August 2020 – MakeCookGrow.com

Our Silo Art Trail Roadtrip

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Western Australia’s major agricultural crop is wheat, with about fifteen million tonnes produced annually. The grain production area, known as the Wheatbelt, covers seven million hectares ( about 17 million acres ). The area further south, the Great Southern region, produces grains, avocados, wine, strawberries, plus other berries and fruit.

Many towns in these regions have huge grain receival silos, often close to the town centre and always next to the train line. The grain is transported by rail from the silos to the ports of Fremantle, Bunbury, Albany and Esperance. Most of the grain is then shipped overseas in containers.

In March 2015 FORM, a West Australian not-for-profit art group, initiated The Silo Art program. The goal was to paint silos in the Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions. All the silos are at fully operational CBH Group grain receival sites. The first silo to be painted was in Northam in 2015 and is the first silo to be painted in Australia in mural form. The last, in Pingrup, was painted in September 2018. Much of the Wheatbelt is quite flat and the painted silos are visable from miles away.

We planned a four day trip to visit the silos and spend some time in the surrounding towns. When I first graduated as a teacher I was appointed to a very small town in the Wheatbelt but hadn’t visited the areas very often since then. Most of the roads were very good and the scenery was often spectacular.

DAY 1 NORTHAM Painted March 2015 Eight silos painted, four on each end. Artists Phlegm, from the UK and HENSE, an artist from USA. It took 16 days to complete and silos here sit in bucolic farmland.

DAY 1 MERREDIN Four silos painted by Kyle Hughes-Odgers who grew up in the area. Each silo is 35m ( 115 ft ) high and the entire project took 14 days to complete. Painted August 2017 using colours typical of the local landscape.

Left Merredin heading for Hyden, most famous for Wave Rock, where we stayed overnight.

An amusing stretch of fence decorated by shoes, boots, slippers, sandals and thongs. Went on for a long way!

Too early to see many wildflowers but these were along the road heading to Hyden. Gorgeous colours.

Some local metalwork, Hyden.

DAY 2 NEWDEGATE via LAKE GRACE

DAY 2 NEWDEGATE Painted May 2018. The artist was Breton See and shows a mallee fowl, lizard, phascogale and tree frog. Silo height 20 metres (65ft).

DAY 2 PINGRUP

Painted September 2018 by Dominican born Evocal. It took 15 days. The silos are 25 metres (82ft) high and 15 metres (50ft) wide.

Day 2, heading for Albany. Canola crop with the Stirling Ranges behind.

Fully operational five storey Dutch windmill used to produce spelt flour. There were also two typically Dutch cottages offering accommodation.

Day 3, ALBANY. Painted March 2018 by Yok and Sheryo (USA) It took 17 days and shows a Ruby Seahorse dragon, only found in the local coastal area.

There are many service providers in Western Australia, but we soon discovered that we were out of range or only had flaky communications once we left Merredin until we arrived in Albany. Only one provider covers the areas in between and there’s still gaps in service. So phone and tablet unusable, but wrote every night in my journal. And the pebble? I’ve collected and labelled a pebble in most of the places I’ve visited in the last thirty odd years.

DAYS 3 and 4 ALBANY

Replica landlocked brig of the Amity, a ship which sailed from Sydney to Albany, then known as Frederick Town, to resupply the military settlement 1826.

This weather vane on a round about in Albany made us smile. Left Albany heading for Kojanup. We had beautiful sunny, winter days and very cold nights.

DAY 4 KATANNING

There’s no silos in Katanning but plenty of street art and painted transmission boxes on school sites. In 2017 FORM arranged for school transformer boxes and some street walls to be painted. These murals were painted by Brenton See, Chris Nixon, Darren Hutchens, Mel Mcvee and the calligraphy was done by Karim Jabbari.

The old Premier Flour Mill has been converted into a luxury hotel. We enjoyed a lovely lunch there.

From Katanning we went back to Kojanup, then headed back to Perth. During our road trip we’d traveled about 1600 kms (1000 miles), seen amazing silo and street art, interesting towns, eaten some good food, met some lovely people and bought a few mementos. The artwork we saw on the silos, buildings and transmission boxes was remarkable and worth the journey.

There’s many online sites to help you plan your journey, book accommodation and learn more about the towns throughout the regions and their artworks.

WORLD PETROLEUM DAY

Yesterday was World Petroleum Day. Petroleum isn’t just for cars. It is used in plastics, detergent, rubber, fertilizers, pesticides, photographic film, makeup, candles and some medicines.

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How To Make Microwave Marmalade, An Author Review and Local Iconic Images

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MAKING MARMALADE IN THE MICROWAVE.

