’t have a word or phrase equivalent to the American ‘summer squash’, which are those cucurbits which are harvested when immature and whose most notable examples are tromboncino and zucchini.

Read more of my veggie growing tips.

In passing, Robin Gale-Baker read my tip last week about armenian cucumbers and has written in: “I grew armenian cucumbers for the first time last year and they are now my favourite cucumber. I like that they are crunchy and savoury without the sweet notes of other cucumbers. I saved the seed and have had very good germination. We will be distributing plants from that seed to members of Sustainable Macleod.”

A newsletter reader’s tip of the week – nasturtium flowers and vodka

From Vanessa Reynolds: “Nasturtium flowers have many uses, and are good to eat straight from the bush. Last summer, I discovered that macerating the flowers in vodka gives you a delicious, and I mean delicious, flavoured vodka which is absolutely delightful mixed with plain soda water. Also, after just a few days, the vodka becomes a lovely pink colour. And the boozy flowers are so yum to eat afterwards, as well!”

Every newsletter deserves a good graphic

Thanks to Chris Newman for putting this graphic onto my Facebook feed.

Want to know about Queensland fruit fly?

Last week, Edendale Farm held an online workshop on Queensland fruit fly. Here are the slides from that workshop (pdf).

Another article by Angelo Eliades

What happens if you don’t turn your compost?

Read more food-related articles by Angelo.

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘native flowers’ and we had 10 entries.

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Emma Tymms’ photo of the carnivorous tall sundew.

Tall sundew (Drosera peltata subsp. auriculata)
Emma Tymms
 
It is an erect plant in the carnivorous plant genus Drosera. Some grow to 30cm tall and are showy from late Winter all the way through to Summer. I feel like a fairy tip-toeing through them all on my walks and trying not to squash them!
 
THE WINNER
Chamomile sunray (Rhodanthe anthemoides)
Yennie Yong
 
Originally purchased from the LaTrobe indigenous nursery.
Grevillia ‘bronze rambler’ (Grevillia rivularis x)
Amanda Coombes
 
A groundcover. The nectar rich toothbrush flowers are abundant nearly all year round. It loves poor soil and is drought tolerant. Bird attracting.
Mintbush (Prostanthera stenophylla)
Nada Cunningham
 
A 1m x 2m bush endemic to Wollemi National Park in NSW.
Native hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii) and mint bush (Prostanthera unknown)
Soo Mei Leong
 
This dynamic duo of purple flowers attracts bees as well as attention during Spring.
Red or mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)
Karin Motyer
 
Endemic to eastern Australia and there are quite a few where I live in Plenty.
Showy parrot-pea (Dillwynia sericea)
Nada Cunningham
 
Locally indigenous and available from Edendale Nursery.
Tamala rose (Diplolaena grandiflora)
Lyn Richards
 
This is a ‘rose’ that flowers generously all winter, laughs at mild frost, and doesn’t require pruning, fertiliser or aphid spraying. The Australian ‘native rose’ (Diplolaena) hails from the Western Australian desert.
Tea tree (Leptospermum unknown)
Choon Yin Yeok
zigzag or tangled grevillea (Grevillea flexuosa)
Nada Cunningham
 
Grafted. An endangered Western Australian shrub.
This week’s competition

As we are still in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition. The theme this week is ‘amusing or interesting meals that you have cooked’.

To get you started, the photo right is one of my wife’s creations for my supper.

Email your photos together with some words about them.

Staffordshire frying greens (by Pam Jenkins)

Four ingredients are available in abundance in my garden at the moment. I gave my lemon tree a severe pruning and had a resulting tub of lemons. The warrigal greens and parsley had to be chopped back before the brown snake comes out of hibernation and I discovered another area of onion weed (aka three cornered leek) which I dug out. What to do with them all?

I make heaps of Staffordshire frying greens when the parsley and warrigal greens are in a growing frenzy then freeze it in portion-size lumps for when I need it.

Ingredients

1 bunch of spinach, warrigal greens or similar green vegetable
1 bunch of parsley
1 big bunch of spring onions, leeks or onion weed
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
salt and pepper (optional)
lemon juice (optional)

You can alter the amounts of each ingredient depending on what you have available in the garden and to suit your taste.

Method

Blanch the warrigal greens etc, drain and chop.

Chop the parsley and onions. Sauté them to soften them and then add the warrigal greens.

Add pepper and salt to taste.

Cook covered for about 15 minutes.

Uncover and cook to your preferred consistency – about another 15 minutes.

Check the seasoning, add lemon juice if desired, and serve.

Version with egg

Extra ingredients
vegetable stock
cumin
chopped preserved lemon (about ¼ lemon per portion) or lemon zest
eggs
feta
zaatar, dukkah or similar spice and nut mix

With the Staffordshire frying greens, stir through the vegetable stock, cumin and lemon and cook a little longer to reduce the stock.

Make indentations into the mix and crack an egg into each. Sprinkle crumbled or chopped feta around, cover the pan and cook the eggs to your liking.

Serve on toast with a sprinkling of zaatar.

Version with yoghurt

Extra ingredients
1 cup yoghurt
½ teaspoon garam marsala
chili powder (optional)
1 clove garlic, crushed
½-1 teaspoon toasted, partly crushed cumin seeds
pinch of salt

Mix the yoghurt with the crushed garlic, salt and garam marsala.

Spread on top of the Staffordshire frying greens.

Top with toasted cumin seeds.

Serve as a dip or as an accompaniment for curries.

If you have any recipes that you would like to share with the other newsletter readers, email it to me.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Simone Boyd’s website, Heirloom Naturally, where she sells veggie seeds.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Why did the orange stop rolling down the hill? Because it ran out of juice.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Understanding and improving your soil with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 19th September, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bullen Art and Garden. $35. Learn how to identify the various types of soils and how to improve them to create a healthy and productive garden. Read more and potentially book your place.

Fermenting vegetables for beginners; Wednesday, 22nd September, 7-8.30pm

Organised by Sustainable Macleod. $15. Jen Willis will teach you the basics of fermenting vegetables and the difference between pickling, canning and fermenting vegetables to preserve them. Read more and potentially book your place.

Pest control with companion planting with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 26th September, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bullen Art and Garden. $35. Learn how to bring good bugs into your garden and keep the bad bugs at bay, as well as ensuring that your garden is as chemical free as can be. Read more and potentially book your place.

Backyard Honey; Thursday, 30th September, 11am-midday

Organised by Boroondara Libraries and featuring Backyard Honey. Free. Watch life inside a live honeybee hive and learn about the role bees play in our world. Read more and potentially book your place.

Growing fruit & veggies in small spaces with Angelo Eliades; Sunday, 3rd October, 10.30am-midday

Organised by Bullen Art and Garden. $35. Angelo will teach you how to grow your own food in the smallest of spaces. Fruit, veggies, berries and herbs can be all squeezed in, it’s all just a matter of knowing where to begin. Read more and potentially book your place.

Wicking beds; Saturday, 9th October, 1-2.30pm

Organised by Sustainable Macleod. $15. Paul Gale-Baker will discuss the how and why of wicking beds, including a detailed explanation on how to put them together. Read more and potentially book your place.

Otao Kitchen cooking classes; various dates

Otao Kitchen have moved many of their cooking classes online including chinese, dumpling making, indian, indonesian, japanese, korean, thai and vietnamese, Read more and potentially book your place.

LFC News September 8 2021

Sep 082021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Amanda Coombes, Amy Thomas, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Gabrielle Callahan, Gina Wilson, Jaimie Sweetman, James Petty, Kaye Saunders, Kerri Wellington, Lynn Wallace, Marcela Santos, Pam Jenkins, Pauline Taylor, Shiva Vasi, Sigrid McCarthy, Simone Boyd and Stuart Rodda.

I have decided to stop publicising any more face-to-face events until the current lockdown is ended. This is not an easy decision for me as promoting events is at the core of this newsletter but I don’t see any point in advertising events that are probably then going to be cancelled. I am, however, more than happy to promote any ‘local’ online events. If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Obviously, not having any events listed means that there will be space to include other things. Now would therefore be a really good time for you to submit some words about any food-related matters. It can be anything so long as it is food-related: ask a question, provide a tip, discuss an issue, submit a photo, etc. Email us with your contribution(s).

This week’s farmers’ markets

Saturday: Coburg and Collingwood Children’s Farm.

Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Whitehorse (not confirmed).

Jaimie’s edible plant of the month – rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum)

Rock samphire is a favourite of mine and really easy to grow.

Another name is sea fennel because its leaves look a bit like coral and its flowers are similar to fennel, belonging to the same family Apiaceae.

Originating from the coast lines of the Black sea and Atlantic, it grows well in coastal conditions although it will also do just fine in any garden that has good drainage. It does not handle having wet feet at all!

Extremely drought tolerant and enjoying full sun to part shade, it’s a good choice for most Melbourne gardens.

The young leaves are harvested and eaten raw in salads, etc. It also works really well pickled to preserve for later or added to other vegetable pickles for flavour. It’s a bit hit and miss with taste as it tastes healthy! A bit like parsley and carrot combined.

It’s high in Vitamin C and was actually sometimes used to prevent scurvy on long boat trips.

Apparently it grows from seed well although, so far, I haven’t had much success. Rather, we grow ours from dividing the new runners once they have roots. These are available in our nursery on and off.

I have never quite understood why it’s not more readily available in nurseries but perhaps we will see it more often due to its more recent appearances in MasterChef. Fingers crossed!

In summary, a striking little plant for the garden, full of antioxidants and providing nutrients all year around.

* * * * *

Watch Jaimie’s video about rock samphire.

Read Jaimie’s previous edible plants of the month.

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 all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.

Hand saws (by Stuart Rodda)

[This article on mini chainsaws is one of a series of articles on hand-operated cutting tools.]

The multiple cutting teeth of saws make short work of all kinds of woody plants which are too large or too tough for secateurs or loppers. Different types include straight saws, curved saws including those with backward cutting teeth, and bow saws.

Bow saws (see left hand photo) usually have a thinner, longer blade because the ‘bow’ provides the rigidity needed to prevent bending of the blade, and they cut efficiently on both the pulling and pushing stroke. In my experience, the Jack’ brand is high quality and long lasting but there are other premium brands such as Fiskars and Stanley.

Chainsaws are a labour saving enhancement and, despite their dangers, can be useful even in a small backyard. The availability of mains-powered electric chainsaws, and the development of powerful lithium batteries for use away from mains power, mean that you don’t have to be skilled with petrol motor-powered tools to have your own chainsaw(s).

As with any tool with sharp edges, saws must be treated with care and respect. Wearing gloves for hand protection is a must.

Always buy quality saws and you will not end up with a tool requiring constant sharpening or where the blade bends easily or rusts quickly. A blunt blade on a bow saw can be replaced easily whereas other saws may need total replacement or sharpening as they become blunt. Never allow the teeth of the saw to come in contact with anything harder than wood, such as metal (wire, nails) or stone (gravel or sand). Saws with backward cutting teeth allow you to cut by pulling the saw towards yourself, reducing the chance of the blade bending, or you slipping onto the saw teeth, or getting the saw jammed in the wood.

When cutting larger diameter wood, try to cut from the side which is under tension (e.g. the top of a branch) so that the cut tends to open up as you go, rather than closing and grabbing the saw blade. Undercut the branch a little before cutting through from the top, to prevent a ragged break in the branch or a strip of bark being pulled off the tree when the branch breaks.

A fine-toothed saw will always give you a cleaner cut and sometimes it may be best to cut off the bulk of a large branch with a coarse saw, then trim the cut stub with a finer saw. As with all pruning, cut close to the trunk so as not to leave a stub which will die and be a site for disease to enter the tree. Make sure your saw is clean and dry before storing it for the next time you will use it.

More on mini chainsaws

Last week, we included an article by Stuart on mini chainsaws. Since then, Stuart has written in to say: “although the supplier says lubrication is not necessary, I have now found that silicone spray on the chain makes the tool work better and will probably give you longer life (less wear).”

Another local food justice organisation – The Local Food Collective

The Food Collective is an initiative of Diamond Valley Community Support, which is based in Greensborough. It brings together a number of local delivery and donation partners, community organisations and individuals to address food security challenges for vulnerable and disadvantaged community members in the Diamond Valley Region. They do this by sourcing and supplying basic non-perishable food parcels of everyday necessities to those who are experiencing financial crisis and needing emergency relief assistance.

One of its main initiatives to date has been the establishment of community pantries around Banyule and Nillumbik. These pantries contain non-perishable food which is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, require no appointments and are open to whoever needs food. Their philosophy is give what you can, take what you need, with people able to donate to the pantry as well.

Their 24/7 pantries are in:

  • Greensborough (Greenhills Neighbourhood House).
  • Hurstbridge (Hurstbridge Community Hub).
  • Panton Hill (Panton Hill Living & Learning Centre).
  • Rosanna (Rosanna Fire Station Neighbourhood House).
  • Strathewen (Strathewen Primary School).

Welcome Kerri, Marcela and colleagues!

That makes a total of 9 24/7 community pantries around North East Melbourne that I am aware of and here is a map which includes all 9 pantries plus other ‘food is free’ places. If you know of any other community pantries, please email me.

What to do with your large mesh netting?

As discussed last week, it is no longer legal to use large mesh netting (greater than 5mm x 5mm at full stretch) to protect your fruit trees (read more). Lynn Wallace has a lot of this netting and asks “has anyone got any ideas on how to re-use, recycle or ethically dispose of it?”

This subject was actually discussed earlier in the year (in our 3rd February newsletter), where Lucinda Flynn asked her council (Nillumbik) and got this reply: “Unfortunately we have not been able to source any options for recycling plastic netting material.” The Council, in turn, contacted REDcycle and got this reply: “Whilst the material itself may be able to be REDcycled (only if it is polypropylene PP, LDPE or HDPE, not if it is actually nylon), the problem with this is that they have had long exposure to the sun, meaning the plastic has already started to deteriorate (and some are often quite dirty as well). Any materials in this state cannot then be used, as it impacts the structural integrity of the final products made from the plastics. Further, unfortunately we are not actually able to accept commercial/industrial or large volume soft plastics like this. Even if the bird netting is clean, it would all need to be cut to A3 size pieces or smaller before we could accept it, otherwise it becomes entangled in the processing machinery.”

Can anyone confirm whether or not this is still the case? Email me.

Yet more on disposing of kitty litter

Following on from the discussions in the last few newsletters, James Petty has written in: “Gene Logsdon’s book Holy shit: managing manure to save mankind covers what to do with all types of manure including pet manure and even human poop.”

Yes you did know (sort of)! Deterring cockatoos

Last week, Yvonne Iliffe asked how she could deter corellas and sulphur-crested cockatoos from wrecking her plants. A number of you have replied.

Pam Jenkins: “After the cockies nipped off my leeks, I stuck some short pieces of bamboo around the edge of my garlic patch and wound string around the patch and in between the plants in a random pattern and height, from trip-them-up height to neck height. The garlic has remained unscathed thus far. My parents used to do this with black cotton to deter the blackbirds from digging up their seeds. The string is tight so the cockies are unlikely to get tangled in it.”

Simone Boyd: “I have used the reflective tape which can be purchased at most hardware stores to keep cockies at bay. I strung up lengths of string across parts of my small scale market garden and put the tape like ribbons along it at random intervals. This was effective for two seasons, until the cockies cottoned on to the fact that it was not dangerous. Still, worth a try. Although you can buy flimsy reflective tape in the garden section, it will tear and become an environmental hazard pretty quickly. Instead, buy the thicker tape in rolls from the building section which has an adhesive backing and stick it back to back around the string, giving you a double sided reflective area.”

Sigrid McCarthy: “I don’t have a solution for Yvonne, but just wanted to send my solidarity. Cockies are such cheeky things. They’ve recently discovered my mum’s protea (see photo near right). Almost everything needs to be in cages these days, which doesn’t exactly make for a charming garden!”

In Sigrid’s photo, you might notice the chicken wire guards around the daisies to either side of the protea. I asked Sigrid whether these were homemade and she replied: “Yes they are DIY – hanging flower baskets wrapped in chicken wire. There are a few sizes available. We then peg them down to avoid rabbits/birds/wombats/kangaroos flipping them over (see photo far right).”

Want to buy some chemical-free seeds?

When someone sends me something to put into this newsletter, it sometimes leads us to talking about something else as well. Such is the case with Simone Boyd after she sent in her comment about deterring cockatoos above. It turns out that she has a market garden and also sells seeds online. I invited her to write something about her website for the newsletter and she has done so.

“Heirloom Naturally is a small scale market garden in Mansfield growing heirloom vegetables, in the field and without chemicals. Following a shortage of bulk heirloom seeds during the height of the Covid pandemic, we began saving more of our own precious seeds and now offer any excess for home growers to sow. Proven performers in cool climates. For more information, head to our online shop (www.heirloomnaturallymansfield.com/shop).”

More on making simple sourdough

You may remember that a few weeks ago we discussed Lucinda Flynn’s method for making simple sourdough. Lucinda has now produced a video to accompany her article.

Do you know?

Shiva Vasi has written in: “Aphids have been having a feast on the tender leaves of my roses. Does anyone know of a homemade aphid spray which is suitable for roses?” Email your replies.

Live in Eltham and want some veggie seedlings?

Lynn-eva Bottomley, from Organic Fix, has written in to say that they are currently selling Diggers heirloom veggies and herbs, with the current list including basil, capsicum, chilli, coriander, cucumber, eggplant, oregano, mint, spinach, thyme and tomatoes (various).

Guy’s tip of the week – armenian cucumbers

During lockdown, I’m going to try and provide a veggie growing tip each week. Most will hopefully be brand new but some will inevitably be recycled from newsletters of previous years.

In passing, a friend of mine who used to maintain a rather well known sustainability website used the byline ‘100% recycled‘ to summarise the content on the website. As an obvious sustainability principle, this went down well with the readership but they were unaware that it was actually a private joke because what my friend meant was that there was no new content on the website(!), just old articles continually being re-dated. When, amongst his giggling, he told me this, I checked and it was indeed true: hidden behind all the re-dating, the website actually had very little new content!

Anyway, my tip this week is: consider growing armenian cucumbers this summer. Armenian cucumbers (aka snake melons) are a type of rockmelon but they both look and taste like a type of cucumber. If you are bored with growing the same old Lebanese cucumbers each year, try Armenian cucumbers this year: they are extremely prolific and, to my palette, a bit tastier than cucumbers. And you don’t need to peel them.

As someone called Fredric Hasselquist apparently said in the 18th Century, they are “the queen of cucumbers, refreshing, sweet, solid, and wholesome.” Or, as someone called George Post said at the turn of the 19th Century, “it is longer and more slender than the common cucumber, being often more than a foot long, and sometimes less than an inch thick, and pointed at both ends.”

The photo competition

The results of last week’s competition

The theme was ‘critters’ and we had 10 entries.

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Choon Yin Yeok’s photo of a dragonfly.

Commendations for Nada Cunningham’s photo of an Australian magpie, Chris Kent’s photo of a cicada and Amy Thomas’s photo of a yellow-tailed black cockatoo.

Dragonfly
Choon Yin Yeok
 
THE WINNER!
Australian magpie
Nada Cunningham
 
Male magpie. Don’t mess with me!
 
COMMENDED
Green grocer cicada (Cyclochila australasiae)
Chris Kent
 
This is the insect you always hear in summer but can never (normally) find them. However, this one happily posed for me.
 
COMMENDED
Yellow-tailed black cockatoo
Amy Thomas
 
I came across a family of yellow-tailed black cockatoos on one of my lockdown creek walks the other day. Very special. I think that this fellow had only just learned to fly. He was happy remaining quite low to the ground and very close to where I was standing until his mother squawked at him to join her on a branch. She then proceeded to feed him dinner while he fluffed up his feathers and continued his commotion.
 
COMMENDED
Brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii)
Kaye Saunders
 
Lives in the filter basket of my water tank.
Brushtail possum
Gina Wilson
 
These possums sleep under our eaves during the day and party all night on our flat roof.
Fox
Chris Kent
 
Our rockmelons had been growing all season, and were ripening quite nicely at the beginning of autumn. However they were starting to get eaten, so I set up a motion detecting night camera and photographed the nocturnal culprit.
Honey bee
Amanda Coombes
 
This is one critter that we all need!
Pied currawong
Nada Cunningham
 
Making sure there are no intruders.
Rainbow lorikeets
Nada Cunningham
 
At the bird bath.

This week’s competition

As we are still in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition. The theme this week is ‘native flowers’.

To get you started, the photo right is of a young blechnum banksia Banksia blechnifolia that is currently in flower in my garden.

Email your photos, including the Latin name of the plant and, if appropriate, some words about the photo.

Chilli pancakes with caramelised onion and chunky guacamole (by Pauline Taylor)

Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s 15 minute recipes. Serves: 4.

In addition to the recipe itself, Pauline has also produced a 20 minute video where she demonstrates it.

Ingredients

Pancakes
1 cup self-raising flour
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 fresh red chilli
40g cheddar cheese
⅓ cup corn kernels
Olive oil

Toppings
4 ripe tomatoes
1 ripe avocado
1 lime
½ bunch fresh coriander
8 rashers bacon
maple syrup
4 tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt

Caramelised onion
2 large red onions
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
a splash of olive oil

Method

Whisk the flour, egg and milk in a bowl with a pinch of salt until smooth. Finely slice the chilli, grate the cheese and then fold both into the batter with the sweetcorn. Set aside.

Slice the onions, place in a heated pan with olive oil and fry until almost clear. Add the sugar and vinegar, cook until browned and jam-like. Set aside for plating up.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and the peeled, de-stoned avocado. Toss with the juice from half a lime, the top leafy half of the coriander and salt and pepper.

Put the bacon into a medium frying pan on medium-low heat, turning when crisp and golden. Drizzle with maple syrup, glaze for 20 seconds, then remove from heat. Add a ladleful of batter and spread it out to the edges. Flip when golden and remove to a plate once done.

Place a quarter of the bacon, caramelised onion and guacamole on top of the pancake and serve with a dollop of yoghurt, a wedge of lime, and chilli sauce if you like that extra hit. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve as and when they are ready.

If you have any recipes that you would like to share with the other newsletter readers, email it to me.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Darebin Council’s free, downloadable seed saving guide (pdf).

Joke (or pun) of the week

I bought a little bag of air today. The company that made it was kind enough to put some potato chips in it as well.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

As I said at the start of this newsletter, I am not going to advertise any future face-to-face events during the current lockdown but I am (more than) happy to advertise any ‘local’ online events if people tell me about them. If you know of an upcoming online event that you would like to see included in this newsletter, email me with either the details or a link to the details.

Here are three upcoming online events that I have been notified about.

Cooking, conversation and community fundraiser; Sunday, 12th September, 4-5pm

This will comprise a cooking demonstration of a local Afghan dish plus a conversation about the current situation in Afghanistan featuring Dr. Nouria Salehi, Homaira Mershedi and Dr. Paula Hanasz. Pay as you wish to participate, starting from $15. Hosted by Collingwood CWA, in partnership with the Afghan Gallery Restaurant, to support and raise money for the Afghan Australian Development Organisation. Read more and potentially book your place.

Good food, good mood with Joel Feren; Tuesday, 14th September, 7.30-8.30pm; free

This presentation will aim to demonstrate the relationship between good nutrition and good mental well-being, highlighting the fact that consuming a nutritious and balanced diet does not have to be time consuming or difficult. The night will include a presentation from Joel with question and answer time from the audience. Jointly organised by various councils. Read more and potentially book your place.

Seed saving; Wednesday, 15th September, 7-8pm; free

Learn how to save your own seeds, how to extract seeds from the plant, and how to store and save seeds for planting. Organised by Whittlesea Community Garden in partnership with the Whittlesea Landcare group and Whittlesea Library. Book through Whittlesea Library by phone (9716 3028).

LFC News September 1 2021

Sep 012021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Amanda Coombes, Anna Matilda, Choon Yin Yeok, Dorothy Kwak, Hui Ouliaris, Judy Vizzari, Lucinda Flynn, Mardi Caracoglia, Marina Gallo, Sean Flynn, Soo Mei Leong, Stuart Rodda, Vicki Jordan, Vicki Paras and Yvonne Iliffe.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Mini chainsaws (by Stuart Rodda)

[Stuart, from Eltham, has written numerous articles for this newsletter about garden tools. This article on mini chainsaws is one of a series of articles on cutting tools.]

I (Stuart) have always cut small branches of 3-8cm diameter with a hand saw or, sometimes, with one of my chainsaws. Wood of this size is too large for my long handled loppers, and a full size chainsaw is a bit of overkill, plus inherently dangerous. However, a mini one-handed battery chainsaw does the job in a fraction of the time with almost no effort and seems safer than the alternatives, even safer than a bow saw or a pruning saw with their exposed sharp teeth. Here is a short (5 second) video of me using a ‘4 inch’ mini chainsaw to cut a small tree.

The supplier claims that they do not need lubrication. They come with two lithium batteries, so one can be charging while the other is in use. Due to their small size, they are light in weight and good for cutting in a confined space or close to a trunk, and are unlikely to kick back like a larger chainsaw can. I chose one with a protective top guard just in case. Naturally your other hand needs to be well clear of the moving chain. Being battery powered they always start instantly and don’t have a power lead like a mains-powered tool. They are available in various brands, for example the one I have was $70 (delivered) through eBay from a local supplier. They can also be fun to use and you don’t need to put off those larger pruning jobs for another day!

[Editor: obviously, I see articles before anyone else. When I first saw Stuart’s article above, I went and bought one of the mini chainsaws and I actually find it both very helpful and easy to use. $70 very well spent.]

Making homemade beer or cider (by Lucinda and Sean Flynn)

Lucinda and Sean, from Hurstbridge, have written a ‘pictorial’ (pictures plus words) for our website on how to making beer or cider using an off-the-shelf kit. For each of the 8 steps, there are at least 3 photos to illustrate the process. The 8 steps are:

  1. Add sanitiser to water.
  2. Wash then sterilise your fermenting drum.
  3. Choose your beer or cider, cut the pack open, and remove the contents from the side pocket.
  4. Heat syrup in a bucket of hot water, pour it into the disinfected fermenter, add three litres of boiling water, then sugar (cider) or brew enhancer (beer, ginger beer), and stir.
  5. Top up to 23 litres with cold water. Add other ingredients as instructed. When the temperature is right (check instructions), sprinkle yeast on top. Seal the lid and add an airlock. Leave to brew for 1 week, until your hydrometer says the specific gravity is correct – i.e. fermentation is complete.
  6. Once fermentation is complete: If using a keg, wash and disinfect the keg and your syphon then syphon the beer into the keg. If you don’t have a syphon, just open the tap.
  7. If using bottles, wash and sterilise the bottles and crown top lids, line your bottles up ready to fill (ours are stored in a screw top jar), and add sugar or carbonation drops to each bottle as instructed.
  8. Use syphon or use bottling valve to fill bottles. Then cap, and store in a cool dry place while carbonation occurs. Then enjoy!

Read the full article.

This is the first of a three-part series, with the other parts to cover making wine and gin respectively.

More on disposing of kitty litter

Last week, Angelo Eliades said “Pet litter, either dog or cat, should never be used in regular composting systems under any circumstances.” This week, Marina Gallo has written in to voice her strong agreement: “I totally agree with Angelo regarding the pathogens that cat litter can carry. Unfortunately, I know from experience having lost a baby due to toxoplasmosis acquired from cats early in the pregnancy. The risk is real and should be taken seriously!“

Do you know?

Yvonne Iliffe has written in: “Over the past couple of months, I have been having problems with cockies, mainly sulphur-crested and corellas, in that they peck bulbs to ground level, peck out seedlings from the veggie patch, nip growing potatoes just above soil level and also nip the tops off flowers. To interrupt this destructive behaviour, I thought about a scarecrow, foil attached to poles or small windmills scattered throughout the garden. I have now put bird netting over the veggie beds but I can’t do this for the whole garden, especially over the bulb beds and flower beds. I have just noticed that my gardenias are coming into bud and my concern is that the cockies will peck off these delightful blooms. Would anyone have any suggestions for this annoying problem?” Email your answers.

Want a free seed saving guide?

Darebin Council have just published a free, downloadable seed saving guide (pdf).

Small mesh netting is now mandatory

As discussed in previous newsletters: “From 1 September 2021, a person must only use netting with a mesh size no greater than 5mm x 5mm at full stretch to protect household fruiting plants. Failure to comply with this regulation could result in a fine under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019. The fine for using fruit netting that does not this specification will be $3,303.” Read more.

Another article by Angelo Eliades

How much sun do vegetables and herbs need to grow?

The article covers very similar ground to a previous article that Robin Gale-Baker wrote for our website entitled How much sun do veggies need?. In most cases, Angelo and Robin agree, with the biggest difference relating to onions (Angelo’s “root crops, such as … onions … have moderate light requirements” compared to Robin’s “the onion family likes full sun“).

The photo competition

Last week’s competition

The theme was ‘colour’ and we had 13 entries.

The winner, as judged by our panel, was Hui Ouliaris’ photo of her backyard.

Commendations to Dorothy Kwak’s bromeliad and also to her photo of the Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda.

Backyard
Hui Ouliaris
 
Not long after sunrise.
 
THE WINNER!
Bromeliad
Dorothy Kwak
 
COMMENDED
Garden
Dorothy Kwak
 
Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda
 
COMMENDED
Boat orchid (cymbidium sp.)
Judy Vizzari
Cape cowslip (Lachenalia aloides)
Mardi Caracoglia
Garden
Soo Mei Leong
 
My mosaic sunflower garden art brings colour, with the leaves of the curry plant in front mimicking the inanimate ones behind.
Grapevines
Dorothy Kwak
Inland pigface (Carpobrotus modestus)
Vicki Paras
 
Growing at a rock edge in my back garden.
Ornamental kale
Amanda Coombes
 
For the first time this year I tried ornamental kale from seed. I was enthralled by the variety of colour from the leaves. It was a nice change from flowers.
Pig’s-ears (Cotyledon orbiculata)
Judy Vizzari
 
Pond
Hui Ouliaris
 
Impatiens (Impatiens sp.) grown bare root with just stones holding onto their roots. The cool water kept them alive all through summer despite the direct sunlight.
Sunrise
Choon Yin Yeok
 
On 20th August of this year.
Tulip
Amanda Coombes
 
First time growing tulips. Just came out today.
This week’s competition

As we are still in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition. The theme this week is ‘critters’: your photo’s subject(s) can be of any local animal(s), large or small.

To get you started, the photo right is of some white-winged choughs who recently entered my chicken run. (Note the red eyes of the choughs compared to the yellow eyes of currawongs and the bluish eyes of ravens.)

Email your photos, including the names of any of the animals featured and, if appropriate, some words about the photo.

Pickled magnolias (by Anna Matilda)

[Anna, from Forest Hill, is otherwise known as The Urban Nanna and her website includes a number of her recipes.]

Did you know that magnolia flowers are edible? It is the petals that you eat, and the younger petals – when flowers are still buds or just opening out – that are the most palatable. Different species have different flavours, with the most commonly enjoyed one seeming to be the standard purple and pink tinted saucer magnolia (Magnolia × soulangeana).

Pickled magnolia petals have a spiced, gingery flavour, and they can be used in place of straight-up pickled ginger, or dipped in tempura batter and fried, or chopped and tossed through salads in place of a dressing.

Ingredients

10-12 young magnolia flowers or large flower buds
250ml rice wine vinegar
¼ cup white sugar
a pinch of salt

Method

Gently wash and dry the magnolia flowers.

Remove any brown papery bracts from around the buds, and any bruised petals.

If using buds, cut the stems right to the base of the flower. If using opened flowers, remove the petals from the centre of the flower.

Sterilise a large jar, then put the buds/petals into the jar. Using tongs or a flat knife can help squeeze the buds in. Rolling individual petals into a rosette will help keep them submerged.

Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt to boiling, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour the vinegar solution over the magnolias until covered. Seal the lid while hot and invert the jar for 1 minute (this helps heat the air inside the jar, and means you’re likely to get a better seal as it cools).

Allow to cool, then put in the fridge. They’ll be ready to eat at any time, but are better if left to cure for at least 24 hours.

They will last up to a year in the fridge.

Joke (or pun) of the week

[Sent in by Vicki Jordan]

God and trees

GOD to ST. FRANCIS:
Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff that I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.

St. FRANCIS:
It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers ‘weeds’ and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD:
Grass? But, it’s so boring. It’s not colourful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It’s sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilising grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD:
The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it, sometimes twice a week.

GOD:
They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:
Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD:
They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS:
No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD:
Now, let me get this straight. They fertilise grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS:
Yes, Sir.

GOD:
These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS:
You aren’t going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so that they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD:
What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It’s a natural cycle of life.

ST. FRANCIS:
You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD:
No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS:
After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD:
And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS:
They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD:
Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you’re in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE:
‘Dumb and Dumber’, Lord. It’s a story about…

GOD:
Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars by type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

Website calendars by Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Obviously, because of the lockdown all the planned events between now and 9th September will have been cancelled, deferred or moved online. Ditto some of the events below.

In the lists below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
September
October

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
September
October
In Richmond
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 3rd September, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 5th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 5th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 10th September, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 10th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 11th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 11th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 12th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 14th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 18th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 18th September, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 23rd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 25th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 26th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 30th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 30th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 1st October, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 1st October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 2nd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 2nd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 2nd October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2rd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 3rd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 3rd October, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 5th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 7th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 7th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 8th October, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 8th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 9th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 9th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 9th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 10th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 10th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 12th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 14th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 14th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 15th October, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 15th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 16th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 16th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 16th October, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 17th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 17th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 17th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Tuesday, 19th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 21st October, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Thursday, 21st October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 22nd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 22nd October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 23rd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 23rd October, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 23rd October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 24th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 24th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 24th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 26th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News August 25 2021

Aug 262021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ally Shepherd, Amanda Coombes, Angelo Eliades, Choon Yin Yeok, Choy Lai, Christine Kay, Doris Glier, Dorothy Kwak, James Petty, Jill Renison, Lee Hirsh, Lucinda Flynn, Mala Plymin, Megan Goodman, Nada Cunningham, Pauline Webb, Robin Gale-Baker, Soo Mei Leong and Stuart Rodda.

How to plant seeds in punnets (by Robin Gale-Baker)

[Robin, from Sustainable Macleod writes a regular monthly column for this newsletter. A longer version of the material below can be found on our website.]

It’s time to plant seeds in punnets for the spring veggie and flower garden. A seed is essentially a hard outer covering with an embryo inside and your job is to allow that embryo to develop in prime conditions. This article provides some tips for optimum results.

Select an Australian Standards seed raising mix (and later a potting mix). Never use garden soil in punnets as it is too heavy and compacts. Seed raising mix is much finer than potting mix and, when firmed down, prevents small seeds falling through the mix and disappearing out the drainage holes. It also doesn’t contain much in the way of nutrients which is a good thing as you do not want your seedlings growing too fast and crowding as this leads to ‘damping off’ whereby your seedlings collapse due to pathogen growth.

Fill your punnets with seed raising mix to 1cm below the rim. Using a second filled, watered punnet, place it inside the first punnet and use it as a weight to firm down the mix so it forms a flat seed bed and then water it well. For all seed types except for cucurbits (see next paragraph) and lettuce (see the following paragraph), sprinkle your seed onto this moist surface, cover with 1cm of soil (or whatever is suggested on the seed packet) and water again gently.

Cucurbit seeds, such as pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini and melon, are large seeds with a flattish surface. If laid in the punnet horizontally, water can pool on the upper surface of these seeds, causing rotting. Instead, plant these vertically into the seed bed with the pointy end upward, and cover with around 2cm of the mix.

Lettuce seeds germinate in light so they should not be covered with seed mix. Rather, prepare a firm, moist seed bed, sprinkle the seed onto this and press the seed down so that it connects with the moist bed. This means that, when it germinates and roots begin to emerge, those roots will be ‘in touch’ with the soil and able to penetrate it rather than laying along its surface.

When the seeds have germinated and the seedlings are at the 4 leaf stage (2 pairs of leaves), they are ready to transplant into seed trays. Use a good quality potting mix which will contain a balance of nutrients, drain freely and be more open allowing roots to develop unimpeded. When you transplant, take out a clump at a time and gently pull the roots apart. Hold the seedlings by the leaves not the stem.

Most veggie seeds can be started in punnets but root vegetables are best planted direct into soil cultivated to a fine tilth.

Read the full article.

Pole loppers (by Stuart Rodda)

[Stuart, from Eltham, has written numerous articles for this newsletter about garden tools. This article on pole loppers is one of a series of articles on cutting tools

To cut small branches off higher limbs of trees you can use a pole lopper, where the cutting blade is mounted on one end of the pole and the operating handle on the other. The transfer of force from the operating handle to the blade can be via a steel rod, a rope, or a plastic band.

The photo shows the three types:

  1. A heavy green steel model, fixed length, with a hook/blade at the cutting end, using a lever connected to a steel pulling rod to exert maximum cutting force. This design has the advantage that the hooked end can be placed on the branch and will not slip while you concentrate on pulling the lever.
  2. A grey steel tube model, extendable in length and locked at the chosen length with a twisting motion, using a white plastic rope which pulls the cutting blade. Pole loppers operated by rope have the huge disadvantage that the rope tends to get caught in branches or twisted around the pole in use.
  3. A square extendable aluminium tube model from Aldi which uses flat plastic bands to transfer the pulling force part way along the outside of the tube, and an internal steel cable to operate the cutting blade. This design prevents snagging of the external pulling band or internal cable. The Aldi model can extend to around 3m in length, avoiding the need to climb on a ladder to reach the top of small trees for pruning. This is by far the best design due to its light weight and versatility. It is an Aldi special which means it only becomes available occasionally (but similar models exist at Bunnings at higher prices).

For the cutting of larger diameter wood from ground level in hard-to-reach places and at greater heights, saws, including pole-mounted chainsaws, offer a cheap and convenient alternative to hiring a professional arborist. (Saws will be covered in a separate article.)

How to make your own mini greenhouse (by Lucinda Flynn)

Lucinda, from Hurstbridge, has made a short (1 minute) video for this newsletter on how to make you own mini greenhouse. Watch the video.

Yes, you did know (sort of)

Last week, Louise Nolan asked if it was ok to compost her kitty litter after solarising it. Several of you have replied.

Angelo Eliades: “Pet litter, either dog or cat, should never be used in regular composting systems under any circumstances. It should never be used at any stage of breakdown in any garden beds, especially where produce is being grown. The poop carries lots of pathogens and it’s not viable to sterilise it in any way for handling as a garden soil amendment material. It should therefore never be put into a compost bin that needs to be emptied, or mixed into soil that will be dug or handled. The only safe disposal method that would recycle the material is to dig it deep into the soil in areas that aren’t disturbed, such as unused areas, areas under trees (don’t cut into their roots) or mulched garden paths away from veggie garden beds.“

Jill Renison: “I have a similar problem which I have not satisfactorily resolved as yet. Cats carry toxoplasmosis, which can infect other animals. I used to flush cat poo down the toilet, but stopped when I read that sea creatures, such as otters, can be infected by doing this. I keep all cat waste products well away from my compost bins and food gardens. I used to put the urine-soaked recycled paper waste pellets on a non-productive part of the garden, but they take forever to decompose and are unsightly. You can buy special composting buckets for animal waste that you partially bury in the garden, but this doesn’t solve the problem of the used litter.“

James Petty: “I can’t answer your question about solarising the kitty litter but I have been running a little experiment composting my dog’s poo. It goes in a separate small compost bin that I picked up off the street along with a carbon material (straw, dried leaves/grass clippings, sawdust), and regular watering to keep it moist. Plus an occasional shovel-load from my normal compost. It works extremely well (see photo)! The issue of using it on the garden never arises because it breaks down so quickly the bin never fills up.“

Yet more on contaminated compost

A couple of weeks ago, Louise Nolan discussed how many of her tomato plants had died after using contaminated compost and cited an ABC article on the subject. Ally Shepherd has now written in: “I experienced a very small amount of soil contamination in my summer crops last year which caused plant deformation and leaf curling (see the photo of my dahlias). After reading the ABC article, I joined the Soil contamination Victoria’ Facebook group, which has become an interesting resource for me. I am still a young gardener so, before I worked out that it was soil contamination, I actually chopped the curled parts off my dahlias and sunflowers which were producing deformed flowers and the new growth actually looked like normal. I have been improving the soil this year so it will be interesting to see if my crops this summer will still be affected.“

The community gardens at Collingwood Children’s Farm

Some of you may know that there is a large community garden at Collingwood Children’s Farm, which dates back to 1979 and is mainly comprised of allotments. You may also be aware that the farm recently closed the community garden, ostensibly for safety reasons. If you want to read how the closure has played out in the media, google ‘collingwood childrens farm community garden’ and choose the news option.

Anyhow, newsletter Mark Sanders has recently posted two important articles about the closure on the Moreland Food Gardens Network website. The first article, entitled protecting public land: why we’re refurbishing the community gardens at the Collingwood Children’s Farm, is by a member of the Committee of Management for Collingwood Children’s Farm. The second article, entitled protecting public participation: why gardeners are protesting their exclusion from the Collingwood Children’s Farm Community Gardens, is by two of the community garden’s gardeners.

The photo competition

Last week’s competition

The theme was ‘springtime’ and we had 17 entries. The winner, as judged by our ad hoc panel, was Choon Yin Yeok’s photo of her front garden.

Australian clematis, aka goat’s beard (Clematis aristata)
Dorothy Kwak (Panton Hill Winery)
Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)
Doris Glier
Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)
Pauline Webb
 
The daffodils in my front lawn.
Eastern rosellas
Nada Cunningham
 
Posing in front of Westringia ‘wynyabbie gem’ and Hakea ‘burrendong beauty’.
Echidnas
Nada Cunningham
2 of 5 that I saw a few days ago. Mating season.
COMMENDED
Happy wanderer (Hardenbergia violacea)
Dorothy Kwak (Panton Hill Winery)
Hellebore reverse picotee (Helleborus x hybridus)
Amanda Coombes
COMMENDED
Japanese andromeda (Pieris japonica)
Christine Kay
 
Rarely seen by me as I am usually travelling around Australia at this time of the year.
My front garden
Choon Yin Yeok
THE WINNER
Nectarine
Dorothy Kwak (Panton Hill Winery)
Orchid
Mala Plymin
 
I love the colours and the flowers last ages.
Peach
Amanda Coombes
 
A dwarf variety. The bees have been having a field day! Brings such joy, especially during lockdown.
Plum
Amanda Coombes
 
Double grafted. A real space saver in my standard suburban block.
Spring blossom
Lee Hirsh
Sundew (Drosera)
Dorothy Kwak (Panton Hill Winery)
Tickled pink
Soo Mei Leong
 
The salvia’s pannicle blooms look both sculptural and sensational.
Wattle
Dorothy Kwak (Panton Hill Winery)
   
This week’s competition

As we are still in lockdown, we are going to have another photo competition. The theme this week is ‘colour’: your photo’s subject(s) can be either animate or inanimate but they have got to be colourful! In the right composition, black or white can also qualify as colourful.

To get you started, the photo right is of a flower of my queen’s-tears (Billbergia nutans).

Email your photos, including the names of any of the plants or animals featured and, if appropriate, some words about the photo.
 
 

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
Mustard greens
Parsley
Rocket
Silverbeet
Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Jerusalem artichoke
Parsnip
Potato
Radish
Other veggies

Asparagus
Celery
Chives
Coriander
Globe artichoke
Leeks
Rhubarb
Shallot
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.

Helen Simpson has previously written growing guides for 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 and tomatoes. And Helen has written more generally about Spring veggie garden preparation.

Meg’s garden this month

I woke up this morning to the sight of a very large tree uprooted, its extended heavy branches taking out two vegetable beds, my apricot and blood plum trees. It is with some sadness that I start to cut and remove the mess and repair the damage. However, I now have three new planting holes for new bare-rooted stock that will hopefully over time provide fruit for the kitchen. It is not too late to find bare-rooted fruit trees, berry canes or vines.

With the loss of the tree, I now have far more light reaching the veggie garden beds. It is time to start preparing for the new season of plantings. The spent winter brassicas are removed and the beds are dug over and top-dressed with compost. I spend some time supporting and tying in the broad beans as they start to hit their stride.

While the end of the winter crops are being removed, my citrus trees just keep on giving, with oranges and mandarins abundant. Boxes of citrus sit outside the front gate for passers-by. I could do a lockdown citrus walk of our neighbourhood and count the signs for ‘free lemons’. I have so many mandarins that I have made a mandarin version of this marmalade as well as the usual orange (substitute about 10-15 small mandarins). At this time of year, any recipes that use citrus fruit are welcome.

Marmalade

5 oranges
1 lemon
1 litre of water
1Kg jam-setting sugar

(Note: you can use normal sugar, but you then need to cook the marmalade for longer).

Wash the fruit and cut very finely, removing the seeds. Place the fruit into a bowl and cover with water then leave overnight.

Add the fruit and water to a heavy based saucepan, bring to boil then simmer for about 1 hour.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring to boil for about 10-15 minutes then test the consistency on a cold plate or surface.

Seal in sterilised jars.

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

In case you missed them …

Here are some of the articles from the past month’s newsletters:

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the animated Peter Rabbit film from the United Nations.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Easy as pie. Meaning: very easy. This phrase is of mid-19th Century American origin and the easiness comes from the eating rather than from the making. Piece of cake has a similar meaning and for similar reasons.

There are many similes in English that have the form ‘as X as Y’, where some property X is being highlighted together with an example Y of something that is supposedly well known to display that property. Here are some food-related examples:

As alike as two peas in a pod.
As American as apple pie.
As brown as a berry.
As cool as a cucumber.
As dead as mutton.
As different as chalk and cheese.
As difficult as nailing jelly to a tree.
As dry as a bone.
As flat as a pancake.
As happy as a clam.
As keen as mustard.
As mild as milk.
As nutty as a fruit cake.
As red as a beetroot.
As sure as eggs is eggs.
As sweet as a nut.
As sweet as pie.
As useless as a chocolate teapot.
As warm as toast.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” by Oscar Wilde.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A sandwich walks into a bar. The barman says “Sorry we don’t serve food in here.“

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars by type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

Website calendars by Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the lists below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled, deferred or moved online.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
Cancelled

Obviously, all the planned events between now and 2nd September will no longer happen because of the lockdown.

Also cancelled are the various beekeeping events in Camberwell, namely Beekeeping for beginners on 4th September and Beekeeping – beyond the basics on 11th September. Plus urban foraging on 4th September in Forest Hill.

September
October

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
Cancelled

Obviously, all the planned events between now and 2nd September will no longer happen because of the lockdown.

September
October
In Richmond
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 3rd September, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 5th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 5th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 10th September, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 10th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 11th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 11th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 12th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 14th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 18th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 18th September, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 23rd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 25th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 26th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 30th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 30th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 1st October, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 1st October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 2nd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 2nd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 2nd October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2rd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 3rd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 3rd October, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 5th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 7th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 7th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 8th October, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 8th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 9th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 9th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 9th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 10th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 10th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 12th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 14th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 14th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 15th October, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 15th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 16th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 16th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 16th October, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 17th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 17th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 17th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Tuesday, 19th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News August 18 2021

Aug 182021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela Chung, Cameron Cairns, Louise Nolan, Olwyn Smiley, Robert Lastdrager, Ruth Williams, Stuart Rodda and Vasundhara Kandpal.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Let’s have another photograph competition!

With the latest extension to the lockdown, lots of the upcoming food-related events are obviously being cancelled. One upside of this (and there aren’t many) is that it means that there is space for some photos in next week’s newsletter. And springtime is upon us. So, submit your springtime photos to our springtime photo competition, with plaudits for the best photos. To get you started, here is a photo of my currently flowering heart-leaf flame pea (chorizema cordatum).

Email your photos, including the names of any of the plants featured and, if appropriate, some words about the photo.

Pantry food containers: glass or plastic? (by Angela Chung)

Building on her July article on creating a beautiful, functional and plastic-free pantry, Angela Chung has now written an article on glass versus plastic food containers. The table below summarises her assessment.

Factor Feature and benefit Glass Plastic
Purpose Transparency: easy to see contents Yes Yes
Durability from stain and scratch Yes No
Stackable Not so much Yes
Transportable: lightweight No Yes
Keep food better flavour and fresh Yes No
Children friendly / not breakable No Yes
Large bulk capacity more than 2 litres No Yes
Easily washable from stain and smell Yes Not always
Personal health Safe from chemical releases Yes Not always
Environment Recyclable Yes Limited
Cost Inexpensive and affordable No Yes
Aesthetics Better looks Yes No
Total score of ‘yes’ 7 6

 
Her analysis is then:

  1. Plastic is convenient, lighter, cheaper and a space saver.
  2. Glass is beautiful and always looks new.
  3. Glass is better for the environment.
  4. Glass is safer for health.

Her conclusion is that, on balance, she now chooses glass except for containers of large bulk food items.

And if you still want to use lightweight, affordable plastic containers, she suggests that you make sure that you get high quality, BPA-free containers, clean them often, and keep using them as long as you can.

Read the full article.

Loppers (by Stuart Rodda)

[Stuart Rodda, from Eltham, has written numerous articles for this newsletter about garden tools. This article on loppers is one of a series of articles on cutting tools, which started with last week’s article on secateurs.]

The leverage from the longer handles, and two-handed operation of loppers, allows much greater force to be applied to the wood than with secateurs and therefore wood of greater diameter can be cut, up to around 4cm.

The four loppers shown in the photo far right are: a simple German wooden handled model (extremely strong, light and effective); a smaller green plastic lever/ratchet anvil type; and two models with extending handles which make it easy to prune branches out of arm’s reach. The left hand photo then shows the two extendable models in their extended positions.

The most versatile of these four loppers is the Aldi model, which has sliding aluminium arms incorporating a push-button locking system for extending the arms from around 60cm up to 1.2m, which, in turn, give extra reach and also extra leverage for cutting branches up to about 4cm diameter.

More on secateurs

Following Stuart’s article last week on secateurs, Olwyn Smiley has written in: “May I add another thing to look for when buying secateurs? Bright-coloured handles! I bought a terrific pair of (expensive) Japanese secateurs, the best I have ever used. However, their handles were just metal, no bright covering, and I lost them in the garden for quite some time. A friend’s ministrations with coca cola (to remove rust), oil, and a sharpening stone has brought them back to life thankfully, and they have since been given a coat of fluoro orange paint to stop them getting lost again.”

More on contaminated compost

Last week, Louise Nolan discussed how many of her tomato plants had died after using contaminated compost and asked if anyone else has had a similar experience. Only one person replied, Ruth Williams, who said: “I bought some soil that contained compost in September last year and the same thing happened to my tomatoes. Interestingly, the perennial basil that I have in the same bed seems to be thriving. Not only have I wasted the cost of the soil and the plants, I also had to have the soil removed from the garden beds. Is there any recourse for people buying contaminated soil or compost?” Please email me if you know the answer to Ruth’s question.

A new community garden in Brunswick

Bulleke-bek Park Community Garden is in the new Bulleke-Bek park near Anstey station in Brunswick. In a small community park in a high-density neighbourhood, the garden is a space for the many local people who live in apartments to cultivate a little bit of green. It comprises around six wicking beds and a food forest, initially established planted in 2020. The harvest is for anyone and everyone in the community. The garden is open to the public and there is substantial foot traffic, with children visiting from the playground close by and Brunswick folk passing through the park on their way to Sydney Road. Those involved in the garden meet once a month to discuss planting and projects, and to share a cup of tea or coffee – see their Facebook page for dates and times. Read their page in our Local Food Directory. Welcome Aileen, Naomi and colleagues!

That brings the total number of community gardens in our directory to 59, including 11 in Moreland.

Do you want?

Cameron Cairns has written in: “I have 18 food grade 8Kg (~10L) buckets (with handles and lids) in good condition to give away to anyone who would like some or all as part of an upcycle project. They were originally for haloumi (from a local bakery) and have only been used to transport (on foot) spent coffee grounds home to my compost. Pick up required, Brunswick area, can arrange for it be contactless. If interested, email me.”

Do you know?

Louise Nolan recently acquired an indoor cat but has a dilemma regarding the used kitty litter. She buys decomposable kitty litter made from corn, which then clumps with the poop and urine and can be flushed down the toilet (as per the manufacturer instructions). She thought that she could throw the remaining corn litter at changeover time into her compost bin. But she has now been told that the contents needs to be left to break down for 18 months to destroy any bacteria, pathogens, etc before being using on the garden, especially on the veggie beds. Her question is this: if she places the used cleanish kitty litter into a black plastic bag with some carbon material and then leaves it in the sun for a month or so, will the pathogens be killed off in the heat? If so, could she then throw the solarised contents into the compost bin and utilise the compost so much quicker? Email your answers.

Have you seen?

Have you (or your children) seen the short animated Peter Rabbit film from the United Nations. If not then you should and it will only take 1 minute of your time. The UN, like Peter, apparently thinks that people should: eat more fruits and vegetables; buy local and seasonal food; grow food at home; and waste less food.

Did you know?

Did you know that there is such a thing as Potato Photographer of the Year? In the picture right, which is a homage to Edvard Munch, the background is made of potato peel dipped in paint and the person’s head is a carved potato.

Another article by Angelo Eliades

How much potting mix does a garden pot hold? Spoiler alert: 1/3 * pi * h * (r^2 + R^2 + r*R).

Cantankerous (by Robert Lastdrager, from Montmorency)

Last night I woke
to the sound of heavy rain
and howling winds
harassing an empty can down my street.

Its hollow cries demanded attention
as it slid and clattered painfully
into rain swollen gutters.

Ignoring the current
it drew breath and spun, rattling
back into the road.

Defiant.

It continued to grate and hesitate
tinking and tonking
until a lone speeding car approached
crushing its armour
and its emptiness.

Recycling can be so satisfying.

Read more local food-related poems on our website.

Oil-free mushroom sauce (by Vasundhara Kandpal)

[We are running short of recipes. If you have a recipe that you would like to share with the rest of us, email it to me.]

[Vasundhara Kandpal is a professional cook who is based in Eltham and part of Green Karma.]

Ingredients

1 teaspoon oil or 2 tablespoons broth
2-3 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced or crushed
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion or shallots
1 teaspoon dried herbs (e.g. rosemary and thyme) or 1-2 tablespoons fresh
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup white wine
1 teaspoon mustard condiment, or use ¼ teaspoon ground mustard + ½ teaspoon vinegar
1 cup cashew cream (⅓ cup cashews blended with 1 cup water)

Method

Heat the oil or broth in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until golden. 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the garlic and onion and cook for a minute. Add the herbs, salt and pepper and mix in. Add the wine and mix in and bring to a boil.

Add the mustard and mix. Add the cashew cream of choice and mix. Bring to a boil.

Taste and adjust the flavour if needed. Adjust the consistency with veggie broth if needed.

Garnish with fresh herbs and serve over cauliflower steaks, roasted veggies, mashed veggies, veggie meat loafs or burgers, grilled mushrooms, etc.

Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the page about Japanese artist Lito Leaf Art.

Joke (or pun) of the week

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars by type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

Website calendars by Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the lists below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled, deferred or moved online.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
Cancelled

Obviously, all the planned events between now and 2nd September will no longer happen because of the lockdown.

Also, the Australian plants expo on Saturday, 11th September and Sunday, 12th September has been cancelled.

September
October

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
Cancelled

Obviously, all the planned events between now and 2nd September will no longer happen because of the lockdown.

Rescheduled
September
October
In Richmond
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 3rd September, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 5th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 5th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 10th September, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 10th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 11th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 11th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 12th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 14th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 18th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 18th September, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 23rd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 25th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 26th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 30th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 30th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 1st October, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 1st October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 2nd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 2nd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 2nd October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2rd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 3rd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 3rd October, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 5th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 7th October, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 7th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 8th October, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 8th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 9th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 9th October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 9th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 10th October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 10th October, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 12th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News August 11 2021

Aug 112021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Che Hall, Jaimie Sweetman, Louise Nolan, Penny Grose, Perri Hillier, Sofiah Fauzi, Stuart Rodda, Vanessa Shribman and Vasundhara Kandpal.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Secateurs (by Stuart Rodda)

[Those of you with longish memories may remember the halcyon days when Stuart Rodda, from Eltham, used to write regular articles about garden tools for this newsletter. Well, he is back with a new series of articles on cutting tools. The first such article discusses secateurs, a somewhat shortened version of which is given below.]

Secateurs can be classified according to whether the cutting blade slides past the solid blade (‘bypass’ type, with a scissor-like action) or comes down hard onto the solid blade (‘anvil’ type). Bypass pruners are more popular as they tend to do less damage to the stem and make a cleaner cut. When using bypass secateurs, try to cut with the blade on the main stem side of the cut, to avoid bruising the wood which is to remain on the plant. If you are right handed, this can be achieved by keeping the main stem on your right as you work around the plant. Cut close to a bud or the main stem so that the remaining stub will not end up as a piece of dead wood, which can be a source of wood rot.

When buying, look for:

  • Light weight to prevent fatigue when making many cuts. Aluminium alloy is non-rusting and keeps the weight down but a strong, quality steel cutting blade is essential and should be kept sharp.
  • Smooth action, such as from a Teflon coated cutting blade and easy hinge lubrication.
  • A locking catch.
  • A reliable return spring.
  • Hand grips which are contoured and non-slip.
  • Robustness so the tool will last a lifetime – a tool which rusts or corrodes easily is no bargain.

Expect to pay around $20 for a good pair or many times that for a ‘name’ brand. In the photo you can see three small secateurs: the classic orange Felco Swiss ones (very simple and reliable but very expensive); a cheap green pair from Aldi (with a Teflon coated blade, a unique hand guard and rotating ergonomic handle); and a very cheap unbranded pair (similar in design to the Felco but heavier and prone to corrosion).

Read Stuart’s previous articles about digging tools, weeding tools, forks and rakes, hooks, bulb planters, flamethrowers, power planters, seed dispensers and synthetic gardening gloves.

Jaimie’s edible plant of the month – white shahtoot mulberry (Morus macroura)

Leading into August, I [Jaimie] have been searching for any deciduous fruit trees we don’t yet have to plant in the Edible Forest.

One that we already have, but which is so popular and a favourite on our tours that so we have recently got another, is the white shahtoot mulberry (Morus macroura).

As the name suggests, the mulberries on this species are white and around 4cm long. They taste extra sweet like glucose and don’t leave red stains everywhere like other mulberries. Another great thing is that fruit over two months and can be picked every day, whereas other mulberries drop all the berries in the space of around two weeks. Being white, the birds don’t go for them either so it is a great fruiting variety for a backyard without netting.

A small to large sized tree, the white shahtoot mulberry can get to 4-6 metres in height but will handle heavy pruning to reduce height. There are also dwarf varieties available for the smaller gardens.

Deciduous through winter, it becomes a great shade tree come summer and the fruit is to die for!

I would definitely recommend the white shahtoot mulberry for any Melbourne backyard.

* * * * *

Watch Jaimie’s video about white shahtoot mulberries.

Read Jaimie’s previous edible plants of the month.

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 all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.

Another local food justice organisation – Whittlesea Food Collective

Whittlesea Food Collective aims to develop an integrated response to people experiencing hardship, where the response includes food production and distribution, plant and food-based enterprises, recycling and waste reduction and learning and employment pathways. It delivers individuals with fresh, nourishing food, free of cost to eligible residents in the City of Whittlesea.

It also provides opportunities for people to volunteer and participate in community activities (see application form). And it accepts donations (see donations form). Its resources include a demonstration veggie garden and a commercial kitchen.

Whittlesea Food Collective is a partnership between Whittlesea Community Connections and the Whittlesea Emergency Relief Network. It is part of a broader project, the Whittlesea Community Farm and Food Collective, which is a partnership between Whittlesea Community Connections, Yarra Valley Water, Melbourne Polytechnic and City of Whittlesea.

Welcome Steve and colleagues!

There are now a total of 15 local food justice organisations in our Local Food Directory but my impression is that there are many more out there, partly stimulated by Covid. The criteria for inclusion in our Local Food Directory include: 1. They must agree to be in it (and agree the words for their entry) and 2. They must have some publishable contact details (usually an email address). If you know of any organisations who you think could/should be added to the Directory, please email me and I will then contact them to discuss.

Want a job?

Ben’s Bees, who are based in Blackburn North, are seeking to hire a full time assistant beekeeper. The work will encompass beeswax production, honey production, pollination services, education and wasp removal. A starting salary of $750 after tax per week. Read more. Apply by email to Ben Moore at bensbeesaustralia@gmail.com.

Yes, you did know

As few weeks ago, Julie Cabrol asked what was wrong with her mother in law's lime tree (see picture right).

Angelo Eliades has now responded: “The lime tree is displaying obvious signs of root loss. Without any additional information, diagnosis is guesswork, as there are several possible causes. When did the symptoms appear, after the dry, windy part of winter, or after the rains started? Was there any digging or re-planting around the root zone of the tree? Was any fertiliser applied and, if so, what type? If I had to make a SWAG (scientific wild-ass guess), there’s a high chance that it’s root rot due to soil waterlogging over winter. Pushing a trowel into the ground and pulling it back to check the soil might be worthwhile to see what’s happening in the soil. Depending on the severity of the problem, unless the problem is remediated, the leaves will start dropping next, and then dieback of the branches will occur, and the whole tree will go shortly after. I wrote an article a while back to help people with their dying citrus.

So, Angelo’s conclusion is consistent with that of Sandie Downs from last week.

Do you know?

Vanessa Shribman asks: “Can anyone suggest where I can buy good, solid and reasonably priced raised veggie beds for my very urban, West Footscray garden?” Email us with your replies.

Have you ever had contaminated compost?

Louise Nolan purchased some veggie mix compost a year or so ago and all her tomatoes leaves curled up and half of the plants died. Even after adding lots of home compost and manure, all the tomato plants that survived suffered nutrient deficiencies and disease. Then she read this article on the ABC website about contaminated compost from Melbourne council waste and she now wonders if any other newsletter readers have had a similar experience. Email us with your experiences.

More on soil acidity

Following Rebecca Haschek’s article from last week, Stuart Rodda has written in: “Thanks for Rebecca’s very informative article. As she says, soil pH is not as ‘simple’ a thing as it seems, and buffering capacity is very important. Leaf, Root & Fruit, who are based in Kyneton, have just published an article entitled The impact of compost on garden soil: a case study, which reports on an experiment that they have been conducting. They conclude that the best approach for backyard growers is just to use a lot of compost, which not only buffers pH but also makes many other nutrients readily available to plants and does not require close monitoring.”

Stuart adds that “I have a cheap and rugged handheld pH meter which I found is much more readable and most likely more accurate than the pH test kits I have used. The meter allows me to easily and quickly take readings from many sites in the garden.”

Do you live or work in Banyule?

Reimagine Banyule invite you to contribute towards their Re-imagine Banyule map, which is a collation of local resources that create connections with people, places and small businesses who are aiming for a more sustainable footprint within the local community. They are looking for as many ‘hidden gems’/contributions as possible. To help get you started: Who/what are your local ‘go to’s’? Where do you purchase your ‘local’ food in Banyule? Who do you turn to when you need something fixed or mended? Is there a local place or park that you have visited that re-fills your cup? What are your tips/tricks for ‘treading lightly’ in Banyule? Please email your thoughts to reimaginebanyule@gmail.com or comment directly on the relevant posts on their Facebook page. Please respond by 10th September. See the current map.

Another article by Angelo Eliades

What is the ideal soil depth for wicking beds?. Spoiler alert: 40cms.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Lito Leaf Art is a Japanese artist who carves scenarios on tree leaves.

Lime cheesecake crust

[Vasundhara Kandpal is a professional cook who is based in Eltham and part of Green Karma.]

Ingredients

The crust:
⅓ cup almonds
5-6 dates
1 tablespoon almond meal
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 tablespoon cacao powder
½ banana

The filling:
1 cup avocado purée (substitutes – carrots, pumpkin or blanched beetroot)
¼ cup coconut oil
⅓ cup sugar
1 lemon/lime
1 lemon/lime zest
1 tablespoon oat flour

Method

Blend everything for the crust. Layer it as a base in a springform baking tray.

Freeze it while making the filling.

Layer the filling over the crust.

Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or, for quick setting, in the freezer.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Rebecca Haschek’s article on soil acidity.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Did you hear about the angry pancake? He just flipped.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars by type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

Website calendars by Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the lists below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

This week’s featured event

Intro to urban farming (6 sessions), starting on 14th August in Preston

6 sessions, each 1.30-4.30pm, on consecutive Saturdays, starting 14th August and ending 18th September. For those aged 16 to 25 only. Free(!). At Bridge Darebin in Preston but organised by Darebin Youth Services. Book your place.

The course will combine theory with practical hand-on training, beginning with the basics and progressing through to creating sustainable organic food production systems in the ground, as well as alternative food growing systems in containers, wicking beds and hydroponics systems. You will gain a range of skills and knowledge including:

  • Soil preparation and improvement.
  • Growing from seeds and seedling.
  • Crop planning and crop rotation.
  • Water management and irrigation.
  • Plant propagation and seed saving.
  • Organic growing techniques.
  • Pest management.
  • Urban farming education and employment pathways.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
Re-scheduled
August
September

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
August
September
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 13th August, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 13th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 14th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 14th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 14th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 15th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 15th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 17th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 21st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 21st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 21st August, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 22nd August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 26th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Tuesday, 26th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 28th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 28th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 3rd September, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 5th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 5th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 10th September, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 10th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 11th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 11th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 12th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 14th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 18th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 18th September, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 23rd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 25th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 26th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 30th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 30th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 1st October, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 1st October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 2nd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 2nd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 2nd October, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2rd October, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 3rd October, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 3rd October, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 5th October, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News August 4 2021

Aug 042021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Deb Thomson, Georgie Nathan, Jane Dyer, Jo Buckle, Katrina Forstner, Kayla Blackmore, Lee Hirsh, Louise Nolan, Marina Bistrin, Penny Smith, Rebecca Haschek, Robin Gale-Baker, Sandie Downes, Sarah Mathers, Sofiah Fauzi and Trish Kent.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Soil acidity (by Rebecca Haschek)

Rebecca Haschek, from Diamond Creek, has recently been undertaking post graduate studies in Agriculture, including soil science. She has now written an article for our website with some thoughts on soil acidity.

The article starts by discussing what soil acidity is and why it is an issue. Soil acidity is actually a measure of the acidity of the water within soil, rather than any solid materials, and the water is acidic if there are more hydrogen ions (H+) than hydroxide ions (OH–). Slightly acidic water (a pH of 6 to 7) is good for most plants but higher levels of acidity result in aluminium being released, stunting root growth and severely limiting crop yields, and allows chemical processes to tie up nutrients, making them unavailable to plants.

One way that soil becomes acidic is through the removal of plant material: plants exchange ions with their surrounding water, resulting in the plants becoming alkaline and the soil acidic; when plant material is harvested, the corresponding alkalinity of the plant is removed, and the soil is acidified. The other way that soil becomes acidic is through nitrate leaching, whereby nitrate ions move deep into the soil, leaving the accessible soil acidic. In both cases, the process is irreversible.

Rebecca has several suggestions for how you should manage your soil acidity. First, use slow-release fertilisers so that there is less excess nitrate in your soil and thus less leaching. Second, use crushed limestone to lessen the acidity of your soil. Third, because it is hard to determine how much crushed limestone to add, use soil pH test kits to monitor your soil acidity.

Read the full article.

Persian land cress (by Katrina Forstner)

[Katrina Forstner, from Preston, was recently appointed as the coordinator of Span Community Garden in Thornbury (Congratulations, Katrina!). One of the edible plants that they grow is Persian land cress (Lepidium sativum), which was introduced to them by one of their Persian volunteers. Here are a few words from Katrina about it.]

Persian land cress (Lepidium sativum) is in the Brassicaceae family. It is a very old vegetable from the Middle East. Sativum translates as ‘from seed‘, meaning it was cultivated, and you can trace its history back to early Persian vegetable gardens in 400BC. In Persian, it is Sahi.

It is used in Persian cuisine as a side dish or as part of a salad. It had a milder, peppery flavour compared to other garden cresses. It can also be used in a sandwich, topped on omelettes, or blended into sauces such as pesto.

Small and fast growing. Grows 25cm in height. Harvest between Spring and Autumn. As part of an organic garden, it’s a welcome addition for gardeners as a natural pest control for cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae) as it acts as a sacrificial plant for brassicas.

What’s in season for you to buy in August?

Kayla Blackmore, who is the market manager of Coburg Farmers’ Market, says that the following is in season for you to buy in August:

Fruit: apples, avocado, mandarins, tamarillo, pears, lemons, limes.

Vegetables: Brussels sprouts, celeriac, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot, salad greens, leeks, onions, potatoes.

Spotlight on romanesco

Gosh, nature is a fun little playground! Was there were ever a veggie that caught more attention at the market, or had the kids more eager to eat their greens, than the funky looking romanesco? Debate continues as to whether this brassica is closer to a broccoli or a cauliflower, but I like to think that it can hold its own in the veggie world!

Romanesco is in season now in Victoria and pairs beautifully with other brassicas and root vegetables, along with lashings of olive oil, butter and cream. Try roasting it and sprinkling with dukkah, slice it and bake it with cream and cheese (à la au gratin) or use it as a fun ingredient in your next curry. You’ll be able to pick up romanesco at the farmers markets for the next few weeks. Be sure to get the kids to try it!

Read Kayla’s previous monthly spotlights on our website.

Future of agriculture in Nillumbik survey

With the support of Deakin University and Plan-it Rural, Nillumbik Council is undertaking a Future of agriculture in Nillumbik project to understand the existing agricultural assets in the area and to consider how agriculture can be supported into the future. Their next step is an online survey targeting local agricultural businesses and landholders of agricultural land in Nillumbik to discover what they see as the key opportunities and barriers to the local industry, and their insights into how Council can better support the agricultural sector into the future. Read more and potentially complete the survey.

Yes, you did know (maybe)

Last week, Julie Cabrol asked what was wrong with her mother in law's lime tree (see picture right).

Sandie Downes has responded to say that the problem may be too much water, given how much it has rained this year plus our clay soils.

Anyone else like to voice an opinion? Email us.

Yes, you did provide!

Last week, Louise Nolan asked for some organically grown limes. Thanks to Marina Bistrin and Trish Kent, she now has some!

More on what tomato varieties to grow this year

Robin Gale-Baker: “Given Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF), I suggest planting only cherry tomatoes this year because they are apparently unattractive to QFF. If growing larger tomatoes, it is essential to net them (I would net the cherry tomatoes as well). Use 2 x 2ml or 3 x 5ml white netting (the colour white apparently deters QFF).”

Penny Smith: “I suggest that people give some of the Dwarf Tomato Project varieties a go. These varieties only grow 1-1½ metres high so they are good for small spaces and pots. They are mainly bigger tomatoes, from golf ball size up. I have successfully grown Kangaroo Paw Yellow, Sean’s Yellow Dwarf and Sleeping Queen. I buy my seeds direct from the breeder Patrina at chillichick@gmail.com. She has also bred some other dwarfs called the Gondwana series. Listen to this podcast about the Dwarf Tomato Project.

“Some of my other favourite tomatoes are Black Cherry, Lemon Drop and Cherry Roma and, for bigger tomatoes, Purple Russian, Orange Banana, Rugatino and Big Rainbow. Big Rainbow has huge tomatoes and, although you don’t get a lot on the plant, they are delicious.”

PIP Magazine has recently published a guide to help you choose the best varieties of tomato for your garden or balcony.

More of making sourdough bread

Deb Thomson: “I have been making sourdough bread for the last 18 months, ever since I was fortunate enough to be given some organic sourdough starter from Old Europa Bakery (it is apparently 46 years old!). My way of making sourdough is different to Lucinda’s method: I prepare my dough the day before baking, with 4 kneads and then a 6-8 hour rise and then a cold proofing overnight in the fridge, with cooking the next morning. This works well. But I thought I would try Lucinda’s method. I found that this also works well, although I felt my bread was a trifle dense. I shall again, but perhaps give a longer rise and perhaps try the cold proofing in the fridge too.”

Jo Buckle: “My method is, I think, even simpler than Lucinda’s. Total human input about 10 minutes.

  1. Take the starter out of the fridge the night before. Feed it.
  2. In the morning, the starter should be bubbling nicely. Mix 100g starter with 500g bread flour, 350g warm water and 10g salt. No need to knead. Put the starter back in the fridge.
  3. Gently mix the mixture a few times over the next couple of hours. Then leave it on a warm windowsill, or in the oven with just the oven light on, for a few more hours.
  4. In an oiled cast iron pot or bread tin, bake at 240degC for 25 minutes with a lid on, plus 15 minutes with no lid.“

A new article from Angelo Eliades

How to prune, support and protect blackberries and their hybrids.

Read Angelo’s other food-related articles.

Not food but interesting

Garden of weeds takes home gold at Royal Horticultural Society show

The garden, called Weed Thriller, was recently awarded a gold medal at the Tatton Park flower show in Cheshire, UK. The main weed in the garden is ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris), aka stinking nanny/ninny/willy. But, although commonly considered to be a weed, perhaps because it is toxic to horses, ragwort apparently produces more nectar sugar than just about any other plant and is a food source for a wide range of insects. Read more. Thanks for the heads up, Jane Dyer!

Note that the word ‘weed’ means something rather different in the UK than in Australia. In Australia, it means a plant which is invasive and capable of out-competing native species. In the UK, it means a plant that is considered undesirable in a particular situation. So, in the UK but not in Australia, one person’s weed can be another person’s feature plant.

If the Royal Horticultural Society ever held a show in Australia, I am sure that my garden would win the weed award, with the main weed being oxalis (Oxalis pes-caprae).

Australian National Brooch Show in Eltham

Covid permitting, the 2021 Australian National Brooch Show will be on at Eltham Library from Friday, 6th August to Thursday, 28th October. There will also be a ‘try and buy’ session on Saturday, 7th August, 11am-1pm. The Contemporary Art Society of Victoria has an online gallery of 300 or so of the brooches that will be on display (and available for purchase). Thanks for the heads up, Lee Hirsh.

Pickled jalapenos (or other chillies)

[We welcome a new recipe provider this week: Sonia Martinez from Eltham or, more precisely, Sonia’s mother-in law.]

Ingredients

½ kilo chillies
10 cloves of garlic
2 brown onions, cut into chunks
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram
¼ cup olive oil
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups filtered water
clean sterilised jars

Method

Wash and prepare all your chillies, garlic and other vegetables. You can keep the chillies whole or you may want to cut them in half so that they can fit into the jars more easily.

In a pan, lightly fry or saute the vegetables with the olive oil for a few minutes until they start to look glossy. Then fill your jars with the chillies, garlic and other vegetables, leaving enough space at the top for extra liquid to cover the vegetables.

Prepare your pickling juice in a pot by adding the water, vinegar, herbs and pepper. Bring to a light simmer for a minute or so and turn off.

Pour the hot liquid into the jars, making sure that all the vegetables and chilli are covered by the liquid.

Seal the jars with the lids.

For quick preservation, turn the jars upside down to seal the jars and allow to cool on the bench. For longer preservation, place the jars in a large pot and cover with water so that the water covers the lids, and boil for 10 minutes. Allow to cool in the pot with the water and remove it once the water in the pot is cold.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Green Harvest’s Spring newsletter.

Joke (or pun) of the week

“Waiter, will my pizza be long?” “No sir, it will be round.”

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the lists below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

This week’s featured events

Sustainability 101 – understanding food, water, energy and waste systems (6 sessions)

This event has now been moved online. 6 sessions, each 9.30am-12.30pm, starting Friday, 6th August and ending Friday, 10th September. Organised by Bridge Darebin.

Through this course you’ll develop the critical thinking skills needed to re-imagine our waste systems and implement practical everyday changes at home to reduce your household waste. You’ll leave the course being better equipped to live sustainably, manage household waste and understand the role of sustainability should play in business, government and community. The topics will include: understanding climate change and sustainability; energy literacy and efficiency at home; being wise with water; food systems and managing household waste; the true cost of products; and sustainability in day-to-day life.

$90 ($5 per hour) or $60 concession. Bridge Darebin are now offering a $20 discount specifically for newsletter readers, so that makes it a massively affordable $70 ($4 per hour) or $40 concession.

Dumpling journey: Saturday, 14th August, 11am-1.30pm; Brunswick

Learn how to make three types of dumplings. You will ‘visit’ Turkey, Japan and the Czech Republic, creating three quite different dumpling experiences along the way. $40 ($16 per hour). At Brunswick Neighbourhood House. Enrol by phone (9386 9418).

Italian marzipan sweet-making workshop: Saturday, 14th August, 2.30-4.30pm; Brunswick

Join Anna as she shows you how to make traditional Italian marzipan fruit. Starting from scratch, you’ll make the marzipan, shape and decorate it – then take home a beautiful display of sweets. $30 ($15 per hour). At Brunswick Neighbourhood House. Enrol by phone (9386 9418).

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
August
September

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
August
September
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 6th August, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 7th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 8th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 8th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 8th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 13th August, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 13th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 14th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 14th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 14th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 15th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 15th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 17th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 21st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 21st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 21st August, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 22nd August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 26th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Tuesday, 26th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 28th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 28th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 3rd September, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 5th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 5th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 10th September, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 10th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 11th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 11th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 12th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 14th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 18th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 18th September, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 23rd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 24th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 25th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 25th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 26th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 26th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News July 28 2021

Jul 292021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Bill Brosch, Claire Smith, David Wakeham, Jane Dyer, Kerin Tulloch, Liz Skitch, Louise Nolan, Lucinda Flynn, Meg Montague, Megan Goodman, Robin Gale-Baker, Sonia Martinez, Sophie Miller, Toni Myers and Wendy David.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Robin on the complexities of crop rotation

This month’s article by Robin Gale-Baker is on resolving the complexities of crop rotation.

The principle underlying crop rotation is that there should be a considerable gap in time between plantings of veggies from the same family in the same place. This helps stop particular diseases building up and also gives the soil a rest from particular burdens placed on it. In other words, crop rotation is about achieving resilience! But, as Robin says in her introduction, “It may sound simple – just grow something different in each plot each season – but in reality there are a lot of factors to take into account which do not resolve easily.” She then goes on to discuss some of the complexities, including:

  • Previous season’s crops are not yet finished in the bed you want to plant in.
  • Space and number of beds available.
  • Plants that don’t easily fit into usual rotations.
  • The differing sunlight requirements of crops.
  • Bad companions which should ideally not be planted together.

A crop rotation system can have any number of beds but the ideal is a 6 bed system, where each group is only grown in the same bed every 6 years. For example:

  1. Solanums (capsicum, chilli, eggplant and tomatoes).
  2. Alliums (garlic, onions, etc).
  3. Legumes (beans, peas, etc).
  4. Cabbage family (aka brassicas).
  5. Roots (beetroot, carrots, etc) plus spinach, chard, celery and some herbs.
  6. Pumpkin family (aka cucurbits) plus sweetcorn.

[Editor: If you have fewer beds, then you have to either combine some things (e.g. alliums and roots in the same bed) or omit some things (e.g. brassicas) or squeeze some things in the same year (e.g. brassicas in Winter followed by beans in Summer).]

Robin concludes the article with: “Crop rotation in the home garden requires us to be thinkers and planners. We need to know that grasses produce high biomass and legumes low biomass; that legumes add nitrogen to the soil and cabbage family chew it up; that pH must be adjusted sometimes with high (alkaline) pH, for example, causing potato scab and being unsuitable for the tomato family; that hours of sunlight must be planned for (full sun/partial sun/ partial shade); and that, best of all, we can grow organically with confidence.”

Read Robin’s full article.

Plots are available at East Reservoir Community Garden

Some plots are apparently available at East Reservoir Community Garden. To be eligible to apply you must “live in Reservoir, or at least Darebin, and be unable to garden from home“. If interested, contact Lia Caelli by phone (9462 4611) or email (projects@reservoirnh.org.au).

Backyard Honey has changed hands

Current owners Peter and Jane Dyer are handing Backyard Honey over to new owners Henry Fried and Mary Trumble. Enjoy your ‘retirement’ Peter and Jane! And welcome Henry and Mary!

A new food relief centre in Thomastown

Thomastown Neighbourhood House has a ‘Free Food Pantry’ which operates Monday-Thursday 9am-8.30pm, Friday, 9am-5pm and Saturday 10am-5pm. It is located in the foyer of the Thomastown Library. Take along a bag and take what you need (pre-packaged grocery items). They also run ‘Food Relief Fridays’ in front of the Thomastown Library on Fridays, 11am- midday. Go along and pick up a bag of good quality fresh fruit and veggies. The Thomastown Neighbourhood House food relief efforts are funded by the City of Whittlesea Emergency Relief Fund and supported by IGA Mercato, High Street, Thomastown. Welcome Liz and colleagues!

Yes, you did know!

Uses for your excess grapefruit

Last week, Julie Martin asked what she could do with her excess grapefruit. Here are some of your replies.

  • Bill Brosch: “Bake a grapefruit cake (I found a recipe online and was pleasantly surprised how delicious it was) and/or freeze the juice for another day.“
  • Sonia Martinez: “I separate and preserve the peels, and then poach the flesh with sugar and freeze.“
  • Meg Montague: “Grapefruit and lime/lemon cordial is a great way to use excess grapefruit. Grate the zest and squeeze the juice of about 4 grapefruit plus a couple of limes or lemons, put fruit skins in bowl too; then add half a cup of stevia (or sugar if you prefer, the amount can actually vary depending on how sweet you like the cordial), 2 dessert spoons of citric acid and one of tartaric acid; pour on boiling water, about a litre to cover; stir to dissolve stevia/sugar; leave overnight; strain, bottle, keep in the fridge and dilute to taste. I have also made this with added squeezed juice from pomegranates which add a marvellous pink tinge and exotic flavour.“
  • Kerin Tulloch: “I freeze juice for later use in cordials, cakes, etc. I have also just made a winter warmer with Beechworth honey (see recipe). I am also in the process of making some all-purpose citrus cleaner (see recipe).“
Uses for fragrance water from boiled limes

Last week, Hanh Truong asked what she could do with the water leftover from boiling her limes. There were two replies.

  • Claire Smith: “Add some sugar and tartaric acid to make a lime cordial. Add a bit of juice to boost the flavour.“
  • Wendy David: “It would make a good all purpose cleaner in a spray bottle. Citrus is a great cleaning product.“

Do you know?

Julie Cabrol has written in about her mother in law's ailing lime tree: "What is killing the lime tree (see picture). It's been well fed and watered and very healthy for years until last year. Lately, however, it's lost most of its canopy leaves and the rest are yellowing and curly. The two changes to its environment are a fig tree planted 3 metres away and a magnolia planted right across on the other side of the fence. Is it nitrogen deficient (possibly absorbed by the magnolia)? If it is, would pelletised chicken manure, a slow release fertiliser or something else be best?" Email your answers.

Have you got any excess limes?

Louise Nolan, who lives in Diamond Creek, would like to buy some organically grown limes. Have you got any that you could sell (or give) to her? Email us.

So, how easy or otherwise is it to make sourdough bread?

In response to Lucinda’s article last week entitled making simple sourdough bread, David Wakeham has written in: “I read Lucinda’s article with interest. My own experience is that everything about sourdough takes time, including time for the starter to mature, time to properly knead the ingredients, and time for the dough to rise (twice). Lucinda’s detailed words were in line with this experience but I worry that her title and introduction downplay some of the challenges. The risk is that newcomers assume that it is easy and then get discouraged when they find that it is not.”

I sent David’s comment to Lucinda and asked if she would like to respond. Here is her response: “Thanks for your comment, David. While various parts of the process do take time while the starter or dough is sitting doing its thing, the amount of active time that I spend actually making the bread is small, perhaps 5 or 10 minutes. I know that it is much more common for it to take a long time, including lots of kneading and multiple rises, but my experience is that these things are not strictly necessary.”

Anyone else like to weigh in? Anyone either new to sourdough making or experienced with it like to try Lucinda’s method and report back? Email us.

The Monty Hub Project needs some more investors

The Monty Hub Project is a not-for-profit venture to try and establish a community hub at the old St Andrews Uniting Church in Montmorency. The idea is that it will be community owned and operated as a co-operative. The members already include Local Food Connect, Montmorency Community Group and Montmorency Biodiversity Group. The next step is to buy the property, which they have an option to do on 18th August. But, to achieve this, they need to raise some more money. Read their investment prospectus. If you want to support this project financially, there are two options. First, you can join the co-operative as a founding member, whereby you purchase a $5,000 share; read more about this option and potentially apply. Alternatively, you can donate any amount that you want.

Some suggested reading

Toni Myers suggests that you think about signing up for the quarterly newsletter from Green Harvest. To help you decide, here is their latest Spring newsletter. As Toni says, there’s lots of info in these newsletters.

What seeds to plant in August

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

Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mustard greens  
Rocket

Alliums

Leeks
Onion
Spring onions  

Warm season veggies  

Capsicum
Chilli
Eggplant
Tomato

Other

Asparagus
Beetroot
Coriander
Globe artichoke
Parsnip
Potato
Radish

As Spring begins to beckon, the list begins to grow. Note that the warm season veggies can only be planted in August if under cover in seed trays.

What tomatoes should I plant this year?

This is the question posed by Richard Toltz. Email your suggestions.

There are thousands of possibilities. For example, there are 19,000 varieties listed on our website!

FWIIW, here are some of the tomatoes that I planted last year and would be more than happy to plant again: Black Prince (large), Black Russian (large), Jaunne Flamme (standard), Red Fig (small), Rouge de Marmande (large), San Marzano (for saucing), Tigerella (standard) and Tommy Toe (small).

Not seeing this newsletter every week?

This newsletter is sent out every Wednesday but there are apparently some Wednesdays when some Gmail readers don’t see it. This note discusses why this happens and what you can do to make sure that you receive and see the newsletter every week.

When a Gmail account is set up, its default configuration for mobile devices (but not for computers) is usually to divide your Inbox into four separate folders, namely Primary, Social, Promotions and Updates. When anyone sends you an email, Google’s software automatically reads that email and decides which of the four boxes to put it into. With these newsletters, Google sometimes sends them to Primary, sometimes Promotions, and sometimes Updates (the rules upon which Google makes this decision are not known and ever changing). If a particular newsletter is put into Primary or Updates then all is good; if, however, it is put into Promotions then, seemingly, many Gmail users don’t see it.

Usually, the newsletter is put into Updates but the last two (i.e. 14th and 21st July) were put into Promotions.

If this is happening to you, here are some ways that you can make sure that you see every newsletter.

  1. Switch off the Primary, Social, Promotions and Updates folders in the email app on your device. The result of this is that all emails sent to you will be put into your Inbox. There is no downside to doing this.
  2. Reply to this newsletter. Depending on how your email software is set up, simply replying to this newsletter will result in my email address (guy@localfoodconnect.org.au) being added to your address book. This is a process called ‘whitelisting’ and will then cause future newsletters to be placed in your Primary folder, which is where you want them. Reply to this newsletter
  3. Add my email address (guy@localfoodconnect.org.au) to your address book manually. As above, this will cause future newsletters to be placed in your Primary folder, which is where you want them.
  4. Start looking at your Promotions folder. Who knows what goodies you might find in there in addition to some of our newsletters.

Various articles that you might have missed

If you are one of the people who have missed the last two newsletters because of the Google shenanigans discussed above, here are some of the articles from those newsletters that you might like to read:

Every newsletter deserves a good picture

Someone called Raj posted an album of pictures entitled Kitchen olympics.

Meg’s garden this month

Back in lockdown and I’m finding it hard to motivate myself to tackle the garden given the cold and wet weather. While the gardening jobs wait, I am baking winter favourites such as rice pudding and florentines. My repertoire of variations now includes the gluten-free version below. However, there are hints of change ahead as the golden wattle starts to bloom and brighten the landscape heralding warmer weather.

It’s still a good time to obtain fruiting canes and other bare-rooted edible plants while they are available. I have some canes of yellow/golden raspberry that I have planted in a new raised bed next to the red ones (variety unknown) that did extremely well last year. I am curious to see the differences between the red and yellow varieties over time and whether the yellow ones are as vigorous as the red. I highly recommend a raised bed or edge for raspberries to keep them contained.

Seed potatoes can be planted now for summer harvest. This year I have kept to the tried and true king edward and kipfler varieties. King edward is an excellent potato for roasting and a good all-rounder. I have planted some in a raised garden bed using a no-dig approach, layering with shredded newspaper, compost and straw. Some I have planted into large containers to see if I get an improved yield and I am looking forward to the first new potatoes.

Gluten-free florentines

1½ cups of slivered or flaked almonds
1½ cups of gluten free cornflakes
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup sultanas
2 teaspoons orange zest (finely grated)
pinch of salt
½ cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons gluten-free plain flour
100g butter
200g of gluten-free dark chocolate suitable for melting

Mix all the dry ingredients (including the dried fruit and zest) except the sugar in a large bowl.

Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes then remove from the heat.

Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients a bit at a time until well coated and sticking together. Place small mounds on a lined baking tray or use a greased and lined patty pan tin or muffin pan. Compress/ press each mound a little to condense the ingredients and help them stick together.

Bake at 180degC for 15 minutes. Cool on trays.

Once cool, melt the chocolate and dip each biscuit on one side and allow the chocolate to set.

Note: It is important to use baking paper or the biscuits will stick.

You can substitute ingredients easily; for example, I have used gluten-free pretzels crushed for about ½ cup of the cornflakes.

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

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Chloe Thomson’s photo of 10 leafy greens with their names.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Mutton dressed as lamb. Meaning: a disparaging term for an older woman who is dressed in a style that is only suitable for a much younger woman. This is a British phrase that was first recorded in print in a journal of social gossip that someone called Mrs Frances Calvert compiled in 1811 (but only published in 1911) in which the then Prince of Wales (later George IV) was quoted as saying “Girl! Girls are not to my taste. I don’t like lamb; but mutton dressed like lamb!” In this case, ‘dressing’ referred to the preparation of food before cooking and the allusion was to a woman preparing herself for a romantic encounter.

Since then, whilst the term has always been derogatory, its meaning has changed a bit. When it was an economic necessity for a woman to marry while still of childbearing age, it used to refer a woman who was unsuccessful in making men believe that she was younger than she really was. Nowadays, it is more about the suitability or otherwise of a woman’s clothes and make up. In other words, the focus has moved from notions of marriageability to those of style.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“I don’t like formal gardens. I like wild nature. It’s just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess.” by Walt Disney.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Did you know that by replacing your chocolate bar with a grapefruit as a snack you can lose up to 90% of what little joy you still have left in your life?

