sharing...

Sharing is the joint use of a resource or space. In its narrow sense, it refers to joint or alternating use of an inherently finite good, such as a common pasture or a shared residence. It is also the process of dividing and distributing. Apart from obvious instances, which we can observe in human activity, we can also find many examples of this happening naturally in nature. When an organism takes in nutrition or oxygen for instance, its internal organs are designed to divide and distribute the energy taken in, to supply parts of its body that need it. Flowers divide and distribute their seeds. In a broader sense, it can also include the free granting of use rights to a good that is capable of being treated as a nonrival good, such as information. Still more loosely, “sharing” can actually mean giving something as an outright gift: for example, to “share” one's food really means to give some of it as a gift.

text and image from wikipedia

I have  just downloaded photos... however ... being late (how unusual for me!) I am going to quickly share a few images of yesterday's special event which I told you of in the post from yesterday.
I also gave mention to the "postcards from the blogosphere" show I recently launched a call out for ... today I was absolutely delighted to be told "you've got mail" on my trip to the gardens. I have photos for you very soon... I want to link all the blogs with cards...so need time for that...

All the way from North Carolina today ...Lisa... if you are around... I was thrilled to find my way into the layers inside your large envelope... Biz and Tiffany in Reception at the Gardens were as excited as I was to discover what was inside! Come back to the next post for that revelation... sorry to tease... but I want to pay tribute properly to these lovely people who have found enough time in their day to share their wonderful thoughts with those of us who will have the pleasure of viewing the small works.

I have become very poor at making snail mail gestures like this myself. Once upon a time I had mail going off in many directions - often something creative and hand-made. I thought nothing of making calendars for friends... journal pages...

So this is NOT going to be taken for granted... not for a minute! 

Now to yesterday... the wildly delicious and colourful Winter Feast hosted by the prolifically creative and green-thumbed Diane and Guy... for the lively bunch at Samford Local Growers -  a group from the semi-rural north west Brisbane area.

Cooking with ingredients from "one's own back yard"... ethical eating... whatever name you give to this dinner concept... it was about very fresh and completely local food ( as far as possible) that you knew exactly how and where it had been grown - thoughtfully prepared and shared with a large table of delightful companions. The challenge was to see who could create a dish with the most ingredients grown in their back yard... or the dish with the least externally found ingredients. The first image has a list of ingredients that go with the spinach frittata and a salad... an amount of 14 or so items.... an excellent achievement I would say!

the stuffed nasturtium flowers and leaves were as good as they look!

these 2 salads contained a long list of ingredients....take the salad below:

a variety of salad greens

snow pea shoots

pumpkin

eggplant

saba nuts

eggs

cucumber

eshallot

dill

avocado

radishes

dressed with lime juice

chilli

honey

nb: only the avocado and honey came from beyond 

the backyard...and it was still organic and local!

frittatas above and quiche below were both full of good things! 

this cake had a glorious aroma... australian native honey from these small bees ( I must get more on this) was the main ingredient in both cake and icing. I cant recall the last time I encountered anything quite like this with such a heady but stunningly delicious aroma... and taste!  Diane... amazing!

Note:  my lime delicious pudding up above... it worked out quite nicely despite a few little issues... like ants in the sugar...which is really local  but is it ethical?

This beautiful blog seed pod form vase was a gift from a dear friend for a recent quiet sort of "been there, done that" b'day... her hand made card... of course... seedpods! ... and the lovely envelope on the left was a recycled page from a book with  delightful botanical drawings ...I felt rather spoilt but touched at the personal nature of the gift ... She's a very clever creative person and generous to a fault I must say!

...the table set and with each persons contribution!

The lovely group below ... at the end of dinner plans were made for a spring feast! Huge thanks to all for such welcoming hospitality...I was included so I could experience and see first hand what these local growers are getting up to... living half an hour away from my city home! What a treat to be made so welcome!

Well stay tuned for what's soon to come!