October 2020 – MakeCookGrow.com

Bees, Christmas Cake, Books and Spring Flowers

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BEES

During the week I was asked why I put out water for the bees. Nearly half of everything we eat relies on bees for pollination. Unfortunately bees and butterflies are under threat worldwide. There’s several very easy things you can do, even if you only have a balcony or window sill, to provide water for bees. Here’s a short list of easy bee friendly ideas.

Shallow containers of water with stepping stones or twigs create landing pads and can be put anywhere for bees to drink and cool off.
Look at your use of any of the “cides” in your garden. These are insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. They kill insects randomly.

3. Create a bee hotel, a collection of hollow bamboo and other short sticks housed in a box or buy a smart “Bee Hotel” designed for this purpose.

4. Bees benefit from visiting a range of plants with different nectar and pollen, so aim for diversity if you have a garden.

I have added a bee hotel to the garden, selecting a shady, protected position under a blueberry bush. No point in looking for the berries, because I ate them all while I was setting up the bee hotel. The new bee hotel sits above the previous, fast evaporating bee bath.

I’ll plant the seeds included with the bee hotel in a few days.

CHRISTMAS CAKES

During the week someone told me that it’s less than two months until Christmas. That was a surprise, but this has been the fastest year ever. The first job, soaking the fruit in brandy for the Christmas cakes, is now done, but sorting the boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations, a job planned for this year, is not done. Maybe next year.

READING

I’ve read two books this week . One is my book club book which we will discuss on Friday and the other is by local award winning author, Craig Silvey. When we were down south I wandered into a bookshop where Silvey was promoting his latest book, “Honeybee” and I was introduced to him. I worked with his father years ago and knew immediately who he was and enjoyed hearing news about his family. It wasn’t until we came back to Perth that I started his book and couldn’t put it down!

Sam Watson, aka Honeybee, is the narrator and protagonist in this account of how a teenager comes to be standing on an overpass, about to jump. As his story unfolds we understand his despair and confusion. Sam is transgender in a society which neither understands or sympathizes.

Sam’s recognition of and need to be seen as transgender is portrayed with great compassion by Silvey. These are richly described characters. Sam , who feels ” wrong or damaged”, eventually overcomes the difficulties and traumas of his early life. With support and encouragement he discovers acceptance and a future where he feels he belongs.

( I describe Sam as “he” as the sometimes preferred term, “they”, feels awkward and is not used in this story)

Crossing To Safety

Our book club book this month is Wallace Stegner’s “Crossing to Safety”. It is the story of two couples and how their friendship and marriages evolve over 35 years. It is the last book written by Wallace before he died and I wondered if it was based partly on his own life in academia.

Beautifully written, although sometimes challenging unless you are widely read in the classics, we watch as the characters develop as circumstances change, and also how they essentially stay the same throughout the story.

Stegner describes nature beautifully and his sharp observations of human nature make this a special story. I am looking forward to our book club discussion on Friday, waiting to hear how others have reacted to this complex story.

SPRING GARDEN

The spring garden; not mine, my Mother’s! I have been staying with her and wandering around her garden is lovely. The garden is full of colour and bees.

and finally, some of my roses ( Pierre de Ronsard, Abraham Darby and Father’s Love) and my bonsai.

If your read any American posts you’ll know tomorrow is Halloween. You’ll also know that at this time of the year, in American, there’s thousands of recipes for sweet pumpkin pies, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin cookies, cakes and other sweet treats. This puzzles the rest of the world who consider pumpkin a savoury food, to be roasted or boiled and served as a soup or with the main course as a vegetable. We mix pureed butternut pumpkin to make pumpkin scones, otherwise it is not a sweet food.

So, if you celebrate this ancient Celtic tradition, enjoy and eat whatever you fancy!

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Repurposing, Growing, Eating and Recycling

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REPURPOSING

Last week this terracotta pot held a collection of succulents. Then I planted the succulents elsewhere, emptied the pot, scrubbed it and left it to dry. My plan was to turn it into a bee bath. The water in the existing bee bath seems to evaporate very quickly. I had to put it up on a ledge as Louis, our dog, considered it his outdoor water bowl.

When the terracotta pot was dry I rubbed it down then wiped it with a damp cloth and placed it on some newspaper before spraying it with blue paint. This is the paint I used on the metal chairs hanging on the wall behind. During the next three days I painted the outside and inside twice to get good coverage. I had also coated the inside with a terracotta sealant to retard water seepage.