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the lists below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
July
August
September

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
July
August
September
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 30th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 31st July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 1st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 3rd August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 6th August, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 7th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 8th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 8th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 8th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 13th August, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 13th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 14th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 14th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 14th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 15th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 15th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 17th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 21st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 21st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 21st August, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 22nd August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 26th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Tuesday, 26th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 28th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 28th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 3rd September, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 5th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 5th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 10th September, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 10th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 11th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 11th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 12th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 14th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 16th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 17th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 18th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 18th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 18th September, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 19th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 19th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News July 21 2021

Jul 212021
 

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Lucinda makes simple sourdough bread

Lucinda Flynn’s latest article on our web site is about how to make sourdough bread. Here’s her introduction: “There must be hundreds of ways to make sourdough, all with different methods, tips and tricks. Being someone who generally goes for the quick and easy version, mine is so simple I can literally make a loaf in 5 minutes.”

As with many of Lucinda’s articles, she provides a step-by-step process, with photos accompanying each step. In this case:

  1. Get yourself some sourdough starter.
  2. Feed the starter every day for a few days until full.
  3. Re-activate the starter (if you forgot to feed it).
  4. Mix the starter with flour and water and then set aside overnight.
  5. Add flour and salt to taste, knead and put into bread pans.
  6. Set aside to rise double.
  7. Cook.
  8. Eat.

Read the full article.

Jaimie’s edible plant of the month – aronia berries (chokeberries)

For the month of July I couldn’t go past the aronia berries, probably because the red variety is still hanging on the tree through winter looking stunning.

The common name for aronia berry is chokeberry because they can be quite astringent with a sharp drying affect in your mouth. But don’t let this deter you as they are packed full of nutrients, with more antioxidants than blueberries. The health benefits include anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, organ health, artery and blood vessel health. They are also packed full of vitamins and minerals.

Aronia berries are really hardy in our climate, having originated in North America and being grown extensively in East Europe. There are three species:

  • Aronia melanocarpa (aka Photinia melanocarpa), black chokeberry.
  • Aronia arbutifolia (aka Photinia pyrifolia), red chokeberry.
  • Aronia prunifolia (aka Photinia floribunda), purple chokeberry

We have the black and red species in the Edible Forest and are in the process of acquiring the purple species.

The black species fruits first and has more astringent qualities but we find that this species is the best for using in recipes. Some recipes we have made so far include a vinaigrette, cordial and (when mixed with blueberries) a great jam! Once cooked, the astringency goes away and the flavour is quite nice.

The red species fruits much later and holds onto the shrub through winter, giving us fresh fruit for smoothies, etc. It is much less astringent than the black species and can even be eaten raw with ease. It also puts on a great autumn colour show.

I’m looking forward to working with the purple species and seeing the differences.

I would definitely recommend this hardy unique shrub in any Melbourne garden, especially for those that like to preserve and be more self-sustainable.

* * * * *

Watch Jaimie’s video about aronia berries.

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 all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.

A new video about the Food is Free initiative in Ringwood East

Whilst some people like to read words, others like to watch videos. For the latter, Food is Free Ringwood East organiser (and newsletter reader) Naomi Walsh recently published a short video about the Food is Free initiative in Ringwood East. For the former, we have an introductory page about Food is Free on our website.

Some possible new adventures for you

Organic Fix is up for sale

Organic Fix, the organic, health store in Eltham, is up for sale. If you are interested in potentially taking it over, ring Lynn-eva on 9424 1861.

The Monty Hub Project needs some more investors

The Monty Hub Project is a not-for-profit venture to try and establish a community hub at the old St Andrews Uniting Church in Montmorency. The idea is that it will be community owned and operated as a co-operative. The members already include Local Food Connect, Montmorency Community Group and Montmorency Biodiversity Group. The next step is to buy the property, which they have an option to do on 18th August. But, to achieve this, they need to raise some more money. Read their investment prospectus. If you want to support this project financially, there are two options. First, you can join the co-operative as a founding member, whereby you purchase a $5,000 share; read more about this option and potentially apply. Alternatively, you can donate any amount that you want.

Going Green Solutions is still up for sale

This is a well-known, local eco-business (shop in Hurstbridge plus e-commerce site). “This is your opportunity to step into a fully functioning, award winning and highly regarded business in the eco-retail space. Work at something you love with awesome customers who share your passion!” $280,000 ONO. For a chat or for more information, contact Lucinda Flynn by email (lucinda@goinggreensolutions.com.au).

What do you suggest?

Uses for excess grapefruit

Julie Martin has lots of spare grapefruit. Other than make (yet more) marmalade, what should she do with them? Email your answers.

Uses for fragrance water from boiled limes?

Hanh Truong has written in: “I’m pickling limes for the first time and, to remove the zest and the bitter taste, I cook them in boiling water for 2 minutes. After I take out the limes, the water smells beautiful and zesty. It seems such a waste to pour the water down the drain. What else could I do with the fragrance water?” Email your answers.

Guess the leafy greens

Chloe Thomson recently posted on her Facebook page a photo of the leaves of 10 leafy greens that she is currently growing and asked her readership to name them. Click the leftmost picture on the right to look at the 10 leaves, then try and name them, then click the rightmost picture to see how many you got right. FWIIW, I got 8 out of 10 right.

Some suggested reading

Richard Kottek suggests that you read this article about grafting tomato plants onto native kangaroo apple shrubs.

Flourless orange and almond cake (by Jen Willis)

This recipe is by Jen Willis from Heidelberg and originally appeared in the Sustainable Macleod newsletter. It is timely because of the great citrus season that some of us are having this year.

Ingredients

2 whole oranges (washed)
5 eggs
2½ cups of almond meal or 250g of raw whole unsalted almonds blitzed up
1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
1¼ cups of white or caster sugar

Method

Cover the whole oranges in a pan with water. Boil for 15 minutes.

Pour off the water and replace with fresh water. Boil for another 15 minutes. The double boiling of the oranges removes some of the bitterness from the peel.

Drain and wait until the oranges are cool enough to handle.

Pre-heat your oven to 170degC and grease (well!) a large cake tin.

Cut the oranges into chunks and remove any visible seeds. Place into a food processor and blitz until smooth (scraping down the sides if needed).

Add the other ingredients to the food processor and pulse enough just to mix them together.

Pour into a cake tin and bake for an hour.

Rest in the tin for at least 20 minutes before turning out so it can firm up.

Garnish with orange rind, icing sugar, slivered almonds or serve plain. In a cafe that I (Jen) once worked in, we used to simmer orange rind in a saucepan with orange juice and sugar to make a syrup and pour it over the cake while it was still in the tin cooling.

Keeps well for at least 4-5 days in a sealed tin.

If you don’t have a large cake tin you could use two smaller ones and reduce the cooking time.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Angela Chung’s article on creating a beautiful, functional and plastic-free pantry.

Joke (or pun) of the week

What did the apple skin say to the apple? I’ve got you covered.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
July
August
September

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
July
August
September
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 30th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 31st July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 1st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 3rd August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 6th August, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 7th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 8th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 8th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 8th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 13th August, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 13th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 14th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 14th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 14th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 15th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 15th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 17th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 21st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 21st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 21st August, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 22nd August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 26th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Tuesday, 26th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 28th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 28th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 2nd September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 3rd September, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 5th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 5th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Thursday, 9th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 10th September, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 10th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 11th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 11th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 11th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 12th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 12th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 14th September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News July 14 2021

Jul 142021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela Chung, Chloe Cann, Julie O’Brien, Raffaela Ceddia, Sarah Willits, Susan Shaw and Vasundhara Kandpal.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Creating a beautiful, functional and plastic-free pantry

As envisioned a month or so ago, Angela Chung has now submitted her first article on eco-pantries. The subject is Pantry audit – create a beautiful, functional and plastic-free pantry and the full article can be found on our website.

The article starts by saying, “Have you ever felt it hard to find things in your pantry? Do you want to re-organise your pantry, but don’t know where you can start? Would you like to make your pantry much more functional and beautiful? I want to help you by sharing my tips from a recent pantry audit and organising session.” It then goes on to suggest a three step process:

  1. Remove all the goods from your pantry, especially those in plastic packaging. Get yourself set up with new jars and containers, either by investing in good-sized new jars or by re-using your rescued jam/pickle jars. For similar goods, stick to the same shape or size, making them easy to arrange on shelves.
  2. Place the jars on your shelves, ideally not more than two rows deep. Place frequently used items at eye level. Heavy bulk items can go on the bottom. Adjust shelf heights if needed. Items should be visible and reachable.
  3. Re-fill your jars rather than buying pre-packaged food. This will make your pantry beautiful, functional and sustainable. The best way to do this is to find a bulk refill store, and bring your empty jars or produce bags when you shop.

Use simple, flexible, and easily removable labelling because the jars will need to be washed from time to time. Either paint pens or chalk pens can be applied directly to the glass jars and stay on well. You can use an embossing label maker available if handwriting is not your thing (just make sure to keep using the plastic label tapes).

Read the full article.

* * * * *

Angela is a professional interior designer who recently started her own small business called Pop-Up Pantry, which is an online store delivering pantry and household cleaning products direct to homes within 10km of Macleod. Complementing the online store are three physical popup stores: Macleod Market (at Macleod College in Carwarp Street, every 3rd Saturday of the month, 9am-2pm) and Macleod (at 5 Melrose Avenue, every Wednesday and Saturday, except Macleod Market days, 11am–2pm).

A new food relief centre in Greensborough

Greenhills Neighbourhood House has a food relief centre that offers fresh food, pantry items and toiletries on Thursdays and Fridays each week (except between Christmas and New Years). They also serve low-cost barista coffee. More generally, they offer support to everyone and can also give referrals to other connected programs. In line with their model of ‘donate what you can and take what you need’, they accept donations from the local community. They often organise swaps (of books, puzzles, plants and clothes) to reduce waste in the community. They have community composting and recycling programs plus a number of veggies beds.

Read their Local Food Directory page on our website. Welcome Janelle, Sarah and colleagues!

A new mid week pop-up farmgate in Alphington

Melbourne Farmers Markets have started a midweek pop-up farmgate, every Thursday, 2-5pm, at Alphington Community Farmgate, 2 Wingrove Street, Alphington (access via the pedestrian gate on Yarana Road). It will feature at least five of their farmers’ market stallholders collectively providing free-range eggs, sourdough bread, veggies and fruit.

Hint of the week

If you want to know what local food organisations exist in a particular suburb (or postcode), you can do so by going to our Local Food Directory, typing in the name of the suburb (or postcode) into the relevant field in the righthand sidebar, and clicking the search button. For example, if I type in the name of my suburb (Eltham), I get a list of 1 farmers’ market, 3 community gardens, 1 food swap, 10 local food producers and 6 outlets of local food food. Clicking any of these 21 organisations then gives me a page about that organisation, including photos.

Riddle of the week

I am a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I am a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I am an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I am a type of music. What am I?

Answer: a grape.

Every newsletter needs a good graphic

As so many of you liked the graphic of tubers etc by the Mizielinscys in last week’s newsletter, here is their map of Australia. It features four archetypal Australian foods: macadamia nuts, meat pie, pavlova and vegemite.

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – mung bean dahl

Dahl is the Hindi (Indian language) word for lentil.

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients

½ cup mung beans (use any other lentil – green lentil, red lentil black lentil)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon red chilli powder (optional)
2 teaspoons turmeric
3-4 cloves
2 teaspoons salt, according to taste
2 cups fresh leafy veggies chopped (spinach, kale, silverbeet, bok choy, mustard greens, beetroot greens, etc)
1 teaspoon garam masala

Optional:
1 cup onions, diced
2 cups tomatoes, diced
2 green chillies
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves
veggies – potatoes, okra, bottle gourd, beans, corns, peas
1 lemon

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the cumin and red chilli powder. Make sure you don’t burn the spices. Add water quickly. Add the lentils. Add the veggies, turmeric and salt. Add other veggies if you want.

Pressure cook on medium heat in a pressure cooker until it whistles or for 10 minutes. If not using a pressure cooker, boil until the lentil is soft and mushy.

Add the garam masala.

Squeeze fresh lemon (optional, lemon goes really well with some of the lentils) and add fresh coriander.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s recipes on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the graphical representation of around 60 edible and medicinal roots, rhizomes, tubers and bulbs.

Joke of the week

Courtesy of Susan Shaw.

An elderly man living alone in Eltham wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was difficult work since the ground was hard. His only son, Paul, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Paul,
I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over because you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.
Love, Dad.

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Don’t dig up that garden. That’s where the bodies are buried.
Love, Paul.

At 4am the next morning, the police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologised to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love, Paul.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

This week’s featured events

Winter garden wonder

On Sunday, 25th July, 1.30-3pm. Free. At the Span Community Garden in Thornbury. Book your place.

In this workshop, you will learn about:

  • Why it’s great to grow your own food.
  • Composting and creating healthy soil.
  • How to propagate herbs and save seeds for next season.
  • Seasonality and how to create a productive patch at home.
  • Local community gardens that you can join.

Click here to read about Span Community Garden.

Flavours of Coburg food tour

8 planned occurrences during the balance of 2021, on Saturdays 14th August, 4th September, 18th September, 2nd October, 16th October, 13th November, 27th November and 11th December, each 10am-1pm. $49 ($16 per hour). Meet at Coburg library. Book your place.

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

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
July
August

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
July
August
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 16th July, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 16th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 17th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 17th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 18th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 24th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 24th July, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 25th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 30th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 31st July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 1st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 3rd August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 6th August, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 7th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 8th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 8th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 8th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 13th August, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 13th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 14th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 14th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 14th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 15th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 15th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 17th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 21st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 21st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 21st August, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 22nd August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 26th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Tuesday, 26th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 28th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 28th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 2nd September, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 2nd September, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 3rd September, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 4th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 4th September, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 5th September, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 5th September, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News July 7 2021

Jul 072021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela Harridge, Angelo Eliades, Jian Liu, Jules Jay, Kayla Blackmore, Mahira Sobral, Olwyn Smiley, Vasundhara Kandpal, Wayne Tonissen and Yennie Yong.

Jian in defence of using spent coffee grounds

In our 23rd June newsletter, we included a link to an ABC interview with newsletter reader Sarah Hardgrove about her research on the effects of spent coffee grounds on garden plants. In summary, Sarah mixed various amounts of spent coffee grounds into the soil of various potted vegetables and the results were uniformly deleterious.

Newsletter reader Jian Liu’s experience of using spent coffee grounds has been very different and much more positive so, after reading Sarah’s interview, she decided to write an article for our website in defence of using spent coffee grounds. As she says in her introduction: “Our entire garden is built almost entirely on coffee grounds and husks (quite ironic for two non-coffee drinkers!). And I’m not talking sprinkles of grounds from a local cafe. Rather, we have gotten two bulk deliveries of coffee grounds (two vans full around 1-2 cubic metres each time) from Reground the past two years.” Plus a relative brings weekly sacks of coffee grounds and husks. As a result, Jian says, she has built a flourishing and productive suburban garden built on coffee.

According to Jian, coffee grounds should never be used as ‘soil’. Rather, “coffee grounds need to be thought of as an un-decomposed product – just as you wouldn’t put chopped up food scraps or un-composted manure into a potting mix, you also wouldn’t use coffee grounds in that way.” So, “we use coffee grounds liberally as alternating layers when creating lasagne beds, and we top dress fruit trees and garden beds with coffee grounds. In this way, they are not getting mixed into the soil … Instead, they are layered on top much like a mulch … Gradually the coffee grounds will compost on site … Just dump around fruit trees and on the top of soil, no mixing required.“

The photo shows blueberries growing in one of Jian’s garden beds on which about 10cm of coffee grounds were placed onto the surface of the soil.

Read Jian’s full article.

What’s in season for you to buy in July?

Kayla Blackmore, who is the market manager of Coburg Farmers’ Market, says that the following is in season for you to buy in July:

Fruit: navel oranges, imperial mandarins, limes, lemons, kiwifruit, grapefruit, apples.

Vegetables: Jerusalem artichokes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, celeriac, leeks, parsnips, rhubarb, potatoes.

Spotlight on celeriac

A knobbly, rotund little guy, celeriac can look a bit intimidating to the uninitiated. But actually, it’s easy to prep this root vegetable. Just give it a little scrub, trim the top and bottom with a sharp knife, strip off the outer skin with a vegetable peeler, and trim any recessed parts of the root. Unpeeled and unwashed, it will last for up to three weeks in the fridge, or you can wash, chop and blanch celeriac before popping it in the freezer. The beauty of celeriac is in its versatility: roast it, sauté it, slice it gossamer thin and serve in a salad or alongside cabbage in a coleslaw. I’d argue that there are few ways of cooking it more divine than letting it soften in gently bubbling milk, adding a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon, and blitzing. The end result is a luxuriously creamy and rich puree that features just a hint of nuttiness and aniseed. Best of all, you can make it in advance and simply re-heat.

Celeriac pairs well with roasted meat of all types, pan-seared seafood, or even sautéed oyster mushrooms. You can buy it now at farmers’ markets.

Read Robin Gale-Baker’s article on our website about how to grow celeriac.

A new Food is Free table in Hurstbridge

The Food is Free table is situated under the verandah outside the entrance to the Hurstbridge Community Hub. Anyone in the community can take from table and you don’t need to contribute anything or leave items in its place. Homegrown food and other items that are left over from the twice monthly food swap are placed on the Food is Free table for everyone in the community to access. Individual donations of food and garden-related items can be left on the table at any time. Don’t throw those extras in the compost, red bin or recycle: share them with the community! You can join their Facebook group for regular updates on what is happening. Read their Local Food Directory page on our website.

This initiative is one of a number of related food-related initiatives that now take place at the Hurstbridge Community Hub. The others include:

That brings the number of Food is Free initiatives discussed on our website to 6, namely: Blackburn, Hurstbridge, Lalor, Ringwood East, Rosanna and Warrandyte.

Yes, you did know!

Last week, Jo Buckle asked what was eating the skins of her lemons. Several of you replied.

Angelo Eliades: “Both rats and possums will eat the peel off citrus. If you net the fruit and the problem stops then you have possums, as they can’t get through netting, whereas rats can chew through it. Fruit bats are not known to be a pest of citrus trees.“

Olwyn Smiley: “Our lemons were being left naked like this by possums. A local backyard fruit grower told me that she used cloudy ammonia: a few centimetres in small jars that she hung in or around her fruit trees. In the morning, she put lids on the jars and, in the evening, she opened them up. It proved to be a handy trick because our possums stopped skinning the lemons. I am not as organised as my informant though – I just leave the bottles un-lidded and topped up the ammonia when necessary.“

Wayne Tonissen: “It could be snails, particularly if they are Meyer lemons.“

Want a job?

Waste Service (Food Organics and Garden Organics) Project Officer at Banyule Council. “Assisting to develop and deliver vital change communications and engagement on Banyule’s waste services led by the introduction of a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) service in 2022.” $71-82K. Based in Greensborough. Closing date: 3th July.

Every newsletter needs a good graphic

The graphic right (which you need to click in order to view a readable version) is a graphical representation of around 60 edible and medicinal roots, rhizomes, tubers and bulbs, some common, others less so. It comes from a book entitled Under Earth, Under Water by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielinski. Of the 60, how many have you grown?

Cinnamon white chocolate cheesecake

Ingredients

The base
1½ cups almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup medjool dates

The filling
¾ cup coconut milk
2 heaped cups cashews
2 teaspoons cinnamon
8 medjool dates
3 ounces white chocolate (optional vegan) + more for sprinkling on the cake
1 tablespoon organic vanilla powder

Method

Use a blender or food processor to combine the almonds, medjool dates and cinnamon. Process until you have a crumble texture. Do not over-process or it will end up too smooth. Just a crumbly texture is ideal.

Press this base mixture into a 7 inch springform that you have prepared with parchment paper or greased a little with just a bit of coconut oil.

Combine the cashews, cinnamon, coconut milk, medjool dates and optional organic vanilla powder in the blender or food processor. Process this time until really smooth.

While the blender is running, melt the white chocolate in a microwave or just on the stove with water. Fold the melted chocolate into the filling. Pour the filling onto the base and finish with some more chocolate sprinkles.

Chill.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s recipes on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Robin’s article about growing chamomile.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Jenny has 18 bars of chocolate. She eats 14. What does she have now?
Diabetes, Jenny now has diabetes.
Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

This week’s featured events

Intro to urban farming (8 sessions)

8 sessions, each 9.30am-1.30pm, starting Thursday, 15th July and ending Thursday, 2nd September. $131 ($4 per hour) or $72 concession. Preston. Book your place.

Get your hands dirty and learn all the skills necessary to work on micro farms, residential edible gardens and community gardens. Subjects to be covered include: wicking beds, mushroom growing, hydroponics systems, crop planning, water/soil/pest management and plant propagation. The course was designed in partnership with Sustain.

Introduction to winemaking course (4 sessions)

4 sessions, starting Saturday, 7th August and ending Saturday, 18th September, each 2-4pm; $20 for all 4 sessions. Online (Zoom). Book your place.

Join members of the Eltham & District Winemaker’s Guild (EDWG) to learn about the art of winemaking using a fruit available throughout the year – raspberries (the frozen kind). The techniques taught can, however, be applied to all types of winemaking. An EDWG member mentor will be available as needed. Over the 4 sessions, you will join your instructors and fellow winemakers online, follow the instructors as they take you through the notes and, over the sessions, you will make your first wine.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
July
August

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
July
August
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 9th July, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 11th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 11th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 16th July, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 16th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 17th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 17th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 18th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 24th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 24th July, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 25th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 30th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 31st July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 1st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 3rd August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 6th August, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 7th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 8th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 8th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 8th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 13th August, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 13th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 14th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 14th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 14th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 15th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 15th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 17th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 21st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 21st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 21st August, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 22nd August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 24th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 26th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Tuesday, 26th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 27th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 28th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 28th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 29th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 31st August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News June 30 2021

Jun 302021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Jan Akeroyd, Jo Buckle, Mahira Sobral, Mark Pearton, Megan Goodman, Robin Gale-Baker, Sylvia Bianco and Yennie Yong.

Robin on planting chamomile as part of an orchard biodiversity strategy

[This is a shortened form of Robin’s full article, which is on our website.]

In August, I will plant a wide array of flowers in my orchard, both to attract bees (for increased pollination) and to attract beneficial predators (to assist me in my strategy to eliminate codling moth and Queensland fruit fly from my fruit). Chamomile is a plant that I will be using a lot, but which one should I choose? There are three commonly used plants in the chamomile ‘family’ and they are often confused.

  • Chamaemelum nobile Treneague (lawn chamomile): As this does not flower at all, it would be a very poor choice!
  • Matricaria recutita or Matricaria chamomilla (German or wild chamomile): The plant of choice for chamomile tea. It is an annual and can be sown direct into the soil where it will germinate in spring in about two weeks but it does need a weed-free bed to succeed and to be well watered in its early stages of growth. Grows to about 60cm in height.
  • Chamaemelum nobile (English or Roman chamomile): A perennial, it grows to about 30cm in height and spreads through seed and root. It is easy to propagate from seed or root division but is unsuited to cuttings.

All the chamomiles are in the Asteraceae, or daisy, family. The flowering varieties have an abundance of small yellow and white flowers. Yellow and white flowers are particularly attractive to beneficial insect predators (which makes them an excellent choice for my orchard). The fact that they can tolerate part shade and cool conditions also makes them a good choice.

So, which chamomile will I be growing to attract bees and beneficial insects? The answer is both the annual and perennial flowering varieties.

Read the full article, plus many others by Robin, on our website.

Ann interviews Anna Matilda, The Urban Nanna

Have you heard of someone called The Urban Nanna? If not, and if you have any interest in permaculture, you might wish to look at her website, which is devoted to the subject of ‘rental permaculture’, or her Facebook page. Anyhow, The Urban Nanna’s real name is Anna Matilda, she lives in Forest Hill and Ann Stanley recently visited her on behalf of this newsletter.

As Ann says in the introduction of her interview writeup, “Anna has developed her knowledge through courses at CERES and Burnley Horticultural College. When she completed her Permaculture Design Certificate with Milkwood Permaculture, she formed connections with the Melliodora community in Hepburn Springs. She’s sees her brand of suburban permaculture as bridging the gap between the mainstream culture and ‘hardcore’ permaculture. At the moment, ‘rental permaculture’ is her main focus.“

She then goes on to discuss the challenges that come with rental permaculture (including difficulties with any retrofitting and what happens when the landlord decides to sell), fermenting (e.g. of onion weed), cooking (e.g. weed pie) and foraging (Anna recently organised some mushroom foraging sessions, which we advertised in this newsletter).

Read Ann’s full interview writeup.

A new community garden in Reservoir – Regent Community Garden

The garden was established by local volunteers (the Friends of Regent Community Garden) during the Covid-19 pandemic and funded by grants from Council and local business. Volunteers transformed an underutilised grassed area into a communal food garden with productive fruit trees, onsite composting and a rainwater tank. The purpose of the Friends of Regent Community Garden is to grow community connectedness through the shared cultivation and harvesting of fresh organically grown local produce as well as establish a space where the local community can socialise, learn and participate in food gardening and sustainable activities including workshops and social events in a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment. Contact details are on their new page on our website. Welcome Sylvia and colleagues!

There are now 13(!) community gardens in Darebin which have pages about them on our website.

Want a job?

City of Yarra are advertising for an Urban Agriculture Facilitator. “You will partner with and influence various internal and external stakeholders to achieve the successful planning and delivery of the Urban Agriculture Action Plan, have an opportunity to be exposed to diverse range of projects across the unit, work closely with community organisations and contribute to a range of initiatives that will make a real difference to the Yarra community.” Permanent, full-time. $87-95K + Super + RDO. Closing date: 4th July.

Do you know?

Jo Buckle writes in: “What is eating the lemon skins off my tree? Possums, fruit bats or rats? Any suggestions about what to do?” Email us with your answer.

What veggie seeds to plant in July

Here is a list (see the July planting guide for more detail):
Beetroot
Coriander
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Onion
Peas
Radish

The shortest list of the year.

More on tip shops

Following the discussion in last week’s newsletter, Jan Akeroyd has written in: “I have a friend in Canberra who knows someone who built his entire house from materials salvaged from the Canberra tip shop! I first came across tip shops in Hobart and, when I returned to Melbourne, I started researching to see if we had any in Melbourne and we do, although mostly on the outer edge of Melbourne plus some in regional Victoria. Tip shops have a much wider range of items than op shops, including tools and building materials. For building materials, there are also a few architectural salvage places around Melbourne, including one behind Bulleen Art and Garden Nursery, and there is one in Dandenong that advertises doors, windows and other building materials on Gumtree.

“KTS Recycling operates tip shops (aka treasure chest shops) for the relevant Councils in Coldstream, Frankston, Knox and Wesburn (see the Yarra Ranges Shire website). There is also a tip shop in Reservoir which has a range of tools, hardware and building materials as well as more traditional op shop stuff.” [Editor: there is also a tip shop in Nillumbik, next to the Recycling Centre.]

Meg’s garden this month

The ground is heavy with water and the paths are flooded after this week’s rain. The water takes a long time to dry up on our south facing block at this time of year. As I pick some lemons, I get an unwelcome sprinkle of cold water from the tree. My boots are caked with clay and my gloves are wet in minutes as I weed a vegetable bed next to a sodden path. Maybe planting more lettuce and wintergreens will have to wait for a sunny day.

The garden has been resting and there is little growth apart from the silverbeet, spring onions and coriander that are all doing well. I am also harvesting Green Dragon broccoli (planted a few months ago), which has now formed large heads. I cut a large bunch of parsley that I will add to a quick chicken soup for lunch with last night’s leftover roast chicken (see recipe below) and head inside to get warm.

Quick chicken soup

300g cooked shredded chicken (left over roast chicken is ideal)
1½ litre good quality chicken stock
100g rice
1 brown onion, diced
1 potato, diced
2 sticks celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 teaspoon mixed herbs (dried)
1 teaspoon thyme (dried) or a few fresh sprigs
a large bunch of parsley, chopped finely
a little olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion in a little olive oil until just translucent.

Add the carrots, celery, potato and herbs and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are just starting to soften.

Add the rice. Continue to simmer until the rice is almost done.

Add the cooked chicken and parsley to heat through.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Freezes well.

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

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was ABC’s interview with Sarah Hardgrove about using spent coffee grounds in your garden.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Meaning: you don’t get something for nothing. The idea is that, even if something appears to be free, there is always a cost to the person or to society as a whole even if that cost is hidden. The phrase is most often used in either science (cf. the law of the conservation of energy) or economics (cf. opportunity costs), but is also in common parlance. It was popularised in Robert Heinlein’s 1966 science-fiction novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, where there is a bar offering free lunch but charging more for its drinks. Indeed, the example from the book refers to a tradition that was apparently commonplace in the USA in the second half of the 19th Century whereby some American saloon keepers offered free food to attract drinkers. Supposedly many of the foods on offer were high on salt (e.g. ham, cheese and salted crackers) so that those who ate them tended to end up buying a lot of beer. Rudyard Kipling wrote about the phenomenon in his 1891 book, American Notes.

Now, those of you who are ‘freebie seekers’ will know that the truth or otherwise of the phrase there’s no such thing as a free lunch depends on your discipline. For example, there are casinos in Las Vegas which will give you some money in small coinage which you can use in some of their older slot machines. At one end of the spectrum, you can lose this money in their slot machines and then follow it with (much) more of your own (i.e. do what they want you to do); at the other end, however, you can put a bit of this money into their slot machines (for politeness reasons) and then leave the casino with a dollar or so more than you arrived with (i.e. do what a true freebie seeker does). Ditto the small amounts of free food or drink offered in other casinos. With full discipline, you can leave Las Vegas a bit fuller, a bit drunker and a (tiny) bit richer than you arrived, having stayed up all night collecting the pennies (and avoiding accommodation costs).

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Who will win in a race: lettuce, a faucet, or ketchup? The lettuce would be a head the faucet will still be running and the ketchup will try to ketc-hup.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
July
August

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
July
August
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 3rd July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 4th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 9th July, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 11th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 11th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 16th July, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 16th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 17th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 17th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 18th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 24th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 24th July, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 25th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 30th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 31st July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 1st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 3rd August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 6th August, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 7th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 8th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 8th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 8th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 10th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 13th August, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 13th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 14th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 14th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 14th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 15th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 15th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 17th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 19th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 20th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 21st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 21st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 21st August, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 22nd August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 22nd August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 24th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News June 23 2021

Jun 232021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Lucinda Flynn, Richard Kottek, Tracey Bjorksten, Vasundhara Kandpal and Wayne Tonissen.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Lucinda on unusual ways of growing mushrooms

As many of you will know, growing mushrooms using kits is very easy so long as you remember to spray a little water on them every day. If it is button mushrooms that you want to grow, a good local supplier of kits is The Mushroom Shed, from Montmorency. If it is more exotic mushrooms, then a supplier that many of us use is Aussie Mushroom Supplies.

But that would all be too simple for Lucinda Flynn! Rather, she is interested in growing her mushrooms in unusual ways and has written an article for our website on her experiments.

Experiment number 1 – use spent mushroom compost: obtain spent mushroom compost from a mushroom grower, find a growing space that is sheltered and can contain a degree of moisture, then water daily with a fine spray.

Experiment number 2 – create your own mushroom buckets/bags: pasteurise straw with water mixed with hydrated lime, then mix with mushroom spawn, then pack tightly (removing air pockets) into buckets with holes drilled and/or bags with holes made.

Experiment number 3 – grow shiitake mushrooms in logs: obtain some freshly cut hardwood logs, drill holes, insert inoculated dowelling into each hole (buy from a mushroom shop), seal the hole with melted beeswax, place the log in a bucket of water and then wait.

For a more extended discussion of each of these experiments, read Lucinda’s full article.

Incidentally, Lucinda’s article refers to ‘tip shops’, which is a term that I, for one, was unfamiliar with. It appears that a tip shop is a shop which sells recycled goods that had been left at Council tips. According to this website, they are frequented by people who:

  1. Love junk; or
  2. Have no money to spend on ‘good’ stuff; or
  3. Love old stuff; or
  4. Don’t like spending tons of money on ‘good’ stuff; or
  5. Prefer to make over stuff they find someone didn’t appreciate, to make something wonderful.

Now, one of the great mysteries of my childhood was that my dad spent a substantial proportion of his free time crawling around the local Council tip looking for stuff which then disappeared into our garage never to be seen again. I now understand that he probably thought that he was doing point 5. above.

Read some of Lucinda’s other articles on our website.

Listen up you local food producers!

In the 9th June newsletter, we discussed how the Weeping Grevillea Nursery had some blood limes available for sale. Owner Wayne Tonissen has now written in: “I just wanted to give you a report back on how successful the promotion of our blood limes was in your newsletter. We have had a number of direct contacts and sales as well as referrals. And it hasn’t stopped either. So, a big thank you to you and the service that the newsletter provides, both to us but also to the buyers who are able to discover where to locate unusual products.”

So, to all the other local food producers out there: if you have any news about any of your products, email us with the details.

In passing, you might be wondering about Wayne’s main business, which is selling weeping grevilleas. A weeping grevillea is a species of grevillea, usually a groundcover or prostrate shrub, which has been grafted onto robust grevillea (Grevillea robusta) rootstock. They come at a variety of heights, from 1 to 2 metres. As they grow, they then grow downwards (not upwards!) until (ideally) they reach down to, or near to, the ground. They particularly suit small gardens because of their controlled size and habit. It is the variety that is grafted then gives the weeping grevillea its features (flower type, colour and growing habit) and Wayne currently stocks around 40 different varieties with varying flower colours and varying flowering periods. Wayne says that they are tough and hardy plants, both drought tolerant and frost hardy. The Weeping Grevillea Nursery is open Saturdays, most Sundays and by appointment. Phone 9719 7505 or Vikki on 0417 143 874.

There are many other plants that you can grow weeping versions of. For example, I have weeping Japanese maples, junipers and she-oaks, as well as grevilleas.

More on re-sprouting vegetables

Last week, Pam Jenkins discussed how some of her vegetables had re-sprouted after she cut them down to ground level. Tracey Bjorksten has written in to say that this phenomenon is known as ratooning. Apparently, this technique is sometimes deliberately used in sugarcane and banana cultivation. Whilst not all plants will re-grow that way, Brassica oleracea (broccoli, cabbage, etc) is one that does so easily and Tracey has an old gardening book that advises cutting cabbages back to a stump once harvested and scoring the top of the stump to get 4 new (smaller) cabbages. In her garden, she has also had broad beans, eggplant and tomato ratoon.

Every newsletter needs a good graphic

Local artist Mirranda Burton has created graphics for each of the 12 principles of permaculture.

Is permaculture political?

A few years ago, I chaired a session where David Holmgren gave the main presentation. As someone who was involved in politics during my working life and in gardening during my retirement, I thought it was interesting how much more political were his answers to questions than was the material in the book that he was promoting (Retrosuburbia). I was recently reminded of this whilst reading this statement, which is entitled Whitewashed hope: a message from 10+ Indigenous leaders and organisations and whose general flavour can be discerned from the following introductory sentence: “While [regenerative agriculture and permaculture] both borrow practices from Indigenous cultures, critically, they leave out our worldviews and continue the pattern of erasing our history and contributions to the modern world.” The article was recently posted to the Permaculture Australia Facebook group, where it promoted fierce debate.

That reminds me that, when I first joined Local Food Connect, its President at the time told me that their byline was ‘changing the world one lentil at a time‘.

Using spent coffee grounds in your garden

Newsletter reader Sarah Hardgrove’s Master’s research apparently focused on the effects of spent coffee grounds on garden plants. It is in that context that she was recently interviewed by the ABC. Read the interview.

Did you know – many magazines are free

If you are a member of a library, then you can read lots of magazines online for free. I was reminded of this when writing about Jian Liu’s article in ABC Organic Gardener in the 2nd June newsletter. Sure enough, I was able to read the full article (plus everything else in the magazine) online at the library website. To prove it, here are four of Jian’s favourite vegetables that she talks about in the article: celtuce (a form of lettuce where you eat the stems); fig-leaf gourd or Cucurbita ficifolia (she says that it tastes a bit like zucchini); giant red mustard (a variety of mustard greens); and kohlrabi.

At my library at least (Yarra Plenty), you can also read any edition of The Age from the last 15 years, including today’s edition.

Habitat planting on the Diamond Creek

Friends of Edendale and others have organised a session to re-vegetate the Diamond Creek near Edendale to help re-build habitat for the local platypus. The goal is to plant 500 indigenous plants on the day. The session is on Sunday, 18th Jult, 10am-midday. For Covid-related reasons, you need to book your place.

Vasundhara’s scalloped sweet potatoes

Ingredients

2 heads of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil + additional for roasting the garlic
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup + 1 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk. divided not light
1 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened plain almond milk, divided
1½ tablespoons potato starch
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1kg sweet potatoes, thinly sliced (roughly 2 very large potatoes)
Parsley for garnish (optional)

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 200degC and place two squares of tinfoil on top of each other.

Cut the tops of each head of garlic off, so that the tips of each clove is exposed. Peel off any of the large pieces of papery skin. Drizzle the heads with a little bit of olive oil and rub it in. Wrap the tinfoil up like a packet and place into the oven. Cook until the garlic is tender, about 45 minutes.

Once the garlic has roasted, squeeze the garlic out of its skin and finely chop it. Additionally, reduce the oven temperature to 180degC.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil up in a large, oven-safe frying pan, set over medium/high heat. Cook the onion until golden brown and soft, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of almond milk and bring to a boil. While you wait for the liquid to boil, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of almond milk and 1½ tablespoons of potato starch in a small bowl, until smooth.

Once the milk mixture boils, whisk in the potato starch mixture, stirring constantly so it doesn’t gum up in the milk, and boil for 2 minutes, again stirring constantly.

Reduce the heat to medium, add in the salt, pepper and chopped roasted garlic, and cook the sauce for an additional 5-6 minutes until nice and thick, stirring frequently.

Once the sauce has cooked, add in the thinly sliced potatoes and stir around until they are coated in the sauce. Then, move the potatoes around with you spoon until they are in flat layers.

Cover the pan with tinfoil and place into the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, press the potatoes down so that they really sink into the sauce, and cook and additional 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and the top if browned.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Ann’s article about Silvertine Farm.

Joke (or pun) of the week

What did the apple say to the almond? You’re nuts!

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
June
July
August

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
June
July
August
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 24th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 26th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 26th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 26th June, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 27th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 3rd July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 4th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 9th July, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 11th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 11th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 16th July, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 16th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 17th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 17th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 18th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 24th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 24th July, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 25th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 30th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 31st July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 1st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 3rd August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 6th August, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 7th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 8th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 8th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 8th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 10th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 12th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 13th August, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 13th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 14th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 14th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 14th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 15th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 15th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Tuesday, 17th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News June 16 2021

Jun 162021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela Chung, Ann Stanley, Bruno Tigani, Deb Thomson, James Petty, John Jenkins, Marcela Santos, Pam Jenkins and Toni Myers.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Pam Jenkins discusses some vegetables which re-sprouted

In mid summer, I chopped my broccoli off to ground level when it was past its prime. It had an aphid infestation and was only growing very small side shoots. I had expected the root to die and thus feed the soil. In autumn, however, when I was ready to use that part of the garden again, I discovered a group of what looked like broccoli seedlings. On closer investigation, I discovered that the root had re-sprouted and that many of these plants had their own root systems. I hadn’t planned to grow broccoli this year but volunteer plants can’t be just tossed into the compost! So I prepared a bed, transplanted them and they are now well established young plants. They are, indeed, larger than the other brassicas that I grew from seed.

Yesterday I found something similar had happened with the florence fennel that I had allowed to go to seed over summer. I chopped it down to ground level in late summer and it has also re-grown. The fennel that I grew over summer had been a disappointment because it didn’t develop a bulb before going to seed. This latest fennel has developed a couple of bulbs from the old roots. I have already harvested one small fennel bulb and hope that the one that I left will continue to develop into a bulb closer to the size that you can buy in the shops.

The fennel that I planted in late summer is also going up to seed without producing a bulb (see photo). I wonder if I should cut it off early and try to get it to develop a bulb in the cooler weather.

Until I read up about it yesterday, I wasn’t aware that florence fennel is a perennial. It just goes to show that you are never to old to learn!

Silvertine Farm

From time to time, Ann Stanley writes articles about particular stallholders at Eltham Farmers’ Market. Her latest article is about Silvertine Farm (pdf). Silvertine Farm grow vegetables according to biodynamic principles and practices. They have a one acre farm at Wesburn (just out of Warburton) and another two acres at a local family farm by the Yarra River. Their Wesburn farm is at Yarra Valley ECOSS, which is a not-for-profit community organisation based on a 18 acre permaculture-designed farm at Wesburn. Read the full article (pdf).

This is the third of Ann articles, the other two being about Apted’s Orchards and Sugarloaf Produce (pdf).

Yes, you did know!

Controlling whitefly

Last week, Michelle Kohle asked for organic methods for controlling whitefly. A number of you have responded.

Bruno Tigani: “Use kaolin clay (which is also effective against Queensland Fruit Fly). I think you can buy it as a wettable powder, then mix with water in a spray unit. Take all usual care when working with fine powders as, whilst it’s organic, it can irritate eyes and lungs.”

Deb Thomson: “Follow the instructions from the Eco organic garden website.” [This includes releasing green lacewings, eco-oil and eco-neem.]

James Petty: “You can try making an organic horticultural oil to spray – ¼ cup organic cooking oil (vegetable/peanut/olive) plus ¼ cup organic/natural laundry or dish soap to five litres water plus (optional, for extra oomph) a few drops of organic eucalyptus/peppermint oil. Such a spray will, however, also kill other insects on the plants (including whitefly predators). Another option is giving everything a brutal prune – in my experience, the most effective response to whitefly is getting rid of what they are eating. It’s sad but effective.”

Michelle also asked whether she should compost the infected leaves. James’ answer: yes, especially if have enough for a hot compost which will kill the eggs.

Harvesting pumpkins

Last week, Patsy and Paul Hemsworth asked if they should harvest their remaining pumpkins. James Petty’s response: yes, and put the pumpkins somewhere dry and warm (and sunny if possible). Ripening pumpkins make a great dining table centrepiece. [Editor: I think that pumpkins will only continue to ripen off the vine if they have reached a certain stage on the vine, for example if they have started to turn to their mature colour.]

The Food Collective’s food drive; now until end July

The Food Collective is an initiative by Diamond Valley Community Support, who are based in Greensborough. They supply basic non-perishable food parcels of everyday necessities to those who are experiencing financial crisis and needing emergency relief assistance. They relay on donations of food and money.

As per the graphic right, they are currently seeking donations of tuna, meal bases, instant meals, long life milk and instant noodles. You can drop off items at their headquarters at Shop 378a, Level 3, Greensborough Plaza, 25 Main Street, Greensborough, Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm.

Some suggested reading on tomatoes

Toni Myers has written in to suggest that you read this article entitled Are tomatoes good for you? by someone called Ocean Robbins.

If you like the article, Mr. Robbins has written lots of others.

Some new food outlets in Eltham

A new cafe – Agnes & Alban

Covid-19 has caused a certain amount of carnage amongst the cafes in Eltham, as elsewhere. Bean Alive at 132 Bolton Street recently closed but it has now been replaced by Agnes & Alban. They are open 7am-3pm weekdays plus 8am-4pm Saturdays and, best of all, they do food as well as coffee, etc.

A new market

Library Place Market will take place every 3rd Sunday of the month, 8.30am-2pm, at Panther Place. It is being run by the same people (Diamond Valley Community Support) as both Hurstbridge Market and Kingsbury Market.

Marcel the Poodle (our Gourmet in a Beret)A poem by John Jenkins from Kangaroo Ground

Marcel the poodle
Ate oodles of noodles
And haute cuisine
From his fork.

 He wolfed down croissants,
 Soufflé and poulet
 And duos of baguettes
 Served with pork.

“It’s a mere bagatelle
To dine out so well,”
Said stylish Marcel
Looking great.

 A true gourmet like me
 Has éclairs with tea
 Plus a big pile of snails
 On his plate.

“And I’m fond of fondue
Or a gateau or two
With a bowl of French fries
Till I’m sate.”

With a glass in his paw
Marcel poured himself more
Bordeaux red and some fizzy champagne,
Then he sniffed and he licked AND HE ATE!

This is just one of the many poems in a book a book of silly scribbles and nonsense poems that John has just written, illustrated and published called A Half-Baked Fruitcake of Nuts and Nonsense: Silly Stuff for Kids of All Ages.

Read more food-related poems by newsletter readers.

Neither local nor food-related but still interesting

The photo is of a type of sea slug called a leaf sheep (Costasiella kuroshimae). It is green because it retains the chloroplasts from the algae that it feeds on. And these chloroplasts remain functional, so they can photosynthesise and provide the leaf sheep with nutrition when times are hard or when it leaves the algae in search of mates.

Easy garden kimchi by Angela Chung

Ingredients

20-25 leaves of cabbage (or 1 whole small wombok)
1 cup of coarse sea salt
1 apple, peeled and grated
½ medium onion, grated
2-3 spring onions, sliced to 1cm length
3 tablespoons fish sauce
½ cup of Korean chilli powder
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 cup of water

Method

Brine

Wash the cabbage leaves in running water to remove any dirt. Slice the cabbage widthways and set aside.

Place the cabbage in salty water by mixing 1 cup of sea salt and 4-5 cups of water. Mix and soak well together. Leave for 3 hours. Wash, draining the water, and set aside.

Seasoning

Mix all the seasoning ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the brined cabbage to the bowl and mix well together until all of the seasoning covers the cabbage. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Packing

Place the kimchi in clean jars using tongs and make sure to press down the kimchi so that it is covered by the liquid.

Screw on the lid and clean any excess kimchi liquid on the outside of the jars with a damp cloth (packing kimchi in the jars can be tricky and messy!).

Leave at room temperature for 1 day and then store in the fridge. It will be ready in 2 weeks.

* * * * *

Angela runs a small business called Pop-Up Pantry, which is an online store delivering pantry and household cleaning products direct to homes within 10km of Macleod. She is also at Macleod Market on the 3rd Saturday of each month, 9am-2pm. She also has a popup pantry in Macleod, at 5 Melrose Avenue, every Wednesday and Saturday (except Macleod Market days), 11am–2pm plus another in Rosanna, at 39 Finlayson Street, every Tuesday, 11am–2pm.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Judy’s visit to Jian Liu’s garden in Camberwell.

Joke (or pun) of the week

“Let’s eat grandma!” No, “let’s eat, grandma!” Punctuation saves lives.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
June
July
August

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
June
July
August
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 17th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 18th June, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 18th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 19th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 19th June, ; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 19th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 20th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 20th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 24th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 26th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 26th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 26th June, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 27th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 3rd July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 4th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 9th July, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 11th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 11th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 16th July, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 16th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 17th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 17th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 18th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 24th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 24th July, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 25th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 30th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 31st July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 1st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 3rd August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 5th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 6th August, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 7th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 7th August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 8th August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 8th August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 8th August, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 10th August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News June 9 2021

Jun 092021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela Chung, Chris Kent, Jaimie Sweetman, Judy Vizzari, Lucinda Flynn, Lynn Wallace, Michelle Kohle, Patsy Hemsworth, Paul Hemsworth, Paul Morland, Rob Body and Wayne Tonissen.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Jaimie’s edible plant of the month – society garlic

[Jaimie Sweetman is the Head Gardener of the Edible Forest located on the Yarra Valley Estate in Dixons Creek. As envisioned a few weeks ago, Jaimie is going to write some articles for this newsletter about unusual edible plants. Her first article below is about society garlic. I asked her to write about society garlic because, although I have grown it for years, I never actually thought about eating it (duh!) until Jaimie gave me some to taste and it was rather yum. Tours of the Edible Forest, often led by Jaimie, take place on all days except Sundays – read more and book your place on a future tour.]

Working at the Edible Forest has introduced me to many different edible and medicinal plants. One of these that is not rare, in fact extremely common yet not typically recognised as an edible plant, is society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea).

Society garlic is a clumping perennial found in many Melbourne gardens. It is really easy to grow and does not require much water. Flowering for around 8 months of the year, with a lull of only a couple of months though winter, it makes for an excellent savoury edible flower. The flowers have a garlic flavour and are slightly sweeter than the leaves, which are also edible and can be used as a chive substitute all year round.

I use the flowers to top salads and give it that extra touch and flavour. They come in pinks, purples and white varieties, with both dwarf and variegated varieties available.

Originally named society garlic because the women of society could enjoy eating it without getting garlic breath, it is not actually in the garlic family at all so those intolerant to alliums (garlic, onions, chives etc) can still enjoy the garlic flavour of the flowers and use the leaves in cooking.

Society garlic grows fine in pots and can handle full sun so it is a great edible to add to a balcony if apartment living. It also looks good when mass planted to put on a show and add colour to the garden.

So, next time in your local nursery, consider adding society garlic to your plant collection.

[Here is a video of Jaimie talking about society garlic.]

Judy visits the garden of Jian Liu garden in Camberwell

Yes, this is the third week in a row that Jian Liu’s garden has featured in this newsletter! But there is a reason for that. Every now and then Open Gardens Victoria runs a competition for ‘best food garden’ or equivalent. Their last competition was in March and the winner was Jian Liu’s garden. When I found out about this, I contacted Jian and we agreed that Judy Vizzari would visit her garden and then write up the results. In parallel, and unbeknownst to me, Gardening Australia had also filmed Jian’s garden plus ABC Organic Gardener asked her to write about her gardening journey for their magazine.

Anyhow, Judy has now written up the results of her visit. The sub-headings on her article give a flavour of the write up:

  1. I’m transported into another world, this time the greenest of jungles.
  2. So commences our wander through a lush food forest.
  3. This forest, it seems, is a never-ending project.
  4. A busy working mum, what inspired her to take on this project?
  5. A wander-land and wonderland.
  6. “I want my land to be productive, I want it to work for me.“

There are also lots of photos.

Read the full visit writeup.

Want to buy some blood limes at $4 per bag

The Weeping Grevillea Nursery in Kangaroo Ground sells lemons and limes from a roadside cart (as well as grafted, weeping grevilleas). Its owner, Wayne Tonissen, has written in: “The current lockdown has been a real bummer for business but seasonal fruit waits for no-one. We have heaps of citrus now at their best and, best of all, the blood limes are here again. The blood lime, which was developed by CSIRO, is similar to the finger lime and has now become an important Australian native fruit. Just cut one of these little limes in half and you have a bold red flesh with a lime/grapefruit fruity flavour. Squeeze the blood lime half and the innards pop out like caviar!”

Bags of these blood limes are available at $4 per bag from their roadside cart at 10 Bartletts Lane, Kangaroo Ground. Other seasonal fruit is also available. You pay by putting the money into their honesty box.

Want a new career challenge? Buy Going Green Solutions!

Going Green Solutions, who are based in Hurstbridge and sell eco-friendly products, is up for sale! “Established e-commerce business with an average of 11.4K visits per day. Range of eco-friendly products for households and businesses, including green cleaning, natural personal care, ethical gifts and compostable disposable catering supplies. Brick-and-mortar store with stable foot traffic and flexibility for new lease or re-location of shop-front.” Asking price: $280K ONO.

Read more by clicking the graphic right. Contact Lucinda Flynn (lucinda@goinggreensolutions.com.au) for more information.

Lucinda would be really pleased if a newsletter reader could take the business forward because “I am really hoping that it can go to someone passionate and also someone local. It just needs someone new and energetic to throw themselves into it and love it.”

Want to run a social enterprise cafe in Bellfield?

Banyule Council is inviting expressions of interest for running a social enterprise cafe in Bellfield. They will then conduct a selection process. Closing date: 16th June. The cafe will be near both the Bellfield Community Garden and the Farm Raiser urban farm. Read more and potentially apply.

An addendum to our recent debate about protecting brassicas from white cabbage butterfly

From Lynn Wallace: “I’ve recently been shredding sage leaves and scattering them amongst my brassica plants. No caterpillars for two weeks now. I don’t suggest that this is scientific but, if you’ve got excess sage, it’s worth a try!”

Do you know?

Michelle Kohle has written in: “The side of our property is planted with large ornamental pear trees and, sadly, they are badly infested with white fly which has also now started to affect our citrus and other shrubs. We are trying to be organic and not use sprays and I understand that ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies are great predators but they are not around at the moment. We have tried spraying with water but, with so many large trees, this has not been very effective. Is there anything I can do naturally to get rid of this pest? Also, should are we able to compost the leaves?” Email your answer.

Persimmons

From Chris Kent: “As you can see from my fridge, it’s been a great year for persimmons!”

Yes, I did know (I think)

Rob Body has written in: “I have raspberries in large tubs, I purchased them last August and they fruited nicely in Nov/Dec. I am now ready to prune the new canes and am wondering whether to prune now or in July/August when the leaves have finally gone. Could you please advise?”

My reply: “Any time from now until August is fine.”

Patsy and Paul Hemworth have written in: “Three days of temperatures around zero have not done our pumpkin vine any favours. In fact it has very few leaves left on it. We have 3 pumpkins on it and knocking on them indicates they are not ripe yet. What to do?”

My reply: “I think that you should harvest them as they are not going to ripen any further at this time of year.”

Do you disagree with either of my answers? If so, email me.

Making traditional (pogi) kimchi by Angela Chung

Ingredients

1 napa cabbage (aka wombok).
1 cup Korean coarse sea salt.
6 cups of water.
1 small daikon (aka Korean) radish, julienne cut (i.e. into thin strips).
¼ nashi (aka Korean) pear, julienne cut (i.e. into thin strips) (optional).
3-4 spring onions or garlic chives, sliced.
1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour for rice paste.
1 teaspoon sugar.
½ cup Korean red chilli powder.
¼ cup salted shrimp (aka saeujeot), finely minced.
3 tablespoons fish sauce.
2 tablespoons garlic, minced.
1 teaspoon ginger, grated.
5 cups kelp (aka dashima).

Note that some of the ingredients above may only be found in Korean groceries.

Method

Clean the outside the whole napa cabbage by taking off the dirty or damaged leaves. Wash out if needed. Cut it lengthways into quarters.

In a large bowl, dissolve half of the sea salt in 5 cups of water and wash through the cabbage. Sprinkle sea salt between the leaves and brine in salty water for at least three hours (overnight is better).

Rinse the cabbage and drain it in a colander.

For the kelp broth, boil 5cm square kelp in ½ cup of water for 5 minutes. Mix the rice flour and sugar with ½ cup water and simmer over low heat until it thickens to a thin paste. Allow it to cool.

Mix the garlic, ginger, salted shrimps, fish sauce, Korean chilli powder, kelp broth and rice paste to form a seasoning. Add the spring onions, pear and radish, then mix well.

Working in the bowl of seasoning, spoon the seasoning mixture between the cabbage leaves, ensuring that it is fully covered.

Roll up the seasoned cabbage quarters and place in an airtight container, spooning any remaining seasoning over the top. Press the kimchi to remove any air bubbles, seal with a lid and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours (or 12 hours if it is particularly hot) before moving to the fridge.

* * * * *

Angela runs a small business called Pop-Up Pantry, which is an online store delivering pantry and household cleaning products direct to homes within 10km of Macleod. She is also at Macleod Market on the 3rd Saturday of each month, 9am-2pm.

Next week: a recipe for making easy garden kimchi.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Lucinda’s article about her kitchen sink area.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A girl said that she recognised me from the Vegetarians Club but I swear I’ve never met herbivore.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
June
July

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
June
July
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 10th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 11th June, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 12th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 17th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 18th June, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 18th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 19th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 19th June, ; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 19th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 20th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 20th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 24th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 26th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 26th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 26th June, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 27th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 3rd July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 4th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 9th July, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 11th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 11th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 16th July, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 16th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 17th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 17th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 18th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 24th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 24th July, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 25th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegetarian cooking class: Thursday, 29th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 30th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 31st July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 31st July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 1st August, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 1st August, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 3rd August, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News June 2 2021

Jun 022021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela Chung, Angelo Eliades, Cath Lyons, Hanh Truong, Jan Akeroyd, Jian Liu, Lucinda Flynn, Olwyn Smiley, Robin Gale-Baker and Velyne Moretti.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s).

Going green with Lucinda – her kitchen sink area

Lucinda Flynn, from eco shop Going Green Solutions, has written an article for our website about how her kitchen sink area is affected by her lifestyle. As she says in her introduction, “When you use re-usable packaging, drink bottles, recycle everything you can, cook lots of your own food and buy in bulk, you’ll notice that your kitchen develops a much more complex set of needs than the conventional kitchen. For example, how to dry your bottles and silicone wraps? How to dispense of bulk olive oil? Where to conveniently collect all those little bits of metal and aluminium so they can be recycled?” In reaction, her kitchen sink area extends way beyond the sink and dish rack as she has too many things to wash, drain, store and access easily.

Lucinda then goes on to discuss 10 things that work for her family, including:

  1. Metal baskets for nailbrushes and sundries.
  2. A strainer for draining cutlery and cook utensils.
  3. Wooden shelves for chook buckets and compost bins.
  4. Hangers for silicone wraps and ziplock bags.
  5. A hanging rack for colanders and mixing bowls.
  6. A shelving kit for frequently used garden items.

Read the full article.

PoppySmack are back at Bolton Street Deli

PoppySmack, who are based in Warrandyte, are back at the Bolton Street Deli in Eltham. The deli’s shelves currently have Poppysmack’s Vietnamese dipping sauce, salty sweet satay, Siam chilli sambal and rice paper rolls kits.

You might wonder why this newsletter contains relatively few news items about local food producers. The answer is that I can only include something if I know about it and, unless the producer tells me, I might well not know about it. Hanh Truong, the owner of Poppysmack, took the time to send me an email and thus her news item has been included. If you are a local food producer and have some news to share, email it to me.

Another article on Jian Liu’s garden in Camberwell

This time the location is ABC Organic Gardener and the author is Jian herself. The article is 7 pages long and you will have to buy the magazine to read it all, but we have provided the first page in the graphic right. As Jian said in her covering email, the article “provides the depth and detail that the Gardening Australia segment didn’t have time to cover. I talk about what the vision was for our garden, the challenges and setbacks we faced and, most importantly, how we built the garden with sustainability at its heart – using free and salvaged materials. I also feature four of my favourite exotic edibles, which I think are must-haves in every backyard.”

How admirable is this?

The graphic on the right is just one of a number of offerings that have popped up during the latest lockdown. Sikh Community Connections “is committed to providing much-needed food assistance to residents of City of Whittlesea who are struggling with food security due to the Covid crisis. We provide a bag of essential groceries which includes items such as rice, pasta, sugar, Indian herbs/masalas, chickpeas, lentils, wheat flour bag, onions, potatoes, tomato cans, jam, long-life milk etc. Everything in a hamper is non-perishable and does not require refrigeration.”

‘Crowd harvest’ – Winter citrus

Lemon trees and other citrus are often heavily laden in the middle of winter. Gardeners with excess are invited to give them during the June to one of the not-for profit organisations listed in the next paragraph who will, in turn, provide them to those facing food insecurity. Read this Facebook post for more information.

DIVRS in Preston, Elisha Care in Croydon, Now and Not Yet Cafe in Warrandyte or STREAT in Collingwood.

Did you know?

From Velyne Moretti: every propagatable cut flower imported into Australia has to be ‘devitalised’ and the only approved method of devitalisation is to immerse its stem in glyphosate (aka Roundup) for 20 minutes. See the Agriculture Department’s cut flower treatment guide.

Making kimchi by Angela Chung

This is going to be a three-part article spread over the next three newsletters. This part introduces kimchi, the second part will provide a traditional recipe and the third part will provide a shorter and easier recipe.

Kimchi is a traditional side dish in Korean cuisine. It comprises fermented vegetable preserves and was traditionally eaten over Winter when fresh vegetables weren’t available. It has a unique, strong, tangy, spicy and salty taste, combined with a crunchy texture. Over time it develops a mature, sour, sweet and soft texture. Aged kimchi is perfect for cooking such as pancake, fried rice, soup, stew and dumplings.

Traditionally, kimchi is made from brined Korean cabbage (aka wombok or napa cabbage), Korean radish (aka daikon) or cucumber combined with a mixture of seasonings include salt, sugar, chilli powder, garlic, ginger, chives and Korean fish sauce (fermented anchovy/shrimps/squids). However, it can also be made with other cabbages and combined with other vegetables and is therefore a good way of preserving vegetables from your garden. Making the kimchi is, in principle, quite simple – brine the cabbage, mix with seasoning and pack in jars or containers.

Recently, various health benefits of kimchi have been discovered. More specifically, it contains probiotics, vitamins A and C and various minerals from the cabbage. Some studies have apparently found that kimchi can strengthen the immune system by lactobacillus bacterium, help fight inflammation by probiotics, support heart health by anti-inflammatory properties and aid weight loss by low calories.

Nowadays, many people outside of Korea are starting to enjoy kimchi because of its addictive spicy taste, and/or its potential health benefits and/or as a convenient way of preserving vegetables.

Next week: a recipe for making kimchi the traditional way using wombok.

Angela’s Popup Pantry

Angela, the author of the article on kimchi above, recently started her own small business called Pop-Up Pantry, which is an online store delivering pantry and household cleaning products direct to homes within 10km of Macleod.

Complementing the online store are three physical popup stores:

  • Macleod Market, at Macleod College in Carwarp Street, every 3rd Saturday of the month, 9am-2pm.
  • Macleod, at 5 Melrose Avenue, every Wednesday and Saturday (except Macleod Market days), 11am–2pm.
  • Rosanna, at 39 Finlayson Street, every Tuesday, 11am–2pm.

The Rosanna popup store is at Cecilia’s house. Cecilia is a newsletter reader whose decluttering workshops we sometimes feature in this newsletter (when they are food-related). Here is a video of Cecilia introducing Angela and her popup store.

I am hoping that Angela and Cecilia will co-author some articles for this newsletter over the coming months with some tips on eco-pantry goods. Stay tuned!

The final words on controlling white cabbage butterfly by planting American upland cress

Angelo Eliades has written in to point out that he wrote an article on the subject last year, including references to various scientific articles. Angelo’s article is entitled Companion planting with land cress for natural caterpillar control.

Dead-end trap crops vs trap crops

In the article, Angelo makes a distinction between ‘dead-end trap crop’ and ‘trap crop’, whereby the former both attracts and kills the ‘pest’ whereas the latter attracts the ‘pest’ but doesn’t kill it. In the case that we have been discussing, namely the growing of Barbarea verna (American upland cress) to control Pieris rapae (cabbage white butterfly), Barbarea verna does not kill the caterpillars of Pieris rapae but it does entice the adults of Pieris rapae to lay their eggs on it and thus (hopefully) not on the nearby edible brassicas. In other words, Barbarea verna is potentially a ‘trap crop’ for Pieris rapae but not a ‘dead-end trap crop’.

Angelo’s article also makes the point that Barbarea vulgaris has similar affects as Barbarea verna.

Furthermore, Barbarea verna and Barbarea vulgaris are both biennial plants (meaning that they live for two years, only flowering in the second year) and Angelo references a study which showed that they have different effects on different bugs in their first and second years. His conclusion is that one should plant Barbarea verna or Barbarea vulgaris in both the first and second year and, as they self-seed, they will then create an ongoing mix of flowering and non-flowering plants in the same planting area.

Can a trap crop potentially attract additional pests?

So, for a given population of adult Pieris rapae, the planting of the Barbarea verna should reduce the problems for your edible brassicas by diverting some (and hopefully all) of the egg laying. But what if Barbarea verna attracts more Pieris rapae into the area? Then it could conceivably result in worse egg laying problems for the brassicas. This is something that Olwyn Smiley thinks she has observed with her nasturtiums and brassicas but which Angelo, after reviewing the scientific literature, says does not happen with respect to Barbarea verna and brassicas.

To summarise the outcome of debate over the last few weeks
  1. There are many different lepidopterans that are commonly called ‘cabbage moth’ but the one that causes the major problems in Melbourne gardens is Pieris rapae.
  2. The caterpillars of Pieris rapae do not find Barbarea verna or Barbarea vulgaris poisonous.
  3. Pieris rapae does, however, find Barbarea verna and Barbarea vulgaris attractive as a location for laying its eggs.
  4. Therefore planting Barbarea verna or Barbarea vulgaris potentially protects your edible brassicas by providing an alternative, attractive location for Pieris rapae to lay its eggs.
  5. In other words, Barbarea verna and Barbarea vulgaris  are potentially ‘trap crops’ for Pieris rapae.
  6. Finally, it is clear that, to avoid confusion and ambiguity, these sorts of discussions always need to use the Latin names for all the relevant organisms, not the common names.

It has been a fascinating debate. Thanks to Angelo Eliades, Jan Akeroyd, Olwyn Smiley and Robin Gale-Baker for their various contributions.

Incidentally, Angelo lists 11(!) different common names for Barbarea verna namely American upland cress, American cress, upland cress, bank cress, black wood cress, Belle Isle cress, Bermuda cress, early yellow rocket, early winter cress, scurvy cress and creasy greens.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Angelo’s article entitled A better way to stake up and support vegetables in pots.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Submitted anonymously: What do you call vegetables found underwater? Snorkel sprouts.

[Editor: I don’t really understand this joke/pun as ‘snorkel’ is a long way away in terms of either spelling or pronunciation from ‘Brussels’. Still, it is at least as good as What do you get when you cross Brussels sprouts and a jackhammer? Chisel sprouts. Or What do you call a Brussels sprout that smells worse than a skunk? Pepe le Sprout.]

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

For Covid-related reasons, some of the events below may have been cancelled or deferred.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
June
July

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
June
July
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 3rd June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 5th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 6th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 10th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 11th June, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 12th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 17th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 18th June, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 18th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 19th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 19th June, ; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 19th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 20th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 20th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 24th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 26th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 26th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 26th June, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 27th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 3rd July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 4th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 9th July, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 11th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 11th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 16th July, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 16th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 17th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 17th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 18th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 22nd July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 23rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 24th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 24th July, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 25th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 25th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.

Read about more cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News May 26 2021

May 262021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Belinda McPhee, Dione Fisher, Evan Gellert, George Pergaminelis, Jan Akeroyd and Megan Goodman.

Robin writes about distinguishing the tarragons

There are three tarragons, each bearing an international name but not necessarily the name of the country of their origin. Like those countries – France, Mexico and Russia – they are very different from each other and, unless you can distinguish one from another, your cooking may lack that distinct anise flavour you are after. French and Russian tarragon are readily confused as they look similar (although the former has darker and glossier leaves). Mexican tarragon, on the other hand, has its own distinct appearance and beautiful gold yellow flowers.

French tarragon (Artemesia dracunculus) comes from Russia (Siberia) and is considered the best of the tarragons. It is a highly prized herb in French cuisine, having a deep anise/liquorice taste. It is particularly well known in roasted tarragon chicken recipes where it is chopped and mixed with softened butter and massaged into the chicken beneath the skin. It is also used with fish, eggs and in vinegars, dressings and sauces, including Bearnaise and beurre blanc sauces. It is an ingredient of ‘fines herbes’ along with parsley, chervil and chives.

Russian tarragon (Artemesia dracunculoides) is a much inferior herb with little, if any, anise/liquorice taste. It tastes more like grass and I can’t think of any reason to grow or use it.

Mexican tarragon (Tagetes lucida), also known as winter tarragon, is a member of the Asteraceae family like the other two but is from a different genus – the marigold genus, Tagetes. However, it has great similarity in taste to French tarragon and the advantage that it flourishes over winter rather than dying down. It produces heads of bright, yellow marigold-like flowers which, if dead-headed when they wither, will continuously produce flowers throughout the winter. Planting Mexican tarragon plus French tarragon will ensure that you have a year round supply of this delicious herb.

All tarragons require a warm, sunny position, well drained soil, neutral to slightly acidic on the pH scale and prefer to be watered once a week and then left to dry out. Over-watering will diminish the essential oils and therefore the taste. Tarragons do not like wet feet and may die in wet conditions. In climates colder than Melbourne, the roots may require the protection of mulch in winter. When planting, incorporate some compost mainly to aerate the soil.

French tarragon can only be propagated vegetatively – that is by root division or cuttings in spring. It rarely flowers and, if it does, does not produce viable seed. It is an herbaceous perennial and, as such, will die down late autumn/early winter but will shoot again early spring. When it dies down, it is best to prune it back to ground level, and every 3 years dig it up, divide its coiled roots and re-plant so that the roots do not strangle it. Russian tarragon can be propagated from seed, division or cuttings, as can Mexican tarragon. All 3 varieties are hardy and none suffer from pest attack.

Read more of Robin Gale-Baker’s articles on our website.

Ann visits The Veggie Empire at Beales Road Farm in Greensborough

The Veggie Empire grow fruit, vegetables and herbs at Beales Road Farm and they sell both seedlings and vegetables to the public. You might well have come across some of them if you go to Alphington Farmers’ Market or to Edendale Farm. Or, going further back in time, you might have met Rachel Bishop at the Greensborough Food Swap, which she started in 2009. Anyhow, you can now meet them virtually as Ann Stanley recently visited them and has written up the results.

As Ann says in her introduction: “Josh Hogan and Scott Jordan, along with their specialist supporting horticulturalists, are The Veggie Empire. Under the leadership of educator and people-connector Rachel Bishop, they are best described as a community urban agriculture team … Throughout the working week, Josh and Scott are supported to grow food and food plants while learning and maintaining work skills on the small urban farm and in the local community. The overall aim of their efforts is to be paid to work in the urban farming / horticulture sector … Beales Road Farm is situated on one acre of leased land in Greenborough.” She then goes on to discuss the 10 year history between Josh, Scott and Rachel plus their more recent relationships with supporting horticulturalists, including the three young farmers from
Farm Raiser, the new urban farm in Bellfield.

After a tour of the farm, Rachel said to Ann: “We really want to to showcase our model so that people anywhere, particularly those who are marginalised from vocational education, can start and do it themselves whether it’s a small market garden or a couple of fruit and veggie boxes.”

Read the full visit writeup.

A trip to the Edible Forest in Dixons Creek

I recently went on a guided tour of the Edible Forest in Dixons Creek, which is a one acre enclosed area devoted to growing edible plants, both common and unusual. The tour guide was Head Gardener Jaimie Sweetman (pictured), the duration was around an hour and the cost was $15. Some of the plants had very interesting tastes, some nice, others less so! Some of the plants I knew about but didn’t know that they were edible. Jaimie had lots of interesting things to say and I have rather cheekily asked her if she would be willing to share some of these things with the newsletter readership. Stay tuned!

The tours take place on all days except Sundays, with differing arrangements (and costs) on different days. Read more and book your place on a future tour.

A trip to Jian Liu’s garden in Camberwell

Newsletter contributor Jian’s Liu’s garden recently featured on the Gardening Australia television program. Watch the 7 minute segment.

Do you live near Greensborough?

The Greensborough Food Swap, based in the community garden at Diamond Valley Library, is one of the longest running food swaps in Victoria (see the food swap history on our website) but it is in danger of disappearing because its previous organisers have left the area and no one has (yet) come forward to replace them. Could you be their replacement? The swap has traditionally taken place from 10-11am on the 2nd Saturday of every month but this could be changed if need be. If you are potentially interested in getting involved, email me for a chat.

Some feedback about the articles from the last newsletter

To refresh your memory, you can read the last newsletter on our website.

Controlling white cabbage butterfly by planting American upland cress

In the last newsletter, we discussed how there are a variety of lepidopterans that are commonly called ‘cabbage moth’ but that only some of them find American upland cress (Barbarea verna) poisonous. More specifically, it is Pieris rapae that causes the major problems in Melbourne gardens and Pieris rapae does not find Barbarea verna poisonous. Jan Akeroyd has now written in: “I had also read that Barbarea verna, which you call American upland cress and which I learnt about as land cress (more confusing common names!), does not kill the caterpillars of the Pieris rapae butterfly/moth. However, the information that I read (sorry, can’t remember where) also said that it is still worth planting Barbarea verna as the Pieris rapae butterflies will be more attracted to it than to our regular brassicas. So, I did plant some Barbarea verna this year and noticed with my trays of seedlings that there were eggs on the Barbarea verna seedlings but not on the kale and broccoli seedlings, so so far so good! For people who like to eat cress, Barbarea verna is also edible to humans.”

Thanks, Jan. Another interesting twist in the debate. Can anyone point to an authoritative discussion of the issue on the Internet? Email me.

Meal kits from an environmental perspective

In last week’s newsletter, Lucinda Flynn discussed Hello Fresh meals from an environmental perspective, where these meals are kits comprising portions of ingredients plus instructions for making the meal. Belinda McPhee has now written in to say that there has actually been some research conducted on the environmental impacts of meal kits. For example:

Thanks, Belinda. Belinda’s overall take on this research is that “it did find that in terms of food waste they definitely save and that, on average, they had 33% less greenhouse gas emissions than purchasing everything separately from the supermarket. Not every situation was considered but I did think that this was an interesting result as I would definitely have thought they were worse. Obviously, as Lucinda said, it’s still going to be better to grow your own but they have their place in saving food waste for those who maybe only cook occasionally. It is also worth people researching which meal kit company they should go with because some of them make a bigger effort to have recyclable and compostable packaging.”

When to grow Brussels sprouts

Following my article in the last newsletter about successfully having grown Brussels sprouts as a warm season crop, George Pergaminelis has written in: “A few weeks ago on the Gardening Australia program, Millie suggested that Brussels sprouts be planted as an early Summer crop. The theory was that they grow well during the warmer months and, once the cooler weather arrives, form the tight sprouts. Growing them as a Winter crop often results in poor/slow plant growth during the initial growing phase.”

Thanks, George. Here is the 1 minute video that George is referring to. After watching the video, it seems to me that Millie is saying something slightly different than the advice from the Adams Farms that I was following. Millie seems to be saying that Brussels sprouts should be planted in summer because, although they are a cool season crop, they need to be well developed before the cool season actually starts. By contrast, the Adams Farms told me to grow to Brussels sprouts as a warm season crop, planting in Spring and harvesting before the Winter. Perhaps these two options merge at the margin. In any event, what is clear is that Brussels sprouts need to be planted much earlier than other brassicas.

Would anyone else like to contribute to this debate? Email me. Note that anyone who spells Brussels sprouts incorrectly will be ignored!

Another article from Angelo Eliades

A better way to stake up and support vegetables in pots.

Read more of Angelo’s articles.

Local food organisations in the news

Collingwood Children Farm’s veggie patch

This article in The Age is entitled In a corner of Collingwood, the future of farming is being rewritten.

Duang Tengtrirat

Many of you will remember the days when Duang used to run cooking classes in Research. Then she moved to Chewton and started her cooking classes there. Now she has featured in this Good Food article about the best Australian cooking classes. Thanks for the heads up, Evan Gellert!

Urban Eats – an art exhibition

Urban Eats features multi-disciplinary artists as they explore the diversity of food in Melbourne, “enticing viewers to participate in experiences born from ritual, celebration and the sharing of food … what we eat and how we eat it says much about our culture and social mores and the impact these spaces have on our wellbeing, routines and sense of place.”

Urban Eats is on at Counihan Gallery, 233 Sydney Road, Brunswick, from Saturday, 5th June to Sunday, 18th July.

Meg’s garden this month

At a food swap about two years ago, I picked up a section of cane of a bell tree dahlia. Today I walked outside to a 5m high plant covered in light purple flowers that brighten up the cold and grey morning (see photo). When it finishes flowering, I will cut back the canes that flowered and divide them into about ruler length pieces containing nodes and take them back to share with others.

A visit to the farm this week and a bit of heavy labour has left me with bags of sheep manure waiting to be used. I top dress the turned over veggie garden beds and citrus trees and also pile some around my rhubarb corms to encourage more stems. The peas that I planted last month are just beginning to show and I bend a piece of chicken mesh over them to prevent the birds from pulling them out. I will have to remember to take the mesh off in a week or two so that the tendrils don’t wind their way through, making it hard to remove. Finally, I gather some rosemary for tonight’s roast and head inside. I often use the heat of the oven from a roast to bake or dry foods and it is ideal for drying apple rings or for baking muesli. The muesli recipe below can be varied in many ways and I recommend that you invent your own. You can scale the ingredients up or down, but I usually make a good amount as it keeps well. I like to use maple syrup but, if it’s too expensive for you, around 3 tablespoons of honey is a good substitute.

Muesli

500g rolled oats
150g sunflower seeds
150g pumpkin seeds
200g almonds, chopped (or flaked or slivered)
100g pecans, chopped (or other nuts of your choice)
50g of seeds (I use linseed, chia, sesame or whatever I have in the pantry)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
½ teaspoon nutmeg
150ml sunflower oil or other light oil (not olive)
150ml maple syrup
200g dried fruit

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients other than the dried fruit until lightly coated in the oil and syrup.

Spread out on baking paper on trays about 1-2cm thick. Bake at 160degC for about 15 minutes, using a spoon to stir, and turn over the muesli on each tray about halfway through cooking time. Turn off oven and leave the trays in to cool (alternatively, cook for about a further 10mins and cool out of the oven).

When cool, you can add any dried fruit if desired and stir through before storing in airtight container (do not add the dried fruit upfront as it will harden too much in the oven).

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

What veggie seeds to plant in June

Here is a list (see the June planting guide for more detail):
Broad beans
Coriander
Garlic
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Onion
Peas
Radish

The list is pretty short. It’s your last chance to plant broad beans and garlic, and arguably too late for them.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the job description for the job at Kingsbury Drive market.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Over-egg the pudding. Meaning: to go too far in exaggerating or embellishing something. The allusion here is to the way that baked food can be spoiled by using too many eggs. The earliest examples in print are from the mid-19th Century in Yorkshire and thus it is reasonable to assume that the pudding in question was Yorkshire pudding. As per the BBC, Yorkshire puddings should be made from equal volumes of eggs, flour and milk, otherwise they won’t rise properly.

In this saying, egg is being used as a verb, rather than as a noun, and means ‘to mix with eggs’. Note that, in the saying, egg on, meaning ‘to urge someone onward’, the verb egg is actually a completely unrelated verb, being a corruption of the word edge and having nothing to do with those things that some animals lay.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“What I say is that, if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.” by A.A. Milne.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

I was on a diet, but I doughnut care anymore.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

In the list below, events costing $10 or less are in bold.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
May
June
July

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
May
June
July
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 27th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 29th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 29th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 29th May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 30th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 3rd June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 5th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 6th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 10th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 11th June, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 12th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 17th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 18th June, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 18th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 19th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 19th June, ; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 19th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 20th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 20th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 24th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 26th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 26th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 26th June, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 27th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 3rd July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 4th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 9th July, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 11th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 11th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 16th July, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 16th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 17th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 17th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 18th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News May 5 2021

May 072021
 

Controlling white cabbage butterfly – an important correction

Olwyn Smiley has written in: “I read with interest Robin Gale-Baker’s article last week about the possible use of American upland cress to control white cabbage butterfly. My understanding, however, is that the cress will not kill the caterpillars of white cabbage butterfly, although it will kill the caterpillars of large cabbage moths. This is a common confusion and I only happen to know about it because of a discussion some time ago on the Amateur Entomology Australia Facebook page. Bulleen Art & Garden Nursery have a page which discusses the issue.”

Thanks, Olwyn, that is extremely helpful. Apart from anything else, it confirms my long held view that, in any discussions, we should use Latin names, rather than common names, for both animals and plants. This is because, unlike Latin names, common names are ambiguous, with the same common name often referring to multiple species and with particular species often having multiple common names.

In this case, it appears that the confusion arises because there are several different lepidopterans that are commonly called ‘cabbage moth’, including Crocidolomia pavonana, Mamestra brassicae, Pieris rapae and Plutella xylostella. They vary in appearance but only Pieris rapae is white in colour. All of them seem to eat brassicas (which is presumably why they are all called cabbage moths) but only some of them are major problems in Melbourne gardens, only some of them are also called ‘cabbage butterflies’, and only some of them find American upland cress (Barbarea verna) poisonous.

More specifically, it is Pieris rapae that causes the major problems in Melbourne gardens, and it is also Pieris rapae that is sometimes called white cabbage butterfly, but it is only the caterpillars of Crocidolomia pavonana and Plutella xylostella that find Barbarea verna poisonous.

So, as Olwyn says, “Planting Barbarea verna obviously won’t hurt, especially if Crocidolomia pavonana or Plutella xylostella are around, but there will be disappointment when it doesn’t live up to its reputation for killing white cabbage butterfly (i.e. Pieris rapae) caterpillars!”

I sent Olwyn’s comments to Robin and asked if she wanted to say anything. She replied: “Thanks for your interesting comments, Olwyn. While I am aware that not all cabbage moths are deterred by American upland cress, I take a pragmatic approach based on a multi-pronged strategy. While it cannot be proven that the varieties of moth in my area of Macleod are susceptible to the cress, the lack of damage to brassicas over many seasons would suggest that Pieris rapae is not strongly represented here.”

Lucinda tries making a Hello Fresh meal

[Lucinda Flynn recently made a Hello Fresh meal. To provide some context, here is how their meals work: 1. You choose a recipe. 2. They send you the pre-portioned ingredients. 3. You cook, and then eat, the meal. Below Lucinda discusses her experience.]

I must admit that I had always assumed Hello Fresh was certainly not sustainable food option; after all, how can individually packaged portions possibly be an enviro-friendly food option? Well, I recently got a discount ‘trial’ voucher and decided to check it out.

Overall, I was more impressed with it than I expected and, as usual, I discovered that the answer to the above question depends on the situation and what it is being compared to.

We chose the veggie meals, and they were amazing – on average about 75% vegetables, with a small amount of carbs and protein – super healthy and plenty of food for any appetite. The recipes were interesting and easy to follow. There was a lot of packaging, and I hated that, but I could not help thinking that, in the right situation, it could still be less wasteful. For example:

  • To replace regular take away meals for someone with little time or cooking skill – the recipes are easy and quick, the waste would be less overall and the health so much better.
  • If you were cooking for one – my father-in-law is always saying that it is hard to shop for one without over buying due to the size of portions – so this could reduce food waste.
  • If you are inexperienced in cooking and in food in general – this method would not only avoid you creating food waste due to buying the wrong things/wrong amount but also teach you heathy cooking along the way, which could in turn lead to your transitioning to being able to do it without the program.

Will we be using Hello Fresh again? Definitely not because we grow food, love to cook and the packaging of the small portions is scary. However, I do think that there are situations in which it could be a more sustainable option, create less food and packaging waste, and even teach people to cook healthy meals full of fresh veggies which could steer them into a packaging free future.

In the photos below, the first four are the various ingredients and the fifth is the final meal.

    

Read more of Lucinda’s articles on our website about sustainable eating.

Lucinda Flynn is the owner of Going Green Solutions, a local company based in Hurstbridge that sells eco-products.

What’s in season for you to buy in May?

Kayla Blackmore, who is the market manager of Coburg Farmers’ Market, says that the following is in season for you to buy in May:

  • Fruit: apples, mandarins, feijoas, raspberries, quince.
  • Vegetables: artichokes, eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet potato, rhubarb, carrot, daikon.

May is the month to get excited about the new season nuts, including walnuts and chestnuts. Is there anything more evocative than the aroma of chestnuts roasting over hot coals? If you don’t own an open fire or barbeque with coals, you can roast your chestnuts in the oven. Heat your oven to 200-220 degrees Celsius. Then score each chestnut shell with an ‘x’ on top and place them on top of a cooling rack that is sitting in an oven tray. Pop into the oven and roast for 15–20 minutes. Your home will be filled with a unique and toasty aroma! Place the warm chestnuts into a tea towel and use this to roll the nuts around inside to remove the skins. Serve warm if you can.

Success at last – Brussels sprouts

My wife and I have never managed to grow Brussels sprouts successfully – the plants grow ok but the sprouts never really form. So, last year I went to Adams Farms in Coldstream to seek their advice (Adams Farms specialise in growing Brussels sprouts and supply, amongst others, Coles). They told me that they grow it as a summer crop (rather than as a winter crop, as I had been doing) and they gave me 18 of their seedlings.

The result? We planted the seedlings last November and, last week, we starting harvesting the literally thousands of Brussels sprouts that have grown: 18 plants with an average of 60 sprouts each equals 1,080 sprouts!

I haven’t yet decided what to do next season. Maybe it is only the farm’s variety that grow successfully over the summer so, to test this, I could plant other varieties in November (if I can find them in nurseries) and see what happens.

Do you know?

Swee Scott has written in: “I have some white insects appearing on my lime leaves, on my chilli plants and even on my mustard green growing in netted vegetable patch. I tried flushing them with water but with no results. I did use garlic chilli oil with water spray in the summer months with some results. Can you tell me what these insects are and how do I stop them from destroying my plants?” Email us with your thoughts.

   

Guy’s tip of the week – saving seedlings from snails and slugs

Liana Gray has written in: “I planted out broad beans, broccoli and Brussels sprouts the other day, put down organic pellets and dusted them, and the next day they were eaten. Is there something else I can use, so my seedlings survive?”

Here is my reply: “I use pots with the bottoms cut out and with copper tape around them. Snails and slugs don’t like crossing copper tape because they apparently receive something of an electric shock.”

Want a job?

Diamond Valley Community Support in Greensborough is looking for someone with community market experience to support the operation of their Kingsbury Drive market, and to also be available to support their other market days. Read more and potentially apply.

Yarra Plenty Regional Library seed & harvest share program

The Yarra Plenty Regional Library service, which comprises all the 9 libraries in Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea, is planning to start a seed & harvest share program in June whereby each Saturday at 10am one of the libraries will hold a Q&A session around a particular theme, the idea being to engage members of the public to learn more about growing home produce and to offer them excess seeds and harvest. They are seeking local gardeners to help out at their local libraries at some of these events. If you are potentially interested in helping out, email Dione Fisher (DFisher@yprl.vic.gov.au).

Friends of Edendale

Friends of Edendale is a new friends group which will be organising activities to support Edendale Community Environment Farm inside their fence and to re-vegetate along the Diamond Creek outside the fence, as well as newsletters and meetings. All that is now needed is enthusiasm and people to help. Subscribe to their newsletter using either their online signup form or by sending them an email (friendsofedendale@yahoo.com). Thanks for the heads up, Sue Dyet!

The first re-vegetation activity will be at Edendale on Sunday, 30th May. There will be planting sessions organised by Melbourne Water and Nillumbik Council in both the morning (starting at 11am) and afternoon (starting at 1pm) and the Friends of Edendale will be supporting the planting – so go along!

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – black bean patties

Serves 4-8.

Tip: make in bulk and save for later use.

Ingredients

2 cups boiled beans
½ big onion, chopped and sautéed
½ cup corn
½ cup capsicum
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon cumin powder
⅓ cup plain flour
salt to taste
½ chopped coriander/parsley (optional)

Method

Mix everything together.

Grease your hands and then shape the mixture into patties.

Bake or pan fry.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website.

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

A photo of a large pumpkin and a large lemon

Pauline Webb has sent in the photo right together with the following words: “The pumpkin is a Dutch crookneck pumpkin and weighed in at 4.04Kg; it is related to the butternut. The large lemon is a Eureka and weighed in at 675 grams; it is shown next to a normal sized lemon from the same tree.”

And the winner is …

The delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards 2021 State Winners were announced last week. Of the 26 winners from Victoria, 1 was from North East Melbourne, namely That’s Amore Cheese.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the underpants’ experiments discussed by ABC Rural.

Joke (or pun) of the week

I’ve started investing in stocks, mostly vegetable. One day, I hope to be a bouillonaire.
Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
May
June

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
May
June
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 6th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 8th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 9th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Naples and the Amalfi Coast: Tuesday, 11th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 13th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 14th May, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 15th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 16th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 16th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 16th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 21st May, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 21st May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 22nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 22nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 22nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 23rd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 23rd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 27th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 29th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 29th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 29th May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 30th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 3rd June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 5th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 6th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 10th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 11th June, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 12th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 17th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 18th June, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 18th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 19th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 19th June, ; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 19th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 20th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 20th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 24th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 25th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 26th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 26th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 26th June, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 27th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 27th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 1st July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 2nd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 3rd July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 3rd July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 4th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 4th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 6th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 9th July, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 10th July, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th July, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 11th July, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 11th July, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Tuesday, 13th July, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News April 28 2021

Apr 282021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Megan Goodman, Miranda Sharp, Robin Gale-Baker and Tracey Bjorksten.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s)!.

A 3 pronged approach to deterring white cabbage butterfly by Robin Gale-Baker

This is the time to be planting brassica family members: cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, etc. The days and nights are cooling and there has been good rain, which is perfect for these cool season plants. It is, however, also a perfect time for the white cabbage butterfly which is highly attracted to brassicas, laying its eggs on their leaves. When the eggs hatch, the leaves become a food source for the emerging caterpillars and the result is the decimation of the brassica leaves, either wholly or in part, and often the failure of the seedling.

As with most insect pests, a multi-pronged approach works best. In the case of the hungry green caterpillar, a combination of dipping the seedlings in Dipel, companion planting with American upland cress (a dead end trap plant) and using exclusion netting will result in perfect leaves and hearts.

Dipel is a Yates product and is an organic bacterium. It comes as a powder in sachets which, when mixed with water, is sprayed onto the upper and underside of the brassica leaves every 7 days throughout the growing season. In reality this is hard to do, especially getting sufficient spray on the underside of leaves when the plants are small and most vulnerable. I use Dipel just once – on seedlings still in the punnet – before planting. I dunk them in the Dipel, threading my fingers through the seedlings to prevent them falling out of the punnet when I tip it over. I swirl the seedlings around in the mix making sure it adheres to both sides of the leaves. I do this to deal with any eggs that may have already been laid on the leaves.

The next step is to plant the seedlings interspersed with American upland cress. American upland cress will also attract the white cabbage butterfly, which lays its eggs on its leaves in preference to brassica leaves. The leaves are, however, toxic to the caterpillars. When they emerge, they take one bite and this kills them, though they may take a couple of days to drop off the leaves. It is good to transplant established American upland cress plants and to place one in the centre of every brassicas (like the centre dot on the 5 face of a dice). American upland cress is easily grown from seed. It is a perennial but self-seeds prolifically and forms rosettes. These often contain quite a number of seedlings and, when dug up, can be easily separated. The trick is to plant an American upland cress plant that is bigger than the brassica seedlings.

The final step is to cover your brassicas with exclusion netting, making sure the hem is weighted down.

The result will be healthy brassicas with not a hole in the leaves.

Robin is a member of Sustainable Macleod. Read more of her veggie growing tips on our website.

The Whittlesea Food Collective needs your help

The Whittlesea Food Collective supports people experiencing hardship with free food. This includes a ‘free food supermarket’ which provides healthy food to around 50 families each week. If you grow food at home, at a community garden or school and have too much to eat, please help them by donating your excess. Donations can be dropped off on Wednesdays or Fridays at Building D, Melbourne Polytechnic, Epping Campus, on the corner of Dalton Road and Cooper Street, 3076. Alternatively, contact Charlotte by phone (0481 945111) or email to discuss.

Meg’s garden this month

The leaf colour in the garden is currently stunning. As the pears start to turn, the yellow foliage highlights the ripening lemons and limes in the orchard. The veggie beds have been turned over and the last of the summer produce is starting to look forlorn on the kitchen bench. I blanch and freeze a couple of tromboncino for winter soups and the last one goes into zucchini pickle (see the recipe below).