A bumper year for citrus and my friends and neighbours are very generous, sharing their surplus crops of kumquats, limes, lemons and grapefruit. We have our own lime tree, too. I make marmalade, a favourite of my husband. Last month I tried making it in the slow cooker and it was a total fail. Tasted great but wouldn’t set, so I devised a cake/cupcake/pudding recipe to use the non-setting but delicious failed marmalade.(Refer blog 17/07/2020) So back to cooking it in the microwave, a method which has never failed for me.

I peel the fruit, except the kumquats, remove the pith ( the white layer between the skin and the pulp) and chop it into small pieces as my husband likes a chunky marmalade. I don’t process the fruit to make a smooth puree. I thinly slice some of the peel and add that, too.

I cannot find the little muslin bags I made for cooking the pips, pith and some peel in to add pectin, the setting agent, to my marmalade, so back to fresh dishcloths. So unattractive! I cut a square from a new dishcloth, put the pips, pith and peel in the middle, gather it all up and tie it tightly with kitchen string. ( I kept the seeds from the kumquats I candied before and put them in with the other pectin rich seeds, pith and peel.) Add it to the fruit while it cooks.

When the fruit is ready weigh it and add 75% of the total weight in sugar, stir, add the pectin bag and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Carefully remove from the microwave and stir. Return it and cook another 8 minutes, stir, cook another 8 minutes, stir and then judge how thick and cooked your marmalade looks. It should be getting thicker, more golden and glossy in appearance. I needed to cook it for a fourth lot of eight minutes. At this point I dropped a spoonful on a chilled saucer, let it cool a little then dragged my finger across the surface. It wrinkled, indicating it was ready to bottle.

I’d already sterilized the recycled jam jars in the dishwasher. I used a ladle to fill the jars with hot marmalade. At this point it is still a little bit runny but sets to a firm, thick jam. Left them to cool while I printed some labels. Glued the labels on, all done!

Last time I wrote about making marmalade I was asked what I thought it cost to make my own. All the fruit I use is free from our own tree or from friends and neighbours. The sugar for three jars cost about 75 cents and we have solar panels which provide most of our electricity. The majority of our electricity bill is for administration, sustainability research and maintenance of supply. The jars I use are recycled time and time again. I have no way of valuing my time spent picking, washing, preparing, cooking and bottling the marmalade. It takes about 90 minutes but I do other tasks while it is cooking. So, really I don’t know what it costs but probably not very much for delicious, thick marmalade made of fresh fruit and sugar, nothing else.

READING

Talking about books we’d read, a friend suggested I would enjoy a series written about Venice. She’s right, I am really enjoying them! So is my husband. The author is an American who until two years ago lived in Venice. Donna Leon and her books feature Commissario Guido Brunetti. These books are a travelogue and thriller all in one. We travel Venice as Commissario Brunetta gently and thoughtfully solves murders, usually only one per book, but sometimes more. History, culture, architecture, music and of course food are all part of these stories about human frailties. The way courts deal with murder cases is different, too, based more on the passion resulting in the crime.

Leon’s books are enjoyed by millions of readers in 35 countries. Although translated into many languages she will not allow her books to be published in Italian. She has written 26 Commissario Guido Brunetti novels. We have only read five but I’ve ordered more.

LOCAL ICONIC IMAGES

Western Australia has adopted a hard border for some months to prevent the spread of CV-19. We have been very lucky. The infection rate and death rates are very low here. The economy is effected by the lack of tourists but things can change very quickly. Meanwhile, here are a few iconic images from my local area.

THE DINGO FLOUR MILL

This historic and heritage listed silhouette of a red dingo is part of a flour milling complex on the highway going to Fremantle. The site has been used as a flour mill since 1922. The image is reproduced on a wide range of merchandise, from T-Shirts to stubby holders and tea towels.

COTTESLOE BEACH

This beautiful beach, recognisable for its pylon and Rottnest Island on the horizon is a favourite with tourists and locals. Known for good surf and amazing sunsets, Cottesloe Beach also is home to the yearly Sculptures By The Sea Exhibition.

The concrete pylon, on the left, is part of a failed attempt in 1936 to build a shark proof fence. It is now popular with swimmers who swim from the beach to the pylon then back again.

THE BLUE BOAT HOUSE

Owned by a local family since 1944, the Boat House, on the Swan River in Crawley, used to attract long queues of tourists, mostly Asian, wanting to take photos of themselves in front of it. A huge social media hit, the Boat House is mainly deserted nowdays but recognised world wide after featuring in advertisements for Singapore Airlines, Qantas and many Japanese ads.