The next job was sealing the drainage hole in the base. I used a silicone sealant which I’ve used successfully on similar jobs in the past. Fingers crossed it is long lasting. I am assuming the silicone sealer wont effect the water quality in any way.

Finally, the pot is painted and water tight, so I filled it and then put a small, solar powered fountain in it. I’m hoping the base of the floating fountain will be a safe bee landing spot as the water slightly overlaps the base.

So far the only visitor I have seen is a honey eater, but the fountain has been there less than 24 hours, so time will tell.

GROWING

Gorgeous when the hippiastra bloom each year. I have two different red ones and some dwarf white ones. Big, bold and pretty.

This hippiastrum was given to me by a family friend many years ago. I was able to harvest some seeds and grow seedlings to give to his daughter recently.

Abraham Darby sprawling roses with alstromerias growing under. Reliable cut flowers.

The only way we get tomatoes is to protect them in exclusion bags! This delicious voluntary tomato bush is very big and spreads over several metres growing along the top of a bed of agapanthus. The tomatoes taste sweet and remind me of old fashioned, thin skinned tomatoes, easy to cut and tasting of sunshine!

I am assuming the next lot would have tasted wonderful, too, but wont be finding out as this was what remained of the exclusion bag when we returned from down south. I will surrounded the heritage tomatoes growing in pots with wire netting, but the bush producing these tomatoes sprawls several metres along the top of other plants. Netting is not really possible. Our back garden is really quite small but obviously jumping with wildlife. Annoying.

Spent two nights at Mum’s on the way home from Bunker Bay and couldn’t resist these roses. Her spring garden is a riot of colour. Next weekend would have been the Brunswick Show, the local Agricultural Society show but it is cancelled due to CV-19. She enters flowers in many sections and always wins prizes. Last year she was awarded a certificate celebrating the 50 years she has entered things in the show. Her flowers would have done well this year, too.

BLUE AND WHITE CHINA FISH

First saw these fish at a garden centre where I’d met a friend for lunch. Intended to buy some on the way out but forgot. Thought that was a good excuse to arrange lunch there with her again. Then I walked into a homewares shop in Dunsborough when we were down south and there they were, dear little blue and white fish. I really like blue and white china and now I have three blue and white china fish floating in the fountain.

COOKING

Making and eating Fish Curry. I’m not really keen on curries with coconut milk and creams, so the cooked onions and warmed spices are mixed with tomatoes. Added a dollop of yoghurt. Don’t eat a lot of rice, either, so cooked some mashed potatoes because you need something to soak up the wonderful, rich curry juice! Finished with a good squeeze of lime.

Now days I try to cook recipes to make two meals for two people. Sometimes I put one in the freezer for busy days but more often we eat it within two days. Might change the cooked vegetables for salad but we don’t mind the same thing two nights in a row.

RECYCLING

Western Australia has introduced a new system for recycling glass and plastics, with many local collection sites for dropping off these containers. This is a great idea. Each plastic or glass container returned attracts a 10 cents refund which you can direct to charity at the collection site or take as cash. The biggest problem for us was storing the containers until we had enough to go to the drop off point.

Image Containers for Change

Problem solved. I had this faux greenhouse, a plastic crate I drilled air holes in to grow mushrooms, on a shelf in the garage. Now we store the clean containers in the crate until we take them for recycling. The plastics are reused in plastic and the glass, similarly, is reused in glass.

Our newspapers are delivered rolled in a sheet of single use plastic. I’ve asked people how the sheet can be reused, I’ve looked online, but still these sheets go straight in the bin. I appreciate a dry newspaper, but not the plastic! Any suggestions?

October 22nd is COLOUR DAY. Think about how colours effect our mood, productivity and behaviour. Interestingly, blue poles have been used in Scotland to minimize violence and also in Japan to dissuade suicides. Both projects have been successful.

Some colour themed idioms that come to mind:

out of the blue, feeling blue, once in a blue moon*, green with envy, caught red handed, green thumb, black thumb, black sheep, a grey area, tickled pink, white lie and probably many more!

*A blue moon is an extra full moon in a given period, such as a second full moon in a month, which occurs this month.