I am now harvesting spring onions, coriander, bok choy and other Asian greens sown as seedlings early last month. This week I will succession plant the greens and also snow peas (as seed). This time last year we were in lockdown and there were shortages of seeds and seedlings. Saving your own seed, especially of legumes, is simple. Keep one healthy bean bush/climber and allow a few pods to stay on the plant for seed and allow them to dry on the plant. When they are almost dried, pick and store in a dry place until completely dried out. You can then shell the seeds into an envelope or similar for storage for next season or to share with friends.

Zucchini pickles

1½ kg zucchini, sliced
2 small onions, sliced
1 small red capsicum, sliced finely
¼ cup salt
water
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 teaspoons mustard seed

Place the vegetables in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Add salt and let stand for 2 hours.

Drain the vegetables and set aside.

Place the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil for 1-2 minutes.

Add the vegetables and let stand in a pot for a further 2 hours.

Bring back to the boil and then pack into sterilised jars and seal.

Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.

Can perishable food be sent in the post?

The answer is ‘yes’ but I only know that because, in February, Australia Post announced that they would be stopping delivering perishable food in June, citing difficulties in temperature control. Although they were canny enough to exclude chocolate from their list of ‘perishables’, there was still something of an outcry and, last week, Australia Post announced that they would, after all, continue to deliver perishables. They even set up a hotline email address: perishables@auspost.com.au.

Some articles for you to read

Underpants experiments are taking place in Australian paddocks and gardens — all in the name of soil health by ABC Rural. Thanks for the heads up, Tracey Bjorksten! From the combination of the article title and the picture, I think that I already have too much information.

How to neutralise glyphosate (roundup) herbicide contamination in soil by Preston’s Angelo Eliades. Inter alia, by reading this article you will learn about the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Adam Hillman slices and dices fruit and other food to create artistic photos.

Thanks for the thanks

A few weeks ago, we featured Melbourne Farmers Market’s advert for the job of kitchen activator. Miranda Sharp has now written in: “I just wanted to say thanks to for listing our ads a few weeks ago – we have had a great response and are excited to be interviewing some great candidates. We are delighted to be creating new opportunities in our local food system and will share the projects as soon as they are underway.“

What seeds to plant in May

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

Brassicas

Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Kale
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Pak choy
Cool season veggies

Broad beans
Coriander
Fennel
Garlic
Peas
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Rocket
Silverbeet
Spinach
Other

Carrot
Chickpea
Chives
Onion
Parsley
Potato
Radish
Shallot

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

Read Helen’s guides on growing brassicas and garlic.

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

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Forbidden fruit. Meaning: something that is desired all the more because it is not allowed. This phrase was first used literally in the Book of Genesis and figuratively in the 17th Century.

In Western culture, the fruit in question is often assumed to be an apple (hence, the ‘Adam’s apple’ is named after the fruit which is supposed to have stuck in Adam’s throat), but the type of fruit isn’t actually mentioned in the Bible. As discussed in Wikipedia, the fruit is variously identified in other traditions as a banana (as apparently stated in the Koran), fig (hence the use of fig leaves in some paintings), grape, pomegranate (indigenous to the Middle East), mushroom (psychoactive rather than button) or wheat kernel (which is apparently botanically a fruit). Perhaps the depiction of the fruit as an apple comes from either a misunderstanding of, or a pun on, the Latin word malum, which means both ‘evil’ and ‘apple’.

The Bible (King James Version) is the source of many phrases. Here are some food-related examples:

  • Cast bread upon the waters.
  • Eat drink and be merry.
  • Man does not live by bread alone.
  • Manna from Heaven.
  • The bread of life.
  • The salt of the earth.
  • You reap what you sow.

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“The English may love gardening and fishing, but they have never struck me as being close to nature. Their way of expression is ‘the hollyhocks are awfully good’ sort of thing, all done in very good taste. The savagery of nature is something they don’t dwell upon.” by Denholm Elliott.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

I have a job crushing Coca-Cola cans. It’s soda pressing.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
April
May
June

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
April
May
June
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 1st May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 1st May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia : Saturday, 1st May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 6th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 8th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 9th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Naples and the Amalfi Coast: Tuesday, 11th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 13th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 14th May, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 15th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 16th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 16th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 16th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 21st May, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 21st May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 22nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 22nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 22nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 23rd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 23rd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 27th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 29th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 29th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 29th May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 30th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 3rd June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 5th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 6th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 10th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 11th June, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 12th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 17th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 18th June, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 18th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 19th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 19th June, ; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 19th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 20th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 20th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News April 21 2021

Apr 212021
 

Welcome to new joiners Chloe, Dante, Emily, Frank, Joanna, Katie, Kerri, Kylie, Lyn, Mily, Sue, Tracey, Tracy and Xue Shan.

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Evan Gellert, Katie Ward, Mac McVeigh, Taily Vue and Vasundhara Kandpal.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s)!.

Judy visits the garden of Dianne Wollaston and John Pender in Eltham

Quite a few properties in Eltham are around an acre on the side of a hill on a battle-axe block and the combination of these factors often leads to a unique garden. Such is the garden of Dianne Wollaston and John Pender, which is why I asked Judy Vizzari to visit them and write up the results.

As Judy says in her introduction, “I’m visiting Dianne and John at their battle-axe block set in the steeply rolling hills between Eltham and Research – we’re close to Main Road but completely cut off from the bustle of major arteries … The original farmhouse still clings to its giddying slope, partway between high hilltop and low, dry, creek bed … My lasting impression of this property will be of its trees. Enormous oaks and pines plus the limey elm greet visitors, who then glimpse eucalypts in the upper eastern paddock and a varied collection of fruiting trees on the terraces at the other (northern) end of the property.”

She then goes on to discuss the management of water on the property, which includes a pond, trenches, both open and enclosed drains, terracing and water tanks. Then she discusses their whole variety of worm farms. And obviously (given the focus of this newsletter) there are lots of veggies and fruit trees being grown plus chickens and bees.

Read the full interview writeup.

Like previous interviewees Dan (Milne), Jules (Jay), Lucinda (Flynn) and Pam (Jenkins), Dianne is an active member of North East Region Permaculture Group (NERP).

A growing tip – broad beans

From Evan Gellert: “A tip with sowing broad beans, especially now that it is getting later/cooler, is to double sow (2 seeds per spot) as seeds are cheap but re-planting into gaps 3-4 weeks from now leaves them even later/cooler. It’s very easy to snip off the doubles that germinate, or just leave them for a while as decoys for the slugs and snails which can destroy entire sowings when there is not much else around to eat.”

A reminder – apricot trees

From Mac McVeigh: “If you haven’t already, now is a good time to prune your apricot trees. Winter pruning of apricots is not recommended because the dreaded gummosis (aka dead arm) disease can enter your tree via the pruning ‘wounds’ if the tree is dormant. Rather, always prune when the sap is still flowing.”

A new meals delivery service in Lilydale

Source of the Earth are a new meals delivery service based in Lilydale who deliver to Lilydale, Northcote and all suburbs in between. You order meals online from Monday to Sunday and then they deliver on Wednesday. All their food is either vegan or vegetarian and they change their menu weekly. Welcome Katie!

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – Indian veggie pakoras

Ingredients

1¼ cup besan (gram flour)
3 tablespoon rice flour
1½ teaspoon chilli powder or paprika
a pinch of hing/asafoetida
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup cabbage, sliced into thin long strips
½ cup potatoes, finely chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
2 teaspoon green chillies, finely chopped
¾ to 1 cup water
oil, for deep frying
coriander chutney, to serve

Method

Mix together the besan (gram flour), rice flour, chilli powder, asafoetida and salt in a bowl.

Add the cabbage, potatoes, onions, green chilies and coriander and mix the vegetables with the flour mixture. Slowly start adding water to make a semi solid batter. Remember that, as the batter sits, the veggies will release more water, so it’s important to add just enough water till you don’t have any dry lumpy flour.

Heat the oil in a pot or kadhai. Fry the pakoras in hot oil on medium flame for about 3 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low to let the potatoes cook properly.

Fry the pakoras till they are crisp and golden brown. Take them out with a slotted spoon and drain them on kitchen paper.

Serve hot with green chutney.

Tip: you can use other vegetables such as cauliflower florets, spinach, brinjal, methi or fenugreek leaves. Also, you can omit the rice flour if it is not easily available and just use gram flour for making the pakoras.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website.

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

Are you a parent of a child in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program?

Taily Vue, student researcher at Deakin University, is exploring parental perspectives of how the primary school Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program influences vegetable consumption in the family home environment. She is looking for parents to conduct 1 hour Zoom interviews with. If potentially interested, contact Taily by email or phone (9244 3788).

Joe’s Market Garden in the news

Sprout magazine is a quarterly magazine which “celebrates local food and producers“. Its most recent edition (Autumn) features Joes Market Garden in Coburg. “The farm produces a wide variety of vegetables, available at the farm gate or in boxes online, including kale, broad beans, lettuces, chicory, Lebanese cucumber, zucchini, radishes and salad mix. However, the farm has become so much more than the delicious food it produces with workshops, a popular volunteers’ program, and events such as Emily’s Weed Dating, (a sort of gardening speed dating) now touted as a ‘thing to do’ in Melbourne.” Read more on Facebook.

If you ever accidently unsubscribe …

If you ever accidently unsubscribe from this newsletter, I can re-subscribe you rather than you having to re-subscribe yourself. Just drop me an email.

I was prompted me to say this when a friend of mine recently unsubscribed. When I wrote to her to check that she really did want to unsubscribe, she replied: “Thank you for contacting me, Guy. I do not want to unsubscribe. I look forward to the newsletter every Wednesday. A wandering finger was responsible and I was too tired at the time to get myself subscribed again. So thank you, Guy. Please make me a subscriber again.”

A summary of the website

The purpose of the website (and this newsletter) is twofold: to promote all aspects of local food around North East Melbourne and to make people around North East Melbourne feel part of a local food community. The material on the website is centred on 5 databases:

  1. Upcoming local food-related events: all the upcoming events of various types, around 400 per month.
  2. Local food producers: pages on each of around 130 producers, both farmers and makers.
  3. Local community gardens: pages on each of the 60 community gardens in the area
  4. Local food swaps: details of the 30 food swaps in the area.
  5. Local food justice organisations: including ‘food is free’ sites, free food distribution organisations and free community meals.

These databases are brought together into an overall Local Food Directory which contains pages for each of 300 or so local food organisations.

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

Joke (or pun) of the week

What is the left side of an apple? The part that you don’t eat.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
April
May
June
  • Edible weeds walk: Saturday, 5th June, 10.30am-12.30pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Brunswick East.
  • Edible weeds walk: Saturday, 5th June, 1.30-3.30pm; $25 ($13 per hour); Brunswick East.

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
April
May
June
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 23rd April, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 23rd April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 24th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 24th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 27th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 1st May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 1st May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia : Saturday, 1st May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 6th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 8th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 9th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 13th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 14th May, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 15th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 16th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 16th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 16th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 18th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 21st May, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 21st May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 22nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 22nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 22nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 23rd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 23rd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 27th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 29th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 29th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 29th May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 30th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 3rd June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 5th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 6th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 10th June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Thursday, 10th June, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 11th June, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 12th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 12th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

Read about more cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News April 14 2021

Apr 162021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stevens, Giuliana Priolo, Kayla Blackmore, Miranda Sharpe, Ramesh Dianat and Vasundhara Kandpal.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s)!.

The top left box of every newsletter

People sometimes ask me how many people the newsletter is sent to. My reply is that the number of recipients is always given in the top left of every newsletter (and is currently 3,262).

This is the same box as the hyperlinks for unsubscribing and for switching between weekly and monthly newsletters.

And, from this week onwards, it is also the same box as an acknowledgement to the traditional owners of the lands that most of us live on. Thanks, Giuliana Priolo, for suggesting this. Maybe it will start a trend for other newsletters.

Re-opening/closing news

Northcote Food Swap has “gone into hibernation“.

What’s in season for you to buy in April?

[I’m pleased to welcome Kayla Blackmore as a (hopefully!) regular contributor to this newsletter. Kayla is the market manager of Coburg Farmers’ Market. Our current plan is that she will write a monthly article on what is in season for you to buy at farmers’ markets and elsewhere. Kayla’s first contribution is a slightly belated article for April.]

What’s in season for you to buy in April:

  • Fruit: apples, figs, raspberries, melons, tamarillos, grapes, strawberries.
  • Vegetables: sweetcorn, pumpkins, beetroot, shallots, spring onions, beans, cabbage, broccoli, chillies, potatoes, parsnips.

Mid April sees the start of the pine mushroom season. “All the mushrooms that we get and bring to market are wild mushrooms. They cannot be cultivated. That’s what makes them unique and that’s why they’re only at farmers’ markets for a short period of time.” (Vlad, owner of Melbourne Pine Mushrooms). According to Vlad, the best way to store them is on paper trays, which should then be put in paper bags and refrigerated. Tip: pine mushrooms will oxidise and turn a greenish colour when bruised or damaged so handle them with care; however, they are still perfectly fine to eat if they have turned green. They love salt, oil and butter (don’t we all?) and are amazing on toast for breakfast or in a hearty stew or pasta sauce.

Another new video from Karen Sutherland

Karen, who lives in Pascoe Vale South, specialises in growing native bush tucker. She has recently a video on harvesting and pruning native oregano/thyme/mint. It is the 7th in a series about harvesting and pruning native edible plants.

Fun facts – oobleck

If you follow American politics, you will know that the Dr. Seuss books are rather topical over there at the moment. One such book is Bartholomew and the Oobleck, which follows the adventures of a young boy named Bartholomew Cubbins who must rescue his kingdom from a sticky green substance called ‘oobleck’. Oobleck (named after the book) is actually a real liquid which has the extremely unusual property that it becomes more viscous (i.e. more solid) under pressure.

Usually a liquid remains a liquid no matter how hard you stir it. By contrast, oobleck temporarily becomes more solid when you stir it. Technically, it is called a ‘shear thickening liquid’. Wikipedia lists only two other substances that behave in this manner, namely silly putty and (bizarrely) chilled caramel ice cream topping. It is effectively the opposite of quicksand, which is normally a solid but which liquefies if, for example, you walk on it.

Oobleck is really easy to make at home, comprising just cornflour and water. Simply put some cornflour in a flat-bottomed bowl and slowly add water until the mixture becomes a liquid. It is then easy to feel its weirdness: if you drag your fingers along the top of the liquid, that part which is under your fingers temporarily becomes solid. Here is a relevant video. Something to try out with your grandchildren?

Here is a video of people walking on oobleck. Here is a video of oobleck ‘dancing’ on a speaker cone.

Read more food-related fun facts on our website.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Alonsa Guevara paints hyperrealistic paintings of fruit, such as the orange pictured right.

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – veggie cream cheese

Ingredients

1½ cups raw cashews (soaked in water for several hours or overnight, drained and rinsed)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 tablespoons water
¼ cup carrots, shredded
¼ cup capsicum, diced
2 tablespoons green onion, diced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

Method

Don’t let the prep time for this recipe scare you! It’s all hands off.

Be sure that your cashews have soaked for several hours or, ideally, overnight. The longer that they soak, the creamier your cream cheese will be. After soaking, drain and rinse the cashews.

Add the soaked cashews, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, onion powder, paprika and garlic powder to the bowl of a food processor. Start to process to break up the cashews. You will need to stop the food processor frequently and scrape down the sides to keep the mixture moving. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until it comes together into a smooth spread. Be patient as this could take 5-10 minutes.

Once it’s smooth, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the carrots, capsicum, onion, parsley and dill. Stir to combine.

Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or a tiny splash of vinegar or lemon juice, if necessary.

Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge. It will set up and thicken slightly as it sits in the fridge and gets cold. You could eat it right away, but it’s better cold.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website.

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

The history of this newsletter and the website: 2020

2020 was, as you know, a year like no other. In February, there were around 350 local food events around North East Melbourne but, by April, this had plummeted to around zero. I was minded to put the newsletter (and website) on hold until the end of the pandemic but wiser heads prevailed and, instead, it partially re-invented itself as a more interactive publication where readers asked/answered questions about food-related matters, offered tips, sent in photos, provided recipes and wrote articles. Surprisingly, many more people clicked links in the newsletter than in previous years (almost 30,000 links clicked in 2020) and many more people subscribed to the newsletter than in previous years (almost 1,000 new subscribers in 2020). So, rather than being a victim of Covid-19, the newsletter actually became a beneficiary.

Read the earlier history.

That concludes the history of this newsletter and the website since I got involved. I hope that you have found it of some interest. Next week, I’ll summarise the major sections of the website and then we will move onto something else.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was the guided tours of the Edible Forest in Dixons Creek.

Joke (or pun) of the week

The Black Eyed Peas can sing us a tune, but the chickpeas can hummus one.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
April
May

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
April
May
June
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 16th April, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 16th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 18th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 18th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 20th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 23rd April, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 23rd April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 24th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 24th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 27th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 1st May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 1st May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia : Saturday, 1st May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 6th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 8th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 9th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 13th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 14th May, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 15th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 16th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 16th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 16th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 18th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 21st May, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 21st May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 22nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 22nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 22nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 23rd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 23rd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 27th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 29th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 29th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 29th May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 30th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 3rd June, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 4th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 5th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 5th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 6th June, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 6th June, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.

Read about more cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News April 7 2021

Apr 072021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela Cheung, Julie O’Brien, Lucinda Flynn and Melanie Rankin-Smith.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s)!.

Going green with Lucinda – composting solutions for everyone

Lucinda Flynn, from eco shop Going Green Solutions, has written an article for our website about different composting solutions. As she says in her introduction, when it comes to organic waste, “there is no such method as ‘best’; rather, it is about what ‘best matches the situation’. Each home and each person will have different capacities to collect waste and may also have different preferred outcomes for their waste, so there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. The important thing is choosing a method or group of methods that work for you. This means choosing the method(s) that match what you want to compost, how much outdoor space you have, your living situation, and your lifestyle.” She then goes on to discuss 8 possible methods, namely:

  1. Compost bays: a good way of processing larger kinds of wastes, such as garden wastes, but they require both space and time.
  2. Chickens: “I can’t recommend chickens highly enough.“.
  3. Black compost bins with lids: good for kitchen food scraps.
  4. Bokashi bins: suitable for people with a smallish amount of kitchen scraps (e.g. a 2-person home) and can include meat, dairy, citrus and onion waste.
  5. Worm farms: a great option for smallish amounts of kitchen scraps, but not including meat, dairy, citrus or onion.
  6. Weed tea buckets: for noxious weeds that you need to keep out of compost.
  7. Council green waste bins: depends on your council.
  8. Give away your organic waste: e.g. via ShareWaste.com.

Read the full article.

The Edible Forest in Dixons Creek

You might have noticed that many of our newsletters include notification of wild fermentation classes in Dixons Creek (these classes now happen on the first Saturday of each month). You might also have noticed that these classes end with an ‘edible forest tour’. The ‘edible forest’ in question is a 1-acre block devoted to food production using hügelkultur and permaculture methods (read more). Guided tours of the edible forest happen 6 days a week at 10am (midday on Saturday), take 45 minutes to 1 hour and cost only $15. There are also options which include tastings and eating. Read more and book your tour.

Community composting is back in Thornbury

Span Community House in Thornbury have announced that their community composting program has re-started and that they are now accepting food waste from local homes to convert to compost for their community garden. They have also broadened the items that they can take to include citrus, onion and garlic. Read more on their website.

Want a job?

Manager of Urban Horticulture, Streat, Collingwood

Manager of Urban Horticulture working for Streat. A 2 year contract, full time. “Oversee and lead the development of an urban agriculture training hub in Collingwood designed to support trainees and viable urban agriculture business models. In the longer term, play a key role in developing a range of urban farming sites across inner Melbourne, supported and tended by a roaming team of horticulturalists.” Closing date: Monday, 12th April.

Garden Co-ordinator, Span, Thornbury

Part time (12 hours per fortnight). “To lead, supervise and support people within a community garden setting, the role will be to maintain and further develop Span’s Community Garden, develop a long term plan, engage and support a diverse range of community members and volunteers and create learning opportunities.” Closing date: Sunday, 18th April. Read more and potentially apply.

Three new videos from Karen Sutherland

Karen, who lives in Pascoe Vale South, specialises in growing native bush tucker. This week, she has published another three videos:

A recipe for Winter warmer spicy beef silverbeet soup

I’m really pleased to introduce a new person to our roster of recipe providers. Angela Cheung lives in Macleod and is a member of Sustainable Macleod. She has recently started her own small business called Pop-Up Pantry, which is an online store delivering pantry and household cleaning products direct to homes within 10km of Macleod.

Angela’s first recipe is her version of the Korean yukgaejang.

Ingredients (serves 6)

1½ kg beef bone for broth
500g beef rump steak (if beef bone doesn’t have much meat)
2 onions
1 bag of silverbeet
1 leek or 5 spring onions or 2 onions
4 garlic glove, crushed
2 tablespoons dried red chilli
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
salt for season
fish sauce

Method

Make the beef broth. Clean the beef bones in cold water. Boil up the beef bones, the onions half cut and 5 litres cold water in a stock pot. Skim off scum and shimmer for 2-3 hours until the meat pulling apart.

Remove the stock pot from the heat, drain the stock and set aside.

When the meat cools down, discard the bones and fat, keeping the lean meaty part. Shred the meat and add the soy sauce, sesame oil and cracked black paper for seasoning. Set aside.

Clean the silverbeet and leek and chop to small pieces.

To make the chilli oil, fry the grapeseed oil and red chilli powder in a pot for 2-3 minutes.

Add the beef broth and boil up. When boiling, add the chopped leek, garlic and stock of silverbeet. Cook for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the seasoned shredded beef meat and silverbeet leafy parts. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until everything comes together.

Taste and season with fish sauce and salt. Serve with steamed rice.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Angelo Eliades’ article on whether or not to compost eucalyptus leaves.

The history of this newsletter and the website: 2019

My first entree into the fascinating, and somewhat mysterious, subject of ‘food justice’ was way back in 2013 when I visited the Diamond Valley FoodShare in Greensborough. It was a much bigger, and a much more altruistic, enterprise than I had envisaged. In subsequent years, I tried, but failed, to help the Eltham FoodShare and I tried, but failed, to set up a Food is Free venture in Diamond Creek, so my interest waned. It was partly revived in 2016 by my discovery of the extensive network of free local community meals but it was only in early 2019, when I was fortunate enough to visit the extraordinary FoodShare operation in Abbotsford and also became aware of the equally extraordinary Mitcham Community Meal, that I fully realised the width and breadth of the food justice activities around North East Melbourne. I then decided to pull all the strands together into a proper food justice section on the website – see the various subject areas in the right hand sidebar.

In passing, the subject of food justice has a rather different political context in Australia than in the country that I have spent most of my life in (the United Kingdom). This difference is illustrated by the differing attitudes towards ‘food banks’: in Australia, food banks appear to be simply seen as worthy enterprises to be supported if possible (e.g. see this article in the Guardian); by contrast, in the UK, the very existence of food banks is controversial, as many people view them as akin to a sticking plaster hiding government failure to take proper action on the subject of food justice (e.g. see this article in the Guardian). This difference is part of a wider difference whereby the UK, together with the rest of Europe, have a tradition of universal benefits whereas Australia apparently has more means-testing than just about anywhere else in the developed world. This is a subject about which I might write more in the future (according to my wife, this should be viewed as more of a threat than a promise!).

Read the earlier history.

Joke (or pun) of the week

What is worse than finding a worm in your apple? Finding one in your caramel apple, which costs about 35 cents more, on average.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
April
May

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
April
May
In Richmond
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 10th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 13th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 16th April, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 16th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 18th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 18th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 20th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 23rd April, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 23rd April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 24th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 24th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 27th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 1st May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 1st May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia : Saturday, 1st May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 6th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 8th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 9th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 13th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 14th May, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 15th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 16th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 16th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 16th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 18th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 21st May, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 21st May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 22nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 22nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 22nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 23rd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 23rd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 27th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 28th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 29th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 29th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 29th May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 30th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 30th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News March 31 2021

Mar 312021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Choon Yeok, Helen Simpson, Karen Olsen, Linda Wall, Megan Goodman, Mick Sheard, Robin Gale-Baker and Stuart Rodda.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s)!.

Robin’s food growing tip – kaolin clay and Queensland Fruit Fly

Kaolin clay, best known by home gardeners as a spray to control gall wasp, has apparently proved to be successful in trials as a preventative for Queensland Fruit Fly infestation. Trials are ongoing.

Kaolin clay is an organically registered product, described as a ‘light spray oil emulsion’. It is made of clay (as the name suggests) and, when sprayed, provides a light, white covering for fruit, stems and leaves. It is effective on citrus, stone fruits, pome fruits (including apples) and tomatoes. The Department of Primary Industry has reported that sting marks on apples were reduced by 92% and that there were no larvae or maggots in the fruit in a trial run at Bathurst, NSW.

The spray is also ‘soft’ on beneficial insects. It deters grasshoppers, codling moth, leafrollers, mites, thrips, some moths and Plum curculio, as well as gall wasp. These insects are deterred from landing, feeding and egg laying by the unsuitable surface that the kaolin clay film creates. Note that it needs to be produced commercially to refine it to the correct particulate size as pure kaolin clay will kill trees.

To be effective, trees need to be fully sprayed and research thus far suggests spraying early in the season is essential. Spraying needs to be done three times, a week apart each time, and will not work unless all three sprays take place. To be effective, spraying should be to the point where the solution drips from the leaves. Rain will not wash it off until late in the season when its job will have been done.

Additionally, strong, healthy trees get the best results. This requires good soil and water management so that the trees are well fed and can draw on plenty of moisture. This in turn encourages the presence of beneficial insects and deters attacks by non-beneficial ones.

My experience is that I may have inadvertently protected the fruit on my 6 citrus trees by spraying kaolin clay from October to December to deter gall wasp. While many of my friends have citrus (particularly lemon trees) that have been devastated by Queensland Fruit Fly, my trees are completely free of this pest.

In summary, kaolin clay looks like a very promising treatment for Queensland Fruit Fly. I will be using it from August onwards but I will also be combining it with other methods including exclusion netting, pheromone and protein traps, and biodiverse planting under all my fruit trees to encourage beneficial insect predators.

Read more of Robin Gale-Baker’s fruit growing tips on our website.

A new group based in Moreland – Growing Farmers

Growing Farmers is a new group based in Moreland whose mission is “to support regenerative farming in urban communities“. Their main initial project, called Backyard Farmers, aims “to match aspiring urban farmers and volunteers with people who wish to maintain the productivity of their gardens“, starting in Fawkner. Click here to read a recent ABC article about the project.

Stuart’s not-so-small hand tool of the week – a power planter

Power planters are an auger-like digging tool for quickly making planting holes and are powered by an ordinary battery drill. You can dig many holes in a few minutes, including going deeper than most hand tools, to provide an easy growth path for roots plus the soil is broken up and piled around the hole ready to be packed back in around the plant. Also, they are fun to use! A robust version costs only $20 from Kogan (auger only, you supply the drill!) or you can buy one from specialist suppliers for upwards of $70. One drawback – if you hit a stone under the soil surface, there can be a strong kickback through your hands/wrist so be careful!

This brings us to the end of Stuart’s 7-part series on hand tools. Thanks, Stuart!

Read Stuart’s other articles about garden tools.

Yes, you did know

Sweet potatoes

Last week Mary Turner asked about the disease on her sweet potato leaves and when she should harvest the sweet potatoes.

Angelo Eliades has responded: “The photos are taken too far away for accurate diagnosis but if the brown patches have a yellow halo around them and they are on older leaves which eventually drop, then it’s likely to be the fungal disease Alternaria leaf spot. This disease is more prevalent when dry and rainy periods occur, or when plants are watered overhead wetting their leaves, especially in the evening. Harvest sweet potatoes when the leaves and ends of the vines begin turning yellow.”

[Editor: I harvest when the vines die back but, if in doubt, I leave them a bit longer as most of the bulking up is done in the last few weeks.]

Custard apples

Last week, I asked where I could buy custard apples locally. A number of you replied.

Karen Olsen: “I have found custard apples at the Vic markets and several Asian food grocers. I discovered custard apple when I moved into my first share house at university. Every week, one or two housemates would do the weekly shop at the Vic markets – the variety of the whole market, including custard apples, was a food revelation!”

Helen Simpson: “Many years ago I used to buy them in Coles. We used to have an ‘unusual fruit tasting’ every week and custard applies often featured.”

Choon Yeok: “I have bought custard apples from Woolworth and Coles before.”

My wife: “Woolworths sell them and currently have them in stock. You should have just asked me!”

Prickly pear fruit

Last week, Cathy Romeo asked about where she could buy prickly pear fruit locally (as the picture shows, she has found a place but it is not local).

Mick Sheard from Imbue Distillery replied: “We use prickly pear fruit in our gin. It is very difficult to buy in the shops and we usually get ours by either foraging (e.g. in Wattle Glen) or from roadside stalls (e.g. in Melton).”

Linda Wall also replied: “I’ve seen them for sale at Preston Market. I also have a prickly pear cactus in my garden and am happy to sell some of the fruit.”

‘Crowd harvest’ – tomatoes for Easter

Gardeners with excess tomatoes are invited to give them to one of the not-for profit organisations listed below who will, in turn, preserve them as passata, chutney, sundried or dell’olio and then distribute through their food relief programs. The program runs until 12th April. DIVRS in Preston or STREAT in Collingwood.

Meg’s garden this month

The pumpkin stems have only just started to brown but I harvest them anyway – seven large Queensland Blue are sitting like sentinels under the porch at the front door. I leave a section of stem intact for longer storage. Traditionally you wait until the stems have fully browned and then harvest your pumpkins after the first really cool day in autumn, but our few will be used within the next few months. This enables me to finally clean up the long and rambling vines that had spread across the driveway and were looking tired with their dusting of white powdery mildew.

It is a month of lasts, with the last tomatoes, beans and other summer crops gathered. The chillies and capsicums are now standing alone, unripe as the crops get cleared around them. It is also a month of firsts, and we celebrate the start of the apples (golden delicious), pears (corella) and figs (unknown). Veggie beds are cleaned out, turned over and made ready for new plantings of broccoli, peas and winter greens. The passionfruit vine is still delivering and the kids demand Grandma’s passionfruit custard slice. This is a cheat’s version of vanilla slice using lattice biscuits but it works well and, more importantly, uses a few passionfruit!

Passionfruit custard slice

Base (and top)
1 packet of lattice biscuits

Filling
300ml of strained passionfruit pulp (no seeds)
2 cups water
¾ cup sugar
100g custard powder
1 teaspoon gelatine

Icing
1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon soft butter
1 tablespoon passionfruit pulp (with seeds)
a little hot water

In a 20cm square tin, arrange a layer of the lattice biscuits as the base.

In a small pot, mix the custard powder with a bit of the water to form a paste then add the remaining water, sugar and strained passionfruit pulp and stir over gentle heat until it starts to thicken.

Dissolve the gelatine in a little water and add to the custard, stir well and pour over the base.

Arrange a second layer of lattice biscuits on top. Refrigerate until set.

Make the icing by adding the icing sugar to a bowl and the butter on top. Mix the icing ingredients together, being very careful with the amount of water you add – just enough to bring the icing together to a spreadable consistency.

Smooth the icing over the top layer of lattice biscuits and set. Cut into squares using the biscuits as a grid.

Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.

Another new article from Angelo Eliades

The question is should eucalyptus leaves be composted or used as garden mulch?.

[The answer is no. No to composting because they release hydrocarbons which are harmful to earthworms. And no to mulch because they release allelopathic compounds which are harmful to many plants.]

Three new videos from Karen Sutherland

Karen, who lives in Pascoe Vale South, specialises in growing native bush tucker. She has recently published three videos:

What seeds to plant in April

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

Brassicas

Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Kale
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Pak choy
Cool season veggies

Broad beans
Coriander
Fennel
Garlic
Peas
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Rocket
Silverbeet
Spinach
Other

Beetroot
Carrot
Chives
Parsley
Potato
Radish
Shallot

If you didn’t plant your cool season veggies in March, April is a good month. So, plant those broad beans, peas, garlic and brassicas. Also, plant some leafy greens.

Read Robin Gale-Baker’s 2020 articles on growing broad beans, cauliflower and garlic.

Read Helen Simpson’s 2016 articles on growing brassicas and garlic. Also, autumn plantings more generally.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Open Gardens Victoria’s announcement of the results of its productive patch competition.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade Meaning: be optimistic and have a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune.. This is one of those rare sayings which originated with a known person on a known date: someone called Elbert Hubbard invented the phrase (with slightly different wording) in a 1915 obituary about someone called Marshall Pinckney Wilder (who was both a dwarf and a successful actor). The idea is that, whilst lemons suggest sourness, making lemonade is turning them into something positive or desirable. In other words, negatives can be turned into positives.

Incidentally, Elbert Hubbard was a Christian anarchist. Christian anarchists believe that God should be the sole authority and therefore reject the idea of human governance. They tend to be pro Jesus but anti Paul. Pro the Sermon on the Mount but anti Romans 13. Pro faith but anti church. Pro ‘turning the other cheek’ but anti ‘eye for an eye’. Interpret “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” as ‘advice to free oneself from material attachment’ rather than ‘support for taxes’. Believers in pacifism and nonviolence. The most well-known Christian anarchist was Leo Tolstoy.

As Charlie Harper said to his less successful brother Alan in the sitcom Two and a Half Men: “The difference between you and me is, when life gives me lemons, I make lemonade. When you get lemons, you just bite into them and suck them inside out.”

Or, as the narrator said in the game Battleblock: “When life gives you potatoes, make potato salad.”

Read more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever.” by Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

What room has no doors, no walls, no floor and no ceiling? A mushroom.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
March
April
May

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
March
April
May
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 6th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 10th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 13th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 16th April, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 16th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 18th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 18th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 20th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 23rd April, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 23rd April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 24th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 24th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 27th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 1st May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 1st May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia : Saturday, 1st May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 6th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 8th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 9th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 13th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 14th May, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 15th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 16th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 16th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 16th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 18th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 20th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 21st May, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 21st May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 22nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 22nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 22nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 23rd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 23rd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News March 24 2021

Mar 252021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Cathy Romeo, Karen Olsen, Lee Hirsh, Mary Turner, Natalie Nigol, Robin Gale-Baker, Stuart Rodda and Vasundhara Kandpal.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s)!.

Re-opening news

A new community garden, called Regent Community Garden, is starting in Reservoir. Their launch party is on Sunday (i.e. 28th March), 1.30-4.30pm.

Mooroolbark Urban Harvest (aka food swap). is celebrating 5th birthday on Saturday, 10th April, 10-11.30am. Red Earth Community Park, Brice Avenue, Mooroolbark. Wear your best party gear. There will be birthday cake and tea or coffee provided (but you’ll have to bring your own mug).

The Basin Food is Free Community Garden has resumed its working bees. 1st Sunday and 3rd Thursday of each month. Rear, 2 Liverpool Road, The Basin.

Yuck Ice cream FOOD

YUCK Ice cream FOOD, who are based in Croydon North, makes ice cream with fresh, raw vegetables. There are 5 flavours: celery & fennel, garlic & onion, peas & parsley, radish & zucchini and red chilli pickles. The vegetables are blended with sugar, honey, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and double thick cream to make the ice cream. There is no cooking (hence all the nutrition from the vegetables is retained) and no use of gums (unlike most ice cream). It is a unique food which can be eaten at any time of day. You can buy the ice cream every week at Eltham Farmers’ market. Welcome, Jimmy!

Three new articles from Robin

The March newsletter from Sustainable Macleod contains three articles from Robin Gale-Baker:

Stuart’s not-so-small hand tool of the week – a flamethrower

As drastic as it sounds, a flamethrower can be used safely to quickly kill weeds without using nasty chemicals, and also destroy any seeds which the weedy plants have already made before they can fall to the ground and continue the cycle. If you can, use an existing LPG cylinder, cheap flamethrowers are around $50 and you can cover a large area quite quickly. This tool is not for the normal small home garden.

Read Stuart’s other articles about garden tools.

Want some kefir grains?

Karen Olsen, who is based in Eltham, regularly has spare kefir grains to give away (a batch every week or so). If you want some, email Karen with your phone number and she will put you on her list to contact when a batch is ready for you.

In passing, Karen would like to give a shout out to Robyn at Peninsula Fresh Organics, who gave her the grains in the first place – she finds that kefir grains can vary in flavour, depending on where they come from, and Robyn’s ones make a lovely brew.

Some more sources of free spent coffee grounds

A few new, local sources of free spent coffee grounds. If possible, you should ring them in advance.

There are now 29 local sources of free spent coffee grounds listed on our website.

You might have noticed that all 5 of the new sources are from within Darebin. Furthermore, 22 of the 29 sources listed on our website (i.e. 75%) are from within Darebin. This is not a coincidence. Rather, it is because Darebin is more organised than elsewhere when it comes to local food (which is also why there are more community gardens in Darebin than anywhere else) and it is also because Natalie Nigol from Darebin Council tells me when there are new cafes added to their Cafe to Garden program.

Do you know?

Sweet potatoes

Mary Turner has written in: “A disease on the leaves of my sweet potatoes started slowly but is gradually overtaking the whole plant. What is the disease and do I need to destroy the plant before harvest?“. She also asks, “How to I tell when my sweet potatoes are ready to harvest?”” Email us with your replies.

Prickly pear fruit

Cathy Romeo has written in: “I recently bought some prickly pear fruit in Mount Beauty – I spotted them on the nature strip as I was driving, where an elderly couple had little fruit stall. Although I have bought some for now, I am interested in knowing where one can get them from in Melbourne. Can anyone suggest anywhere local where I can buy prickly pear fruit?” Email us with your replies.

Custard apples

Inspired by Cathy’s question, I also have a question: “Can anyone suggest where I can buy custard apple fruit (not the plant, just the fruit)?” Email us with your replies.”

And the winner is …

The winner of Open Gardens Victoria’s recent productive patch competition was newsletter contributor Jian Liu, who lives in Camberwell. “Boldly, the garden utilises aquaponics and, by recycling household waste, the Liu’s have developed a ‘closed system’ for nutrient collection and soil improvement.” Read more.

Jian’s article about her pond is one of my favourite articles on our website. Her Instagram account is also incredible popular.

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – beet wellington

Ingredients

3 medium beetroots
1½ cups walnuts
500g mushrooms
4 large sprigs of rosemary
1 x 320g sheet of dairy-free puff pastry
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200degC fan-assisted.

Peel and roughly chop the beetroot, then transfer it to a baking tray. Season with a pinch of salt and drizzle with olive oil, then roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the walnuts to a food processor and process them until they have completely broken down. Then add the mushrooms and rosemary to the food processor and process everything together until the mixture turns into a smooth paste.

Transfer the mushroom mixture to a frying pan on a medium heat. Fry for 12-15 minutes until most of the moisture has evaporated, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture sticking to the pan (add a splash of olive oil if necessary). When it’s done, transfer the mushroom mixture to a large mixing bowl and leave it to one side.

Add the beetroot to the food processor and blitz into gritty form. Then transfer the processed beetroot to the mixing bowl with the mushroom mixture. Add the apple cider vinegar and season generously with salt and pepper (give the mixture a taste to make sure you have seasoned it appropriately). Stir everything well to combine, then leave the mixture to cool completely (we leave it outside during the winter to cool down quickly).

Meanwhile, line a baking tray with baking paper and unroll the sheet of puff pastry on top of the baking paper. When the wellington mixture has cooled, use a spoon to transfer it down one side of the pastry, stacking it approximately 5cm wide and tall. You will need to leave approximately 3cm on one side, as well as above and below the mixture.

Next, carefully lift one side of the pastry and cover the mixture, pressing down around the edges to enclose the wellington tightly. It is important that the pastry is tight around the mixture to prevent the wellington collapsing when it is in the oven.

Trim any leftover pastry, then brush the wellington with olive oil. Use a sharp knife to cut slices along the top of the pastry to allow the moisture to escape, then bake the wellington in the oven at 200degC fan-assisted for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website. Vasundhara is a professional cook who operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma in Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North and Montmorency. Read her menu and order.

The history of this newsletter and the website: 2018

When I first joined Local Food Connect in 2012, the subject of local food producers was much discussed at Committee meetings and, when establishing the Local Food Directory in 2014, I simply assumed that the local food producers and their interactions with the public were, or should be, at the centre of the local food community that we were trying to foster. But this has turned out not really to be the case. This first became apparent to me through my involvement in setting up Eltham Farmers’ Market: there are lots of interactions at farmers’ markets between producers and the public but these interactions are basically the same regardless of whether or not the producer is local; and, as a corollary, some local food producers who do not participate in markets only have, and only seek to have, limited interactions with the local community.

Rather, I concluded that the centre of the local food community that we were trying to foster is more the numerous community gardens that exist in North East Melbourne together with the food swaps and workshops that are often associated with them. For those who have never been to a food swap or a community garden working bee, these are essentially social events involving people who have a common interest, namely growing veggies and fruit trees. It is also clear from my interactions with newsletter readers that many/most of the readership have a similar home growing interest. In other words, it is more the home growing of food that binds us together than the local commercial growing and making of food.

I therefore decided that I wanted to talk to, and hopefully visit, each of the 60 or so community gardens and work with each of them to develop material for the website. Hence the community gardening section of the website was borne. But I also recognised that this would be a major task so I waited until the other parts of the website were stable before commencing it. In the event, it took me from mid 2017 to mid 2019 to develop a proper database of all the community gardens, with pages on each of these gardens. I progressed Council area by Council area, starting with the most active areas (e.g. Darebin) and ending with the least active (e.g. Whitehorse).

In passing, some community gardens and food swaps are much more vibrant and active than others. If you want to get involved but have found that your local one is pretty dormant, you can drop me an email and I might be able to recommend some others near you.

Read the earlier history.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Lucinda’s article on preserving tomatoes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Submitted by Lee Hirsh: My wife was going to make a batch of pancakes.
Then she wasn’t.
Then she was.
Now it looks like she is just waffling.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
March
April
May

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
March
April
May
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Thursday, 25th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 26th March, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 26th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Friday, 26th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 27th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 27th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 28th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Tuesday, 30th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 6th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 10th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 13th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 16th April, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 16th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 18th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 18th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 20th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 23rd April, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 23rd April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 24th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 24th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 27th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 1st May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 1st May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia : Saturday, 1st May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 6th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 7th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 8th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 8th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 9th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 9th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 13th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 14th May, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 15th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 15th May, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 16th May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 16th May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 16th May, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 18th May, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News March 17 2021

Mar 172021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week's newsletter: Bruno Tigani, Jenny Shaw, Lucinda Flynn, Lyn Richards, Sean Flynn, Stuart Rodda and Vasundhara Kandpal.

We would love to hear from more of you and include some of your words about any food-related matters in future newsletters. Email us with your contribution(s)!.

Going green with Lucinda – preserving tomatoes

If you have never done it and want to have a go, it is not too late to bottle tomatoes to use throughout the year – though tomato season is soon drawing to a close.

Lucinda Flynn has written an article for our website on preserving tomatoes with a Fowlers Vacola. She provides a photo of each step together with an accompanying description. The 7 steps are:

  1. Get your bottle, rings, lids and clips clean and ready.
  2. Choose your tomatoes.
  3. Fill your bottles.
  4. Add the rings, lids and clips.
  5. Put the jars into your Fowlers.
  6. Lift the bottles out and let them cool.
  7. Remove the clips.

Read the article.

If you are a member of Local Food Connect, you can borrow our Fowlers Vacola.

Lucinda is the owner of Going Green Solutions, a local company based in Hurstbridge that sells eco-products (including the Fowlers Vacola).

Stuart's small hand tool of the week – a bulb planter

A bulb planter is the fastest and cleanest way to make a hole in the soil to put in a new plant or bulb. It simultaneously digs into the soil and removes a plug of soil ready to receive the seedling, then allows you to drop that soil and push it back around the new plant. This is because it is hinged to open and allow the soil to fall out of the planter. Get a stainless steel one because rust on a cheaper one will allow the soil to stick to it and not fall out easily when the handle is squeezed.

Read Stuart's other articles about garden tools.

Re-opening news

South Morang Farmers & Makers Market is re-opening this Sunday (20th March). This means that all the local markets have now re-opened.

Box Hill South will be holding their first face-to-face urban harvest (aka food swap) this Saturday (20th March). Just about all of the local food swaps have now re-opened.

There are a number of community gardens that I haven't yet heard from. Does anyone know whether or not any of the following community gardens have re-started their working bees, etc: East Reservoir, Living & Learning Eltham, Newton Street, Reynard Street, Watsonia or Your Community Health? If you do, email me.

8 new seed libraries across Banyule and Nillumbik

8 new seed libraries have recently opened, 4 in Banyule and 4 in Nillumbik. Read more about them.

Together with 5 in Darebin and 2 in Yarra Ranges, that makes a total of 15 seed libraries across North East Melbourne. Look at a map of these 15 libraries on our website, where you can click on any of the names to read more about that seed library.

All the seed libraries operate on a similar philosophy, namely:

  • Take – visit a seed library and take the seeds you would like to grow.
  • Grow – grow the seeds at home, but leave at least one plant to go to seed.
  • Save – save some seeds for next year from the healthiest plants.
  • Share – return some of the saved seeds to the seed library.

Yes you did know(!) – apple disease

Last week, Vicki asked what the disease was on her golden delicious apples. Bruno Tigani and Lyn Richards both wrote it to say that it is 'apple scab', which is a common disease caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis.

Bruno referred Vicki to this web page.

Lyn added: "My guess is that golden delicious are vulnerable for just the reason that we grow them – thin skin, moist fruit, deteriorate rapidly off the tree. The good news is it's cosmetic only, doesn't harm the fruit, but pity the apple farmer who gets it. And it clearly can get nastier – if you Google 'apple scab' you get horrific images of far worse damage than you have, and to the leaves as well. Control measures are the usual for fungus – clear fallen leaves and fruit, keep base of tree clear, avoid overhead watering. Read this Agriculture Victoria page. Plant resistant varieties – I can't find a list of them, but one appears to be my heritage Rome Beauty apple – not a spot on its huge red fruit."

Vasundhara's recipe of the week – dairy-free parmesan

Ingredients

1 cup cashews, raw
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sea salt

Method

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.

Pulse until a fine crumb mixture forms. Literally seconds.

Use in just about any savoury dish you can think of.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal's plant-based recipes on our website. Vasundhara is a professional cook who operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma in Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North and Montmorency. Read her menu and order.

The history of this newsletter and the website: 2017

The most important thing that happened in 2017 was that Helen Simpson, having run out of veggies to write 'how to grow …' guides for, volunteered to undertake a series of visits to the gardens of home growers and write up the results. In subsequent years, Ann Stanley, Greta Gillies, Judy Vizzari and Marina Bistrin have followed in Helen's footsteps. We now have around 40 garden visit writeups on the website and these include some of the more notable names in our local food community, such as: Adrian O’Hagan, Angelo Eliades, Bruce Plain, Chloe Thomson, Katrina Forstner, Lucinda Flynn, Maria Ciavarella, Olwyn Smiley, Pam Jenkins, Robin and Paul Gale-Baker and Virginia Solomon.

We also have around 10 interviews with local food producers and a further 10 interviews with community gardening people.

2017 was also the year when I finally started on what I knew would be a mammoth task, namely developing website pages for each of 60 or so community gardens in North East Melbourne. But more on that next week.

Read the earlier history.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Ann's visit to Jenny Husselbee's garden.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Submitted by Sean Flynn: What is the fastest liquid on Earth? Milk, because it’s pasteurised before you see it!

The pictorial joke has been submitted by Jenny Shaw.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
March
April
May

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
March
April
May
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 18th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 18th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 19th March, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 20th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 20th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 20th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 21st March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 21st March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 21st March, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Naples and the Amalfi Coast: Tuesday, 23rd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Thursday, 25th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 26th March, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 26th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna's comfort food (Italian): Friday, 26th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 27th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 27th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 28th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l'Italia: Tuesday, 30th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna's comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 6th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l'Italia: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 10th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 13th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 16th April, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 16th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 18th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 18th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 20th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 23rd April, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 23rd April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 24th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 24th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 27th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 1st May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 1st May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia : Saturday, 1st May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.

Read about more cooking classes in Richmond.

LFC News March 10 2021

Mar 092021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ally Price, Ann Stanley, Chloe Thomson, Lucinda Flynn, Pam Jenkins, Rachel Bishop, Samantha Patterson, Stuart Rodda, Vasundhara Kandpal and Vicki Jordan.

Ann visits the garden of Jenny Husselbee in Mooroolbark

A few weeks ago, we discussed Ann Stanley’s visit to Claire Smith’s garden in Mooroolbark. As the same time, Ann also visited to Jenny Husselbee’s 4½ acre block and she has now written up the visit and interview.

Jenny’s property is a model of permaculture zoning with an extensive, kitchen garden near the house, the enclosed orchard a little further away and wilder areas beyond that. There are ducks, bees, many fruit trees and lots of raised veggie beds. There is a large dam and 128,000 litres of water tanks. The wilder areas are important as Jenny is keen on indigenous and native vegetation, in particular edible plants, to support a wide range of wildlife such as birds, frogs and lizards. She is part of the Ribbons of Green program run by Yarra Ranges Shire which aims to plant 60,000 native plants each year.

Read the full interview writeup.

We need more people to come forward for Ann or Judy to visit their garden and interview them. If you are potentially on for this, please email me.

Stuart’s small hand tool of the week – a hook

A hook is a tool with a curved blade which can be used for slashing down vegetation, pruning, or harvesting leafy greens. It is like a small scythe and is far quicker than using secateurs, plus it keeps your hands away from prickles or other plant defences. Some care is needed not to cut yourself.

Read Stuart’s other articles about garden tools.

More on composting

In response to Lucinda’s article last week on the results of her composting of various things, Ally Price asked: “Do you also compost gum leaves? I have been looking for more carbon material to balance our compost and we have plenty of gum leaves and bark always falling but the information is a bit confusing about how you can use them in compost.” To which Lucinda’s answer is “I definitely add some gum leaves to the compost bays (the longer term, garden waste compost) … I have never added them to the black bins but I reckon you could get away with adding some so long as plenty of other carbon goes in there too.”

Samantha Patterson has also written in: “It is great to hear that someone else puts everything (of organic origin) in their compost bin! Like Lucinda, sometimes the ‘everything system’ just means that, when turning or using the compost, some stuff gets thrown back in for another round (and sometimes another and another and another!). It doesn’t really bother me if it takes a bit longer to decompose, or if it requires a bit of sifting, or if the compost has chunks in it … good things generally take time and it’s all waste reduction in the end!

“We also have what I call a ‘contaminated’ bin. It’s compost that I won’t use on food plants and generally just composts itself down to nothing eventually. But it’s where I put items like paper waste that I’m not entirely sure if it has a plastic coating or not … or the fabric from an op shop t-shirt that never had tags so I’m not quite sure if it’s cotton or not. When I turn the contaminated bin, I usually discover bits of synthetic thread/fabric from the clothes and small sheets of soft plastic from those questionable paper products – the worms have eaten all the paper off and left the film of plastic (which then gets thrown out if unsalvageable or, if I can clean it up, popped into soft plastic recycling). I grow comfrey around the base of the bin with the idea that it will help to clean up some of the nasties that might leach into the surrounding soil.”

The Veggie Empire and Beales Road Farm

The Veggie Empire grow fruit, vegetables and herbs at Beales Road Farm in suburban Greensborough. They sell both seedlings and vegetables to the public, which you can buy at Alphington Farmers’ Market (2nd and 4th Sundays) or at Edendale Farm (seedlings only). They also provide vegetables and herbs to the Earthbound Bolton cafe in Eltham and to the food relief program at Greenhills Neighbourhood House in Greensborough.

Beales Road Farm is a small regenerative urban farm that operates under a landshare arrangement with local man Hayden Mclean, who generously shares his land with the team. The farm is closed to the public. The farm team comprises NDIS-funded team members Josh and Scott, plus supporting horticulturalists and other volunteers.

Local Food Connect has organised two tours of Beales Road Farm in the near future on Tuesday, 23rd March, 10-11am and on Tuesday, 13th April, 1-2pm.

Read The Veggie Empire’s Local Food Directory page.

Do you know – apple disease?

Vicki Jordan has written in: “Almost all of my golden delicious apples, but none of my jonathans, look like the photo. As you can see, the disease is only on the skin and does not penetrate into the flesh. Does anyone know what the disease is? Email your replies.”

Growing new farmers

Farmer Incubator and Young Farmers Connect have just released a report entitled Regeneration – Growing New Farmers. The report discusses the challenges that new and young farmers face getting started as they attempt to farm regeneratively, address food and land justice, gain entry into the value chain and become viable. Read or download the report.

Harvest time in Chute Street, Diamond Creek

The Grade 3 and 4 students from Diamond Creek Primary School recently harvested the planter boxes in Chute Street in Diamond Creek. There was celery, rainbow chard, lettuce, carrots, yellow beetroot, spring onions, sage, thyme and, last but not least, some flowers. Everything was then delivered to the Food is Free table in the Manse Garden at Diamond Creek.

Enthusing your children to grow veggies

Watch this video (5 minutes) by newsletter reader Chloe Thomson on her tips for getting your children excited about growing their own veggies.

Say no or BYO

Many single-use plastics have just been banned from sale or supply in Victoria, namely single-use straws, cutlery, plates, drink-stirrers, expanded polystyrene food/drink containers and cotton bud sticks. Read more.

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – creamy roasted capsicum pasta

Ingredients

3 large red capsicums
½ kg penne rigate pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups vegetable broth
½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 2-4 hours
1½ teaspoons Himalayan salt, more to taste
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
1½ teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
¼ teaspoon red pepper, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh basil, chopped

Method

The roasted capsicums

Broil the whole capsicums on a baking tray 2 inches apart. Broil until the skin starts to blister and blacken. Using tongs, rotate the capsicums a quarter turn until all sides are charred, about 5 minutes each side. The capsicums should be slightly collapsed and soft. The whole process takes 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place the capsicums on a cutting board. Cover with a large bowl or pot to steam them, about 10-15 minutes.

When the capsicums are cool enough to handle, slice them vertically and spread them open to make a long strip. Remove the stem and seeds. Flip the capsicum over and remove charred skin. It should peel off easily. Set aside.

The pasta and sauce

Place the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water. Cook until al dente (usually 10-12 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Heat up oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Lightly sprinkle with a pinch of salt. When melted, add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano, and parsley and sauté for 2- 3 minutes until lightly brown. Stir often to prevent burning. Now stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain and rinse the cashews and the discard water. In a blender, place the sauteéd onions & garlic, broth, soy milk, roasted capsicums, cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt. Blend until the cashews and capsicums have completely broken down and the sauce is smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

Pour the sauce back into the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, until it slightly thickens up. Stir often to prevent burning (turn heat lower if necessary). Taste for seasoning, and add more if needed.

Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan. Toss with fresh basil and serve immediately. Top with fresh-cracked pepper.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website. Vasundhara is a professional cook who operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma in Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North and Montmorency. Read her menu and order.

The history of this newsletter and the website: 2016

The most important thing that happened in 2016 was that Helen Simpson, from The Mushroom Shed, volunteered to write a series of ‘how to grow …’ guides. These have proved to be immensely popular, with around 300,000 visitors between then and now. They also established the principle that it would be good for other people to contribute articles for the website and since then we have published articles from Angela Spencer, Ann Stanley, Bev Robertson, Dana Thomson, David Murray, Evan Gellert, Felicity Gordon, Fran Lennard, Greta Gillies, Jian Liu, Judy Vizzari, Kat Lavers, Lucinda Flynn, Marina Bistrin, Pam Jenkins, Paul Gale-Baker, Penny Grose, Robin Gale-Baker, Sabi Buehler, Stuart Rodda and Tracey Bjorksten.

The other thing that happened is that some of us ventured forth and actually visited most of the food swaps around North East Melbourne, with the end result being a proper database of these swaps.

Read the earlier history.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Lucinda’s article on the results of her composting of various things.

Joke (or pun) of the week

I’ve started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It’s all about raisin awareness.
Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Emboldening of free events

Some people like the highlighting in bold of the free events in the lists below so it will continue.

Website calendars

Some people like the calendar of garden tours so it will continue.

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Garden tours, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
March
April

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
March
April
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 11th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 11th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 12th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 12th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Friday, 12th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 13th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 13th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 14th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 14th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 14th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 16th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 18th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 18th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 19th March, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 20th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 20th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 20th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 21st March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 21st March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 21st March, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Naples and the Amalfi Coast: Tuesday, 23rd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Thursday, 25th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 26th March, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 26th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Friday, 26th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 27th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 27th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 28th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Tuesday, 30th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 6th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 10th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 13th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 16th April, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 16th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 18th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 18th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 20th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 23rd April, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 23rd April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 24th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 24th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 27th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 29th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 30th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 1st May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 1st May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia : Saturday, 1st May, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 2nd May, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 2nd May, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News March 3 2021

Mar 022021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Charlotte Bartlett-Wynne, Geoff Smith, Jess Ness, Lucinda Flynn, Marjory Gardner, Robin Gale-Baker, Stuart Rodda and Vasundhara Kandpal.

Going green with Lucinda

I am really pleased to announce that Lucinda Flynn, from Hurstbridge, has agreed to become a regular contributor to both the newsletter and the website. The general theme of Lucinda’s material will be sustainable practices related to food and eating. This is a subject about which she is an acknowledged expert having run the Going Green Solutions website and shop, which sells eco-friendly products, for many years. Whilst you can buy all their products online, I would suggest that you also think about visiting the actual shop in Hurstbridge as it is unusual, interesting and a potential source of inspiration, both for yourself and for gift ideas. We are going to group Lucinda’s articles under the general heading ‘going green with Lucinda’.

Lucinda’s first article is entitled Compost bins: can you really put everything of an organic origin into them? As she says in her introduction: “We are one of those families that believes that we really can put everything that has an organic origin into our compost bins , and so our compost gets the lot. On top of the usual food scraps, we throw in natural fibre clothing, straw hats, meat scraps, hair, cotton buds, old feather down quilts, cardboard and even disposable cotton menstrual pads. But what is the actual end result? As I started to dig out our compost the other day, ready to spread it around the garden, I started discovering some residual items, and thought I’d share them with you. Our compost results are not perfect – but we are still thrilled with how much we can successfully compost.” She then goes on to discuss the end results of each of the items listed together with a photo of the end result of that item.

Read the full article.

Stuart’s small hand tool of the week – forks and rakes

It is debatable whether a hand fork is necessary if you have a trowel already along with a multipurpose tool like the delta hoe. Small hand forks serve a similar purpose to regular forks. Thus with straight-tined (aka straight-pronged) hand forks, you can dig with downward pressure to the length of the tines or more, and the tines (aka prongs) penetrate hard soil better than a trowel. For deeper cultivation, a full size fork would be better.

A similar hand tool is like a small rake, with down-pointing tips (see right hand photo below), which enables you to rake across the top of the soil, or press down while raking, to dig the soil to a depth of 10 cm or so with multiple strokes. These are great for roughing up the soil surface to kill small weeds and increase water and air penetration; do this when the soil is fairly dry and just before mulching and watering. As with trowels, a solid aluminium/alloy model is light in weight and should not break, rust or be affected by sunlight; and a moulded rubberised handle will give the greatest comfort. Stainless steel is also ok but I find that these are often flimsy and will bend or the welds will break under hard use.

 

Read Stuart’s other articles about garden tools.

Farm Raiser – a new farm in Bellfield

Farm Raiser is a not-for-profit urban, organic vegetable farm run by three young farmers (Charlotte, Kirsty and Patrick) on land behind Waratah Special Development School in Bellfield. Whilst not certified, they follow organic principles and don’t use any chemicals. Summer 2020/21 is their first season. They sell their vegetables in weekly mixed boxes. They deliver to the following suburbs: Alphington, Bellfield, Bulleen, Eaglemont, Fairfield, Heidelberg, Heidelberg West, Heidelberg Heights, Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe East, Kingsbury, Macleod, Northcote, Preston, Rosanna, Thornbury and Viewbank. Read their Local Food Directory page. Welcome Charlotte, Kirsty and Patrick!

More on wicking beds

Following Robin Gale-Baker’s article last week on wicking beds, Lucinda Flynn asked if she had any recommended brands. Robin’s reply: “We ourselves have converted to the corrugated beds and love them. The manufacturer is Rural Tanks and Garden Beds in Seymour and you can order them through either Bulleen Art and Garden or Nillumbik Nursery. You can also request that they come without a pre drilled outlet, and then put it in yourself at the top of the reservoir (where you want the highest water level to be).“

Geoff Smith also wrote in to say that, as an alternative to corrugated beds, his company Wicked Wicking Beds, who are based in Echuca, make IBC beds and deliver to Melbourne. Each bed is supplied as a kit and includes a half tank (cleaned and cut to size), all required plumbing (inlet pipe, adjustable overflow outlet, length of slotted drainpipe, geotextile fabric) and a pallet (for extra height). Freight costs are substantially reduced if multiple beds are ordered.

Frankie Goes to Kindergarten

Newsletter reader Marjory Gardner is a children’s book illustrator. Her new picture book, Frankie Goes to Kindergarten, which was published this week, tells the story of a real life dog who accompanies his owner, Peta, to kindergarten. Young readers 0-5 years old will learn all about kinder as Frankie joins in reading, playing, gardening, dancing and singing. They will also enjoy searching for cheeky George the cat hiding on every page. Buy the book online. Got to Marjory’s website to see some of her drawings or to contact her.

The two pictures below are from the book. The first is the cover. The second has been chosen because of the small vegetable garden top right!

 

Photos from some of the recent garden tours

There have been quite a lot of garden tours recently. If anyone has any photos from any of the tours that they would like to share, email them.

In the meantime, here is one that I took at the garden of Dianne Wollaston and John Pender. From left to right: Stuart, Jane, Leo, Lauri, Pam, Jacinda, Leah, Geoff, Dianne and John.

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – butternut dipping sauce

Ingredients

2 cups butternut squash, steamed/cooked
? cup cashews, soaked 6-8 hours
2 garlic cloves
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
¼ cup nutritional yeast
salt and pepper, to taste

If you forget to soak the cashews, just boil them in water for 10 minutes.

Method

Dice and steam your butternut squash until it is soft.

Add all the ingredients into your high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

Use as a dipping sauce, curry base, pasta sauce etc. Add chilli flakes, pepper, steamed spinach and other veggies as desired.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website. Vasundhara is a professional cook who operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma in Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North and Montmorency. Read her menu and order.

The history of this newsletter and the website: 2015

This newsletter was originally started in mid 2012 by Robyn Currie, who then produced weekly newsletters for 2½ years until early 2015, when she decided to stop. My role had been largely limited to encouraging and supporting Robyn (plus putting copies of the newsletters onto the website). However, I had always viewed the newsletter as one of the most important things that Local Food Connect did and so, when Robyn stopped writing it and no one else came forward to take her place, I decided to volunteer for the role. Between us, Robyn and I have now written around 400 newsletters.

For me, the heart of the newsletter was (and is) the calendar of upcoming events. If, by advertising a local food event, we can increase the attendance at that event then that is a real, tangible achievement, with gains to both the attendee and to the organiser of the event. And that applies to any local food event, not just those organised by us or those which happen to interest us. So, from the start, I decided that I would treat all local food events equally and this is one of the things that I hope distinguishes what I do from that of many other newsletters and websites, which largely only promote their own events and select others.

The calendar of events follows similar rules to that of the Local Food Directory previously discussed: the geographic scope is ‘North East Melbourne’ and I proactively seek out events for inclusion. It took me some time to work out where to find out about all the events and I now visit around 400 websites each week to see if they have any new events listed.

By end 2015, the scope of the calendar was effectively what it is today and the standard template for the newsletters had been established. Also, the newsletter and the website had become much more closely linked, sharing the same calendar and with all the substantive articles in the newsletters being duplicated somewhere on the website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Robin’s article on the do’s and don’ts of wicking beds.

Joke (or pun) of the week

What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? Taking a bite and finding half a worm.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Emboldening of free events

As someone said, there is something special about events that are free. They have been highlighted in bold in the lists below.

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
March
April

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
March
April
In Richmond
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 4th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 4th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 5th March, 2-5pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Friday, 5th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Sardegna: Friday, 5th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 6th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Saturday, 6th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Saturday, 6th March, 6.30-9pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 7th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Sunday, 7th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Sunday, 7th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Tuesday, 9th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 11th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Sicilian food: Thursday, 11th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 12th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 12th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Friday, 12th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 13th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 13th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 14th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 14th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 14th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 16th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 18th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 18th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 19th March, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 20th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 20th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 20th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 21st March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 21st March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 21st March, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Naples and the Amalfi Coast: Tuesday, 23rd March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 25th March, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina Toscana: Thursday, 25th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 26th March, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 26th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Friday, 26th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 27th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 27th March, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 27th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 28th March, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vegan cooking master class: Sunday, 28th March, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Tuesday, 30th March, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 1st April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Nonna’s comfort food (Italian): Tuesday, 6th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • La cucina della Puglia: Thursday, 8th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Vietnamese cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Thai cooking master class: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Gnocchi in tutta l’Italia: Friday, 9th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 10th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Korean cooking master class: Saturday, 10th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 11th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Mexican cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Spanish cooking master class: Sunday, 11th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 13th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • The cuisine of Central Italy: Thursday, 15th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Street food of Asia: Friday, 16th April, 2-4.30pm; $168 ($67 per hour); Richmond.
  • Japanese cooking master class: Friday, 16th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 17th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indonesian cooking master class: Saturday, 17th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Sunday, 18th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Italian cooking master class: Sunday, 18th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Sunday, 18th April, 6.30-8.30pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pasta e basta!: Tuesday, 20th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-8.30pm; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • A night in Rome: Thursday, 22nd April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.
  • Pizza making party: Friday, 23rd April, 2-4pm; $127 ($64 per hour); Richmond.
  • Indian cooking master class: Friday, 23rd April, 6.30-9.30pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Dumpling party: Saturday, 24th April, 10am-midday; $111 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Chinese cooking master class: Saturday, 24th April, 2-5pm; $168 ($56 per hour); Richmond.
  • Going native Australia: Saturday, 24th April, 6.30-9.30pm; $189 ($63 per hour); Richmond.
  • A seafood feast: Tuesday, 27th April, 6.30-10.30pm; $105 ($26 per hour); Richmond.

LFC News February 24 2021

Feb 242021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Brent Collett, Deb Thomson, Fay Loveland, Gemma Elliott, Gina Wilson, Jane Dyer, John Damiano, Joy Frake, Kat Lavers, Megan Goodman, Pam Jenkins, Robin Gale-Baker, Sonia Randhawa, Stuart Rodda and Zofia Di Stefano.

Kat Lavers on seed saving

Kat has written an article for our website on the subject of seed saving. As Kat says in her introduction, “There are many reasons to save your own seed. It is far cheaper and your seeds will usually be fresher and stronger than what you can buy in shops. You can also gradually develop new varieties with the flavours you love and they will become more adapted to your garden’s conditions over time. Finally, we are at risk of losing thousands of open-pollinated seed varieties because they are not commercially valuable so, by saving seeds at home, you are helping to preserve the genetic heritage passed down by our gardening ancestors.” She then goes on to discuss hybrid versus open-pollinated seeds, self-pollination versus cross-pollination, seed collection, seed cleaning and seed storage. She also discusses the characteristics and issues of seed saving for each of the major families of vegetables.

Kat has also made a 2 hour Zoom presentation on the subject.

Stuart’s small hand tool of the week – weeding tools

Weeding tools are used for cutting off weeds or hooking them out of the soil. Many are multi-pronged or have flat blades or a variety of other shapes. My favourite is the V-shaped delta hoe (e.g. see www.forestrytools.com.au/index.php?id=1189) and I have recently acquired a stainless steel one, Japanese made, which is much better quality than my old steel one. It has a sharp point and sharp edges on both sides so it can quickly shear off weeds at or below ground level or hook the tough ones out of the soil. It is best used with gloves on, though it is not dangerously sharp in adult hands. It is similar in concept to the ‘Ho-Mi’ Korean tool (e.g. see www.deepgreenpermaculture.com/2019/04/26/product-review-ryset-ho-mi-asian-hand-cultivator).

Read Stuart’s other articles about garden tools.

Robin on the advantages, do’s and don’ts of wicking beds

Robin Gale-Baker has written an article for our website on the advantages, do’s and don’ts of wicking beds. As Robin says in her introduction, “The price of wicking beds has come down considerably in the last couple of years with the availability of corrugated beds with water tight bases. Corrugated beds do not need a pond liner, which is the expensive component of wicking beds made of macrocarpa, a salvaged wood. And they are ready made, saving on building costs. There are now so many advantages of wicking beds that they are well worth considering.”

Robin then gives 8 advantages of wicking beds, starting with “50% reduction in water usage compared to an in-ground or raised equivalent size bed.” Then 5 don’ts, starting with “Don’t try to build a cheap wicking bed – they invariably fail. Apple crates are cheap construction of unsuitable wood and deteriorate quickly.” And then 6 do’s, starting with “Use a proven design. Water reservoir 300 ml depth, soil 250-300ml depth with inlet at the opposite end to the outlet. This is what works! Recognise that there has been much improvement in design by others since Colin Austin first invented wicking beds.”

Read the full article.

Angelo’s latest article

How to identify and treat herbicide contamination of commercial soil, compost and manure.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Yes you did know – where to buy chickens

Last week, Rebecca Haschek asked where locally she could buy heritage breed, ‘point of lay’ chickens. Here are the suggestions of various newsletter readers:

  • Abundant Layers (Nar Nar Goon): australorps, sussexes, hamburgs, orpingtons, araucanas, plymouth rocks, barnevelders, welsummers, wyandottes, salmon faverolles, silkies, pekins, Polish, light sussexes and Belgium d’uccles.
  • John Damiano (Doreen): faverolles, frizzles, vorwerks and wyandottes.
  • Kinhaven Chickens (Kangaroo Ground): polish bantams, australorp, wynadottes, plymouth rocks and pekins.
  • Misty Valley Hens: (Kangaroo Ground): bantams, Belgian D’uccles, orpingtons and wyandottes.
  • Peter The Chicken Man (Preston): orpingtons, brahmas, Japanese bantams, barnevelders and cochins.
  • Yummy Gardens (St Andrews): australorp utilities, silkie bantams, buff cochins, crested cream legbars, cuckoo legbars, French wheaten marans, light sussex bantams and pearl guinea fowl.

Yummy Gardens got the most nominations. As Gina Wilson said: “Greg [Parsons] has been breeding and selling chickens for years, with my latest chicken from him being a crested cream legbar who lay blue eggs (see the dark brown chicken in the photo). He also builds chicken coops, like mine, to suit individual needs and backyards. And he designs and constructs vegetable gardens.” Greg is also a reader of this newsletter.

Volunteers are needed to help grow new seed libraries in Banyule and Nillumbik

Seed libraries are coming to local libraries and community centres around Banyule and Nillumbik from mid-March. If you have an interest in seed saving and can contribute an hour or two per week, consider volunteering your time and energy helping to support one of these new seed libraries. The role involves labelling and filling envelopes with seeds, talking to library patrons about how to use the seed library and organising the seed collections. If potentially interested, contact Fay Loveland by email (fay.loveland@gmail.com) or phone (0405 790150) to register your interest.

Diamond Valley Community Support’s Food Drive

Diamond Valley Community Support (DVCS), who are based in Greensborough, are an emergency relief organisation covering Nillumbik and Banyule. Over the past year, they have seen a large increase in the local demand of food and other emergency relief items. You can help them by sponsoring a food parcel. Alternatively, during February and March, they are seeking donations of breakfast cereals, baked beans, tuna and long life milk. There are three donation points:

  • Greensborough Plaza: Donation wall located on the first floor opposite to Post Office. 7 days per week.
  • DVCS: Shop 378a, Level 3, Greensborough Plaza. Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm.
  • Carenet: 143-145 Parker Street, Templestowe. Tuesday and Friday only.

The 2021 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants are now open

The 2021 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants are now open, with a closing date of 19th March. The grants are worth up to $1,000 each and are for primary schools and early education centres. The possible initiatives include: planting a bush tucker garden; planting a vegetable garden; or running a composting or recycling project.

An extra $500 is available for any project which includes a bee-related component. For example: building and installing a native beehive; creating pollinator gardens featuring plants that attract bees; or pollinator education programs. They are calling this the bee bonus.

Whittlesea’s Culture in the kitchen videos

Whittlesea Council is producing a series of videos where you can learn how to cook dishes of cultural significance and meet some local community chefs. Each episode is filmed in real time so you can cook along. The first two videos featured Serap Durnaglu making the Turkish dish ali nazik and Dalal Sleiman making the Chaldean dish kilecha. Next week’s video will feature Nathalie Mbala making the Cameroonian dish ndole. Watch the videos and read the recipes.

Live in Nillumbik?

Bev Robertson has written in to say that Nillumbik Council currently have a survey open entitled Have your say – our people, our place, our future. The survey closes on 28th March.

Meg’s garden this month

I am finally picking ripe tomatoes and I fill my bowl with a wide variety of colours, shapes and sizes. The scent of the tomato foliage makes me smile as I work. I brush the tops of the Italian large leaf basil for the scent. I think that the herb will pair beautifully with my tomatoes in a salad topped with a ball of burratta and a little olive oil, salt and black pepper. The late summer harvest is finally here and my early morning harvesting is now daily. The tromboncinos, butter beans and sweetcorn Jolly Roger are all performing well. I am now hoping for a few more warm days that may help the capsicums and chillies to start to ripen.

The passionfruit vine is fruiting prolifically and I never know what to do with them all. They fill the boxes that I have placed at the front gate for passersby. We are enjoying the satsuma and greengage plums (as are the birds). The greengages are our favourite. They are greenish yellow and intensely sweet but they are less abundant this year than the blood plums (which really need to join the passionfruit in the boxes at the front gate). I spend time lightly stewing some of the plums for the freezer to add to pies and crumbles when the weather is cooler. I also freeze cut plum slices on trays and then transfer the pieces to bags to store for use in baking things such as this simple clafoutis (see picture). A clafoutis is a traditional custard tart that can be served either hot or cold. It uses four egg yolks, but the whites can be frozen for later use or, while the oven is on, they make beautiful walnut meringues.

Plum clafoutis

4 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
100g caster sugar
250ml cream
80g almond meal
2 teaspoons plain flour
about 5 plums, pitted and sliced

Whisk the sugar, yolks and whole eggs. Add the cream, almond meal and flour and gently whisk to incorporate.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased or lined baking dish or lined tart tin and arrange fruit on top.

Bake at 180degC for around 40 minutes until golden on top and just set in the middle.

Walnut meringues

4 egg whites
200g sugar
150g walnuts, crushed
pinch of salt

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form, adding the sugar in small amounts as you go. Gently fold in the walnuts using a slotted spoon.

Place small piles of the meringue mixture onto a lined baking tray. Bake at 175degC for around 30-40 minutes or until just starting to brown on the peaks.

Cool on trays.

Note: you can use a piping bag, but I like the rustic look.

Read more of Meg’s recipes.

What seeds to plant in March

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

Brassicas

Broccoli
Cabbage
Brussels sprouts  
Cauliflower
Kale
Pak Choy
Other cool season veggies  

Broad beans
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mizuna
Mustard greens  
Rocket
Silverbeet
Spinach
Roots

Beetroot  
Carrot
Potato
Radish
Shallot
Other

Chives
Fennel
Leeks
Parsley

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

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link last week was Bruno’s video of bees in his cactus flowers..

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Good egg. Meaning: an agreeable or trustworthy person. The precise origin is not known but only dates back to the early 20th Century. It is derived from its antonym (aka opposite), bad egg, meaning an disagreeable or untrustworthy person, which is of American origin and dates back to the mid 19th Century. The original meaning of bad egg was ‘someone or something that disappoints expectations’ and is an allusion to the disappointment felt when cracking or shelling an egg only to find that it is bad.

Here is an interesting page from the Australian Eggs website about bad eggs. For example: 1. the best before date is calculated as six weeks from the day the egg is packed into the carton and 2. hard-boiled eggs have a far shorter shelf life than raw eggs because the boiling makes the shell more porous.

Neither good egg nor bad egg is related to curate’s egg, which means something which is partly bad and partly good, and which was discussed in this newsletter a few months ago.

Read more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Gardening is a humbling experience.” by Martha Stewart.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Chocolate is vital for our survival. Dinosaurs didn’t have chocolate and look what happened to them. [If you wish, substitute ‘chocolate’ with ‘kale’ in this joke.]

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Free.

There are lots of garden tours coming up in the next six weeks so we have put together a garden tour calendar.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
February
March
April

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
February
March
April
In Richmond

LFC News February 17 2021

Feb 172021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Aimee Maxwell, Angelo Eliades, Bruno Tigani, Charles Dickerson, Lucinda Flynn, Mary Rogers, Maude Farrugia, Rebecca Haschek, Robin Gale-Baker, Stuart Rodda, Tom Danby, Vasundhara Kandpal and Vera Herman.

Obviously, all the events listed in this newsletter are conditional on the current Covid-19 restrictions being lifted.

Re-opening news (assuming the current lockdown is not extended!)

The Blackburn North food swap at NewHope Baptist Church will re-start on Saturday, 27th February, 10-11am.

The Eltham Community Craft and Produce Market on Sunday will be their last market before it permanently closes.

Stuart’s favourite small hand tools

Stuart’s article last week on digging tools attracted a certain amount of correspondence which has caused Stuart to re-think some of his upcoming material. In particular, he became worried that people might think that all sorts of tools are necessary, which they are not. He therefore decided that, before he discusses weeding tools, forks, hooks, planters, etc, he should clarify what his favourite tools are.

Here is Stuart: “To keep the number of small hand tools to a minimum, I have whittled down a long list to just four tools which cover most small scale soil–related activities in the garden:

  1. A ‘rake’.
  2. A ‘trowel’.
  3. A bulb planter’.
  4. A (stainless steel) delta hoe.”

Tom Danby adds (picture far right): “I want to add another fabulous tool. This was handmade as a fundraiser by Karen (ex Myanmar) refugees to a traditional shape. The small (15cm) plough head sits under your hand pointing back towards you – the combination of point, flat edge, and sharp rounded edge makes this a universal digging, spreading, cutting, and trenching tool. I rarely need anything else (and it hangs up out of the way too).”

Dougharty Baker

Dougharty Baker, from Heidelberg Heights, are a new maker of sourdough bread using Certified Organic ingredients. You order the bread online and it is then delivered to the following suburbs: Bellfield, Heidelberg, Heidelberg Heights, Heidelberg West, Ivanhoe, Kingsbury, Macleod, Rosanna and Viewbank. There are also pickup points in Clifton Hill, Heidelberg Heights and Ivanhoe. Baking to order means that there is less waste. Their breads include fruit loaf, rye, spelt/khorasan blend, multigrain, white, wholemeal and wholemeal spelt plus they also make buns and crackers. They are all slow-fermented and made with just flour, water and salt. No commercial yeasts or bread additives are used. Maude Farrugia, the proprietor of Dougharty Baker is both a contributor to PIP magazine and a long term newsletter reader. Congratulations Maude! Read their Local Food Directory page.

There are now 21 local makers of bread and baked goods in our Local Food Directory.

Yes, you did know – composting vs worm farms vs bokashi

Last week, Hanh Truong said that she didn’t want to use bokashi because of the ‘chemicals’ and asked about composting versus worm farms. Lots of you replied and you all agreed that bokashi doesn’t contain ‘chemicals’.

Tom Danby: “The bokashi juice is the contents of plant cells, released by the fermentation/rot process, so it is not surprising that the worms object. It should be diluted at least 1:20 or 1:100 before spaying back over the plant. It is concentrated minerals, enzymes, plant proteins and more, so technically chemicals but with no pejorative overtones.”

Robin Gale-Baker: “Bokashi mix contains living micro-organisms, wheat bran, rice husks, water and molasses – none of which are ‘chemicals’. It is an excellent addition to compost.

“If I had to choose between a compost heap and a worm farm, I would always choose compost but they have different applications so both are valuable for the gardener. If you do not want to attract vermin to your compost, then a combination of bokashi and worm farm works well for food scraps.”

Lucinda Flynn: “Bokashi bins use a process of fermentation to break down organic waste, as opposed to decomposition (which is what happens in a regular compost bin). The powder that you sprinkle on a bokashi is not a chemical as such; rather, it is living microorganisms stored in an inactive form in a grain base. You can compare it to freeze dried baker’s yeast, which remains inactive until you mix it with warm water. Once the grain base is sprinkled into the bokashi bin and gets wet, the organisms come to life and start fermenting your food scraps.

“When you put your bokashi scraps into a compost pile, the worms might not like it initially because it is probably a bit acidic – think of wine or vinegar, both fermented. But it is still good, healthy material to add to your garden.”

Angelo Eliades: “There aren’t any ‘chemicals’ with bokashi. It utilises a combination of microorganisms to ferment food scraps and the end product is acidic, just like yoghurt. Fermented bokashi can be dug into the ground or put into compost bins.

“Most people don’t understand which garden recycling systems should be use for what purpose. Compost is for garden waste, prunings and clippings which break down slowly; worm farms are for kitchen waste which breaks down quickly; and bokashi is for kitchen waste, including foods that can’t go into worm farms. Food scraps can go into compost (and many people do it) but it attracts rodents and worm farms and bokashi are better systems for processing them. If there are worms in your compost, this is an indicator that ready to use and should be placed in the garden.

“I have written a number of relevant articles on my website: Bokashi composting, how to process waste that can’t go in your compost or worm farm; What materials can you put into your compost bin and what not to compost; and Can you put earthworms in the compost bin?.”

Charles Dickerson: “Bokashi does not use ‘chemicals’ at all. You either spray a liquid or sprinkle a bran inoculated with microbes onto your food waste. These microbes then ‘pickle’ your food waste (hence the vinegary smell). You can then either add it to the ground directly or add it to the compost bin. I think of bokashi as a pre-compost step and the longer you keep it in its container the more pre-composted it gets.

“To add it to the ground, dig a hole and bury the waste at least 10-15 cm down is the traditional method. Place wire netting over the hole to keep your dog from digging it up. It is completely broken down in a month.

“To add it to a compost bin, mix some straw/leaves through the waste beforehand to blot up any liquid (if you add the neat waste it will upset the worms as it is acidic). I also place a 30-50mm layer of straw/leaves in the compost bin first as this keeps the waste away from the worms until it has broken down.

“The benefit of bokashi over a worm farm is you can put any sort of food waste in the bin. Citrus, oil, meat can be added to bokashi whereas that’s a no no for a worm farm. Regarding oil, blot it up with shredded copier paper (from a home paper shredder) and then add that to the bokashi bin.”

Mary Rogers: “My compost bin is a worm farm. I think the worms are the garden variety and they love living there.”

Yes, you did know – potato problems

Pauline Webb asked what was eating her potatoes and how should she control it. Several of you have now replied.

Angelo Eliades: “If the rusty discolouration visible on the potato is only skin deep and has ragged edges, then the problem is potato scab. This condition is worse in light soils under dry conditions. To prevent it, dig in compost before sowing tubers and do not add lime to soil. If, however, there are large holes eaten in the flesh of the potato tuber, that’s a sign of slug damage (slugs can burrow and feed underground).”

Aimee Maxwell: “It looks like potato scab to me. Read the treatment suggestions on the Plant Natural Research Center website.”

Vera Herman: “If Pauline searches for ‘potato diseases in Australia’, there are lots of info and pictures of potato diseases. Is Pauline’s soil slightly acidic? Did she plant seed potatoes & practice crop rotation? Diggers recommends a 3-year crop rotation for potatoes, i.e. don’t plant potatoes in the same spot for 3 years.”

Do you know – where to buy chickens?

Rebecca Haschek wants to know where she can buy some ‘point of lay’ (POL) chickens. “I don’t want ISA browns… I’d rather get some heritage breeds as I want a number of chickens to help process my organic waste and don’t want to be overrun by eggs. Friendly, gentle breeds are a must for the kids. Bantams are ok too. I’ve found some breeders, but they are over an hour away and I’d rather get them from the local area if possible.” Rebecca lives in Diamond Creek. Email your suggestions.

Bees in a cactus flower

Bruno Tigani has sent in this video of bees going crazy in his cactus flowers.

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – tofu with mushroom gravy

Ingredients

The tofu
1 block of firm tofu, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
fresh thyme for garnish

The sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2½ cups of white mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1½ cups of vegetable broth
3 tablespoons flour
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Method

The tofu
Preheat the oven to 200degC.

Cut the tofu into slices and place it on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder and bake for 20 minutes.

The sauce
While the tofu is in the oven, prepare the sauce.

Heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and sliced mushrooms and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the flour, continue cooking and stir for about 5 minutes until it’s absorbed by the mushrooms.

Add 1 cup of broth, stirring until the liquid is incorporated and thickened, there should be no lumps.

Season with black pepper and thyme. Simmer at low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes).

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website.

The history of this newsletter and the website: the second half of 2014

I was originally attracted to Local Food Connect because its stated mission at the time was to act as an umbrella organisation, supporting other local food organisations. The Local Food Directory fitted well with this objective, as it is about promoting local food producers, so expanding the directory was where I decided to start adding content.

As soon as the Local Food Directory came into being, it became clear to me that ‘Nillumbik and Banyule’ was not a natural geographic area to define as ‘local’. As someone who lives in Eltham, it did not make sense to me to exclude Templestowe (which is 4km away) whilst including Kinglake (which is 38km away). Combining this with technical, graphical arguments for the area of interest to be rectangular(!), we came up with the concept of ‘North East Melbourne’, with the bottom left corner defined by the CBD and the top right corner defined by Kinglake.

A second issue was whether the directory should be limited to primary producers (i.e. farmers) or also include secondary producers (e.g. makers of condiments and cakes). Some people argued that secondary producers should be excluded unless their ingredients had been grown locally, which would have excluded most of them. My view was (and is) that a major aspect of the local food movement is ‘community’ and that local makers of food are definitely part of the ‘local food community’. A few people also unsuccessfully argued that wine and chocolate should be excluded on the grounds that they were overly bourgeois.

Two important procedural rules were put in place. First, I would proactively seek out organisations for inclusion and would write the initial, draft material for them based on their websites, Facebook pages, etc (as I had learned from my involvement in the original Nillumbik Council survey of local food producers, a more passive approach, simply inviting organisations to send in material, results in a much smaller and patchier directory). Second, an organisation should only be in the directory if it wanted to be and if it had approved the words in its entry (there are over 100 local food producers who I have written to inviting them to be part of the directory but who have never replied and are therefore not in).

I also established the personal rule that I would sample the food or drink of each of the organisations in the directory.

By end 2014, the Local Food Directory had successfully been expanded to cover the whole of North East Melbourne.

Joke (or pun) of the week

How do you know that carrots are good for your eyesight? You never see a rabbit wearing glasses.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
February
March

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
February
March
April
In Richmond

LFC News February 10 2021

Feb 102021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Hanh Truong, Helen Simpson, Merrin Layden, Robyn Patton, Stuart Rodda, Tori Scholten and Vasundhara Kandpal.

Stuart’s small hand tool of the week – digging tools

Each week for the next few weeks, Stuart Rodda is going to discuss some of the small hand tools that he uses and favours. Here’s how he introduces the topic: “Hands are great ‘tools’ but are so much more effective with the right gardening tool in them. To dig holes, make furrows, remove weeds, turn over soil, etc, a huge variety of tools have been invented (I have most of them!). However, some are too specialised, don’t work so well or break easily, so I am mentioning a few of my favourites which I use all the time and recommend for someone starting out.” Stuart’s first discussion is on digging tools.

Digging tools are small shovel-like tools for digging out plants/weeds or transplanting. They can be plastic, steel or aluminium, with or without a secure contoured hand grip. My favourite is a solid alloy tool with a rounded grippy handle. Being alloy, it won't rust (like steel) or snap or break down in sunlight (like plastic), is light in weight and can be used for long periods without giving you blisters. Wooden handles are ok but many eventually split or rot, depending on quality, so I prefer a rubberised moulded handle.

Rob Dolan Wines

Rob Dolan Wines are not new but they are new to our Local Food and Drink Directory. They are based in Warrandyte South and make a full range of wines including Arneis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Shiraz Merlot, Chardonnay, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. Their cellar door is open 7 days a week, 10am-5pm and you can also buy their wine online. Or buy from the Dark Horse Produce Store in Watsons Creek or Nillumbik Cellars in Diamond Creek. Read their Local Food and Drink Directory page. Welcome Rob, Tori and colleagues!

Calling all Manningham residents

3000acres want to organise a community olive harvest in Manningham later in the year, whereby local olive trees are harvested and turned into free olive oil for the local community. But they need to interest the Council in the event and this, in turn, depends on them demonstrating that there is sufficient local interest. You don’t need your own olive tree to be involved, 3000acres will provide resources on how to get harvesting. Register your interest.

A new community garden in Brunswick

A new community garden (Bulleke-bek Park Community Garden) is being developed on the corner of West Street and Breese Street in Brunswick. On Sunday (14th February), 10.30-11.30am, they are meeting for a chat to share ideas and plan next steps. Everyone welcome. Feel free to take along any seeds or baby plants that you think might survive (and your tools) to plant and experiment. Here is their Facebook page.

Do you know – composting vs worm farms vs bokashi?

Hanh Truong has written in: “I have used bokashi before and I just don’t like the idea of pouring chemicals back into the garden. I remember tipping the waste into my compost bin and the worms wiggle like they don’t like it so I stopped using the bokashi bin. What are your thoughts on pouring chemicals into kitchen waste and then back into our garden? Also, is composting better to have than a worm farm?” Email your thoughts.

No, you didn’t know – potato problems

Last week, Pauline Webb asked what was eating her potatoes and how should she control it. See photo right. No one answered. Anyone willing to answer this week? Email me.

More on the cost of ginger

Helen Simpson has written in: “I believe that ginger is particularly expensive this year because many of the ginger growers up Bellinger and Byron Bay way didn’t harvest in June last year because of Covid-19 issues. I’m not sure if this was due to a lack of people to harvest or because it was thought that the distribution network wasn’t there. Anyhow, it has now created the current shortage and hence cost.”

More on my mate Costa

Last week’s video about tomatoes not ripening by ‘my mate’ Costa was by far the most popular link in last week’s newsletter. I presume that this was because of the subject matter (green tomatoes) but just possibly a few people watched it because of my supposed relationship with Costa (mates) so I have decided to admit that our mateship is actually limited to me watching him on TV. I did, however, once take a photo of him that I’m rather proud of (see right).

More on what to do with old style netting

Robyn Patton has written in: “I’ve been building up an area to put my chook pen. I’ve been digging old mesh and netting generously around the boundary to try and stop foxes, feral cats, rats and snakes from digging in to eat my chooks and their eggs.”