AND IN THE GARDEN

Very little blooming in the garden except this camellia which survived the last storm so we’re enjoying it inside.

WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY

August 19th was World Humanitarian Day. This day is observed world wide each year to pay tribute to all the aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian services. As the world fights CV-19, aid workers are facing enormous problems helping those most in need.

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How to Candy Kumquats, Pruned Roses and Cooking Cabbage

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CANDIED KUMQUATS

We are still enjoying a surplus of citrus fruit. Usually I turn kumquats into marmalade but this time I wanted to preserve them to use as a final touch on a hot, winter pudding I’m making for guests this week. The colour of the candied kumquat contrasts well with golden yellow pudding and creamy coloured icecream. And they taste amazing.

Originally from China, kumquats are unique in that the peel is slightly sweet and edible and the flesh is quite tart. They smell wonderful. They are high in vitamin C and fibre. About 80% of their weight is water. They should be stored at room temperature.

This easy recipe results in candied fruit which look pretty and really pack a flavour punch! In fact, it might be the easiest thing you’ve ever made and possibly one of the most delicious. I served the Candied Kumquats on a hot pudding made using my Failed Marmalade Cake recipe (here) with some icecream on the side.

CANDIED KUMQUATS

INGREDIENTS

600 gm (1.5lb) thinly sliced kumquats
1 cp water
2 cp sugar

METHOD

1. Wash and dry the kumquats. Pick through your haul and select the ripest with flawless fruit. Then thinly slice them using a sharp knife. Discard the seeds.( I kept them as I had enough left over fruit to make some marmalade, too)

Put the kumquats into a sieve and swish under running water. Shake to partially dry.

Pat them dry on a tea towel. Remove any remaining stems.

Select the plumpest kumquats and weigh out 650gm. You’ll lose about 50gm when you remove the pips.

2. Bring the sugar and water to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then add the fruit and simmer 20 more minutes.

3. Drain the fruit holding a sieve over a bowl. Return syrup to the pot and simmer for about 5 more minutes until it reduces slightly. Don’t take your eyes off it as the syrup can quickly turn into toffee!

4. Carefully spoon the fruit into a jar, pour over ¼ cup of syrup and stir gently. Leave to cool with the lid off. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Intensely flavoured and fragrant, candied kumquats taste like turbo charged marmalade. A little bit as a topping is enough. Disappearing fast.

Failed Marmalade Cake as a warmed pudding with Candied Kumquats and Vanilla Icecream.

IN THE GARDEN

The last of the roses are pruned, this one an arch of climbing Pierre de Ronsards. Stunning when they’re in bloom. Also dug out a rose and replaced it. Lots of fresh soil and pea straw, then all the pruned plants were treated with Seasol. No more vases of roses for a few months. I’ll miss them!

Roses from my Mother’s garden.

My generous neighbour continues to share her stunning yellow roses. These will be the last for some time as she cut these then continued to prune the bushes. They are such a welcome addition week after week on my winter table. Western Australia has had a bumper year for roses.

Our red Pierre de Ronsard has very long stems and usually five blooms on the end of each one so I wanted a stable but high vase for them. Went looking in the local op ( thrift) shop and found this vase. Couldn’t resist cutting some arum lilies and putting them in the new vase. Will have to wait until spring for more red roses. Found another vase while I was there, too.

These roses came from my lovely neighbour, too. It is now the end of the rose season and all the local roses have been pruned.

CABBAGE

It’s a bit strange sharing a quick way to cook cabbage, but they’re in season and fresh and tasty. I really like Savoy cabbages, not because they taste much different from normal cabbages but because they look so good! So here is a great tasty, very quick and easy way to cook cabbage.

Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Slice half of the cabbage into smaller pieces.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon or two of butter in a heavy based pan until the butter is melted.
Add the enormous pile of cut up cabbage. It will cook down to a manageable amount quite quickly! Add a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and cook until it has evaporated.
Let it cook for a while, stir it around, let it cook until it begins to brown and crisp up a bit. The edges will almost caramelise.

Serve with grated black pepper. If you have the time you can also fry some bacon, chop into small pieces and sprinkle over the cabbage.

And just in case you think all I do is cook, here’s last night’s dinner delivered to the door.

Wednesday 12th August was World Calligraphy day. I should have written this in a fancy font but actually don’t know how to do that on a blog! Loved a range of fonts when I was working and always enjoyed calligraphy. In fact, I was the staff member who usually wrote on certificates and cards. Anyway,calligraphy is art in written form.This is the perfect time to try this form of writing if it interests you. All you need is paper and a pen. There’s so many tutorials online to guide you through the process.