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Going Down South to Bunker Bay

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For many West Australians, holidays means “going down south,” to swim, visit vineyards, eat local foods, go for beach or forest walks, meet friends and eat icecream. We like to flock down south, referring to the area south of Bunbury. This region abounds in beaches, vineyards, forests and interesting, small towns. There’s galleries and boutiques, restaurants and cafes, whales and wild flowers and beautiful coastal walks, plus unique animals. Lots of good fishing spots, plus, at the moment, sharks!

We have spent this week at a resort at Bunker Bay, a beautiful bay, quite close to more amazing beaches, wineries, galleries, restaurants and a lighthouse. The weather has be perfect, the resort lovely and the beaches are beautiful. I bought a new rashie, a long sleeved swimming top, to protect me from the sun after having basal cell carcenomas burnt off and cut out lately, only to find a seal colony on the peninsula is attracting sharks close to shore. There’s been several sightings of 3 – 5 metre sharks along the coast, so beach walks and pool swims, unfortunately. So no beach swimming.

After we’d checked into the resort we set off for the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse. Built in 1903, it was manned by a shift of three men until 1987, when it was automated. The three lighthouse keepers’ houses are now an entrance point to the precinct, an interpretive centre and a cafe.

There’s a viewing platform in front of the lighthouse. This is where you can see the migrating whales between September and December. We did, too, which was very exciting. We peered out into the ocean, sometimes locating white, disturbed areas and after about twenty minutes, saw a whale break the surface and then one appear out of the water! All happened too fast to take a photo.

There’s lots of information about several lovely walks around the coast of Cape Naturaliste National Park, some taking sixty minutes, some taking hours. Take water, a hat and beware of snakes on warm days.

Looking back across the bay to the resort.

We had coffee and cake on the trip down and stopped in Dunsborough for lunch so settled to a “bed picnic” for dinner. We often do this when we’re traveling and have had a big lunch. Some of these treats were part of a ‘welcome’ platter with additional tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, goats’ cheese and more cold meats and crackers. This spread fed us for two nights!

Red and pink bottlebrush. Up close they were covered in bees. Endemic to Australia, bottlebrush are now widely cultivated throughout the world

White grevillea, also full of bees. Native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Sulawesi and some other Indonesian Islands.

The next day we went to the Vasse Felix vineyard in Cowaramup to visit the Holmes à Court Gallery. The exhibition was titled “Tracing the Swan” . The black swan is endemic to Western Australia and features in this exhibition, which aims to show how historically WA was presented as an ideal destination, although history reveals the harsh realities of this era were very different. The river going from Guildford, though Perth and on to the ocean at Fremantle is called the Swan River.

An etching from 1800 of the iconic black swan.

The swan was a significant creature in Indigenous folklore. Represented here by Deborah Bonar 2012.

An interesting exhibition focusing on aspects of our history not often described in terms of wildlife, in this case, the black swan.

Met this chap in the tasting room on the way out.

Gunyulgup Gallery and Little Fish Restaurant where we enjoyed a very good lunch. Simple ingredients, beautifully cooked and presented.

Fresh fillet of local fish, a rack of lamb and a trio of local icecream.

Walked along the beach later in the afternoon hoping for a pretty sunset, but it was too cloudy.

Another beautiful day and we set to do some jobs in Dunsborough. Met Craig Silvey in the local bookshop. He is the multiple award winning author of “Rhubarb”, 2004, “The World According to Warren”, 2007, “Jasper Jones” 2009, made into a film 2015 and his latest, “Honeybee”, just published.

Set off for another art gallery then a silver smith’s studio. Saw so many lovely things but we’re at a stage where we want less, not more! Besides, we have no wall room for more art, and I thought the silver smith’s work was very beautiful but I don’t wear the precious pieces I already have, so no more for me! Then we heading to a brewery where we’d booked for lunch.

The trimmed lavender hedge looks very pretty. Each block has a big cauldron like pot in the middle on a limestone plinth with contrasting red geraniums.

Hardy plantings needing little upkeep except regular trimming. Very big koi in the ponds under the walkway to the entrance.

More highly fragrant lavender swaying in the afternoon breeze plus contrasting foliage and clusters of seed pods hanging from the tree.

Two views of Gracetown, mainly a holiday house destination. The town is about 21 kilometres northwest of Margaret River, set on the Indian Ocean. Gracetown offers world class surfing breaks close to the town.

Gracetown was named after local heroine, Grace Bussel who, in 1876, rode into the surf in a terrible storm to rescue the crew of the SS Georgette which was sinking off the coast.