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – dairy-free mac and cheese

Ingredients

½ cup raw cashews or macadamias
1 medium peeled carrot, steamed or roasted
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar
½ cup water, plus more for soaking
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 servings macroni

Method

Completely cover the nuts in a bowl with water. Let soak for 2-6 hours, or refrigerate and soak overnight.

Combine all the ingredients (including the ½ cup water) and blend in a blender or with an immersion blender until completely smooth.

Transfer to a small pot and mix in the cooked pasta.

Taste and add extra seasonings (onion, salt, nutmeg, pepper) as desired (Vasundhara likes to add another ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch more nutmeg).

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website. Vasundhara is a professional cook who operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma in Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North and Montmorency. Read her menu and order.

The history of this newsletter and the website – part 1

I thought that it might be interesting to say a few words about how the website and newsletter have evolved over the last 8 or so years. In so doing, I will talk a bit about the main sections of the website and how and when they came to be, plus some of the philosophies underlying some of the material. I will split this discussion over a number of weeks. This week, I’m going to focus on the first half of 2014, which is effectively when I first became involved.

I took over the management of the LFC website in late 2013, at which time it comprised only 15 pages and received only around 7 visitors per day. The obvious immediate task was to review the organisation of the existing material, moving things around and changing some aspects of the technical platform. In my opinion, WordPress is the obvious technical platform for just about every local website and the key to a good WordPress site is effective use of plugins, the vast majority of which are free. The main initial plugin decision was a choice of calendar (All-in-One Event Calendar) and this is still used on the current website. Hence the calendar was born.

In early 2014, Nillumbik Council completed a survey of the local food producers around Nillumbik and they and we agreed that the LFC website should be the vehicle for publishing the results of that survey. Again this required a choice of plugin (Business Directory Plugin) and again that plugin is still used on the current website. Hence the Local Food Directory was born.

We started Eltham Farmers’ Market in April 2014 and decided that its website should be part of the LFC website. That required yet another plugin for the lists of stallholders (TablePress) and again this is still in use.

By mid 2014, the website comprised a few hundred pages and received around 60 visitors a day. The material focused on local food swaps and food producers in Nillumbik and Banyule. I hadn’t yet started to generate any material myself.

Joke (or pun) of the week

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what does garlic do? Keeps everyone away.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

When looking at a calendar, remember that you can:

  • Filter the list of events by suburb or suburbs using the green ‘location’ button top left.
  • Show all the event descriptions using the ‘expand all’ button top right.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
February
March

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
February
March

LFC News February 3 2021

Feb 032021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Alison Raven, Ann Stanley, Fay Loveland, Gayle Parkes, Hanh Truong, Lucinda Flynn, Maude Farrugia, Melissa Foong, Pauline Webb and Vasundhara Kandpal.

Re-opening news

Greensborough food swap (which was held at the community garden at Diamond Valley Library) is in abeyance pending finding someone to organise it.

Ann visits the garden of Claire Smith, from Mooroolbark

Late last year, Ann Stanley visited the gardens of Claire Smith and Jenny Husselbee, both from Mooroolbark. As Ann says in her write-up: “People of Mooroolbark! You have inspiring people among you. Of course, you already know this(!) but you may not know these two people: Claire Smith and Jenny Husselbee have both established productive permaculture gardens on challenging sites in Mooroolbark, Claire on boggy land not far from where Lilydale Toppings were sourced and Jenny on clay soil near the site of the Montrose brickworks. Neither garden is on prime agricultural land but both sites produce significant amounts of food, proving that, with some attention to your site’s deficits and working with the natural supplies of light, water and soil, a garden can be productive. Both gardens showcase the permaculture approach to food growing, which is based on the integration of plant, animal and community resources.” Ann has now written up her visit to Claire’s garden. Her write-up of Jenny’s garden will follow in a subsequent newsletter.

Some of you will know Claire as the organiser of the Mooroolbark Urban Harvest Swap, whilst others might have been to some of her the Permaculture Victoria Bee Group events that we occasionally advertise in this newsletter. Or you might even have been on the same Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) as her. When Claire moved into her ½ acre garden 6 years ago, it was boggy and had no edibles so she dug trenches, added coffee grounds and built up her soil. Now she has a veggie patch, around 40 fruit trees, chickens and bees.

Read the full interview writeup.

We need more people to come forward for Ann or Judy to visit their garden and interview them. If you are potentially on for this, please email me.

A new local producer of olive oil – 800 Trees

800 Trees in Hurstbridge is a small olive grove that produces delicately fragrant olive oil with a distinctive ‘cloudy’ appearance. It is rainwater-fed and guarded (and fertilised) by their resident alpacas. Their main olive varieties for producing olive oil are frantoio, corregiola and manzanilla, with giant kalamatas sold fresh for making table olives. The olives are cold pressed and filtered only once. You can currently buy their olive oil at IGA Xpress Hurstbridge, Aumanns At Warrandyte or Quintons SUPA IGA, Warrandyte. Read their page in our Local Food Directory.

This is where I would normally say “Welcome, Melissa” but as she is a longstanding newsletter reader I am instead going to say “Congratulations, Melissa“.

There are now 4 olive oil producers in our Local Food Directory.

Do you know – what to do with old netting?

Alison Raven has written in: “Is there any way of recycling the old fruit tree netting that will be illegal come September, when the netting laws in Victoria change? Agriculture Victoria says: ‘When disposing of the old netting, reduce the chance of further entanglements by placing the old netting into a strong biodegradable bag before putting into landfill.’ I don’t want to put it in landfill unless there is absolutely no other option. I assume it is made of some kind of plastic, so I would have thought it could be recycled somehow. There will be mountains of old nets going into landfill otherwise.”

This has actually been the subject of recent discussion within NERP. Lucinda Flynn asked her council (Nillumbik) and got this reply: “Unfortunately we have not been able to source any options for recycling plastic netting material.“. The Council, in turn, contacted REDcycle and got this reply: “Whilst the material itself may be able to be REDcycled (only if it is polypropylene PP, LDPE or HDPE, not if it is actually nylon), the problem with this is that they have had long exposure to the sun, meaning the plastic has already started to deteriorate (and some are often quite dirty as well). Any materials in this state cannot then be used, as it impacts the structural integrity of the final products made from the plastics. Further, unfortunately we are not actually able to accept commercial/industrial or large volume soft plastics like this. Even if the bird netting is clean, it would all need to be cut to A3 size pieces or smaller before we could accept it, otherwise it becomes entangled in the processing machinery.”

Anyone else like to say anything? Email me.

Do you know – potato problems?

Pauline Webb has written in: “What grub or slug is eating my potatoes while they are in the soil (see photo)? Is this skin potato scab or something else? How should I control it?” Email me with your answers.

Why are your tomatoes still green?

A number of people have been asking me why their tomatoes haven’t (yet) ripened. Well, I asked my mate Costa and here is his reply.

Want to win $100 gift voucher for The Diggers Club?

Open Garden Victoria are running a competition for most impressive and productive veggie patch. In other words, they are looking for good examples of home food gardens. The winner will receive a $100 gift voucher for The Diggers Club. Closing date: 28th February. Read more and potentially submit your photos and words.

Angelo’s latest article – citrus leaf problems

Citrus problems – leaves curling inwards along their length.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Growing ginger in Melbourne

Hanh Truong has written in: “I have two ginger roots that are sprouting (see photo). I thought that it might be fun to try growing ginger given that the price per kg is $50! Seriously, why is ginger so expensive? Anyway, has anyone tried to grow ginger in Victoria before?”

To which I replied: “Yes, lots of us grow ginger in Melbourne. Also turmeric and galangal. See www.localfoodconnect.org.au/community-gardening/growing-ginger-and-turmeric. The trick is to grow them in pots so that you can take them to a warmer place (e.g. a greenhouse) over Winter. When we harvest our ginger, we freeze most of it so it is available to us all year round.”

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – cranberries black bean ‘meatballs’

Ingredients

The meatballs:
1½ cups cooked black beans
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
1½ teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon linseeds, grounded
½ teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

The sauce:
1¼ cups almond milk (300ml)
2 tablespoons veggie stock powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper
fresh parsley to garnish

Method

Soak the cranberries in the milk for 20-30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 200degC.

In a blender, combine the black beans, garlic, parsley, linseeds (previously grounded), nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend to a paste (you might need to push down the mixture a few times to properly blend – do not add any liquid or they won’t come up together).

Add the tapioca starch and the soaked cranberries (do not discard the milk, you are going to use it soon for the sauce!) to the mixture and mix it with your hands until all the starch is absorbed.

Roll the ‘meatballs’ into the desired size, arrange on a baking tray and bake for 10-20 minutes (the bigger the balls, the more time in the oven).

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a saucepan, combine the corn flour with the vegetable oil. Turn on the heat and gently stir into the almond milk. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the veggie stock, the spices and adjust the saltiness. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat until the sauce starts to thicken.

Once the ‘meatballs’ are ready, add them into the pan, and coat them with the sauce.

Serve with some freshly ground pepper and parsley.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website.

A local guide on how to tackle our shared climate emergency

Dale Martin, ex-Moreland Councillor, has written in to say that he has recently published a Local Government Climate Emergency Toolkit, which is a guide for individuals and community groups to help tackle our shared climate emergency. One of its sections is on agriculture. Download the guide.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was Horticulture Innovation Australia’s report about how to control Queensland Fruit Fly.

Joke (or pun) of the week

What can a whole apple do that half an apple can’t do? It can look round.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Fay Loveland has written in with more details about the free online introduction to seed saving event on Thursday, 11th February, 7-9pm. It will feature Kat Lavers and has been jointly organised by Local Food Connect, Nillumbik Council and Banyule Council. Read more and book your place.

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

When looking at a calendar, remember that you can:

  • Filter the list of events by suburb or suburbs using the green ‘location’ button top left.
  • Show all the event descriptions using the ‘expand all’ button top right.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
February
March

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
February
March
In Richmond

LFC News January 27 2021

Jan 262021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Anjana Mukherji, Clare Quinlan, Deb Graham, James Petty, Lee Hirsh, Megan Goodman, Mick Sheard, Robin Gale-Baker and Susan Arnold.

Robin’s veggie growing tip of the month

In general usage, the phrase ‘going to seed’ means ‘to deteriorate’. It is derived from the natural act of annual and bi-annual plants going to seed at the end of their life. Once a plant has lived out its lifecycle, it tries to perpetuate itself by producing seeds and these fall to the ground or are wind blown or transported underfoot by animals to another location. A certain number of these seeds will germinate, ensuring the plant’s survival.

There is a second reason, however, that plants ‘go to’ or ‘run to’ seed or ‘bolt’ and that is stress.

Stress can be caused by a number of things:

  • Lack of moisture in the soil.
  • Extreme weather especially hot weather.
  • Planting out of season or too early.
  • Unsuitable soil.
  • Disease.

The rest of this article focuses on the first three inter-related factors above, namely lack of moisture in the soil, hot weather and planting at the wrong time.

Chronic lack of soil moisture will mean that no amount of watering in hot weather will be sufficient to hydrate plants. The soil will have become hydrophobic (water repellent) and the roots of the plants will have been stunted by insufficient water. Already, you will have unhealthy plants. If your soil has been kept moist, and you significantly ‘up’ your watering during extreme heat, your plants should be fine but plants are often under-watered during summer, especially during periods of high temperatures, or they are watered after the heat, when they have already wilted. It is essential that beds are hydrated for a number of days before heat waves and, during heat waves, watered deeply each evening.

The combination of lack of water and of hot weather in general (and hot weather extremes in particular) leads plants to ‘believe’ that they are dying. They therefore try to reproduce, and ‘bolt’ rather than producing or maintaining an edible part. Hearting vegetables (such as brassicas (cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli) and lettuce) will split, pushing up a flower which will produce seeds. Stem vegetables (including celery, celeriac and kohlrabi) and bulbs (such as onions) will produce hard, woody stems. Root vegetables will transform their juicy roots to a woody ones.

Note that, whilst you can save the seeds produced by a plant when it bolts, there are usually fewer seeds than when that plant flowers at the end of its lifecycle.

To prevent bolting, prepare your soil well, incorporating compost for water retention, hydrate the soil through generous, deep watering from the time you plant out, shade the plant from the hot sun with a shade structure or a piece of old sheet or fabric draped over the garden bed, or even set up a beach umbrella. If you can keep plants cool, especially their roots, they will continue to grow healthily. Shade also helps prevent the soil drying out.

A further factor that you can control is when you plant your seeds or seedlings. Before the advent of climate changes, Spring (September, October, November) was warm, Summer (December, January, February) was hot and Autumn (March, April, May) was cool. These days, March and April can be very hot so it is worth delaying the planting of autumn crops till late April or early May or later if it is still hot. Have your seedlings ready in pots and, the moment the weather breaks, plant them out. Remember that autumn and winter crops are cool-weather crops so planting them in hot weather is self defeating.

Read more of Robin’s articles about growing techniques.

Meg’s garden this month

[Meg, who contributed weekly articles to this newsletter during the pandemic, is back and will be writing monthly articles for us during 2021. No longer ‘Meg’s social isolation week’, but now ‘Meg’s garden this month’. Thanks, Meg!]

Under the sharp gaze of some king parrots in the gum trees, Guy and I discussed a monthly contribution to the newsletter this year to reflect the seasons in the garden. I had just been provided with a tour of Guy’s acre garden with its various garden ‘rooms’ and large areas devoted to edibles. The view of the 5m high banana trees was relished despite misty rain and the beds of ripe perennial tree chillies were a highlight in contrast to my chillies and capsicums that are struggling to grow in this cool wet summer. Like mine, Guy’s tomatoes hang green on the vine, but are close to ripening. We agreed that the usual summer vegetables are slow this year and I’m sure that, like us, many of you are still anticipating the summer tomato harvest.

In my garden, the wet summer has also brought fungal problems to my stone fruit trees. The apricots have been able to avoid it, but I have had to pick them a little under-ripe (they do ripen after picking). Those affected get cut up and frozen for jam making. The dwarf beans have never produced so well and daily picking is needed. My zucchinis and cucumbers are also doing well compared to last year and, after a few days away, I have a large cluster of over-sized ones on display on the kitchen bench.

Zucchini and pine nut salad

2 green and 2 yellow zucchinis (or whatever you have), very thinly sliced lengthways into ribbons
1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon or other herb (e.g. savoury)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup pine nuts
Shaved parmesan cheese to serve

Lightly toast the pine nuts in a frypan.

Mix together the herbs, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper in a jar to make a dressing.

Place the zucchini on a serving platter/bowl and toss with dressing. Leave for 10-15 mins until the zucchini starts to soften.

Sprinkle over with the pine nuts and and parmesan.

Read more of Meg’s recipes.

Yes – you did know – tiny white bugs

Last week, Susan Arnold wrote in asking for advice about her veggies being covered in tiny white bugs with wings. Several of you have replied and there is broad agreement that the bugs in question are whitefly:

Susan (replying to her own question): “I have done some investigating myself and the bugs I have are whitefly. I have found that vegetable oil combined with dishwasher liquid diluted with warm water in a spray bottle works a treat. I have sprayed my beans, tomatoes, zucchinis and cucumbers and the bugs are now mostly (95%) dead. The plants remain lush and healthy days later.”

Angelo Eliades: “Tiny white flying insects that swarm when you spray then with water sound exactly like whitefly. They are tiny moths and can be controlled with eco-oil, neem oil or horticultural soap. Horticultural oils should never be used when the temperatures may reach 30 degC or more, as the leaves will burn, and that sounds like what might have happened with Susan. On really hot days, just hose the bugs off with a moderate pressure spray to reduce their numbers.”

Clare Quinlan: “It sounds like whitefly. A vacuum cleaner can be great to sucking the majority off. Constantly disturbing them is great to, but can get exhausting and boring standing there all day disturbing tiny creatures from eating their dinners. Garlic spray and eco can work but only if it gets on the actual fly apparently. I aim to leave whitefly up to beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings. I also leave my fennel to go to flower which creates a ladybug nursery where their numbers grow over summer.”

Anjana Mukherji: “Try 1 litre of tap water 2 drops of washing liquid soap and 4/5 drops of Neem oil. Shake well and spray.”

James Petty: “I have had similar problems. They fed on my tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, eggplants, jerusalem artichoke (stems and leaves), rocket, parsley, coriander, rosemary, carrots, parsnip, potatoes, cornflowers, and everlasting daisies. They killed several potato plants and (I suspect but don’t know) were the vector for a virus in my tomatoes. I initially assumed that they were whitefly, except that they weren’t white. However, after I sent them a photo, Museums Victoria IDed them as probably vegetable leafhopper (Austroasca viridigrisea). Here is AusVeg guide to the vegetable leafhopper.

“As for treatment, they resisted everything I tried: horticultural oil, neem, coffee spray – nothing worked. The most effective was a combination of vacuuming (daily) and ‘puffing’ diatomaceous earth all over the plants (leaves, stem, underside leaves). However, this took a long time and the puffing is also likely to impact beneficial bugs like predators and pollinators. And within a week, the hoppers were back to full numbers anyway. I have resigned myself to their presence and tried to reduce their habitat. They seem to love rosemary so I pruned it back to a stump.”

More on Queensland Fruit Fly

Pam Jenkins has written in to suggest that you read this report from Horticulture Innovation Australia. Pam adds “it looks like there may be some hope in integrating kaolin with exclusion netting especially for the home gardener … Kaolin looks like a great alternative to the previous regimes of cover spraying with toxic chemicals. It is going to affect pest insects that inject eggs, suck or chew on fruit and, so far, my reading suggests that it has little impact on beneficial insects and bees unless it is sprayed directly on to them. It has the added bonus of reflecting sunlight so helps prevent sunburn and slows evaporation from leaves in really hot weather. I also read that it doesn’t affect photosynthesis but I haven’t had it on leaves long enough to confirm that for myself.”

Dark Horse Cafe, Wine & Produce in Watsons Creek

Here’s a question for your next trivia night: what suburb in North East Melbourne has the smallest population and what is that population? Answer: Watsons Creek, with a population of just 51. Historically, Watsons Creek has actually been quite well known, at least in some circles, because of its antiques shop on the road from Kangaroo Ground to Yarra Glen. A few years ago, that antique shop closed and was replaced by Dark Horse Cafe, Wine & Produce which, as the name suggests, is both a cafe and a produce store, both of which are open Wednesday to Sunday. There is also an art gallery with local art next door.

Of particular relevance to this newsletter, the produce store sells quite a lot of local produce, including from
Buttermans Track (St Andrews); Coldstream Brewery; House of Gingerbread (Warrandyte); Kings of Kangaroo Ground; Napoleone Brewery & Ciderhouse (Coldstream); Rob Dolan Wines (Warrandyte South); Warrandyte Berry Farm (Warrandyte South); and Yarra Valley Gourmet Foods (Seville). Read their Local Food Directory page. Welcome Sharon and colleagues!

News about local food organisations – Imbue Distillery

Imbue Distillery have opened a tasting room and boutique bottleshop in Ivanhoe. It is called Wander North and is at 13/149 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe. It is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, each midday-8pm.

Local food organisations in the news – 2020 Northern Business Achievement Awards

The 2020 Northern Business Achievement Awards were recently announced and they include four food organisations from North East Melbourne:

  • Blue Pear Pantry from North Warrandyte (Best Start-Up or Microbusiness).
  • Floridia Cheese from Thomastown (Business of the Year).
  • Moon Rabbit cafe from Preston (Philanthropy and Community Service Award).
  • Mocopan Coffee from Preston (Workplace Diversity Award).

What seeds to plant in February

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Sweetcorn

Cool season veggies

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower

Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mustard greens
Silverbeet

Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Onion
Potato
Radish

Other

Chives
Fennel
Leeks
Parsley

In principle, you can start planting some of the brassicas (broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower) but perhaps it would be better to wait until March.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Korean ChangKi Chung composes, and then photographs, stacks of food.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was the DIVRS urban food program page asking for volunteers.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Pie in the sky Meaning: something good that is very unlikely to happen.. This phrase was coined by someone called Joe Hill in 1911 in a song entitled The Preacher and the Slave, which was a parody of the hymn Sweet By-and-By. The full phrase was “you’ll get pie in the sky when you die” and was Hill’s criticism of the Salvation Army’s philosophy of salvation of souls rather than the feeding of the hungry. The phrase was first used figuratively in its present meaning during the second world war.

Incidentally, Joe Hill was executed for murder in 1915 but, as discussed in Wikipedia, may well have been innocent. His will was written as a song and started with the couplet “My will is easy to decide, for there is nothing to divide.”

Read more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Bread feeds the body, indeed, flowers feed also the soul.” by The Koran.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Submitted by Lee Hirsh: Did you hear about the cheese factory that exploded in France? All that was left was de brie.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – website calendars

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

When looking at a calendar, remember that you can:

  • Filter the list of events by suburb or suburbs using the green ‘location’ button top left.
  • Show all the event descriptions using the ‘expand all’ button top right.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
January
February
March

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
January
February
March
In Richmond

LFC News January 20 2021

Jan 192021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Anita Merson, Belinda Lock, Chloe Thomson, Deb Thomson, Judith Chivers, Natalie Nigol, Pam Jenkins, Pauline Webb, Richard Rowe, Susan Arnold and Susan Palmer.

A major purpose of this newsletter is to make people who are growing or making food feel/aware that they are part of a wider, local food movement. Most weeks, I receive emails from readers which imply that it is at least partly succeeding in this endeavour (see the testimonials on the website). Just before Christmas, I received this lovely email from someone who wishes to remain anonymous: “Thank you, Guy. Your newsletter has been a wonderful support through a very difficult time. I know it takes an enormous amount of work on your part and that effort shows in the newsletter’s quality. It is a key part of our local community – thank you so much for what you have done and continue to do. I would call the newsletter a key mental health support in these last few months.“

Re-opening news

Abbotsford Convent Farmers’ Market has re-started.

The Croydon Herbal Health Crop Swap is no more.

The Box Hill South and Forest Hill urban harvests (aka food swaps) are planning to become hybrid events during 2021, with quarterly physical meetings combined with monthly online meetings. One of the organisers told me that: “online meetings have meant we can have glimpses of each other’s gardens for the first time, plus have guest speakers without having to manage physical equipment logistics.” They have also established a ‘seedling give & take hub’ at Box Hill South Neighbourhood House where people can give or take seedlings for growing food at home. “The hub has extended our ‘opening hours’, as well as our reach locally, with anecdotes of people coming who are new to food gardening or who want to know more about produce and plant swapping.“

As some of you will know, the re-opening of some Council venues has still not been determined and this is affecting the plans of those local activities that usually take place in those venues. So, for example, Pauline Webb from the Doncaster Garden Club has written in: “Our Committee will be meeting in early February to decide whether or not to re-start our monthly meetings. If we do, Council has told us that the Government rules include: no food or drink to be served; masks must be worn; and the hall is to have 30 people maximum (instead of the usual 60). As most of our members are over 70, we don’t know if they will be prepared to come either.” You can find out their decision by ringing Pauline between 4th February and 9th February (0409 063 060).

Young Farmers Connect (YFC) – Melbourne

Young Farmers Connect (YFC) – Melbourne is “a group to connect young farmers in the Melbourne region. The group is for sharing ideas, stories, tools, equipment, skills, time and knowledge, and to create a network of young farmers in the region who are interested in promoting the local food movement.” Its members include a number of newsletter readers. The Melbourne branch is part of a national YFC organisation.

[In passing, one newsletter reader who is also a member of YFC – Melbourne recently said to me that the young in their title means ‘relatively new to farming’, not ‘young in age’!]

The DIVRS urban food program is looking for volunteers

DIVRS, which is based in Preston, is looking for both more growing spaces and more fruit trees to harvest. Read more and potentially register your interest.

Kevin Heinz GROW free gardening sessions for refugees and asylum seekers

Kevin Heinz GROW, with support from Moreland Council and VicHealth, is offering free weekly gardening sessions for refugees and asylum seekers at Peppertree Place in Coburg starting in February. Participants will have the opportunity to meet others in their community, learn how to grow vegetables, propagate plants and enjoy morning tea and lunch together each week. Anyone who is potentially interested in participating should contact Isabella by email (isabella@kevinheinzegrow.org.au) or phone (9848 3695).

Yes you did know(!) – apple problem

Last week, Velyne Moretti asked if her apples had Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF). Angelo Eliades has responded: “The small puncture marks with oozing sap look like QFF to me. The possible alternative is codling moth, but this would leave a larger hole in unripe immature fruit, with brown residue exuding from the hole as the larvae eat their way through the apple. Cutting the apple will yield a definitive answer. White, banana-shaped 1mm long eggs just below the skin, or a small creamy yellow carrot-shaped maggot 8-11mm long with dark cutting jaws at the narrow pointed head end which bends into a U-shape and jumps, indicates that it is QFF. If it’s codling moth, the culprit will be a plump, large, fast crawling caterpillar with a shiny rounded brown head.“

More on Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF)

Last week, Jo Buckle wrote in to say that she lost all her plums this year to QFF and asked for good sources of advice. A number of you have responded.

Anita Merson (plums), Pauline Webb (apricots) and Susan Palmer (apricots) have all lost lots of fruit this year to QFF.

Richard Rowe has published some guidance on the Edendale website. At the bottom of that page, is two videos of a webinar that Richard, Bronwyn Koll (QFF co-ordinator for Yarra Valley) and others ran last year.

Deb Thomson has found the graphic right helpful, effective and easy to do.

Chloe Thomson has produced some videos for Nillumbik Council: part 1, part 2 and part 3.

Pauline Webb has put an elderly hen in the area with infected trees hoping that she cleans any in the soil. She (Pauline rather than the hen) also rang the Department of Agriculture to be told that the easiest trap was a container of fly trap and powder that mixes with water (can be bought at hardware shops or there are also homemade recipes on the Internet). She was also told to boil, freeze or microwave the affected fruit.

All the links above have been added to the page on QFF on our website.

More on growing bananas in Melbourne

Angelo Eliades has written in: “Bananas will grow fine in Melbourne, and will ripen if we have a good summer, otherwise they need to be ripened indoors in a paper bag with an apple or two in there. Dwarf varieties only grow to around 1½-2m, taller varieties will grow 2½-4m or more. Pictured are my dwarf cavendish bananas ripening; my taller goldfinger bananas are currently in flower.

“Bananas are heavy feeders and need to be watered well in hot weather. Treat them like heavy feeder vegies like tomatoes, small feeds of slow-release fertiliser often and consistent water and they will fruit as long as the previous winter isn’t too cold, otherwise they will skip a year and fruit the following year.“

Do you know – aphids?

Susan Arnold has written in: “My beans and other veggies are covered in tiny white bugs with wings (aphids?). When I hose, it disrupts them and they swarm around the plants but then return. I have tried garlic spray then Eco oil, but it seemed to burn the leaves and have little effect on the bugs. What are your recommendations please?” Email me with your thoughts.

Do you know – water tanks?

Belinda Lock has written in :”I have a water tank set up for roof run off connected to the veggie patch but I can’t seem to get it to work properly. I have tried a number of troubleshooting strategies that have resulted in slight improvements but I need it more automated in order to make it functional and efficient for my lifestyle. I would love to get in touch with someone that could provide that service.
I have tried plumbers (it has a pump attached) but none are too interested. I am after someone that looks at the whole system from start to finish and can fix the issue/s. It doesn’t seem to hold water the way it used to either. I am hopeful and excited that someone reading your newsletter might be able to help me.” Belinda lives in Blackburn South. Can anyone potentially help her or point her in the right direction? Watch this introductory video. Read more and potentially make a submission.

Better late than never!

In the 1st April, 2020 newsletter, Judith Chivers was announced as one of the four winners of Bearded Bee honey. Now, 9 months later and with the Covid-19 restrictions easing, Judith has finally managed to pick up her honey.

Vasundhara’s recipe of the week – peanut pasta

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked pasta/ spaghetti/ vermicelli
¼ cup green onions, diced

Peanut sauce ingredients
½ cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
½ cup canned coconut milk (full fat)
2½ tablespoons tamari/soy sauce
2 teaspoons chilli garlic sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar or sweetener of choice
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
¼ cup coriander, chopped
½ teaspoon curry powder
1/3 cup water

Method

Cook your noodles according to package instructions.

Add the noodles to a colander, drain and rinse. Return them to the pot. Add a drizzle of sesame oil, mix, and set aside.

Prepare your peanut sauce by blending add all ingredients into a fine smooth paste. Dilute if you feel the need.

Mix the sauce with the noodles and serve with topped green onions and lime wedges, roasted chopped peanuts and coriander.

Read more of Vasundhara Kandpal’s plant-based recipes on our website. Vasundhara is a professional cook who operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma in Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North and Montmorency. Read her menu and order.

It’s insect hotel month!

January is the month when insect hotels are at their most active. At least chez mois, there are lots of hatchings in the first week followed by lots of layings in the second and third weeks. Here are 6 of the visitors to my insect hotels over the last week.

Resin bee (megachilidae) Potter wasp (eumenidae) Cuckoo wasp (chrysididae)
Mud wasp (crabronidae) Mud wasp (crabronidae) Mud wasp (crabronidae)

 

I initially thought that the wasp bottom left was a blue-banded bee, but Museums Victoria disabused me of that notion.

Have you got any pictures of your insect hotel activity that you would like to share with the newsletter readership? Email me.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was Agriculture Victoria’s introductory video about Queensland Fruit Fly.

Joke (or pun) of the week

How many eggs can you eat on an empty stomach? Just one, because then your stomach won’t be empty.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events, Cooking, Everything else, Free.

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Highlighted events

I said that I would sometimes highlight those events which people have written in about rather than requiring me to seek out the events on the Internet.

This week’s highlighted event, as notified to me by Pam Jenkins, is: Dianne and John’s garden tour: Sunday, 14th February, 10.30am-12.30pm; $5; Eltham.

Email me with your events.

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
January
February
March

Upcoming events – cooking

Newly announced
January
February
March
Richmond

LFC News January 13 2021

Jan 132021
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Bev Robertson, Cath Lyons, Claire Smith, Jo Buckle, Michelle Smith, Pam Jenkins and Velyne Moretti.

Re-opening news

In last week’s newsletter, I wrote that most (but not all) food swaps have now re-opened. Claire Smith (the organiser of the Mooroolbark Food Swap) has written in to say that “whilst most food swaps have now re-started, some are currently meeting outside due to council restrictions on the use of their venues. For such cases, BYO chair if you need to sit at all, wear a face mask if you feel safer, use the hand sanitiser if available and sign in.”

Eltham Food Swap has now re-started on the 4th Sunday of each month, 9.30-10.30am at Eltham Farmers’ Market. The next swap will therefore be on 24th January. One of the organisers of the swap, Bev Robertson, has written in to say that they would like some more people to volunteer to help organise the future swaps. If you are potentially interested, contact Bev by email (cantalabnb@bigpond.com).

Another new seed library in Darebin

Jika Jika Community Centre, 1B Plant Street, Northcote (corner of Plant and Union streets).

That makes 4 in total, with the other 3 being:

  • Alphington Community Centre, 2 Kelvin Grove, Alphington.
  • Newton Street Community Garden, 9 Newton Street, Reservoir.
  • Sylvester Hive Community Garden, corner of Dean and Gray Streets, Preston.

Best edible gardens in schools in North East Melbourne

Each year for the last 43 years, The Victorian Schools Garden Program (VSGP) has given out awards to a variety of schools for their gardens. Their 2020 awards were recently announced and they include:

  • Diamond Creek Primary School: Best Edible Garden among primary & special schools with less than 280 pupils.
  • Oxley Christian College, Chirnside Park: Best Edible Garden among P-9, P-12 and all secondary schools.

A key person at the edible garden at Diamond Creek Primary School is newsletter reader Jessica Betts. Congratulations, Jessica!

To be in the running to win an award, a school has to apply. From the awards page, it appears that the applications for 2021 will probably open at the beginning on March.

Woolly aphids

Last year, Jo Buckle asked for advice about the woolly aphids on her apple tree. She has now written in with an update: “Advice ranged from ‘do nothing’ to using organic sprays. I’m not keen on sprays, even organic, and I’m also quite lazy, so I chose the ‘do nothing and worry’ option (although I did re-prune and feed the tree). In spring, sure enough, the apple tree was infested with around a million aphids. However after a few weeks I noticed some little alien type red and black creatures on the backs of the leaves and, with the help of Google, I identified them as ladybird larvae. These little helpers eventually ate all of the aphids and then disappeared. My apple tree now has an abundance of growing apples. I have to admit that, until now, I have considered organic gardening to be a compromise where if you love nature you’re prepared to have a substandard (or no) harvest. This is the first time that I have actually witnessed the things that I read about in gardening books!”

Do you know – apple problem?

Velyne Moretti has a problem with the apples on her tree (see the photo). Is it the dreaded Queensland Fruit Fly? Email your response.

Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF) – sources of advice?

Jo Buckle has written in to say that she lost all her plums this year to QFF and is looking for the best sources of advice for next year.

One of the main problems with QFF is that it can infest a wide range of fruit trees, not just plums. Watch this introductory video from Agriculture Victoria.

The National Fruit Fly Council divides home growers into ‘gardeners’ (that’s you) and ‘less able gardeners’ (that’s them over there)! Re QFF, their advice for less able gardeners is effectively: don’t grow fruit trees!

Here is some advice re QFF that has appeared in previous newsletters.

There is lots of advice re QFF on the Internet but what do you think are the best sources of advice? Email me with your suggested links.

Do you know – maize seeds?

Michelle Smith wants to grow some maize in order to make flour for human consumption. She is looking for advice about what varieties to grow. For example, early learning, manning white, multi-coloured aztec or silvermine? Email me with your thoughts and I’ll pass them onto Michelle.

Guy’s food growing tip – bananas

Last week, I harvested my first ever bunch of homegrown ripe bananas! Here is what I have learnt:

  • It is possible to grow bananas successfully in Melbourne. Furthermore, they taste yum.
  • The plants need protection in both Winter (cf. the frost) and Summer (cf. the intensity of the afternoon sun). I use shade cloth in both cases.
  • The plants grow quickly, become enormous (mine are around 5 metres high) and can’t be pruned.
  • The trick to getting the bananas to actually ripen is, according to local banana grower Stephen Onians, frequent fertilisation in small amounts.
  • A banana plant only ever has one bunch of bananas and then slowly dies (although it produces multiple pups before it dies).

I’m current experimenting with growing veggies in the chopped up logs of the cut down plants that have had bananas. I’ll report back at some stage.

Has anyone else had their bananas ripen successfully this year? Email me.

Read more of Guy’s food-growing tips.

The 2021 Urban Agriculture Forum will be held in the month of April. If you would like your upcoming event to be associated with this festival, apply here.

‘Crowd harvest’ – summer herbs

During January, take your surplus herb plants in pots, freshly cut herbs or dried herbs to NewHope Community Care in Blackburn North. They have clients who could make use of these herbs. Read this Facebook post for more information.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was Angelo Eliades’ article on leaf problems on cherries and plums.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Did you hear about the Italian chef that died? He pasta way.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

Website calendars

By type of event: All once-off events (Cooking, Everything else, Free).

By Council area: Banyule, Boroondara, City of Yarra, Darebin, Manningham, Maroondah, Moreland, Nillumbik, Whitehorse, Whittlesea and Yarra Ranges.

Upcoming Home Harvest home garden tours

During February and March, LFC and NERP will be jointly organising some tours of people’s gardens. The first two will be:

Upcoming events – not cooking

Newly announced
January
February

Upcoming events – cooking

Many of the upcoming cooking classes are in Richmond, which is at the edge of our North East Melbourne 'catchment area'. A number of you have requested that I separate out the Richmond classes from the other cooking classes, so that they latter can be more easily assimilated and this is what I have done below (with the exception of the newly announced events).

Newly announced
January
February
March
Richmond

LFC News January 6 2021

Jan 062021
 

Welcome to new joiners Alison, Ananya, Ann, Anna, Anne, Archna, Belinda, Carol, Catherine, Charlie, Charmaine, Cheryl, Chrissie, Damian, David, Deirdre, Delldint, Des, Emma, Erik, Georgia, Holly, Jo, Jo-Anne, Joel, John, Kate, Kate, Kathryn, Klara, Kristie, Kul, Lucy, Lyn, Lyn, Michelle, Mike, Mike, Nick, Nisha, Paul, Paula, Pauline, Per, Richard, Robert, Rosina, Sue, Toni and Vicky.

Now up to 3,100 subscribers! Yay!

My very best wishes to everyone in 2021.

I thought that I would start this newsletter by saying a few words about its envisaged shape in 2021. In summary, my hope and plan is that it combines the strengths of the 2019 (i.e. pre-pandemic) version with those of the 2020 (i.e. ‘peri-pandemic’) version.

The core of the 2019 (and earlier) newsletters was a calendar of upcoming, local food-related events, both once-off events (e.g. workshops) and regular events (e.g. food swaps). With face-to-face events now starting to happen again, the calendar will again become a key component of the newsletters.

When the local face-to-face events ceased in 2020, and were only partially replaced by online events, it looked like there would be insufficient material for the newsletters to remain weekly. But then the readership came to the rescue, asking/answering questions about food-related matters, offering tips, sending in photos and providing recipes. I would really like these levels of interactivity to continue into 2021 and I know that many of you would too. But this, dear readers, will depend on you. So, if you ever have anything that you would like to say or ask in future newsletters, email me.

So, the hope and plan for 2021 is to re-institute the calendar of events from 2019, whilst retaining the levels of interactivity achieved during 2020. And, as always, this will supplemented by regular food-growing articles (e.g. by Robin Gale-Baker and Angelo Eliades), garden visit writeups (e.g. by Judy Vizzari and Ann Stanley) and any local food-related news that I am aware of.

The newsletter will continue to be closely linked to the Local Food Connect website. All material from every newsletter will also be on the website, but organised by topic rather than chronologically. And whenever something is added to one of the website’s databases (local food producers, community gardens, food swaps, food is free organisations, etc), this will be highlighted in the newsletter.

If you have any thoughts about what you would like to read about in future newsletters, email me. If you would like to contribute, either as a once off or potentially more regularly, email me. If you know of any local food-related news or events, email me. Or if you would be willing for your garden to be visited by one of our roving reporters, email me.

Finally, here is my favourite food-related joke from 2020:
I recently visited a monastery and, as I walked past the kitchen, I saw a man frying chips.
I asked him “Are you the friar?”
He replied “No, I’m the chip monk.”

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Cecilia Macaulay, Delldint Megan Fleming, Joan Denison, Judy Vizzari, Jules Jay and Robin Gale-Baker.

Re-opening news

Most (but not all) markets have now re-opened. Ditto food swaps. Around half of the community gardens appear to have re-opened and the other half not. I have therefore reverted to the pre-pandemic format for these newsletters, whereby these events are listed in the right hand sidebar. Note that I haven’t been able to confirm all of the envisaged events so you might want to check before actually going.

Many face-to-face events have also started happening again, as listed later in this newsletter. Some events are continuing online but their numbers are dwindling.

Food is Free Blackburn

Food is Free Blackburn started during the pandemic. Like other food is free initiatives, it comprises a cupboard which is periodically stocked with fruit, vegetables, bread and other food which is made freely available for members of the public to take. Corner of Hill Street and Main Street. Organised by Delldint Megan Fleming. Read the Food is Free Blackburn page in our Local Food Directory. Join the Food is Free Blackburn Facebook group. Welcome Delldint!

That brings the total up to 5 food is free initiatives in North East Melbourne.

A new food swap in Hurstbridge

The 2nd Saturday of each month, 10-11am, so the first swap is on this coming Saturday, 9th January. At Edible Hub Hurstbridge, Hurstbridge Community Hub, 50 Graysharps Road. Contact person: Jules Jay (julie@rebuspress.com.au). Join their Facebook group. Congratulations to Jules and also Lucinda (Flynn) for resurrecting this swap.

That brings the total up to 35 regular food swaps across North East Melbourne.

A possible new community garden in Oakhill Village, Preston

Darebin Council is currently seeking expressions of interest for a dedicated group of local gardeners to take over the establishment and maintenance of the garden. There are some Council funds available to contribute to the establishment of the garden plus some in in-kind support and other resources. For more information about how to register your interest, contact Natalie Nigol, Darebin Sustainable Food Officer by email (natalie.nigol@darebin.vic.gov.au).

Judy visits the garden of Jules Jay and Robin Longworth in Hurstbridge

If you have ever come across either North East Region Permaculture Group (NERP) or the Edible Hub Hurstbridge community garden, then you have probably also come across Jules Jay, who is active in both organisations. Less well known is that Jules and partner Robin live on an 18-acre property near Hurstbridge where they lead a permaculture lifestyle. Judy Vizzari recently visited them and has written up the results.

As Judy discusses, Jules and Robin have 270,000 litres of water storage, a massive netted orchard, a perennial food garden and a large veggie patch. They also have chickens, roosters, muscovy ducks, geese and two cows. In terms of their self-sufficient philosophy, Judy says “we talked about the eggs and their uses (Jules recommends chicken eggs for eating and duck eggs for cooking). She told me that the birds are the farm’s main focus, then described the work involved in breeding and caring for them, including sessions of humane slaughtering and highly organised plucking and cleaning. Jules and Robin are ‘nose to tail’ eaters and utilise all parts of the bird – they’re either cooked and consumed (meat and offal), or used to make soup and stock, whilst fats are rendered for lard and feathers are consigned to compost.”

Read the full visit writeup.

Want to become a garlic farmer?

Most of the details of Farmer Incubator’s 2021 Pop up garlic farmer program have now been finalised. The course starts on Saturday, 20th February and registrations close on 7th February. Read more and potentially register.

Does your group want a webinar on decluttering?

Newsletter reader Cecilia Macaulay presents webinars on decluttering as her job. For example, Declutter your body, create a garden of food in your fridge on Sunday, 10th January, 2-3.30pm. If your group is potentially interested in hosting one of Cecilia’s webinars, email her to discuss.

What seeds to plant in January

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Sweetcorn

Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mustard greens
Parsley
Silverbeet

Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Potato
Radish

Perennials

Chives

 
January is not a good planting month: too late for all summer veggies except beans and sweetcorn and, although you can plant leafy greens such as lettuce and mustard greens, they are likely to go to seed pretty quickly.

Newsletter reader growing tip: pruning herbs over summer

From Robin Gale-Baker: “To save water over the summer, I’m cutting back my herb border. Pruning off the long stems saves water as these take up a lot during hot weather. There is plenty of soft new growth under the long stems which, if required, I can protect with shade cloth for a week or two so that they don’t burn. I will also water every second day for the next couple of weeks but then not much after that.”

Did you see Poppysmack on the TV over the holidays?

Local food producer PoppySmack, who make a variety of Asian sauces, recently featured on a TV advert by the insurer AAMI. Lucky, they’re with AAMI. It (Poppysmack, not AAMI) is a two-person operation, namely sisters Tran (who lives in Blackburn) and Hanh (who lives in Warrandyte), both of whom feature in the advert.

Angelo’s latest article – fruit tree problems

Angelo Eliades, who lives in Preston, has written an article entitled fruit tree problems – new leaves tightly curled and turning yellow on cherries and plums.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

The ‘ISO chooks’ in Eltham and surrounds

As many of you will know, Joan Denison’s ‘ISO chooks’ have been sweeping across Eltham and surrounding suburbs and now number around 3,000(!). Some of them have reached Incredible Edible Eltham’s railway station planter boxes.

Permablitz Melbourne’s food hero of the month – grapes

“Summer and grapes go together like hot weather and a chilled glass of wine, for those who like a tipple, or frozen grapes for the kids (and even us ‘big’ kids). Learn why grapes are so great for the garden.” Read more.

Read more Permablitz’s food heroes of the month.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was Robin Gale-Baker’s video on how to grow mint.

Proverb (or phrase) of the month

Take the cake This is a phrase with several different meanings, including opposites. Let’s start with the meaning which relates to the original derivation: carry off the honours. Per Wikipedia, the cakewalk was a type of competitive dance held in the mid-19th century, generally at get-togethers on black slave plantations before and after emancipation in the Southern United States. The winners were said to have ‘taken the cake’, which was often the prize.

Nowadays, take the cake can be used to mean either ‘to be especially good’ or (sarcastically) the opposite, ‘to be especially bad’. Or it can have a less judgemental meaning, namely ‘to be the most extreme instance’. The British take the biscuit has a similar set of alternative possible meanings.

For no obvious reason, the related phrase cakewalk means ‘very easy’, perhaps because someone got confused between take the cake and the unrelated piece of cake, where the latter also means ‘very easy’.

Phrases that can be their own opposites, like take the cake, are sometimes referred to as ‘Janus phrases’ after the two-headed god that looked both ways simultaneously. Common ‘Janus words’ include ‘fast’ (which means both to move quickly and to stay put), ‘sanction’ (which means both to give approval to and to penalise), ‘screen’ (which means both to display and to conceal from view), ‘dust’ (which means both to make free of fine particles and to sprinkle with fine particles), left (which means both to leave and to remain) and ‘oversight’ (which means both a watchful care and an inadvertent omission).

Read more proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Until we can comprehend the beguiling beauty of a single flower, we are woefully unable to grasp the meaning and potential of life itself.” by Virginia Woolf.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events – introduction

As has become traditional, the list of events below covers the next two months and is divided between non-cooking and cooking events. Clicking the name of any event will take you to the corresponding page on our website where you can read more detail (including the event description) and/or register/book your place. This format is similar to the pre-pandemic format but a bit shorter.

The events listed are restricted to face-to-face events and do not include online events. Obviously, they are also restricted to those that I am aware of. If you know of any local, food-related events that are not listed then please email me. If someone emails me about their event then, because I believe in rewarding effort, I will highlight it in the next newsletter.

For example, Cecilia Macaulay has written in to make me aware of her next webinar. Declutter your body, create a garden of food in your fridge: Sunday, 10th January, 2-3.30pm; $donation; organised by Cecilia Macaulay. Read more and book on EventBrite.

You can also look at the various calendars on the website, including:

The website calendars have a number of features which allow you to filter or re-format the list of events to suit your purposes. These include:

  • Filtering by suburb or Council area (click the green button top left called ‘locations’).
  • Alternating between a list format and a calendar format (click the button top right called ‘agenda’).
  • Registering/booking your place for a particular event (click the button on the right of the event called ‘tickets’).
  • Reading the event description for a particular event (click the button on the right of the event called ‘+’).

There are also website calendars for all the recurring events including community garden get togethers, food swaps, free meals and markets.

Finally, there are separate website calendars for each of the Council areas in North East Melbourne.

Upcoming events – not cooking

January
February

Upcoming events – cooking

January
February

LFC News December 2 2020

Dec 022020
 

This is the last newsletter for 2020. The next newsletter will be in January 2021.

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Carol Woolcock, Chris Kent, Helen Hewitt, Kate Woodstock, Lucinda Flynn and Vasundhara Kandpal.

Obviously, 2020 has been a very unusual year for all of us, including for this newsletter. The focus of the newsletter has traditionally been on advertising upcoming local events, of which there were around 350 per month prior to the current pandemic. With very few events happening during the pandemic, the newsletter partially re-invented itself as a more interactive publication where readers ask/answer questions about food-related matters, offer tips, send in photos, provide recipes and write articles. I think that this has generally worked well and I hope we can continue the levels of interactivity into 2021.

Since the start of the pandemic, around 220(!) different readers have contributed to the newsletter. Here is the list.

Alfred Zahra
Alison Raven
Angela Hewitt
Angela Spencer
Agnes Wilson
Aldona Kmiec
Alison Fraser
Alison Raven
Amanda Healy
Angelo Eliades
Angie Kristens
Angie O’Connor
Anita Merson
Ann Stanley
Anna Sanders
Anne Parbury
Annelise Tedesco
Aziza de Fazio
Barb Whiter
Beata Clark
Berry McSherry
Bev Middleton
Bev Robertson
Bronwen Whyatt
Bruce Plain
Bruno Tigani
Callie Lastdrager
Carol Woolcock
Cara Horner
Carrie Newbold
Cate Townsend
Cath Lyons
Catherine Knight
Catherine Mortimer
Cathy Romeo
Chantelle Ladouceur  
Chloe Thomson
Choon Yin Yeok
Chris Kent
Chris Mills
Chris Tankard
Claire Smith
Connie Curato
Daisy Lio
Dan Milne
Dan Ross
Dassana
Darryl Wilson
Dave Chambers
David Hicks
Deb Anscombe
Deb Graham
Deb Thomson
Deborah Taylor
Dianne Parslow
Dione Fisher 		Doris Glier
Doris McAllister
Drew Barr
Duang Tengtrirat
Elaine Rust
Elizabeth Doig
Elle Lawrence
Eric Nuccio
Evan Gellert
Farah Dawwas
Fay Loveland
Fiona Finch
Fran Lennard
Fuchsia Branwhite
Gayle Parkes
Georgina Aquilina
Gillian Manson
Gilles Lardy
Gina Wilson
Glenis Vieux
Graeme Townsend
Guy Palmer
Hanh Truong
Heb Gardener
Heather Miller
Heather Stanley
Helen Besley
Helen Bloustein
Helen Cline
Helen Collier
Helen Disler
Helen Hewitt
Helen Simpson
Jacinda Brown
Jan Akeroyd
Jane Dyer
Jane Glynn
Janet King
Jeanette Lynch
Jen Willis
Jenny Shaw
Jeremy Kesselbach
Jeremy Mather
Jian Liu
Jo Buckle
Jo Douglas
Joanne Driver
Joanne Shiells
Jon Buttery
Jonathan Warren
Joy Quinn
Judith Chivers
Judy Vizzari
Jules Jay
Karen Cheah
Karen Olsen 		Karen Ye
Karin Motyer
Kate Lahiff
Kate Shannon
Kate Woodstock
Kathleen Bennett
Katrina Forstner
Kaye Flanagan
Keryn Johnson
Kim Lam
Kirsty Bishop-Fox
Kobie Swart
Krystal John
Lachlan Shackleton-Fergus  
Laura Finch
Leah Lux Tame
Lee Hirsh
Lenny Robinson
Leonie Katekar
Lili Dieguez
Lily Angel
Linda Wall
Ling Wong
Louise Currie
Louise Nolan
Lucinda Flynn
Lyn Richards
Lynn Wallace
Lynn-eva Bottomley
Mahira Sobral
Mala Plymin
Mardi Caracoglia
Maria Ciavarella
Marianthi Kougi
Marina Bistrin
Marjory Gardner
Marsha Merory
Maude Farrugia
Maureen Cullen
Megan Goodman
Meaghan Clayton
Meera Govil
Mei Yen Ooi
Melissa Tripodi
Melita Proebstl
Mia D’Abaco
Michelle Cheah
Moira Tucker
Morgan Koegel
Nada Cunningham
Nancy Mills
Natalie Nigol
Natalie Nott
Niloo Barmanray
Nina Ceddia
Nina Kelabora 		Olwyn Smiley
Pam Jenkins
Pam Rowley
Paul Hemsworth
Paula Mcleod
Pauline Webb
Penny Smith
Peta Heywood
Peter Bevz
Peter Dyer
Pollyn Chan
Prue Clark
Raymond Leong
Rebecca Donald
Rebecca Gray
Rebecca Haschek
Richard Rowe
Rita Varrasso
Ritika Mahajan
Robert Lastdrager
Robin Gale-Baker
Ros Hardy
Sabi Buehler
Saimon Boyle
Sam Dixon
Samantha Patterson
Sandie Downes
Sarah Hardgrove
Sean Flynn
Sean Walsh
Senia Kazar
Shelley Evans
Shellie Drysdale
Shiva Vasi
Siri Hayes
Soo Mei Leong
Stella Ramos
Stephen Onians
Stuart Muir Wilson
Stuart Rodda
Sue Lockwood
Susan Faine
Susan Palmer
Toni Myers
Tracey Bjorksten
Tracey O’Neill
Vanessa Nitsos Chan
Vanessa Reynolds
Vasundhara Kandpal
Velyne Moretti
Vicki Jordan
Vicki Paras
Virginia Solomon
Yennie Starkey
Zofia Di Stefano

 
I would particularly like to thank Megan Goodman for her weekly recipes throughout the pandemic, Vasundhara Kandpal for her monthly recipes and Robin Gale-Baker for her regular veggie growing tips and articles.

Happy holidays!

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Carlton and Coburg. Not Wonga Park.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Re-starting and re-opening news

Markets

Warrandyte Riverside Market has re-started and the next market will be on Saturday, 5th December. Park Orchards Market has also re-started and the next market will be on Saturday, 19th December.

Food swaps

More food swaps are now re-starting. For example, the swaps on Saturday (i.e. 5th December) will include Bayswater North, Brunswick East, Fitzroy, Pascoe Vale and Warrandyte.

Community gardens

More community gardens are also re-opening. For example, Sylvester Hive (Preston) are meeting on Wednesday evening (i.e. 2nd December), Links Lalor are meeting on Saturday (i.e. 5th December) and Northcote Library are meeting on Sunday (i.e. 6th December).

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – light meals

The theme for Vasundhara Kandpal’s three recipes this month is light meals. The three recipes are:

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

As I’ve got space, I’m going to provide my favourite of the three recipes (the eggplant dip) in full below but you will have to go to the website to read the other two.

Eggplant dip (aka baba ganoush)

1 medium eggplant
1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 tomato
½ onion, preferably red onion (optional)
2-3 tablespoons tahini
chopped parsley or coriander
salt to taste

Roast the eggplant on a fire or flame.

When it is cooked through inside, place in a bowl and cover it.

Meanwhile, finely chop all the veggies.

Peel and remove the burnt skin of eggplant. Mash the burnt eggplant and add all the other ingredients. Mix well.

Garnish with coriander/parsley.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

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

Want to buy a book for a Christmas gift?

Ben Moore, from Ben’s Bees in Blackburn North, has just written a book called For The Love Of Bees. Here’s the start of the blurb: “Comprising more than 200 full-colour pages and complemented with beautiful photography, For the Love of Bees is the result of years of experience and research. Covering every conceivable aspect of bees and beekeeping, this labour of love is bursting with amazing facts and figures and intriguing information – you won’t be able to put it down!” Buy the book at Ben’s website.

Want to watch a documentary over the holiday period?

Chris Kent recently watched a documentary called The Biggest Little Farm which is about the establishment of farm called Apricot Lane Farms. Here is a short blurb: “The Biggest Little Farm chronicles 8 years of work as John and Molly Chester attempt to create a utopia of 10,000 orchard trees, 200 different crops and animals of every kind.“. Here is the trailer. And here is what Chris says about the documentary: “The farm is in California, but they suffer similar environmental problems to us in Australia, including the risk of bushfire. The documentary doesn’t go into any practical, technical or financial details. It is not an instructional video. It is, however, beautifully filmed, an inspiration and a joy to watch. After 8 years, they finally feel that their farm has achieved a natural balance and harmony with nature.” You can buy or rent the documentary from the usual sources, or borrow it from your local library.

‘Crowd harvest’ – seeds for Christmas

During the first half of December, send your seeds to one of the not-for profit organisations listed below, each of whom employs a horticulturalist who will germinate, store or distribute the seeds to those facing food insecurity. Please package the seeds in individual and labelled packages. Open pollinated seeds if possible. Read this Facebook post for more information. DIVRS in Preston, Carrington Health (ask for Alex Salmon) in Box Hill or STREAT in Collingwood.

How to grow mint

Robin Gale-Baker has just published a video with tips on growing mint.

What are your favourite wines?

Karen Coulston, from Yarrambat, who is an erstwhile wine maker and well-known local wine connoisseur, has published some notes on her favourite wines by variety and place. It is a comprehensive guide about what wines she likes and doesn’t like, and why. The wines that it covers include white wines (Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio / Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon), sparkling wines (Champagne, Prosecco), red wines (Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz) and fortified wines (Sherry, Port, Muscat, Tokay).

Well done to the Edible Hub, Hurstbridge!

Helen Hewitt has written in: “‘A big thank you to the garden angels of the Edible Hub, Hurstbridge community garden. Every fortnight or so during lockdown I would visit the garden for some fresh herbs and greens and it never failed to lift my spirits!”

If you would like to publicly praise or thank your local community garden, food swap or other local food organisation, email me and I’ll publish your comments in the first January newsletter.

Fun facts: The taxonomy of pumpkins

For some plants, the common names closely follow the Latin names. For example, all plants commonly called grevilleas are in the genus Grevillea and most of the plants in the genus Grevillea are called grevilleas in common parlance. For other plants, the relationship between common name and Latin name is more complicated. For example, the common name eucalypt encompasses seven genera (including Corymbia and Angophora as well as Eucalyptus) and plants in the genus Eucalyptus are variously called gums, boxes, mallees, ironbarks, stringybarks, peppermints, mallets, gimlets, etc. Finally, for some other plants, the common name is positively misleading. For example, a native frangipani is not a frangipani (nor closely related to them) and a native fuchsia is not a fuchsia (and an Australian magpie is a butcherbird, not a magpie).

A similar situation applies to edible plants. On the one hand, there is a roughly one-to-one correspondence between plants commonly called mints and plants in the genus Mentha. On the other hand, a cape gooseberry is certainly not a gooseberry and a custard apple is neither a custard nor an apple. And, as I have written about before, most citrus is commonly named by the colour of its fruit rather than by its taxonomic affinity (e.g. 'lemon' and 'meyer lemon' are two of eight species of citrus which have yellow fruit and which are called lemons).

So that brings us (at last!) to pumpkins. In broad terms, the word 'pumpkin' is used to describe varieties of any of the 13 species in the genus Cucurbita where the fruit is a) deemed edible and b) harvested when mature & the skin hardened. Edible varieties which are harvested when immature & the skin is still tender have their own names (e.g. zucchini, tromboncino). Non-edible varieties are called gourds.

If a zucchini is left to mature on the plant then, for some reason, it is called a marrow rather than a pumpkin. And zucchinis are called courgettes in the UK and France.

The word gourd is also used to describe some varieties in both the genus Lagenaria (e.g. bottle gourd) and the genus Luffa (e.g. loofahs) as well as the genus Cucurbita.

Note that the terminology is different in the United States. They use the word 'pumpkin' for those big orange, inedible fruit that they carve coming up to Halloween, the phrase 'winter squash' for what we call pumpkins, and 'summer squash' for zucchinis etc.

Of the 13 species in the genus Cucurbita, only 3 are commonly grown in Australia. The table below lists these 3 species, together with example pumpkin varieties, other edible varieties and some gourd varieties.

Species Broad characterisation  Example pumpkin varieties 
(winter squash)		 Other edible varieties 
(summer squash)		 Example gourd varieties
Cucurbita maxima The big pumpkins Jarrahdale
Queensland Blue
Rouge vif D’Etampes
Golden Nugget		    
Cucurbita moschata  The standard pumpkins Butternut
Kent/Jap		 Tromboncino  
Cucurbita pepo The other pumpkins Kumi Kumi Zucchini/Marrow
Spaghetti Squash		 Crown of Thorns
Spoon

 
Finally, did you notice the reference to 'loofahs' above? Yes, those things that your mother used to scrub your back with in the bath are the dried insides of a type of gourd.

Read more fun facts.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was the recipe for vegetable bugs.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming events

Previously announced online events

Expanding the food loop: Tuesday, 8th December, 7-8pm; $12; organised by Reground. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Planning for sustainable farming and healthy food access: Wednesday, 9th December, 11am-1pm; $22; organised by Sustain. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Home harvest workshop: Wednesday, 9th December, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Darebin Sustainable Food Leaders Forum 2020: Thursday, 10th December, 6-7.30pm; free; organised by Darebin Council. Read more and book on Humanitix.

How the public purse can drive food systems change: Wednesday, 16th December, 11am-1pm; $22; organised by Sustain. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays, 11.30am-1pm. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News November 25 2020

Nov 242020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Amanda Healy, Angelo Eliades, Barb Whiter, Heather Miller, Heather Stanley, Jen Willis, Jules Jay, Natalie Nigol, Prue Clark and Stuart Rodda.

Farmers’ market news

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Abbotsford Convent (re-located to Carlton) and Coburg. Not Wonga Park.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Melbourne Farmers Markets

Prue Clark, from Melbourne Farmers Markets, has written in with the details of their planned markets from now until 10th January:

Community gardening news

Some, but seemingly not yet many, community gardens have now re-started their normal get togethers. For example, the Links Community Garden Lalor meetup will take place on Saturday (i.e. 28th November).

Two new community gardens are currently being developed in Darebin:

  • Regent Community Garden – behind the Regent Centre, 4 Robinson Road, Reservoir.
  • Croxton Community Garden – at the old tennis courts near Croxton Station, Thornbury.

If you would potentially like to get involved with either of these gardens, contact Natalie Nigol from Darebin Council by email.

Other re-starting and re-opening news

Many of the local food swaps are now re-starting. For example, the swaps on Saturday (i.e. 28th November) will include Heathmont, Heidelberg and Preston/Thornbury.

St Andrews Market has re-opened.

Edendale Farm has re-opened.

Yes, you did know!

Tree damage

Last week Mary Shiel asked what was causing the damage to her tulip tree. Heather Stanley and Jules Jay both agree that it is feral deer rubbing their antlers on the tree. Heather adds: “Arborist here. It’s distressing (for both you and the tree!) but not necessarily a death sentence for the tree. Keep your tree mulched, water it on hot days and give it a monthly dose of seasol. The wound will gradually seal over as the tree continues to grow, don’t paint it or put anything on the exposed tissues. Consult an arborist if you notice any insect activity or weeping from the wound.”

Whitefly and thrip infestation

A couple of weeks ago, Louise Nolan asked how she could get rid of her plague of whitefly and thrips.

Angelo Eliades: “Whitefly and thrips can be controlled with horticultural oils such as eco-oil or neem oil sprays, but it’s better to let predatory mites do the job. These beneficials thrive in mulch layers above soil, so it’s important to keep the soil mulched to give them a home. Also, don’t dig up every bit of soil, as this destroys their habitat and kills them (and all the other soil biota too).”

Heather Miller: “In a spray bottle, mix together, 1 litre of warm water, 1 tablespoon of molasses and 1 squirt of dish detergent (preferably organic). Mix and spray over the affected plants, making sure to spray on both sides.”

Newsletter reader growing tip: seed dispensers – follow up

Following his article last week, Stuart Rodda has written in to say that he has now purchased seed dispensers from a variety of online suppliers and that the quality of these dispensers has varied greatly. He has now settled on the Ryset mini seeder GD736 which can be purchased from either The Seed Collection or Aussie Gardener.

In the photo right, Stuart has tried to illustrate the difference between the good fitting Ryset dispensers and their ill-fitting Ebay competitors (where there is a gap between the green base and the clear swivelling top).

Cafes who give away spent coffee grounds

Barb Whiter has written in to say that the Black Vice Cafe & Roastery in Hurstbridge (946 Heidelberg-Kinglake Road) sometimes gives away its spent coffee grounds – ring in advance (9718 1386). This means that there are now 26 cafes on our list who give away spent coffee grounds. Anyone know of any others? Email me.

Want any jars for seed-saving or jam?

Bronwen Whyatt has lots of spare jars that she would like to give away, mostly Vegemite jars with screw top lids. She lives in Northcote and is happy to drop them off within a 10km radius. If interest, email me and I’ll put you in contact with Bronwen.

Eltham and District 2020 Amateur Wine Show results

The results of the 2020 Eltham and District Amateur Wine Show have just been published. For Covid-19 reasons, it was a virtual event rather than the usual get together. There were 421 entries across the various categories, of which 239 were awarded medals. Two of the entries received a perfect score of 20/20 (the 2020 Lagrein’s of Mario Fantin & John O Callaghan and Danny Cappellani). The Joe Illian award for best previous vintage chardonnay also went to Danny Cappellani. Why not enter next year’s wine show in November 2021?

The case for growing your own avocados (by Robin Gale-Baker)

Have you ever considered that when you buy an avocado you could be supporting a Mexican criminal cartel or supporting water rights in Chile that are resulting in thousands of small farmers being effectively deprived of their livelihoods?

Mexico is the biggest producer of avocados in the world, having a perfect climate for production. The industry has, however, apparently been controlled by cartels since the late 1990s. Avocados have become a new conflict commodity, much like conflict diamonds, as cartels illegally log, clear land and murder small farmers.

Chile is the 14th largest producer of avocados in the world. Chilean economists in 1981 adopted an ‘American’ water rights system (much like the Australian one) that has left smaller farmers asking the world to stop buying Chilean avocados. These farmers are not getting a water allocation at all and, not only are they going broke, but they are also unable to use their land for anything else.

What better argument could there be for purchasing local food or growing your own?

Avocados are tropical trees which do well in warm, humid climates with little temperature variation. Sudden drops in temperature and frosts are very damaging to the fruit.

There are, however, varieties that can grow in temperate zones such as ours. Wurtz ‘A’ Type is one. This grafted ‘dwarf’ grows to 4 metres in height and 6 metres in width. It has a weeping habit, medium sized fruit and can be pruned down to 2 metres. It flowers and fruits from November to February but takes at least 3 years to produce. It is partially self-fertile but will fruit better if a type B cultivar is planted nearby (e.g. Bacon, Fuerte or Sharwill).

[Editor’s note: when an avocado flower blooms, it does so with either its female reproductive parts available or its male reproductive parts available, but not both. With the Type A varieties, the female parts tend to be available in the mornings, with the male parts then becoming available in the afternoons (with the female parts becoming unavailable). With Type B varieties, it is the other way round. This process is ‘designed’ to hinder self-fertilisation.]

Wurtz can be grown in a large pot (75-100 litres). This is often a good way to grow an avocado as it means that in winter, when the tree needs protection from frost, it can be moved to a sheltered spot. Alternatively, build a semicircular mud brick wall around it and the thermal mass of the mud brick will keep it free from frost damage.

Avocados are shallow rooted and have a weak root system. They are best grown on a large mound or a slope as they need to be well drained. They also need plenty of water (it takes about 68 litres of water to produce one avocado in tropical climates, a bit less in temperate ones). They are easily stressed by dryness, windburn or sunburn and (unusually) like being watered in the middle of the day. Trunks can be protected from sunburn with whitewash. Stake the tree to prevent breakage or loosening from the soil in wind.

On our clay soils, it is best to add gypsum, compost and well-rotted cow manure and some blood and bone to the soil, and build a high, wide mound. Then mulch it well to keep moisture in the mound but keep the mulch away from the trunk to prevent collar rot.

Avocados are climacteric, meaning that they ripen off the tree. Once an avocado has reached full size, twist it from the branch and let ripen it for 2 weeks. If it does not shrivel, then the fruit is ready and all can be harvested or some left on the tree for later use.

[Editor’s note: I have been trying to grow avocados for a number of years. For a young tree to survive, it needs protection during both the Winter and the Summer (I use shade cloth). I have never solved the problem of all the fruit dropping off the tree when still minuscule.]

Read more of Robin’s fruit tree growing guides on our website.

Make your own food bugs

You can make either vegetable bugs or fruit bugs. In both cases, the animals that can be made are similar (e.g. snails, caterpillars, dragonflies and butterflies) but the materials are different (e.g. chive or apple antennae, tomato or grape heads).

The first task is always to prepare the googly eyes but the method is different for the two different types of bug.

For the vegetable bugs, use a straw to cut out black olive pupils (alternatively, you can chop black olives into small pieces and use those for the pupils instead). Pipe small dots of cream cheese onto a plate and top with black olive pupils.

For the fruit bugs, pipe small dots of cream cheese onto a plate. Top with mini dairy-free chocolate chips.

Read the full recipes for the vegetable bugs and the fruit bugs on our website.

A recipe for saag paneer (Indian cheese in spinach sauce)

Courtesy of Jen Willis and Sustainable Macleod.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
200-300g paneer (or, as a vegan alternative, firm tofu) cut into 2 cm cubes
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, optional
8-10 cups spinach leaves, washed (or use silverbeet or kale)
1 onion, diced
3 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 teaspoons cumin seeds toasted or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon cayenne powder and/or 1 small fresh chilli (add more to your liking)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 pinch of salt (optional)
½ cup of water
½ cup of natural yoghurt, coconut milk or cream

Paneer and fenugreek should be available in Indian and some other grocery shops.

Method

Add the spinach and the fenugreek leaves to a pan of boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes and drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the paneer and cook until golden (do in batches if the pan isn’t wide enough). Place the paneer on a paper towel. Leave the pan on the heat.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee plus the onion, ginger, garlic and fresh chilli (if using). Sauté on medium heat until lightly browned (about 10 minutes), stirring often. Add a dash of water if sticking or starting to burn.

Add the other spices and sauté another 3 minutes. Again, add a dash of water if needed.

Chop finely or blend the greens. Add to the pan with the water. Simmer slowly for 5-10 minutes with the lid off.

If using yoghurt or cream, turn off the heat and stir in slowly to prevent curdling. If using coconut milk, there’s no need to turn the heat off.

Add the paneer. Simmer to heat through. Taste and add salt if needed.

Serve with rice and a squeeze of lemon.

What seeds to plant in December

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Cucumber
Gourd
Pumpkin
Sweetcorn

Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mustard greens
Parsley
Silverbeet

Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Potato
Radish

Perennials

Asparagus
Chives

 

December is not a very good planting month: arguably too late for many summer veggies and, although you can plant leafy greens such as lettuce and mustard greens, they are likely to go to seed pretty quickly.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was VEG’s (Very Edible Gardens) customisable wicking bed kits.

Proverb of the month

Spill the beans. Meaning: to tell something that someone else wanted you to keep a secret. The first uses of this phrase are from the USA in the early 20th Century (not from ancient Greece, as some websites say). The first references related to horse racing and meant ‘to cause an upset’; it then became more mainstream a few years later and took on its current meaning. The key word is ‘spill’ rather than ‘beans’, as illustrated by the existence the alternative form spill the soup. One of the meanings of ‘spill’ since at least the 16th Century is ‘to divulge’.

Read more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Flowers are happy things.” by P.G. Wodehouse.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Dijon vu – the same mustard as before.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Sowing seeds of resilience in the suburbs: Sunday, 29th November, 3-4.30pm; free; organised by Transition Darebin. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Darebin Sustainable Food Leaders Forum 2020: Thursday, 10th December, 6-7.30pm; free; organised by Darebin Council. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Previously announced events

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 28th November, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Sustainable home & kitchen: Saturday, 28th November, 2-3pm; free; organised by Central Ringwood Community Centre. Read more and book on Facebook.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 29th November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Closing the food loop: Tuesday, 1st December, 7-8pm; $12; organised by Reground. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Vermont Farm to Plate plan from 2009 to 2020 and beyond: Wednesday, 2nd December, 11am-1pm; $22; organised by Sustain. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Expanding the food loop: Tuesday, 8th December, 7-8pm; $12; organised by Reground. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Planning for sustainable farming and healthy food access: Wednesday, 9th December, 11am-1pm; $22; organised by Sustain. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Home harvest workshop: Wednesday, 9th December, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

How the public purse can drive food systems change: Wednesday, 16th December, 11am-1pm; $22; organised by Sustain. Read more and book on Humanitix.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News November 18 2020

Nov 182020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, April Muirden, Arianna Lim, Cara Horner, Donna Pinzone, Jen Chellew, Jon Buttery, Jules Jay, Mary Shiel, Megan Goodman, Perri Hillier and Stuart Rodda.

This newsletter will feature Megan Goodman’s last article for 2020 as she is going to take advantage of the easing of restrictions in the lead up to Christmas. After 35 consecutive contributions, and 35 accompanying recipes, she deserves a break! I really appreciate her efforts which have made this newsletter a much better publication during the pandemic than it otherwise would have been. Thanks, Megan!

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg. Not Carlton, whose future schedule appears to be 1st Saturdays of the month only.

On Sunday: Alphington, Eltham.

Community gardening news

Jules Jay has published some before and after pictures of the ‘lasagne garden’ at the Edible Hub in Hurstbridge.

    

Incredible Edible Eltham have planted their summer crops at both the railway station and on Main Road. Thanks Bev, Carol, David H, David S, Eva, Evan, Jane and Sue! Many hands make light work.

Food swap news

April Muirden has written in to say that the Urban Orchard food swap at CERES has re-started: “the Urban Orchard trading table at CERES has re-started. Bring or take all kinds of garden produce.
The table runs 10am to midday just outside the CERES grocery every Saturday.”

The Fairfield and Reservoir food swaps have re-started and will both be happening on Saturday (i.e. 21st November).

Several other food swaps will be re-starting later in month and in early December.

Community meal news

The weekly Mitcham community meals have re-started.

Spoke & Spade no longer selling veggie boxes

Spoke & Spade will no longer be selling veggie boxes via CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Here is Sim’s Facebook post where he discusses why. A key point is that the tenure at his largest plot has unexpectedly finished.

Sources of wicking beds

Cara Horner has written in to tell/remind newsletter readers that VEG (Very Edible Gardens) sell customisable wicking bed kits.

St Johns Riverside Community Garden in Heidelberg have just acquired another 12 Biofilta FoodCube wicking beds. See photo right.

Want a job?

Cultivating Community are looking to hire a Horticultural Maintenance & Support Worker to provide high quality, safe and well-maintained community garden spaces in their public housing community gardens. 3 days a week, fixed term contract until end June 2021. Read more and potentially apply.

Cafes who give away spent coffee grounds

Jen Chellew has written in to say that the Scintilla Cafe in Heidelberg (131 Burgundy Street) also gives away its spent coffee grounds. This means that there are now 25 cafes on our list who give away spent coffee grounds. Anyone know of any others? Email me.

Jen also asks how much spent coffee grounds should she add to her compost. Your thoughts? Email me.

Do you know?

Mary Shiel writes in: “I have a tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) that has been growing well for about 6 years but that is now looking very sick, having been attacked by something (see photo). The damage starts at about 120cm from the ground. I’m assuming that it’s a kangaroo attack, as we do have a lot of kangaroos around. Do you agree? More importantly, is there anything I can do to save the tree? Some of the lower branches are now starting to die, although a couple still look quite healthy.” Email me with your answers.

Yes, you did know! Plums falling off.

Last week, Anita Merson asked why many immature plums were falling off her tree. Angelo Eliades has responded: “There are three questions that need to be answered to identify the cause:

  1. “Has the tree been pruned? Trees will manage their resources and will drop fruit that they cannot carry and ripen. This will happen if the tree is not pruned.
  2. “Is the tree supplied with sufficient and consistent irrigation? If the tree runs dry then it will get stressed and drop fruit.
  3. “Was the tree fertilised in Spring and with what product? A potassium nutrient deficiency will cause fruit drop, and only complete fertilisers contain this nutrient.”

No, you didn’t know. Whitefly and thrip infestation.

Last week, Louise Nolan asked how she could get rid of her plague of whitefly and thrips. No one replied. Anyone like to reply this week? Email me with your answers.

Newsletter reader growing tip: seed dispensers

This tip is from Stuart Rodda. Note that, following Stuart’s tip last week recommending synthetic gardening gloves from Kmart, the Greensborough Kmart apparently had a run on their stock and sold out!

Question: what makes gardening both easier and more fun? Answer: a seed dispenser!

Starting your plants from seed gives you full control of the variety, quality and sowing time, as well as costing less than buying seedlings. Many vegetables grow better from seed sown directly into their final growing place than by raising them in a tray and transplanting (e.g. carrots, beans, sweetcorn, …). Most bought seed comes in packets and needs to be taken from those packets and handled efficiently to get them to the soil site or punnets before ‘activating’ them with water. For small seed, a cheap seed dispenser (around $3 on Ebay, see photo) makes that whole process really simple.

As simple as these 2-piece seed dispensers are, here is some advice about how to use them best.

  1. Separate the two halves of the dispenser and pour the required seed from the packet into the clear ‘lid’ of the dispenser held upside down.
  2. Attach the base of the dispenser and turn it over such that no seed falls out (yet).
  3. Dial up the seed hole size which just allows seed to escape from the chamber.
  4. Holding the dispenser nearly horizontal, gently tap the chute to create a flow of seed down to the soil or punnet, controlling the amount so that the seed is spread at the right thickness/distance apart (not critical as you can always thin out the plants later).
  5. Turn the lid to the largest seed hole size and pour the remaining unused seed back into its packet for next time.

For larger seeds, the dispenser can be used simply as a vessel to hold the seed safely while you are going to the planting site, and you can then pick out the seeds with your fingers one by one from the open lid while hand planting.

From one packet of seed, you can do successive plantings to spread out the harvest time (rather than buying multiple punnets of seedlings each season), and one packet may last several years. You can save seed from the variety that does best in your garden (provided it is not a special hybrid variety or F1 cross). For example, you could grow a dozen types of tomato year after year without buying a single plant. Problem dispensed!

Read more newsletter readers’ tips.

The 2020 Australian craft beer survey

The results of the 2020 Australian craft beer survey have just been published, although the survey itself appears to have taken place in April and May. Not surprisingly, online purchasing of beer increased during the pandemic, particularly from specialist websites. Deeds Brewing in Glen Iris was voted best brewery in Victoria, Carwyn Cellars in Thornbury best craft beer bar/pub, and Moon Dog in Preston best venue.

Meg’s ‘not quite so socially isolated’ week

The last few months have definitively been challenging but I have enjoyed sharing my garden, seeds and recipes with you all. Hopefully we may meet at a food swap or one of the returning events that usually fill the space in this newsletter. As we move out of social isolation, I am signing off for the year. I hope that Christmas is special for all and you have time to enjoy good (local) food with friends.

This week in the garden the summer raspberries have started to fruit and we collect little bowlfuls daily. Perfect with a celebration sponge.

Feather-light sponge

4 eggs separated
¾ cup caster sugar
¾ cup cornflour, sifted
1 tablespoon custard powder, sifted
½ teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt

Beat on high speed the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.

Add sugar a little at a time. On low speed add the yolks one at a time.

Fold through the dry ingredients.

Split the mixture evenly between two 2 x 8 inch sponge tins. Bake at 180degC for 25-30 minutes.

When cool, fill with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

Decorate with a little sifted icing sugar.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Vodka Christmas cake

A recipe published by Donna Pinzone.

1 cup sugar
½ pound butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
4 large eggs
nuts
1 bottle vodka, large
2 cups dried fruit
4 cups self-raising flour

Sample a cup of vodka to check quality.

Take a large bowl, check the vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality, then repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.

At this point, it’s best to make sure the vodka is still Ok. Try another cup just in case.

Turn off the mixer thingy. Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the fruit off the floor, wash it and put it in the bowl a piece at a time trying to count it. Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the vodka to test for tonsisticity.

Next sift 2 cups of salt, or something. Check the vodka. Now shit shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table Add a spoon of sugar or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don’t forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the feckin window. Finish of the vodka and wipe the counter with the cat.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was our list of cafes who give away spent coffee grounds.

Joke (or pun) of the week

A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

WorkshopMyGarden are a group based in NSW who are currently giving a lot of online ‘how to grow’ presentations. Over the balance of the year, these will include onions, garlic, leaks, potatoes, sweet potatoes and spices. Whilst they might not be local, they do come recommended by Jon Buttery!

Sustain is a “a national food systems network that co-designs and co-builds better food systems” and is based in Melbourne CBD. They are currently organising a trio of webinars about the Farm to Plate program in Vermont, USA. Each is $22. The trio are: Vermont Farm to Plate plan from 2009 to 2020 and beyond on Wednesday, 2nd December, 11am-1pm; Planning for sustainable farming and healthy food access on Wednesday, 9th December, 11am-1pm; and How the public purse can drive food systems change on Wednesday, 16th December, 11am-1pm.

Previously announced events

Whittlesea Community Farm – community sharing session: Thursday, 19th November, 6-7pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Community Farm. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Samosa and chutney: Sunday, 22nd November, 4.30-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

The art of watering: Sunday, 22nd November, 1.30-3pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 28th November, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Sustainable home & kitchen: Saturday, 28th November, 2-3pm; free; organised by Central Ringwood Community Centre. Read more and book on Facebook.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 29th November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Closing the food loop: Tuesday, 1st December, 7-8pm; $12; organised by Reground. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Expanding the food loop: Tuesday, 8th December, 7-8pm; $12; organised by Reground. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Home harvest workshop: Wednesday, 9th December, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays, 11.30am-1pm. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News November 11 2020

Nov 112020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Anita Merson, Helen Collier, Kate Shannon, Louise Nolan, Megan Goodman, Mia D’Abaco, Natalie Nigol, Stuart Rodda and Virginia Solomon.

News about re-openings

Here is my sense about broadly where we are and what is happening:

  • Farmers’ markets: most either stayed open or are now re-opening. For example, Yarra Valley Farmers’ Market will re-start this coming Sunday (at a new venue – see below).
  • Other markets: a mixed bag, with some now having re-opening dates (e.g. Warrandyte), some having re-opened but temporarily as food markets only (e.g. Kingsbury), and others remaining closed for the time being.
  • Community Gardens: a few are re-opening (for members only), but most haven’t yet announced re-opening plans.
  • Food Swaps: as with community gardens, whilst a few are re-opening, most haven’t yet announced re-opening plans.
  • Events: just about all upcoming workshops and other once-off events are still going to be taking place online rather than face-to-face.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Collingwood (relocated to Alphington) and Coburg.

On Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Yarra Valley.

Yes, that’s right, The Yarra Valley Regional Food Group Farmers’ Market has re-opened! And it has moved to a new venue: Punt Road Winery, 10 St Huberts Road, Coldstream. And the time is now 9am to 1.30pm.

The BANSIC Food Hub

One of the most notable aspects of North East Melbourne is the number and vibrancy of the local food justice organisations. One such is the BANSIC Food Hub. The BANSIC Food Hub provides food assistance to residents of southern Banyule who are struggling with food security. Clients are provided with a range of groceries, such as fresh produce, eggs, meat, pantry items and bread, all free of charge. The hub is open from midday to 3pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Members of the Banyule community who are in a financial crisis can access their service by ringing them on 9459 5959 to request a food parcel. The food parcels can be accessed generally every 2 weeks for eligible clients.

The hub’s supporters include SecondBite, Foodbank, Aldi, Woolworths and Sustainable MacLeod. SecondBite, Foodbank and Aldi donate non-perishable pantry items, fresh fruit and vegetables. Woolworths in Heidelberg donate eggs. Sustainable Macleod donates locally grown vegetables.

Read the BANSIC Food Hub’s page in the food justice section of our Local Food Directory. Welcome Mia, Kate and colleagues!

Cafes who give away spent coffee grounds

I have just become aware of the Darebin ‘cafe to garden’ program, as a result of which I have added some more cafes to our list of cafes who give away spent coffee grounds to people who want to use them in their garden. There are now 24 cafes on the list.

Newsletter reader growing tip: synthetic gardening gloves

This tip is from Stuart Rodda.

Which garden gloves make life better? In my [Stuart’s] view, gloves are a ‘must’ most of the time but different gloves suit different tasks.

Rubber gloves are waterproof and vary from too thin/tearable to ‘tough’ but lacking feel. Unless flock lined, they can be hard to put on/take off. They also make your hands sweaty and need frequent washing inside to eliminate odours. They are mainly useful where you are working with water or wet soil.

Cotton gloves soak up any moisture and get damaged, dirty and worn out quickly, and don’t protect against thorns etc. Cotton gloves coated with a waterproof layer over the palms or fingers are a nice hybrid but also have some of the same drawbacks, and the coating doesn’t last all that long.

I recently bought coated synthetic gloves at Kmart (see photo) and I find they fulfil nearly all the best features and have few drawbacks. The woven synthetic base material is tough, comfortable, breathable, retains its shape and makes the gloves easy to slide on and off. The coating is rugged, grippy, and comes far enough up your hand to allow you to wash dirt off the outside of the gloves without getting the woven part wet. After some months of constant use, there is little sign of wear, and the whole glove can be washed and dried quickly if need be. They are also cheap (2 pair for $6). They do have a ‘vinegar’ smell to them when new which fades, and I think that this indicates the coating is silicone rubber, a thin but durable material. They are available in both Large and Medium size.

I can now use one pair of gloves for almost every job instead of having several different types ‘on hand’ (LOL) and making frequent changes. If I need bare hands, e.g. for handling seeds, the gloves slip off and on easily without turning them inside out. No more scratches, cuts or dirt stuck under fingernails!

Read more newsletter readers’ tips.

Do you know?

Plums falling off

Many of Anita Merson’s plums (that are green just now and about 1-2cm big) are falling off her tree. The tree has a lot of fruit and it is not all the fruit that is falling off; rather, it is just the smaller ones. Is this just natural fruit thinning or is it a problem? If the latter, what might be the cause and how can it be avoided in future? Email me with your answers

Whitefly and thrip infestation

Louise Nolan: “How can I get rid my garden of both whitefly and thrips? I’ve never had such huge numbers before, plague proportions on nearly every single plant in my garden. I have no idea why this has occurred. I don’t spray with any non-organic products but I do use Eco bio oil and Eco Neem.” Email me with your answers

Some guidance on ‘pest animals’

A few months ago, we discussed Nillumbik Council’s guidance on what it calls ‘pest animals’. That guidance has now been updated to include noisy miners in a new section called ‘swooping birds’.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Diwali, or the Indian festival of lights, is an annual festival to celebrate ““victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance“. This year’s Victorian festival has just finished and was online. To celebrate, a rangoli made out of fruit and vegetables was constructed in Fed Square (see photo). All the food was subsequently donated to Foodbank Victoria.

Meg’s ‘not quite so socially isolated’ week

As we slowly return to school and external activities, I have less time to spend in the garden. It does not seem to matter, however, as the garden seems to want to grow and thrive without my attention in the warmer weather and spring rains. The broad bean recipes from a month ago in the newsletter are coming in handy – once they start producing, the broad beans seem to grow overnight. I also have a fresh crop of loose leaf lettuce.

This week I have started to net the fruit trees. I don’t do the larger trees such as the blood plums as there is usually enough to share. However, for the coveted cherries, peaches and apricots, I use small gauge white netting stretched tightly for wildlife. I was pleased to see that this type of netting will become mandatory. Netting is a family job involving ladders and upside down brooms and rakes to pull the netting over the tops of the trees. It is hard work and deserves to be rewarded with the first of the early strawberries and a large piece of lemon slice.

Traditional lemon slice

The biscuit base

250g of plain biscuits (such as Arnott’s Marie), crushed
100g butter
½ cup condensed milk
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon lemon rind, finely grated

Melt the butter and condensed milk together in a small saucepan and then pour over the crushed biscuits, coconut and lemon rind (I normally reserve some of the wet ingredients until I see how sticky the mix is, adding extra coconut if too sticky). Mix well and press firmly into a slice tin. Refrigerate to set.

The lemon icing

1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon soft butter
lemon juice
extra desiccated coconut

Add the lemon juice to the icing sugar and butter a little at a time until you reach a spreadable consistency. Spread over the biscuit base.

Sprinkle with coconut and return to refrigerator to set before slicing into squares.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was Robin’s article on growing tomatoes.

Joke (or pun) of the week

Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Creating a pollinator friendly garden: Saturday, 14th November, 10.30-11.30am; free; organised by Darebin Council. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Learn to make gemista (presented in Greek): Tuesday, 17th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Darebin Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Whittlesea Community Farm – community sharing session: Thursday, 19th November, 6-7pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Community Farm. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 28th November, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Sustainable home & kitchen: Saturday, 28th November, 2-3pm; free; organised by Central Ringwood Community Centre. Read more and book on Facebook.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 29th November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Closing the food loop: Tuesday, 1st December, 7-8pm; $12; organised by Reground. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Expanding the food loop: Tuesday, 8th December, 7-8pm; $12; organised by Reground. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Previously announced events

Modern bush tucker: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Preparing for Summer harvest: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Daal makhani and naan bread: Friday, 13th November, 5.30-7pm; $39; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Growing citrus: Saturday, 14th November, 11am-12.30pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Incredible Edible Eltham summer planting: Sunday, 15th November at 2pm. Organised by Incredible Edible Eltham. Register to participate by email.

Samosa and chutney: Sunday, 22nd November, 4.30-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

The art of watering: Sunday, 22nd November, 1.30-3pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Bees wax wrap: Wednesday, 11th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council. Read more and book on their website.

Home harvest workshop: Wednesday, 9th December, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays, 11.30am-1pm. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News November 4 2020

Nov 042020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Eric Nuccio, Evan Gellert, Megan Goodman, Penny Smith, Richard Rowe, Ritika Mahajan, Robin Gale-Baker and Yennie Starkey.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Carlton and Coburg.

On Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Whitehorse.

Yes, that’s right, Whitehorse Farmers’ Market has re-opened!

Community Garden and Food Swap news

A few community gardens and food swaps are beginning to re-open. For example, Northcote Library Food Garden will be having a community gardening session on Sunday, 8th November starting at 9am. And the Pascoe Vale Food Swap will be happening on Saturday, 7th November starting at 11.30am.

On Sunday, 15th November at 2pm, I and a number of others from Incredible Edible Eltham will be planting out some summer veggies at Eltham railway station and then retiring to a cafe. Obviously, we will organise to be covid-safe. It would be great if you could join us. If you are potentially interested, email me.

Newsletter reader growing tip: tomato cuttings

This tip is from Penny Smith.

I [Penny] have a tip to share about taking tomato cuttings. I managed to decapitate one of my favourite tomatoes this year leaving me with a top section (luckily not too damaged) and a stem with a side shoot. I popped the top section in a jar of water and within a week it had grown roots. I potted it up and after about 10 days it was ready to go back into the garden. The decapitated stem is also growing well. There is another tomato that is in hot demand from my friends and family but which didn’t germinate well this year and I have run out of seed. So I used the same method to take cuttings of side shoots that developed on the plant. It is a great method to get more plants from the one tomato plant – a good idea if you buy your tomato seedlings. They will be a bit behind your original plant but may end up extending your season a bit.

Sadly I only have one image from very early in the process. I wouldn’t pot the cuttings at the stage in the picture but wait a few days longer. The cuttings generally get lots of roots up the stem and I wait until the roots are a couple of centimetres long before potting them up.

This process illustrates why you plant tomatoes deep (often up to the first true leaves) – they get adventitious roots up the stem when you bury them (which is what is happening in the water with the cutting) and, once they develop, those roots help to keep the plant stable.

Read more newsletter readers’ tips.

Robin Gale-Baker on how to grow tomatoes

Robin has produced a video on how to grow tomatoes. Her top tips include:

  • Plant tomatoes deeply – at least half way up their stems (you can leave the lower leaves on or twist them off). Deep planting anchors the plant; the buried stem will put out roots, taking up more water and nutrients and producing more fruit.
  • Always keep tomato roots moist otherwise the plant will begin to die.
  • Stake your plants or use a tomato cone to prevent wind damage and breakage.
  • Choose heritage tomatoes and save seeds from the fruit for planting the following season.

Watch Robin’s video and read her accompanying words.

