Penny Woodward is coming to Altona Library in October and hopefully she will bring along her amazing new book on Garlic - she advised this morning on 3CR's gardening show that it is now available. Penny has done a lot of work on identifying the different cultivars and it looks like this book will help all of us backyard gardeners to choose the garlic best suited to our patch - The book has taken me three years to write, but has been much longer in it’s gestation. It covers everything from more than 50 different cultivars of garlic, to
guidelines for growing organic garlic around the country as well as interviews with
twelve Australian garlic growers telling you how and where they grow their garlic.
There are also recipes for cooking, preserving and smoking garlic and even making your own black garlic as well as medicinal uses and an extensive list of growers and suppliers. Register here for the session at Altona Library.
0 Comments
THB has teamed up wtih the EnviroCentre to present these workshops:
Bookings for all events: http://libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au or phone 1300 HOB LIB
Transition Hobsons Bay has been asking the council to include home composting as part of our municipal waste service since we commented on the Waste and Litter Strategy a couple of years ago. When we were putting this to the council again recently, in response to the Community Greenhouse Strategy I had a bit of a look around to see what other council’s were up to in this space. It was impressive to see that there is now variety of really great and innovative composting projects going on in other councils. I’m particularly excited by the Halve our Waste program that Frankston Council is running. The Halve our Waste program simply aims to ‘keep food waste out of the rubbish bin’. The Council is providing 1000 households with free compost bins or subsidised worm farm, and a kitchen caddy to collect food waste. They also give them access to different resources and tools to assist them to reduce their food waste and to compost what they have. This includes workshops on keeping chooks and growing your own food etc. The thing that I like most about the Frankston Council program is that as part of the Halve our Waste challenge the participants have to go to a fortnightly garbage collection. When you sign up to the program your garbage bin is replaced with a bin with a red lid so that the garbos know only to pick it up each fortnight on the same day as the recycling is collected. And, because this reduced service can save the council a bit of money participants are given a rebate on their rates. It’s only a $20 rebate but along with the free compost bin and resources it’s a nice little incentive. Currently about 50%of the waste in our garbage is organic waste, mainly food. I suppose that its perishable nature is why we need a truck to come and take it away so often. It seems to me that for the council the benefits of increasing home composting are multiple. And, if the decreased greenhouse gas, improved local soils, and less landfill space taken up aren't benefit enough, the potential cost savings to rate payers from a reduced garbage service should be the clincher. You can read more about Frankston’s Halve our Waste program on their website. It looks like Yarra Council is getting some great programs up and running to deal with food waste too - including cafe compost hubs! I’m off to find out more about them now…… Written by Rowena J (link updated 22 August 2014) The Altona Fruit and Veg swap is happening this Saturday as well as the Fix It workshop so I'll be bringing along my gardening secateurs to get them ready for summer pruning and also some cardoon seeds and ceramic garden pots for the swap.
Both events are start at 10:30am in the Rotunda in Logan Reserve in Pier St, Altona. The Fix It workshop runs until 2:30pm while the swap finishes at 11:30am. More information: THB is running Fixit Don't Landfill It! as part of the Sustainable Living Festival's fortnight of local events. We will be sharpening manual garden tools and assisting with basic bike repairs*. So bring along your blunt garden tools or your bike that may need some TLC or just come along to chat to other interested locals and watch the repair workshop in action. This event will run along side the regular monthly Altona Foodswap** for the first hour at the same location so it will be possible to get involved in both events. *The repair work will be done by local volunteers passionate about cycling and gardening and our skills and tools will have limitations and there will be no responsibility taken nor warranty of any kind supplied for the work carried out. ** If you haven't been to a foodswap before and aren't sure what you can bring along to swap, have a look at this helpful list of what you can swap-
Written by Wendy Clarke Beginning of September saw three of us get together in Tarius' kitchen to create some glowing lemon curd and yummy preserved lemons
This informal and free workshop will focus on making lemon curd and preserved lemons. It's an informal gathering, more akin to Fermenting Fridays where I'll share my lemons (from my very full tree) and knowledge of how to make these two delicious lemon delicacies. Other recipes will be on offer like lemon yoghurt cake, and what to do with preserved lemons. If you have a recipe, bring it along!