Two views of Meelup Beach. Protected in the bay with miles of white sand. So pretty.

Lush, cool forest in the Meelup Regional Park. Wish you could hear the birdsong, too.

Today we are on our way back to Perth. This has been a wonderful holiday, with beautiful weather, lots of lovely things to see and do and some great food. The resort was been very good, too, and we hope to return soon.

Did you know today is World Food Day? No, neither did I, but I’m willing to celebrate by eating whatever is necessary!

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How I Grew and Cooked King Oyster Mushrooms and Three Book Reviews

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KING OYSTER MUSHROOMS

I really like mushrooms. I’ve bought button mushroom kits in the past and been disappointed by the harvest. Earlier this year I tasted several different mushrooms at a market and knew I wanted to try growing the King Oyster Mushrooms.

These mushrooms are quite fragile so I needed to eat them quickly! It was no effort. These are all oyster mushrooms.

There are many ways to use these mushrooms but I simply cooked each in frothy butter and sprinkled some Himalayan salt and parsley over them. I was focused on choosing the type of mushroom I wanted to grow.

When I decided I wanted to grow the King Oyster Mushrooms I rang a local supplier of mushrooms and mushroom kits and was pleased they were able to deliver that afternoon. I had prepared a faux greenhouse by drilling multiple holes in the sides of a plastic storage crate. The only other things I needed were a few blocks to elevate the grow block kit and a water spray bottle.

The kit arrived as a grow block in a plastic bag. It consists of 100% West Australian hardwood sawdust, soy bean hulls and wheat bran, so is suited to local growing conditions. This was put in the fridge overnight to initiate growth. The next day I cut a small slit in the bag to open it and I began misting the block three times a day.

Pins, little mushrooms, appeared within days. It was on a bench in the laundry. The grow blocks are inoculated with the King Oyster spores.

The mushrooms look strange but taste wonderful. In fact, photos text to friends didn’t result in encouraging comments, but really quite rude ones. No, they are not fledgling aliens.

I began harvesting the bigger mushrooms on the 17th day. I cut them off with a knife, wiped them, sliced them, then cooked them.

These are simply cooked in a frypan with butter. I ate them on toast. I really enjoyed the firm feel of the cooked mushroom.

Eventually I harvested just over a kilo of mushrooms. I was expecting more but the little ones, the pins, started going dry. They were no longer thick and failed to develop.

Thinking the grow block was exhausted, I put it in a big pot out in the garden which I was preparing for a rose, then it rained and three days later I had about six more mushrooms! Lovely.

Will I buy another grow block? Probably not. I’ll buy the King Oyster Mushrooms from the grocers four or five at a time for about the same overall cost as buying and nurturing a kit.

READING

Petal, Adriana Picker

Cover of Petal, a world of flowers through an artist's eye by Adriana Picker

This comprehensive compendium by Australian Adriana Picker, “Petal” features flowers from every corner of the world. There are over two hundred flower illustrations from twenty seven plant families. These digitally prepared illustrations are accompanied by Nina Rousseau’s text on facts and folklore for each plant family.

A fabulous resource, with eye poppingly bright illustrations, I read this book from cover to cover. So did my Mother! Even if you’re not very interested in gardening, the accurate and beautiful digital drawings will probably hold your attention.

Spring has arrived in Australia and gardens are full of pretty, scented flowers. A quick flick through decorator magazines indicates floral fabrics, tiles and artwork are very popular. A walk through the local shopping centre confirms the passion for florals as shop windows burst with colourful, flower printed dresses.

A Gentleman In Moscow

Also reading “A Gentleman In Moscow”, a novel by Amor Towles, who is described ” as a master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction”. I’ve worked my way through a few of the current novels about pre and post revolutionary Russia, including the raw, brutal and exhausting “Tzarina” by Ellen Alpsten and wasn’t keen on reading another one.

I am glad I did, as “A Gentleman In Moscow” is a very gentle book, telling the story of Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov. He is under house arrest at the Hotel Metropol in Moscow for the rest of his life. Stripped of his title and wealth by the Bolsheviks, the Count thoughtfully lives his life with grace and dignity. He is an optimistic character in awful times.

Many reviewers say this book changed their lives, that it is beautiful, whimsical, fantastic. I also enjoyed it and would recommend it for a slow read in a quiet corner.