More on sun, shade and veggie growing

A few weeks ago, Robin Gale-Baker wrote an article about how much sun veggies need. Evan Gellert has now written in: “Our perception of the amount of light in our landscape can mislead us. This was reinforced for me this wet winter past where it appears that the local eucalypts to the north and west had a bumper year for canopy development. This shaded our main veggie beds more than usual across winter. The development of green moss over the veggie beds testified to heavy shading. The sugar snap peas planted there failed this year, unlike last year. Have a look at the photo showing the mossy blanket where peas should be (north side of bed), and the rows of broad beans with left-hand side beans hobbled by shading from the house at 11am, mid-October. My conclusion: unless your veggie plots are in clear open space, light and shade should be looked at across seasons.“

Yes, you did know (sort of)

Last week, Nina Kelabora asked what critter was eating her vegetables and what she could do about it. Eric Nuccio has responded: “I had a similar problem and it was rats. I put a caged rat trap in and caught a dozen or so over a month.“

I agree with Eric that it is almost definitely rats.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Mikkel Jul Hvilshøj creates photos of the components of recipes.

New seed libraries in Darebin

Two seed libraries have been installed in Darebin, the idea being that you can take seeds to grow at home and then return your saved seeds to the library at the end of the season. The two libraries are at Alphington Community Centre(2 Kelvin Road) and Sylvester Hive Community Garden (corner of Dean and Gray Streets, Preston).

An opportunity for local artists/makers

Banyule Council, Nillumbik Council and Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries are jointly planning to establish a series of 8 seed libraries at Diamond Valley Library, Eltham Library, Ivanhoe Library, Rosanna Library, Watsonia Library, Edendale Community Farm, Hurstbridge Community Hub and Shop48 in Heidelberg West. As a first step, they are looking to commission a local artist or maker to design and create the libraries. Two artists will be chosen to develop conceptual designs and then one will be chosen for the final design, production and installation. Closing date: 29th November. Read more and potentially apply.

The Banyule and Nillumbik Home Harvest Facebook page

The Banyule and Nillumbik Home Harvest Facebook page has recently been resurrected but, for ‘technical reasons’, with a new URL. Have a look at the new page.

A recipe from Ritika Mahajan – chickpea flour roti

Ingredients
2 cups chickpea flour (aka besan)
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup coriander leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
1 teaspoon ajowan seeds (aka carom seeds)
¼ cup of water, use as needed
¼ cup rice flour for rolling the roti
2 tablespoons butter or ghee for cooking (clarified butter)

Method

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl mix well. Add the oil and yogurt to the mixture and mix. This will become very crumbly. Oil the palm to make the dough as it will be very sticky. Add water as needed to make the firm dough.

Put the dough aside and cover with damp cloth. Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes.

Divide the dough in 6 equal parts. Make them in smooth balls.

Take one ball and press it in rice flour from both sides and then roll into about 6-inch circle. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, lightly dust the roti with rice flour.

Cook it on the medium flame on a heated pan. Turn sides and cook on both sides till the light brown spots appear.

Add ghee/oil and cook the roti.

Consume it hot or, if consuming later, keep it wrapped in foil as it will dry quickly.

Enjoy with yogurt dip.

* * * * *

Ritika Mahajan is a professional cook who, as Cook Indian by the Creek, runs cooking workshops online and in Diamond Creek. Read more on Facebook.

You might like to compare Ritika’s roti recipe with Vasundhara Kandpal’s roti recipe on our website.

Meg’s ‘not quite so socially isolated’ week

We are still picking snow peas as well as the first of the small broad beans. The tomatoes and summer vegetables are finally in the ground and racing away in the warm weather. I have run out of room in the patch, so now there are tomatoes in the garden bed next to the front door and in amongst the irises in the border. Can you have too many homegrown tomatoes?

We enjoyed a family birthday picnic outside in our local park this week. My sister-in-law made a wonderful buckwheat salad and this is my version. It makes perfect use of the baby carrots that we are currently harvesting from the garden, as well as the abundance of rocket, parsley and coriander.

Buckwheat, rocket and carrot salad

150g buckwheat
2 bunches of baby carrots
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves of garlic
50mls orange juice
100g roasted red peppers (jar), finely sliced
100g roasted eggplant (jar), finely sliced
olive oil
a little honey
½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cups of rocket leaves
large handfuls of chopped fresh coriander and parsley (about 1-1½ cups)
100g fetta
salt and pepper

Lightly toast the buckwheat in a pan then cook in boiling water in accordance with the packet directions. Drain and allow buckwheat cool completely.

Toss the carrots, garlic cloves and cumin with a little olive oil in a small roasting dish. Then sprinkle with orange juice and a drizzle of honey. Roast at 180degC for around 30 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked.

In a large mixing bowl, make a dressing of about 1 tablespoon olive oil to about ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar and about a teaspoon of honey, taste and season. Then add the buckwheat, eggplant, red peppers, rocket, herbs, fetta and roast carrots and mix lightly.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was the Open Gardens Victoria 2020 grant application form.

Joke of the week

How do you make an egg roll? You push it!

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Incredible Edible Eltham summer planting: Sunday, 15th November at 2pm. Organised by Incredible Edible Eltham. Register to participate by email.

Bush food gardens: Tuesday, 17th November, midday-1.30pm; free; organised by Gardens for Harvest – Knox & Yarra Ranges.

Home harvest workshop: Wednesday, 9th December, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Previously announced events

Getting started with veggie gardening: Thursday, 5th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Rising resilience – the power of sourdough: Saturday, 7th November, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; organised by Transition Banyule and others. Read more and book on TryBooking.

Malai kofta: Saturday, 7th November, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Home composting Q&A: Monday, 9th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Bees wax wrap: Wednesday, 11th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council. Read more and book on their website.

Modern bush tucker: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Preparing for Summer harvest: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Daal makhani and naan bread: Friday, 13th November, 5.30-7pm; $39; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Growing citrus: Saturday, 14th November, 11am-12.30pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Samosa and chutney: Friday, 20th November, 5.30-7pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

The art of watering: Sunday, 22nd November, 1.30-3pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays, 11.30am-1pm. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News October 28 2020

Oct 282020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Gayle Parkes, Gina Wilson, Lucinda Flynn, Lyn Richards, Megan Goodman, Nina Kelabora, Pam Jenkins, Robin Gale-Baker and Samantha Patterson.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Hurstbridge Market is re-opening on Sunday (i.e. 1st November) at a new venue: Hurstbridge Primary School, 961-989 Heidelberg-Kinglake Road, Hurstbridge. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it will temporarily sell food only.

Robin on why you should weed your veggie patch

Robin-Gale Baker has written an article on why you should weed your veggie patch. Here is how she introduces the article: “Weeding is often seen as an aesthetic consideration where weeders often prefer the order of a tidy garden while non-weeders often prefer the unruliness of a wild garden. However, this is a minor consideration compared with less-than-happy role that weeds play in a healthy edible garden. Weeds are, by their nature, tougher than most vegetables and easily able to not only compete with them but also to dominate. Just think of an untended veggie bed – is it the weeds or the crops that tend to dominate? There are 5 main reasons to weed to protect your veggie garden:

  1. Retention of moisture in the soil.
  2. Retention of nutrients.
  3. Adequate sunlight.
  4. Good air circulation.
  5. Disease control.”

She then goes on to discuss each of these reasons before concluding: “A significant area in the vicinity of your veggie garden needs to be weed free, not just the beds themselves. It is important also to weed around greenhouses to reduce weed sources that insects may feed on, introducing viruses into polytunnels and greenhouses. Weeds have their place but that is in the wild – not in suburban gardens!”

Read the full article.

Read more of Robin’s food growing articles on our website.

Ann interviews Silvia Allen of Telopea Mtn Permaculture Farm

You may well have heard of Peter Allen, aka Pete the Permie, who is a well-known figure in permaculture circles. Well, Silvia is Peter’s better half and you have probably met her if you have ever bought Telopea Mtn Permaculture Farm’s Certified Organic fruit trees or boxes of heritage apples at farmers’ markets. And you certainly will have met her if you have ever been to an open day at their farm in Monbulk or been a participant in their Permaculture Design Courses. A few weeks ago, Ann Stanley talked animals, permaculture and biodynamics with Silvia. Read her interview writeup.

On animals, Silvia has sheep, poultry, llama, goats, ducks, geese and a maremma sheepdog.

On permaculture, they have been offering Permaculture Design Courses for the last 25 years.

On biodynamics, the farm comes close to the biodynamic ideal in which “Each biodynamic farm or garden is an integrated, whole, living organism…made up of many interdependent elements: fields, forests, plants, animals, soils, compost, people, and the spirit of the place.” (www.biodynamics.com/biodynamic-principles-and-practices)

As Ann concludes, “Telopea Mtn Permaculture Farm is an old-fashioned farm based on integration, careful observation of plants and soil, and hands-on care of animals.”

Read the full interview writeup.

More on the compostability of coffee cups and lids

First, to clarify the various certifications currently available. Australia has separate certifications (and logos) for home compostability (standard AS5810) and for commercial compostability (standard AS4736). Internationally, there are currently no standards for home compostability but there are for commercial compostability (the European standard EN13432). The Australian AS4736 and International EN13432 standards are similar except that the former has an additional test for any residual toxicity of the composted material to earthworms.

Second, Samantha Patterson has written in to point out that, as discussed in this article, an Abbotsford-based specialty coffee roaster, Jasper Coffee, has just launched a plastic-free single use coffee cup and lid. According to Jasper Coffee’s website, these cups and lids have the international certification (standard EN13432) for commercial compostability. I have consulted some experts in the field and they say that the key question is whether or not leakage has been eliminated. Jasper has a coffee shop in Fitzroy (267 Brunswick Street). As and when restrictions permit, could some of our local newsletter readers try one of their coffees and report back?

Third, if anyone missed any of the discussion over the last few weeks and wants to get up to speed, a good starting point is Lucinda Flynn’s article on our website.

Anyone else got anything they would like to contribute to this debate? Email me.

More on fruit tree netting

As we said last week, The State Government has decided to ban fruit tree netting with a mesh size of greater than 5mm when stretched on the basis that it can kill or harm wildlife. The law will come into force roughly a year from now, in September 2021.

Gina Wilson has written in to point out that there was a rather bad typo in our announcement last week: it should have said September 2021, not September 2020. My apologies.

Lyn Richards has written in to point out that the Government is also saying that netting should be white to make it easier for nocturnally active animals to see and avoid it at night. See their page on protecting fruit trees and wildlife.

Lyn has also provided the following tips for using netting:

  • Check last year’s cleaned and mended nets before re-using them.
  • Cover the tree fully – no attractive branches left out of course – and tautly.
  • Stake or otherwise safely hold the net to the ground around the circumference.[Editor: the State Government suggests that you fix the netting tightly to the tree trunk.]
  • Check regularly, especially early morning (the RSPCA recommends gardeners check their netting at least twice a day).
  • Damage control! Mend any new holes, re-tensioning when it’s windy.
  • If a ripening crop is attracting heavy attack from parrots, consider adding a second net thrown over the top and then tied down.

Any other tips about using fruit tree netting or comments on these tips? Email me.

Do you know?

Nina Kelabora has written in: “Last year I was on course to have my best tomato crop ever but then something started eating the tomatoes while they were still green. I assumed that it was birds, so I netted them, but they were still getting eaten. Then I noticed tunnels in the soil (see the photo, where the trowel is included for scale). After I pulled the tomatoes out, I dug up the whole bed and lined the bottom with fine wire. Now I have wire on the bottom and netting over the top, but the critters are still getting in and I can’t see how. I’m not sure what the critters are – maybe rats? Any ideas about what to do? I’d rather not resort to poison but nothing I am currently planting is surviving.” Can anyone advise Nina? Look at the photo and then email me.

Involved with a community garden and willing to be interviewed?

Last week, I asked for home growers to volunteer to be interviewed by The University of New South Wales. Lots of you volunteered (thanks!). Unfortunately, I had not understood that they only want to interview people who are involved in community gardens. So, I am re-advertising.

The University of New South Wales is undertaking some research on the experiences of urban community gardeners in Melbourne and want to interview some newsletter readers once coronavirus restrictions have been eased sufficiently. You have to having been growing veggies for 5+ years, be involved with a community garden, and have lived in Melbourne for 10+ years. You will be recompensed for your time. If interested, email me and I’ll pass your details onto them.

Want to apply for a grant for your local community garden?

Open Gardens Victoria 2020 grant applications are now open. You can apply for up to $10,000 for projects which relate to their five ‘arms of giving’, namely education, wellness, innovation, community and sustainability. You have plenty of time to think about it as applications don’t close until 30th December. Read more and apply.

Is your garlic in trouble?

Pam Jenkins has written in: “After the last bout of wet weather, my garlic leaves all collapsed and were laying on the ground. When I checked at ground level and below, I found that they were affected by a fungus. Although it is a bit early to harvest I pulled them out before the fungus destroyed the crop. The worst affected have been dehydrated, the rest are curing but won’t keep long term as the outer skins are not present. If you have heavy soil, take a look and be prepared to act quickly to save your crop.”

Read more newsletter reader tips.

City farming and Covid-19

ABC Rural have published an article about city farming and Covid-19 which includes a discussion about CERES.

What seeds to plant in November

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

Warm season veggies

Beans
Cucumber
Gourd
Okra
Peanut
Pumpkin
Sweetcorn
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mustard greens
Parsley
Rocket
Silverbeet
Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Potato
Radish
Sweet potato
Perennial

Asparagus
Chives
Globe artichoke
Jerusalem artichoke

Compared with October, the list gets a bit shorter, with some summer veggies dropping off (e.g. rockmelon, watermelon and zucchini) and with nothing added. But there’s still lots that you can plant during November. Or, of course, you can buy seedlings for any of the summer veggies.

Meg’s social isolation week

I clearly do not have enough space in my garden to plant out all of the seedlings that are nestled in the cold frame. After giving some away, decisions have to be made and it is time to clear a few more beds ready for the coming months. The last of the spinach has been picked, blanched and frozen and the cos lettuce used for a quick salad together with a jar of last summer’s pickled red grapes.

Pickled red grapes

500g red grapes (seedless)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
2-3 cloves
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ a vanilla pod

Carefully trim the stem ends from the grapes by slicing the ends neatly and pack into sterilised jars.

Add the water, vinegar and sugar in pan and bring to boil.

Add the spices and vanilla bean and remove from the heat.

Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the grapes and seal the jars.

Cos lettuce salad with walnuts and pickled red grapes

cos lettuce
100g pickled red grapes
100g walnuts finely diced
equal parts olive or walnut oil and fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

To make the dressing, mix the oil and orange juice in equal parts. Add the mustard and blend well.

Arrange the lettuce on a plate, sprinkle with the grapes and walnuts.

Pour the dressing over the lettuce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was Megan’s recipe for cheese and herb ‘puffs’.

This shows the power of an endorsement: Leah Lux Tame said last week that the puffs were yum and, bang, it becomes the most popular link.

Anyone else like to say anything nice about any of the other recipes on our website? Email me.

Proverb of the month

Just deserts. Meaning: an appropriate reward for what has been done – good or bad. English is a complicated language, with many words having multiple meanings and/or similar spellings but different pronunciations. The noun ‘desert’ in ‘just deserts’ is an example in that it is unrelated to both the noun with the same spelling but different pronunciation (‘desert’ meaning an arid region of land) and to the noun with the same pronunciation but different spelling (‘dessert’ meaning the sweet course of a meal). Rather, it is effectively a corruption of the word ‘deserved’ and dates back to the 13th century. So, ‘just deserts’ effectively means ‘what you justly deserve’.

Similarly, the ‘egg’ in the phrase ‘egg on’ is unrelated to the word with the same spelling which describes those things which our avian friends lay. Rather, it is effectively a corruption of the word ‘edge’ which, as a verb, used to mean ‘urge’.

Read more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“The flower that smells the sweetest is shy and lowly.” by William Wordsworth.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke of the week

What is Beethoven’s favourite fruit? (sing to the tune of 5th symphony): Banana..na….! Banana..na….!

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Malai kofta: Saturday, 7th November, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Daal makhani and naan bread: Friday, 13th November, 5.30-7pm; $39; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Samosa and chutney: Friday, 20th November, 5.30-7pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Previously announced events

Under the covers of Mirka & Georges – a culinary affair: Thursday, 29th October, 3-4pm; $17; organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Growing fruit and veg in a wildlife garden: Thursday, 29th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Fermenting workshops (pickle sauerkraut, ginger beer and soda): Friday 30th October and Friday 6th November, both 4-5pm; $17; organised by Span Community House. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Butter chicken: Friday, 30th October, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 31st October, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Beginners guide to urban farming: 7 consecutive Sundays starting 1st November, 2-3pm; $77 ($11 per class); organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre. Read more and book on their website.

Declutter your body, create a garden of food in your fridge: Sunday, 1st November, 2-3.30pm; $donation; organised by Cecilia Macaulay. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 1st November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Getting started with veggie gardening: Thursday, 5th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Rising resilience – the power of sourdough: Saturday, 7th November, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; organised by Transition Banyule and others. Read more and book on TryBooking.

Home composting Q&A: Monday, 9th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Bees wax wrap: Wednesday, 11th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council. Read more and book on their website.

Modern bush tucker: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Preparing for Summer harvest: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing citrus: Saturday, 14th November, 11am-12.30pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

The art of watering: Sunday, 22nd November, 1.30-3pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays, 11.30am-1pm. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News October 21 2020

Oct 202020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Colleen Duggan, Leah Lux Tame, Lucinda Flynn, Megan Goodman, Robin Gale-Baker and Vasundhara Kandpal.

A local producer of preserves and foraged produce – Spurrell Foraging

Spurrell Foraging, from Warrandyte South, sell both preserves and foraged produce.

Their preserves include chutneys, cordials, sauces, jams, marmalades, pastes, pickles, relishes and salts. They use Australian native botanicals and some foraged produce.

A list of their foraged produce, together with its prices, can also be found on their website and they include a wide range of flowers and leaves. They are mainly sold to bars and restaurants.

Read their Local Food Directory page. Welcome Liam and Deb!

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Abbotsford Convent (relocated to Alphington) and Coburg. Not Wonga Park.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – sweets

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

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

As I’ve got space, I’m going to provide my favourite of the three recipes (the nourishing bowls) in full below but you will have to go to the website to read the other two.

Nourishing bowls

Ingredients

Basic oatmeal:
½ cup steel-cut oat/ rolled oats
3 cups of water
10 almonds/ macadamia/cashew
5 dates
1 banana

Colouring agents:
bright pink: ½ beetroot
orange: 2 carrots
yellow: 2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash
green: spinach or silverbeet
brown: chocolate.

Toppings: fresh fruits, nuts, dried fruits, candied fruits, peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate chips, etc.

Method

Puree all the ingredients along with the colouring agent (beetroot, carrots, spinach, pumpkin).

Boil in a pan or pot.

Before serving, check the sweetness and add sugar if needed. Bear in mind that the topping will also sweeten up the dish.

Add your favourite toppings.

Tip: for tanginess in the base of the oatmeal, add fruit puree once the mixture is boiled. Use fruits with matching colours – berries, apple, persimmons, kiwi, papaya, etc.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

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

How to grow kohlrabi – an article by Robin Gale-Baker

Robin has written an article on how to grow kohlrabi. As Robin says in her introduction, “Kohlrabi is easy to grow, crops twice a year and is delicious raw or cooked.” You eat the bulbs either raw (e.g. in salads) or cooked (e.g. in stir fries). It can be planted either just before the last expected frost for a summer crop or in late summer for a winter crop. It needs the same protections against pests as other brassicas/cabbages.

Read Robin’s full article.

Coffee cups, lids and compostability – Lucinda responds

Last week, Karen Olsen discussed her (unhappy) experience with ‘compostable’ bin liners. Lucinda’s reply: “Do the bags that you trialled have a certificate of home compostability? If so, then they are not behaving as they should … certified home compostable should break down at the same rate as your food scraps (that is what it is tested for). If not, then it might well be that they are being labelled in a misleading way, to make it look like they are compostable when they are not.“

Last week, Nancy Mills asked about any brands of biodegradable and compostable cups other than Biopak. Lucinda’s reply: “There are definitely no certified home compostable cups on the market. I would avoid cups that say they are ‘biodegradable’ (only), as these may well be plastic coated cups treated with enzymes. The only option I would accept is certified commercially compostable to Australian standard AS4736, and the only brand in Australia that currently has this certification is Biopak. There may be a few brands (e.g. Environmental Enterprises) that have the European standard certification of compostability … the European standard is also a high standard, the main difference being that the Australian standard goes one step further, which is to test for any residual toxicity of composted material to earthworms and micro-organisms.”

Want to volunteer in Watsonia?

Watsonia Neighbourhood House is seeking a Volunteer Community Garden Support Worker for the period up until the end of 2020 to help them to upgrade their community garden. Read more and potentially register your interest.

Want to be interviewed as a home grower of food?

The University of New South Wales is undertaking some research on the experiences of urban community gardeners in Melbourne and want to interview some newsletter readers once coronavirus restrictions have been eased sufficiently. You have to having been growing veggies for 5+ years and have lived in Melbourne for 10+ years. You will be recompensed for your time. If interested, email me and I’ll pass your details onto them.

Want to win a $100 gift voucher?

Open Gardens Victoria are running a competition to find out the best examples of how Victorian gardeners have been using pots and containers. Closing date: 31st October. Read more and potentially enter.

Lentil As Anything has been saved!

A few weeks ago, we talked about Lentil As Anything’s GoFundMe page, aiming to raise $150,000 by the end of October. Well, we are still in October and they have already raised $370,000!

Mac’s blast from the past – fruit thinning

When it comes to fruit trees, it is often a case of less is more! Now that your fruit tree flowers are ending and the fruit is starting to form, it is a great time to remove some of the fruit! When a tree is carrying a very heavy crop, the fruits are often small and of poor quality. Fruit thinning can improve fruit size and quality on many fruit trees, including apples, pears, plums, peaches and nectarines. Simply remove some of the fruit by hand. Thinning will also stop your fruit trees bearing biennially (i.e. a heavy crop one year is followed by a light crop the year after) plus you will prevent branches breaking from bearing too much fruit and allow better air flow (which helps protect your fruit against both fungal disease and insect attack).

Leaf, Root & Fruit: For fruit that is already set on your trees, thinning of fruit is an important task. This ensures good size and quality of remaining fruit. You should gradually thin the fruit until you have one every 10cm along the branch. Thinning should be completed over the next month. Many fruit trees can go into a biennial fruiting pattern. This is where they have a massive crop one year, followed by a very small crop the next year. Thinning of fruit can help to avoid the tree getting into a biennial cropping pattern.

Large mesh fruit tree netting is going to be illegal

The State Government has decided to ban fruit tree netting with a mesh size of greater than 5mm when stretched on the basis that it can kill or harm wildlife. If you can poke your little finger through the netting, then it is unsafe and will be illegal. The law will come into force roughly a year from now, in September 2021.

A new article by Angelo Eliades

Why are my cabbages not forming heads?. As some of you who have tried to grow cabbages before might guess, it is quite a long article!

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Yet another suggestion for what to do with your broad beans

See the photo. Courtesy of Merri Corner Community Garden.

Meg’s social isolation week

Spring is definitely here now along with all the hope and new growth that comes with it. When the sun comes out between showers, I am tempted to plant out some summer crops but I know it is still too early on our south-facing slope. Who would have thought that not being able to visit the nursery and be tempted by seedlings is actually beneficial?

Bees are humming around my raspberry flowers and I notice the beginnings of a good crop from the cherries (Van and Stella), the apricot Murcott and peach Trevatt, as well as tiny pears and apples. All will require netting in the next month to prevent the cockatoos feasting early.

I observe the lushness of the potato foliage and add mulching them to my to do list. I gather some baby carrots, shallots and herbs that are all ingredients for a lentil and bean soup.

Red lentil and bean soup

150g red lentils
1 can of beans, drained (I use four bean mix)
1 medium onion or 4-6 shallots, finely diced
2 small carrots, finely diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons each ground cumin and coriander
1 teaspoon of ground fenugreek
½ teaspoon chilli powder (or to taste)
1 litre of vegetable stock
fresh coriander or parsley to serve
salt and pepper

Sauté the onion (or shallots if using), carrot and spices in a little olive oil. Add the garlic then add the lentils and stock and bring to boil.

Simmer for around 20-30 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Add the beans and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh herbs.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Some feedback on Megan’s cheese and herb ‘puffs’

Leah Lux Tame writes in: “I made Megan’s cheese and herb ‘puffs’ from last week’s newsletter and just wanted to say how delicious they were. They were the perfect accompaniment to tomato soup.“

If anyone else would like to comment on any of Megan’s recipes, or any of the 280 recipes on the website, please email me.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was the graphic on fruiting schedules and (in the right hand column) what wood different fruit trees fruit on.

Joke of the week

What did the man with slab of asphalt under his arm order? “A beer please, and one for the road.”

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Fermenting workshops (brine vegetables, pickle sauerkraut, ginger beer and soda): 3 consecutive Fridays starting 23rd October, 4-5pm; $17; organised by Span Community House. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Previously announced events

Aloo gobi and chapati flatbread: Saturday, 24th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Under the covers of Mirka & Georges – a culinary affair: Thursday, 29th October, 3-4pm; $17; organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Growing fruit and veg in a wildlife garden: Thursday, 29th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Butter chicken: Friday, 30th October, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 31st October, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Beginners guide to urban farming: 7 consecutive Sundays starting 1st November, 2-3pm; $77 ($11 per class); organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre. Read more and book on their website.

Declutter your body, create a garden of food in your fridge: Sunday, 1st November, 2-3.30pm; $donation; organised by Cecilia Macaulay. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 1st November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Getting started with veggie gardening: Thursday, 5th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Rising resilience – the power of sourdough: Saturday, 7th November, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; organised by Transition Banyule and others. Read more and book on TryBooking.

Home composting Q&A: Monday, 9th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Bees wax wrap: Wednesday, 11th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council. Read more and book on their website.

Modern bush tucker: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Preparing for Summer harvest: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing citrus: Saturday, 14th November, 11am-12.30pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

The art of watering: Sunday, 22nd November, 1.30-3pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays, 11.30am-1pm. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News October 14 2020

Oct 132020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Anna Sanders, Angelo Eliades, Karen Olsen, Lyn Richards, Maria Ciavarella, Megan Goodman, Nancy Mills, Pam Jenkins, Paul Nugent and Terri Nugent.

A local producer of quince paste – The Old Emu

The Old Emu, from Box Hill North, have been making quince paste for more than 25 years. It is handmade with quince and sugar with no added preservatives. The sweetened quince puree is cooked for several hours turning intense claret like colour as it thickens and sets. The paste retains its freshness and flavour for 2 years or more. It is available in 150g, 250g and kilo tubs and you can buy it online from their website or at Boccaccio Cellars in Balwyn, Marco’s Deli Cafe Foodstore in Blackburn, Olympus Delicatessen in Doncaster East or The Melbourne Deli in Bayswater. Read their Local Food Directory page. Welcome Paul and Terri!

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg. Not Carlton.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Yarra Valley.

Edible flowers and leaves – a video from Pam

Pam Jenkins has produced another video about her edible garden, this time focusing on edible flowers and leaves. In this 8 minute video, Pam discusses a number of edible plants that can be eaten as a garden snack, used as a garnish or included as something different in your diet. They include:

  • Primroses: apparently the youngest leaves taste like lettuce.
  • Rock samphire: the most popular way of using samphire is as a pickle.
  • Calendula: can be used in skin care.
  • Canna lilies: the rhizomes are a source of starch
  • Dahlias: the tubers and the petals are both edible.

Watch Pam’s video and/or read the accompanying words.

The photo is of some spring rolls that include edible flowers in their filling.

On what wood do particular fruit trees fruit?

When pruning your fruit trees, berries or vines, it is important to understand what wood is going to bear the fruit next year. Two examples, illustrate the point.

First, ‘everbearing’ raspberries bear their best fruit on 1st year canes, so a lot of people cut all their canes down to the ground after harvesting. But standard ‘summer bearing’ raspberries bear their fruit on 2nd year canes so if you cut all their canes down to the ground after harvesting then you would get no raspberries the following year!

Second, grapes bear their fruit on current year growth. So, once a part of the vine has fruited, it will never fruit again. So, their annual prune typically comprises cutting off just about all of last year’s growth. Peaches, on the other hand, bear their fruit on last year’s growth (so-called 1-year-old wood) so if you pruned them like you prune grapes, you would get no peaches the following year!

What causes me to mention all this is that newsletter reader Angelo Eliades has just published a new article entitled ‘What age wood do fruit trees flower and fruit on?’, which lists various fruit trees and which wood they fruit on.

Our website also has a page with similar information – see the right hand column of the table. That table also contains information for each fruit tree about its range of fruiting months, whether or not 2 or more are needed for pollination and whether or not the fruit will ripen after being picked.

Yes, you did know – making firm yoghurt

Last week, Susan Faine asked how to make firm yoghurt from low fat milk without adding milk powder or gelatine. Maria Ciavarella has replied: “I strain my yoghurt through a very fine mesh to make it thicker. You can use the whey left over in cooking too.”

Yes, you did know – broad bean recipes

Lyn Richards has an addendum to last week’s broad bean recipes: “Freeze them. Broad beans are one of the best home gardener freezing options. Freeze straight from picking – remove the beans from their outer pods, but don’t cook or slip their skins; rather, just wash, drain, pack and freeze for an all-year supply for all recipes. When taken out, don’t thaw – just drop the frozen beans straight into boiling water, boil till thawed and proceed as usual to slip their skins.”

Coffee cups, lids and compostability – some reactions

A number of people have written in with some reactions to Lucinda Flynn’s article on coffee cups, lids and compostability.

Anna Sanders and Karen Olsen both make the point that the answer to disposable coffee cups is BYO.

Anna goes on to discuss waste more generally: “We need a much better understanding of the compostability of waste, what can and cannot be recycled, and what happens to the household waste that we generate. The better people understand this, the better choices they might make. It seems to me that people are still confused as to what needs to go in the red bin, the recycling bin and the green waste bin. There needs to be more education on this and clearer rules along with people understanding the impact of contaminating their green waste or recycling. It would be great if Councils were firmer and refused to collect bins if they were contaminated. Giving people visibility of what happens to their recycling after it is collected or, better still, what happens to their green waste, might also be helpful: imagine if we all had to spend a day down at the facility where they separate the plastic bags, dog waste and other contaminants from the green waste before it can be composted! Finally, newsletter readers might be interested to know that there is a ‘Spring Clean Your Patch’ initiative on 18th October to collect rubbish and raise awareness about waste and the issues of single use plastics.”

Whilst Karen goes on to discuss her experience with ‘compostable’ bin liners: “I have recently trialled ‘compostable’ bin liners from the supermarket to line our compost bin. I understand that these liners may eventually break down, but I have found the result to be lovely homemade (cool) compost mixed with revolting clumps of bags throughout – i.e. the bags look like they might eventually break down, but nowhere near at the rate of the other compost ingredients. I have been sorting them to one side when barrowing the compost around our fruit trees. It’s a pain, and I get concerned that the birds scrabbling around in them might be at risk of choking when they forage through it or take back possibly-less-than-foodsafe or nature-safe remnants to build nests. I imagine a hot compost system, or maybe wetting it before it gets into the compost, might be more effective. Anyone else got any experience with these bags?”

Nancy Mills, who was the person who asked the original question that led to Lucinda’s article, has also responded: “Great article by Lucinda! Australians throw away an estimated 1 billion disposable coffee cups every year. Newsletter readers might like to ask their favourite local cafes what they know about the disposable coffee cups that they use. Or perhaps they could ask their local councils if they collect compostable cups for delivery to industrial composters.”

The 2020 Eltham Annual Wine Show

The 2020 Eltham Annual Wine Show will be a virtual event this year but they will still be judging wines and making awards. You don’t need to be a member to enter your wine into the competition. As well as the traditional categories of grape wines, country wines, mead, etc, they are introducing two new categories this year: cider and kombucha. Entries will be judged on palate, bouquet (aka nose) and colour (aka appearance). Closing date for completed entry forms: 24th October. Closing date for receipt of bottles: 13th November. Read more and potentially complete the entry form.

Some new articles by Angelo Eliades

How to improve drainage in plant pots, the proper way to do it!. This article is effectively a continuation of a previous Angelo article where he argued that you shouldn’t put a layer of rocks in the bottom of a pot.

The easiest way to dry and process turmeric root to make turmeric powder.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Not local but interesting

The UN’s World Food Programme has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize. You can participate in this programme by making small donations on your phone – just download the app.

Meg’s social isolation week

Isolation is starting to make me weary so I am so grateful to see my little cold frame bursting at the seams (see photo). With the cooler weather this week, I am lucky to have it. The seedlings are still small and will need to grow on a bit more before planting out. I will feed them with a seaweed-based fertiliser twice weekly for a week or two.

The French tarragon has emerged from winter dormancy and is lovely and fragrant. Thyme, oregano and marjoram and all doing well after their winter haircuts and the flat leaf (Italian) parsley has self-seeded and has lovely fresh growth. I am using lots of herbs at the moment in baking, including for cheese puffs (see recipe below). These are similar to a light savoury muffin. School lunches are not something I have had to think about for a while but these will do.

Cheese and herb ‘puffs’

½ cup plain flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of milk (may need a little more)
1 cup of cheese, grated
½ cup of mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives and thyme), finely chopped
1 teaspoon of salt and sprinkle of pepper

Mix all the dry ingredients and cheese together. Add the egg and mix lightly until you form a rough dough.

Pile up small dessert spoon amounts on a baking tray. Bake in a hot oven (220degC) for 8-10 minutes.

Note that they freeze well.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Joke of the week

What do you get when you cross a fruit and a dog? Melon collie.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Cooking for a crowd (thermomix): Sunday, 18th October, 2-3.30pm; free; organised by Libby Bracchi. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Beginners guide to urban farming: 7 consecutive Sundays starting 1st November, 2-3pm; $77 ($11 per class); organised by Richmond Community Learning Centre. Read more and book on their website.

Declutter your body, create a garden of food in your fridge: Sunday, 1st November, 2-3.30pm; $donation; organised by Cecilia Macaulay. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Previously announced events

Vegan and gluten free Italian cooking class: Saturday, 17th October, 1-2.30pm; $20; organised by Shop225. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Wednesday, 14th October, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Chicken biryani: Friday, 16th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Spring – planting and bugs: Wednesday, 21st October, 11am-midday; $17; organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Aloo gobi and chapati flatbread: Saturday, 24th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Under the covers of Mirka & Georges – a culinary affair: Thursday, 29th October, 3-4pm; $17; organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Growing fruit and veg in a wildlife garden: Thursday, 29th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Butter chicken: Friday, 30th October, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 31st October, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 1st November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Getting started with veggie gardening: Thursday, 5th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Rising resilience – the power of sourdough: Saturday, 7th November, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; organised by Transition Banyule and others. Read more and book on TryBooking.

Home composting Q&A: Monday, 9th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Bees wax wrap: Wednesday, 11th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council.

Modern bush tucker: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Preparing for Summer harvest: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing citrus: Saturday, 14th November, 11am-12.30pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

The art of watering: Sunday, 22nd November, 1.30-3pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays, 11.30am-1pm. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News October 7 2020

Oct 072020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Bev Middleton, Catherine Knight, Cathy Romeo, Claire Smith, Deborah Taylor, Duang Tengtrirat, Elizabeth Doig, Fay Loveland, Jo Douglas, Leonie Katekar, Lisa Walton, Liz Whiting, Lucinda Flynn, Maude Farrugia, Meera Govil, Megan Goodman, Nina Ceddia, Pam Jenkins, Paula Mcleod, Rita Varrasso, Robin Gale-Baker, Senia Kazar, Siri Hayes, Susan Faine and Susan Palmer.

One thing that I find interesting about editing this newsletter is the unpredictability of the readership’s responses. For example, in this week’s newsletter, whilst only a few people responded to the request for cake photos, a large number responded to the request for broad bean recipes.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg and Collingwood Childrens Farm (relocated to Alphington).

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Whitehorse.

Live in Banyule or Nillumbik and haven’t yet decided who to vote for?

Local Food Connect would like to put the local food system on the agenda for the upcoming local government elections. To help achieve this, they sent a series of food-related questions to all the candidates in Banyule and Nillumbik and have collated their responses on election scorecards to help inform your vote.

It is clear that it is as much the inactions by Councils, as much as their actions, that influence how robust our local food systems will be in the future. Local Food Connect suggests that you should vote to support a secure local food system that is enabled by transparent Council policies and committed elected Councillors. They would like to thank the 40 or so candidates who returned surveys and contributed comments.

Yes, you did know – grapevines

Last week, Rebecca Gray asked how close she could plant her grapevines to her house.

Senia Kazar replied: Our grapevines are planted right next to some walls and there has never been any cracking. The picture on the left is a south-facing wall and the picture on the right is a north-facing wall. I don’t water or feed the vines.

Yes, you did know – composting of packaging materials

Last week, Nancy Mills asked whether anyone has tried composting any kind of recently-produced packaging materials labelled as compostable or home-compostable and, if so, with what end result.

Lucinda Flynn replied: “Certified home compostable products (to Australian standard AS5810) are really easy to home compost (as they must be to achieve the certification). So this is things like the compost-a-pak corn-starch bags, and sugarcane fibre plates and bowls. Commercially compostable products are not guaranteed to compost in a home compost, usually because they have a need for either heat or movement to start of the process. However, I have been able to home compost the certified commercially compostable Biopak biocups (FSC pulp with a thin lining of PLA bioplastic) pretty easily in my home compost (even though they are not certified home compostable). My home compost is not that hot and I just leave it to do its own thing (but I do give it a mix of food scraps with carbon – such as straw). Single cups are not a problem but it would be harder if you threw in a stack of biocups all joined together.”

Coffee cups, lids and compostability – an article by Lucinda Flynn

After reading Lucinda’s reply above, I asked her to write an article on the subject for our website given that she is the owner of Going Green Solutions, a local (Hurstbridge) company that sells eco-products, one of which is ‘commercially compostable’ hot drink ‘biocups’ and lids.

Lucinda kindly agreed and has written a substantial article for our website. Here are some of the points that she makes:

  • Without a doubt, the most environmentally friendly option for a coffee cup is a re-usable one that is re-used for many years before disposal. However, in Lucinda’s opinion, this is not always a realistic option, and thus single-use disposable items are a reality of our first world lifestyle that we need to factor in for the foreseeable future.
  • It is currently just not possible to make a waterproof product that is certified home compostable. Non waterproof – absolutely, and Lucinda sells lots of home compostable plates, bowls, boxes and trays. But, currently at least, waterproof products generally need the heat and movement of a commercial facility.
  • If a product is certified commercially compostable to Australian standard, then it will definitely compost in a commercial facility. Likewise, if a product is certified home compostable to Australian Standard, then it will definitely compost in a home compost. Both of these certifications are challenging to achieve, demand rigorous, thorough environmental testing, and can be depended on.
  • Using the Biopak brand ‘biocup’ as an example (as Lucinda knows most about it): this product is certified to break down into organic matter in a single commercial composting cycle (6-8 weeks usually). Where a business has signed up to the Biopak Compost Service, everything that goes into their bins is composted and the end result is pure compost. Where this service is not available or not used, the cups and lids will go to landfill.
  • In the absence of certified ‘home compostable’ cups and lids, the key issue is how much of an advance are ‘commercially compostable’ cups and lids. Lucinda’s view is that it is a substantial advance.
  • Lucinda suggests that the ideal future scenario is one in which: a) the only single-use disposables allowed are those which are certified commercially compostable; and b) there are commercial composting facilities available in all suburbs.

Read Lucinda’s full article.

This is an important article about an important subject. Any thoughts or responses from our readership would be appreciated. Email me.

Yes, you did know – broad bean recipes

Last week, Meaghan Clayton asked for broad bean recipes. Lots of you replied. Note that I have shortened some of the replies. Also note that all of the recipes are now on our website.

Bev Middleton: Pickle the broad beans when they are small and cook in tomato and garlic sauce. Alternatively, double pod them, cook gently and serve with lemon vinaigrette. You can also make falafel, a lot of work but delicious.

Claire Smith: Falafels were originally made from broad beans. I also like them when cooked and made in to a hummus-like dip.

Catherine Knight: Thinly slice onion, garlic and chorizo. Fry in a pan until cooked and then add the broad beans. Fry again until warm. Don’t over cook as they become dry. Also, the younger the broad beans are the better.

Deborah Taylor: Here are 4 Stephanie Alexander recipes.

Susan Palmer: Steam for 5-6 minutes, then serve with a little olive oil, shaved parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.

Meera Govil: Remove the thick peel from the beans. Then toss through salads or through pasta at the very last minute.

Meera Govil: Mix the broad beans with garlic and smash with a chopped fresh red chilli, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, a hint of cumin powder and fresh mint. Use it like smashed avocado on toast.

Nina Ceddia: Blanch them and then toss with little boiled potatoes and a good mustard seed or red wine vinegar dressing.

Nina Ceddia: Cook up some onion and garlic in olive oil. Add a can of diced tomatoes, salt and pepper. After 15-20 minutes of low cooking, add the broad beans (not the pod), a can of water and a bunch of spinach. Cook to your liking. Before serving, drizzle a little olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.

Nina Ceddia: Broad bean fritters. Cook the broad beans and some potatoes and cool down. Mash the potato only. In a bowl, place the broad beans, the mashed potato, a small amount of bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, diced garlic and fresh parsley, salt, pepper and eggs. The frittata mixture needs to be the consistence that of thick cake batter. Place some oil in a frying pan and add a spoonful of mixture. Turn over to cook both sides. Can be eaten hot or cold.

Leonie Katekar: I make my broad beans into a paste.

2½ cups frozen peas
2 cups broad beans
⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the garlic in oil for 1 minute.

Put the oil, garlic, beans and peas in a blender and blend to a coarse paste.

Ideally serve on olive sourdough toast, spread some feta cheese then top with a generous amount of broad bean paste and add some rocket on the top. Or serve as a dip.

Deborah Taylor: broad beans with pecorino by Maggie Beers.

3 cups broad beans
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (evoo) plus last moment drizzle
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
80-100g pecorino
4 slices sourdough bread for bruschetta

Serves 4. Sort the large pods and small pods into different piles before peeling and, where possible, use the smaller ones. Blanch the broad beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes and refresh in cold water immediately. Heat a grill pan until hot, brush the slices of sourdough with a little olive oil and grill until well toasted on each side.

Add a little more evoo to the beans. Mix with mint and a little more evoo as needed. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Spoon onto the grilled bruschetta and serve with shavings of pecorino and an extra drizzle of evoo.

Deborah Taylor: broad bean, feta and mint bruschetta by Bill Granger.

500g broad beans
80ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
100g creamy feta
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons mint, finely shredded
chargrilled bread, to serve

Blanch the broad beans in a saucepan of lightly boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Rinse under cold running water and drain well. Peel outer skins.

Place the broad beans, olive oil, feta, lemon juice and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until a rough paste. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the mint and pulse for a few seconds until just combined.

Siri Hayes: fresh broad bean falafels by Maude Farrugia.

300g broad beans, fresh peeled and shelled
½ an onion, chopped coarsely
3 cloves of garlic
a packed handful of parsley
1 tablespoon besan flour
1 teaspoon cumin, ground
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon coriander, ground
sesame seeds for rolling
oil for frying

Place all ingredients, except the broad beans, in a blender bowl and blend to a smooth paste.

Add the broad beans until they are blended coarsely (you still want a bit of texture, not a paste).

Place the mixture in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat 1-2cm of oil in a small, heavy bottomed fry pan.

Shape heaped tablespoons of the mixture into balls by hand or use a falafel press. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Fry the falafels for a minute or so on each side until browned, turning carefully. Transfer the cooked falafels to drain on a brown paper bag.

Serve with your favourite salads, middle eastern bread and dips.

Broad bean recipes already on our website

From Duang Tengtrirat: Broad beans linguine with ricotta.

From Duang Tengtrirat: Broad bean soup.

From Jo Douglas: Broad bean guacamole.

From Lisa Walton: Broad bean, leek and fennel top risotto.

From Liz Whiting: Broad beans fuul midammis.

Pam’s annual edible garden in early Spring – a video update

Pam Jenkins has produced a 13 minute video update about her annual edible garden. It discusses the state of her beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, garlic, lettuce and peas. As Pam concludes, “Lots of jobs to do now to keep ahead of the pests and the weather. The seeds that I planted indoors are mostly growing and being hardened off ready to move to their new positions in the garden as soon as it is prepared. Thank goodness for Covid-19 making me stay home and get the summer annuals off to a good start!”

Watch Pam’s video and/or read the accompanying words.

How to grow celeriac – an article by Robin Gale-Baker

Robin has written an article on how to grow celeriac. As Robin says in her introduction, “celeriac is the bulbous root of a variety of celery [so, celeriac is to celery as beetroot is to silverbeet]. It is often described as ugly as it is rough and knobbly on the surface but, when peeled, this gives away to crisp flesh similar in colour to parsnip … It is nutty, and somewhat parsnip-like with a subtle tang of celery and a silky texture.” Plant early in spring for mid-autumn harvesting [so, if you haven’t planted yet, do so asap]. The seeds are tiny, so they should be sown in punnets for later planting out.

Read Robin’s full article.

Do you know?

Susan Faine asks: “How do you make firm yoghurt from low fat milk without adding milk powder or gelatine? I’ve found that if the culture is full fat it works but, as the generations of yoghurt follow from the preceding batch, and the fat content is increasingly diluted, the yoghurt doesn’t set much at all.” Email your answers.

Corrections and clarifications

Last week, in Meera’s recipe for lemon pickle, I included a link to a video of her mother Raj making the pickle. Unfortunately, the link did not work for some people. Here is the corrected link. My apologies to Meera and Raj.

Kensington Stockyard Food Garden

Newsletter reader Nina Ceddia is a leading figure at the Kensington Stockyard Community Garden. In this capacity, she was recently video interviewed about the garden.

FareShare’s FootSteps Challenge

FareShare, who are based in Abbotsford, are organising a fundraising challenge 1-15 November where they are asking people to raise money by walking or running. Read more and potentially sign up.

Get ready for some outdoor eating!

Banyule Council recently wrote to me to say that they are introducing temporary outdoor dining to help hospitality venues expand their dining and table services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Read more and potentially apply.

Perhaps your local Council is having, or is considering, a similar initiative.

Not food but interesting – Aussie Bird Count

This year, the Aussie Bird Count is on 19-25 October. The idea is that you spend a 20 minute period recording all the birds that you see during that 20 minutes. You can register to participate in one of three ways, either online on their website or using their Android app or using their Apple app.

Meg’s social isolation week

I have sown several varieties of oak leaf lettuce in my veggie beds and will repeat every few weeks. The zucchini and tomato seedlings have been potted on from trays to small compostable pots that can be planted straight into the ground pots. I have also been busy sowing trays of seeds of summer crops such as cucumbers, pumpkins, melons and basil in the cold frame – this is timed so that they reach a good size before being planted into the ground with the warming weather.

I am harvesting tree tomatoes (tamarillo) this week. This is a fabulous small tree that is easy to strike from cuttings. It needs a protected spot as it can be affected by frost. I always prepare the fruit by making a small cross on the top and placing them briefly into boiling water until the skins loosen, then cooling and peeling them. I use them like you would apples mainly in sweet dishes in baking, jams or chutneys. They can also be used a bit like you would tomatoes in more savoury dishes such as this simple spicy salsa.

Spicy tamarillo salsa

2 tamarillos, blanched to soften, peeled and finely diced
1 large red chilli, de-seeded finely chopped (or to taste)
4 spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh coriander
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients and rest for at least 15-20 minutes to allow the flavours to develop (if required, add a teaspoon or two of water to loosen the mixture).

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – cakes you have made

Only 2 people submitted photos.

Cathy Romeo
Mandarin cake

“Made with homegrown mandarins. In order to have a ready supply, I freeze some of our mandarins so that I can make a cake when mandarins are out of season.“
Rita Varrasso
plum tart

“Earlier this year I made lots of different jams using plums, quinces and cumquats from the garden. Now I have a great supply to make my tarts, which come in all shapes, sizes and flavours. “

 

This week’s theme – zip

We are going to give reader photos a rest for the time being. Thanks to everyone who has participated over the last few months.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was Lentil As Anything’s GoFundMe page.

Joke of the week

Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Because if they flew over the bay they would be bagels.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Cultivating health and wellbeing: an action agenda for edible gardening in Australia: Friday, 9th October, 11am-1pm; $17; organised by Sustain. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Spring – planting and bugs: Wednesday, 21st October, 11am-midday; $17; organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Aloo gobi and chapati flatbread: Saturday, 24th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Under the covers of Mirka & Georges – a culinary affair: Thursday, 29th October, 3-4pm; $17; organised by Heide Museum of Modern Art. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Butter chicken: Friday, 30th October, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Rising resilience – the power of sourdough: Saturday, 7th November, 10.30am-12.30pm; free; organised by Transition Banyule and others. Read more and book on TryBooking.

Bees wax wrap: Wednesday, 11th November, 6.30-7.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council.

Previously announced events

Backyard chooks for beginners: Saturday, 10th October, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Lamb bhuna masala: Saturday, 10th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Garden bed basics: Sunday, 11th October, 11am-1pm; $donation; organised by Brunswick Tool Library. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Wednesday, 14th October, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Chicken biryani: Friday, 16th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Vegan and gluten free Italian cooking class: Saturday, 17th October, 1-2.30pm; $20; organised by Shop225. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Growing fruit and veg in a wildlife garden: Thursday, 29th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 31st October, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 1st November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Getting started with veggie gardening: Thursday, 5th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Home composting Q&A: Monday, 9th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Modern bush tucker: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Preparing for Summer harvest: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing citrus: Saturday, 14th November, 11am-12.30pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

The art of watering: Sunday, 22nd November, 1.30-3pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays, 11.30am-1pm. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News September 30 2020

Sep 302020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Cathy Romeo, Chloe Thomson, Dave Chambers, Deb Thomson, James Reeves, Kate Lahiff, Linda Cornelissen, Lynn Wallace, Marianthi Kougi, Meaghan Clayton, Meera Govil, Megan Goodman, Nancy Mills, Penny Smith, Rebecca Gray, Rita Varrasso, Robin Gale-Baker, Soo Mei Leong, Tracey Bjorksten and Vicki Paras.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Carlton and Coburg.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

A new local gin maker – Mary Monica Gin

Mary Monica Gin only started out business in 2020 and their first product is called ‘oriental gin’, which is a south east asian inspired citrus gin. They live on a regenerative citrus farm in Yarra Glen where they grow the botanicals used to flavour their gins. Their key botanicals are picked fresh in season and distilled within 24 hours. This means that, when the season’s batch is sold, they do not produce any more gin until the next fruit is on the trees. You can buy their gin online or at Eltham Farmers’ Market (where they have a stall on the 1st Sunday of every month, including this upcoming Sunday, 4th October). Read their Local Food Directory entry on our website. Welcome James!

How much sun do veggies need? An article by Robin Gale-Baker

Expert gardeners often bandy around certain terms as though we will automatically know what they are talking about. But do we? When it comes to terms like full sun, partial sun, partial shade and full shade, what do these really mean? And is afternoon sun the same as morning sun? As discussed below, the answers to these questions are a little more complex than at first might be expected.

The first point is that some people use the terms ‘partial sun’ and ‘partial shade’ interchangeably. However, drawing a distinction between the two is important because some plants in this broad category need more sun and are more heat tolerant and therefore need afternoon sun whilst others do poorly in afternoon sun and need morning sun. So, in this article:

  • Full sun means 6-8 hours of direct, unfiltered* sun per day.
  • Partial sun means 3-6 hours of full, unfiltered* afternoon sun per day.
  • Partial shade refers to 3-6 hours of morning sun as opposed to afternoon sun.
  • Full shade means less than 3 hours sun per day (according to some definitions) to no direct sunlight at all (according to other definitions).

*Unfiltered means that there is nothing in the way of the sun’s rays such as tree branches or shadowing.

There is also a nonsense term – full sun, partial shade. It’s one or the other! What it really means is that the plant will survive in partial shade but will not thrive or produce ripe fruit.

Because the rays of the sun pass through more of the atmosphere in the morning, sunlight is less intense before midday. In the afternoon, the sunlight is hotter than in the morning. Around midday, when the sun is directly overhead, it is strongest.

How hot the sun appears also depends on our latitude. Information from gardening books written for England and Europe will reflect their conditions not ours. Top temperatures in these regions in summer are usually 10 degrees below what we experience in Melbourne and this needs to be factored in along with the actual hours of sunlight. Local conditions are important!

While drought-tolerant and heat-tolerant plants, such as silver and grey plants and tough woody herbs, can tolerate hot sun for 9 hours a day, most veggies would burn in those conditions. Blistering, sunburn and heat stress are serious problems when we experience extreme summer heat, especially when temperatures hit the 40s.

But all vegetables need some sun to grow so none will grow well in total shade.

Within these two extremes:

  • Vegetables which produce fruits generally like full sun, as the sun is an important element in producing the starches and sugars that give these vegetables their flavour. This includes tomatoes, eggplants, capsicum, chilli, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, sweetcorn, beans, peas and rockmelons. If you do not have sufficient direct sunlight for tomatoes, choose cherry tomatoes which because of their small fruit, will ripen with 3-4 hours sunlight. Plant eggplant in the hottest part of your garden, then capsicum in the second hottest and tomato in the third hottest area. Rockmelons do well if planted above fresh manure which acts as a heat bed early in the season when they require warm soil temperature to get an early enough start to produce fruit later in the season. Eggplants and capsicums, which need soil temperatures in the 20-30degC range to germinate, are best bought as seedlings, unless you have a heat mat, otherwise, like rockmelons, they will produce fruit too late for it to fully mature. Sun-loving vegetables will not produce a good, fully ripe crop with less than 6 hours direct sun per day, and can tolerate 8 hours. Beans and peas need full sun early in their season but do badly in the height of summer when it is too hot for them.
  • The onion family also likes full sun. This includes onions, garlic, spring onions, shallots and leeks.
  • Vegetables that produce roots grow best in partial sun – that is afternoon sun and morning shade. This includes carrots, parsnip, turnips, beetroot, radishes and potatoes.
  • Vegetables where you eat the stems, buds or leaves generally prefer partial shade – that is morning sun and afternoon shade. These include brassicas such as kale, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, and leaf crops such as silverbeet, spinach, cress, rocket and lettuce. It also includes celery, kohlrabi and globe artichoke. The darker the leaves, the less light the plant needs to grow (with silverbeet, spinach and watercress being examples). Be careful not to overwater vegetables growing in shade as there may be insufficient sun to dry the ground.

Yes, you did know!

Last week, Jacinda Brown asked whether she could graft a fruiting grape onto an ornamental grape. Angelo Eliades has replied: “Ornamental grapes are either Vitis vinifera, whose leaves look like regular grapevine leaves, or Vitis coignetiae, also known as Crimson Glory Vine, which has broad, slightly lobed leaves. Here in Australia, both our table grape and our wine grape varieties are the Vitis vinifera species.

“So, if your ornamental grape is Vitis vinifera, you can graft fruiting grapes onto it.

“If your ornamental grape is Vitis coignetiae, I’m not sure if you can graft fruiting grapes onto it. A literature search yielded no results but it is common practice in agricultural settings to graft Vitis vinifera onto other Vitis species rootstock for disease resistance, and several other grape species are used for the purpose, so it’s quite likely that you can do the grafting.”

Do you know?

Meaghan Clayton asks: “I have a glut of broad beans however I am yet to find a recipe where I have enjoyed eating them. Can anyone suggest the most tasty ways to cook them?” Email your answers.

Rebecca Gray asks: “I want to plant a grapevine and need to understand how far reaching its roots will get. I have clay soil and have had cracking problems on the house (brick walls) with other vegetation planted close to the house. How far away should a grapevine be planted to avoid cracking a brick wall?” Email your answers.

Nancy Mills has a follow up question to her previous question about composting of disposable coffee cups: “Has anyone actually tried composting any kind of recently-produced packaging materials labelled as compostable or home-compostable and, if so, what was the end result?” Email your answers.

Newsletter readers’ food growing tips

Lynn Wallace: “To prevent earwigs infesting sweetcorn, cut the top and bottom off a plastic milk bottle (3 litre is a good size). Push into the soil so that ⅓ of the ‘sleeve’ is underground. Plant the seeds inside. The earwigs cannot climb up the slippery sides. Make sure any trailing leaves do not touch the ground.”

Following on Anna Sanders’ tip from last week about making labels from yoghurt cups using Sharpie permanent markers, Penny Smith and Tracey Bjorksten have both written in:

Penny Smith: “I have found that the Sharpie eventually fades and disappears so if you want a long term label a heavy grey lead pencil is best. I use 6B.”

Tracey Bjorksten: “Venetian blinds also make excellent plant tags, especially for situations where the tags need to be large (e.g. in a community garden). I was lucky enough to score a slim-line aluminium venetian blind from the local free-goods Facebook page. The slats were thin enough to cut with a pair of sturdy scissors and, being aluminium, won’t corrode. I cut some with points to go in the ground, and some smaller ones, taking advantage of the pre-cut slit where the cord goes through, to hang from a trellis or stake. I’ve written on them with felt-tipped pen and also chalk pen. Both will probably fade over time. Grease pencil would also work, I think.”

Read more newsletter reader tips.

Anyone else got any growing tips that they are willing to share? Email me.

The Shared Shed food co-op

Newsletter reader Kate Lahiff, from Coburg, has written in to tell us about the food co-op that she is part of.

The Shared Shed is a food co-op that has been going for nearly 40 years and helps us to cut down reliance on supermarkets, to use less packaging and to have food produced as close to home as possible. People often ask us how it works, and it is really simple. We have around 30 members and use an ordinary shed in one of our member’s garden. We all contribute a set amount each month, currently $60. This covers the cost of everything in the shed, including food staples (like pasta, flour, nuts, olive oil, coffee, tea, rice) and some other bulk items (like toilet paper, soap and detergent). We take it in turns to clean the shed and to place the orders, which get delivered and then unpacked by the shed host. We all have a key to the shed so we can go any time with our own containers to stock up, and we can take as much as we like – somehow this always works out! We think that food co-ops are a simple and rewarding way to reduce waste and build community, and we hope others might be inspired to set up their own.

Can you help save Lentil As Anything?

Consequent on COVID-19, Lentil As Anything is apparently in danger of “going into administration, and likely closing our doors forever.” They have therefore set up a GoFundMe page, aiming to raise $150,000 by the end of October.

The 2020 Eltham Annual Wine Show

The 2020 Eltham Annual Wine Show will be a virtual event this year but they will still be judging wines and making awards. You don’t need to be a member to enter your wine into the competition. As well as the traditional categories of grape wines, country wines, mead, etc, they are introducing two new categories this year: cider and kombucha. Entries will be judged on palate, bouquet (aka nose) and colour (aka appearance). Closing date for completed entry forms: 24th October. Closing date for receipt of bottles: 13th November. Read more and potentially complete the entry form.

A video for you to watch

Following last week’s article from Leaf, Root & Fruit on different composting methods, newsletter reader Chloe Thomson from The Gardenettes has produced a video entitled Composting 101 – how to compost.

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
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 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. And Helen has written more generally about Spring veggie garden preparation.

Preserving your onion weed

A few weeks ago, we discussed a new video by newsletter reader Pam Jenkins about alternative greens. One of the alternative greens discussed was three-cornered leeks (Allium triquetrum), more commonly known as onion weed, which Pam uses as a substitute for spring onions. As Wikipedia says, “all parts of the plant, from the bulb to the flowers, are edible fresh (for example in pestos) or cooked.” A Melbourne company called Vessel Studo recently published three ways of preserving your onion weed:

  • Pickled: Wash thoroughly. Boil 1 cup vinegar with 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon salt. Pour over the weeds in a clean jar and refrigerate. Keep 2-3 weeks.
  • Fermented: Wash thoroughly and place in a sterilised sealable jar. Top with 2% brine (20g salt per litre of boiled water). Store out of direct light for 4 weeks before enjoying.
  • Dried: Roast in the oven at 150degC for a few hours until dry, using a dehydrator or air dry in warm dry environments. Grind with salt for onion salt or leave whole for a crunchy garnish.

Recipe: lemon pickle (aka nimbu achaar)

Someone gave Meera Govil a bag of lemons so her 89-year-old mum, Raj, decided to make some lemon pickle with some of them. Here is a video of Raj making the pickle and below is the recipe.
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2 kgs lemons, washed, dried and chopped into quarters
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ajwain
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (aka saunf)
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoons black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
½ cup mustard oil
¼ teaspoon asafoetida (aka heeng)

In a large bowl or wok, rub the lemons in the salt, sugar, chilli powder, ajwain, fennel seeds (aka saunf), cloves and black peppercorns.

Add the bay leaves.

Warm the mustard oil with the asafoetida (aka heeng) and pour over the lemons.

Place the lemons in a clean, dry jar. Close the lid and put in a sunny spot for 7 days – giving it a good shake every day before bringing it in at night and when taking it out. It will then be ready to eat.

Meg’s social isolation week

The crimson broad beans are living up to their name and provide a splash of rich colour in the veggie patch (see photo). I expect to be picking by December. The snow peas Yakumo Giant are also reflecting their name, extending well beyond the supports that I had prepared. We have been picking snow peas for the past week and find that frequent picking encourages more flowers and more peas.

We are now harvesting armfuls of rainbow chard and oversized spring onions. These have been blanched and frozen or turned into traditional filo tarts with ricotta. However, the cooler weekend has led to baking again, with a tray of muffins using the last of our frozen summer youngberries.

Basic muffins

1¼ cups self-raising flour
½ cup caster sugar
⅔ cup milk
1 egg
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
around 200g of frozen berries

Mix the vegetable oil, egg and milk together then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Add the vanilla.

Fold through the frozen berries (gently so that the mix does not discolour).

Add to oiled muffin pan or use patty pans/ muffin liners. Bake at 180degC for around 20 minutes.

This recipe is very flexible. You can substitute any chopped fruit for the berries or use things like chocolate chips. You can use wholemeal self-raising flour instead. You can add things like flaked almonds or a sprinkle of raw sugar to the top before baking.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – meals you have cooked

6 photos were submitted, each with a story.

Cathy Romeo
Green on green vegetarian theme

“Silverbeet, broccolletti, snow peas and olives. All homegrown.“
Marianthi Kougi
A family affair

“A couple of weeks ago we each picked a veggie to cook for dinner with our salmon, and it turned out to be a beautiful rainbow plate! I chose the silverbeet and it was delicious.“
Rita Varrasso
Pasty

“Pasty filled with lots of greens from the garden: spinach, chard, spring onion, rocket, kale, parsley and a couple of potatoes from a random potato plant.“
Soo Mei Leong
Jelly (fish) dessert

“On a retro blue platter resembling the sea, this dessert also highlights the colour of the fishes. Uses agar agar (plant-based jelly like gelatin derived from seeweed) almond and gula melaka (a type of palm sugar). Surrounded as well by lollies for the annual festive indulgence. Edible flowers (viola, lavender, rose petals) and berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry) could all be cut into snippets to be interwoven through the fishes, changing them from drab to fab!

At the bottom of the picture, there is a second plate comprising star biscuits and snowman chocolates.“
Tracey Bjorksten
Carrot-top pesto

“The carrot tops were harvested from one of the Edible Hub Hurstbridge garden wicking beds. They were so fresh that I couldn’t bear to put them in the compost so I did a quick google for culinary options. As well as the carrot tops I used cashews, lightly toasted first, local olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and a little salt. Parmesan was added at the table. I froze the rest of the batch in a jar and it was just as nice a few months later.“
Vicki Paras
Corn on the cob

“Old fashioned corn on the BBQ. Yum.“

 

This week’s theme – cakes you have made

The photo theme this week is ‘cakes you have made’. As ever, send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week. Please submit any photos by end of play on Sunday at the latest.

To get you started, here is a picture of a gingerbread house that my wife made.

As you can probably tell(!), I’m beginning to run out of ideas for photo themes. Do you have any suggestions for future weeks? Email me.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was Leaf, Root & Fruit’s article about composting.

Word of the week – polyembryony

In plants, polyembryony is the phenomenon whereby multiple plants germinate from a single seed. It is apparently common in citrus species, including lemon and mandarin, where one of the seedlings is usually the normal product of fertilisation whilst the other seedlings are genetic clones of the mother. The picture is of a double mandarin embryo.

Polyembryony in animals means something slightly different but is illustrated by the nine banded armadillo, which always gives birth to four identical young.

Proverb of the month

Too many cooks spoil the broth, sometimes shortened to simply too many cooks. Meaning: if too many people are involved in a task, it will not be done well. This phrase dates back to the 16th Century, the idea being that broth is a simple dish which will taste worse if it has all sorts of ingredients added to it.

There are so many sayings in the English language that there are often sayings with similar meaning and also sayings with opposite meanings. For example, a camel is a horse designed by committee means roughly the same as too many cooks spoil the broth and the more the merrier means roughly the opposite.

Read more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts.” by Sigmund Freud.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke of the week

I want to be like a caterpillar. Eat a lot. Sleep for a while. Wake up beautiful.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

The art of watering: Sunday, 22nd November, 1.30-3pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Previously announced events

Wonderful world of worms for kids: Thursday, 1st October, 3-4pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Cooking up compost: Saturday, 3rd October, 2-3.30pm; free; organised by Zero Waste Victoria. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Onion and potato bhaji and chutney: Saturday, 3rd October, 4-5.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Queensland fruit fly for home gardeners: Monday, 5th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Backyard chooks for beginners: Saturday, 10th October, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Lamb bhuna masala: Saturday, 10th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Garden bed basics: Sunday, 11th October, 11am-1pm; $donation; organised by Brunswick Tool Library. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Wednesday, 14th October, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Chicken biryani: Friday, 16th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Vegan and gluten free Italian cooking class: Saturday, 17th October, 1-2.30pm; $20; organised by Shop225. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Growing fruit and veg in a wildlife garden: Thursday, 29th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 31st October, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 1st November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Getting started with veggie gardening: Thursday, 5th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Home composting Q&A: Monday, 9th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Modern bush tucker: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Preparing for Summer harvest: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing citrus: Saturday, 14th November, 11am-12.30pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News September 23 2020

Sep 232020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angela Spencer, Angelo Eliades, Anna Sanders, Anne Parbury, Carrie Newbold, Deb Thomson, Gilles Lardy, Jacinda Brown, Jeanette Lynch, Jules Jay, Karin Motyer, Krystal John, Megan Goodman, Pam Jenkins, Rita Varrasso, Soo Mei Leong, Stuart Rodda, Sue Lockwood and Yennie Starkey.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Abbotsford Convent (relocated to Carlton) and Coburg. Not Wonga Park.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Plant-based antioxidants; do flavonoids offer antiviral protection?

Newsletter reader Angela Spencer has written a brief article for our website entitled Plant-based antioxidants: do flavonoids offer antiviral protection?. Here’s the introduction: “Covid-19 has triggered a resurgence in the hunt for pharmaceutical and natural-occurring antivirals. Some researchers are exploring the antiviral potential of plant-based flavonoids as an extra level of the defence while we await a safe vaccine. Flavonoids are produced by plants in response to pathogens and photosynthesis. These compounds are most abundant in the body of plants (roots, trunk and leaves) as they are designed to protect the plant against infection and damage from the sun. Flavonoids have a tonifying effect on humans, many with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. They are currently being studied in connection to healthy aging, allergies, diabetes and a range of other disorders related to inflection and inflammation.” Angela then goes on to give links to 25 recent academic papers on the subject.

Read Angela’s article.

Want some natural health products?

Angela sells an extensive range of natural health products including flavonoids but also essential oils, supplements and natural cleaning products. A full range of her stock is available at www.obornehealth.com.au. She would like to offer a 20% discount off the obornehealth retail prices to newsletter readers. To take advantage of this offer, email Angela (angelartsel@gmail.com) and mention this newsletter.

Yes, you did know!

Spitfire sawfly larvae

Last week, Doris Glier asked what the larvae in her picture are.

As a lot of you recognised, the larvae are spitfire sawflies (genus perga, family pergidae, suborder symphyta, order hymenoptera). Congratulations to Angelo Eliades, Anna Sanders, Anne Parbury, Deb Thomson, Jeanette Lynch and Stuart Rodda for your correct identification.

Stuart Rodda: “They move vigorously when touched (with a stick) and can spit out a nasty liquid as protection. If you do disturb them, don’t stand under them unless you want a shower.”

Anna Sanders: “There are 200 known species of sawfly in Australia and we have found some in our garden too. Have a look at this video of them that I recently made. Read this page about spitfire sawflies.”

Museums Victoria: they are one of the species of sawfly in genus Perga but it is not clear which. Despite the name, sawflies are actually more closely related to wasps than to flies. The larvae can exude a distasteful substance which probably makes them unpleasant for birds to eat. Contrary to what you might have been told as a child, they don’t actually spit at people but rather dribble an unpleasant tasting substance.

Wikipedia: During the day, the larvae congregate in clusters of 20 or 30 for protection and disperse at night to feed. When threatened, the larvae will raise their head and eject a strong-smelling yellow-green liquid, consisting predominantly of eucalyptus oil, to deter predators. This action gives them their common name of ‘spitfires’.

As I have said before, Museums Victoria offer a superb, free, online critter identification service.

Composting (or not) of disposable coffee cups

Last week, Nancy Mills asked whether anyone has succeeded in fully composting disposable coffee cups or their lids.

Jules Jay: “There are big differences between the terms biodegradable, compostable, and home compostable. This page from the CSIRO website explains some of the differences.

“Biodegradable items (like the coffee lids) should be avoided if possible, as they’re often made from plastics that simply ‘break down’ into millions of tiny pieces (becoming microplastics), rather than reverting to natural substances that feed soil. This degrading process can take many years, so they’ll likely never break down in a compost bin.

“Compostable items can also be confusing, as they fall into two categories. Much of what’s labelled ‘compostable’ can only be broken down in industrial composting facilities at high heat levels over a specific time period – and certainly not quickly in a home compost bin. Unfortunately, as there are a limited number of industrial composting facilities in Australia, not all compostable materials placed in the recycling bins will go to a proper facility.

“Only packaging labelled as ‘home compostable’ will break down to become organic soil in the compost bin. So, it’s always best to check for the ‘home compostable’ logo (see picture right) and go for these products if possible.”

Carrie Newbold: “I spoke to one of the companies that sells them a few years back. They are only made to decompose in the high temperature commercial composting facilities. I am pretty unimpressed by this, as no one can access one of these (although I do believe the zoo has one). So I became one of those annoying people who would tell anyone who’d listen the ‘truth’. Pretty sure my effect has been nil though.”

Angelo Eliades: “Many ‘biodegradable’ materials, such as the coffee cup lids, only break down under hot composting conditions that sustain high temperatures of 55-65 degrees Celsius for extended periods (2-3 weeks), such as those of commercial composting operations, or home hot composting systems, or over very long periods of time (years) in cold composting systems.

“Hot composting systems will also make woollen jumpers, cotton shirts or leather boots disappear over the same period of time, just to keep things in perspective. Even though many of these materials don’t break down very easily in slow cold composting conditions, they are technically still ‘biodegradable’.”

Do you know?

Jacinda Brown asks: “Can I graft a fruiting grape onto an ornamental grape?”

Newsletter readers’ food growing tips

Following on Lyn Richards’ tip from two weeks ago to use yoghurt pots to grow seedlings, Anna Sanders has another suggestion: “cut the pots into strips and use a Sharpie permanent marker to use them as labels for seedlings.”

Read more newsletter reader tips.

Anyone else got any growing tips that they are willing to share? Email me.

Want to help?

Someone is in need of an egg incubator

Krystal John is trying to source an incubator to hatch chicken eggs. She is looking for a fully automatic one for 12 or more eggs (i.e. one that controls both temperature and humidity and also turns the eggs). She would like to borrow or rent the incubator (or possibly buy it). She lives in Eltham, so you would need to be within 5kms in order for her to be able to collect it. If you are able to help her, contact Krystal by phone (0415 337851) or email (krystalnavez@gmail.com).

A local mushroom farmer

Buttons is a mushroom farmer based in Alphington. She has been awarded a grant of $15K for a cool room and shed but has to match it with other money. She is crowdfunding for that money. Read more and potentially donate.

Some articles for you to read

What is the best compost method?

When Melbourne-based Leaf, Root & Fruit write an article, it is usually both comprehensive and comprehensible. This article on different composting methods is no exception.

Share market: Australia’s giving economy

Read this article on a website called Eativity about food sharing initiatives in Australia. It mentions some of the organisations who give away food in Melbourne, many of whom have previously been discussed in this newsletter and/or are discussed on our website: FareShare, Feed Appeal, Foodbank, SecondBite, 3000acres, Cultivating Community, Ripe Near Me, ShareWaste and Crop Swap Melbourne.

Word of the week – vivipary

Vivipary is the phenomenon whereby seeds germinate while they are still inside, or attached to, the parent plant or fruit. Whilst it occurs as a matter of course in a few (but only a few) plants, in most plants it is usually the result of a hormone imbalance. The pictures show some viviparous strawberries and tomatoes.

Recipe: raspberry wine

This recipe comes from one of the Eltham and District Winemakers Guild’s gold medal winemakers and was sent in by Dave Chambers.

The wine-specific ingredients and equipment can be obtained from a number of local shops, including Costante Imports (based in Preston), Home Make It (based in Reservoir) and The Artisan’s Bottega (based in Epping).

2 kilos raspberries, fresh or frozen
1½ kilos white sugar
1 teaspoon yeast (a red wine yeast is good)
1 teaspoon citric acid (it’s a powder)
¼ teaspoon pectinase (helps clarify and clear the wine)
tap water(as required to top up to 5 litres)

Fact warning: yeast is in the air so if you put the raspberries in a bucket and do nothing else, they will eventually turn in to wine (more or less). But most people want more control and therefore use a particular type of yeast (usually a red wine yeast) for the fermenting, whereby the sugar is turned into alcohol.

Mash the raspberries in a bucket with 800g of sugar.

Pour 2½ litres of boiling water over the mash. Cover with a cloth. Stir it daily for 3½ days (taking the cover off before stirring).

Strain all of this and discard the pulp into the compost.

Add the yeast (having first hydrated it with some of the liquid) and the pectinase. Add the citric acid and then leave for 7 days to ferment.

After the 7 days, add in some sugar syrup made from 700g of sugar (that’s just water and sugar blended with a stick blender). Top up your container to 5 litres with water. This is called a demijohn or carboy. Add a bubbler or airlock.

After all the action of the yeast party has ceased, rack off the liquid into another container, making sure to leave behind in the bottom the cloudy sediment. This will give the wine clarity and sparkle.

Do this one more time in a few weeks.

Just sweeten to taste and it’s ready.

Note: all your containers and equipment should be very clean.

Meg’s social isolation week

I love the way that my nasturtiums ramble and soften the edges in the garden and their orange and yellow flowers are bright spots in the foliage (see photo). They really represent abundant spring growth, but are also lovely to add to salads. Everything is starting to emerge. The broad beans and snow peas are in flower, as are the early strawberries. Blossom is giving way to leaf and I am pleased to see only one of the peach trees has some leaf curl this year.

The strong stems of asparagus are beginning to push their way through the soil and we have harvested the first young spears of the season. Our plants are around 5 years old and we added a purple variety this year. It is recommended that you do not harvest from your crowns until they are a few years old to allow them to establish. They are lovely when very lightly cooked on their own. However, we also like them through this light spaghetti.

Asparagus pasta

500g spaghetti or other pasta
2-3 chicken breasts
300g asparagus
200g roasted red peppers
olive oil

The dressing
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon seeded mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped (or fennel tops)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water.

While the pasta is cooking, grill the chicken breasts and asparagus in a little olive oil.

Finely slice the chicken and roasted peppers and cut the asparagus into roughly 3cm pieces.

Make the dressing by mixing all ingredients together (make sure to balance the lemon juice and olive oil by taste).

Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water.

Toss through chicken, peppers, asparagus and dressing, using the cooking water to bring it together if required.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – interesting Spring flowers

16 photos were submitted.

Cathy Romeo
Couroupita guianensis (cannonball tree)

“Photographed in Vietnam.“
Cathy Romeo
Scilla peruviana (the Portuguese squill or Cuban lily)
Cathy Romeo
Sparaxis sp. (harlequin flower)
Gilles Lardy
Geum sp. ‘totally tangerine’ (totally tangerine aven)

“They are evergreen, give a repeat flowering in autumn and only needed a small top up of water during our hottest days last year.“
Gilles Lardy
Hibbertia stellaris (star guinea flower or orange stars)

“An Australian native which is rarely seen in gardens here but seems to have found a nice spot my frontyard.“
Gilles Lardy
Platytheca galioides

“An Australian native which is rarely seen in gardens here but seems to have found a nice spot my frontyard.“
Karin Motyer
Melianthus major (the giant honey flower)
Pam Jenkins
Cydonia oblonga (quince)

A ode to the flowers:
“Look at me all pretty, delicate and pink.
And I’ll finish up all pretty, tasty, and sort of pink.
I’ll be quince jelly – or at least that is what I think.“
Rita Varrasso
Epidendrum sp. (crucifix orchid)

“This reed-stem orchid grows in a cluster and has lots of aerial roots.“
Rita Varrasso
Helianthus annuus (velvet queen sunflower)

“A tall sunflower with lots of branches with flowering buds. This sunflower grew by itself, hidden in the spinach patch over Winter.“
Rita Varrasso
Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi (lavender scallops)

““
Soo Mei Leong
Scilla peruviana (the Portuguese squill or Cuban lily)

“This spring sparkler, with its interesting pyramidal dome-shaped bloom, is fascinating to observe as each little flower unfolds from bottom to top over time. From neither Peru nor Portugal nor Cuba, though its names suggest otherwise, it actually originates from the Mediterranean. Hardy, easy to grow, attracting bees as well as butterflies, it is also both long-lasting in the garden and as cut-flowers.“
Sue Lockwood
Melianthus major (the giant honey flower)

“I love seeing my Melianthus major unfurl in early Spring. The flower spikes then stand tall. The pleated blue-green leaves are lovely, especially with the russet-burgundy flowers against them. The stems tend to flop across the ground in part shade, but make a great backdrop as the leaves cover the meandering stems. A South African plant.“
Susan Palmer
Billbergia nutans (queen’s-tears)

“This my favourite flower in my garden as it is so colourful and unusual in appearance.“
Yennie Starkey
Carpobrotus sp. (pigface)

“Grown from a cutting.“
Yennie Starkey
Microseris lanceolata (murnong or yam daisy)

“It’s hard to get the delicate small yellow flower, but I just love the dropping flower buds.“

 

This week’s theme – meals you have cooked

The photo theme this week is ‘meals you have cooked’. As ever, send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week. Please submit any photos by end of play on Sunday at the latest.

To get you started, here is a picture of some fried eggs and baked beans that my wife cooked.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The most popular link was the note pictured right that one of our newsletter readers recently received. As so many people clearly wanted to read the precise words, I thought that I would transcribe them below.

“Dear Friendly Neighbours,

“A BIG thankyou for sharing your lovely produce. We have planted parsley from you and enjoyed lemons.

“More importantly you have taught us little boys the joy of sharing and community spirit!

“Here’s something from our organic garden.”

So, do you think, did the two little boys actually write the note, as stated, or was it one of their parents? (This is a rhetorical question!)

Joke of the week

I am going bananas. That’s what I say to my bananas before I leave the house.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Handmade vegan cavatelli pasta with pumpkin and walnuts: Friday, 25th September, 6-7.30pm; $15; organised by Shop225. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Vegan and gluten free Italian cooking class: Saturday, 17th October, 1-2.30pm; $20; organised by Shop225. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Sourdough bread making: Saturday, 31st October, 11am-midday; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Sourdough bread making: Sunday, 1st November, 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Getting started with veggie gardening: Thursday, 5th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Home composting Q&A: Monday, 9th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Modern bush tucker: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Preparing for Summer harvest: Thursday, 12th November, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing citrus: Saturday, 14th November, 11am-12.30pm; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Previously announced events

Prepping for summer veggies: Thursday, 24th September, 10-11am; free; organised by Iramoo Community Centre. Recommended by Keryn Johnson. Book your place by emailing them.

Chooks 4 families & kids: Saturday, 26th September, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing microgreens: Saturday, 26th September, 11am-midday; $28; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Flatbread parantha and raita: Saturday, 26th September, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Biodiversity and sustainable food systems: Wednesday, 30th September, 10.30am-2.30pm; $120; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Wonderful world of worms for kids: Thursday, 1st October, 3-4pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Cooking up compost: Saturday, 3rd October, 2-3.30pm; free; organised by Zero Waste Victoria. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Onion and potato bhaji and chutney: Saturday, 3rd October, 4-5.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Queensland fruit fly for home gardeners: Monday, 5th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Backyard chooks for beginners: Saturday, 10th October, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Lamb bhuna masala: Saturday, 10th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Garden bed basics: Sunday, 11th October, 11am-1pm; $donation; organised by Brunswick Tool Library. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Wednesday, 14th October, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Chicken biryani: Friday, 16th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Growing fruit and veg in a wildlife garden: Thursday, 29th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News September 16 2020

Sep 162020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Cathy Romeo, Dave Chambers, Doris Glier, Keryn Johnson, Lee Hirsh, Megan Goodman, Nancy Mills, Pam Jenkins, Rita Varrasso, Soo Mei Leong, Stuart Rodda and Vasundhara Kandpal.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg. Not Carlton.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Yarra Valley.

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – main courses

The theme for Vasundhara Kandpal’s three recipes this month is main courses. The three recipes are:

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

As I’ve got space, I’m going to provide my favourite of the three recipes (the spicy baked cauliflower) in full below but you will have to go to the website to read the other two.

Spicy baked cauliflower
Marinated On the baking tray The final product

2 tablespoons red onion
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached plain flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1½ teaspoons cayenne powder
1 teaspoon sriracha/chili garlic/hot sauce
1 inch ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 cup water
2 teaspoons oil
4-5 cups cauliflower florets

Pre heat oven to 215degC.

Blend all the ingredients except the cauliflower in a blender to form a smooth paste. If the batter is too thin, add 1-2 tablespoons flour, as required.

Add the cauliflower florets in the batter and let then marinate for 15 minutes.

Line the florets on a baking tray and spray or brush with oil.

Bake for 30-35 minutes while rotating it midway through.

You can add some capsicum and onions halfway through the cooking for extra crunch and flavours.

Serve hot!

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

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

Food is free in Diamond Creek

A few months ago, we announced that The Rotary Club of Diamond Creek has partnered with SecondBite to give away free food on most Saturdays, from 9-10am, at Diamond Creek Church, 32 Wensley Street, Diamond Creek (opposite Aksorn Thai and the police station). They make announcements about the upcoming sessions on this Facebook page.

We are now announcing that there is also a ‘food is free’ table at the church (in the garden in front of the manse) where “local residents have begun using this as a space to share what they are ‘making and doing during [coronavirus] lockdown.” See picture right. Thanks for the heads up, Pam Jenkins!

Interested in wine making?

Following last week’s brief article, Dave Chambers has written in: “Did you know that the The Eltham and District Winemakers Guild is one of the largest amateur wine making guilds in Australia and runs an annual Amateur Wine Show (in November) that is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere? We are currently seeking new members. Membership is $45pa and includes monthly guild nights where members are entertained with guest speakers, where members wine making techniques are discussed; social visits to wineries and wine tasting masterclasses are all offered. If potentially interested in joining, email us (info@amateurwine.org.au) and we’ll get back to you.”

No, you didn’t know

Last week, Jo Buckle asked what was causing the dry rot at the base is her apricot tree. No one answered. Email me with your answers.

Newsletter readers’ food growing tips

Growing tomatoes from saved seed

Stuart Rodda has been reflecting on how he grows tomatoes from saved seed and has written the following 10-point plan. In essence, he saves seed by drying the pulp on labelled kitchen paper and then, in Spring, germinates them while still on the paper. He doesn’t think that there is any need to wash or otherwise process the seeds. The method of seed saving described in the first 5 steps should take only a few minutes of your time per tomato variety and makes them easy to plant. Remember to read this 10-point plan again in late Summer, when you are ready to seed-save your tomatoes again!

  1. In March or April, select a good quality ripe fruit (or more than one) of a variety which worked well for you.
  2. Take a piece of kitchen paper and, with a felt pen, label it with the variety and year.
  3. Squeeze some pulp onto the paper and spread the seed out with your fingers or a knife so they are separate from each other.
  4. Set the paper aside to dry indoors without direct heat in a convenient spot for a week or more.
  5. Place the dry paper in a labelled paper envelope and store in a jar in a cupboard until the next seed starting season (i.e. August or September).
  6. In late Winter, using small scissors, cut out the number of individual seeds that you need (still dry and stuck to the paper) and put them in your favourite seed raising mix (punnets, tubes, pots, etc). Because the seed is stuck to a small piece of paper, it is easy to see and handle. Put the unused seed back in the envelope for use next time. If your seed-raising mix has no nutrients then, once the seeds germinate and get to the two-leaf stage, it will be necessary to start watering them with a dilute fertiliser such as Seasol/Powerfeed (one capful in 9 litres of water).
  7. Keep the punnets in a warm moist spot until the seeds germinate (3-5 days) and then make sure that they get plenty of light as the plants grow.
  8. Either pot them up into larger containers in the same potting mix or wait until they are 10cm or so in height before planting in the garden. It is best to ‘harden them off’ outdoors for a couple of days before transplanting.
  9. For garden stakes, I use old galvanised water pipe. They have lasted over 20 years, still going strong, and were free to begin with. There is no need to buy hardwood stakes every couple of years.
  10. To tie up the plants, I use torn up strips of old pure cotton bed sheets (not synthetic such as cotton/polyester). They are ‘free’ or very cheap from op shops, are kind to the plant stems, and can be composted with the dead plants at the end of the season. One sheet can give you hundreds of plant ties.
Disposable coffee cups

Following on Lyn Richards’ tip last week to use yoghurt pots to grow seedlings, Nancy Mills has written in: “Right now, with many cafes refusing re-usable coffee cups during the pandemic lockdown, here’s a tip for coffee-loving Melburnians. The takeaway coffee cups that you find in just about every cafe make great little pots for growing cuttings and seeds. Remember to poke holes in the bottom first with a screwdriver or scissors to ensure adequate drainage. I mostly use the disposable cups for plants that I’m growing to give away, as they slowly deteriorate.”

Read more newsletter reader tips.

Anyone else got any growing tips that they are willing to share? Email me.

Do you know? ?

Nancy follows on her tip with a ‘do you know’ question (which only applies in her case when the takeaway coffee cups have been re-used a few times and have started to deteriorate): “How to you dispose of takeaway coffee cups? I’ve tried putting biodegradable takeaway cups in a compost bin. Over time, the cups start to break down, but they don’t fully degrade in the time that it takes to compost other compostable materials. And the ‘biodegradable’ lids don’t seem to change at all. Has anyone succeeded in fully composting the cups or the lids?” Email me with your answers.

Doris Glier asks: “These larvae were on a gum tree [see picture right]. Does anyone know what they are?” Email me with your answers.

A suggestion for your children or school

Lee Hirsh has written in to suggest that you gardeners might which to grow their seedlings in patterns which spell out their names [Editor: easier to do if you are called ‘Lee’ than if you are called ‘Vasundhara’!]. So, as the seedlings grow, so does their name. Or maybe spell out ‘welcome’ in the front garden. Or even the name of the school.

Another article by Angelo Eliades

The fastest way to transplant volunteer seedlings with minimum root disturbance.

Read more Angelo’s food-related articles.

What a nice note!

One of our newsletter readers recently received the note pictured right.

Meg’s social isolation week

I cannot use our lemons fast enough and the heavily laden Eureka’s branches are bent under their weight. This weekend I have made even more lemon curd and a lemon teacake. So, I’m now leaving a basket out the front with our citrus on offer to any passers-by. As the light fades, I wander out to collect the basket and am pleased to see that the lemons are gone.

This reminds me of the value of the food swaps that would normally be laden with citrus fruit this time of year. My notes dated 9th September last year say: “Potatoes now up. Harvested some silverbeet, spinach, broccoli and lettuce. Took more lemons, limes and mandarins to swap-tables laden. Came home with oranges (a different citrus!) and a small jar of honey.”

Basic lemon teacake

125g butter, softened
125g caster sugar (plus a little extra to serve)
1 cup self-raising flour
2 eggs
rind of 1 lemon, finely grated

Cream the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.

Add the rind and flour. You can add a little lemon juice if needed to bring the cake batter together.

Bake at 180degC for 35-40 minutes.

Sprinkle with a little sugar to serve.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – interesting summer crops

5 photos were submitted – not many, but all interesting.

Cathy Romeo
Apple cucumber

“This is an excellent and prolific variety of cucumber; we got so many last season that we couldn’t eat them fast enough, so some of them were left on the vine for too long. The fruit in the photo is over-ripe but still ok to eat.“
Cathy Romeo
Pepino dulce (aka pepino)

“The plant grows like a vine and is vigorous. Although perennial, I am not sure if it’s going to survive in the pot that I put it in over winter. The fruit in the photo is not ripe; when ripe, the fruit turns a light yellow colour.“
Rita Varrasso
Ronde de nice round zucchini
Rita Varrasso
Yellow pear tomato

[Editor: I grow yellow pear tomatoes most years. They are not the best tasting tomato but they are one of the most prolific.]
Soo Mei Leong
Cucamelon

“When I first saw this vine growing in a backyard last year, with its grape-sized fruit and taste of cucumber with tinge of sourness, I was inspired to try to grow it. The fact that the vine, whilst an annual, self-seeds only adds to its appeal. Originating from Central America, it has numerous names including miniature watermelon, mouse melon and Mexican sour gherkin, but I like to remember it as ‘cutey-melon’. Just imagine a salad bowl of it – the convenience of no slicing or cutting the fruits with the added allure of its appearance as well as its crunchy taste would be a talking point among family/friends.“

[Editor: I grow cucamelons most years. Because the fruit are so small, the vine can easily be grown upwards rather than along the ground. Like pumpkins, they mature later in the year than most other summer crops.]

 
Prompted by my picture last week, Shellie Drysdale asked where she could buy ‘popcorn’ seeds. Green Harvest are currently selling them online, as are Eden Seeds. Bulleen Art & Garden nursery currently have blue popcorn seeds.

This week’s theme – interesting Spring flowers

The photo theme this week is ‘interesting Spring flowers’. As ever, send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week. Please submit any photos by end of play on Sunday at the latest.

To get you started, here is a picture of my currently flowering Salvia africana-lutea (golden sage), with its unusual brown flowers.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Pam’s video and words on alternative Winter greens.

Joke of the week

What does a cabbage outlaw have? A price on his head.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Spring in the garden – what to do now: Thursday, 17th September, 10-11am; free; organised by Iramoo Community Centre. Recommended by Keryn Johnson. Book your place by emailing them.

Beeswax wraps: Friday, 18th September, 4-5pm; free; organised by Yarra Plenty Library.

Garden bed basics: Sunday, 20th September, 11am-2pm; $donation; organised by Brunswick Tool Library. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Prepping for summer veggies: Thursday, 24th September, 10-11am; free; organised by Iramoo Community Centre. Recommended by Keryn Johnson. Book your place by emailing them.

