Simply irresistible citrus
An excessive lemon crop in my mate’s mini orchard in Maleny provided a windfall for me recently as I visited him. He was a Chef, and like me, hated waste and so unloaded bags of the lemons and other citrus onto me. I scooped them up with gusto. As to their uses?
How we used to cook
Ali Bohn. I do not need to remind you how cold it has been lately ... The thing I love most about winter is the comforting aroma of soups and casseroles bubbling away on the stove, and home-baked treats fresh from the oven ... Meals and lunchbox treats, and sometimes extras to deliver to family members.
Saucy, country curds on whey to Sydney
A taste of Bonalbo is on its way to a prestigious food show in the city. Simon and Emma Powick’s tomato relish won first prize at the Bonalbo Show and their lemon curd came second. They make and sell onion marmalade and beetroot relish as well.
Australian Eggs shores up food security with new technology
Australian Eggs has announced the launch of EggTrace, a new tool designed to help egg farmers trace eggs back from point of purchase to the date and location that the eggs were laid ... By creating full visibility on the path an egg takes from lay to despatch, egg farmers now have the ability to more easily and efficiently identify any quality or health issues affecting eggs, ensuring a safer and more reliable egg supply chain.
Argentinian dishes proving popular in Narrandera
A delay in starting employment has resulted in an Argentinian woman now living in Narrandera turning her hand to cooking familiar South American delicacies to tantalise the taste buds of Narrandera locals. Lourdes Hurt from Cordoba came to Australia two years ago and arrived in Narrandera two months ago in readiness to take up employment at Avonlie Solar Farm.
The Winsome Soup Kitchen, a vision of hope at Lismore
John O'Donnell. After a walk along the Wilson River and Leycester Creek near their junction at Lismore, I called into the Winsome Hotel, thinking there might be a drink on hand, as it was close to lunchtime and there was no signage on the hotel indicating any changes in management. No luck with any drinks, but I met Mieke Bell and she generously donated her time showing my wife and I what was happening on the ground floor after the floods.
More Australians can’t meet basic living expenses
Research conducted by The Salvation Army has highlighted that the most vulnerable in our society are struggling to make ends meet, with 84% of those surveyed finding it a challenge to meet basic living expenses, including housing, utilities, food and health care in the past 12 months ... After paying for housing costs, many households were left with little disposable income – respondents in paid employment were left with just $29 a day to live on after paying for housing, and those on government support payments were left with only $22 a day.
Foodbank meets rising demand in Denmark
Serena Kirby. Emergency food provider, Foodbank, has begun a delivery service to Denmark to meet rising demand in the community ... Foodbank Albany branch manager Rod Pfeiffer said that while the mobile service had been running in Perth for some time, the regional need was now urgent.
‘Zero to fabulous in a couple of months’
Serena Kirby. Every second Saturday a big group of locals gather at the Denmark Scout Hall to swap excess fruit and vegetables, seedlings and flowers they have grown ... “I got the idea from my daughter who had started one in Manjimup”: produce swap organiser, Bobbie Batten.
Recipe for community success
Emma Pritchard. While discussing how they could help locals affected by the recent floods during the past several weeks, members of the Clarence Valley Community Church and the Lower Clarence Presbyterian Church embraced the idea of opening a community kitchen in Maclean. The two congregations promptly started researching and organising recipes, scouting for a suitable location within the township, and drawing up a roster of volunteer cooks.
Compost in sponge cities are the answer to building climate resilience: CORE
Research conducted by the Centre for Organic Research & Education (CORE) has developed recycled content technologies that can turn cities and farmlands into Sponges that can adapt to more frequent flooding and drought events to reduce the risk they present to our communities ... May 1st to 7th marks International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) in Australia.
Grace follows in great grandmother’s footsteps
Over 30 years ago Lockhart resident Jean Urquhart competed in the final of the State Rich Fruit Cake Competition held at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show and now this year her great granddaughter Grace Cox is following in her great grandmother’s footsteps.
Growing Abundance is back!
Growing Abundance helps minimise food waste in our community by organising volunteers to help pick the fruit that isn’t able to be harvested by the owners. We are doing a call out for anyone who has excess fruit on their trees that they are willing and wishing to get help harvesting and distributing.
The Curated Plate: Serving up a new and improved bite-sized festival in 2022
Calling all foodies and culinary experts! From July 29 to August 7, local restaurants, farms, tourism and event operators will throw open their doors as part of The Curated Plate culinary festival, and offer the best of the Sunshine Coast’s local food and beverage experiences across a 10-day period.
South West Craft Beer Festival, 5 March 2022
Beer lovers will rejoice at the incredible range of 175+ brews to try from 25 craft breweries and cideries such as Rocky Ridge, Colonial, Eagle Bay, Boston and Brewhouse Margaret River, including some crazy, delicious, mind boggling special and new release brews showcased by each brewer at their bar.
The dates are set and Eat the Street is back for 2022
The popular Eat the Street Festival will return to Lismore’s CBD on Sunday, 29 May after it was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 ... Since its inception in 2016, Eat the Street has quickly become an iconic Northern Rivers festival, showcasing the regions’ finest food vendors and entertaining tens of thousands of people.
So what is the Winemaker drinking this summer?
Here we are in the middle of a La Nina summer. On the east coast where we live the nights are warm but mild, and the days are hot and humid. As I opened my first beer of the evening – make that afternoon – I was inspired to put fingers to keyboard and tell my half dozen or so readers what I’m drinking.
Diving into sustainability
Consumers are increasingly demanding proof of their seafood’s sustainability and they are turning to a range of seafood certifications, rating programs and indexes to inform their purchases. Globally, there is a growing number of initiatives to guide consumers. But they are not all created equal, nor do they measure and report on the same parameters.
Pollack Wetlands Indigenous food & fibre day
As part of the UN’s Decade on Nutrition, Western Murray Land Improvement Group (WMLIG) with Forestry Corporation, hosted a field trip to the Pollack Wetlands, food and fibre displays and a barbecue for 40 community members. The visit to the Pollack Swamp Wetlands allowed the community to see first-hand the amazing transformation and rehabilitation of the area from recent watering events, whilst learning about its natural resources.
Put local oysters on the menu this Christmas
Australians are urged to put locally-grown oysters on their Christmas table this year and support an industry that has been hit hard recently. NSW Farmers Oyster Committee Chair Todd Graham said the industry was still grappling with the impacts of bushfires, floods, and a COVID-19 induced downturn in hospitality and tourism.
Manu drops in
Kirstin Nicholson. Celebrity Chef, Manu Feildel dropped in recently to sample some of the local produce. Feildel was in the region as part of the Cohuna and District Progress Association’s (CDPA) Chef and Chandeliers Gala held on Saturday night. On Saturday morning, Manu and CDPA representative, Keith Link, toured the region by helicopter, visiting properties and sampling the region’s produce.
Gala dinner brings celebrities
Kirstin Nicholson. The Cohuna community was treated to a gala event at the weekend which involved a host of celebrities, fine dining and entertainment. The Apiam Chef and Chandeliers Gala was organised by the Cohuna and District Progress Association (CDPA) and over 200 guests attended the event at the Memorial Hall where they dined on a meal prepared by celebrity chef, Manu Feildel, using produce from the region.
