Sweet potatoes and seasonal renewal
The Backyard Pharmacy at Maison Bleue continues to evolve in its second winter. The new fence awaits the final touch of a pair of pellets fashioned into gates. A testament to salvage and garage sale bargains, items have been repurposed as far as the eye can see. It is a very satisfying way to view the function of objects that may not be expected to have any further use in their original iteration. Hence we have found a purpose for what has come to embellish our green dispensary rather than create landfill.
Having come through more dry weather in the first half of this year, the garden needed attention to plan for the best location for winter plantings, based on the results of the composting that was instructive in what grew well, where and why. We have now decreased the quantity of horse manure and happily welcomed the shredded paper from the office tidying and paper sorting that is best suited to cold and damp days.
Mario’s figs were dried and have made their way into my favourite sourdough offering – a fig, walnut and spiced loaf that toasts up well. The Maison Bleue tamatar kasoundi has proven popular, made with the last box of locally produced tomatoes that could be obtained and enhanced by a generous amount of beautifully fresh powdered cumin, I only wish there had been time to make a second batch. But that is the point of seasonal produce. It is enjoyed in a number of ways and then preserved, but when it runs out there is the anticipation of the joys of the coming season and the wait for the first flush of a new harvest of flavoursome garden treats.
A special treat at the moment are the sweet potatoes that were waiting under the surface just when the frosts started. Inspired by East Timorese gardeners at the Highett St community garden in Richmond, I have now had two small harvests and the perfumed scent of a fresh sweet potato is something that is missed in store bought produce. They are also high vitamins and minerals, including carotenoids, antioxidants that play a role in helping the body respond to insulin, among other things. I enjoy lightly steaming them and combining with other root vegetables, some cheese, herbs and some of The Girls googs to make a family favourite that we refer to as Canadian Flan, but is more of a pie, tasty either hot (with kasoundi) or cold.
Golden Canadian Pie
Home made wholemeal spelt pastry – blind baked until starting to brown on the edges – made with 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour, ½ cup white spelt flour, a good pinch of salt, 1 dessertspoonful butter and 1 dessertspoonful of olive oil rubbed in and made into a dough with a little cold water
Filling:
Diced sweet potato, potato, carrot, pumpkin, parsnip – 5 cups
1 large diced onion
½ white end of a medium leek sliced finely
3 eggs
1 cup grated tasty cheese
2 tablespoonsful finely grated parmesan cheese
seasoning
Steam the vegies until softened
Blend the eggs and soft cheese and stir in grated cheeses and herbs
Combine veggies with mixture (don’t mash) and season. Spoon into the pastry case and press down firmly and top with additional grated parmesan cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees until nicely browned and firm– around 30 minutes.
How Bendigo can become Edible
Over the past few months a focus of Growing Change has been developing a big idea to value add to all of the great Local Community Food Initiatives underway in Bendigo.
The local food scene features many community gardens, community farmers market, school gardens, city farm and food box scheme, urban food growing and cooking and preserving collaborations, fruit gleaning, food aid and ideas for food vans and more.
Following this an opportunity emerged for a collaboration to respond to the challenge of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and developing a culture of healthy eating, via the VicHealth Seed Challenge . My Growing Change response is the idea for Edible Bendigo (see link to infogram below), with a vision of the whole city sharing enthusiasm for growing, preparing and eating fresh fruit and vegetables, and with Bendigo Edible Enterprises being an overarching vehicle proposed for supporting community food enterprises, supported by a broad consortium of organisations and businesses.
A digital component to create an Online Kitchen Hub would act as a portal and coordination point for all events and activities, ideas and contacts as well as being a link to Kitchen Elders, trained volunteers who could provide explanations of basic cooking skills and techniques.
Another component of the idea is that creating a culture of healthy eating entails making healthy choices easy, and this could be achieved via a +1 Fresh campaign theme throughout Bendigo Edible Enterprises’ activities in the community. Its food for thought … and, hopefully, action as well.
The Healthy Together Bendigo program , involving the City of Greater Bendigo and Bendigo Community Health Services, came up with an idea to encourage ideas and innovation to support healthy eating community food initiatives via a Food Forum. This saw an afternoon of dynamic and excited conversations earlier this week that has added to the buzz around food in Bendigo and started a process of mapping collaborations, current and potential.
Using an Open Source process the community were keen to talk about the following issues: Soil and compost, Edible food waste, Food as a tool of communication, Food education, Food-scapes, Sustainable production, Producer to consumer, Community participation, Community gardens, Community kitchens, Maintaining affordability, Inspiring behaviour change, Involving rural communities, Sharing of the surplus, Collaborative supply, Building skills, Urban bee keeping, Food in the public realm, Food safety/food regulations, How to access funding in schools and groups, Creating employment around food, Food for fun, Urban agriculture facilitator in Council, How to garden without funding, Urban livestock, Volunteer private land use – home gardens etc, Young people and primary production….an amazing response.
Action resulting from all of these ideas that are fermenting currently could enable improved fruit and vegetable supply and access, developing a sustainable and replicable prototype of healthy eating in Bendigo, and in addition further the creation of a strong and resilient community, able to face future climatic variability. A regional plan for a local food system less vulnerable to the emerging challenges of climate change is the next step.