Garden bed basics: Sunday, 11th October, 11am-1pm; $donation; organised by Brunswick Tool Library. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Wednesday, 14th October, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Growing fruit and veg in a wildlife garden: Thursday, 29th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Previously announced events

Growing food in the workplace: Wednesday, 16th September, 3-4pm; free; organised by Darebin Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Pandemic gardening – a wish for tomorrow: Wednesday, 16th September, 7.15-9.15pm; $17; organised by Sustain. Read more and book on Humanitix.

The climate emergency & Nillumbik Shire – what’s the story: Saturday, 19th September, 2-3.30pm; free; organised by Nillumbik Climate Emergency Action Team.

Lamb vindaloo: Saturday, 19th September, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chooks 4 families & kids: Saturday, 26th September, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing microgreens: Saturday, 26th September, 11am-midday; $25; organised by Sustainable Gardening Australia. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Flatbread parantha and raita: Saturday, 26th September, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Biodiversity and sustainable food systems: Wednesday, 30th September, 10.30am-2.30pm; $120; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Wonderful world of worms for kids: Thursday, 1st October, 3-4pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Cooking up compost: Saturday, 3rd October, 2-3.30pm; free; organised by Zero Waste Victoria. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Onion and potato bhaji and chutney: Saturday, 3rd October, 4-5.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Queensland fruit fly for home gardeners: Monday, 5th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Backyard chooks for beginners: Saturday, 10th October, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Lamb bhuna masala: Saturday, 10th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chicken biryani: Friday, 16th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News September 9 2020

Sep 092020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Catherine Mortimer, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Chris Tankard, Dan Ross, Dave Chambers, Deb Thomson, Doris Glier, Elizabeth Doig, Karin Motyer, Katrina Forstner, Kirsty Bishop-Fox, Louise Currie, Megan Goodman, Pam Jenkins, Pam Rowley, Paula Mcleod, Peter Bevz, Rebecca Haschek, Rita Varrasso, Sam Dixon, Soo Mei Leong and Vicki Paras.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg and Collingwood Children’s Farm (relocated to Carlton North).

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Whitehorse.

Eltham Farmers’ Market publishes a regular newsletter – sign up here. Melbourne Farmers Markets (who run the Alphington, Coburg and Collingwood farmers’ markets) also publish a regular newsletter – sign up here.

Pam has produced a video on alternative greens

As Pam Jenkins says in the introduction to her video, “Variety being the spice of life, let’s talk about some alternative winter green vegetables that may well just show up, uninvited, in your garden. They may be classed as weeds or they may just be growing in an inappropriate place.” She then goes on to discuss:

  • Chickweed: can be cooked or eaten raw in a salad.
  • Mallow: can be used as a substitute for spinach or as a soothing tea.
  • Parsley.
  • Three cornered leeks: can be used as a substitute for spring onions.
  • Warrigal greens: another substitute for spinach.

As a bonus, Pam has also provided a recipe which combines all of the above into a tasty dish of greens which she calls “a wild version of Staffordshire frying greens“.

Watch the video and read the accompanying words.

Sugarloaf Produce

Ann Stanley has written a short article about Sugarloaf Produce (pdf). Sugarloaf Produce, who are based in Strathewen, grow a wide variety of vegetables plus mushrooms and eggs. You can buy their produce at Eltham Farmers’ Market and at some of the markets run by Melbourne Farmers Markets (Abbotsford Convent, Carlton and Collingwood). The picture is of farmer Warren Mckimmie and his young son Felix.

This is the second of Ann’s articles about Eltham Farmers’ Market stallholders, the first one being about Apted’s Orchards (pdf).

Growers, seed savers or land wanted in the Eltham area

Seeds of Plenty is an Eltham-based online seller of untreated, non-GMO, heirloom, open pollinated and select hybrid seeds, including a lot of vegetable and herb seeds. Its owner is newsletter reader Dan Ross.

Dan is looking for people in the Eltham area who could help him with growing some crops for seed this summer, particularly dwarf tomatoes, some modern black indeterminates and possibly some chillies. If you have some available land for rent, or if you are interested in growing crops yourself, Dan would love to hear from you. The land would need plenty of sun and access to water. Plants could be grown in the ground or, if the soil is poor, in planter bags. You don’t need to be an expert grower, just willing to have a go. Dan will reimburse your watering costs and negotiate a price for the final crop/seed. He will be starting the seedlings soon, ready for transplanting out around early November. They will then stay in the ground until around April next year. If potentially interested, call Dan on 0422 431 958 to discuss.

In passing, Dan started building his own veggie garden in 2019 and has recently published an interesting article on how he went about it. He is also currently publishing weekly blog posts on various aspects of veggie growing.

Interested in wine making?

The Eltham and District Winemakers Guild has been publishing monthly newsletters for many years. All of these newsletters are available on their website. In recent months, these newsletters have included interviews with notable local winemakers under the heading my vintage year. August’s interview was with Ken King, from Kings of Kangaroo Ground. July’s interview was with Karen Coulston, from Yarrambat, who has worked over the years with many of the local wine makers.

The leek harvest is underway

A few months ago, courtesy of Bruno Tigani, we gave away a lot of leek seedlings. Cathy Romeo has written in: ““Our first harvest of the leeks that you gave us. They are fabulous looking plants – better than the ones you get in the shops! And no food miles. Going to have a cook up this evening.“

Yes, you did know!

White-winged choughs eating fruit

Last week, Lyn Richards asked whether anyone had any evidence of white-winged choughs eating fruit. Louise Currie has responded: “According to The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds, Vol 7, part A, pages 777–779. Food: mainly insects and seeds, but also other invertebrates, fruit, shoots and plant tubers. Behaviour: forage almost solely on the ground, among leaf litter and soil (one study showed 99.6% on ground, another 100%). Citrus is not specifically mentioned. I wonder whether it was windfalls that they were eating, not fruit on the tree, or maybe they could knock Lyn’s tangelos from the tree and then eat them on the ground.“

Injera flatbread

Two weeks ago, Susan Faine asked where she could buy injera flatbread near Doncaster. Catherine Mortimer has responded: “Injera flatbread is easy to make with three ingredients and a non-stick frying pan. I have only ever made it myself (or eaten it in a restaurant) and have never seen it sold anywhere. I would be happy to send a recipe or show someone online if they need.“

Deterring rats without using poison

Two weeks ago, Annelise Tedesco asked how to deter rats without using poison. Lots of people have now answered.

Katrina Forstner: “If the rats are in the compost bins, you can do a few things. 1. Pop some neighbour’s bokashi bin contents in as the fermented scraps is something they abhor. 2. Use galvanised aviary wire on the bottom of the bin (although I’ve seen determined rats still get through). 3. Mix your compost regularly, give it a loud tap every time that you go past and water the compost from time to time. I’ve heard (though not tried) that opened containers of toothpaste deter rats. Finally, I protect my edible plants with upcycled freezer baskets that I’ve found in hard rubbish, plus I’ve recently found that aviary cages are perfect with their small gauge or mesh.“

Pam Rowley: “I have used rat traps bought from hardware shops effectively. The problem is disposing of the caught rats.“

Peter Bevz: “There are many YouTube clips using a large (usually glass) bowl filled with olive oil, sometimes with a ‘walking plank’ with a food lure overhanging the oil. The plank collapses and the mice/rat can’t get out because it’s too slippery.“

Sam Dixon: “Place orange nets of cat hair around the garden. This also deters possums.“

Do you know?

Jo Buckle asks: “What is this big patch of dry rot at the base is my apricot tree (see picture)? Do you know of a fruit tree specialist who night be able to help with it?“

Some guidance on ‘pest animals’

Nillumbik Council has a page with guidance on what it calls ‘pest animals’. According to the Council, these comprise Queensland fruit fly, rabbits, deer, Indian mynas, European wasps, honey bees, rats, mice and Australian magpies (Editor: Australian magpies but not noisy miners?). Thanks for the heads up, Deb Thomson!

Hey kids … Let’s germinate some seeds!

Open Gardens Victoria have published a how to guide for children to germinate seeds in either egg cartons or egg shells.

Guy’s food growing tips – guest contributions

Following on Pollyn Chan’s tip last week to use takeaway food styrofoam containers to grow seedlings, Lyn Richards has written in: “Do your kids or grandkids consume yoghurt from small plastic pots? Don’t let them bin those little buckets! They are a perfect size for growing cuttings or seeds; just punch holes in the slightly rounded base. Cleaned after planting out, they also stack neatly for storage till next spring.” [See picture right.]

Read more newsletter reader tips.

Anyone else got any growing tips that they are willing to share? Email me.

Meg’s social isolation week

The peas and broad beans are finally starting to rocket away and they need ongoing support and tying in. I dig up the self-sown seedlings of lettuce, silverbeet and parsley and marshal them into order. I deal ruthlessly with the comfrey volunteers (straight to the compost). I divide the red-veined sorrel into smaller clumps and harvest the last of the cos lettuce (which will form a salad tonight).

My redcurrant cuttings taken a few months ago have now struck and I pot them up individually. I dig up some youngberries that have self-rooted along the stem (having lain on the ground and not been tied in) and cut them to form new plants and pot them up too. I am reminded that there is a jar of mixed berry jam from last season that requires using … maybe some almond jam drops?

Almond jam drop biscuits

125g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup caster sugar
2 egg yolks
⅔ cup almond meal
1⅓ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons of jam

Beat the butter and sugar until light. Add the yolks one at a time until just combined. Add the vanilla, almond meal, flour and baking powder and form a dough.

Roll into balls, flatten very slightly and make a small hollow in each. Fill hollow with jam.

Bake at 160degC for 20-25 minutes.

Note: If you are using homemade jam, combine the jam with a little lemon juice first to help it maintain is colour when baked.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – blossom

13 photos were submitted.

Cathy Romeo
Nectarine
Cathy Romeo
Plum
Choon Yin Yeok
Cherry
Chris Kent
Cherry

For a week or so, the flowering cherry plum (Prunus blireana) and blue spruce (Picea pungens) make for an exotic combination.
Doris Glier
Apricot
Doris Glier
Ornamental plum

This ornamental plum bush on our nature strip starts with white flowers that turn into pink later in the blooming stage. People stop to take photos when passing.
Jo Buckle
Plum

I’m very excited as the tree didn’t have any fruit last year, but I think this year we might be luckier.
Karin Motyer
Rebecca Haschek
Plum

Our neighbour’s plum tree. The fruit each year is plentiful and the heavy branches hang down over the fence.
Rita Varrasso
Cherry
Rita Varrasso
Plum
Soo Mei Leong
Peach

My dwarf peach may be small in stature but it is big on show when it comes to multi-hued blossoms. Maybe also the competition by the surrounding flower power of anemone De Caen blue and the yellow tulip spurs it on to bloom heralding Spring.
Vicki Paras
Nectarine

It’s wonderful to see some colour in our backyard.

This week’s theme – interesting summer crops

By now you should be planning, if not planting, your summer crops. The photo theme this week is ‘interesting summer crops’ which you will either be growing or would like to be growing. As ever, send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week. Please submit any photos by end of play on Sunday at the latest.

To get you started, here is a picture of a popcorn that I grew last summer and will certainly be growing this summer. Popcorn is a variety of sweetcorn which you leave to dry on the plant and from which you then make popcorn. A year’s harvest will last until the next year’s harvest so you can forever be with popcorn.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Fran Lennard’s article on healthy eating and sustainability.

Joke of the week

What food goes best with jacket potatoes? Button mushrooms.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Creative ways to reduce food waste at home: Saturday, 12th September, 2-3.30pm; free; Zero Waste Victoria. Read more and book on Humanitix.

A trip to Paris (thermomix): Tuesday, 15th September, 7.30-8.30pm; free; organised by Thelma and Louise Workshops. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Growing food in the workplace: Wednesday, 16th September, 3-4pm; free; organised by Darebin Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Pandemic gardening – a wish for tomorrow: Wednesday, 16th September, 7.15-9.15pm; $17; organised by Sustain. Read more and book on Humanitix.

The climate emergency & Nillumbik Shire – what’s the story: Saturday, 19th September, 2-3.30pm; free; organised by Nillumbik Climate Emergency Action Team.

Cooking up compost: Saturday, 3rd October, 2-3.30pm; free; organised by Zero Waste Victoria. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Onion and potato bhaji and chutney: Saturday, 3rd October, 4-5.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Lamb bhuna masala: Saturday, 10th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chicken biryani: Friday, 16th October, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Previously announced events

Home composting for beginners: Wednesday, 9th September, 7-8pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Sourdough bread making: 2 occurrences – 12th September 11am-midday and 13th September 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Complete guide to home composting: Saturday, 12th September, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Samosa and mint chutney: Saturday, 12th September, 6-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Introduction to backyard bees: Sunday, 13th September, 3-5pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Lamb vindaloo: Saturday, 19th September, 5-6.30pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chooks 4 families & kids: Saturday, 26th September, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing microgreens: Saturday, 26th September, 11am-midday; $25; organised by SGA. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Flatbread parantha and raita: Saturday, 26th September, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Biodiversity and sustainable food systems: Wednesday, 30th September, 10.30am-2.30pm; $120; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Wonderful world of worms for kids: Thursday, 1st October, 3-4pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Queensland fruit fly for home gardeners: Monday, 5th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Backyard chooks for beginners: Saturday, 10th October, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News September 2 2020

Sep 022020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Fran Lennard, Gina Wilson, Lyn Richards, Megan Goodman, Pollyn Chan, Rita Varrasso, Susan Palmer and Virginia Solomon.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Carlton and Coburg.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Fran has written an article on healthy eating and sustainability

We have a new contributor to the newsletter and website! Fran Lennard, from Blackburn South, has a degree in Food and Nutrition from Deakin University and a passion for sustainability and community.

Fran’s first contribution is an article about healthy eating and sustainability. The starting point for the article is that the ways we eat have a major impact on both the environment and our health. On the environment, our food system accounts for around 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, uses 70% of the available freshwater on Earth and uses 20% of all energy resources. On our health, 96% of Australian adults do not meet the recommended intake of vegetables for good health, while two thirds are either overweight or obese. A key point is that healthy eating (i.e. eating wide range of nutritious foods, not too much junk food) does not necessarily equate to sustainable eating (i.e. eating with low environmental impact and maintaining food security), and vice versa. Fran then goes on to provide a checklist for a more healthy and sustainable diet.

I was particularly struck by this quote from Melbourne-based Dr Davina Mann: “Consistently consumers underestimate the environmental impact of consuming meat and dairy (in particular beef) and overestimate the food behaviours that have the most visible impact such as the transport distance and packaging of a food item.”

Read the article.

No, you didn’t know

Last week, Annelise Tedesco asked how to deter rats without using poison but no one answered. Anyone like to answer this week? Email your answers.

Last week, Susan Faine asked where she could buy injera flatbread near Doncaster but no one answered. Anyone like to answer this week? Email your answers.

Do you know?

Lyn Richards asks: “All sources I’ve found say that white-winged choughs only eat insects but I am convinced that the attacks on my tangelo crop were from choughs, since they mobbed around it and, when they left, I found numerous pecked and hollowed out fruit on the ground. Does anyone else have any evidence of fruit attacks by choughs?” Email your answers.

Guy’s food growing tips – guest contributions

Pollyn Chan: “I use takeaway food styrofoam containers to grow my seeds since it’s still cold and they grow well. It’s another way to recycle.”

Read more newsletter reader tips.

Anyone else got any growing tips that they are willing to share? Email me.

Two more articles from Angelo Eliades

How to plant, grow and harvest potatoes.

Companion planting with land cress for natural caterpillar control.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Fun facts: cashew nuts

What appears to be the fruit (called a cashew apple) of a cashew tree is not actually the botanical fruit (it is the swollen stem) and does not contain the cashew nut. Whilst it is edible (and tasty), it does not travel well because the skin is so fragile.

The true fruit grows at the end of the cashew apple and contains a single cashew nut (which is actually a seed rather than a nut).

Whilst the cashew apple is not a fruit, it does serve the same purpose, namely to attract the birds and fruit bats who then spread the cashew nuts around.

Are there any other trees where the nut is not inside what we think of as the fruit?

Another plant with a swollen stem is spineless butcher’s-broom (Ruscus hypoglossum). What looks like the leaf is actually a swollen stem, and the actual leaf (highlighted by the red circle in the picture far right) plus flower (highlighted by the blue circle) are both part of the bug-like thing in the middle of the stem.

Read more fun facts.

Meg’s social isolation week

It is so nice to see sunshine – it makes everything feel more positive. I am not even disheartened by the fact that my tomato seeds have not yet sprouted (although I check each time I walk past).

The clean up of the garden continues after the wind storm. We had a large eucalypt branch come down which needs clearing. Leaves and torn branches litter the grass and they make mowing impossible until they’re all gathered up. Weeding will follow this. Then more mulching of garden beds and pruning back perennials in readiness for a rush of spring growth. The nasturtiums have been taking over the pathways and, while their rambling is beautiful, they need to be kept in check (the chooks love the clippings).

All that work means that energy is required in the form of herbal tea and some oat and date balls.

Oat and date balls

1½ cups of rolled oats
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup of pitted dates, chopped
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup cocoa nibs (can use chopped dark chocolate instead)
100g softened butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon desiccated coconut (plus extra to roll the balls in)

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until combined. Add a little more honey to bring together if needed.

Roll teaspoons of the sticky mixture into balls and coat in coconut.

Refrigerate until hard.

Note: coconut oil can be used instead of butter but you may need to add a bit less honey.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – face masks

8 photos were submitted.

Cathy Romeo

Blending in with the blossom.
Chris Kent

Before the days of Covid-19, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) was always important for a gardener like myself. Here is an example of getting prepared for doing some prolonged gardening in the hot Aussie sun: tinted safety goggles, P2 dust mask, ear defenders, sun hat, and SPF50 sun cream. Not shown are thick work trousers, steel-capped safety boots, long-sleeved shirt and leather work gloves. I also use a face shield if brush-cutting, and a P2V face mask (or respirator with chemical filters) if spraying.
Choon Yin Yeok
Gina Wilson

This is a tee shirt that I bought because it reminds me of my black cat.
Jane Dyer
Rita Varrasso

With old man cactus.
Virginia Solomon

Brenna Quinlan (artist) and Charlie Mgee (musician).
Virginia Solomon

This photo of my cousin’s Nigerian husband wearing a smart tiger print mask that she had made started me making face masks.
The theme from two weeks ago – wattle flowers

Someone has written in to point out that two of the wattles that were pictured are classified in Victoria as environmental weeds: Acacia floribunda (white sallow wattle) and Acacia baileyana (cootamundra wattle).

This week’s theme – blossom

Different fruit trees blossom at different times so deciding on which week to have blossom as the photo theme has not been easy. Maybe it should have been last week. Anyway, I decided that it should be this week. As ever, send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Robin Gale-Baker’s article on how to grow passionfruit.

Joke of the week

What did the plate say to the other plate? Dinner is on me tonight.

The image right was sent in by Susan Palmer.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Grow into Spring: Saturday, 5th September, 10am-midday; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Queensland fruit fly for home gardeners: Monday, 5th October, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Backyard chooks for beginners: Saturday, 10th October, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Previously announced events

Zero waste cooking – easy pickling: Friday, 4th September, 1-2pm; free; organised by Boroondara Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Herbs for kitchen and garden: Saturday, 5th September, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Butter chicken: Sunday, 6th September, 11.30am-1pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Setting up and maintaining a worm farm: Monday, 7th September, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Community growing spaces workshop: Tuesday, 8th September, 7-6pm; free; organised by City of Yarra Council. Read more and book on Zoom.

Home composting for beginners: Wednesday, 9th September, 7-8pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Sourdough bread making: 2 occurrences – 12th September 11am-midday and 13th September 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Complete guide to home composting: Saturday, 12th September, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Samosa and mint chutney: Saturday, 12th September, 4-5.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Introduction to backyard bees: Sunday, 13th September, 3-5pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Daal tadka: Saturday, 19th September, 4.30-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chooks 4 families & kids: Saturday, 26th September, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing microgreens: Saturday, 26th September, 11am-midday; $25; organised by SGA. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Flatbread parantha and raita: Saturday, 26th September, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Biodiversity and sustainable food systems: Wednesday, 30th September, 10.30am-2.30pm; $120; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Wonderful world of worms for kids: Thursday, 1st October, 3-4pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News August 26 2020

Aug 252020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Annelise Tedesco, Cara Horner, Cathy Romeo, Chloe Thomson, Deb Anscombe, Judy Vizzari, Meg Montague, Megan Goodman, Rebecca Donald, Rita Varrasso, Robin-Gale Baker, Susan Faine, Susan Palmer, Vanessa Reynolds and Vicki Jordan.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Judy interviews Chloe Thomson from Hurstbridge

Have you heard of the Gardenettes? They produce gardening and cooking videos and, as the Domain website says, “With their pin-up hair, polka dot gumboots and floral watering cans, Melissa King and Chloe Thomson have brought a whole new meaning to the expression Yummy Mummy.” When I found out that Chloe lives locally (in Hurstbridge), I rang her and asked for a home garden visit and interview. She graciously agreed and Judy Vizzari went to meet her in that short gap between Lockdown 1 and Lockdown 2.

As you will discover if you read Judy’s interview writeup, Chloe’s steeply sloping ¼ acre garden comprises a series of smaller ‘gardens’, some focusing on edibles, others on ornamentals, and yet others as social spaces. This is in line with Chloe’s gardening approach: “I tackle little areas; I divide them up and tackle them one by one“. Her method is to observe each space over a period so that, when she does commence a project, she knows its constraints. Work with “small pieces“, take time to learn about them, plan and then embark on those tasks. Don’t expect to complete a garden all at once – to garden is to grow and that takes time. Take “small bites“.

Read the full interview.

And, as a bonus, the interview writeup also includes a 5 minute video tour of the garden narrated by Chloe herself.

In passing, this is the 25th(!) interview that Judy has undertaken for this newsletter. Thanks, Judy, for all your contributions!

Robin’s food growing tip of the month – passionfruit

Robin Gale-Baker has written a full guide to growing passionfruit. It’s too long to include in its entirety in this newsletter, so here is a link to the article on our website, with an introduction below.

As Robin says, “Passionfruit vines can be finicky to establish and grow but follow the tips here and you will find they are well worth the effort. Passionfruit is self-fertile so one is enough for most gardens as they can spread 6-8 metres both horizontally and vertically. They require a strong trellising structure which should be built before planting. A key decision is whether to plant grafted or non-grafted vines. In Melbourne, the grafted vines are better able to withstand disease, pests and frost, and to produce maximum fruit. They do, however, sucker really badly and so you will need to be prepared to regularly weed the area to remove the new suckers.” She then goes on to discuss choosing the right spot, maintenance, pests & diseases and watering.

Read the full passionfruit growing guide.

In passing, for those of you who are new to the newsletter, Robin is from Sustainable Macleod. She has written many growing guides for our website including broad beans, cauliflower, eggplants and capsicums, garlic, other vegetables, herbs, apricot trees, blueberries, medlar trees, persimmon trees and other fruit trees. Also articles on codling moth, growing techniques, mulch, shade cloth, the art of watering and the emergency kitchen garden.

Thanks, Robin, for all your contributions!

Yes, you did know!

Last week, Emily Lim asked about insect/cabbage moth netting. Robin Gale-Baker has responded: “Fine white net bought off the roll from Bulleen Art & Garden nursery is my preferred net. It is very wide which is much more useful than packaged nets which are about half the width and often do not provide enough coverage.”

Last week, Dassana asked how to protect her veggies from extreme heat. Robin Gale-Baker has responded: “Deeply water for a number of days before the heat starts – a well-watered plant will not be stressed. Scrape away some topsoil to make sure the water is penetrating. Cover the plants with some kind of shade cloth or even old sheets. I knock 4 star pickets into the ground, attach some kind of covering and secure with yellow star picket caps. Alternatively, grow your vegetables in a wicking bed.”

Last week, Chris Kent asked if anyone else suffers with attacks on their citrus during the winter. Meg Montague has responded: “We are on the fruit bat flight path from Horseshoe Bend to the city gardens and have been suffering from bat attack this year for the first time! The bats go for the oranges on the topmost branches of our 10 metre high orange tree, hollowing out the fruit at night. In addition, during the day we have seen wattlebirds sipping at the juice of the opened fruit that are still hanging on the tree. We don’t really mind as we can rarely reach the fruit at the top of the tree, but I am wary of handling the fallen oranges without gloves due to potential bat viruses!”

Do you know?

Annelise Tedesco asks: “I have rhubarb growing in a pot in my courtyard and yesterday I noticed that part of the leaves have been eaten and there is black poo around the base of the pot. I think there are rats getting into my courtyard at night. I have a cat and we have never had this problem before. How do I deter them from my garden without poison?” Email your answers.

Susan Faine asks: “I want to buy some injera flatbread and have it delivered to a friend in Doncaster. Does anyone know of anywhere where I can order for Doncaster delivery?” Email your answers.

Guy’s food growing tips – guest contributions

Deb Anscombe: “Plastic tubs make excellent mini hot houses for seed raising. I have 6 varieties of tomatoes in re-used strawberry punnets, with other summer veggies in seed punnets. I prop one end open for ventilation. The tub sits on table in my north facing studio. Works a treat and is great if you’re short on space.”

  

Anyone else got any growing tips that they are willing to share? Email me.

Some local newsletter titbits

Melbourne Farmers Markets need your help

From the latest Melbourne Farmers Markets newsletter: only 2 out of their 5 sites in North East Melbourne remain open so they are looking for both temporary and permanent sites. Their needs include a fenced 1000+ square metres of open space, a drive on surface for vehicles, weekend access and nearby toilets. If you have any ideas about possible locations, email them (info@mfm.com.au).

What to do with a glut of guavas

From the latest Sustainable Macleod newsletter: on their new website, they have an article entitled a glut of guavas which has recipes for pineapple guava jelly, strawberry/cherry guava jam and guava curd.

Local food people in the news

Drew Barr, newsletter reader and Permaculture and Transition Skills Educator at Templestowe College, has been interviewed on the subject of ‘unstructured play spaces foster critical thinking‘. Watch the interview.

Meg’s social isolation week

The buds on the pear trees are just emerging but, despite all the signs of Spring, we have just been hit with a wintery blast. Heavy rain has flooded part of the backyard and sits in puddles on the lawn. The smell of banana bread baking is wafting through the house and I am happy to curl up with a book.

I am always learning as a gardener. My choice of digging over the rocket bed for tomatoes was justified according to Gardening Australia this week – apparently rocket assists in managing soil nematodes that can affect tomatoes. Who knew?

In anticipation, I have pulled out my seedling trays for the greenhouse (also known as our laundry). I am now starting a few tomatoes by sowing in sifted potting mix in trays with a plastic lid. I will do a few more in a couple of weeks. As they grow, I will pot them up individually and transfer them to a cold frame so that they ready to plant out in late October and early November. Each year I save some seed, but never seem to get around to labelling and sorting – so I have tomato seed ‘mixed surprise’ as well as a new variety Reisentraube to try this year.

Banana bread

250g plain flour (sifted)
2 tsp baking powder
3 over-ripe bananas
125g butter
160g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
50g chopped walnuts or pecans
a pinch of salt

Cream the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

Add the vanilla and bananas. Then fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt and nuts.

Bake in loaf tin for around 45-50 minutes at 180degC. Cool slightly in tin before turning out.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

In passing, this is the 20th(!) article that Megan has written for this newsletter since the coronavirus pandemic started. Thanks, Megan, for all your contributions!

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – wattle flowers

11 photos were submitted.

Acacia baileyana
Cootamundra wattle (prostrate, weeping form)
Susan Palmer

This wattle is completely prostrate and we have a row of them growing down one of our slopes.
Acacia dealbata(?)
Silver wattle
Vicki Jordan

It is near power lines so its centre gets cut out every other year.
Acacia denticulosa
Sandpaper wattle
Karin Motyer
Acacia floribunda
Gossamer wattle
Cathy Romeo
Acacia floribunda
Gossamer wattle (cream)
Rita Varrasso
Acacia floribunda
Gossamer wattle (yellow)
Rita Varrasso
Acacia leprosa
Cinnamon wattle (‘scarlet blaze’)
Cara Horner

Currently flowering and delightfully scenting my garden. ‘Scarlet blaze’ was discovered in 1995. Read the plant’s history on the Australian Plants Online website.
Acacia leprosa
Cinnamon wattle (‘scarlet blaze’)
Rebecca Donald

It’s a beautiful weeping acacia and in full bloom right now in my frontyard and smelling gorgeous. ‘Scarlet blaze’ was discovered in 1995. Read about the plant on the Plants Management Australia website.

Acacia pycnantha
Golden wattle
Cathy Romeo

The floral emblem of Australia.
Unknown wattle
Vanessa Reynolds

Next to the railway bridge over the Darebin Creek.
Unknown wattle
Vanessa Reynolds

On the bank of the Yarra, just south of the freeway bridge.
This week’s theme – face masks

This week’s photo theme will be ‘face masks’. As ever, send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

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
Mustard greens
Parsley
Rocket
Silverbeet
Roots

Beetroot
Carrot
Jerusalem artichoke
Parsnip
Potato
Radish
Other veggies

Asparagus
Celery
Chives
Coriander
Globe artichoke
Leeks
Rhubarb
Shallot
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.

Helen Simpson has previously written growing guides for 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. And Helen has written more generally about Spring veggie garden preparation.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

It was a tie between Pam’s virtual tour of her orchard and Vasundhara’s recipe for making roti bread.

Gardening quote of the month

“There is nothing pleasanter than spading when the ground is soft and damp.” by John Steinbeck.

Read more gardening quotes.

Proverb of the month

Curate’s egg. Meaning: something which is partly bad and partly good. The original meaning was somewhat different, namely something that is obviously and entirely bad but is described out of politeness as nonetheless having good features. This original meaning dates back to a cartoon from 1895 featuring a bishop and a curate (a curate being one of the most junior ecclesiastical posts). But, oddly, there is some dispute about which cartoon. Most references give the source as a November 1895 cartoon (pictured right) in Punch magazine where the bishop says “I’m afraid you’ve got a bad egg, Mr Jones” and the curate replies “Oh no, my Lord, I assure you! Parts of it are excellent!“. But Wikipedia gives an earlier (May 1895) cartoon in Judy magazine where the bishop says “Dear me, I’m afraid your egg’s not good!” and the curate replies “Oh, yes, my Lord, really – er – some parts of it are very good“. A clear case of plagiarism, and successful plagiarism at that. The plagiarist in question was someone called George du Maurier, who was Daphne du Maurier’s grandfather.

Read more food-related proverbs.

In passing, a number of people have questioned whether these sorts of thing are actually proverbs or whether they wouldn’t be better described as adages (or aphorisms or idioms). Well, these people might well have a point. But the differences in meaning between the different words are rather subtle and nuanced and, in practice, they are often used as synonyms. Here is how I heard someone explain them:

  • Saying: Short, memorable words.
  • Aphorism: Short, memorable words of wisdom.
  • Adage: Short, memorable words of wisdom that are well-known.
  • Proverb: Short, memorable words of wisdom that are well-known and often come from folklore.
  • Maxim: Short, memorable words of wisdom often related to morality or the sciences.
  • Idiom: Short, memorable words whose true meaning does not come from their literal interpretation.

And then, of course, there are apophthegms, epigrams, mantras, mottos, quips and witticisms! And, as I only found out this week, paraprosdokians!!

Joke of the week

Why was the lemon feeling depressed? She had lost her zest for life.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Zero-waste cooking on a budget: Saturday, 29th August, 10am-midday; free; organised by Jesuit Social Services’ Ecological Justice Hub. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Setting up and maintaining a worm farm: Monday, 7th September, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Community growing spaces workshop: Tuesday, 8th September, 7-6pm; free; organised by City of Yarra Council. Read more and book on Zoom.

Home composting for beginners: Wednesday, 9th September, 7-8pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Samosa and mint chutney: Saturday, 12th September, 4-5.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Introduction to backyard bees: Sunday, 13th September, 3-5pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Daal tadka: Saturday, 19th September, 4.30-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chooks 4 families & kids: Saturday, 26th September, 10-11.30am; $10; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing microgreens: Saturday, 26th September, 11am-midday; $25; organised by SGA. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Flatbread parantha and raita: Saturday, 26th September, 5-6.30pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Biodiversity and sustainable food systems: Wednesday, 30th September, 10.30am-2.30pm; $120; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Wonderful world of worms for kids: Thursday, 1st October, 3-4pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Previously announced events

Explore our food systems: Thursday, 27th August, 12.30-1.15pm; $0-20; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Intro to growing nutrient dense food: Thursday, 27th August, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Grow into Spring: Saturday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Composting and worm farming at home: Saturday, 29th August, 10.30am-midday; free; organised by Boroondara Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Mycocycling cultivation on household waste: Saturday, 29th August, 1.45-3.30pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Beginners guide to pruning: Saturday, 29th August, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Darebin seed saver champion training with Kat Lavers: Saturday, 29th August, 2-4pm; free; organised by Darebin Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Nutrition for families: Saturday, 29th August, 2.30-4pm; $16; Central Ringwood Community Centre.

Rogan josh: Saturday, 29th August, 5-7pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Understanding soil health: Monday, 31st August, 3.30-5.30pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Zero waste cooking – easy pickling: Friday, 4th September, 1-2pm; free; organised by Boroondara Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Herbs for kitchen and garden: Saturday, 5th September, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Butter chicken: Sunday, 6th September, 11.30am-1pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Sourdough bread making: 2 occurrences – 12th September 11am-midday and 13th September 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Complete guide to home composting: Saturday, 12th September, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News August 19 2020

Aug 192020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Carol Woolcock, Cathy Romeo, Chloe Thomson, Chris Kent, Dassana, Deb Thomson, Helen Besley, Jane Dyer, Jo Buckle, Joy Quinn, Lucinda Flynn, Maria Ciavarella, Olwyn Smiley, Pam Jenkins, Rebecca Donald, Rebecca Haschek, Rita Varrasso, Robin-Gale Baker, Sam Dixon, Sean Flynn, Stuart Rodda and Vasundhara Kandpal.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg. Not Abbotsford Convent or Wonga Park.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Eltham Farmers’ Market publishes a regular newsletter – sign up here. Melbourne Farmers Markets (who run the Alphington and Coburg farmers’ markets) also publish a regular newsletter – sign up here.

A virtual tour of Pam Jenkins’ orchard

A few weeks ago, we published a video by Pam Jenkins about her annual edible garden. Pam has now produced a video about her orchard. As Pam says in the words accompanying the video, “In permaculture terms, an orchard would be classed as zone 3 or 4. As this area doesn’t need year round daily or even weekly visits for maintenance or pest control, it is situated further away from the house than the annual and perennial gardens that are in zones 1 and 2. General care starts in August when I clear the weeds so that I can see the new season asparagus as it emerges. I also throw around some manure and/or compost then mulch the area to give the trees some slow release food for their spring growth and summer to autumn harvest. This also helps to smother some of the annual weeds.” She then goes on to discussed some of her under-plantings including nasturtiums, perennial leeks, day lilies, parsley and warrigal greens.

Watch Pam’s video.

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – breads

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

Naan Pea paratha Roti

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

As I’ve got space, I’m going to put my favourite of the three breads (naan) in full below but you will have to go to the website to read the other two (pea paratha and roti).

Naan

1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
oil
warm water, as required for the dough

Combine the warm water and sugar. Sprinkle with the yeast and set aside for 5 minutes until it is foamy.

Mix the salt and flour and knead using the warm water mixture.

Cover and set aside for it to rise until roughly doubled in size (around 1 hour).

Heat a pan / skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Shape the dough into balls and then roll into round or oval flat bread (an irregular shape is fine so long as the dough is the same thickness across).

Sprinkle some water on one side of the bread and place on the griddle and cook until it bubbles up.

Lift the pan, such that the naked flame is exposed. Cook the uncooked side of the bread until it is golden-brown and lightly charred.

Remove the cooked naan to a plate and paint with oil, preferably with chilli oil to give it a nice golden colour. Alternatively, you can use garlic oil and/or sprinkle with chopped coriander.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Vasundhara toasts her naan on one side in a pan and on the other side using a naked flame. At my request, she has kindly put together a short video to illustrate the process. As she toasts her roti somewhat differently, she has also put together a second video to illustrate this process.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

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

Not all larvae in fruit are Queensland Fruit Fly

In response to Pam Jenkins’ article last week about her rotting capsicum, Olwyn Smiley has written in: “I also found small grubs in fruit this summer, mainly in chillies, mandarins, tangelos and tomatoes. I kept some of the damaged fruit and waited for the grubs to pupate and become mature flies. It turns out that they were not Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF), but Island Fruit Fly (Dirioxa pornia). Last year I was worried by grubs in my tomatoes, and sent photos to Bron Koll, QFF Coordinator for Yarra Valley Agribusiness, but they turned out to be the larvae of a small beetle. So not all the small, whitish larvae in fruit are QFF, and without expert advice it is quite hard to tell the difference. It is a concern finding grubs in fruit. The best way of getting an accurate ID is to take a good photo and send it to either a QFF expert or to the Amateur Entomology Australia Facebook group.”

Via Chloe Thomson and Deb Thomson, someone from Agriculture Victoria has also weighed in: “From the images I think there’s a possibility it could be something other than QFF. The black jaws are missing and I can’t see a clear tail end in the picture. However, as I can’t be sure, my suggestion is that it is treated as if it could be QFF.”

And the last word goes to Pam herself: “I did some reading after sending the photos and realised that the grubs were probably not QFF. We had a really cold night last week which would probably have killed any remaining QFF anyway. However, it doesn’t hurt to stay alert.”

Yes, you did know! ?

Last week, Doris McAllister asked why she couldn’t collect any worm juice.

Jo Buckle: “There is no ‘juice’ because what’s in the worm farm is dry (e.g. dry leaves). There will only be liquid coming out if the contents are wet (e.g. rotting lettuce). If you want to test that the drainage isn’t blocked, pour some water in and see if it comes out through the tap. Some people think that the ‘juice’ is valuable worm tea, but it’s just seepage from the contents. Worm tea is made from diluting worm castings (the smooth, black finished product after your worms have eaten what’s in the farm).”

Rebecca Haschek: “Worm juice as described by Doris is actually called leachate and is the product of an over-moist worm farm. An over-moist worm farm leads to anaerobic conditions and can actually be a breeding ground for bad bacteria. A healthy worm farm is moist but does not produce leachate … if you take a handful of bedding and squeeze it, it should at most produce one or two drips. Leachate can be used on the garden but, as it is possible for it to have bad bacteria, it is not recommended for edible plants and should certainly be kept away from edible leaves. Having said that, many people who don’t know this use it without a problem. If you want to make worm tea for your edible garden, you can make a worm casting tea bag, then steep it in some aerated water overnight. An old aquarium air bubbler or similar will keep the water aerated and stop any anaerobic activity. Worm tea can be used on edibles as long as they are rinsed thoroughly before consumption.”

“As an aside, sometimes worm farm instructions suggest pouring water through the farm periodically. However, as well as creating leachate, this can make the bedding too moist for the worms and attractive to unwanted creatures such as pot worms and mites.”

Angelo Eliades: “Worm farms only produce leachate when there is excess water. If your warm farms are kept outside, keep the tap open with a bucket underneath. After it rains, there will be a bucket of worm wee to collect. Most fruit and vegies are around 80-90% water so, if you’re adding enough kitchen scraps, there should be excess water and there will be small amounts of leachate draining through into the bottom tray of the worm farm. Using a worm blanket or whole newspaper to cover the food scraps helps retain the moisture and creates a moist, protected environment for the worms to feed in. The bedding material of any worm farm should be as moist as a squeezed out sponge; if it’s drier than that then it will soak up any moisture released.”

Maria Ciavarella: “Winter food scraps tend to be less wet than the scraps that you might supply your worms in the warmer weather. So that’s why there’s less worm wee output in winter. It won’t harm your worms to give them a little shower every now and again and you’ll soon hear the dripping of the leachate going into your liquids’ tray. Do this by using a watering can over the worm blanket covering so as not to shock them instantly! Also, it might be a good idea to lift off the worm trays and see what is happening in the liquid accumulator tray. You might find a lot of castings have made their way into this tray and are blocking the tap.”

Sam Dixon: “I get more worm juice when I very carefully aerate the contents of the worm with my hand trowel. I do this at least once a week.”

Do you know? ?

Dassana: “Last summer, after a blast of heat, all my bean and tomato flowers died and it took ages for them to send out new ones and so for fruit to set. Any tips on managing weather extremes? Also, why do the tops of zucchini flowers sometimes rot?” Email your answers.

Emily Lim: “I am looking for insect/cabbage moth cover or exclusion nets. What type should I get and where should I get it from?” Email your answers.

The Pickle Sisters – readers’ puns

Last week, we asked for puns to accompany the picture of The Pickle Sisters. We had 5 responses.

  • And now here’s The Pickle Sister’s with their new hit song “You look like a right dill” (Sean Flynn).
  • Green Cap-sicums (Helen Besley).
  • Is that a cucumber in your pocket or are you just glad to see me? (Sean Flynn).
  • Sweet and Sour Pickles (Joy Quinn).
  • The Pickle Sisters … Did they do the soundtrack for The Life of Brine? (Sean Flynn).

Another article from Angelo Eliades

What are the small flies in compost bins and are they a problem?. Hint: 1) drosophila and 2) no.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Make you own newspaper pots

Maria Ciavarella has produced this video to show you how.

Make your own raspberry root barriers

Stuart Rodda has written in: “I recently created a standalone raspberry bed. However, I faced the dilemma – how to stop them spreading further, and how to stop tree roots invading the bed and sucking all the moisture and nutrients out? A raised bed would be ok but relatively expensive and would need regular watering to prevent drying out.

“Root barrier! After researching root barriers on the Internet, I came up with a low cost dual solution: (1) use plastic dampcourse set vertically in the ground encircling the raspberries; and (2) make two concentric barriers and fill the gap between them with clay which would be repellent to roots but not ‘toxic’. As a repellent material, I chose builder’s lime, which is calcium hydroxide, and highly alkaline but otherwise not toxic to plants. My theory is that roots cannot grow through the plastic and any that might grow under or over it will encounter such an alkaline pH that they will cease growing and look elsewhere. I thus dug down and installed the two rings of plastic (40 cm deep), backfilling with the densest clay mixed with builder’s lime (note: not agricultural lime, which is alkaline but not so much so). Total cost approx. $25. I await the results early next year.”

The photo is of Stuart’s wife, Christine.

Re-locating bee swarms

Jane Dyer has written in: “Gardens are waking and bees moving. As winter draws to a close, and day temperatures rise, there will be more action around the beehives. Spring is the time for swarming and a time to have the name of a trusted beekeeper handy who has the skills and facilities to catch and safely re-locate swarms before they settle in an eave or neighbour’s chimney. My husband, Peter Dyer, from Backyard Honey (0425 873 555), has been re-locating swarms in Boroondara, Whitehorse, Banyule and surrounding areas for the last 10 years.”

Here are some local people who collect bee swarms. This list largely comes from The Beekeepers Club. Always ring, rather than text or email, as swarms move on quickly. Also, check to see if they charge for a collection.

Base Name Phone Notes
Box Hill Peter Rundle 0457 006 575 Swarms only
Camberwell John Treloar 0409 164 234 Swarms only
Diamond Creek, Eltham Andrew Stanish 0418 521 869 Swarms and nests
Forest Hill Adrian O’Hagan 0408 768 343 Swarms only
Forest Hill Gavin Preston 0402 833 228 Swarms and nests
Hawthorn East Kent Henderson 0417 599 548 Swarms only
Heidelberg Mat Lumalasi 0414 406 136 Swarms and nests
Heidelberg Justin Brasier 0407 515 482  
Kinglake Susan Zuber 0413 698 140 Swarms only
Manningham Geoff Neville 0412 613 135 Swarms and nests
Mitcham Peter Milic 0418 340 093 Swarms only
Mitcham Keith Piper 9874 8634  
Mooroolbark Claire Smith 0425 700 280 Anywhere from Box Hill to Lilydale; won’t climb ladders
Nillumbik Bryce Copeland 0484 185 601 Swarms and some nests
Northcote Morgan Koegel 0402 496 217 Swarms only
Park Orchards Stuart Stone 0408 764 045 Swarms only
Surrey Hills Peter Dyer 0425 873 555 Anywhere from Abbotsford to Templestowe; both bees and swarms
Warrandyte Maureen Koegel 0425 780 456 Swarms only
Watsonia, Warrandyte & Thomastown Brad Hales 0417 549 707 Swarms and nests
Yallambie Yvonne Ashby 0409 225 774 Anywhere within a 20km range

 
You can always find this list on the local resources page on our website.

If you find a swarm, but none of the people above can collect it, you can report the swarm on the Swarm Patrol website and it will automatically notify the three nearest bee swarm collectors who are registered with the website.

Guy’s food growing tips – guest contributions

In reaction to me saying that I was running out of topics to give tips about, a number of people have written in with their suggested tips. Thanks everyone!

Carol Woolcock: “When watering your punnets of spring seedlings that you have placed in a polyhouse or on a windowsill, use tepid water not cold water straight from the tap. This will provide consistency of temperature and avoid ‘shock’ to the seedlings.”

Sam Dixon: “To protect delicate seedlings from being eaten by pests, I scrunch up handfuls of rosemary and lavender (to release their pungent oils) and scatter them around the veggie patch. It seems to deter snails, slugs and earwigs.”

Angelo Eliades: “Get your tomato seedlings started early by growing them indoors. Sow your tomato seeds in punnets, trays or small pots now. After watering, cover the tops of the containers loosely with some clear plastic to keep the soil moist while allowing some air circulation. Place the covered container on a drip-proof tray and place that on top of the refrigerator or other warm spot. Place your hand there first to check if it feels warm. Somewhere high up near the ceiling also works well, as heat rises and it will be warmer higher up. A warm sunny window is also good. Make sure that you check every few days to see if the seeds have sprouted because, once they have, the cover needs to come off as they need exposure to sunlight. A spot near a sunny window is then ideal. By the time the early spring frosts pass, the seedlings will be stronger and more advanced.”

Rebecca Donald: “I have recently discovered how fabulous mustard greens are to grow over Winter, especially if you don’t have a lot of space and not great light. I grow quite a few varieties in pots and move them into the light. I used to think they were too spicy but if you don’t like the wasabi-like heat of them fresh, just stir fry or blanch them and it goes away. They are quick growing and you can just pick leaves as you need. A new variety I’ve tried from Diggers called Tokyo Bekana is awesome because it has virtually no mustard taste but is just as easy to grow and, as a bonus, the flowers are good for adding to salads as well. I think you can grow them year round as well for an easy, constant supply of greens.”

Robin Gale-Baker (adapted from a Facebook post): If planting in seed trays, use a seed raising mix if you can, otherwise potting mix, but not garden soil which compacts around seeds. Fill the trays 3/4 full, firm down the soil, water, sprinkle the seed on the damp firm bed, cover with 1cm soil and water again. Keep the soil damp to prevent small seeds drying out. Use a fine spray from a spray bottle, watering can or hose (heavy watering can wash seeds out). If using old seed trays, scrub out, rinse, then soak for 1 hour in 90% water 10% vinegar (any kind) to kill pathogens in the old soil.

Anyone else got any growing tips? Email me.

Meg’s social isolation week

Today the chickens laid their first egg in over 2 months. It is small and beautifully brown coloured. I decide to spoil my layers with a clean out of the coop and fresh new straw. I pull some weeds (mainly chickweed) and leave them in the run for the chooks to scratch.

It is time to start preparing beds for spring/ summer planting. As always, I have planted too much over winter and now have to consider what to sacrifice to make way for a tomato bed. I think that the rocket can finally go – it gets very peppery towards the end and is on the cusp of going to seed. The cleanings from the chook house (old straw and manure) get dug lightly into the bed and now it needs to rest until we get that spring warmth.

What to do with all that rocket? Pesto? Tabbouleh?

Rocket tabbouleh

3 cups of rocket leaves
¼ cup (or small handful) mint leaves
1 small red onion or 2-3 shallots, very finely diced
3 tomatoes, finely diced
¼ cup bulgur/ cracked wheat (pre-soaked and prepared in accordance with packet directions), drain well and squeeze out excess water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop the rocket and mint leaves.

Add the onion, tomatoes, lemon and bulgur and combine well.

Leave for about 1 hour then toss and dress with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – animal deterrents

5 photos were submitted, 3 in a series by Cathy Romeo.

Cathy Romeo

1. Our owl, looking proud and promising. No possums and no birds will come near him!
Cathy Romeo

2. Still standing watch (but gathering cobwebs).
Cathy Romeo

3. Now, not so scary at all. Neither proud nor promising any more. Eyes gouged out – was it possums or birds?
Chris Kent

I fortunately live in an area where we can successfully grow a wide range of fruit. Unfortunately I live in an area where the local cockies (amongst others) are particularly hungry and destructive. Most of the year we have to use anti-bird net; at the moment they are covering my lemons, oranges and grapefruit. I know from experience that if I leave anything uncovered they will find it. I would be interested to know if anyone else suffers with attacks on citrus during the winter.
Rita Varrasso

Colourful CDs and DVDs catch the sun, repel the birds and protect your garden produce. So recycle your old CDs and DVDs and choose a streaming service.

 

This week’s theme – wattle flowers

This week’s photo theme will be ‘wattle flowers’ As ever, send me your interesting photos. Make sure that you state which wattle species it is, preferably including the Latin.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Marina Bistrin’s article about the insect-repellent properties of Artemisia and other aromatic plants.

Joke of the week

What do you get when you cross a cat and a lemon? A sour puss.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Composting and worm farming at home: Saturday, 29th August, 10.30am-midday; free; organised by Boroondara Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Beginners guide to pruning: Saturday, 29th August, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Soils and potting media: Monday, 31st August, 3.30-5.30pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Zero waste cooking – easy pickling: Friday, 4th September, 1-2pm; free; organised by Boroondara Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Herbs for kitchen and garden: Saturday, 5th September, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Butter chicken: Sunday, 6th September, 11.30am-1pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Complete guide to home composting: Saturday, 12th September, 2-4pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Previously announced events

Advanced home composting and worm farming: Wednesday, 19th August, 7-9pm; free; organised by Manningham Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Sourdough bread making: 4 occurrences – 22nd August 10-11am, 23rd August 2-3pm, 12th September 11am-midday and 13th September 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Edible weeds walk: Saturday, 22nd August, 11am-1pm; $28; organised by Very Edible Gardens. Read more and book on their website.

Authentic Indian cookery in Thermomix: Saturday, 22nd August, 2-3pm; free; organised by Sharyn Vanderhorst. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Introduction to brewing and fermenting: Saturday, 22nd August, 2-4.15pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Zero waste cooking and sustainability: 7 sessions, on Tuesdays, starting 25th August, each 10am-1.30pm; free; organised by Jesuit Community College. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Social gardening for Manningham residents: Tuesday 25th August, Tuesday 8th September and Tuesday 22nd September, each 1.30-2pm; free; organised by Kevin Heinze Grow. Book by either phone (9848 3695) or email.

Explore our food systems: Thursday, 27th August, 12.30-1.15pm; $0-20; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Intro to growing nutrient dense food: Thursday, 27th August, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Grow into Spring: Saturday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Mycocycling cultivation on household waste: Saturday, 29th August, 1.45-3.30pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Darebin seed saver champion training with Kat Lavers: Saturday, 29th August, 2-4pm; free; organised by Darebin Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Nutrition for families: Saturday, 29th August, 2.30-4pm; $16; Central Ringwood Community Centre.

Rogan josh: Saturday, 29th August, 5-7pm; $35; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News August 12 2020

Aug 122020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Bruno Tigani, Cathy Romeo, Chris Kent, Doris Glier, Doris McAllister, Gilles Lardy, Heb Gardener, Marina Bistrin, Megan Goodman, Pam Jenkins and Rita Varrasso.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg. Not Carlton

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Yarra Valley.

Eltham Farmers’ Market now publishes a regular newsletter. Sign up here.

Read about the insect-repellent properties of Artemisia and other aromatic plants

Marina Bistrin has been wondering what use she can put her Artemisia (wormwood and souternwood) prunings to. She has also been reading a book by the late, great Juliette De Bairacli Levy’s entitled The Illustrated Herbal Handbook for Everyone. The end result of these two activities is an article that she has written for our website on the insect-repellent properties of Artemisia and other aromatic plants. Read the article.

Some guides to pesticide effects on beneficials

Bruno Tigani is a local (Lower Plenty) wholesaler of seeds (Griffin Seeds) who periodically gives away hundreds of leek seedlings to our newsletter readers. As a wholesaler to the commercial vegetable seed industry, he receives various publications from Horticultural Innovation Australia. Bruno has written in: “Not all pesticides are equal, clearly insecticides are more harmful than fungicides to insects. In regards to insecticides, biological insecticides are relatively ‘soft’, in that they do not harm beneficial insects as much as synthetic chemistry does. Also, being able to recognise the beneficials among various pests in the garden is key to having the confidence to let nature take its course and not immediately rush to a chemical pest solution. Hort Innovation has produced some guides on the effects of pesticides on beneficial insects. Whilst these guides are aimed at commercial producers, they contain some good information relevant to home growers.“

Here are the guides:

Thanks, Bruno!

The guides were funded by Hort Innovation using a vegetable research and development levy plus contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Rotting capsicums

Pam Jenkins has written in: “Here is a couple of photos of part of a capsicum that was rotting on the plant. In the past, my capsicums have ripened slowly over winter and I have never had problems with them rotting. I brought the capsicum inside, inspected it and saw nothing untoward but put it in the freezer anyway. The photos show what I found when I pulled it out. One grub was easily visible to the naked eye, much smaller than a grain of rice, and the other magnified photo shows many more. I presume that they are fruit fly larvae ready to pupate in the ground and emerge when the weather is warm enough in spring. Stay alert everybody!“

  

Opportunities for combining home growing and community in Darebin

Darebin Seed Library

Darebin Council is developing a seed library to help gardeners access, grow, save and swap heirloom and locally adapted vegetable and flower seeds. They will be installing ‘little seed library’ boxes in gardens across Darebin. To get you started, they will give you some open-pollinated, heirloom and local seeds, the idea being that you grow the plants and then donate some of the seeds back to the seed library. To register your interest in either hosting a seed library or receiving some start up seeds, either book a place on this online workshop or email Natalie Nigol (Natalie.Nigol@darebin.vic.gov.au).

DIVRS seedlings

DIVRS wants to encourage more home food growing in Darebin. They are offering to give you free seedlings for your Spring plantings in return for which you keep the community up to date with your growing journey via Instagram and share some of your harvest.

Do you know? ?

Doris McAllister asks: “Why I can’t collect any worm juice? I have a plastic 3 litre kit, it’s tilted and the tap is clean but still no juice. Any suggestions?” Email your answers.

The pickle sisters

The picture right is supposedly of a 1920 vaudeville group called The Pickle Sisters. Email your puns and we’ll publish them next week. Thanks for the heads up, Heb Gardener.

Another article from Angelo Eliades

Are woody galls on citrus tree trunks harmful?. Hint: Angelo’s basic answer is ‘no’. Note that woody gall (which is caused by a virus) is completely unrelated to citrus gall (which is caused by a wasp).

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Guy’s food growing tip – tromboncino

When planning what veggies to plant this Spring, consider tromboncino. In terms of both texture and taste, it is roughly halfway between a pumpkin and a zucchini. In terms of growth pattern, it is a vine (like standard pumpkins) but can be grown up vertical structures (unlike standard pumpkins). And its massively long and unusual fruit are both interesting and a talking point.

I am running out of ideas for food growing tips. Email me with your suggested topics.

Read more of Guy’s tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

With the uncertainty in Melbourne this week, I have not managed to spend as much time in the garden as I would like but I can see that the daffodils are out and their happy colour makes me smile. The plum tree is in blossom and buds are just starting to appear on the apples. I am determined to make the time to take last month’s apple cuttings out of the fridge crisper and attempt grafting. I unwrap the damp newspaper and am a little surprised to see that they remain in good shape. I choose pieces that are of a similar thickness to the shoot that I intend to graft to and make a long slanting cut into the end of both the bud wood and the bud on the branch that I think will work so that they slide/ match together. I bind the two together with grafting tape and hope for the best. A little hope is something we all need right now.

I collect some spinach and silverbeet for dinner. It is still cold enough for comfort food such as ricotta gnocchi. This recipe takes some time, but is worth the effort.

Green ricotta gnocchi

600g of mixed greens such as silverbeet (leaves only) and spinach
250g ricotta
50 parmesan (plus extra to serve)
1 egg
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
100g plain flour
a good pinch of salt

Blanch the greens, squeeze out all of the water and chop finely.

Add all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until it forms a dough (add a little extra flour if needed).

Roll out strips of dough on a floured surface (like rolling sausages) and cut into 3 cm pieces. Flatten each piece slightly with a floured fork. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for about half an hour.

Cook in salted water in small amounts until the gnocchi rise to the surface.

Serve with a sauce of your choice. Alternatively, place into a greased baking dish, dotted with about 40g butter, sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese and place under a hot grill for about 4 minutes.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – unusual veggies you have grown

7 photos were submitted.

Cathy Romeo
Zucchini blossoms

While most people grow zucchini for the actual zucchini, the blossoms themselves are delicious too, and quite a delicacy, especially stuffed with cheese and fried or turned into fritters. Pick the blossoms early in the morning when they are at their best. You can eat both the male and female flowers. You can also pick the whole young zucchini with the female flower still attached.
Chris Kent
Unnamed

I’m counting the strawberries as vegetables. Ditto the tomatoes.
Gilles Lardy
Cantaloupe delice de la table
Marina Bistrin
Amaranth

This is a single giant amaranth – an accidental self-sown growth from my ordinary 2 metre tall ones that grow in my garden. This one was 3+ metres tall and has a stalk about 6cm across at the base. I have saved the seeds in case someone has a use for this as an annual that is both edible and a wind-break/shade plant.
Marina Bistrin
Chicory

This is a groundcover variety of chicory that spreads by runners. It is used as a salad green that has a slight bitterness and was given me by a Serbian woman. It grows all year round so is useful to have. It grows in part shade and has beautiful flowers. It is invasive but, as the roots don’t grow very deep, it isn’t too difficult to get rid of.
Marina Bistrin
Common nettle (Urtica dioica)

[Editor: Per Wikipedia, Urtica dioica has a flavour similar to spinach mixed with cucumber when cooked, and is rich in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. In 2014, someone ate 24 metres of raw nettles to win that year’s World Nettle Eating Championship. Read Jo Douglas’ recipe for nettle soup on our website.]
Rita Varrasso
Tromboncini

Tromboncino means little trombone in Italian. But these climbing pumpkins, grown from food swap seed, were a huge 90cm long and weighed 5 kilos each. [Editor: tromboncini, like zucchini, is harvested and eaten when it is immature. The Americans call such pumpkins ‘summer squashes’.]

Cathy also sent in a little Italian primer which I have expanded upon:

  • ‘Zucchini’ is the plural of ‘zucchino’ in Italian. ‘Tromboncini’ is the plural of ‘tromboncino’. But, for some reason, we say zucchini and tromboncino rather than, for example zucchino and tromboncini.
  • ‘Zucchini’ is the diminutive of ‘zucca’ in Italian, meaning ‘pumpkin’. So zucchini means ‘little pumpkins’.
  • Whilst the Italians call them zucchini, the French call them courgettes. Whilst the Australians call them zucchini, the British tend to call them courgettes. And when they are fully-grown, the British call them marrows.
The theme from two weeks ago – vertebrates

The most popular link from last week’s newsletter was Doris Glier’s (extraordinary) photo of a kangaroo on a house roof. Several of you expressed bafflement about the photo and asked me if I could find out any more. I therefore asked Doris and this is her reply: “It happened a few years ago that I heard some unexplained noises on my early morning walk along Plenty River Drive. To my surprise, I spotted a kangaroo on a house roof. I’ve no idea how it got that high up there. The house owner was disturbed by the unusual noise and came out in her dressing gown, expecting a possum. She couldn’t explain how the kangaroo found its way up so high either.”

Better still, Doris took a video of the kangaroo and has given us permission to publish it in this newsletter: watch the video. When Doris published the video on her Facebook page, it was shared around 5,000 times!

This week’s theme – animal deterrents

This week’s photo theme will be ‘animal deterrents’ – devices that are used to deter animals from eating your plants. As ever, send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

To get you started, here is a video of the world’s best scarecrow (well, the best scarecrow that I have seen recently).

I first saw this scarecrow video on the Warrandyte Garden Facebook group, which is one of the more active local gardening-related Facebook groups.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Doris Glier’s photo of a kangaroo on a house roof.

Joke of the week

Why did the students eat their homework? Because the teacher said that it was a piece of cake.
Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Modern Indian cooking (Thermomix): Saturday, 15th August, 2-3.30m; free; organised by Libby Bracchi. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Bee a pollinator! Native bees with Katrina: Monday, 17th August, 7.45-9pm; $14; organised by laneway Learning. Read more and book on their website.

Edible weeds walk: Saturday, 22nd August, 11am-1pm; $28; organised by Very Edible Gardens. Read more and book on their website.

Authentic Indian cookery in Thermomix: Saturday, 22nd August, 2-3pm; free; organised by Sharyn Vanderhorst. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Social gardening for Manningham residents: Tuesday 25th August, Tuesday 8th September and Tuesday 22nd September, each 1.30-2pm; free; organised by Kevin Heinze Grow. Book by either phone (9848 3695) or email.

Intro to growing nutrient dense food: Thursday, 27th August, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Grow into Spring: Saturday, 29th August, 10am-midday; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Darebin seed saver champion training with Kat Lavers: Saturday, 29th August, 2-4pm; free; organised by Darebin Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Mycocycling cultivation on household waste: Saturday, 29th August, 1.45-3.30pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Nutrition for families: Saturday, 29th August, 2.30-4pm; $16; Central Ringwood Community Centre.

Previously announced events

Making composting and worm farming easy: Wednesday, 12th August, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council. Book by email (Sylvia.jones@whittlesea.vic.gov.au).

Chicken tikka masala: Saturday, 15th August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Making composting and worm farming easy: Tuesday, 18th August, 1-2.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Book by email (jocelyn.harte@whittlesea.vic.gov.au).

What’s wrong with ultra-processed foods?: Tuesday, 18th August, 1.30-2.30pm; free; organised by University of Melbourne.

Advanced home composting and worm farming: Wednesday, 19th August, 7-9pm; free; organised by Manningham Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Sourdough bread making: 4 occurrences – 22nd August 10-11am, 23rd August 2-3pm, 12th September 11am-midday and 13th September 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Introduction to brewing and fermenting: Saturday, 22nd August, 2-4.15pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Zero waste cooking and sustainability: 7 sessions, on Tuesdays, starting 25th August, each 10am-1.30pm; free; organised by Jesuit Community College. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Explore our food systems: Thursday, 27th August, 12.30-1.15pm; $0-20; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Rogan josh: Saturday, 29th August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News August 5 2020

Aug 052020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Dianne Parslow, Doris Glier, Elaine Rust, Fay Loveland, Helen Simpson, Leah Lux Tame, Mahira Sobral, Megan Goodman, Paul Hemsworth, Rita Varrasso and Stuart Rodda.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Collingwood Children’s Farm (re-located to Alphington). Not Coburg.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Unclear: Whitehorse.

Tracey Bjorksten has made a video on frugal DIY potting mix from wood chip mulch

Newsletter reader Tracey Bjorksten has made a video for our website on frugal DIY potting mix from wood chip mulch. Here’s how Tracey introduces the video: “With spring seed sowing time almost upon us, and the recent surge of interest in edible gardening, it occurred to me that garden centres might struggle with the demand for things like potting mix. Besides, DIY potting mix is well worth making because it helps keep the costs of growing food down, it is easy, and the mixture can be tweaked for different purposes (e.g. starting seeds, propagating cuttings).“

“The main ingredient of potting mix is compost, but not everyone composts at home or has compost ready when they need it. However, commercial mixes are based around composted pine bark or wood chips, and lots of us use wood chip mulch in our gardens. So, I thought I would show people how they can mine their paths and garden beds for compost, and use that, along with a couple of other cheap and readily available ingredients, to make their own mix.“

Watch Tracey’s video.

Yet more on yacon

As well as writing all those Deep Green Permaculture articles that we keep linking to, Angelo Eliades is also the buyer for uncommon food plants at Bulleen Art & Garden (BAAG) nursery. In this latter capacity, he has written in to say that “BAAG stocks jicama in summer and has yacon most of the year, with yacon currently in stock right now“.

Yes, you did know! ?

Golden orb spider

Nada Cunningham asked for confirmation or correction about her ‘golden orb spider’.

First, I’d like to apologise to both Nada and to the readership for inadvertently inserting a typo in Nada’s identification: she said ‘golden orb spider’ and it was me who changed this to ‘golden org spider’. Thanks to those of you who wrote in saying things like: “Golden org spider? Never heard of it!“

Second, as both Cathy Romeo and Stuart Rodda have pointed out, Nada’s spider is actually a female St Andrews cross spider.

Third, as Paul Hemsworth has pointed out, Museums Victoria provide a free, quick and outstanding critter identification service.

Strawberry fruit ripening in Winter

Melita Proebstl asked whether her strawberry fruit would ripen at this time of year.

Helen Simpson has replied: “Whilst some strawberry plants will fruit all year, the fruit won’t ripen fully in Winter due to lack of sunlight.“

Reader suggestions

‘Chris Kent has written in to suggest that you read this Facebook article by Craig Castree on pruning old fruit trees in late summer/autumn.

‘Reader suggestions’ could be the start of a new section to this newsletter. If you have any suggestions for online articles for others to read, please email me with the details.

A new marketplace for seed savers called Local Seeds

Local Seeds is a Melbourne-based website where you can buy seeds. They describe their mission as “to encourage more people to save seeds, to help preserve genetic diversity, and to give people access to seeds that are adapted to their local environment.” Although it is not immediately apparent, you can also register to sell your seeds by going to the registration page.

Want a job?

Managing Editor of Pip Magazine. Roughly halftime. Unspecified salary. “Based in Pambula, NSW [but] we will consider the right candidate to work remotely. Minimum 3 years’ prior experience as an editor. Closing date: 10th August. Read more and apply.

Another article from Angelo Eliades

A review of the book Growing good food, a citizen’s guide to backyard carbon farming.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Guy’s fruit growing tip – improve your soil

This is actually an old Mac McVeigh tip: August is a good month to start preparing your produce beds for Spring. In other words, it is a good time to dig in cow manure and/or compost to add nutrients and condition your soil in readiness for planting.

Read more of Guy’s food-growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

The asparagus crowns are just starting to push their first shoots up through the damp earth and the potatoes are just starting to appear through the mulch. We are harvesting a lot of kale and silverbeet and, of course, more rocket.

The highlight this week has been the harvest of broccoli Green Dragon – big florets that are wonderful lightly blanched and served with hummus plus homegrown baby veggies such as radishes, small spring onions and turnips. The best time to plant broccoli is towards end of autumn, as it doesn’t seem to be affected by aphids as in the warmer months and the possums don’t seem to find it as easily.

Hummus

1 can of chickpeas, drained
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
juice of 1-2 lemons
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup tahini
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon olive oil

Add the drained chickpeas and bicarb soda to a small saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain and cool.

Add to a food processor together with the lemon juice, garlic, salt, tahnni and cumin and blend until thick and creamy.

Add the water slowly, blending and scraping down the sides as needed until the mixture pales. Add the olive oil.

Leave the mixture for around 10 minutes then taste and add more salt and lemon juice as needed.

[Editor: for an alternative recipe for hummus, have a look at Duang Tengtrirat’s recipe on our website.]

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – garden vertebrates other than birds

10 photos were submitted. A rather interesting set.

Cathy Romeo
Blue-tongued skink		 Choon Yin Yeok
Blue-tongued skink		 Chris Kent
Common eastern froglet
Chris Kent
Fox		 Dianne Parslow
Kangaroo		 Doris Glier
Kangaroo
Elaine Rust
Kangaroo		 Leah Lux Tame
Southern brown tree frog		 Rita Varrasso
Cat
   
Tracey Bjorkstein
Play-fighting foxes

Leah liked her photo of the southern brown tree frog so much that she decided to paint a version of it sitting on leaves. “It’s a digital painting. I used an app called Procreate on my iPad and ‘painted’ using a stylus. It took me around 20 hours.” Click the thumbnail on the right to view Leah’s amazing painting in all its glory.

Cathy Romeo: Like other native reptiles, blue-tongues are protected in Australia and it is illegal for them to be re-located. They eat snails so don’t use snail pellets as a blue-tongue can die if it eats a poisoned snail.

Chris Kent re his photo of the fox: “our rockmelons were ripening nicely and then this fox came along“

Dianne Parslow (who lives in Lower Plenty) re her photo of the kangaroo: “This photo was taken from my bedroom window last week. Seeing kangaroos may be normal for some people who live on acreage in outer suburbs, but it is definitely not normal for my suburban backyard.“

Rita Varrasso: “9 cat-related catch phrases: 1. Take a catnap; 2. Grin like a Cheshire Cat; 3. Remember, curiosity killed the cat; 4. Don’t pussyfoot around; 5. Don’t let the cat out of the bag; 6. Don’t play cat and mouse; 7. Don’t be a scaredy cat; 8. Be a cool cat; and 9. Be the cat’s pyjamas.“

Tracey Bjorkstein: “This is one of a sequence of shots captured by a trail camera of a pair of foxes play-fighting. I’m assuming that it was a play fight because the camera also caught the mutual bum-sniffing afterwards. These two were often seen together from when they were quite small and I suspect that they were litter mates.“

This week’s theme – unusual veggies you have grown

This week’s photo theme will be ‘unusual veggies you have grown’. As ever, send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

To get you started, here are some chickpeas that I grew.

Joke of the week

What did one water bottle say to another? Water you doing today?

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Beginners home composting and worm farming: Wednesday, 5th August, 7-9pm; free; organised by Manningham Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Composting at home: Saturday, 8th August, 10-11am; free; organised by Maroondah Council. Read more and book on their website.

Making composting and worm farming easy: Wednesday, 12th August, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council. Book by email (Sylvia.jones@whittlesea.vic.gov.au).

Making composting and worm farming easy: Tuesday, 18th August, 1-2.30pm; free; organised by Whittlesea Council. Presenter: Angelo Eliades. Book by email (jocelyn.harte@whittlesea.vic.gov.au).

Advanced home composting and worm farming: Wednesday, 19th August, 7-9pm; free; organised by Manningham Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Sourdough bread making: 4 occurrences – 22nd August 10-11am, 23rd August 2-3pm, 12th September 11am-midday and 13th September 3-4pm; $20; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Introduction to brewing and fermenting: Saturday, 22nd August, 2-4.15pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Zero waste cooking and sustainability: 7 sessions, on Tuesdays, starting 25th August, each 10am-1.30pm; free; organised by Jesuit Community College. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Explore our food systems: Thursday, 27th August, 12.30-1.15pm; $0-20; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humanitix.

Previously announced events

Chicken saagwala: Saturday, 8th August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chicken tikka masala: Saturday, 15th August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

What’s wrong with ultra-processed foods?: Tuesday, 18th August, 1.30-2.30pm; free; organised by University of Melbourne.

Rogan josh: Saturday, 29th August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News July 29 2020

Jul 292020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Angie O’Connor, Cate Townsend, Cathy Romeo, Connie Curato, David Hicks, Deb Thomson, Graeme Townsend, Judy Vizzari, Karin Motyer, Lucinda Flynn, Lyn Richards, Megan Goodman, Mei Yen Ooi, Melita Proebstl, Michelle Cheah, Nada Cunningham, Pam Jenkins, Peta Heywood, Rita Varrasso, Robert Lastdrager, Robin Gale-Baker, Susan Palmer, Tracey Bjorksten, Tracey O’Neill, Virginia Solomon and Yennie Starkey.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg. Not Carlton.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Judy interviews Cate and Graeme Townsend from Microtown

In between the various lockdowns, our interviewers continue to interview. This month, we have Judy Vizzari’s interview with Cate and Graeme Townsend from the Eltham-based grower of microgreens, Microtown.

So, what are microgreens? In Cate and Graeme’s words: “Microgreens are young vegetable greens that are only a few centimetres tall, with an aromatic flavour, coming in a variety of colours and textures. They contain concentrated nutrient content. Despite their small size, microgreens pack a nutritional punch (up to 40 times more nutritional value than mature vegetables). Microgreens are considered to be baby plants, falling somewhere between a sprout and baby green, but they shouldn’t be confused with sprouts (which do not have leaves). Microgreens are usually harvested 7–21 days after germination, once the plant’s first true leaves have emerged. They’re more than a garnish.”

Cate and Graeme grow their microgreens in a free-standing air-conditioned room in their backyard. As Judy says, “The plants are grown in specially blended soil, they’re watered by a custom automated watering technique, and the lights are set to provide appropriate colour, or lack of it, to enhance growth. It seems that, whilst plants need darkness to germinate, to thrive they need the differing hues of sunlight depending on their stage of development. The temperature in this space is kept at a constant 22 degrees celsius.”

Robin’s food growing tip of the month – coddle your fruit trees against codling moth!

It’s now a good time to protect your apples, quinces and pears from the ravages of codling moth. While any time is a good time to intervene in the lifecycle of the codling moth, they will lay their eggs on the leaves of blossoming trees in spring and renew their lifecycle so intervening at this point is wise.

The codling moth lifecycle comprises:

  • Egg stage in spring.
  • Larval stage in spring and summer where small caterpillars begin eating the leaves and then tunnel into developing fruit.
  • Pupal stage, where the caterpillars leave the fruit in late summer and create a cocoon in winter.
  • Adult stage, where the cycle begins again as the moths are born.

If the weather is right, this cycle can repeat itself 2-3 times a year. The first generation will cause fruit to fall from the tree, the second and third are the ‘worms’ in your fruit, and the third generation is the one that pupates over winter.

The moths are grey with brown bands and bronze markings and have a 20mm wing span. They can be 10-15 mm in length. They tend to crawl up tree trunks when they hatch from their cocoons rather than fly.

Evidence of infected fruit is the tiny brown holes on the skin and the black poo trails going from the skin to the core (where the caterpillar feeds on the seeds). There is no remedy at this stage. Discard any fruit including any dropped on the ground. Burn it or feed it to chooks but do not compost it. Do this weekly.

Good garden hygiene is essential to deter codling moth. When the caterpillars exit the fruit, they look for crevices in the bark of the tree, litter in tree forks, or mulch/leaves on the ground in which to create their cocoons. Clearing out loose bark, litter in the junctions and mulch/leaves in the vicinity of the trees is a good start.

There are numerous ways of deterring codling moth, some physical and some chemical. Personally, I find chooks best, especially if confined to an orchard. They will rummage around the base of the fruit trees and eat the young moths. However if you don’t have chooks, you might like to try one of the following methods.

Tie a 5-10cm strip of corrugated cardboard around the trunk and large branches of each fruit tree in November and January. The cocoons will form in the corrugations. The cardboard should be replaced every 3 weeks and burnt, with the cardboard sleeves replaced (this can be done year round if you have the energy!). Similarly, you can create a ‘home’ for the cocoons by building fence paling traps which consist of 30cm paling offcuts, screwed together with a 5cm gap. These create a place for the caterpillars to form their cocoons. Hang these traps in the trees and inspect the traps every 3 weeks, clearing out any pupating larvae.

Bait traps are also effective. Use a plastic bottle with a hole cut in the side, hang it in the tree and fill the base with a 5cm depth of molasses or diluted port or sherry covered with a cooking oil. The sweetness is attractive to the moth which will enter the trap and become caught in the oil. The moth can also be trapped by sticky horticultural glue painted around the tree trunk and scaffold branches, and pheromone traps which you can purchase from nurseries.

Chemical treatments include pyrethrum (which I don't recommend as it is a wide spectrum spray and kills beneficial insects as well as non-beneficial), Dipel (which needs to be timed well and is only effective once caterpillars have developed) and eco oil (also time sensitive in that you need to locate all eggs on leaves – and an adult can lay 60 at a time – and smother them with the oil).

Clearly, prevention is the best method and using an integrated pest management approach year round that incorporates a number of methods is most effective.

More on yacon

A few weeks ago, we published a video by Pam Jenkins on harvesting yacon. Since then, I have harvested my yacon and the photo is just a small sample of what I dug up (to gauge size, look at the 50c piece in the photo). It produced an enormous number of tubers and, via Incredible Edible Eltham, I have been giving them away to my neighbours. One such is Mei Yen Ooi who has written in: “It’s interesting when eaten raw but I’ve also tried cooking it. When cooked, it tasted almost identical to another vegetable I grew up with, called jicama. However it’s very rare to find jicama here in Melbourne and we haven’t had it for years!”

Another neighbour, Angie O’Connor, has sent in this poem:

Oh, yacon
I reckon
to snack on
you beckon.

Angie’s father, John, recently sent me the following poem:

A signal from E.T. afar
was sent to Earth via galah
but no one had the wit
to comprehend it
galahs being smarter, by far.

Yes, you did know (maybe)!

Two weeks ago, Paul Hemsworth asked why earthworms were ending up drowned in his bird bath.

Michelle Cheah: “It seems that earthworms are attracted to moisture. They come out of the ground on a rainy day not to escape drowning in the ground but because the extra moisture helps them take in more oxygen through their skin and also to migrate longer distances across soil. They can move further over wet soil overground than they can underground by burrowing. The pool of water in the birdbath is concentrated moisture so that is probably what is drawing them towards it. I have also found that earthworms don’t drown per se and can live fully submerged underwater for days, although extended exposure to sunlight can paralyse them and make them appear dead. I suggest that Paul checks the bird bath daily and rescues any that he finds. Alternatively, raise the bird bath if practical to do so.”

Deb Thomson: “I am assuming the earthworms are seeking out that extra moisture and then drown. Perhaps Paul could try wiping the outsides of his bird bath, down to the ground, with eucalyptus oil to see if this deters the worms on their suicide mission.”

Tracey O’Neill: “ I have seen birds dropping earthworms into a bird bath. Perhaps they don’t realise how deep the water is and are unable to fish the worm back out?”

Peta Heywood: “I think birds (magpies) go to have a drink and leave their worm behind. I can’t prove it yet.”

Do you know?

Melita Proebstl asks: “Will my strawberry fruit ripen at this time of year or should I cut them off. Should I also cut the flowers off?” Email me with your answer.

Want a job?

Farm Hand – Animal Husbandry and Farm Operations at Collingwood Children’s Farm. Full-time. No salary range given. Closing date 31st July. Read more and apply.

Want to buy a face mask and support a worthy cause?

Last week, we discussed how Virginia Solomon would be selling handmade face masks at Eltham Farmers’ Market, with all proceeds going to Permaculture Australia. Well, they sold out within an hour!

I decided to have a look around Virginia’s website. It’s rather well written. For example, here is what she says about the current lockdown (which she calls ‘Iso 2’): “Iso 1 came during harvest time for us … We considered ourselves lucky and looked forward to lovely days in the garden and less lovely ones doing crafts and sorting jobs around the house. But Iso 2 is different … It is mid-winter, it is dank and depressing outside … I can feel myself, almost literally, sinking – deflated, unmotivated, drifting into inertia. So I decided to only do what I normally do, and to share it. By focussing on the simple repetitive tasks that keep my ‘system’ ticking along, I hope to focus on what I can have an influence over. Small successes, little gestures for my co-inhabitants, fellow creatures and me. I can’t cure the pandemic, I can’t cope with the statistics and hyperbole, but I can maintain my resilient permie ecosystem.”

One of Virginia’s ‘little gestures’ has been articles about kefir and sourdough cultures, naturally brewed vinegars and sourdough crackers.

Want any more newsletters?

If this newsletter is not enough for you, here are two other local newsletters that you might like to try.

The monthly Sustainable Macleod newsletter is mainly about food happenings in Macleod but also has lots of veggie growing tips, many written by Robin Gale-Baker. Read the latest issue. Subscribe.

The weekly Melbourne Farmers Markets newsletter is centred on their various farmers’ markets but increasingly builds on this to include various food-related articles. Read the latest issue. Subscribe.

Three more articles from Angelo Eliades

How to plant seedlings.

Three simple soil tests to determine what type of soil you have.

How to grow, prune and propagate raspberries.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

A poem from Pam Jenkins

I had a little peach tree,
Nothing did it bear,
But some mushrooms right down near the ground,
And a pumpkin way up in the air.

    
Over the years, Pam has now submitted 5 food-related poems to this newsletter. And she is one of 8 local poets featured on our website.

What seeds to plant in August

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

Leafy greens

Lettuce
Mustard greens
Rocket
Alliums

Leeks
Onion
Spring onions
Warm season veggies

Capsicum
Chilli
Eggplant
Tomato
Other

Asparagus
Beetroot
Coriander
Globe artichoke
Parsnip
Potato
Radish

 

As Spring begins to beckon, the list begins to grow. Note that the warm season veggies can only be planted in August if under cover in seed trays.

Guy’s fruit growing tip – blueberries

The main species of blueberry is called ‘highbush’, of which there are two types: ‘northern’ (which is deciduous) and ‘southern’ (evergreen). Traditionally, it has been the deciduous northern type that has been planted in Melbourne but Bruce Plain, owner of Bulleen Art & Garden nursery, tells me that, with climate change, the evergreen southern type is becoming increasingly popular. I have roughly equal success (or, more precisely, lack of success!) with both types. If you want to grow the deciduous northern type, now is the time to buy it from your local nursery. If, however, you want to grow the evergreen southern type, wait until Spring. All the varieties seem similar to me in terms of both growing habit and taste.

Blueberries are not grown in normal soil! Rather, they require a pH of 4.5-5.5, which is very acidic. To make the soil this acidic, you can add some granulated sulphur and dig it through the according to the instructions on the packet. To keep the soil acidic, mulch with pine needles. There are a number of pine trees along the Yarra, for example at Lenister Farm – simply take some big bags and scoop the needles off the ground. Keep the mulch away from the stem to prevent collar rot.

Read more of Guy’s food-growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

It is lambing time at the farm. The new lambs are born at the end of winter so that they can take advantage of spring pasture growth. My entire family normally helps out to mark the lambs. Due to restrictions, only my husband is travelling this year to help out and he works on his own in the yards in social isolation. However when he leaves, there is a box of Grandma’s yo yos waiting for him to bring home. They remind us that food does bring us together.

There is some debate in the family as to whether these biscuits are melting moments or yo yos, but Grandma says that if they are made with custard powder then they are yo yos and we go with that. This is a good simple recipe if you are out of eggs (our chickens have not laid for the past few months). It is also good for home schooling, as the amounts should be measured and it is important to count the biscuits so that each has a pair.

Grandma’s yo yos

340g butter
120g icing sugar
120g custard powder, sifted
340g plain flour

The icing
4 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tablespoon soft butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
a little water

Cream the butter and icing sugar.

Add the sifted custard powder and flour a little at a time and mix well into a dough. Roll into small balls, flatten slightly on a tray and press down with a fork.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 160degC. Cool on trays.

Make the icing by mixing all ingredients together, adding water a little at a time until the icing is spreadable but not too runny.

Ice one biscuit and top with a second.

Read more of Megan’s recipes.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – garden invertebrates

8 photos were submitted.

Cathy Romeo
St. Andrew’s cross spider		 Karin Motyer
Ladybird		 Nada Cunningham
Golden orb spider(?)
Rita Varrasso
Snail		 Susan Palmer
Huntsman spider		 Tracey Bjorksten
Green grocer cicada
Yennie Starkey
Earthworm		 Yennie Starkey
Praying mantis

 

Rita Varrasso: “Did you know that garden snails have 4 noses, no ears, 14,000 teeth and 2 eyes on tall tentacles?”

Nada Cunningham: Can anyone confirm or correct my identification of the golden orb spider?” Email your answer.

Fly Pie! a poem by Robert Lastdrager

Thanks to Robert Lastdrager for sending in this poem about that well-known invertebrate, the fly.

There once was a fly who thought of nothing but pies
The pastry, the gravy and sauce
Then one lunchtime from high in the sky
It spotted the flurry of an apron in a hurry.

All caution abandoned on a table it landed,
And with a hop and a skip it stood on the lip
“Eureka!” it cried “What a lovely pie”
And sat down and started to sip.

With a splosh and a sigh the sauce was applied
As dribble glistened on a chin
With nostrils flared and napkin prepared
Fly and pie were hoisted toward a large toothless grin.

Out came a tongue with a lick and a smack
And after a mouth full came a terrible cough and a hack
“There’s a pie in my fly, I mean a fly in my pie!” a voice cried
As the blowie jumped with nowhere to hide.

To the kitchen window it flew
Through a small hole in the fly screen it knew
It looked to the sky and said with a sigh
“Ah, there’s always cat food and poo“

The theme from two weeks ago – garden birds

One of the bird pictures submitted two weeks ago was Cathy Romeo’s photo of a grey butcherbird. Lyn Richards has now written in say that grey butcherbirds in different areas sing different songs. They often sing a favourite phrase involving two birds – male first, female responding. It’s almost ‘postcode specific’ and a few kilometres away, you can hear another duetting pair with a different phrase altogether. Their song is a social song, usually a duet, sometimes with more group members. It’s often antiphonal – i.e. different group members sing different phrases sequentially, or even overlapping, so you can’t tell if more than one is singing. And it’s territorial, announcing the territory with loud, clear, musical boundaries. Most songs are sung with more than one phrase, lasting up to 15 minutes. This video shows how their duetting works.

This week’s theme – garden vertebrates other than birds

This week’s photo theme will be ‘garden vertebrates other than birds’, which includes mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

To get you started, here is a photo of an echidna that periodically enters my garden.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The Horticultural Researcher job opportunity at Gardening Australia (now closed).

Proverb/idiom of the month

Storm in a teacup (British English) or tempest in a teapot (American English). Meaning: an overreaction to a minor event. This expression probably derives from the dim and distant past, namely when Cicero in De Legibus wrote about billows in a ladle (circa 52BC). Its first use in English was as storm in a cream bowl (1678), after which it became tempest in a teapot (circa 1790), storm in a wash-hand basin (1830) and, finally, storm in a teacup (1838). The great antiquity of the phrase is reflected by its existence in numerous modern languages (Wikipedia lists around 40).

Read about more food-related proverbs/idioms.

Gardening quote of the month

“Cooking, decorating, diet/self-help and gardening books are guilty pleasures and useful time fillers.” by Hillary Clinton.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke of the week

Submitted by David Hicks: If a plant is sad, do other plants photosympathise with it?

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Pest control with companion planting: Saturday, 1st August, 1.30-2.30pm; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Chicken saagwala: Saturday, 8th August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chicken tikka masala: Saturday, 15th August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Rogan josh: Saturday, 29th August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Previously announced events

Understanding and improving your soil: Saturday, 1st August, 10.30-11.30am; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Chickpea curry: Saturday, 1st August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

What’s wrong with ultra-processed foods?: Tuesday, 18th August, 1.30-2.30pm; free; organised by University of Melbourne.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News July 22 2020

Jul 222020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Carol Woolcock, Cathy Romeo, Chantelle Ladouceur, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Drew Barr, Fay Loveland, Janet King, Jo Buckle, Lyn Richards, Megan Goodman, Pam Jenkins, Rita Varrasso, Saimon Boyle, Shellie Drysdale, Shiva Vasi, Stuart Rodda, Vasundhara Kandpal, Virginia Solomon and Yennie Starkey.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Abbotsford Convent (relocated to Alphington) and Coburg. Not Wonga Park.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – curry

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

Black lentil curry Pumpkin curry Veggie butter masala

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

As I’ve got space, I’m going to put my favourite of the three recipes (pumpkin curry) in full below but you will have to go to the website to read the other two (black lentil curry and veggie butter masala).

Pumpkin curry

Ingredients
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon onion seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 cups pumpkin, diced
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup tomatoes, chopped (optional)
salt to taste

Method

Heat oil. Keep checking the oil to see if it is hot enough to do the tempering.

Add all the seeds. They should make a noise / splatter. Make sure it does not burn. Add the diced pumpkin or squash. Add the salt and turmeric. Sprinkle some water.

Cover with a lid and let it sit to cook on medium or low flame until the pumpkin is soft. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes soften and mash well.

Serve. You can add lemon on top if you want.

Note: You can cook in a pan or a pressure cooker. If using a pan, cover it with a lid.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

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

Pam on the problems with her citrus trees

With the Stage 3 restrictions, some of our readership are upping their production of material for this newsletter. Pam Jenkins is one of them. This week, Pam has produced a video about the problems with her citrus trees. Here is what she says about her lemon tree: “we discovered that the tree was badly affected with collar rot. This is a known problem in citrus and is often caused by people allowing their moist mulch to remain right up against the trunk. We thought that the tree was so badly affected that it would die off in a fairly short time frame. With the intention of replacing it, we didn’t treat the rot by cutting back the diseased bark and the applying fungicide. A couple of years later, we created some terraces in the area and discovered that the tree had been planted too deeply, so we pulled the soil away from the trunk to root level and now maintain it there. The disease continues slowly and, at some point, the tree will no doubt succumb.”

Watch Pam’s video.

Yes, you did know!

Two weeks ago, Beata Clark asked about how to make sustainable potting mix, particularly the mineral content.

Saimon Boyle’s response: “50% sand to 50% compost should provide both the drainage and the nutrients needed“.

No, you didn’t know

No one has yet answered Paul Hemsworth’s question from last week about why earthworms end up drowned in his bird bath. Email me with your answer.

No one has answered Georgina Aquilina’s (aquaponics) question from the previous week.

Want to buy a face mask and support a worthy cause?

Virginia Solomon will be selling handmade face masks at next Sunday’s (26th July) Eltham Farmers’ Market. The face masks are made by volunteers with a removable nose wire and a non-woven filter layer. They come in 3 sizes to fit men, women/teens, and children 4-9. $17 each or 2 for $30. Cash only. All proceeds to Permaculture Australia helping minimise the impact of single-use masks in the waste stream. The fabrics shown in the photo are indicative only.

Drew Barr on decomposers

Watch this video where newsletter reader Drew Barr explains the role of decomposers in breaking down and returning nutrients to the soil.

[Editor: Question – when did Mozart stop composing? Answer – when he started decomposing.]

What to do with your spent mushroom kits

Stuart Rodda spread them in his garden and covered them with mulch. After rain/seepage kept the area wet, look what happened!

Methods for drying out your re-usable silicone wraps

Shiva Vasi has written in: “For years I’ve struggled with drying my silicone food wraps, they are sticky and get scrunched up during the wash. That is until my son came up with the idea of hanging them from the rangehood.” (See left hand photo)

At our house, we use a suctioned-on towel rail for a similar purpose (see middle photo). We also have some tailored bowl covers which are dried out on a pasta tree (see right hand photo).

  

Shiva and I both bought our silicone food wraps from Hurstbridge-based Going Green Solutions.