I really enjoyed the two books I’ve already mentioned, but I loved Jane Harper’s new book, “The Survivors”. It’s another cleverly crafted thriller from the author of “Force of Nature”, “The Dry” and “The Lost Man”, all great reads, too. I read this book over two very busy days, struggling to be sensible and put it down and do other things I should have been doing. It is a ripping yarn.

Redolent with Harper’s usual red herrings, this is the story of Kieran Elliott, who returns to the coastal Tasmanian small town where he grew up. Guilt, suspicion and another murder stir up all sorts of memories and accusations. A great thriller.

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY 5th October

It is school holidays in Australia, so celebrations will be held on 30th October after school resumes.

In a year when many parents have become acutely aware of the tasks teachers undertake every school day, the theme for this year is especially apt: A Bright Future. Teachers, with the support of parents and carers, ensured educational programs continued across the world despite major challenges.

According to UNESCO “The day provides an occasion to celebrate the teaching profession worldwide, take stock of achievements, who are at the heart of efforts to attain the global education target of leaving no one behind.”

Do you remember the bumper sticker “If you can read this, thank a teacher”?

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Special Birthdays, Making, Cooking, Growing, Cleaning, Eating

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SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK

Last weekend was a long weekend in Western Australia . It’s a holiday to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. It’s an example of Australian pragmatism, as the Queen’s actual birthday is 21st April, when we celebrate other significant events, such as ANZAC Day. So, this year we celebrate the Queen’s birthday on 28th September. Usually it is in October to coincide with the beginning of the school holidays.

My Mother ( in the plaid skirt) with her parents and sister, 1949

My family are celebrating a more significant birthday this week. It is my Mother’s 89th birthday. She has been celebrating for a week already, with her gym friends, other friends with birthdays around the same date and family members.

At the farm with my brothers and me, 1959.

My Mother lives about two hours away down south and she is coming to stay for a few days. Our son is flying down from Kalgoorlie and my brother and sister in law will travel from the country, too, so we will all meet for lunch in the Swan Valley.

My parents outside their local church, St Nicholas, the smallest Anglican Church in Western Australia. 2009

Many Happy Returns, Mum!

MAKING

Every few days I make a 100% rye sourdough loaf. I make it in this shape as it is easier to slice a standardized piece. Not as beautiful as a rustic boule, but it tastes very good. This one is plainer than usual as I forgot to slash the top after its final rise. The whole process takes two days from “waking” the mother/starter to eating the bread but is worth the time and effort involved.

COOKING

We are enjoying a bumper crop of asparagus this year. The shops have lots of it and it is a good price. Was our asparagus exported previously? I steam it and serve it with butter and black pepper.

GROWING

This dear little savoy cabbage is growing from a kitchen scrap. Instead of chopping the core and putting it out for the worms, I planted it. Within days little leaves began to appear. I have grown celery and bok choy from kitchen scraps this year and both seem to regenerate at least twice. Very frugal! Also very handy.

Starting heirloom tomatoes in mini greenhouses, aka strawberry punnets. Easy to keep moist and I leave the lid shut on dull or cold days. They need to be a bit bigger before I plant them in pots.

CLEANING

I’ve been wearing these shoes on and off for about three years. They’re spring shoes; not as heavy as boots and not open toed like sandals. They had become scruffy. Scrubbed them with soap and a toothbrush and covered the marked leather using a grout pen! It has done a very good job.

EATING

Took the train into the City to do some jobs and had Japanese food for lunch. Two of us shared this delicious treat, followed by coffee and cake from an Italian shop. Very satisfying.

This week is INTERNATIONAL COFFEE WEEK.

Launched six years ago in Milan, I think we should celebrate everything coffee, too, so raise your macchiato, espresso or cappuccino and toast the coffee bean. Love the history, the flavour, the versatility and the aroma plus the sociability of a cup of coffee. Or coffee walnut loaf, coffee flavoured cupcakes or a coffee roll. Interestingly, caffeine is the new “go to” ingredient in skincare.

Today we acknowledge the coffee farmers of the world, those hard working men and women creating and sustaining strong communities in Ethiopia, Colombia, Mexico, Indonesia, India and Nicaragua. These communities are supported in their work creating sustainable and stable communities with developing educational systems by the Rainforest Alliance, the Fair Labour Association, Fairtrade International, Technoservice, the Pur Project and the Federacion Nacional de Cafeterios.

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