Please bring lemon squeezers (or an electric citrus juicer) and jars to take home the lemon curd (jam sized jars work best) and preserved lemons (any size that you think you'll need). If you have some lemons to spare or share, bring them along too. The plan is to make some scones for lunch to have with our freshly made lemon curd. Details: Tarius McArthur's house, Altona Meadows, 10-1pm. Kitchen can probably comfortable hold up to 10 people. Please RSVP by 25 Aug (on events page) so we can cater to numbers. Written by Tarius M. Amanda Cuyler dazzled us with delicious ferments galore. A workshop presented by THB in partnership with Very Edible Gardens. 23rd June 2012.
Event notice, posted by Kate Leslie on 29 April 2012 in advance of the workshop:
Due to triple popular demand, SOURDOUGH is back on the ff menu. As the weather gets colder it's time to start heating the house and the heart with some sourdough baking love. Below are some recipes from our previous fff SD for you to try if you like. May 11th (yo it's a Friday) @ 2pm, Claire's place, <snip>, Newport (just one tiny block north of Newport Lakes) RSVP is useful to Kate but places aren't limited, more = merry TO BRING:
love fff s: the wonderful Amanda and Jayney are looking for surplus kefir grains. Our kombucha culture and some kefir came to us via Amanda, and FF tempeh was Amandamazing. She & Jayney are going to lead a series of fermenting workshops called 'Viva La Ferment Fever' - four Saturdays in June at Newport's community centre. So, do you have surplus kefir grains to share? Contact neesh or kate. ps: next month is dosa's I do believe. What's dosa? Fermented lentil and rice pan-fried bread. Would you like to host? You don't need to know how to make them. pps: Sandor Ellix Katz's 'Wild Fermentation' book is in Hobson Bay libraries Below is thanks to Kat and sourdoughbaker.com.au Morning
Oven Tips
ppps: FF history 2011 feb = delish sourbeets (kinda like kraut with beets instead of cabbage) march = ginger beer - (AmAzing!) april = sourdough with Ada (OMG) may = soy milk and tofu (soy milk delight, tofu - ma ma!) june = sauerkraut (what sensual salty success) july = fetta (oh the creaminess) august = sourdough Kat-stylin' (spongalicious) september = sick october = kimchi (is it better than sauerkraut?! scandal) november = tempeh-matic december = essene goodness 2012 feb = kool kombucha march = kreamy kefir (zing!) april = kkk-kimchi II (sizzlingly spicy) may = sourdough III (must be good) june = dosas If you're interested in starting a food swap in Williamstown, would like to see the movie or want to share your enthusiasm about food swaps, then join us at this screening. Neighbours, friends and family who might want to know more about how food swaps work are also very welcome. The film runs for just over 30 minutes and takes a look at the emergence of homegrown fruit and vegie swaps. It will be followed by Q&A with locals who help organise or attend other Hobson Bay food swaps. When: 2pm - 3pm, Sunday 29th April Where: Pirates Tavern, Seaworks, 82 Nelson Place, Williamstown RSVP: rsvp here or email with 'Urban Orchard' in the title and advise how many will be coming along so we can organise refreshments. Cost: Free Written by Rowena J. Free herbal tea It wasn't what many people were expecting - no packages and neat sachets. Instead THB made mugs and hot water available and presented a medley of herbs from Newport gardens - lemon grass, lemon verbena, apple mint, peppermint, spearmint etc. About 70 people made themselves a cuppa. Mostly they seemed unfamiliar with this more basic method of making herbal tea. But there were plenty of compliments. It was a pleasure to be outdoors on a perfect March afternoon at the amphitheatre of Newport Lakes. The atmosphere was happy, festive even. I actually didn't get much chance to take in the music. Instead there was a steady flow of folks to talk with. There was a lot of interest in THB. Its great that local people (led by Christine in this case) organise events for other local people to enjoy. Well done Christine! Its living the 'Good Life'. So may there be more of it (and may THB be active in inspiring it)! Thanks John for helping out on the day. Written by Kate Leslie |
tHB AuthorsThe posts on this page are written by varied and sundry THB members. If you want to write a post to the THB news blog, let us know via email or the online contact form. Note that posts from 2010 to mid-2014 have been recreated from our old Groupsite presence. Categories
All
news from...Archives
September 2016
|