Carol’s feral tomatoes

Those of you with good memories may remember when Carol Woolcock sent in some pictures about some feral tomatoes in her garden. Well, she has now written in to say that they are still ripening on the now very shrivelled vine, perhaps being warmed by the adjacent compost bin.

Another article from Angelo Eliades

Angelo’s latest article discusses Is rabbit manure good to use in the garden?. Hint: the answer is ‘yes’.

Incidentally, the private Facebook group Poop for Plants aims to connect those in Victoria with excess animal poop with gardeners seeking poop. Most of the offerings are from rabbits or guinea pigs. Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

More on gall wasp

July’s Warrandyte Diary had an article by Sandi Miller on the subject.

Stuart Rodda says that he has just bought a 12.5Kg bag of ‘Surround WP’, a calcined kaolin which is reported to deter gall wasp, for $98 at Hoogies Rural in Yarra Glen.

Want a job at Gardening Australia?

Horticultural Researcher based in Melbourne CBD. Working within the research team you will develop and deliver innovative gardening content for the 2020 season. 4 month contract. Around $80K pro rata. Read more and apply.

Some new Morag Gamble videos

Morag Gamble is a permaculture person who lives in Queensland and has a variety of websites and blogs. She has recently started producing a series of videos under the heading sense-making in a changing world and featuring people such as David Holgren and Mariam Issa. She is also a prolific publisher on Youtube. Thanks for the heads up, Fay Loveland!

Watch The Need To Grow

You can now watch The Need To Grow film online for free.

Guy’s fruit growing tip – valencia oranges

Winter is the season when many citrus trees bear fruit. But there is one type of citrus which fruits in summer, namely the valencia orange. So, for example, if you have both a navel orange and a valancia orange, then you will have oranges in both winter and summer.

Read more of Guy’s food-growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

I’m finally cutting back and tying in the raspberry canes and it makes me feel like I have actually achieved something this week. They look ready for summer fastened neatly on their wires, the last few ‘autumn’ raspberries finally finished.

As the days begin to get longer, and the shadows start to recede from the backyard, I can see that the veggies are finally beginning to put on some growth. The peas are now climbing the netting strongly and the broad beans seem to double in height each week. The leafy greens are growing strongly and the rocket is rocketing.

Yet, when the sun drops behind the hills and the chill sets in, old-fashioned comfort food is called for, preferably a recipe that helps use the glut of lemons this year. This lemon delicious is a lighter form of lemon pudding that is warm and comforting.

Lemon delicious

2 eggs, separated
1 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon self-raising flour
rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
juice from 2 lemons
1 cup milk

Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.

Add the flour, milk, well-beaten egg yolks, lemon juice and rind. Mix well.

Beat the egg whites until still and fold gently into the pudding mix. Pour into an oven-proof dish and set in an oven tray filled with some water.

Bake at 160degC until set and golden.

Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – garden birds

16 photos were submitted. If you only want to look at a few of them, my suggestion would be the gang-gang cockatoos, the grey butcherbird and the tawny frogmouth because they are all unusual visitors. I have ordered the pictures by bird name.

Australian magpie
Eltham
Choon Yin Yeok		 Gang-gang cockatoo
Eltham
Shellie Drysdale		 Gang-gang cockatoo
Hawthorn East
Janet King
Grey butcherbird
Eltham North
Cathy Romeo		 King parrot
Eltham
Shellie Drysdale		 King parrot
Eltham North
Chris Kent
King parrot
Research
Virginia Solomon		 Laughing kookaburra
Fitzroy
Jo Buckle		 Peacock
Eltham
Rita Varrasso
Rainbow lorikeets
Eltham
Shellie Drysdale		 Rainbow lorikeet
Fitzroy
Jo Buckle		 Rainbow lorikeets
Research
Virginia Solomon
Red wattlebird
Heidelberg Heights
Yennie Starkey		 Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Research
Virginia Solomon		 Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Seabrook
Chantelle Ladouceur
   
Tawny frogmouth
Eltham
Shellie Drysdale		    

Chris Kent: “The picture is of a male (red-headed) king parrot eating a green tomato. I have never seen a female (green-headed) king parrot eating a red tomato.”

Janet King: “The picture is of a male gang-gang cockatoo which was feeding on red berries in our garden. The female was feeding in the same tree but it wasn’t possible to get them both in the same photo. I believe that they always go around in pairs – for life apparently. I have never seen them before this year in Melbourne and they may have come in from more remote areas because of reduced availability of food.”

Jo Buckle: “When you know it’s time to net the apricots.”

Yennie Starkey: “This red wattlebird is feasting on our red hot poker [Kniphofia] plants. These vibrant plants provide a splash of colours during winter and food for these wattlebirds. They come most days.“

Here are a few random facts about some of these birds:

  • Unlike many other birds, the female Australian magpies sing as well as the males. The Australian magpie is actually a type of butcherbird, not a type of magpie.
  • Whilst male and female laughing kookaburras look similar, unusually they are ‘reverse size dimorphic’, which means that the adult females are typically larger than the adult males (by around 15%). They are also siblicidal, which means that the eggs in a clutch hatch at different times and, depending on the availability of food, the elder hatchlings might kill their younger siblings.
  • Sulphur-crested cockatoos are consistently left-handed
The theme from 2 weeks ago – garden art

Virginia Solomon, who is a Board Director of Permaculture Australia, has belatedly submitted the photo right. I wouldn’t normally allow this but I’ve made an exception here partly because Virginia wrote me a nice email apologising for her tardiness and partly because I like the photo. Here is how Virginia describes the art: “my three children made by the middle one (Mia) out of stove pipes and plough shares“.

This week’s theme – garden invertebrates

This week’s photo theme will be ‘garden invertebrates’, which includes insects, spiders, worms, etc. Send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

To get you started, here is a photo of a ladybird larva from my garden, in case you didn’t know what they look like.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Pam Jenkins’ video about her annual edible garden.

Joke of the week

Submitted by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery: Lettuce isolate and beet coronavirus..

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Understanding and improving your soil: Saturday, 1st August, 10.30-11.30am; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

What’s wrong with ultra-processed foods?: Tuesday, 18th August, 1.30-2.30pm; free; organised by University of Melbourne.

Waste, organic recycling and life cycle analysis: Wednesday, 26th August, 10am-4pm; $120; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Previously announced events

The hunger games – food safety at home: Friday, 24th July, 6-7pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Pest control with companion planting: Saturday, 25th July, 10.30-11.30am; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing fruit & veggies in small spaces: Saturday, 25th July, 1.30-2.30pm; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Introduction to mushroom foraging and identification: Saturday, 25th July, 2-3.30pm; $25; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Healthy productive compost & worms: Saturday, 25th July, 3.30-4.30pm; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Butter chicken: Saturday, 25th July, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Tuesday, 28th July, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Chickpea curry: Friday, 31st July, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chickpea curry: Saturday, 1st August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News July 15 2020

Jul 152020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Doris Glier, Elle Lawrence, Fiona Finch, Jon Buttery, Karin Motyer, Lee Hirsh, Linda Wall, Megan Goodman, Paul Hemsworth, Rita Varrasso, Sarah Hardgrove, Shiva Vasi and Soo Mei Leong.

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg. Not Carlton.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Yarra Valley.

A virtual tour of Pam Jenkins’ annual edible garden

Many of you will know Pam through her involvement in North East Region Permaculture (NERP), the planter boxes in Diamond Creek, Edible Hub, Hurstbridge and other local food organisations. Or you might have read about our visit to her garden a few years ago. Anyhow, she has now produced a video about her annual edible garden.

As Pam says in the words accompanying the video, “My annual garden is situated along the path to the chook shed. In permaculture terms, it is Zone 1, an area that I go to every day so that I can harvest my daily needs and check on the tender plants on the way to check for eggs. I make use of many found, free and re-purposed articles. I allow plants to go to seed and either use them as ground cover until I need the space or have a more appropriate space to grow them. If I don’t need them I give them away, chop them down for green manure or compost them, possibly via the digestive system of the chooks. I leave plants in the ground well past their use-by date so my garden is rarely neat and tidy but there is usually plenty to eat if I just look around a bit.“

Other points of interest include walking onions, the use of radishes to shade carrot seedlings, and the ‘square foot gardening’ method.

Watch Pam’s video.

Local food producer news – Howqua Truffles

Howqua Truffles have a truffle farm near Mansfield but live in Eltham. Starting this year, they are selling their truffles to the public. The truffles cost $2 per gram. Minimum order of 20 grams. Pickup from central Eltham. Order by phone (0409 414 325) or email. Pay by electronic bank transfer in advance (in which case, pickup can be contactless) or by card or cash on pickup. You’ll have to be quick because the truffle season is apparently very short and will end in August.

Yes, you did know!

Georgina Aquilina asked for tips for keeping possums away from veggie boxes.

Angelo Eliades: “The easiest way to keep possums out of veggie beds is to cover them with 10mm woven bird netting or, even better, 2mm insect exclusion netting (which also provides 20% shade). Just use some cloche hoops or other supports to hold the netting up to give the plants root to grow. The insect netting, as the name suggests, will also keep insect pests out and comes as either 2.8m wide or 6m wide netting on a roll, so you can purchase the length you require to cover the garden bed.“

Elle Lawrence: “A hungry possum will eat anything; goodbye to anything with flower heads on them also. The only way to protect your hard work in the garden is to have a barrier they can’t get into. I’ve used possum repellants of every type but they don’t work. I finally resorted to building a walk-in, wire-covered structure with gates. As shown by the scat on the ground, they crawl over the top of the wire roof trying to get in.“

No, you didn’t know

As we know from the last few months, it takes a couple of weeks for some of you to respond so here are some of the questions that were asked last week.

Beata Clark asked for tips for making her own sustainable potting mix, particularly to improve drainage. Email me with your answer.

Georgina Aquilina asked for tips on starting an indoor aquaponics system. Email me with your answer.

Do you know?

Paul Hemsworth: “Why do earthworms end up drowned in our bird bath? Admittedly it’s at ground level but it’s on concrete tiles at least half a metre from soil. What is the attraction of a plastic container of water?” Email me with your answer.

Maria’s recent food growing videos – corrected links

As pointed out by Linda Wall, the links to Maria Ciavarella’s recent videos did not work for some people. My apologies. Here are the corrected links:

In passing, Maria was the first person whose garden we visited and wrote up for this newsletter (in 2016). Read Helen’s writeup of the visit to Maria’s garden.

A poem – The whisk and the paint brush

Lee Hirsh has sent in the following poem entitled The whisk and the paint brush:

Beat the yoke with the white
Luscious layers blend nature’s hues
Blend nature’s ingredients
Nature’s enmeshment
Ooze squelch smear
Bubbles and froth seep through the metal gaps of the whisk
While the paint and the pigment hold it together
A domestic artistic marriage
Consuming passions unite.

Read more food-related poems by newsletter readers on our website.

Another article from Angelo Eliades

Angelo’s latest article is about When the lower leaves of a tomato plant turn yellow.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Guy’s fruit growing tip – peaches and leaf curl

Two tips in one this week.

Almonds, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums are all very closely related (genus Prunus) and are collectively known as stone fruit. They can all be planted now as bare-rooted trees. If you have never grown any stone fruit before, my suggestion is that you start with a plum tree because they have fewer problems than the others: almonds – sometimes doesn’t come out of dormancy; apricots – brown rot and gummosis; cherries – pear and cherry slug; and nectarines and peaches – leaf curl.

If you have a nectarine or peach tree (nectarines are just varieties of peach where the skin is smooth), then now is the time to keep your eye on them as you will soon need to spray with a copper fungicide if you want to prevent leaf curl. As Agriculture Victoria says, “Most effective control is achieved by spraying when the buds are swelling but before they have opened.” If you need help identifying bud swelling (as opposed to just buds), have a look at this video from Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens. Here is what Gardening Australia says on the subject.

On my peach tree, some of the buds are swelling whilst others aren’t. So, I will need to apply the copper fungicide multiple times. Both Angelo Eliades and Sarah Hardgrove have told me that the copper spray can only be used when it is freshly made up (i.e. it does not keep) so I will be inspecting the tree every day and making up small amounts to spray the relevant buds.

Read more of Guy’s food-growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

The swelling buds on the peach trees remind me that Spring will come and, along with the warmer weather, there will hopefully be better news for Melbourne. I have two peach trees- a reliable Anzac, which is a white-fleshed early variety, and a young China Flat, which has unusual donut shape fruit. Along with cherries, the Anzac is always one of the first stone fruit to ripen (usually before Christmas). It is not too late to plant bare-rooted fruit trees now.

Last week, I obtained some large bags of coffee grounds from my local café. I spread these under all the fruit trees, particularly under the apple trees. I have been doing this for a number of years now. Since the first time, I have not had any trouble with codling moth and my untested gardener’s theory is that, when any pupate in spring around the trees, they do not survive the strong coffee grounds.

The bonus is that the backyard smells like coffee and the scent mingles with the dampness and earth. I cut a large bunch of kale (cavolo nero) on my way back to make myself a cup of coffee.

Cavolo nero with chilli

500g cavolo nero (or other winter greens like silverbeet)
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra to serve)
1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the greens and remove the central stem. Cut or shred into 5cm lengths. Blanch in boiling salted water for around 3-4 minutes and then drain well.

Fry the finely chopped garlic and de-seeded chilli in olive oil over a gentle heat. Add the blanched greens, toss for around 1 minute then remove from the heat and turn into a serving bowl.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. You can use dried chilli flakes instead and adjust the amount of either fresh or dried chilli as desired.

Serve on toasted sourdough bread.

Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – garden art

13 photos were submitted.

Cathy Romeo
Alan Marshall		 Cathy Romeo
White cabbage butterfly		 Choon Yin Yeok
You have been watched
Doris Glier
Letterbox art		 Fiona Finch
Letterbox art		 Jon Buttery
Teapot
St Johns Community Garden
Karin Motyer
Green man		 Lee Hirsh Rita Varrasso
Gone fishing
Shiva Vasi
Hurstbridge Learning Co-operative		 Shiva Vasi
Hurstbridge Learning Co-operative		 Shiva Vasi
Hurstbridge Learning Co-operative
   
Soo Mei Leong
The tin man		    

 

Cathy Romeo: “We had lots of white cabbage butterflies in our garden earlier this year, just as we had gone into lockdown the first time, so, having lots of time on my hands, and plastic yoghurt lids to recycle, I decided to make some white butterflies to deter the white cabbage butterflies from laying eggs on our brassicas. I had read that the white cabbage butterflies are territorial and won’t land or lay their eggs where there are other butterflies. So, I made quite a few and spread them around the broccolletti seedlings. Well … I guess they thought they were art installations as they weren’t deterred at all! I even saw one land on one of my works of art! The butterfly shapes did have black markings on them originally and looked more realistic but they have now faded off.
So, not successful botanically, but fun and now a permanent feature of our veggie garden.“

Jon Buttery: “Our compost teapot produced magnificent leaf mould this year. In the height of summer, when I poked my hand into the pot, the inside was wet.“

Soo Mei Leong: “Just like the character the Tin Man in the movie ‘Wizard of Oz’, who went in search of a heart, my Tin Man, which I acquired from Bulleen Art & Garden nursery years ago, is the heart of my veggie garden! Holding a cooking pot, he is unfazed by the weather, be it pouring rain or searing heat. Neither does he mind the ‘bees in his bonnet’ that frequent the echium shrub next to him.“

This week’s theme – garden birds

This week’s photo theme will be ‘garden birds’. Send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

To get you started, here is a photo of a pied currawong in my garden eating cuckoo pint berries.

The theme from a few weeks ago – flowers

After seeing Soo Mei Leong’s photo of a protea, Paul Hemsworth has written in: “While I can’t say that I’m greatly enamoured of the protea flower, I love the result after the flower has gone. We have two in our Christmas wreath.“

  

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The Monash University online course entitled Food as Medicine..

Joke of the week

Submitted by Michelle Hegarty: A protest about fairy bread has been organised. Police are expecting hundreds and thousands..

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Thermomix lunchbox workshop: Tuesday, 21st July, 7.30-9.30pm; free; organised by Thelma and Louise Workshops. Read more and book on EventBrite.

The hunger games – food safety at home: Friday, 24th July, 6-7pm; free; organised by Moreland City Libraries. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Pest control with companion planting: Saturday, 25th July, 10.30-11.30am; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Growing fruit & veggies in small spaces: Saturday, 25th July, 1.30-2.30pm; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Introduction to mushroom foraging and identification: Saturday, 25th July, 2-3.30pm; $25; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Healthy productive compost & worms: Saturday, 25th July, 3.30-4.30pm; $20; organised by Bulleen Art & Garden nursery. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Butter chicken: Saturday, 25th July, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chickpea curry: Friday, 31st July, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Chickpea curry: Saturday, 1st August, 5-6pm; $29; organised by Cook Indian by the Creek. Read more and book via Facebook.

Previously announced events

Fire and fungi: Thursday, 16th July, 6.30-7.30pm; $25 (recommended donation); organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Soil health with Kat Lavers: Monday, 20th July, 6.30-9pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Tuesday, 28th July, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

Whitehorse Council are publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability.

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News July 8 2020

Jul 082020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Aziza de Fazio, Beata Clark, Bronwen Whyatt, Cathy Romeo, Choon Yin Yeok, Chris Kent, Dione Fisher, Doris Glier, Fay Loveland, Fiona Finch, Georgina Aquilina, Karin Motyer, Melissa Tripodi, Natalie Nigol, Pam Jenkins, Rita Varrasso, Shiva Vasi, Soo Mei Leong, Vanessa Reynolds, Velyne Moretti, Virginia Solomon, Yvonne Ashby and Zofia Di Stefano.

Note that most of this newsletter was written before the recent announcement of the re-introduction of Stage 3 restrictions.

Farmers’ market news

Regional Farmers’ Market have just announced that they will be reducing their number of farmers’ markets from 15 to 8. As a result, all three of their farmers’ markets in North East Melbourne (Bundoora Park, Croydon and Heathmont) have ceased to operate. Read their Facebook post on the subject.

Local food producer news – Microtown

Microtown, who are an Eltham-based grower of microgreen herbs and vegetables, have become a stallholder at Eltham Farmers’ Market. They are scheduled to attend on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month so they should be at the market this upcoming Sunday (12th July). Welcome Cate and Graeme!

What farmers’ markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg and Collingwood Children’s Farm (re-located to Alphington).

On Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Whitehorse.

Food swap news

Because of the re-introduced Stage 3 restrictions in the neighbouring suburbs, the Pascoe Vale Food Swap didn’t actually happen last weekend.

Pam talks about yacon

Pam Jenkins, from Diamond Creek, has produced a short video on her experience growing and harvesting yacon. She has also written some words to accompany the video.

As Pam says, yacons form two sorts of roots:

  1. Small, reddish coloured rhizomes close to the base of the plant which are used to propagate the next season’s crop.
  2. Bigger, brown tubers that are the plant’s storage roots which are harvested for eating.

Last spring, Pam kindly gave me a couple of yacon rhizomes which I grew and have recently harvested. They are really worth growing: the tubers (surprisingly) have both a taste and a texture a bit like an apple, you get lots of tubers from a single plant, and the plants seem to thrive with little care. I mostly eat them raw in salads or in stir fries. The only downside is that they do require a bit of space (at least 0.5 metres in each direction and 2 metres in height).

Finally, Pam says that she kept some yacon tubers in the crisper for a few days and that they really sweetened up beautifully and were much nicer to eat than the ones straight out of the ground.

Watch Pam’s video and read her words.

Fighting hunger in Diamond Valley

Diamond Valley Community Support (DVCS), who are based in Greensborough, is organising a Fighting Hunger in Diamond Valley Week from 3rd August to 10th August. DVCS is an emergency relief organisation that has supported the Diamond Valley region since 1972 and they are looking for food donations to help feed local community members in need.

You can get involved by either hosting a small food drive (dry goods only: cereal, pasta, sauces, cans, instant meals, etc) or by making a donation. Contact them by phone (9435 8282) or email (volunteers@dvsupport.org.au) to discuss further.

A new gardening program for older residents in Darebin

Delivered in accordance with social distancing measures, the ‘Buds’ program aims to support older residents to maintain an active involvement in gardening by buddying up with a young helper from the local community. There is a small cost ($10 per month) but it is heavily subsidised and entitles you to three hours of support per month. Read more.

Yes, you did know!

Two weeks ago, Darryl Wilson asked if anyone know of any courses in medicinal plants so that he could potentially help his paraplegic brother-in-law. We have now had two replies.

Melissa Tripodi has written in to say that she is studying naturopathy and that she has plenty of resources on medicinal herbs to share with Darryl. She also says that The Shift Network has some courses on aspects of mind body medicine.

Pam Jenkins has now written in to point out that the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash University runs a free, three week online course entitled Food as Medicine.

Thanks Melissa and Pam!

Do you know?

Beata Clark asks: “I’m looking for advice about sustainable potting mix, particularly the mineral content. I’d like to make my own and I produce a lot of compost but need something to improve drainage. I don’t feel good about using river sand. The British use a lot of grit, which is a quarried product. Is there anything I can use that is more eco-friendly?” Email me with your answer.

Georgina Aquilina asks: has anyone got any tips for keeping possums away from veggie boxes? Email me with your answer.

Georgina Aquilina also asks: has anyone got any tips on starting an indoor aquaponics system? Email me with your answer.

More on some of last week’s discussion items

Dealing with oxalis

Virginia Solomon has written in to say that, whilst Oxalis corniculata, or common wood sorrel, is a common weed in Melbourne, the species that is currently giving everyone grief right now is Oxalis pes-caprae. But, as Virginia says, it is dormant for most of the year and she thinks that we over-stress about it.

Chris Kent has also written in to say that, whilst Oxalis corniculata is certainly a weed, it is more easily controlled than the far more prevalent Oxalis pes-caprae. Indigenous to South Africa, O. pes-caprae is an invasive species and noxious weed in many parts of the world. It has a reputation for being very difficult to eliminate due to propagation through its underground bulbs. By contrast, O. corniculata spreads on the surface with a creeping stem which readily roots at the nodes and it is easily removed.

Incidentally, Oxalis pes-caprae is a good example of how Latin names are so much more precise than English ones: Wikipedia give the following alternative English names for Oxalis pes-caprae – Bermuda buttercup, African wood-sorrel, Bermuda sorrel, buttercup oxalis, Cape sorrel, English weed, goat's foot, sourgrass, soursob and soursop. So, Virginia's soursop and Chris’s English weed is my goat's foot!

Seed germination

Fay Loveland has written in to point out that the seeds of some vegetables remain viable for much longer than others. This article on The Seed Collection website provides some lists and also discusses how to store seeds. The Seed Collection are a Melbourne-based company who sell seeds online that are “heirloom, open pollinated, non-hybrid and non-GMO seeds with no chemical treatments“.

My take on the length of viability of seeds of different vegetables is provided in the right hand column of our veggie planting guide.

Angelo’s new articles

Newsletter reader Angelo Eliades has written an article about how to change soil pH. It follows on from his previous article about understanding soil pH and how it affects plant nutrient availability.

He has also written an article about white or tan spots on brassica leaves

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Maria’s recent food growing videos

Newsletter reader Maria Ciavarella has published a series of food growing videos over the last month:

Guy’s fruit growing tip – how to prune raspberries and blackberries

I have given this tip before but it is worth repeating. If you haven’t yet pruned your raspberries (or blackberries or raspberry/blackberry crosses), now is the time to do so.

There are two types of raspberry:

  • ‘Summer bearing’, which fruit once a year, on 2nd year canes in summer.
  • ‘Everbearing’ (aka ‘Autumn bearing’), which fruit twice a year, on 2nd year canes in summer, and on 1st year canes in autumn.

The two types should be pruned differently. If you haven’t yet worked out which type you have, prune them as though they are ‘summer bearers’. Also, prune both blackberries and blackberry/raspberry crosses (loganberries, marionberries, silvanberries, tayberries, etc) in the same way as ‘summer bearers’.

For the ‘summer bearers’: cut all the canes that have fruited down to the ground (because they won’t fruit again). If you don’t know which canes have fruited, they are the longer and thicker ones, and they often have multiple lateral branches. Thin the others to 5-7 per plant, shorten them as desired, and tie the ends to your trellis.

For the ‘everbearers’: you can prune them like the ‘summer bearers’, in which case you will get two crops (in summer and autumn), neither of which will be prolific. Alternatively, you can sacrifice next summer’s crop for a better autumn crop by simply cutting all the canes down to the ground. Clearly, the second approach would not be good if your raspberries are, in fact, ‘summer bearers’ as it will result in no fruit next year! But it is (arguably) the best approach if you want raspberries in the autumn, and it is also the quickest.

I rather like the Wikihow raspberry pruning page.

Read more of Guy’s food-growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

Thank you from Gippsland Seed Drive

It’s nice to know that we are connected. Gippsland Complete Heath is helping to keep school gardens in fire-affected areas running during lockdown and say thanks to all those who have supported their Gippsland Seed Drive in the past few weeks: “Now that the schools are back open, we’ve hit the ground running, desperate now to get some seeds planted for spring/summer. So any donations would be gratefully received. We can send through some pictures when they all come to life.”

Any spare seeds would be well received. Send to Gippsland Lakes Complete Health, PO Box 429 Lakes Entrance, VIC 3909.

My week

When there is disquiet, there is always the garden (and cooking!). All citrus are producing well, especially the lemons, limes and grapefruit. My children have been picking the grapefruit straight from the tree (even a little green) to eat. This week my aunt sent me some 1970’s era ‘grapefruit spoons’. They are a slightly longer teaspoon with a serrated tip that is designed to help cut out the grapefruit as you go (see photo). I had not seen these before and my children thought that they were great.

Orange custard tart

Here is my aunt’s citrus variation on my rhubarb tart. It has a soft orange custard filling which is wonderful.

Pastry
1 quantity of store bought sweet shortcrust pastry or make your own.

If making your own:
500g plain flour
250g butter at room temperature
5ml vanilla
100g caster sugar
50mls water

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until it comes together and rest in the fridge before using.

Filling (enough for a 20cm tart tin)
½ vanilla pod (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste)
150ml milk
150ml cream
3 large egg yolks
60g caster sugar
1 teaspoon plain flour
1 orange
50g sugar

Mix the milk, cream and vanilla in small saucepan and warm over a low heat (do not bring to boil). Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.

If using a vanilla pod, remove and scrape out the seeds into the milk mixture.

Add the finely grated rind of the orange (but save the orange). Add the egg yolks, sugar and flour and whisk together.

Roll out the pastry to cover your tin, prick the pastry with a fork and blind bake in 200degC oven.

Cool.

Add the filling. Slice the reserved whole orange into rounds and place on top. Bake 25-30mins at 180degC.

Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – winter flowers

16 people submitted photos. Thanks, everyone. If it had been a competition, I think Choon Yin Yeok’s photo of an Iceland poppy might have been the winner, with Rita Varrasso’s aloe vera the runner up.

Aziza de Fazio Bronwen Whyatt
Dahlia		 Cathy Romeo
Narcissus jonquilla
Jonquil
Choon Yin Yeok
Papaver nudicaule
Iceland poppy		 Chris Kent
Amaryllis belladonna
Naked lady lily		 Doris Glier
Fiona Finch Jules Dowling
Digitalis
Foxglove		 Karin Motyer
Narcissus jonquilla
Jonquil
Rita Varrasso
Aloe vera		 Shiva Vasi Soo Mei Leong
Protea
Vanessa Reynolds
Viola
Violet		 Velyne Moretti Yvonne Ashby
Acacia podalyriifolia
Queensland silver wattle
Zofia Di Stefano
Cyclamen

Here is what Soo Mei Leong said about her protea photo: “When days are shorter and colder, proteas bring colour and cheer as well as attracting birds to the garden. In the local tradition of South Africa, where they originate, they symbolise change and hope. There are only few countries in the world with the appropriate climate that can grow them, with Australia being one – we are indeed the lucky country! Expensive at times, they are long-lasting cut flowers that can be dried too – a truly worthy shrub to grow being hardy and fuss-free.”

And here is what Vanessa Reynolds said about her vase of violets: “” Violets are a favourite winter flower. Violets in a vase always bring me special memories of my mum, who died 4 years ago when violets were blooming too. She brought the little vase with her from the UK when we all migrated on the £10 Ten Pound Poms scheme. We were allowed to bring just one tea chest of belongings per person, around 1 cubic yard, and mum made space for a few special small treasures. We had no furniture, but I knew how much mum loved that vase. Especially with violets in it.”

This week’s theme – garden art

This week’s photo theme will be ‘garden art’. Send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

To get you started, here is a photo of a bird sculpture from my garden made from a spade, shears and other recycled iron.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Jian’s article on worm farms.

Joke of the week

What do the Australian Cricket Team and pancakes have in common? They both need a good batter!.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Soil health with Kat Lavers: Monday, 20th July, 6.30-9pm; free; organised by Whitehorse Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Previously announced events

Understanding and improving your soil: Saturday, 11th July, 10.30-11.30am; $20; organised by BAAG. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Fire and fungi: Thursday, 16th July, 6.30-7.30pm; $25 (recommended donation); organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Tuesday, 28th July, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Open Table offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

Whitehorse Council are publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability.

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News July 1 2020

Jul 012020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Aziza de Fazio, Helen Simpson, Jane Dyer, Jane Glynn, Jeremy Kesselbach, Jian Liu, Jonathan Warren, Karen Cheah, Karen Olsen, Karen Ye, Karin Motyer, Marjory Gardner, Stuart Muir Wilson, Velyne Moretti and Virginia Solomon.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Carlton and Coburg. Yes, that’s right, Carlton Farmers’ Market has re-started! Not Bundoora Park.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham. Not Heathmont.

Food swap news

Pascoe Vale Food Swap has re-started and is on this upcoming Saturday (4th July): 11am-1.30pm, Gavin Park (BBQ area), Pascoe Vale. Welcome Leila and Lisa!

North Coburg Food Swap has also re-started, with the next swap on 18th July.

The Diamond Village Food Swap in Watsonia is no more. Well done to Ken Johnson and others for keeping it going over the years.

Local food producer news

The Mushroom Shed had some homegrown ginger for sale at last Sunday’s Eltham Farmers’ Market. This apparently surprised some people who assumed that the Melbourne climate is unsuitable for growing it. As I know because I grow it every year, there is actually no problem growing ginger in Melbourne so long as you grow it in a pot. Plant in Spring, move the pot into your greenhouse or equivalent in Winter and harvest the following Winter (when it dies back). Ditto turmeric. Ditto galangal. Helen Simpson, joint proprietor of The Mushroom Shed, actually wrote an article for our website some years ago on how to grow ginger and turmeric in Melbourne.

Jane and Peter Dyer from Backyard Honey have just had a paper entitled A BeeC’s: changing our thinking to changing the world published in the UNESCO Observatory Multi-Disciplinary eJournal in the Arts.

Jian’s worm farm tips

Jian Liu, from Camberwell, has written an article for our website on worm farms. The material starts by discussing 3 key questions: Why bother? How much work is it? How much is it going to cost me? It then goes on to provide Jian’s top 10 tips for fostering happy, blissful worms. As you might guess if you have read Jian’s previous article on ponds, the material is both comprehensive and comprehensible plus there are lots of pictures of her set up.

Here are Jian’s 10 top worm farm tips:

  1. Location, location, location.
  2. Give your worms nice bedding to sleep in.
  3. Balance.
  4. Not too wet, not too dry.
  5. Keep me warm but not too hot.
  6. Don’t feed me too much.
  7. Feed me right.
  8. Avoid large amounts of acidic products.
  9. Eggshells!
  10. The fun part, harvesting worm poo!

Read the full article.

Want a paid job?

3000acres General Manager

General Manager at 3000acres. Full-time. $75-80K pa. Located in Alphington. Closing date: 21st July. Read more and apply.

At the Jesuit Social Services Ecological Justice Hub

They have 5 full- or part- time positions available at the moment. To view these positions, you have to register as a ‘sidekick’ on the Sidekicker website. When registering, check the box for environmental labouring.

Yes, you did know!

After last week’s prodding, four people wrote in identifying Stella’s legume as a hyacinth/lablab bean (Lablab purpureus). Thanks Jeremy, Jonathan, Karen C and Karen Y. It is people responding like this which really improves this newsletter.

Here are some relevant links: How to grow hyacinth or lablab beans (video), how to grow hyacinth been vines, fair dinkum seeds and Wikipedia.

Karen Ye says “In Asia, we eat them properly cooked. The raw ones may be poisonous.” According to Wikipedia: the fruit and beans are edible if boiled well with several changes of the water (otherwise, toxic); the leaves can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach; the flowers can be eaten raw or steamed; the root can be boiled or baked; and the seeds can be used in tofu or tempeh.

No, you didn’t know

Last week, Darryl Wilson asked if anyone know of any courses in medicinal plants so that he could potentially help his paraplegic brother-in-law. No one responded, perhaps because hardly any face-to-face courses are currently happening because of COVID-19. But it is clear that there are lots on online courses (just Google “medicinal plants courses”). Anyone got any recommendations? Email me.

Dealing with oxalis

Thanks to everyone who has offered to help Susan out. Thanks also for the following contributions.

Virginia Solomon: “I have the same problem, it is seasonal. I recommend against attempting to dig up all the little bulbs. It is very difficult and just spreads the problem. Rather, pulling the tops off the oxalis will set it back for the season.

“One method that works on large areas (i.e. where you don’t have other precious herbaceous things growing in the same area) is a 1:1 mixture of brown vinegar and water. I have not yet tried to see if white vinegar works too, but it probably does. Just bog standard $2 for 2 litre stuff. Spray on a dry day and try to get most leaves. When the first lot go black and shrivel, do it again on the ones that were hiding. Works a treat, although looks a bit unsightly. My experience is that the bulbs do not die immediately, but they look weaker and yellower the following year. I have done it for 2 years and am still battling!“

Karen Olsen: “Hand weeding of Oxalis will usually just spread it further! The most common species has tiny bulbils along the roots which will just love being left in the ground when the rest of the plant is weeded -a perfect reproduction mechanism. One of the better methods of eradication is to wait until oxalis in full flower (later winter) and then exclude light (i.e. use black plastic to exclude light and water for several months until its dead). Or remove the whole of the soil it is in.

“Also, my understanding is that oxalis is edible, which could help reduce, or at least re-frame, the problem. And, speaking of re-framing, it’s a fantastic nitrogen-fixing form of green manure, so there is some enjoyment factor to be had for gardeners.“

I also wrote in myself(!): “Oxalis is a large genus of plants (c600 species), commonly called wood sorrels, and most of the species are not considered to be weeds. For example, I have Oxalis purpurea in my lawn; its pretty, little, purple flowers appear in late Autumn every year and it’s not a problem in any way. The weed is, I think, Oxalis corniculata, or common wood sorrel.“

Guy’s veggie growing tip – seed germination

Here are a few thoughts that you might find helpful.

Traditionally, people divide vegetable seeds between those that you should plant directly where they will grow (‘sow direct’) and those which you should initially plant in seed trays, with subsequent transplantation after they become seedlings. Direct sowing is traditionally preferred for both big seeds (e.g. beans, pumpkin), on the positive grounds that they will germinate anyway, and for root crops (e.g. beetroot, carrot), on the negative grounds that they resent transplantation. Our planting guide lists the traditional planting method for each vegetable. My experience, however, is that I get better germination for just about all seeds if I plant them in seed trays in my greenhouse because I can control the environment better.

Some seeds germinate better if they have been pre-soaked overnight beforehand. My list here is beetroot, broad beans, capsicum, celery, chilli, okra, parsley, silverbeet and spinach. I think that it is for different reasons for different seeds and I just follow the rules.

Different seeds can be very different sizes but the same rule of thumb for planting depth applies to them all: 2-3 times the seed diameter.

Seed germination does not require fertiliser or other sources of NPK. Rather, initial germination requires water (to activate the relevant biochemical processes), oxygen (to break down the seed’s food store) and a physically friable medium (to grow through). So, I water my seeds every day (gently) and I plant them in a very light mixture of coir and sieved compost. Once the plant has germinated, its initial, main requirements are light, carbon dioxide and water so that the first (cotyledon) leaves can photosynthesise.

In passing, I think that we can sometimes mislead ourselves when we anthropomorphically apply our thinking and terminology to plants. For example, when talking about fertiliser and other sources of NPK, we often use the term ‘food’. But plant ‘food’ is more carbon dioxide and water, with NPK being more like ‘vitamins’.

Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

A friend has left a gift of lush seedlings on my doorstep today. He’d grown them from seed grown in the cut off ends of three litre milk bottles. The seedlings included celeriac (see photo) and Romanesco broccoli, both good for winter growing in Melbourne. I spent the afternoon planting them out in the veggie patch along with some rocket seeds.

We have been harvesting rocket, rocket and more rocket over the past few weeks. I’ve decided that you can never have too much rocket and a winter salad goes well with individual beef in red wine with thyme pies. I break off some sprigs of thyme to serve as I head inside out of the cold.

Basic beef in red wine with thyme

Makes six small oven proof ramekins or one larger pie dish.

1kg diced beef rump (or similar, cheaper cuts may need longer cooking)
375ml beef stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large brown onion
2 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
375ml red wine
200g mushrooms
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 carrots diced
2 tablespoons each of fresh thyme and parsley
plus 6 sprigs of thyme extra
2 sheets puff pastry
milk to glaze

In a heavy pan or pot, cook the onion in oil over a low heat until translucent.

Add the garlic and beef to brown.

Add the flour, stock, tomato paste and red wine and bring to boil.

Reduce to simmer and add the remaining vegetables and the thyme.

Cover with a lid and simmer 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes until thickened.

Stir through the parsley and divide the mixture into ramekins to cool.

When cooled, cut the puff pastry into squares and cover. Cut a small cross in the middle of the pastry and insert the thyme sprig. Glaze the pastry with milk. Bake for 20-30 minutes in oven at 200degC.

Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – garden tools

4 people submitted a total of 6 photos.

Aziza de Fazio Aziza de Fazio Aziza de Fazio
Jo Douglas Karin Motyer Velyne Moretti

Aziza de Fazio: “The first photo is an axe that my 15-year-old son Aidan forged yesterday. The next two photos are knives that he hand-crafted as custom orders (a bush-craft knife and a kitchen knife).“

Karin Motyer: “The oldest garden tools we could find in the garden shed at Montsalvat. From left to right: hand weeder, rake with 6 teeth missing and cultivator.“

Velyne Moretti: “This little tool was my grandpa’s. I think that he may have made it to cut lettuces with. I have kept it and used it for many years.“

The theme from ages ago – autumn leaves

Some time ago, Marjory Gardner won a mushroom kit for her photo of Autumn leaves. Well, her mushrooms have now matured (see photo) and she had mushrooms on toast for Saturday lunch!

This week’s theme – winter flowers

This week’s photo theme will be ‘winter flowers’. Send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Stuart and Kelli Lewien’s garden in Heathmont.

Joke of the week

What did the rabbit say to the carrot? It’s been nice gnawing you..

The picture comes from the Warrandyte Garden Facebook Group, which is one of the more active local gardening groups on the Internet.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Understanding and improving your soil: Saturday, 11th July, 10.30-11.30am; $20; organised by BAAG. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Previously announced events

Culturing fungi on agar for beginners: Sunday, 5th July, 2-3.30pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Fire and fungi: Thursday, 16th July, 6.30-7.30pm; $25 (recommended donation); organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Tuesday, 28th July, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Open Table now offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

Whitehorse Council are publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability, including beeswax wraps (on 22nd June).

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News June 24 2020

Jun 242020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Ann Stanley, Cath Lyons, Darryl Wilson, Jo Douglas, Karin Motyer, Lucinda Flynn, Maude Farrugia, Megan Goodman, Pam Jenkins, Richard Rowe, Robin Gale-Baker, Sabi Buehler, Sean Flynn, Shelley Evans and Tracey Bjorksten.

Some of you received last week’s newsletter on Thursday rather than on Wednesday, whilst others of you may never have received the newsletter at all. Here’s why. As usual, I sent the newsletter out at 6.15am on the Wednesday. However, for reasons too complicated to discuss here, the newsletters go via Lithuania and there was a problem with the Internet in Lithuania last Wednesday. It took them around 24 hours to sort out the problem, hence the delays.

This seems an opportune time to suggest that you add my email address, (guy@localfoodconnect.org.au) to your Google or email address book. A chronic problem with all newsletters is trying to avoid them getting classified as either ‘spam’ or ‘promotions’ and not reaching your inbox as a result. If you add my email address, (guy@localfoodconnect.org.au) to your Google or email address book, this should stop this happening to you as it effectively says to your email provider that you are happy to receive emails from me (the technical word is ‘whitelisting’). (The whole Lithuania thing is actually an attempt to lessen these sorts of problems and it has worked well until last week.)

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg. Not Abbotsford Convent or Wonga Park.

On Sunday: Alphington and Eltham.

Food swap news

The Heidelberg Food Swap, organised by Transition Warringal and located at St Johns Riverside Community Garden, has re-started.

Stuart and Kelli Lewien’s garden in Heathmont

We have continued to find ways of generating new garden write ups during COVID-19 without having to visit the properties. This time, it is Stuart and Kelli Lewien’s garden in Heathmont and the writeup is in their own words. It also includes 6 videos, each focusing on a particular aspect of the garden.

The garden was designed by John Ferris from Edible Forest Gardens and is permaculture-inspired.

Read about Stuart and Kelli Lewien’s garden.

Apted’s Orchards

Ann Stanley has written a short article about Apted’s Orchards (pdf). Apted’s Orchards grow apples and pears in Arthurs Creek and Kinglake West. You can buy their produce at Eltham Farmers’ Market, their farm gate in Arthurs Creek, Bolton Street Fruit Market in Eltham, Local Fine Foods in Diamond Creek or Rivers Cafe & Farm Shop in Yarrambat.

Robin discusses the appealing medlar!

In my [Robin’s] garden, a fruit tree needs to serve several purposes and our combined total of 40 fruit trees need together to meet a range of criteria. These include giving us fruit year round, beautiful flowers and autumn colour. The medlar is one of our favourite trees because it gives us winter fruit, late summer cream flowers tinged with pink, and autumnal leaves that range from gold to orange to deep red and last through to the end of June.

The medlar is a lesser known fruit tree and not often grown (although there are some spectacular trees in old gardens). It bears fruit that most people do not recognise. They are about the size and shape of a rounded crab apple with a calyxed bottom. Unripened, the fruit is green and moves through orangey colours to a deep russet to brown. In contrast to what many books say, I don’t find this unappealing. The fruit tastes like a tangy apple sauce and has the texture of thickened sauce that is deep brown in colour. To the uninitiated eye it may look like the ripe flesh has rotted but it is this over-ripeness that gives medlar its distinct taste. The process is called ‘bletting’. Bletting means that the fruit has fermented beyond ripeness and this is a very different process to rotting. Other fruits that blet include persimmon and quince.

Bletting can be achieved in two ways. Either remove the fruit and store on straw or paper towel or newspaper in a single layer, calyx down and stem upward, in a warm and airy place (darkness not necessary) for 2-3 weeks until soft or leave on the tree and pick them when soft. Sometimes the fruit will drop before being fully ripe and then should be stored as in the first method. You can also dip the stalks in a strong salt and water mix to prevent any mould setting in.

The best way to prepare a medlar for eating is to strip it out of the skin by squeezing it from the calyx end and keep stripping it until all the pulp is out, especially that close to the skin. I strip it into a strainer as it has quite large, hard stones and use the back of a dessert spoon to press it through. I serve it with cheeses just as you would use quince paste. It can also be added to cream, apparently goes with any wine, and is best known in either medlar jelly [see Jo’s recipe below] or medlar cheese (which is like a curd). Sally Wise’s book entitled A year in a bottle contains recipes for both medlar jelly and medlar liqueur.

The medlar tree itself has its origins in the Balkans, Iran and Turkmenistan despite its botanical name being Mespilus germanica. There is a large type called Dutch with fruit 5-6cm in diameter and a smaller type, the Common Medlar, of which the Nottingham variety is best known, with fruit 2-2.5cm. I grow the Common Medlar and, at present (mid June), mine still has around 150 fruit on it. Plant medlars in winter and train them early to a vase shape like an apple tree.

Medlars are unfussy about soil type, other than disliking chalk soils, but require good drainage. They do not need fertilising and they need very little pruning other than to keep the centre open for good ventilation and dead branches removed. They are rarely attacked by pests or disease. They like a sunny position but will grow in partial shade and it is best to provide some shelter from wind as the branches are brittle and flowers can blow off in strong wind.

Read more of Robin Gale-Baker’s fruit tree growing tips.

A recipe for medlar jelly

Last week, Jo Douglas sent in a photo of the medlars that had been harvested from a tree in Montsalvat. She has now sent in David Lebovitz’s recipe for medlar jelly.

Ingredients

1.4 Kg ‘bletted’ medlars
1 green apple
½ lemon
600g sugar

‘Bletted’ means that the medlars are soft and brown inside.

Method

Rinse and quarter the medlars, and put them in a large pot – skins, seeds and all.

Chop up the apple and add, including the seeds and core.

Add the lemon and pour in enough water so that the medlars are floating in water (around 2 litres).

Cook the mixture until it begins to boil, then reduce the heat and let it cook at a low boil for 45 minutes.

Line a colander with several layers of muslin, set it over a deep bowl and ladle the cooked medlars and their liquid into the colander. Let it strain overnight undisturbed. Do not press down on the cooked fruit to extract more juice from it or your jelly will be cloudy.

The next day, pour the liquid into a large pot – you should have about 1 litre. Put a small plate in the freezer. Add the sugar to the juice in the pot and cook the jelly until it reaches 104degC or until it gels.

To test the jelly, put a spoonful on the cold plate from the freezer and let it chill a few minutes. If, once cold, it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, then it’s done. If not, continue to cook the jelly until it gels.

When ready, if you wish, you can offset the sweetness with a few drops of fresh lemon juice.

Ladle the jelly into sterilised jars.

Read other Jo Douglas recipes on our website.

More on the Irish strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)

Last week, Maude Farrugia wrote in to say that she had written a guide to the Irish strawberry tree in the latest issue of Pip Magazine. I asked Maude if we could re-print any of the guide. She consulted her editor (Robyn Rosenfeldt) and has sent in this:

“The Irish strawberry tree is so named for its prevalence in Ireland (though it is native to much of Europe) and its fruit’s resemblance to (you guessed it) strawberries. A member of the heath family, along with blueberries, the tree has been culturally and historically important in the many European areas it is native to. The scientific name [Arbutus unedo] references Pliny the Elder, and is commonly thought to refer to the fact that the fruit is not as delicious as a strawberry (‘unedo’ is a contraction of Pliny’s ‘unam tantum edo’ meaning ‘I only eat one’). But don’t let that put you off, they’re still quite palatable, and a very fuss-free fruit to grow.

“These medium sized evergreen trees are long-lived, grow well in a wide variety of soils and will tolerate the extremes of drought and frost (though variable weather can impact on their fruiting). Sweet nodding bell-shaped flowers are a boon for bees, and have made Arbutus unedo a popular ornamental tree. So if you don’t have room for one yourself, they can be commonly foraged in urban settings. Traditionally they have been wild foraged too, which makes them very easy to grow as they require little cultivation, no pruning or irrigation and will be quite happy if simply left to their own devices.

“For a full growing guide, subscribe to Pip Magazine“

Shelley Evans also wrote in: “Last week I made feijoa and Irish strawberry sorbet. I then used this as flavouring for my homemade ice cream. My very fussy family loved it and want more but they will have to wait until next year’s harvest.”

Thanks, Maude and Shelley!

More on gall wasp

Following last week’s discussion about Leaf, Root & Fruit’s experiment of different gall wasp treatments, Gardening Australia has weighed in on the subject. Watch their video.

Do you know?

Darryl Wilson writes in: “My wife is looking into medicinal plants for pain relief, healing of injuries and reduce inflammation.
Are there any courses that she may be able to pursue? The back story is that her brother is paraplegic living in a third world country with limited medicines. His welfare is of concern to us and this is our next step into looking for other aides for his condition.” Has anyone got any suggestions of courses in medicinal plants?

No, you didn’t know

Although quite a lot of you clicked on the picture of Stella Ramos’ legume, no one wrote in to say what it was. Anyone want to try this week? As Stella said, “The pods are a bit fluffy. All the beans have a distinct white line along the edge.” Email me.

What veggie seeds to plant in July

Here is a list (see the July planting guide for more detail):
Beetroot
Coriander
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Onion
Peas
Radish

The shortest list of the year.

A survey about food growing and COVID-19

Sustain and others invite you to complete a 10 minute survey about food growing during and after the current crisis. The stated aims of the survey are:

  1. To investigate the extent of edible food growing by Australians in 2020.
  2. To find out as best we can the impact of the COVID19 restrictions and ongoing legacy on the take-up and / or expansion of edible food growing by Australians.
  3. To understand the experiences of Australians with edible food growing during and after the COVID19 restrictions.
  4. To identify what resources and supports Australians may want or need to continue and / or expand their edible food growing.

‘Crowd harvest’ – Winter citrus

Lemon trees and other citrus are often heavily laden in the middle of winter. Gardeners with excess are invited to give them during the first half of July to one of the not-for profit organisations listed in the next paragraph who will, in turn, provide them to those facing food insecurity. Read this Facebook post for more information.

DIVRS in Preston, Elisha Care in Croydon, Now and Not Yet Cafe in Warrandyte or STREAT in Collingwood.

Foodscaping


Sabi Buehler has sent in this photo (left hand picture), which was captioned Foodscaping in Geneva, Switzerland.

It is actually becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish what things on the Internet are true and what are fake. Sabi’s photo looked too good to be true so I decided to investigate. My conclusion is that the photo is real and dates back to around 2013 but that the ‘houses’ are actually garden sheds and that the whole area is effectively one big community garden. More specifically, the place is called Jardins familiaux de Bel Essert and its coordinates are 46°13’00.7″N 6°06’36.2″E (references/sources available on request). The right hand photo is of the same place using Google maps – see how small the ‘houses’ are compared to the houses outside of the area.

Wikipedia has a page on foodscaping

Berry circles of life

A ‘circle of life’ photo of a blackberry is currently doing the rounds on Facebook. It is reproduced below together with less commonly circulated equivalents for blueberries and strawberries.

Blackberry Blueberry Strawberry

 

Want to do some paid hand weeding?

Susan is fighting a losing battle with oxalis and needs some help! $20 per hour. Eltham. If interested, email me and I’ll pass your email onto Susan.

Changes in Eltham eateries

The Missing Gorilla has closed down.

Earthbound Bolton has changed hands.

A new pizza place called Al’s Pizza has open where Bolton Pizza and Pasta used to be.

Guy’s veggie growing tip – moon phase planting

Lots of people (including, by anecdote, many farmers) practice something called moon-phase planting. There are three very different reasons why you might want to consider moon-phase planting, whereby different types of veggie are planted at different times in the moon’s 29½-day lunar cycle. The first possible reason is that you believe in it. The second possible reason is because it helps to impose discipline on your veggie growing activities. The third possible reason is to help give your life cadence.

To believe in it, you have to understand it a bit. The basic idea/assumption/rationale/sophistry is that one wants root crops to grow downwards, and thus when the upward pull of the moon is lessening, and thus when the moon is waning. By contrast, one wants leafy and fruity crops to grow upwards, and thus when the upward pull of the moon is increasing, and thus when the moon is waxing. This gives the following phasing:

1st quarter: leafy – plant crops where one eats the leaves/foliage.
2nd quarter: fruits – plant crops where one eats the fruit.
3rd quarter: roots – plant root crops.
4th quarter: have a rest!

To do it for discipline reasons, you have to understand one of its major implications. Consider capsicum seeds, which are best planted in August or September. There will be usually be precisely one week in August, and another in September, where the moon is in its 2nd quarter. So, you only have two opportunities in the whole year to plant capsicum seeds and if you miss both these opportunities then you won’t have any capsicum plants. So, if you want homegrown capsicums, then you have to be organised and disciplined to get your act together in these two weeks.

Finally, the cadence reason is probably only of potential relevance if you are not in paid work. Those of us who are retired know that days and weeks can flow into each other, with time passing and little rhythm to one’s life. Anything that makes one day different than another, or one week different than another, is welcome.

Are there any subjects which you would like me to write a tip about? Email me.

Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

When it is too cold to go outside, it is a good time to sort through your gardening paraphernalia and review any seed stored. Consider sending any that you may have spare off to the Gippsland Seed Drive, providing seeds to kitchen gardens in schools within the bushfire affected areas.

However, it was warm today and felt a little like the beginning of a very early spring. There are daffodils emerging in my terracotta pots and, unusually, there are some bearded iris in flower under the apple trees. I would not expect the iris until at least late August. It is good to be outside in the garden. The ground is soft, which makes weeding easy. I attack the winter pruning of the fruit trees, the black and red currents and brambles. I pot up some hardwood cuttings of my favourite plants, elderberry, a lemon coloured butterfly bush and button chrysanthemums.

After a day of work in the fresh air, it is good to have a glass of red wine, cheese, homemade crackers and quince paste. My cracker recipe is also gluten free.

Seed crackers

200g sunflower seeds
80g sesame seeds
100g pumpkin seeds
60g linseed
1 teaspoon salt plus extra sea salt to sprinkle
2 tablespoons psyllium husks
500mls water

Mix all ingredients together and leave for 10-15 mins until thick.

Spread very thinly on a lined baking tray. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake in 150degC oven for about 1 hour until slightly browned.

Cool and then break into pieces.

Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – chickens and eggs

Only one person (Karin Motyer) submitted a photo, and a sad one at that. Titch the chicken had been a long term resident at Montsalvat but died on Friday.

This week’s theme – garden tools

This week’s photo theme will be ‘garden tools’. Send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

To get you going, here is a photo of a ‘soil blocker’ that I use, courtesy of KABUU. You press it into a moist mixture of coir and sieved compost and it creates little blocks into which you plant seeds. In comparison with plastic containers, there are no waste materials and the subsequent transplantation shock is arguably less.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Kathy Gardiner’s article about growing peas.

Proverb of the month

In a nutshell. Meaning: concisely stated. This is an extremely old idiom, dating back to AD77 when Pliny The Elder said “Cicero informs us that the Iliad of Homer was written on a piece of parchment so small as to be enclosed in a nutshell“. The odd thing about this is that the Iliad is actually a long book, equating to around 700 pages in modern typeface. In the 17th Century, someone called Pierre Daniel Huet decided to test Pliny/Cicero’s claim and managed to fit the whole of the Iliad onto a piece of parchment sized 27cm x 21cm, using writing so small that no one could read it! So, the original meaning was something like ‘get a lot of information into a small space’ and this only turned into the current meaning of ‘get a lot of information into a few words’ in the mid 19th Century (e.g. in William Makepeace Thackeray’s The Second Funeral of Napoleon).

Read about more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” A Greek proverb.

Read more gardening quotes.

Joke of the week

Submitted by Sean Flynn: I turned down a job where I would be paid in vegetables … the celery was unacceptable..

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Fire and fungi: Thursday, 16th July, 6.30-7.30pm; $25 (recommended donation); organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Previously announced events

Grow your own fruit trees: Wednesday, 24th June, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Yarra Ranges Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Composting and worm farming: Thursday, 25th June, 10am-11.30am; $15; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Wonderful world of worms (for kids): Thursday, 25th June, 4-5pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Beeswax wraps: Sunday, 28th June, 10am-midday; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Culturing fungi on agar for beginners: Sunday, 5th July, 2-3.30pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Tuesday, 28th July, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Open Table now offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

Whitehorse Council are publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability, including beeswax wraps (on 22nd June).

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News June 17 2020

Jun 172020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Choon Yin Yeok, Jeremy Mather, Jo Douglas, Karin Motyer, Laura Finch, Lili Dieguez, Mala Plymin, Maude Farrugia, Megan Goodman, Morgan Koegel, Pam Jenkins, Ros Hardy, Stella Ramos, Stephen Onians, Vanessa Nitsos Chan and Whitehorse Urban Harvest Swap.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg.

On Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Yarra Valley. Yes, that’s right, Yarra Valley Farmers’ Market has re-started!

Community Garden news

Kevin Heinze GROW in Doncaster are holding some free social gardening sessions for Manningham residents. These sessions will “provide people in the community with genuine, supported opportunities to connect with others whilst taking care of plants, pruning and potting up“. The sessions are being held three times a week during July, August and September on Tuesdays (12.30-2.30pm), Thursdays (12.30-2.30pm) and Saturdays (9.30-11.30am). To book your slot, contact them by phone (9848 3695) or email.

Food swap news

The three food swaps run by Transition Darebin have re-started: Reservoir, Fairfield and Preston/Thornbury.

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – rice

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

Noodle soup (aka thukpa) Potato soup Spinach and chickpea flour soup

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

As I’ve got space, I’m going to put my favourite of the three recipes (noodle soup (aka thukpa)) in full below but you will have to go to the website to read the other two (potato soup and spinach and chickpea flour soup).

Noodle soup (aka thukpa)

Thukpa tastes best when there are cabbage and carrots in it.

Ingredients

1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, julienne
1 cup capsicum, julienne
1 cup onions, julienne
1 cup any green vegetable, finely chopped
1 inch ginger
3-4 cloves garlic
1 tomato, puréed
4 tablespoon oil
½ tablespoon salt
1 portion noodles
4 cups water (minimum)

Method

Heat the oil. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook well.

Add the tomato puree and cook thoroughly until it has dried and you see more oil and almost no liquid.

Add the onions and mix well. Add the cabbage, carrots and capsicum.

Sautée the mixture well. Sautéing everything nicely is really important in this recipe.

Add water to the veggies.

Boil the noodles. When they are done, add them to the soup.

Add the green vegetables before serving.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

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

Yes, you did know!

Last week, Velyne Moretti asked what the fruit tree was in her photo. Well, lots of you did know that it is an Irish strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo). Thanks to Angelo, Heather, Jeremy, Karin, Lili, Maude, Morgan, Pam, Ros, Stephen and Vanessa for all taking the time to write in with the answer. Here are a few of their comments:

Angelo Eliades: “The fruit is edible but very gritty, tasting like strawberries and sand mixed together!“

Karin Motyer: “I’m sure that you and others know that Velyne’s photo is of and Irish strawberry.” [Editor: well we should know because Karin herself sent in a picture of one for our 13th May newsletter.]

Maude Farrugia: “I wrote a guide to them in the latest issue of Pip Magazine, including recipe for very yum Irish strawberry jam.“

Pam Jenkins: “ I have never tried them but you can make jam with them. I have heard that they are not very tasty just straight off the tree and that the jam is not much better!“

Ros Hardy: “As Velyne says, the birds love them but I am not sure if they are suitable for human consumption.“

Stephen Onians: “The fruit is edible when ripe. It has a slight narcotic effect and should not be eaten in large quantities. It makes good jelly. Your local council may have it listed as a weed.“

Finally, someone has sent in a recipe for Irish strawberry jelly.

Ingredients: Irish strawberries, sugar and lemons.

Cut the berries. Cover with cold water and boil for 2 hours. Strain and measure the juice. To every litre, allow 250g of sugar and juice of ½ lemon.

Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer slowly for 2 hours until it forms a jelly.

Pour into sterile containers and store in fridge.

Do you know?

Stella Ramos has written in: “This plant is growing in my brother’s backyard. What is it, is it edible by humans and can he feed it to the birds? The dark beans are those which are dried out. The pods are a bit fluffy. All the beans have a distinct white line along the edge. My brother is not sure if it’s safe to eat but he tried some and says it tastes a bit like peas but not as sweet.“

Leaf, Root & Fruit’s gall wasp experiment

Three years ago, Leaf, Root & Fruit purchased some citrus trees and have been applying different treatment for citrus gall wasp to the different trees. Every 6 months, they update their results and their results page has just been updated. Their current conclusions are as follows:

  1. You need to fertilise your trees regularly if you want more fruit.
  2. It doesn’t matter if your tree has galls or not, it can still be productive.
  3. If you want to prevent gall wasps from infesting your tree then kaolin clay looks to be a promising method to do so.

Reader photos

Last week’s theme – meals

4 people sent in photos, each with a little story, attached. In addition, Laura Finch sent in a picture of the meal for two that she won in the pets’ photo competition.

Choon Yin Yeok Jo Douglas Karin Motyer
 
Mala Plymin Laura Finch  

Choon Yin Yeok: “This is one of the courses I had in a vegetarian Shinto temple in Kyoto. Mushroom dumpling, rice crackers, okra, deep fried carrots and puffed rice.“

Jo Douglas (Monsalvat’s Head Gardener): “For many years, the medlars at Montsalvat just fell off the tree and fed the soil beneath it. This year one of our volunteers, Barbara, decided that they shouldn’t go to waste and organised their picking, ‘bletting’ and transformation into medlar jelly. Medlars must be ‘bletted’, which involves storing them in a single layer in a rather cool place until they are soft and brown inside. They’re ready when they are very soft and squishy to the touch. The medlars were distributed to four different kitchens and the solids left after straining also became medlar & apple crumble and medlar chutney. “

Karin Motyer: “These are homemade honey scones. It is a simple and quick recipe with honey, butter, self-raising flour and milk. Note, in the background, the jar of honey from Backyard Honey that I won in the bees’ photo competition.“

Mala Plymin: “Homemade roti, rice, fried okra and pumpkin curry. The pumpkin is from our garden. We picked it when the skin was still soft. So tasty. The okra is from the local Community Grocer.“

Doris Glier (Laura Finch’s mother): “We had a lovely evening out at Urban Grooves. Laura enjoyed her healthy green smoothie whilst sharing a mouth-watering starter tapas plate with her sister. The girls had had a big day out with their bikes so they still felt quite hungry when their appetizingly decorated main meals arrived.“

This week’s theme – chickens and eggs

This week’s photo theme will be ‘chickens and eggs’. Quails, etc will also be allowed. Send me your interesting photos, together with a title and (if you want) a story, and I will publish them next week.

To get you going, here is a photo of some of the monster eggs that one of my chickens lays. Both 101 grams.

Guy’s veggie growing tip – crop rotation

If you ever grow veggies, they are likely to include tomatoes and you will probably grow tomatoes every year. But you shouldn’t grow them in the same place every year. Ditto any other vegetable. This is for two main reasons. First, most pests and diseases prefer specific types of plant; if you change the types of plants that you grow in a specific place from year to year then it helps to break the pest or disease’s lifecycle so you will have less pests and fewer diseases. Second, each type of plant places particular demands on the soil in terms of nutrient extraction, etc; if you change the types of plants that you grow in a specific place from year to year then it gives your soil a rest from the particular burdens placed on it.

What is true for specific species of vegetable is also true for groups of vegetables. So, for example, tomato, capsicum, chilli, eggplant and potato are all in the same family (solanums), all attract the same pest & diseases, and all place similar demands on the soil.

The discussion in last week’s newsletter talked about 5 groups of closely related vegetables plus a miscellaneous list. Divide the miscellaneous list into ‘roots’ and ‘leafy greens’ and you get 7 groups in total: alliums, legumes, brassicas, cucurbits, roots, solanums and leafy greens. The ‘leafy greens’ group is not relevant to crop rotation – just plant them wherever and whenever you have gaps. So, the ideal is a 6-bed, 6-year rotation for the other 6 groups.

If you have fewer than 6 beds, then you can either combine some of the groups (e.g. alliums and roots) or omit some of the groups (e.g. brassicas).

You then have to decide the order of how a bed should change over time. A principle here is that heavy feeders should, where possible, alternate with light feeders. So, for example, legumes (light) – brassicas (medium) – alliums (light) – cucurbits (heavy) – roots (light) – solanums (heavy).

And, finally, you have to decide when during the year to rotate the crops, with the obvious time being after the summer harvest.

See our website for a slightly longer discussion, including which vegetables are in which groups.

Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Growing peas

Newsletter reader Kathy Gardiner’s article in this month’s Warrandyte Diary is about growing peas.

Meg’s social isolation week

The raspberries are still fruiting, a couple of large red berries glowing at the ends of some of the canes. I grow Nootka which provides two crops, one in summer and one in autumn. It is quite late to be getting ripe fruit. I guess I will have to wait a little longer before cutting back the older summer canes and tying in the fruiting ones.

The potato seedlings emerging in the compost heap from past crops reminds me that it’s time to plant new certified seed potatoes. I usually plant some now when I have my pick of varieties and some more towards the end of August, when stock is often discounted. This provides a staggered harvest. The ones planted now will emerge in early spring, giving us new potatoes late November that you can carefully dig to find without pulling out the main plant. The larger main crop will be enjoyed in summer.

Last year I grew Kipfler, King Edward and Nicola. This year I am starting with Kipfler and Kennebec for something different. Kipfler seems to need longer to develop good-sized tubers. Potatoes are easy to grow in deep containers like large plastic trugs (with drainage holes) and I have two that I keep for this purpose. I also plant the seed potatoes in a trench and mound the soil so that they are buried around 10cm below the soil and around 20cm apart. In both cases, as the seedlings emerge, I add layers of compost and pea straw (leaving the growing tip exposed) to protect the crop and encourage more tubers.

I love roast potatoes, but new potatoes need only a little olive oil or butter while warm and a few fresh herbs. Nothing else.

Best roast potatoes

Boil potatoes (skin on or off) until just tender.

Drain and add to a roasting dish. Break up the potatoes slightly, roughing the edges. Brush the tops with olive oil, scatter with finely chopped thyme & rosemary and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Bake at 220degC for around 20-30 minutes.

Read more of Meg’s recipes on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The picture of Irish strawberries.

Joke of the week

What did the cherry say to the cherry pie? “You’ve got some crust.”

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Grow your own fruit trees: Wednesday, 24th June, 7-8.30pm; free; organised by Yarra Ranges Council. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Composting and worm farming: Thursday, 25th June, 10am-11.30am; $15; organised by Living & Learning Nillumbik. Read more and book on their website.

Wonderful world of worms (for kids): Thursday, 25th June, 4-5pm; free; organised by Edendale. Read more and book on WeTeachMe.

Beeswax wraps: Sunday, 28th June, 10am-midday; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Culturing fungi on agar for beginners: Sunday, 5th July, 2-3.30pm; $28; organised by MYCOmmunity. Read more and book on their website.

Backyard beekeeping basics: Tuesday, 28th July, 7-9pm; $50; organised by CERES. Read more and book on Humantix.

Previously announced events

The Jesuit Social Services’ Ecological Justice Hub, together with Moreland City Council and the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, is organising an online event entitled COVID-19 and food systems: impact, response and pathways to transformation on Thursday, 18th June, 6-8pm. $11. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Open Table now offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

Whitehorse Council are publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability, including beeswax wraps (on 22nd June).

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

LFC News June 10 2020

Jun 102020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Carrie Newbold, Dan Milne, Evan Gellert, Gillian Manson, Hanh Truong, Karen Ye, Leah Lux Tame, Megan Goodman, Peter Bevz and Velyne Moretti.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

On Saturday: Coburg and Collingwood Children’s Farm relocated to Alphington. Not Croydon.

On Sunday: Alphington, Eltham and Whitehorse. Yes, that’s right. Whitehorse Farmers’ Market has re-started!

Community garden news

The Veggie Spot – Lygon Street Community Garden will cease to be a community garden on 15th July, as the site owner is moving forward with their residential development project.

From their Facebook pages, it looks like Bedford Park Community Garden and Edible Hub, Hurstbridge have both begun to re-start their regular get togethers.

Food swap news

From their Facebook pages, it looks like a few (but only a few) food swaps are re-starting, including Bayswater North, Heathmont and Mooroolbark.

Are you a local food producer who also cooks?

PoppySmack have started doing monthly cooking shows on their Facebook page. They would like to collaborate with other local food producers, who would then become part of the show. If interested, email Hanh Truong (hanh.truong@poppysmack.com.au).

Yes, you did know (sort of)

couple of weeks ago, Jan Akeroyd asked what was going on with her grapefruit tree (see right hand picture). We’ve now had three responses:

Peter Bevz: “I’ve seen black cockatoos strip bark off trees” (see left hand picture).

Velyne Moretti: “I think it is because the tree may have been in mild drought and must have received some big, big rain which quickly expanded the trunk, causing it to split. So nothing is wrong with the tree.“

Carrie Newbold: “We had a similar occurrence with our kaffir lime tree this year. We blamed rats for eating the bark. The fully ringbarked branches eventually all died. Thankfully the tree is a 3-4m monster, and has seemingly brushed off their alleged poor behaviour.“

Do you know?

Velyne Moretti asks: “Can anyone tell me what this is? It looks like a lychee but is mushy orange inside. The birds love them and this tree is next door.“

Some recommendations from NERP permaculturalists

From Leah Lux Tame: the American website Free Permaculture is offering free/donation weekly online permaculture classes.

From Dan Milne: the most useful resource he has found in recent years is Dan Palmer’s work at Making Permaculture Stronger.

More on seed saving tomatoes

Evan Gellert writes in: “I just spreading the seedy mush onto a paper towel and dry well. This is much simpler than all the trouble of wet cleaning, fermenting, etc. And I think the germination rate is fine. My rules are as follows. Do it on hot windy days so that the paper and seeds dry quickly, with the paper sheets variety-labelled. Even multiple additions across numerous days. Leave as a sheet, well ventilated, for maybe a further month to fully dry. Then use scissors to separate, with the seeds stuck to the paper. Sow maybe 3-4 on the paper per seedling pot. Don’t separate the seedlings while planting out but rather wait to see which of the 3-4 does best, and snip off the others after 3-4 weeks.“

Our photo ‘competitions’

A number of you have made representations about the cessation of the photo competitions announced last week. Rather than cessation, it has been suggested that they should continue but without prizes. A theme should be set each week, with people invited to submit photos on that theme, and for these photos to be published the following week. I have even been given lists of possible themes!

That all seems reasonable to me, so that is what we are going to do.

This week’s photo theme will be ‘meals’. Send me your interesting meal photos, together with a title, and I will publish them next week. If they are also accompanied by a story or recipe, I will publish that as well.

To get you going, here is a photo of some fried eggs that I recently made (recipe: crack two eggs into a pan, fry and serve on toast with salt and pepper to taste).

It has taken some time to distribute the prizes from previous competitions. Here is a photo of Karen Ye, together with friend Gillian Manson, picking up her jar of honey from the bee photo competition.

Guy’s veggie growing tip – vegetable families

Why is it important to know which vegetables are closely related?

First, it helps you work out how to grow them. For example, if you know how to grow pumpkins, and if you know that cucumbers are closely related to pumpkins, then you can guess that cucumbers are prostrate vines, are grown in summer, are heavy feeders and benefit from hand pollination. Of if you know that broccoli is closely related to cabbage, then you can guess that the cabbage moth likes to lay its eggs on broccoli plants and that you need to protect them from this.

Second, if you are following some system of crop rotation (and you should!), it helps you decide where to plant them. (Crop rotation will be the subject of next week’s tip.)

Many vegetables are in the following 5 groups, where a genus (plural: genera) is a group of very closely related plants and a family is a group of reasonably closely related plants:

  • Alliums (a genus): chives, garlic, leek and onion.
  • Brassicas (a genus): broccoli, brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mizuna, mustard greens, pak choy and turnip.
  • Cucurbits (a family): cucumber, gourd, pumpkin, rockmelon, watermelon and zucchini.
  • Legumes (a family): bean, broad bean, chickpea, peanut and pea.
  • Solanums (a family): capsicum. chilli, eggplant, potato and tomato.

The following vegetables are in various other families: basil, beetroot, carrot, celery, coriander, fennel, jerusalem artichoke, lettuce, okra, parsley, parsnip, radish, rocket, silverbeet, spinach, sweet potato and sweetcorn.

Here are some characteristics of the 5 groups:

Group Growing season Feeding requirement What you eat
Alliums varies light varies
Brassicas cool season heavy varies
Cucurbits warm season heavy fruit
Legumes varies light fruit
Solanums warm season heavy fruit

 
Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

I am happy that it is the slow season in the garden as we begin to return to busy lives and emerge from our homes. Days are short, growth is slow, the trees are bare and the chickens will not lay eggs again until spring.

This week I have the removed the last of the runners from the strawberries and severely cut the remaining leaves right back to ground. It seems harsh, but I have found that I get better growth and fruit by almost ‘mowing’ them.

Planting is now limited to broad beans and I poke a few extra seeds of the Scarlett variety into the flower garden for their flower display.

Harvesting is similarly limited to only a few tired chillies, leafy greens and citrus. How can any home be without a lemon tree? The colour on the citrus trees makes all the difference in the winter light. The only problem is that an abundance of citrus does not equate to the often very small amounts needed for virtually any recipe, including my lemon curd. The food swaps are slowly returning and I am sure that there will be plenty of citrus to share.

Simple lemon curd

60ml lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
60g sugar
4 egg yolks
42 grams salted butter

Combine all in double boiler (a metal or glass bowl over a saucepan of water). Heat while whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon.

Pour into sterilised jars. Press a piece of greaseproof paper (or even a beeswax wrap) onto the top of the mixture to prevent a skin forming.

Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Freezes well.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Choon Yin Yeok’s photo of her cat Ginger on her roof.

Joke of the week

Did you hear the joke about the fungus? I could tell it to you, but it might need time to grow on you.

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Zero Waste Victoria, together with Save Our Soil Australia and The Compost Depot, are organising an online event entitled Focus on food: reduce waste by re-thinking our food systems on Saturday, 13th June, 2-5.15pm. Free/donation. Read more.

Previously announced events

Open Table are offering a free no waste cooking workshop on making pesto on Wednesday, 17th June, 6.30-7.15pm. Read more and register on EventBrite.

The Jesuit Social Services’ Ecological Justice Hub, together with Moreland City Council and the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, is organising an online event entitled COVID-19 and food systems: impact, response and pathways to transformation on Thursday, 18th June, 6-8pm. $11. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Open Table now offer their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

Whitehorse Council are publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability, including bee hotels (on 15th June) and beeswax wraps (on 22nd June).

CERES have moved some of their classes online.

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

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

LFC News June 3 2020

Jun 032020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Choon Yin Yeok, Doris Glier, Fay Loveland, Fiona Finch, Fuchsia Branwhite, Glenis Vieux, Helen Cline, Jenny Shaw, Kate Shannon, Kim Lam, Laura Finch, Mahira Sobral, Mala Plymin, Megan Goodman, Natalie Nigol, Richard Rowe, Robin Gale-Baker, Soo Mei Leong, Susan Palmer, Velyne Moretti, Vicki Jordan and Virginia Solomon.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

Coburg on Saturday; Alphington and Eltham on Sunday. Not Bundoora Park, Carlton or Heathmont.

Helen Cline has written in to say that Boroondara Farmers’ Market has now re-started and that the next market will be on Saturday, 20th June. Thanks for the heads up, Helen!

Community garden news

Macleod Organic Community Garden has been awarded a grant of $4,000 by the Commonwealth for an equipment store.

From their Facebook pages, it looks like a few community gardens have begun to re-start their regular get togethers. These include Links, Northcote Library and Thrive.

Our photo competition

Last week’s competition

The theme of last week’s competition was pets. It attracted 12 entries (perhaps it would have attracted more entries if there hadn’t been a typo in the email link!).

After due consideration, the winner of the meal for two at a restaurant of their choice is Laura Finch for her picture of silkworm caterpillars. Congratulations, Laura!

An honorary mention goes to Leah Lux Tame for her picture of Jinx the cat and Darth the chicken. She win a consolation jar of honey from Backyard Honey.

Thanks to everyone else who participated.

Here are all 12 entries (3 to a row for presentational reasons on mobile phones). Click any picture to view a larger version.

Aziza de Fazio
Ruby		 Choon Yin Yeok
Ginger		 Doris Glier
praying mantis
Fiona Finch
silkworm moth		 Fuchsia Branwhite
Bella		 Glenis Vieux
Pumpkin
Kim Lam
Yuki		 Laura Finch
silkworm caterpillars
THE WINNER		 Leah Lux Tame
Jinx and Darth
HONORARY MENTION
Mala Plymin
worms		 Soo Mei Leong
Indie		 Velyne Moretti
Snoopy

When Fiona and Laura submitted their photos of their pet silkworms, they commented that they didn’t live for very long. More specifically, it appears that their total lifecycle is around 11 weeks (egg for 2 weeks, caterpillar for 5 weeks, pupa for 3 weeks, and moth for a week). Read this page for more information.

The week’s competition

We are going to give the photo competitions a rest for a bit. Thanks to everyone who has contributed – it has been a blast!

No, you didn’t know!

Last week, Jan Akeroyd asked what is going on with her grapefruit tree (see picture) but no one answered. Anyone want to answer this week? Email me.

Guy’s veggie growing tip – saved seeds – part 2: the practicalities

Although, as per last week’s article, the seeds of a named variety of vegetable will be largely genetically uniform, there will still be minor variations. Choose the best fruit (and thus the best seeds) for your seed saving, rather than eating the best and planting the dross. Incidentally, Richard Dawkins said (in The Ancestor’s Tale) that his father found this one of the hardest lessons to get across to farmers in Africa in the 1940s.

As also discussed last week, beans and tomatoes are both good plants for seed saving but they are collected rather differently. Tomato seeds grow in moist flesh and require wet cleaning: pick the fruit when it is just over ripe, scoop the seeds out of the flesh, run water over them to remove any flesh remnants, do something (see next sentence) to remove the gel sac around each seed, and then leave to dry for around 10 days before storing. To remove the gel sacs, which can inhibit germination, either wash and physically rub or leave to ferment in water (or their own juices) for around 4 days (Google for more detail). Bean seeds grow in dry receptacles and require dry cleaning: leave on the plant until they are completely dry and then harvest and store. In both cases, store them in dry and dark conditions.

If you want to know more about seed saving, a good book is The Seed Savers’ Handbook. Or, if you want a free booklet: A Guide to Seed Saving, Seed Stewardship & Seed Sovereignty.

Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Still got tomato plants with green tomatoes?

Any green tomatoes are unlikely to ripen now but Robin Gale-Baker posted this tip in the Sustainable Macleod Facebook group: “These tomatoes were harvested yesterday from the plants we hung upside down roots and all in our potting shed. There are lots more to come … This is a really good thing to do with tomatoes that you need to pull out but have plenty of green fruit still on them.“

Another article from Angelo Eliades

This week’s article is on understanding soil pH and how it affects plant nutrient availability. As we have all now come to expect from Angelo, it is both erudite and comprehensive as well as being very readable.

Read more of Angelo’s food-related articles.

Vicki’s olives are now preserved

A few weeks ago, Vicki Jordan generously offered the olives from her olive trees to anyone who wanted them. Mala Plymin was one of the people who took advantage of the offer. Mala has now written in: “Thanks to Vicki for her olives. I preserved these today. Lily Angel helped me with this recipe: slit the olives and brine them in water and salt. When mixing the salt and water, put an egg in the water and, when it floats, there is enough salt in the water. I didn’t change the water. I regularly tasted the olives and, when they didn’t taste bitter, they were ready. Around two weeks. I then rinsed the olives. I mixed 60% water and 40% vinegar and then added the olives. They are now stored in sterilised jars topped with a bit of oil.“

Something for you to read

Perhaps the closest sister spirit that this newsletter has is the Food Fairness Illawarra newsletter. Their latest newsletter highlighted the existence of the Illawarra Edible Garden Guide, which is well worth a read.

Answering an age-old question during COVID-19

Jenny Shaw has written in: “During lockdown I’ve been buying items online. Yesterday I bought a chicken and an egg. I’ll let you know.“

How to you transport your glass milk bottles?

Many of us buy our milk from Schulz Organic Dairy and some of us prefer to use their (re-usable) glass bottles rather than their (single use) plastic containers. But the glass bottles aren’t the easiest things to carry around. Two newsletter readers have their preferred methods and have sent in photos to illustrate. The left hand photo is Virginia Solomons’ wicker baskets with 5 bottle positions. The right hand photo is Susan Palmer’s old style carrier with 4 bottle positions.

Corrections, clarifications and comments

Seed saving genetics

Robin Gale-Baker has written in: “Thanks for your article about the genetics of named varieties, which I agree with. I’m always harping on about buying commercial seed for pumpkins, brassicas and other cross-pollinators. My experience is that, whilst lots of tomato varieties usually self-pollinate, the potato leaf varieties, such as Brandywine, often cross-pollinate. The end result is that we are losing some of our varieties at Macleod Organic Community Garden and creating other variations which, whilst interesting, won’t grow true to type. For example, it looks like our Brandywine Pink crossed with our Apollo as the fruit were round like the Apollo but pink like the Brandywine Pink.“

As keen as mustard

Robin Gale-Baker has written in to ask if there is a connection between the phrase ‘as keen as mustard’ and Keen’s mustard. The answer is no. Per The Phrase Finder website: “‘As keen as mustard’ and a well-known company called Keen that made mustard. Surely we have a winner? Unfortunately not. The phrase ‘as keen as mustard’ is known from 1672, the century before the company was formed in 1742.“

Robin also points out that one of the sons of the founder of Keen’s Mustard migrated to Australia in 1841 and started a condiments business in Tasmania (Keen’s Curry Powder) which became famous too. And, whilst it started as a British company, Keen’s Mustard is now based in Melbourne and is, indeed, owned by the same company (McCormick Foods Australia) as Keen’s Curry Powder.

NERP

Virginia Solomon has written in to point out that NERP now stands for North East Region Permaculture rather than North East Ranges Permaculture, having changed its name in early 2019.

Virginia has also sent in a photo of the 5 different coloured cauliflowers that she bought at Peninsula Fresh Organics at Eltham Farmers’ Market last week.

Meg’s social isolation week

This week, rather than staring at screens, I have been looking through old gardening magazines obtained from a past food swap. It has been fascinating: the advertisements for weed and pest control, old-fashioned hand tools and lots of potted colour. They are also a good source of garden wisdom.

Last year, I saved up to buy a three-way pear (Beurre Bosc, Williams Bon Cretain and Williams). This year, inspired by an article entitled The mug gardener’s guide by Peter De Warrt in the June 1991 edition of Your Garden magazine, I’m going to try to graft budwood from a snow apple onto my Jonathon, creating a two-way apple. Collect budwood from your favourite apple tree while its dormant, wrap the cuttings in wet newspaper and place them in the crisper-section of your fridge until spring, when the apple trees begin to shoot. I have made and stored the cuttings and will wait for spring to follow the remaining steps.

I am also taking cuttings from my well-established red and blackcurrants as they head into dormancy, making sure to use recent growth. I simple place the cuttings into a vacant section of my raised veggie beds and leave them alone to take root before giving away or transplanting in spring.

Finally, I’ve been peeling the windfall apples from the farm last weekend to make deep dish apple pie.

Deep-dish apple pie (use a deep sided baking tray)

Piecrust
2 cups plain flour
½ cup sunflower oil
¼ cup orange juice
a pinch of salt

Filling
8 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into pieces
a dessertspoon of cinnamon (or to taste)
2 teaspoons all spice
a sprinkling of plain flour
½ cup sugar

Mix all the piecrust ingredients until just combined. You want a moist dough.

Roll half of the dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper and place on bottom of baking tray (not up the sides).

Mix the filling ingredients and layer on top.

Roll out the remaining dough to top.

Bake for around 1 hour at 160degC until well browned.

Read Meg’s other recipes on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Ann’s interview with Dan Milne.

Joke of the week

What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? A carrot.
Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Darebin Council are working with others to produce some free gardening videos under the heading of Backyard harvest stories. Kat Lavers will be doing two videos on her Facebook page, the first being a virtual tour of her kitchen garden (on Friday, 5th June, starting 11am) and the second being on fruit tree care (on Friday, 12th June, starting 11am). 3000acres will be doing two videos on their Facebook page, the first being on building a veggie patch from scratch (on Tuesday, 9th June, starting 3pm) and the second being on planning your Spring garden (on Tuesday, 16th June, starting 3pm).

The Jesuit Social Services’ Ecological Justice Hub is organising an online event entitled COVID-19 and food systems: impact, response and pathways to transformation on Thursday, 18th June, 6-8pm. $11. Read more and book on EventBrite.

Previously announced events

Open Table are offering free no waste cooking workshops on Thursday, 9th June, 5.30-6.15pm (homemade veggie stock) and Wednesday, 17th June, 6.30-7.15pm (pesto). Read more and register on EventBrite.

Open Table are also now offering their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

Whitehorse Council are publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability, including bee hotels (on 15th June) and beeswax wraps (on 22nd June).

CERES have moved some of their classes online.

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

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

LFC News May 27 2020

May 272020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Alfred Zahra, Alison Raven, Angela Hewitt, Angelo Eliades, Ann Stanley, Aziza De Fazio, Bruno Tigani, Chantelle Ladouceur, Choon Yeok, Claire Smith, Dan Milne, Dorids Glier, Fay Loveland, Gilles Lardy, Jo Buckle, Karen Ye, Karin Motyer, Leah Lux Tame, Lynn-eva Bottomley, Mala Plymin, Marianthi Kougi, Megan Goodman, Moira Tucker, Niloo Barmanray, Pauline Webb, Robin Gale-Baker, Soo Mei Leong, Toni Myers, Vanessa Reynolds and Velyne Moretti.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

Coburg on Saturday; Alphington and Eltham on Sunday.

Ann interviews Dan Milne, from Montmorency

For obvious reasons, our visits to local food-oriented gardens have ceased during the COVID-19 crisis. But, as an experiment, Ann Stanley decided to interview Dan Milne over Zoom. Read Ann’s interview write up.

Dan is well known in local permaculture circles as one of the leading lights in North East Ranges Permaculture (NERP). As Ann says, “Dan’s house is on 1400m2 of partially shaded sloping land that produces a large number of fruits and vegetables according to permaculture principles.“.

Much of the interview is Dan reflecting on home food growing and the current crisis. As Dan says in the interview, “Growing food in good times can feel like a hobby with mental health benefits but, in times of disruption and crisis, it can provide a source of nutrient-dense food and a sense that you have some control over your basic needs — an opportunity to catch and store energy.”

Read Ann’s full interview write up.

Robin discusses local food groups stepping up to provide food security

[Editor’s note: I asked Robin Gale-Baker to write this article because I think that what it discusses is important and a potential exemplar for other community gardens and groups.]

COVID-19 has placed unprecedented pressure on many families’ access to food in Banyule, as elsewhere. While some have the continued finances to purchase food, and others have increased the size of their veggie gardens to become more independent, many who have lost their jobs or had to move from unsafe situations have become reliant on BANSIC for food.

BANSIC (Banyule Support and Information Centre) has been serving the Banyule community for around 40 years. It is a not-for-profit incorporated association established to provide services for the relief of poverty, suffering, distress, misfortune or helplessness within the southern area of Banyule. Services include emergency relief (which until COVID-19 was in the form of vouchers), help with family and personal problems and information on rights (e.g. legal, health, education, support services and accommodation). BANSIC has two paid staff and much of its work is delivered by volunteers.

Since March, BANSIC has started to provide good quality food to families who are in dire straits. Initially, it focused on packaged food but it willingly accepted Sustainable Macleod’s offer to donate fresh food from the Macleod Organic Community Garden. This initiative was overwhelmingly supported by Sustainable Macleod members.

BANSIC is now supplying 30-40 families weekly (not necessarily the same families each week) with both packaged and fresh food. According to president Sharon Henderson, fresh food has been the most sought-after. Nothing could be fresher than food harvested from the community garden and delivered the same day! Sharon also observed that, once Sustainable Macleod began to donate food, some others followed suit, including Aldi and St Laurent.

Sustainable Macleod has now delivered around 200Kg of fresh food to BANSIC. Fortunately summer crops were still available – tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, chillies, silverbeet and potatoes – plus rhubarb, figs, pomegranates and cumquats. The emergency veggie patch planted on 22nd March (some seed, some seedlings) has provided Asian Greens, lettuces, kale, spring onions and radishes and will soon provide carrots, beetroot, kohlrabi, broccoli and peas.

Not all the food, however, has come from the community garden. Sustainable Macleod members have been generous in providing their homegrown silverbeet, parsley, mint, zucchini, pumpkin, Asian Greens, Jerusalem artichokes, limes, pomegrantes, persimmons and rhubarb. In addition, 75Kg of apples from a Yarra Valley research station have been donated by a member who works there. Some of the more exotic fruits have been welcomed by people from other countries for whom these fruits were more commonplace in their home countries.

So, out of a bad situation created by COVID-19, some good has come. The provision of food for those in need has been a unifying element that has brought our community together, created new partnerships and alliances (which will hopefully continue), and brought out the generous spirit of both businesses and individuals among us.

Anyone who is willing to donate produce is welcome to contact Sustainable Macleod by email.

Our photo competition

Last week’s competition

The theme of last week's competition was bees and other pollinators. It attracted 23 photos and 5 tips. The quality was extraordinary, even higher than that of previous weeks. After consulting with the providers of the prizes (Jane and Peter Dyer from Backyard Honey), 11 photos were shortlisted, any of which would have been a worthy winner. After much discussion, we decided that we could not separate them and took the unprecedented decision of having 11(!) joint winners. Each photographer will receive a jar of Backyard Honey’s raw, unheated honey and each will be invited to their 1 hour Zoom presentation and discussion. Well done Alfred, Alison, Aziza, Gilles, Jo, Karen, Karin and Marianthi! Thanks to everyone else who participated.

In passing, this is what Alison Raven said about her two extraordinary photos of solitary, native blue banded bees (Amegilla cingulata). "The first photo is a single female (4 bands on the abdomen) and the second is of 4 roosting male (5 bands). The females sleep alone in their nests, while the boys all hang out together on twigs at night. If you are lucky and see some just before dusk, you can follow them and find where they are going to roost. Lucky for me, they spent many nights last summer right outside my front door!"

Here are all 23 entries (3 to a row for presentational reasons on mobile phones). If there is ever a week when you click of some of the photos to look at larger versions, this should be that week. I’ve tried to make the experience better than usual in two ways. First, the larger versions are at higher resolution, and sometimes much higher resolution, than normal. Second, whilst the thumbnails are typically cropped versions to make the bees etc more visible, the larger versions show the complete pictures.

Alfred Zahra
sucking the honey
JOINT WINNER		 Alison Raven
blue-banded bee – female resting
JOINT WINNER		 Alison Raven
blue-banded bee – males hanging out
JOINT WINNER
Aziza De Fazio
hard at work
JOINT WINNER		 Gilles Lardy
bee landing on a dainty bess rose
JOINT WINNER		 Jo Buckle
bee in a pumpkin flower
JOINT WINNER
Karen Ye
JOINT WINNER		 Karen Ye
JOINT WINNER		 Karen Ye
JOINT WINNER
Karin Motyer
chequered cuckoo bee
JOINT WINNER		 Marianthi Kougi
pollen-covered bee
JOINT WINNER		 Angela Hewitt
hoverfly helping with pollination
Chantelle Ladouceur
look at those legs covered in pollen		 Choon Yeok
bees love salvia		 Doris Glier
Fiona Finch Laura Finch Leah Lux Tame
bee on my weeping ornamental cherry tree
Mala Plymin
bees loving poppy flowers		 Niloo Barmanray
bee on my orange tree		 Toni Myers
hoverfly at work in apple tree
Vanessa Reynolds Velyne Moretti

 

We also received a series of tips from Soo Mei Leong for attracting bees and pollinators to your garden:

  • Avoid pesticides; instead, aim for organic, chemical free, sustainable garden.
  • Grow a variety of flowers in hues of yellow, purple, blue etc, including borage, salvias, lavender, forget me not, echium and nasturtium, as well as native plants, to provide nectar.
  • Consider growing bromeliads (besides having standard bird baths ) as some of their crowns hold water and bees drink often and regularly.
  • Buy, or make from recycled materials, insect hotels.
  • Host a beehive.