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Everyday August Activities and Two Book Reviews

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August brings change as we move from winter towards spring in September, although there are few signs yet! We are experiencing very cold weather but I notice new growth in the garden.The days are already a little longer; it is lighter earlier and sunset is later. Time to finish pruning the roses and transplanting one which becomes overwhelmed every year by it’s huge neighbours. And I am watching the self seeded tomato closely, hoping the green tomatoes will turn red.

AUGUST FOOD

Winter eating! We like to shop for fruit and vegetables at a green grocer we’ve been going to for a long time. Lots of fresh produce to be eaten raw (apples, tomatoes and mandarins), roasted (sweet potato, butternut pumpkin, Dutch carrots) and steamed ( cabbage and broccoli) The limes and lemons are used mostly on fish. The clips around the fruit bowl are used to seal the top of bags, they aren’t for eating!

After a happy break from bread making I am back making my own sourdough. I have had to use the ‘proving’ setting on the oven to get the starter and then the dough to rise as it is very cold now. Well, cold for Western Australia! This homemade bread is simply made from sourdough starter, flour, water, a little olive oil and salt. It takes nearly two days from waking the starter to eating the cooled bread and is worth the effort.

Lunch for my mother. She has been staying for a few days to go to a specialist doctor’s appointment. She grew the lettuce. I added cheese, cucumber, ratatouille, mushrooms, hommus and crackers.

My husband has become a regular customer of a nearby bakery along with many, many other keen bread eaters, too. He loves their white loaf, thickly buttered and even more thickly covered in honey or marmalade. It is very good bread, but I prefer sourdough! Bread from this bakery comes wrapped in tissue paper.

WINTER ROAD RE-SURFACING

We went to look at this local road which has been re-surfaced with asphalt made from sustainable and recycled materials. The asphalt is made from more than 125 tonne of recycled materials including over 30 000 glass bottles, 50 000 plastic bottles and tyres and recycled asphalt. This has resulted in a durable and long lasting road surface considered to be equal to traditional road surfaces. This is the first recycled material surface in our area and only the second in Western Australia. This is a good way to use rubbish!

WINTER FLOWERS

I don’t remember another winter when the roses have flowered for so long or been so beautiful. I have benefited from my Mother’s garden, a neighbour’s generosity and a few remaining blooms from my own garden. The table is covered in vases of flowers and I love it!

The bromeliad blooms are such gorgeous colours but they droop almost as soon as they are cut. I used green garden wire to attach the blooms to recycled chopsticks!

Most of the roses have been pruned but the few remaining ones will be done tomorrow. We have three rubbish bins; a general one, one for recycling and the best one, for someone who can’t make compost, a bin for green waste. I like the green waste bin to be really full when it is emptied every fortnight. We have lots of roses so pruning is spread over two bin emptying days!

WINTER READING

I’m not really interested in magazines about clothes and celebrities or reality TV stars, but I love decorator magazines! I enjoy seeing how people live, how they integrate old and new but mostly, how they make their houses their own, how they show their interests and what they like to have around them.

So, when I picked up this decorator book by Tara Shaw, called SOUL OF THE HOME: Designing with Antiques, I was really interested. Then I read her comment about your house being your biography, a true reflection of your passions and interests. I really like individualistic houses, reflecting the owners. She says, ” Always feather your nest with things that are meaningful to you. You should be able to ‘read’ a great house just like a biography.”

This book is full of great houses and great ideas. Like so many books I read, and I read many, I borrowed it from the library.

The second book I’ve been reading is Michael Moseley’s FAST ASLEEP. I’m a MM fan after repairing my gut following his Clever Guts system from a book of the same name. It took a while but has been a great relief. Living with constant gut pain is very tiring.

Getting enough sleep is challenging at times. I have read about cognitive therapy recently to treat poor sleep but find this book far easier to follow. It includes information on diet, fasting, settling to sleep and how to ‘retrain’ yourself to get to sleep and stay asleep. All his ideas are backed by recent science. Still a work in progress for me but his system is easy to follow.

I’m not a fan of magazines in general but subscribe to lots of decorator magazines and country life magazines. Probably too many but I really enjoy them. My most recent haul of four magazines included two from the UK in paper or compostable wrappers. Good. The two Australian ones were delivered in plastic. Annoying, but I carefully slit the top and re-use the plastic but would prefer paper wrappers. The magazines from the UK always arrive safely.

This is National MISSING PERSONS WEEK in Australia. This program is organised by the Federal Police and aims to raise awareness about the significant number of people, particularly young people, who are reported missing every year. Of the approximately 35 000 people reported as missing each year in Australia, approximately 20 000 are under the age of 18.

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