Finally, Chantelle brought my attention to the following poem by Brian Bilston (self-declared “Poet Laureate of Twitter“) entitled The last bee:

After the last  ee
had  uzzed its last  uzz,

the  irds and the  utterflies
did what they could.

 ut soon the fields lay  are,
few flowers were left,

nature was  roken,
and the planet  ereft.

The week’s competition

This week’s competition is going to have the theme of pets. The prize will be a meal for two at a restaurant of your choice (within reason!). Email your entries by end of play Sunday, 31st May. To get things going, here is a picture of my erstwhile cat, Casper, plus wine stain.

The week from two weeks ago

If you remember, the theme was autumn colours and the winner was Marjory Gardner. Here is a photo of Marjory receiving her prize of a mushroom growing kit. As Marjory said, she is “looking forward to her first homegrown mushrooms on toast“.

Yes, you did know!

Black stripes on capsicums

Gerard O’Donnell wanted to know what the black stripes on his capsicums could be.

Bruno Tigani responded: ?”The black or purple stripes are very likely to be anthocyanin development in the fruit. This is probably due to colder temperatures, such as the very cold nights recently, with the anthocyanins being a protective mechanism in the plant against the temperature. Many vegetables exhibit this discolouration if it gets very cold, such as purpling in broccoli. The capsicum fruits are ripening very slowly now and may not turn red at all, as it is too late in the season here in Melbourne. If the fruit did mature to full colour, then the streaks would fade and you would be left with a red capsicum.”

Pauline Webb also responded: ?”My observations of my own capsicums when they have dark marks or lines is that it is always late in the season when there is a lack of both sun and heat. At this time of year, no capsicum can turn red. It pays to pick them before they have little visitors inside as caterpillar frass is near impossible to wash out.”

As did Moira Tucker: ?”I think it is just a natural mutation and/or a cross of colour types. Keep the seed and see if the colour variation is stable as it has potential as a variation!”

Trailer loads of manure

Shiva Vasi wanted to know where to buy a trailer load of manure.

Angelo Eliades responded: ?”Bulleen Art & Garden nursery sells bulk cow manure. You can either get it delivered, fill a trailer, or borrow the courtesy trailers that they have.”

Claire Smith also responded: ?”Whilst it is bagged, it is possible to get free manure from the RSPCA in Burwood East. If you ring them (9224 2222) and ask for The Barn then they can tell you how to access it.”

As did Moira Tucker: ?”Try a wool grower as they often accumulate manure beneath their shearing shed. It is a pity that the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show was cancelled this year as there would be have been a lot of shepherds there. There are many small specialist flocks where the fibre is grown for hand spinners. The Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Victoria (based in Carlton North) may have some useful contacts.”

Do you know?

Jan Akeroyd asks: “Does anyone know what is going on with this grapefruit tree (see picture)? It is an older tree which is healthy and productive but which has multiple areas where, like in the photo, the bark is missing on its branches.”

Guy’s veggie growing tip – saved seeds – part 1: the genetics

First, some genetics 101. Most living organisms are diploid, which means that they have two copies of most of their genes. These two copies can be the same or different. During sexual reproduction, one of these copies will be chosen at random from each of the mother and the father. The child will therefore inherit half of its genes from each of its mother and its father but which genes it inherits is a random process and will differ from child to child. If you think about it, this means that you will have lots of genes in common with your siblings but you will also have some genes which are different. This is why you bear some resemblance to your siblings but are not identical to them.

Most people who grow from saved seed want their vegetable plants to be the same variety as the mother plant from which they saved the seeds. This is called growing true to type. It is equivalent to wanting the seeds to be genetic clones of the mother plant. But fertile seeds are the product of male pollen fertilising female seeds and, as such, the genes of a fertile seed are a random half from the genes of each of the male and the female. For this random combination to have the same genetic composition as the mother plant, two things have to be true. First, the male and female parents have to have identical genes (at least for all the genes that make a material difference). Let's call this condition 1. Second, and perhaps less obviously, for every single gene that matters in both the male parent and the female parent, the two copies have to be identical (this is called homozygosity). Let's call this condition 2. Named varieties of vegetables are effectively those for which condition 2 is true.

Plants can be either self-pollinators (flowers usually pollinate themselves) or cross-pollinators (one flower has to be pollinated by another flower). For self-pollinators, condition 2 being true implies that condition 1 is also true and thus named varieties will grow true to type and their seeds can be saved. Examples are beans, peas and tomatoes. For cross-pollinators, however, condition 1 will only guaranteed to be true if there is only one variety of the plant being grown in the geographic area. Broad beans, capsicums, chillies, eggplants and pumpkins are all cross-pollinators and thus their seed saving is somewhat problematic.

Perhaps most dramatically, cabbage is a cross-pollinator and cauliflower and broccoli are just types of cabbage. So, if you save seeds from your cauliflower, they might well grow into something akin to broccoli (or vice versa). And I know that this can happen because it has happened to me in the past!

Heavy stuff! Here's a web page that covers similar ground using different words.

Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Angelo has been writing some more articles

What materials can you put into your compost bin and what not to compost.

Which variety of grapevine has edible leaves for making dolmades?. [Editor: the answer is sultana aka thompson seedless.]

Live near Eltham and want some cardboard?

One of the effects of COVID-19 has apparently been an increased interest in cycling and increased sales of bikes. As a result, the Bicycle Centre Eltham (at 929 Main Road, Eltham) currently, and possibly only for a short time, has a good supply of waste cardboard packaging. If you can use some for a gardening project you would be welcome to it. Phone the Bicycle Centre beforehand on 8418 0091 to check availability and arrange pick-up. Thanks for the heads up, Lynn-eva Bottomley!

What veggie seeds to plant in June

Here is a list (see the June planting guide for more detail):
Broad beans
Coriander
Garlic
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Onion
Peas
Radish

The list is pretty short. It’s your last chance to plant broad beans and garlic, and arguably too late for them.

Meg’s social isolation week

The paddocks are very green as we drive north of Melbourne to visit the grandparents (with social distancing). Catching up online is not the same. We have missed the end of season at the farm, but grandma has stored boxes of apples, figs and feijoas. These are all waiting at the back door for our arrival, next to the rows of dusty gumboots.

We bring offerings of limes and seeds for planting, including peas and broad beans: Aquadulce, Gippsland Giant and Crimson Flower. We catch up in the farm’s vegetable garden. Grandpa shows us the newly prepared beds that consist mostly of sheep manure from under the shearing shed. He keenly shows us the cape gooseberries that he has never grown before. The berries are yellow in their little paper parcels and taste unusually like a fragrant cherry tomato. We take a handful home to save for seed.

I’ve had a request for possible barley recipes so I thought I would ask grandma for her barley and grain salad. I also asked about her simple winter pasties.

Barley and grain salad

1 cup pearl barley cooked in accordance with packet instructions until just tender
1 cup puy lentils cooked in accordance with packet instructions until just tender
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup dried currants
1/3 cup dried cranberries
½ bunch parsley, finely chopped

Mix all above.

Toss the mixture in a light dressing of two-thirds olive oil and one-third lemon juice.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: can be served warm or cold.

Grandma’s pasties

500g good quality beef mince
3 large potatoes grated
4 medium carrots grated
2 brown onions finely diced
salt and white pepper to taste
3-4 sheets puff pastry
milk to glaze

Mix the mince, vegetables, salt and pepper (white pepper is preferred).

Cut each sheet of pastry into four squares, place a good amount of the mix inside each square, fold the pastry like a triangle and place on tray. Glaze the pasties with milk.

Cook in a 200degC oven for around 20 minutes and then reduce temperature to 180degC for a further 20-25 minutes.

Read Meg’s other recipes on our website.

Fay’s recipe for sweet potato dampers

Fay Loveland has written in to suggest that the following recipe might be of interest to those of you with gluten-free diets. It is from The Australian Women’s Weekly Allergy Free Cooking for Kids.

Ingredients
1 & 2/3 cups (225g) gluten-free, self-raising flour (Fay uses the Orgran brand)
1 teaspoon caster sugar (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
20g butter or margarine
½ cup mashed cooked sweet potato
½ cup milk

Topping:
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons gluten-free self-raising flour

Method
Pre-heat oven to 200degC. Oil the oven tray.

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Melt the butter/margarine in the hot sweet potato or in the microwave (the instructions say to rub the butter in but Fay finds melting is easier). Add the butter and sweet potato to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a knife.

Add the milk quickly until a soft sticky dough. Fay finds mixing with a knife is easiest.

Divide dough into 4 or 5 equal portions. Shape into rounds. Place on a tray. Cut a cross through the top of the dough and brush the tops with milk, then with extra flour.

Bake the dampers for 25–35 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of dampers. Fay finds 5 dampers take around 27 minutes in my oven.

Eat immediately or freeze when cool. They don’t keep very well out of the freezer.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The Warrandyte Diary.

I was surprised that The Warrandyte Diary was the most popular link so I thought I would say a few words about it. First, it is a properly local paper. For example, the latest edition has around 25 pages of local (as opposed to Melbourne-wide) news compared to around 3 pages in the latest Leader. Second, newsletter reader Kathy Gardiner has a regular gardening column. Third, there are often food-related articles (for example, by Carolyn Noel, Laura Russo and Sandi Miller in the latest edition)

Food-related proverb of the month

Two related phrases this month.

As keen as mustard. Meaning: very enthusiastic. The phrase dates back to the mid 17th Century, when it had already taken on its current meaning. Mustard had long been considered to be an essential accompaniment to beef in England because it added zest. Keenness + zest = very enthusiastic.

Cut the mustard. Meaning: to succeed; to come up to expectations. Whilst this phrase is relatively recent, first having appeared in print in 1889, its origins are not definitively known. It is not thought to relate to mustard as a plant, even though mustard plants are apparently difficult to cut, being tough and stringy. Rather, a more likely explanation is thought to be as a development of the phrase as keen as mustard, with ‘mustard’ meaning ‘a high standard’ (as in up to mustard) and ‘cutting’ meaning ‘exhibiting’ (as in cutting a fine figure).

In passing, the word ‘mustard’ derives from combining two Latin words: ‘must’ (meaning young wine) and ‘ardens’ (meaning hot). In other words, mustard = hot, young wine. This is because mustard was originally made by combining seeds of certain brassica plants and grape juice into a paste. It is interesting that the plants are named after the condiment rather than the other way round.

Read more food-related proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not.” by Georgia O’Keefe.

Read more quotes.

Joke of the week

Did you hear the joke about the peanut butter? I’m not telling you. You might spread it!

Read more jokes.

Upcoming online events

If you know of any events other than those listed below, email me.

Newly announced events

Open Table are now offering free no waste cooking workshops on Thursday, 9th June, 5.30-6.15pm and Wednesday, 17th June, 6.30-7.15pm. Read more and register on EventBrite.

Dr Rachel Carey, lead of the Foodprint Melbourne research project, will be giving an online lecture entitled sustaining our food supply on Tuesday, 2nd June, 1.30-2pm. Read more details and book.

Previously announced events

Bullen Art and Garden Nursery (BAAG) are now holding weekly classes online on a variety of subjects. The next classes are on pest control with companion planting (Saturday, 30th May, 10.30-11.30am), growing fruit & veggies in small spaces (Saturday, 30th May, 1.30-2.30pm) and compost & worms (Saturday, 30th May, 3.30-4.30pm). $20 per class. Book online at WeTeachMe.

Darebin Council and 3000acres are holding free, online gardening videos every Tuesday at 3pm on the 3000acres Facebook page.

Open Table are now offering their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

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

Whitehorse Council are publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability, including bee hotels (on 15th June) and beeswax wraps (on 22nd June).

CERES have moved some of their classes online.

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

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

LFC News May 20 2020

May 202020
 

Thanks to all the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Agnes Wilson, Aldona Kmiec, Alison Raven, Angie Kristens, Anna Sanders, Aziza de Fazio, Berry McSherry, Choon Yeok, Dianne Parslow, Doris Glier, Farah Dawwas, Fiona Finch, Jon Buttery, Judy Vizzari, Kathleen Bennett, Karen Ye, Kaye Flanagan, Kim Lam, Laura Finch, Louise Nolan, Lyn Richards, Mala Plymin, Maria Ciavarella, Marjory Gardner, Megan Cassidy, Megan Goodman, Niloo Barmanray, Nancy Mills, Raymond Leong, Shiva Vasi, Soo Mei Leong, Sue Thomas, Vanessa Reynolds, Vasundhara Kandpal and Velyne Moretti.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

Abbotsford Convent Farmers’ Market (re-located to Melbourne Innovation Centre, Alphington) and Coburg on Saturday; Alphington and Eltham on Sunday. Not Wonga Park.

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – rice

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

Beetroot rice Indo-Chinese fried rice Lemon and turmeric rice

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

As I’ve got space, I’m going to put my favourite of the three recipes (Beetroot rice) in full below but you will have to go to the website to read the other two (Indo-Chinese fried rice and Lemon and turmeric rice).

Beetroot rice

Ingredients
1 cup beetroot, grated
2 cups rice, cooked
1 onion, small
2 green chillies (optional)
18-20 curry leaves
1 tablespoon mustard seed
4-5 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
2-3 teaspoons salt, to taste
2 teaspoons oil
4 cashews (optional)
a handful of peanuts (optional)
1 lemon

Method Heat oil in a pan.
Add the mustard seeds, peanuts, cashews and green chillies. Cook for a minute.
Add the garlic and saute well.
Add the onions and saute well.
Add the grated beetroot. Mix well.
Add the spices and little water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Cook the rice separately. Mix the rice and the beetroot mixture. You can also mix plain white and red rice together for an uneven colouring. Squeeze lemon and serve.

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

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

Our photo competition

Last week’s competition

The theme of last week’s competition was autumn colours and it proved popular, attracting 32 entries, many of high quality. After consulting with higher authority (i.e. my wife), the chosen winner is Marjory Gardner for her photo of liquidamber (aka sweetgum) leaves. Congratulations Marjory, a mushroom kit will be wending its way to you shortly.

An honorary mention goes to Kaye Flanagan for her closeup picture of a bright red leaf. Congratulations Kaye, you will also receive a mushroom kit.

Thanks to everyone who submitted photos. Here are all 32 entries. Click any of them for a larger version.

Agnes Wilson
agaric mushrooms		 Aldona Kmiec
autumn leaf		 Alison Raven
Burnham Beeches
Angie Kristens
autumn sunset		 Anna Sanders
agaric mushrooms		 Aziza de Fazio
autumn leaves
Berry Mcsherry
Kilmore		 Choon Yeok
autumn leaves		 Dianne Parslow
autumn leaves
Doris Glier
autumn colours		 Fiona Finch
autumn leaves		 Jon Buttery
Porepunkah
Judy Vizzari
liquidamber		 Karen Ye
autumn leaves		 Karin Motyer
crepe myrtle
Kathleen Bennett
autumn leaves		 Kaye Flanagan RUNNER UP
autumn		 Kim Lam
blueberries
Laura Finch
autumn leaves		 Louise Nolan
japanese maple		 Lyn Richards
autumn colour Australian style
Mala Plymin
injured tree		 Maria Ciavarella
spot the persimmons		 Marjory Gardner WINNER
liquidamber
Megan Cassidy
autumn leaves over brick wall		 Nancy Mills
nandina		 Niloo Barmanray
autumn leaves
Raymond Leong
mushroom		 Soo Mei Leong
agaric mushrooms		 Sue Thomas
autumn		  
 
Vanessa Reynolds
my street		 Velyne Moretti
soaked amaranth		  
The week’s competition

Wednesday, 20th May (i.e. today) is World Bee Day. In recognition of this, the theme of this week’s competition will be bees and other pollinators. As well as photos, tips for making a garden bee friendly and pollinator puns will also be accepted as entries. The judges will be Jane and Peter Dyer from local honey producer Backyard Honey. Jane and Peter will also be donating the prizes which will comprise 1Kg of their raw, unheated honey plus a 1 hour Zoom presentation and discussion by them to the group/school of your choice. Email your entries by end of play Sunday, 24th May.

To get things going, the photo is of a honey bee that I revived by giving it some diluted honey.

PowerHouse Cheese

As the Local Food Directory page on PowerHouse Cheese was the most clicked link in last week’s newsletter, I thought that I would say a few words about their cheese.

Here are three pertinent words: stinky, yum and unique. The owner, Barbara Power, was previously a microbiologist, and this has clearly given her the confidence to experiment with different moulds and bacteria. Back in the good old days (i.e. before COVID-19), you could wander down to Whitehorse Farmers’ Market, taste all their cheeses, and buy the ripest. Nowadays, you have to buy it untasted at selected Eltham Farmers’ Markets (usually the first Sunday of each month).

Do you know?

Gerard O’Donnell writes in: “I planted capsicum seedlings a while back. They’ve grown and fruited rather well. I expected that the fruit would change from green to red but, instead, they have stayed green and developed black stripes (see photo). Is this black colouring natural or is something wrong?” Email me with your answer.

Shiva Vasi wants to get a trailer load of manure (ideally sheep or cow) for her garden, thereby avoiding plastic bags. Can anyone suggest where she can buy manure in bulk? Email me with yiour answer.

Community gardening news

Like all other community gardens, Macleod Organic Community Garden has been closed during this current crisis. During this time, Sustainable Macleod (who manage the garden) have formed a partnership with BANSIC (Banyule Support and Information Centre), whereby they provide BANSIC with fresh fruit and vegetables for them to give away to people who need them. Thus far, they have provided around 200Kg(!) of fresh food.

Want to read about citrus fruit trees?

Newsletter reader Kathy Gardiner has written an article about citrus fruit trees (see image right) for the May edition of the Warrandyte Diary.

Newsletter reader Angelo Eliades has written an article on why your homegrown citrus fruit sometimes has an overly thick peel. Hint: it’s all about phosphorus.

Guy’s veggie growing tip – capsicums, chillies and eggplants

Different veggies have different lifecycles. Many are annuals, which means that their entire lifecycle, from birth to death, takes less than a year. Examples are beans, pumpkins and tomatoes. Others are biennials, which means that their lifecycle, whilst predictable, takes two years. Examples are beetroot, onions and parsley. For some biennials, we effectively grow them as annuals because we eat the things that they produce in the first year (e.g. onions). Yet others are perennials, which means that their lifespan is more than a year but unpredictable. Some perennials typically live for many years (e.g. asparagus and rhubarb), whilst others we effectively grown as annuals (e.g. potatoes).

That brings me, at last, to capsicums, chillies and eggplants. These are perennial but short-lived, typically living for around three years. But, and here’s the main point of this little article, they are frost tender and are typically killed off by the Melbourne Winter. So, if you want to get full value from your capsicum, chilli and eggplant plants, you need to grow them in pots and put those pots in a warm place (e.g. a greenhouse) during Winter. If you have some and they are outside, now is the time to move them to a warmer place (it would have been even better if you had done this before the latest cold spell!).

Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

The leaves are turning on the snow pears along the driveway and they are bright yellow in the sunshine. They match the golden shades of the yellow button chrysanthemums and tall Peruvian lilies in flower underneath. With this leaf change comes the relief of being able to visit friends and family. I am looking forward to being able to take bunches of mixed herbs to share along with the limes (Tahitian) and lemons (Eureka) that are ripening now.

This week, I planted swedes (‘invitation‘), turnips (‘purple top‘) and carrots (‘nante‘) in the veggie patch. The turnips at least grow reasonably fast and I am looking forward to warm barley soups.

This week’s recipe is sweet potato scones. I harvested the sweet potatoes that have been in the ground since January (late to go in). They were grown from a store-bought one, allowed to develop roots in a glass of water then cut into smaller pieces and planted. From the one sweet potato, I obtained six good-sized tubers and several smaller tubers. The vine was also very pretty hanging over the sides of the patch. I’m not sure that the harvest was worth the work – but I’ll think about it as I hunt for the jam to go with the scones.

Sweet potato scones

1 cup cooked sweet potato puree (warm)
1½ cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon nutmeg
100g butter at room temperature
75g sugar
¼ cup milk (for brushing)

Pre-heat your oven to 220degC.

Cream the butter and sugar until just turning then add the sweet potato puree. Add the flour and nutmeg and fold through (but do not over work).

Tip the dough onto a floured board, gently shape and pat to about 4 cm thick.

Cut out scones and place on tray lined with baking paper. Brush top with milk. Bake the scones for about 15-20 mins.

Tip: place a small dish with water in the bottom of the oven to help with forming a light ‘crust’.

Read Meg’s other recipes on our website.

Joke of the week

What’s the difference between an Mel Gibson movie and a pizza? Pizzas are good.

Read more jokes.

Regular, current, online events

If you know of any others, email me.

Newly announced events

Open Table are now offering their weekly no waste cook club workshops free and online on Saturdays. As well as cooking (which is actually optional), you will learn about food waste and composting. Register on EventBrite.

Nillumbik Council are organising a free, online workshop entitled mushroom discovery on Monday, 25th May, 10am-midday and again on Saturday, 6th June, 2-4pm. Register on EventBrite.

Alphington-based Pollinator Alliance is bringing you Bee School Online, which will be centred on a series of videos together with activities that you can do at home.

From 1st June, Whitehorse Council will be publishing on their Youtube channel a video each Monday at 9am on various aspects of sustainability, including bee hotels (on 15th June) and beeswax wraps (on 22nd June).

I was sent the details of two other new events but both of them are happening on the very day that this newsletter is going out (20th May), which makes it pointless for me to advertise them. Give your event a chance by giving people adequate notice about its existence! Email me the details of, or a link to, your upcoming events.

Previously announced events

Bulleen Art and Garden Nursery (BAAG) are now holding weekly classes online on a variety of subjects. The next classes are on compost & worms (Saturday, 23rd May, starting 3.30pm), pest control with companion planting (Saturday, 30th May, starting 10.30am) and growing fruit & veggies in small spaces (Saturday, 30th May, starting 1.30pm). $20 per class. Book online at WeTeachMe.

Darebin Council and 3000acres are holding free, online gardening videos every Tuesday at 3pm on the 3000acres Facebook page. The next video topic is: 26th May – cool season garden projects.

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

Nillumbik Council are organising a free, online presentation entitled nestbox neighbours on Tuesday, 26th May, 7-8pm. Register on EventBrite.

CERES have moved some of their classes online.

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

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

All The Dirt is a fortnightly podcast about gardening.

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

LFC News May 13 2020

May 132020
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Aziza de Fazio, Heather, Jane Dyer, Jon Buttery, Judith Chivers, Karin Motyer, Louise Nolan, Mala Plymin, Megan Goodman, Natalie Nigol, Peter Dyer and Vicki Jordan.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

Coburg on Saturday; Alphington and Eltham on Sunday. Not Carlton or Yarra Valley.

3000acres say that through food we come together

This month’s contribution is from Merrin Layden.

Here at 3000acres we’re grateful to Guy for continuing to deliver his great newsletter every week and finding new ways to connect and inspire us.

At the peak of the olive season, we’re feeling pretty gutted that Olives to Oil, our annual communal harvest event, had to be cancelled and we’ve received lots of messages from people feeling the same. But, even at a distance, food still has the ability to bring us together.

Celebrating the harvest is a powerful ritual in many cultures and we’ve been reflecting on some of the beautiful festivals we’ve seen here and around the world. I (Merrin) previously worked in London where our orchard team exchanged apple traditions with a group based at Tolstoy’s orchard in Russia. Returning to Melbourne, I saw that my idea of re-creating this tradition through the bountiful urban ‘olive grove’ of our suburbs already had a proud history in the Darebin Parklands Association Olive Days.

Of course, Indigenous Australians have observed their own food celebrations for millennia and it is such a privilege to be able to learn and share in this through the annual Merri Murnong Gathering – now a fixture in my year.

Our photo competition

Last week, I asked for suggestions about themes for future photo competitions. Here are some of the suggestions that you made:

  • Autumn colours/leaves.
  • Bees and other pollinators.
  • Indoor plants.
  • Insects.
  • Pets.

This week’s competition will be on the theme of Autumn colours/leaves. To get things going, pictured is a Japanese maple from my garden. The prize for the best photo will be a mushroom growing kit from The Mushroom Shed. Email your photo by end of play Sunday, 17th May.

Yes, you did know!

Jo Buckle asked what was on her apple tree (see photo right). The answer is woolly aphids.

Heather: “Woolly aphid. Cute, but naughty.”

Angelo Eliades: “Woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum). They cover themselves with white, cotton-line secretions to form a protective cottony mass. They are a common pest of apples. You can spray them with eco-oil to get rid of them.”

Judith Chivers: the latest newsletter from Leaf, Root & Fruit has an article about woolly aphids, which includes the following sentence: “Although not majorly detrimental to the tree in small numbers, in large numbers they can cause significant stress and damage the tree.”

Want some free olives?

Vicki Jordan has written in: “I have hundreds of olives for the taking. There are three different types and currently range from green to black. I am in Lower Plenty and can be contacted on 0418 539714“.

Mac’s blast from the past

It’s probably time to harvest your olives. Here’s how to tell: when your olives start to change colour from green to black, it’s time to harvest. Yes, you can wait until they go completely black but they are ripe when they start to go black. Here’s another way to tell: 20 corellas or parrots visit your tree, scoff all the olives and make a complete mess of your garden.

[Editor’s note: there are several different ways of curing olives. For example, see our pages on curing green olives and curing black olives.]

Read more of Mac’s tips.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Karin Motyer has sent in a picture of the fruit from her Irish strawberry tree. “I decided to cut a couple open as I was curious as to what is inside. No, I don’t eat them. I leave them for the birds, who seem to love them.”

[Editor’s note: they can be used to make both marmalade and brandy.]

Local food producer news

Organic Fix, in Eltham, are now making their own flour using a stone mill. The flour is stoneground (ground between two stones), wholegrain (uses all of the grain) and wholemeal (still contains bran).

Did you watch Masterchef on 6th May?

The theme was cooking with local ingredients and it included produce from three of our local food producers, namely Cooking With Koji (who make miso), Melbourne Gourmet Mushrooms and PowerHouse Cheese. Pictured are the three people from these producers who represented their organisations on the show, namely Yoko Nakazawa, Matthew Robison and Barbara Power.

Yoko Nakazawa
Cooking With Koji		 Matthew Robison
Melbourne Gourmet Mushrooms		 Barbara Power
PowerHouse Cheese

What alerted me to this was that the PowerHouse Cheese page was the most popular page on our website for the 24 hours after the show aired. Plus some of our new subscribers wrote rather unusual things on their subscription form, such as “I’m a blue cheese lover much to the disdain of my doctor“.

Darebin backyard harvest stories

Darebin Council is partnering with 3000acres to invite you to share your garden stories via photos and videos on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #darebinbackyardharvest and tags @3000acres and @darebincitycouncil. For example, post about your gardening progress, tips and tricks, garden tours or favourite recipes. One lucky gardener will win a copy of David Holmgren’s Retrosuburbia. To be eligible to win you must live, work or grow food in Darebin.

Guy’s veggie growing tip – growing in pots

Karyn asks: “I’d love to know any hints tips and tricks for growing in pots. I have no open space but room for pots. Any help would be much appreciated thank you. Great site!”

Here is a list of veggies that grow well in pots: garlic, leeks, lettuce, pak choy, radish, rocket, silverbeet, spinach and strawberry.

To ease your watering tasks, use pots with water wells.

Use high quality potting mix but also add some fertiliser (or buy a mix which includes fertiliser) as most veggies are heavy feeders. Then add a liquid fertiliser periodically.

Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

The rain is caught in the buckets of the nasturtium leaves and look like little round sparkling balls. The air is damp and the autumn leaves are sodden underfoot. I am grateful for the quiet time in the garden.

While the soil is wet and soft, it’s a good time to dig up plants for division. I divided my horseradish (see photo right) and harvested a few pieces of root for use in the kitchen. The garden fork works hard in the soil and each year the horseradish seems deeper and harder to dig up – the roots often grow sideways in my clay soil. Horseradish grows very easily from pieces of the root. My plants originally came from a food swap and I’ve found that it is very hardy and can be a bit invasive. The cooler weather brings out its pungency and we keep it wrapped in the fridge ready to grate when needed. It is great as a dressing.

I have had a few enquiries about the Novella pea seeds which some of you received. It is described as a ‘unique leafless shelling pea’ and it does look a bit strange, but the pea pods were plentiful. I find that some support is needed. I like trialling some more unusual varieties from time to time as a bit of a challenge.

Horseradish dressing

3-4 tablespoons natural or greek yoghurt
1-2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish (to taste)
juice of one small lemon
about a dessert spoon of olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix the yogurt and horseradish. Add the lemon juice a little at a time and then the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust as required.

Read Meg’s other recipes on our website.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Jacinda Brown’s photo of herself with a pear.

Joke of the week

What did the ice-cream say to the unhappy birthday cake? “What’s eating you?”

Read more jokes.

Regular, current, online events

If you know of any others, email me.

Newly announced events

Nillumbik Council are organising a free, online presentation entitled nestbox neighbours on Tuesday, 26th May, 7-8pm. Register on EventBrite.

As discussed last week, Darebin Council and 3000acres are holding free, online gardening videos every Tuesday at 3pm on the 3000acres Facebook page. The next 3 video topics are: 12th May – backyard poultry 101; 19th May – beekeeping 101; and 26th May – cool season garden projects.

Previously announced events

Bullen Art and Garden Nursery (BAAG) are now holding weekly classes online on a variety of subjects. The next two classes are on growing fruit & veggies in small spaces (Saturday, 16th May) and compost & worms (Saturday, 23rd May), each 10.30-11.30am. $20 per class. Book online at WeTeachMe.

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

3000acres are holding a free online workshop to discuss how to preserve olives, using fresh olives harvested from our local area. Then, all together, you will preserve a small batch to put away in the cupboard. The workshop is on Thursday, 14th May, 10-11am. Register on EventBrite

Central Ringwood Community Centre is organising a free online Q&A on plant-based eating on Friday, 15th May, 8-9pm. Register on Facebook.

Jesuit Community College are organising a free, online course for concession card holders covering zero waste cooking and sustainability. The course will start on 15th May and run for 7 weeks. Read more and register on WeTeachMe

CERES have moved some of their classes online.

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

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

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

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

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

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

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

LFC News May 6 2020

May 062020
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Anna Sanders, Aziza De Fazio, Bruno Tigani, Duang Tengtrirat, Fay Loveland, Jo Buckle, Joanne Driver, Jon Buttery, Kobie Swart, Lachlan Shackleton-Fergus, Lee Hirsh, Marsha Merory, Morgan Koegel, Pam Jenkins, Peter Bevz, Raymond Leong, Robin Gale-Baker, Stuart Rodda and Vanessa Reynolds.

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

Answer 4 : Collingwood Childrens Farm Farmers’ Market (re-located to Alphington) and Coburg on Saturday; Alphington and Eltham on Sunday. Not Croydon or Whitehorse.

Our photo competition

And last week’s winner is …

There were 4 publishable entries for our World Naked Gardening Day special.

The winner is Jacinda Brown for her picture of herself with a pear. Congratulations Jacinda! You now have $50 credit with The Mushroom Shed for buying seedlings.

An honorary mention goes to Aziza De Fazio for her photo, which was entitled pomegranate picking. You now have $30 credit with The Mushroom Shed for buying seedlings.

Here are all 4 entries (click them to see larger versions).

Pomegranate picking
Aziza De Fazio
Honorary mention!		 Pear
Jacinda Brown
The winner!
Fingers
Jon Buttery		 Hand
Raymond Leong
This week’s competition

There is no competition this week (although I will publish any photos that are sent in). Can someone suggest a theme for the following week? Email me.

Yes, you did know!

What’s been eating Vicki’s pumpkins?

Rats, mice, brushtail possums, deer, kangaroos, wallabies or wombats?

Robin Gale-Baker: “Rats. I once saw a half acre full of beautiful pumpkins devastated by rats overnight. Hundreds of them devoured! I picked 3 pumpkins high up in our feijoa tree before the stem withered as, the moment they ripen, the rats go for them.“

Pam Jenkins: “Rats. They don’t mind climbing a trellis. Unlikely to be possums as they don’t like being on the ground. I’ve never heard of rabbits eating undamaged pumpkin – I hope they don’t!“

Joanne Driver: “Rats. I have had the same trouble this year with tomatoes and some apples. Our cat has a daily home on the compost pile near the bins and we have seen a few results.“

Kris Filmer: “Rats. We have had the same problem, as well as our potatoes being eaten underground.“

Peter Bevz: “Rats or mice, almost certainly. I’ve had identical issues in the past. Nowadays, when my pumpkins are ripening, I check them every day and, at the first sign of any nibbling, I harvest them all.“

Marsha Merory: “Brushtail possum. I lost 5 pumpkins (2 golden nuggets and 3 jap pumpkins) to a large brushtail possum. I then put metal waste paper bins on my last 3 pumpkins, with 2 bricks on top of each – so far, so good.“

Angelo Eliades (before seeing Duang’s response below): “Rats or possums, as rabbits aren’t capable of eating vegies hanging 1 metre off the ground, and birds wouldn’t eat that much and would leave tell-tale pointed pecking marks. The simple way to tell if it’s rats or possums is to net the pumpkins: if possums are the culprit then the pumpkins will be protected by the netting, but if rats are the problem then they will chew through the netting and eat the pumpkins!“

Duang Tengtrirat: “Deer. When we lived in Research, our pumpkins were eaten and the carcass looked just like the one in the photo. We first blamed the kangaroos then the rabbits, both of which there were plenty. After installing a camera, however, it became clear that the culprit was actually deer (a big deer with antlers).“

Angelo (after seeing Duang’s response): “Kangaroos and wallabies, maybe. If you live somewhere rural, then kangaroos and wallabies, as well as deer, would also be possibles. But, unlike rodents, none of these animals would chew through netting.“

And Angelo again: “Wombats, maybe. At Bulleen Art & Garden nursery (BAAG), we once caught a wombat on our security cameras eating the blueberries in the driveway!“

What should Sandie do with her small, green olives?

Morgan Koegel: “You can either preserve them (e.g. through brining) or press them into oil. For pressing, you only receive back about 10% as oil (the pip and pulp are discarded) so you need quite a lot of olives to justify undertaking this adventure.“

What variety is Carol’s tomato?

Vanessa Reynolds: “It looks to me very much like one of the egg-shaped Italian types, such as Roma or San Marzano, both of which are good for passata or canning.“

Stuart Rodda: “It looks very similar to one I have been growing for a decade or more from saved seed (see photo). It is a Roma-like tomato called ‘reggae’, which is a smooth-skinned, smallish, indeterminate tomato (4-6cm long, 2-3cm wide). It is resistant to disease and pest attack, keeps well after ripening, develops fruit in large clusters, is not fussy about soil quality and does not need regular watering (i.e. does not split if a dry period is followed by rain). The flavour is good and it is easily sliced. All in all, an excellent tomato for most uses, albeit a bit small.“

Stuart’s tomatoes Carol’s tomatoes
How to protect your brassicas from cabbage moth?

Bruno Tigani: “This year, for the first time, I have used netting over my brassica patch and they are totally spotless. No aphids, caterpillars or any other pest. The netting has 2mm gaps and it has not caused the plants to elongate at all, so sufficient light intensity is still getting through.“

Do you know?

Jo Buckle asks: “What is this on my apple tree?” (see photo right) [Editor: I’ve asked Jo whether it wriggles when the branches are knocked but she hasn’t yet replied.]

Local food producer news

Lee Hirsh has written in to say that Imbue Distillery have a special offer for Mother’s Day: 2 x 100ml bottles of gin with matching mixers and a 15/30ml jigger.

Guy’s veggie growing tip – leeks and celery

The word ‘blanch’ has two completely different meanings when it comes to food, namely what Wikipedia refers to as blanching (cooking) and blanching (horticulture). In horticulture, blanching is a technique used in vegetable growing whereby light is purposively excluded from part of the plant, usually to make it paler in colour and/or less bitter in flavour. If you look at a mature leek, the bottom bit will be white and the top bit will be green. The white bit is that which was grown underground. If, like me, you prefer white leek to green leek, then you want as much of the leek as possible to have been grown underground. This can be achieved through a combination of two techniques: planting the seedlings deeply (say, up to 5-10cm) and hilling up the soil around the plant as it grows (say, up to another 5-10cm). Watch this video by newsletter reader and leek growing expert Bruno Tigani (Bruno was the person who gave away hundreds of leek seedlings to newsletter readers earlier this year). He plants his leek seedlings in deep holes and then, with rain and wind, the soil collapses in gradually.

Similar opportunities apply to celery where, for example, white, non-bitter celery can be obtained by wrapping the bottom half of the plant in paper.

If you have any doubt about the impact that an absence of light can have on a plant, compare witloof with other forms of chicory.

Read more of Guy’s veggie growing tips.

Meg’s social isolation week

With the cool weather this week, it is clear that autumn is definitely here. The last of the basil turned black overnight from the frost (no more pesto this year) and it’s time to harvest the last pumpkins as the tendrils brown and the vine dies back. I’ve had a wonderful crop of passionfruit over the last two months, but I now see green passionfruit on the ground (which can happen when it turns really cold) so it is unlikely that the last few passionfruit left will ripen. What to do with the last of the ripe passionfruit? We love them fresh, but the pulp can also be frozen for use in baking. Maybe a banana bread with passionfruit pulp?

All the rain has helped the peas that are just starting to show through the dirt. The garlic is also up, just appearing after several weeks in the ground. The mint is lush and smells wonderful in the wet weather when brushed against. It deserves to be used and it goes really well with lentils in a warm lunch with toasted sourdough.

Puy lentils and mint

1 cup of cooked Puy lentils
1 brown onion diced
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tomatoes diced
3 tablespoons mint leaves finely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley leaves finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion in the olive oil until softened.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the vinegar and then add the pre-cooked lentils to warm through.

Remove from heat and toss through fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with toasted sourdough.

Banana bread with passionfruit pulp

2-3 ripe bananas (mashed)
juice/pulp of 3-4 passionfruit (seeds are optional)
125g butter, softened
½ cup caster sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
50g chopped walnuts (optional)
1½ cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt

Cream the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well.

Fold in the mashed bananas, passionfruit pulp, vanilla and nuts (if using).

Lightly fold in the flour, baking powder and salt.

Bake for around 1 hour in a loaf tin at 180degC.

Cool in the tin before turning it out onto a cake rack.

Read Meg’s other recipes on our website.

Following last week’s newsletter, Meg sent pea seeds to the first 15 newsletter readers who requested them. As Kobie Swart said, “Can you please forward my thanks to Megan for the sweet pea seeds. What a delightful little parcel to receive in the mail. Gardeners really are the nicest people.” And Anna Sanders: “I received an envelope of Novella Pea seeds which I’ve never come across before – I didn’t know there were leafless varieties! I planted them out today and am very excited to see how they turn out. It’s lovely to be part of such a generous, sharing community of people and I appreciate you helping to keep it active!“

Marmalade toffee

Even though he makes marmalade all the time, Lachlan Shackleton-Fergus still has the occasional disaster. He recently had one such, where the end product was just a runny mess. To use up some of this runny marmalade, he decided to try and make marmalade toffee. Read the story of Lachlan and his lockdown marmalade toffee.

Here is the recipe that Lachlan came up with.

Ingredients
450 grams runny marmalade (any type is fine)
900 grams white sugar
a little unsalted butter or treacle (optional)
chopped nuts (optional)

Utensils
A medium-sized heavy bottom pan.
A wooden stirring spoon.
An accurate candy thermometer (desirable as sugar is a bit unforgiving).
A pan or tray to pour the mix into.

Method
Dump the runny marmalade into the pan and gently heat to a slow bubble – about 10 minutes.

Add the sugar and mix gently and then let it slowly heat to 154degC. Watch the temperature rise. It will take about half an hour but as soon as it reaches 154degC, take it off the stove or you will have dark set glue! Don’t stir too much or it will crystallise. It will foam up as it gets near the required temperature.

Using heavy gloves or an oven cloth, pour the mix gently into the setting pan and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.

After about 10-15 minutes, using a heavy knife, make indentations into the mix about the size of a single tablet of chocolate. If the indentations fill up, wait a few more minutes and then do it again.

Sugar cools very slowly so give it a good couple of hours and then remove the mix from the pan using a spatula or similar. Put it on a wooden or strong table surface and break the mix up into units. If you can’t break it up, put the whole thing in the fridge for an hour and then try again.

After the toffee has been cut up, lay the pieces into a plastic shallow container, dust with icing sugar (to keep the pieces from sticking together) and store in the fridge to keep it hard.

Note that you can sprinkle some chopped nuts over the hot mix on the slab or even dust it with cocoa. It helps to push the nuts down into the toffee with the back of a wet spoon but you will need to wait until the mix is a little set or they just pop out again!

Also note that sugar absorbs water so it can start to get a bit sticky if you leave it in a warm room. If that happens, just put it back into the fridge.

April was a month of records for this newsletter

More people (30) wrote to me to express their appreciation for the newsletter than in any previous month.

More people (110) signed up to receive the newsletter than in any previous month.

More people (700) clicked links than in any previous month.

More people (2,600) than ever received the newsletter.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The picture of me watering my garden on World Naked Gardening Day.

As someone wrote in: “How much time do you dedicate to achieving such muscularity?“

Joke of the week

What can a whole pear do that half an pear can’t do? It can look round.

Read more jokes.

Regular, current, online events

If you know of any others, email me.

Newly announced events

Bullen Art and Garden Nursery (BAAG) are now holding weekly classes online on a variety of subjects. The next three classes are on pest control (Saturday, 9th May), growing fruit & veggies in small spaces (Saturday, 16th May) and compost & worms (Saturday, 23rd May), each 10.30-11.30am. $20 per class. Book online at WeTeachMe.

CERES have moved some of their classes online.

Darebin Council and 3000acres are jointly organising a free, online workshop on worm farming on Saturday, 9th May, 10.30-11.30am. Reserve spaces on Facebook. There will also be free Q&A sessions every Tuesday at 3pm on the 3000acres Facebook page.

Whittlesea Council are organising some free, online workshops on composting and worm farming. The workshops will be on Wednesday, 6th May, 7-8.30pm and Thursday, 7th May, 10.30am-midday. Register by contacting Sylvia Jones by email.

Central Ringwood Community Centre is organising a free online Q&A on plant-based eating on Friday, 15th May, 8-9pm. Register on Facebook.

Jesuit Community College are organising a free, online course for concession card holders covering zero waste cooking and sustainability. The course will start on 15th May and run for 7 weeks. Read more and register on WeTeachMe

Newsletter reader Chloe Thomson is doing free, weekly podcasts on gardening for Bunnings.

All The Dirt is a weekly podcast about gardening.

Previously announced events

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

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

3000acres are holding a free online workshop to discuss how to preserve olives, using fresh olives harvested from our local area. Then, all together, you will preserve a small batch to put away in the cupboard. The workshop is on Thursday, 14th May, 10-11am. Register on EventBrite

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

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

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

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

LFC News April 29 2020

Apr 292020
 

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

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

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

Judy visited Doncaster Community Gardens

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

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

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

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

Read Judy’s full interview write up.

Robin’s tip of the month – autumnal jams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our photo competition

And last week’s winner is …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No, you didn’t know!

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

Do you know?

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

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

Moving Feast – a collaborative response to the current pandemic

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

They envisage three phases in their response:

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

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

Read more on their website.

A new food outlet in Warrandyte – Replenished Wholefoods

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

Guy’s veggie growing tip – brassicas and cabbage moth

    

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

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

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

Is your soil safe?

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

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

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

How to make someone jealous

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

What seeds to plant in May

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

Brassicas

Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Kale
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Pak choy
Cool season veggies

Broad beans
Coriander
Fennel
Garlic
Peas
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Rocket
Silverbeet
Spinach
Other

Carrot
Chickpea
Chives
Onion
Parsley
Potato
Radish
Shallot

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

Read Helen’s guides on growing brassicas and garlic.

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

Meg’s social isolation week

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

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

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

Fresh pea soup

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

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

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

Blend and season to taste.

Can be served with a little cream.

Want some free seeds?

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

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

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

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

Proverb of the month

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

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

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

Read more proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

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

Read more quotes.

Joke of the week

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

Read more jokes.

Regular, current, online events

If you know of any others, email me.

Previously announced events

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LFC News April 22 2020

Apr 222020
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Alison Fraser, Bev Middleton, Callie Lastdrager, Carol Woolcock, Choon Yeok, Fay Loveland, Jacinda Brown, Jon Buttery, Ling Wong, Mala Plymin, Maude Farrugia, Maureen Cullen, Megan Goodman, Penny Smith, Peta Heywood, Sean Walsh, Vasundhara Kandpal, Velyne Moretti and Zofia Di Stefano.

Corrections and clarifications

The olive trees in Alphington are NOT FREE

These trees apparently belong to someone and people should definitely not therefore be taking any of the olives. My apologies to the owners of the olive trees, Louise and Vanessa.

Oat and rice bars

Several of you have asked how much water should be combined with the sugar to make sugar syrup. The answer is apparently ½ cup of water for each cup of sugar. The recipe has been updated accordingly.

I’ve also updated the recipe to clarify the use of the word ‘strings’ when discussing sugar syrup. “‘Strings’ is a term used when discussing the thickness of sugar syrup. ‘2 strings’ effectively means ‘thick’ and ‘1 string’ effectively means ‘thin’. Vasundhara judges it as follows: touch the syrup with a clean forefinger and then touch your thumb and forefinger together and pull apart gently. If you do this when the sugar first dissolves, the string is short and breaks soon – this is ‘1 string’. Boil further and the string becomes longer and more stable – this is ‘2 strings’. Boil even further and the string becomes very long and feels like it is crystalising – this is ‘3 strings’.“

Which food get togethers will be happening this weekend?

Which farmer’s markets will be happening this weekend?

Answer 4: Abbotsford Convent (re-located to Alphington), Alphington, Coburg and Eltham. Not Wonga Park.

Which other markets will be happening this weekend?

Answer 1: Fitzroy Mills.

Which food swaps will be happening this weekend?

Answer: none. But Box Hill South and Forest Hill are having virtual meetings on Zoom.

Which community gardens will be holding get togethers this weekend?

Answer: none. But St Johns Riverside, Heidelberg are having a virtual meeting on Zoom.

Our photo competition

And last week’s winner is …

Last week, we announced a new competition, whereby you enter a photo from either your garden or a nearby park and I choose the best. There were 12 entries, each of which is shown below. Thanks everyone! The standard was really high and you should click all 12 to see larger versions.

The winner is Callie Lastdrager for her picture of water droplets on a plant. Callie’s picture was actually entered by her mum, Alison Fraser. Congratulations Callie (and Alison)! As previously agreed, please start clapping and cheering Callie from the comfort of your home!

An honorary mention goes to Penny Smith for her picture of a praying mantis laying eggs. Congratulation Penny!

Here are all 12 entries (click them to see larger versions).

Hakea
Carol Woolcock
 		 Water droplets
Callie Lastdrager
The winner!		 Teatree
Choon Yeok
 
View
Jon Buttery
 		 King parrot
Leah Lux Tame
 		 Doves
Lee Hirsh
 
Flagstaff Gardens
Ling Wong
 		 Cosmos
Mala Plymin
 		 Praying mantis
Penny Smith
Honorary mention!
Cormorant
Peta Haywood		 Dandelion
Velyne Moretti		 Garden bed
Zofia Di Stefano

 

This week’s competition

We going to repeat the competition this week but with a couple of twists. First, there will be a different prize: a birds nest fern (see picture) donated by Bev Middleton, which she can deliver to you in a contactless way. Second, reflecting the nature of the prize, your photo has to be of a plant in your garden. Email your photo by end of play Sunday, 26th April.

Get Backyard Honey’s honey delivered to you

Backyard Honey can deliver 1Kg pots of raw unheated antibacterial Victorian Varietal ($30 per pot) or Melbourne Multi-floral ($45 per pot) honey with no delivery charge if you live within 5 kms of Surrey Hills train station and nominate an accessible delivery location for the social-distancing beekeepers. Alternatively, it may be possible to collect the honey from them in Surrey Hills. Contact Jane Dyer by email (jane@backyardhoney.com.au), stating: Victorian Varietal or Melbourne Multifloral honey; number of 1Kg pots; a delivery address; and any special instructions for delivery (ordinarily the honey will be left by your front door).

Do you know?

Carol Woolcock has written in to ask if you know what variety the pictured tomato might be: “A feral tomato that has popped up in my garden. I first thought that it came from the compost but I have never bought or grown one that looks like this. It is fleshy and sweet with few seeds. Should I save some seeds to grow next season? Is it a named variety?” Email your answer.

Beginners’ veggie growing tip – peas

Peas are one of those veggies which, like sweetcorn, really do taste better when homegrown rather than store-bought. You grow them just like the broad beans discussed last week. The main difference is that most peas are climbing varieties and they need a climbing frame (although you can get bush varieties). The climbing varieties divide into three broad groups: garden/english (your standard pea with non-edible pods); snow (flat, edible pods; used in Chinese cuisine); and snap (pods edible when young). Snap peas are effectively halfway between garden and snow peas and are the ones that I usually grow, eating them like snow peas when young and like garden peas when older.

Read more beginners’ veggie growing tips.

Want to prune someone’s peach tree?

Owen Butler wants his old peach tree (pictured) pruned but is worried that he will do it wrongly if he does it himself. He would therefore like to pay someone to prune it for him. He lives in Ivanhoe. If interested, please send Owen a quote by phone (0400 508864) or email (owenbutler1@bigpond.com).

Some new delivery options

Metropolitan & Rural Milk, who are based in Hurstbridge, will deliver milk, cheese, yoghurt, bread and eggs anywhere in Nillumbik or in the eastern side of Banyule. Order online.

Sean Walsh’s (imaginary) book series on serious food magic

  1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Bean.
  2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Seedlings.
  3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Artichokes.
  4. Harry Potter and the Omelette of Fire.
  5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Spinach.
  6. Harry Potter and the Half-blood Quince.
  7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Mallows.

Pay what you want …

Pay what you want for the online version of RetroSuburbia.

Pay what you want for Formidable Vegetable’s latest album, Earth People Fair or, indeed, for any of Formidable Vegetable’s music.

Meg’s social isolation week

Another week into autumn and the days are cooling. Time to clear the last of the corn, sweet potatoes and basil before first frost. I am careful to save rocket and Italian parsley seed as I go, running my hands over their seed tops and shaking the seed into paper bags to dry before storing. It is possible to directly re-sow the parsley and rocket now. Both will germinate quickly at this time of year, with rocket ready for harvest in 4-6 weeks.

I would normally be heading for a weekend food swap taking the rhubarb and apples to swap for other autumn produce or seeds. This time last year, I came home with a butternut pumpkin, persimmons and a plant of red-veined sorrel (which is still doing well and providing for salads with sliced apple and walnuts). For the foreseeable future, however, a different approach must be taken. More seed saving and growing at home. More cooking, hopefully with food sourced from the garden, local shops and providers.

It’s a good time to source and plant rhubarb – mine grows in almost full shade over summer and into autumn under a nectarine and apricot and does well. Get a piece from a friend or order crowns or even seedling punnets (although these tend to be variable in terms of strength of colour). Rhubarb loves a good feed in autumn. What to do with all that rhubarb that I can’t swap? Maybe a tart.

Rhubarb tart

Pastry

1 quantity of store bought sweet shortcrust pastry or make your own.

500g plain flour
250g butter at room temperature
5ml vanilla
100g caster sugar
50mls water

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until it comes together. Rest in the fridge before using. Tip: it can be frozen so it can be useful to make the double amount for use in another recipe.

Filling (enough for a 20cm tart tin)
50g unsalted butter at room temperature
50g sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
1 tablespoon plain flour
100g crushed/ ground walnuts (or other nut meal)

Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg, then the dry ingredients. [Can be also done in a food processor].

Topping
Rhubarb, peeled if needed and sliced into 10 cm pieces
Brown sugar (to taste)

Roll out the pastry to cover a tin, prick the pastry with fork and blind bake in a 200degC oven. Cool. Add the filling, arrange the rhubarb pieces on top and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 30 minutes at 180degC.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Photos of 21 ideas to put a vegetable garden in your garden.

Joke of the week

Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Because if they flew over the bay they would be called bagels.

Read more jokes.

Regular, current, online events

If you know of any others, email me.

New events

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

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

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

Previously announced events

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

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

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

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

LFC News April 15 2020

Apr 152020
 

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

Which markets will be happening this weekend?

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

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

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – desserts

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

Chickpea bliss balls Chocolate mousse Oat and rice bars

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

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

Chickpea bliss balls

Ingredients

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

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

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

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

Make balls and garnish with chopped almonds and pistachio.

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

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

Read more of Vasundhara’s recipes on our website.

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

Yes, you did know!

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

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

A new competition

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

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

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

A message to our local food producers

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

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

Beginners’ veggie growing tip – broad beans

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

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

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

Read more beginners’ veggie growing tips.

Some interesting articles

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

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

Meg’s social isolation week

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

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

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

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

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

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

Slow cooker quince paste

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

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

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

My aunt’s green tomato pickle

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

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

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

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

Pour into sterilised jars.

Some new delivery options

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

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

Our website page of the month – food videos

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

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The Melbourne Farmers’ Market online shop.

Joke of the week

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

Read more jokes.

Regular, current, online events

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

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

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

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

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

LFC News April 8 2020

Apr 082020
 

Thanks to the people who have contributed to this week’s newsletter: Angelo Eliades, Deb Graham, Heather, Helen Bloustein, Jan Akeroyd, Judith Chivers, Katrina Forstner, Lyn Richards, Mala Plymin and Morgan Koegel.

Every newsletter needs a good picture

This is by someone called Alex Jefferies. It actually looks exactly like the boy next door when I was growing up.

Farmers’ market news

Of the 6 farmers’ markets that would usually be happening this upcoming weekend, it looks like 2 (Coburg and Eltham) will go ahead, 2 (Croydon and Whitehorse) have been cancelled and 2 (Alphington and Collingwood Children’s Farm) have been merged. The merged market will take placed on the day and time of the Collingwood Children’s Farm market but at the location of the Alphington market.

Melbourne Farmers’ Markets, who run the Abbotsford, Alphington, Carlton, Coburg and Collingwood farmers’ markets, have opened an online shop on the Open Food Network whereby you can order food online from their stallholders for pickup in Alphington (2 Wingrove Street). The timetable is twice weekly:

  • You place your order by 2pm on the Monday and you pick up your order on the Wednesday from 3pm.
  • You place your order by 2pm on the Thursday and you pick up your order on the Sunday from 3pm.

Shop at the Melbourne Farmers’ Markets’ online shop.

3000acres discuss the barriers to homegrown resilience

This month’s contribution is from Morgan Koegel.

There’s been a massive surge in interest in home food growing thanks to the recent crisis. From empty Bunnings shelves to Diggers closing their seed orders, people are thinking about growing food at home as an act of personal resilience. While this renewed interest could be a good sign for the continued growth of urban agriculture, we at 3000acres have been thinking about the barriers to growing success now that time is less of a factor.

Knowledge: With lots of people more disconnected from how their food is grown than ever before, first time gardeners have a steep learning curve. We’ve noticed lots of questions coming in that show people are starting to get their heads around things like soil fertility, seasonality and sun access for the first time. Without this knowledge, there is a risk that a ‘disappointment effect’ sets in and people stop trying to grow food after an initial failed attempt.

Resources: All food growers know that a lot of inputs are needed for a great harvest, including good soil and compost as well as seeds and seedlings. Other than some of these inputs being scarce at the moment, and financially inaccessible for some, generating them at a home level takes time. People starting composts and worm farms now is good but it will be some time before they can benefit from the end product. For us, this demonstrates the need for the localisation of these resources: community composts rather than food waste travelling far away; and seed libraries that are community run.

Space to grow: In urban areas, average backyard size has continued to shrink. In addition, more and more people’s residency is more transient through renting. Plus higher buildings packed more tightly has resulted in limited solar access for many properties. With these limitations, it is essential that we collectively think creatively about shared spaces where people can still connect with food. At 3000acres, we’ve seen an increase in interest in plots at the community gardens that we manage since the lockdown began, with people looking for a destination outside of their apartment that is non-commercial in nature. Coming out of the crisis, we think that there will be a need to invest in high quality communal growing spaces that can bring people together when safe to do so, and provide a respite for those otherwise without any place to get their hands dirty.

The current crisis is an opportunity to reflect on a lot of aspects of how we live our day-to-day lives, including how communities access essential things such as food. Both individuals and governments – local all the way up to federal – could usefully contemplate on what can changes could help people feel more resilient, communities feel more connected and our country more prepared for future uncertainty.

Want to try and win some money for your community garden?

The deadline for submitting an entry to The State Government’s Back to the Earth Initiative has been extended from 27th March to 17th April.

Yes, you did know!

Last week, Richard Lee asked for advice on what African vegetables to plant. Heather has two suggestions: “Okra has been planted by an African resident at a community garden I work at in Burwood and is doing very well. [Editor: also see this Facebook post about Ajak, an okra farmer in Coburg.] Second, teff is a grain used to make artisan bakery foods, including Injera, a traditional bread in the Horn of Africa.“

Also last week, Keryn Johnson asked whether she should try and grow a mango tree from a seed from a tree in Brunswick. Guy Palmer’s reply: “if it is the fruit that you are after, I think you would be wasting your time but, as an experiment, I think it could be quite interesting. I have both avocado trees and banana plants. With quite a lot of effort on my part (e.g. shade cloth in both Winter and Summer), these plants now thrive, and they even have baby fruit, but the fruit never mature and ripen. My understanding is that mangoes are even more difficult to achieve success with in Melbourne. However, they are included as a possible in Louis Glowinski’s book.“

Angelo Eliades points out another problem: the mango seed is likely to be fertilised and thus its DNA will be a combination of both of its parents rather than a clone of its mother. So, for example, just because the mother plant is hardy enough to survive in Melbourne doesn’t mean that the seed will be. More generally, it is because most fruit trees don’t grow true to seed that they are usually propagated by grafting or cutting rather than by seed. Putting this another way, if you plant a seed from a Granny Smith apple, you might well get an apple tree but it certainly won’t be a Granny Smith apple tree. And, indeed, all the Granny Smith apple trees throughout the world have originated by grafting or cutting from a single chance Australian seedling from 1868.

Finally, Angelo points out that, if Keryn decides to plant the seed, she can find mango seed planting instructions on The Western Australian Government website.

Do you know?

Margot Meredith says that she can’t currently find bakers flour, or just about any other flour, in any shops. She asks whether you know of anywhere where she can buy flour, especially bakers flour?

Want to know about native bees?

Katrina Forstner, aka Buzz & Dig, has sent in two videos: one on how to make your garden attractive to native bees and the other on how to make hotels for native bees. Thanks, Katrina! I’ve taken the liberty of adding a third video, which is Katrina singing a song about native bees.

Grow your own food – mushrooms

Most mushrooms can be grown at home indoors from mushroom kits. This includes lions mane, oyster and shimeji. But perhaps the easiest one to start with is the common edible mushroom, Agaricus bisporus.

Local food producer The Mushroom Shed, from Montmorency, sell kits for two varieties of the common edible mushroom, namely swiss brown and white button. The kits are $22.50 each, or $40 for two. They usually sell these kits at Eltham Farmers’ Market and other markets. But they recognise that not everyone can currently go to markets, so they are now offering both a delivery and a postal option. Delivery is available to people in Eltham, Eltham North, Greensborough, Lower Plenty, Montmorency and Research. To arrange, please contact Helen by email (hsimpson1@optusnet.com.au). They can also deliver veggie seedlings, herbs and seeds for orders over $30 – please talk to Helen for a list of available produce. There is no delivery charge.

For people living elsewhere in Melbourne or Victoria, the kits can be posted. To arrange and obtain a postage cost, please contact Helen by email (hsimpson1@optusnet.com.au).

Urban Farming Collective, from Heidelberg Heights, have also started selling swiss brown mushroom kits online. And they are also selling oyster mushroom kits online.

New food delivery options

Monty Fresh Produce, who are a greengrocer based in Montmorency, are doing free delivery of fruit and vegetables for orders over $30 to postcodes 3083, 3084, 3085, 3087, 3088, 3089, 3090, 3091, 3093, 3094, 3095, 3752, 3754, 3085 and 3757.

Hurstbridge Deli and Larder, who are a deli based in Hurstbridge, will take phone orders (9718 1034) and deliver.

AVS Organic Foods, who are based in Watsonia North, are offering free local home delivery for orders over $60. Order online.

Blue Pear Pantry, who are based in North Warrandyte, are offering free local home delivery. They have extended their offering to include potato gems and fries.

Bakers Delight in Eltham are offering a home delivery service to “all our elderly, disabled and mobility-restricted locals” plus “who are self isolating or just restricting their movements“. Ring them on 9439 4284 by 11am Monday to Friday.

Aangan Indian Restaurant in Bundoora (1191 Plenty Road) is offering free takeaway meals for Seniors. Meals are limited to one per person, and are being offered between 5pm-6.30pm. Phone 8383 3355.

Thanks for the info, Jan Akeroyd, Lyn Richards and Judith Chivers.

Which cafes etc are open for takeaway in your suburb?

Warrandyte
  • Cocoa Moon (tel: 9844 5081).
  • Ember Dining (tel: 9844 5548).
  • Food For All Seasons (tel: 9844 2780).
  • The Grand Hotel Warrandyte (tel: 9844 3202).
  • River View Deli Cafe (tel: 9844 3337).
  • The White Owl (tel: 9844 5124).

Thanks for the info, Deb Graham.

City of Yarra

Look at this map. Thanks, Helen Bloustein.

A poem by Pam Jenkins

Is that an angel’s trumpet?
No it’s a tromboncino.
I’ll serve it up as a tasty dish
Washed down with a glass of vino.

Read more local food poetry, including three others by Pam.

Some feedback from last week’s newsletter

A source of free food at Diamond Creek

Last week, we reported that The Rotary Club of Diamond Creek has partnered with SecondBite to give away free food every Saturday, from 9-11am, at Diamond Creek Church, 32 Wensley Street, Diamond Creek (opposite Aksorn Thai and the police station). Carol Woolcock decided to take a look: “There did not seem to be eligibility criteria. The staff urged us to take some of the produce as they were having to throw away what was left. As we are self isolating oldies, she collected a few each of nectarines, peaches, oranges, plums plus an onion and red capsicum and a bag of salad mix. I was impressed with the quality and can’t believe these were destined for landfill by the contributing vendors.“

The Bearded Bee’s honey

Kim Riazi was one of the people who won a free jar of The Bearded Bee’s honey. As per the picture, it looks like she acquired multiple jars!

J.B. Shackleton’s marmalade

Chris Kent was one of the people who claimed his free jar of J.B. Shackleton’s marmalade. “I’ve just been fortunate to try some of J.B. Shackleton’s ‘Luxury Blood Orange Marmalade’ on my morning toast. It was very much to my liking; dark, thick-cut, slightly bitter. Quite firm and well set though, but at least not runny! This reflects the way I like my beer; dark and bitter. Actually it has given me an idea: if they make marmalade with whisky, so why not with Guinness? Maybe they do; I’ll have to find out!“

Lockdown pickles

As shown in the photo, Mala Plymin has been making condiments from her homegrown veggies:

  • Green chilli chutney: cooked with masala and local olive oil.
  • Green tomato pickle: Italian style. This is one of Mala’s favourite pickles.
  • Daikon radish and carrot: pickled Vietnamese style.
  • Pickled chillies: Mala had left over vinegar mixture from the daikon radish pickle so experimented with pickled chillies.

Another article from Angelo Eliades

Angelo’s fourth article in his emergency survival prepper gardening series is entitled How to sow seeds directly into the ground and into seedling trays.

Watch this great video

It might be last but it’s certainly not least. Watch this video called The cake server. It is a video of “a Rube Goldberg machine to streamline dinnertime. It lets people keep eating, with no break before cake. Read Wikipedia’s page on Rube Goldberg machines.

The person who produced this machine and video, Joseph Herscher, has made around 100 of these videos. Look at his YouTube playlist.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Our website page of home delivery organisations by suburb/postcode.

Joke of the week

Why do we put round pizza in a square box and eat it in triangles?

Read more jokes.

LFC News April 1 2020

Apr 012020
 

J.B. Shackleton’s marmalade wins again!

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

Another free giveaway

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

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

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

And the winners from last week are …

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

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

Pre-order some seedlings from KABUU

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

Help Maude establish a microbakery

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

Markets this upcoming weekend

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

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

Want to receive a newsletter from Eltham Farmers’ Market?

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

A source of free food at Diamond Creek

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

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

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

An alternative to standard food swaps

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

Do you know?

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

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

How to make sauerkraut

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

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

There are now 224 recipes in our website database.

Alternatives to the pasta aisle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Queensland Fruit Fly in Nillumbik

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beginners veggie growing tip – mustard greens

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

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

Are you a senior living in Nillumbik or Banyule?

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

Every newsletter needs a good picture

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

More articles from Angelo Eliades

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

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

New food delivery options

Eltham

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

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

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

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

Diamond Creek

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

Hurstbridge

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

Other suburbs

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

Which cafes are open for takeaway in your suburb?

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

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

The other cafes appear to be closed.

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

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

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

Joke of the week

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

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

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

See photo right. Ravioli anyone?

Read more jokes.

LFC News March 25 2020

Mar 252020
 

Given the coronavirus, and as envisaged last week, this newsletter will not be advertising any upcoming events for the foreseeable future. Most upcoming food-related events have been cancelled anyway and those that haven’t been cancelled yet probably will be soon.

Ann interviews Adrian O’Hagan, from Forest Hill

Adrian O’Hagan has several claims to fame, including being a prime mover behind Permablitz Melbourne and the seller of The Bearded Bee honey. Ann Stanley recently interviewed Adrian as a home grower. As Ann says in her write up: “With a nine-to-five job, a family and several other commitments, Adrian has limited time to spend in the garden and finds wicking beds invaluable. Adam Grubb helped him with the first one and Adrian has since built more, some of which are overgrown or housing self-sown veggies. He describes his garden as ‘not exactly straight-lined’, yet the site is productive and full of life. There are numerous apple trees, an apricot, feijoas, a lemon tree, a prolific loganberry bush, and bumper crops of cauliflower and broad beans. Amongst all this lives rocket, chamomile, parsley, rosemary, calendula, hydrangea, self-sown strawberries, edible weeds and many other species … There are quite a few chickens of various breeds including wyandottes (which Adrian has a fondness for), one araucana, and a brood of fluffy speckled Sussex chicks.”

Read Ann’s full interview write up.

In recognition of the publication of the interview writeup, Adrian would like to give away 4 jars of his Bearded Bee honey, to be picked up from either Forest Hill or the CBD (next to the Immigration Museum). As is now traditional, the winners will be randomly chosen from those who correctly answer the following question: what was the first vegetable that Adrian ever grew? (Hint: the answer is in Ann’s write up.) Email your answer.)

Another free giveaway

Bruno Tigani has donated a large number of leek seedlings. People can have, say, around 20 each. Pickup at my house in Eltham (and I’ll also show you round my veggie patch and orchard if you want). Email me if interested.

Robin’s veggie growing tip – the emergency kitchen garden

An emergency kitchen garden consists of quick growing veggies from each of the major categories of vegetables: root vegetables, onion family, leafy greens, Asian greens, brassicas, legumes and herbs. In 4-8 weeks, you could be harvesting young, tender veggies.

The following were planted in a 2 square metre patch at the Macleod Organic Community Garden on 15th March, some as seeds and some as seedlings:

  • Root vegetables: seeds of 2 types of baby carrots, 2 types of baby beetroot, 4 types of radishes, plus seeds and seedlings of kohlrabi.
  • Onion family: seedlings of spring onions and chives.
  • Leafy greens: seedlings of spinach, silverbeet and 2 types of lettuce plus seeds of wasabi rocket.
  • Asian greens: seeds and seedlings of pak choy and bok choy plus seedlings of tatsoi.
  • Brassicas: seedlings of purple and green broccolini plus 2 types of kale.
  • Legumes: seeds of bush peas and sugar snap peas.
  • Herbs: seedlings of parsley plus seeds of chervil and coriander.

Most seeds were up 8 days later.

The keys to success are how you prepare your soil and how often you water your plants.

A slightly acidic soil (pH of 6-7) is ideal. Buy a pH kit from a nursery (or borrow from a friend) but do follow the instructions especially the one that tells you to dig down 10-15 cm for your soil sample. Note that, for ‘technical reasons’, pH kits don’t measure the pH of compost correctly.

The best way to bring your soil towards pH7 is to add compost. Also, if your soil is too acidic then you can add dolomite or mushroom compost. If it is too alkaline then you can add sulphur or even azalea mix. To enrich your soil, add compost but not manure (especially fresh manure): manure can cause forking of root vegetables, over-growth at the expense of heads of brassicas, and soft leaf on leafy greens.

Root vegetables and the onion family require a very fine soil. Dig your soil over, removing clods and sticks and stones to the depth the vegetable will grow (plus a bit) and dig in the compost, likewise breaking it up if necessary. As we are looking for crops to grow quickly, it is worth doing this for all the veggies.

The way that you plant is important too. With seedlings, bury them so that the base of the bottom 2 leaves are covered with soil, particularly for brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers, etc) as this anchors them in the ground so that they will not wobble in the wind (which can prevent them producing good heads). Some seeds will give you a head start if soaked overnight (e.g. beetroot, silverbeet and spinach).

Watering is a must. Water your veggies at least twice a week, deeply, even if it rains. Under 10mm of rain is useless. If you have a heavy downpour, check how far it has penetrated by digging down into your soil – you will often be surprised by how dry your soil is. Water transports nutrients to the plant and is essential to its healthy development. Mulching will also help. Finally, my experience is that parsley and lettuce are bad companions as are peas and onions so plant these at least a metre apart.

Read more of Robin’s veggie growing tips.

What seeds to plant in April

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

Brassicas

Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Kale
Mizuna
Mustard greens
Pak choy
Cool season veggies

Broad beans
Coriander
Fennel
Garlic
Peas
Leafy greens

Lettuce
Rocket
Silverbeet
Spinach
Other

Beetroot
Carrot
Chives
Parsley
Potato
Radish
Shallot

April is a good month to plant your cool season veggies. So, plant those broad beans, peas, garlic and brassicas. Also, plant some leafy greens.

Leaf, Root & Fruit have written an interesting guide to autumn plantings in the context of the coronavirus.

Read Helen’s 2016 articles on growing brassicas, growing garlic and on autumn plantings.

Coronavirus

Everything you wanted to know about coronavirus but were afraid to ask

Angelo Eliades has posted three(!) major articles about coronavirus:

Home deliveries of food in postcode 3095 and surrounds

In response to the current crisis, Organic Fix, the health food store in central Eltham, is starting a home delivery service for postcode 3095 and surrounding suburbs. They sell a wide range of nuts, seeds, grains, spices, fruit and vegetables, as well staples like bread, milk, eggs, oats and soap. Most of what they sell is Certified Organic. The home delivery service will be free to anyone in postcode 3095 subject to a minimum $50 order. Orders in surrounding suburbs will be $8 delivery fee for orders $50-100 and free for orders of $100+. You can order either over the phone (9424 1861) or by dropping off your list.

Try and cheer someone up?

Pauline Crosbie has written in to say that someone sent her some seeds and a card in the post and it made her happy. She suggests that, if you have young children, get them to create and send cards to their elderly neighbours to help cheer them up.

Watch some videos

Formidable Vegetable are producing a series of videos entitled ‘grow-vid-19’ permaculture pandemic. The first two videos are about a) how to grow food and b) edible weeds.

Good Life Permaculture are producing a series of weekly videos entitled crisis gardening. The first video is about growing fresh food fast.

Pip magazine are producing a series of weekly videos entitled simple skills for self-sufficiency. The first video is about an introduction to the series.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Buying Joes’s Market Garden veggie boxes online on the Open Food Network.

Proverb of the month

Plum job. Meaning: a highly desirous job. Sometimes used more specifically to mean a job which is well-paid but relatively easy. During the 17th Century, ‘plum’ was a slang term in England meaning £1,000 (with ‘monkey’ meaning £500 and ‘pony’ meaning £25). Back then £1,000 was a seriously large amount of money but it was the fixed amount that some politicians received for some government roles. This was considered by some people to be a lot of money for doing very little and, as such, these posts became known as ‘plum jobs’. These days the phrase is more often used in admiration rather than the contempt it started with.

Read more proverbs.

Gardening quote of the month

“Gardens are not made by singing ‘oh, how beautiful’ and sitting in the shade.” by Rudyard Kipling.

Read more quotes.

Joke of the week

What did one flea say to the other one when they came out of the movie? Shall we walk or take a dog ? Submitted by Lee Hirsh.

Read more jokes.

LFC News March 18 2020

Mar 182020
 

In the last 48 hours, Yarra Plenty Regional Library has cancelled all of its events over the coming month because of the coronavirus. Ditto Edendale. Ditto Sprout Fest. Ditto Kevin Heinze GROW. Ditto Incredible Edible Eltham. The Mitcham Community Sunday meals have been put on hold, as have the food swaps at Box Hill South and Forest Hill. And that’s just what I happen to know about. In the coming days, maybe many other food-related events will be put on hold. It’s a fast moving situation. By this time next week, there may not be many events to advertise during April and May. Even if there are, I’m not at all sure that I will be comfortable advertising them. There will certainly be a newsletter next week, but maybe shorn of new events.

If you are planning to go to an event over the coming weeks, I suggest that you contact the organiser in advance to check that it is actually still happening.

Vasundhara’s recipes of the month – all things beetroot

Rather than give you a single recipe, Vasundhara has decided to give you four recipes this month, each of which has beetroot as one of its main ingredients. The four recipes are:

Pictured below are the beetroot and pumpkin galette, beetroot lemon rice, and Turkish raw cheesecake.

    

Like all of Vasundhara’s recipes, the recipes are plant-based. If you want to try her cooking, she operates a meals delivery service called Green Karma that delivers ready-to-eat meals around Briar Hill, Eltham, Eltham North or Montmorency.

Want some free accommodation in Humevale?

Newsletter reader Aziza De Fazio is offering free short-term, self-contained accommodation to either one person or a couple in exchange for helping around her property. If potentially interested, ring Aziza on 0411 104276.

Weekly veggie boxes now available in Coburg

You can now buy Joes’s Market Garden veggie boxes online on the Open Food Network. $40 worth of mixed veggies in a box that you can pick up from the farm in Coburg on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Another cafe giving away their spent coffee grounds

Cafe Z in Research. Just pop in and ask for some of their spent coffee grounds. Thanks to newsletter readers Zulal Rogers (for making the coffee grounds available) and Emma Duncan (for the heads up).

There are now 13 cafes listed on our website as giving away their spent coffee grounds. I suspect that the real number is much higher but I can only list them if someone tells me about them. Email me.

Darebin Sustainable Food Program community consultation

Darebin Council are currently developing their Sustainable Food Program for 2021/22 and are seeking your input by 30th March. Complete their online survey.

Local food producers in the news

In our 12th February newsletter, we talked about how Choco’s Hut (the honesty box sales part of Weeping Grevillea Nursery in Kangaroo Ground) was celebrating its 25th birthday. A month later and the Warrandyte Diary has an article about it.

A new article from Angelo Eliades

When he is not fighting off giant possums (see last week’s newsletter), Angelo is often researching for his next in-depth article. This month’s article is about Queensland fruit fly.

Read more of Angelo’s food growing articles.

A video from Cultivating Community

Cultivating Community celebrated their 20th birthday in 2018 and have just released a 5 minute video which shares some of their stories. Watch the video. Cultivating Community, who describe their mission as “to work with diverse and low-income communities to create fair, secure and resilient food systems“, mainly operate around Melbourne CBD and are based in Richmond.

Another world first

The first ever food-related event in Croydon Hills will take place on Saturday, 9th May, 10am-midday: Beginner compost, worm farm and bokashi workshop.

Melbourne Flower and Garden Show – 25th to 29th March

The annual Melbourne Flower and Garden Show will be on 25th to 29th March at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton. One of the exhibitors will be The Melbourne Arboretum (stand 37D), from Mernda.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

The Back to the Earth Initiative’s competition.

Joke of the week

Have you heard of the garlic diet? You don’t lose much weight, but from a distance your friends think you look thinner!

Read more jokes.

New events – not cooking

Japanese tea ceremony: Thursday, 16th April, 7-8pm; Preston Library.

What: The Japanese tea ceremony is a tradition steeped in history and practiced for centuries. Go along to learn about Japanese tea customs and the ceremonial way of preparing, serving and drinking green tea.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.

Composting and worm farming workshop: Sunday, 3rd May, 9.30am-midday; Camberwell.

What: Learn about the different composting and worm farming options (including low maintenance pet waste composting), how to set them up and how to maintain them successfully. A Boroondara Council Waste Education Officer will be on hand to chat about the new Boroondara FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) collections.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.

The science of composting: Wednesday, 6th May, 9-11am; Central Ringwood Community Centre.

What: Presenter: Ellen Regos from Cultivating Community. The workshop will go beyond the basics of composting and allow you to really hone in on your home composting skills and increase your knowledge to help grow and expand your systems.
Cost: free.
Bookings: by phone (9703 5288).

Beginner compost, worm farm and bokashi workshop: Saturday, 9th May, 10am-midday; Croydon Hills.

What: Learn how to turn your waste into a valuable resource for your garden. This workshop will provide you with all the information you need to set up and maintain each of compost, worm farm and bokashi systems.
Cost: free.
Bookings: by phone (9703 5288).

Permaculture workshop: Saturday, 16th May, 10am-3pm; Park Orchards.

What: Trainer: Cass Groves. Learn about permaculture design principles to make your garden more sustainable and abundant. The course includes a brief history of permaculture, zone planning, soil health, companion planting, energy and water harvesting.
Cost: $80 ($16 per hour).
Bookings: their website.

Home brewing: Saturday, 16th May, 10am-3pm; CERES, Brunswick East.

What: What you will learn: make your own beer; all about full grain brewing; and the fermentation process. 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.
Cost: $80 ($16 per hour).
Bookings: Humanitix.

Organic growing with biodynamic methods (2 days): Saturday, 16th May and Sunday, 17th May, both 10am-3pm; CERES, Brunswick East.

What: What you will learn: why biodynamic methods are an essential part of sustainable organic food growing; how to develop a deeper consciousness of the living processes driving vitality of soil, plants and animals; and how to enhance your organic food growing of any scale with biodynamic methods. Presenter: Peter Kearney. You will work with the CERES vegetable growing and orchard areas gaining practical experience of how to work with organic and biodynamic methods.
Cost: $230 ($23 per hour).
Bookings: Humanitix.

The urban farmer: Tuesday, 19th May, 7-8pm; Nunawading Library.

What: Would you like to create a highly productive food forest garden in your backyard? Find out how with Justin Calverley.
Cost: free.

Composting and worm farms: Tuesday, 19th May, 7.45-8.45pm; Brunswick Library.

What: Kaye Roberts-Palmer will discuss the different types of home composting from direct dig through to Bokashi, the dos and don’ts of composting, how to set up a worm farm and the magic of worm tea.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.

Intro to permaculture (3 sessions): Tuesdays 19th May, 26th May and 2nd June, each 10am-3pm; Park Orchards Community House.

What: Trainer: Cass Groves. Learn about permaculture design principles to make your garden more sustainable and abundant. The course includes a brief history of permaculture, zone planning, soil health, companion planting, energy and water harvesting.
Cost: $195 ($95 ACFE funded) ($13 per hour).
Bookings: their website.

New events – cooking

Yogurt making workshop: Saturday, 9th May, 2-4pm; Central Ringwood Community Centre.

What: You will be provided with instructions and a supply of yoghurt starter – and you will take home your first pot of home-made yoghurt. You will need to bring: a one-litre carton of UHT milk; a clean, one-litre, wide-necked bottle/jar with a leak-proof lid; and an insulated container to fit your bottle.
Cost: $25 ($13 per hour).
Bookings: their website.

Parmesan cheese: Sunday, 17th May, 10am-4pm; CERES, Brunswick East.

What: What you will learn: how to make your own parmesan cheese; how to make ricotta cheese; and about different cheeses. Presenters: Janet Clayton and Charlene Angus from Cheeselinks.
Cost: $170 ($28 per hour).
Bookings: Humanitix.

Dairy free, gluten free workshop (thermomix): Tuesday, 19th May, 7.30-9.30pm; Chirnside Park Community Hub.

What: Discover how to make dairy free, gluten and wheat free food, including grain free pastry, chocolate, ice ‘cream’. You don’t need to have a thermomix to attend but they will be using them. They will also cover conventional methods along the way.
Cost: $27 ($14 per hour).
Bookings: EventBrite.

Summary of upcoming events – not cooking

Over the next week
Over the next month

Summary of upcoming events – cooking

Over the next week
Over the next month

View the complete calendar of upcoming events.

LFC News March 11 2020

Mar 112020
 

Every newsletter needs a good picture

Newsletter reader Angelo Eliades has been protecting his crops from giant possums.

And the winner is …

The winner of the $50 voucher for Kevin Heinze GROW seedlings is Louise Nolan. As Louise said when told, “OMG that’s so exciting! I never win anything! I’m rapt!” A photo will hopefully follow in due course. Commiserations to everyone else who entered.

Want to try and win some money for your community garden?

The State Government’s Back to the Earth Initiative is running a competition whereby one garden or environmental project in each municipality will be given $1,000, plus there will be a $5,000 grand prize. The winners will be determined by public vote. Closing date: 27th March. Voting: 16th April to 11th May. Gardens located in the municipalities of City of Yarra and Whittlesea are not eligible. Read more and enter.

Two world firsts

In the five years that I have been editing this newsletter, there has never been a food-related event in either Bayswater (as opposed to Bayswater North) or Kew East (as opposed to Kew)! These two suburbs were a type of food desert. Well, no longer. Chinese cooking with Lillie Giang: Thursday, 19th March, 10am-midday; Bayswater Library. Boroondara beekeepers: Saturday, 14th March, 3-4.30pm; Willsmere Station Community Garden, Kew East.

Yes, you did know (sort of)

Last week, Tracey Bjorksten asked when she should plant her Brussels sprouts seeds.

Angelo Eliades responded: “in my opinion, February is the month to plant, with the harvest time of 14-28 weeks that will mean harvest in mid-June to September before it gets too hot.”

Bruno Tigani also responded: “there is a large Brussels sprouts grower in Coldstream. Their transplanting season runs from November to February, growing different varieties all the way through and harvesting from March to September.”

The farm that Bruno is referring to is called Adams Farms. I spoke with the farmer there, Jeremy Adams, and he confirmed Bruno’s timetable, which means that their seeds are planted from September to end December. I asked Jeremy when home growers in North East Melbourne should plant their seeds and he said that it all depended on the variety. For example, whilst Gustus is a cool season variety which should be planted in late December, Gladius is effectively a warm season variety which they plant in September. He said that people could ring him in November on 0433 396 444 and get some seedlings from him. Thanks, Jeremy!

The Adams Farms’ biennial celebration of Brussels sprouts – Sprout Fest – is on Sunday, 5th April, 10am-3pm. 681 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream. Entry fee: $1 only.

Mac’s blast from the past – pumpkins

Ok, your pumpkins now look ready … but maybe don’t pick them just yet. The longer you leave them on the vine, the sweeter they will get, and the longer they can be stored. It is best to wait until the vine dies off and the stem to your pumpkin withers and goes brown. Don’t worry if frosts arrive – they will only kill the vines. Pick with as much stem as possible – some people keep up to 1m of vine attached if they plan to store the pumpkin for months. Many growers also keep the pumpkins in a sheltered outdoor spot for up to a week to mature before storing in a cool, dark well ventilated area. Hanging in a bird net sack in a dark shed works well … and it also keeps the rats at bay. Finally, note that most pumpkins are best kept for at least a week or so before eating, although Japs can be eaten as soon as picked.

Read more of Mac’s tips.

Which link was clicked most times in the last newsletter?

Local sources of free manure, coffee grounds, etc.

Joke of the week

Children are like pancakes. The first one is always a bit weird.

Read more jokes.

New events – not cooking

Protecting your crops: Saturday, 14th March, 10-10.30am; Bulleen Art and Garden.

What: Angelo Eliades will explain how you can protect your fruit trees, edible vines and berries from birds, bats, possums and other creatures.
Cost: free.
Bookings: just turn up.

Boroondara beekeepers: Saturday, 14th March, 3-4.30pm; Kew East.

What: Jane and Peter Dyer, from Backyard Honey, will be hosting this event featuring live bees and Kew multi-flora honey. meet the beekeepers, discover more about life in the beehive and the critical local and global importance of looking after bees and other pollinators.
Cost: $5.
Bookings: EventBrite.

Growing fruit and veggies in small spaces: Sunday, 15th March, 10-10.30am; Bulleen Art and Garden.

What: Join Nicole Griffiths as she discusses growing your own fresh produce in a small garden, or even no garden at all.
Cost: free.
Bookings: just turn up.

The emergency veggie patch!: Sunday, 15th March, 2-4pm; Macleod Organic Community Garden.

What: Keep your family in fresh veggies during a crisis. Plant 2-3 square metres with a range of quick-growing vegetables and begin harvesting in 4-8 weeks. Find out how to prepare and fertilise your soil, how often to water, when to harvest, and how to deal with pests.
Cost: $15 ($8 per hour).
Bookings: TryBooking.

Mushrooms with Ellen from Simply Sustainability: Tuesday, 24th March, 2-3.30pm; Lilydale Library.

What: Join Ellen, from Simply Sustainability, to learn how to cultivate and care for your own mushrooms at home.
Cost: free.
Bookings: their website.

Growing garlic successfully: Sunday, 29th March, 2-4pm; Macleod Organic Community Garden.

What: Learn the secrets of garlic growing. Presented by Robin Gale-Baker.
Cost: $15 ($8 per hour).
Bookings: just turn up.

Moreland Local Food Forum and networking: Thursday, 2nd April, 6-8pm; Peppertree Place, Coburg.

What: Celebrate the achievements of the local food community. Participate in conversations about local food projects. There will also be facilitated networking, providing opportunities to connect with others who are passionate about creating a sustainable, just and vibrant food system. For those who grow their own food, you are also invited to bring a simple dish to share, made from homegrown or locally grown ingredients.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.

Bush foods & herbs for courtyards & balconies: Thursday, 7th May, 6.30-9pm; Bulleen Art and Garden.

What: What you will learn: which native produce-plants are suitable for growing in pots and small spaces; what to harvest and when; and how to use bush foods and herbs to flavour your dishes. Presented by Karen Sutherland of Edible Eden Design. Australian native plants have flavour and aroma profiles unlike any others, and can be easily incorporated into your kitchen. Also, a wide range of them can be grown in Melbourne in pots or small and difficult spaces. In this class, which is ideal for those with limited garden space or even just a courtyard or balcony, you will explore the world of edible native Australian plants that are easy to grow in such spaces, attractive to look at and can easily add flavour and interest to your home-cooked dishes. All plants covered are suitable for Melbourne’s climate, and will be discussed in terms of how best to use and grow them in your garden.
Cost: $55 ($22 per hour).
Bookings: WeTeachMe.

Edible weeds: Saturday, 9th May, 10am-midday; CERES, Brunswick East.

What: What you will learn: how to identify edible weeds; and how do use them in your everyday life. What you will get: samples in class of prepared edible weeds. Presenter: Monique Miller. Learn about seasonal edible weeds that thrive in Melbourne inner north, and gain knowledge about the plants’ culinary, medicinal and ecological uses.
Cost: $50 ($25 per hour).
Bookings: Humanitix.

Taste Heide: Saturday, 9th May, 3pm-4.30pm; Heide, Bulleen.

What: Join Heide gardeners David, Katie and Luke for a conversation about productive gardening and tastings of the offerings available in the Heide gardens. Includes talk, garden tastings and cherry plum-infused gin.
Cost: $20 ($13 per hour).
Bookings: EventBrite.

Backyard poultry: Tuesday, 12th May, 7-9.30pm; Coburg Library.

What: Learn everything you need to know about keeping chooks, quails and ducks in urban areas.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.

New events – cooking

Chinese cooking with Lillie Giang: Thursday, 19th March, 10am-midday; Bayswater Library.

What: Learn how to make dumplings and the Yee Sang Prosperity dish to bring good fortune to all participants. All ingredients provided. This will be a hands-on session making and eating your dumplings.
Cost: free.
Bookings: their website.

Easter bunny cake decorating with Norma Rose Cakes: Thursday, 9th April, 7-9pm; Chirnside Park Community Hub.

What: Jess, from Norma Rose Cakes, will teach how to make buttercream icing, buttercream decorating techniques, and fondant detailing.
Cost: $95 ($48 per hour).
Bookings: TryBooking.

Beatrix bakes: Thursday, 7th May, 7.45-8.45pm; Brunswick Library.

What: Beatrix Bakes is Natalie Paull’s bakery as well as the name of her first cookbook. Natalie will discuss her cooking adventures and motivate you to break the baking mould.
Cost: free.
Bookings: EventBrite.

Olive magic: Saturday, 9th May, 9.30am-12.30pm; Bulleen Art and Garden.

What: What you will learn: improve your culinary knowledge; learn how to preserve olives; and understand and experience different techniques for preserving olives. Presented by Lucy Marasco. Transform bitter unpalatable olives into gourmet delights! This hands-on workshop will show you a variety of different ways Italians use to preserve green olives straight from the tree.
Cost: $55 ($18 per hour).
Bookings: WeTeachMe.

Sauerkraut and gut health: Tuesday, 12th May, 7-8.30pm; Hawthorn Community House.

What: Sauerkraut is finely cut cabbage that (combined with other vegetables) has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. Learn the ins and outs of obtaining great gut health through fermented foods plus how to make sauerkraut. Sample a variety of this food. They will also cover how to make it even healthier and tastier with the addition of different spices and seasonal vegetables.
Cost: $25 ($17 per hour).
Bookings: TryBooking.

Indian cooking – Punjabi (two sessions): Tuesdays, 12th and 19th May, both 6.30-8.30pm; Hurstbridge Community Hub.

What: Tutor: Taariq Hassan. Learn how to cook a healthy North West Indian vegetarian meal from scratch using authentic ingredients.
Cost: $99 ($50 per hour).
Bookings: their website.

Summary of upcoming events – not cooking

Over the next week
Over the next month

Summary of upcoming events – cooking

Over the next week
Over the next month

View the complete calendar of upcoming events.

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