Tuesday, July 6, 2010

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!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!

   PRESS RELEASE:  POSTCARDS ARE IN THE MAIL - MAKING THEIR WAY FROM PLACES BOTH NEAR AND FAR!!!!  Its not too late... read more here!!! 


Take a peek here at a few of the senders. More will be added ... I'm not going to miss anyone! Note: these images are from the blogger's sites -  not necessarily of their postcards!) And...it seriously is not too late... they are going to have more that one showing!!!


from passage paradis in L.A.



 from Garden Fool in NYState























From Ro Bruhn in Melbourne, Australia



from the plum tree in India



from Sandra Pearce in Brisbane



from nathalie et cetera in Montreal

asclepiades by nathalie et cetera.

from nourish me in Melbourne

Ginkgo custards by Lucinda Dodds.

 from blue china studio in Northern California



from  sanne van winden in the Netherlands



from home made rainbows in Brisbane

red by HomemadeRainbows.

from send me seeds pip In Melbourne



So ... this is as exciting as Xmas when you're 5 years old... I'm so delighted people were kind enough to tell others and pass on the word... and find time in their busy lived to actually make something happen !!!! Some people were off on breaks and yet still soread the word even if they could not contribute...such a lovely gesture ... Much appreciated everyone!

Tomorrow I'll be over at the gardens checking mail ...so dont worry about being later...there's still time!

... there's more to share with you...but due to the fact my feet are freezing on this cold winter morning...and I must away to go and cook Lime Delicious to take to a special luncheon where people are bringing food made up of (as much as possible) ingredients from their own backyards! I'm the ring in person who has been given eggs from someone's back yard (no hen's here!) and limes from my friend's place... my kaffir lime is not yet producing!
Normally this time of year avocados would be falling of the tree...they did last year...but sadly not this one!
So Lime delicious it is... will try to get some good pics for you!

Have a great Sunday everyone! And happy July 4th those of you on that part of the globe!

Friday, July 2, 2010

enchanting...

























































I could not resist posting these tonight...
                                           from a blog called "life is beautiful"

I know they are too large... but... you need to see them like this... you will see when you visit his blog! Now to write to the photographer... I must away!
ciao...

Thursday, July 1, 2010

and now for some diverting finds...

Up to my neck in tall lists of tasks... its break time... so out for a walk and a coffee ... then back to the grind. Before I go... take a look at these whimsical finds...

First up .... a wonderful taste of Paris discovered at Paris Breakfasts which features a post titled An-Eclair-A-Day Diet. Tempted? Then click above on the title and go see for yourself! I enjoyed very much the humour of the posts at this wonderful blog - and its not just about eclairs. Quite the place to visit for a light-hearted diversion! I was trawling late last night and forgot where I found this... Ooops!

One of the pattisserie chefs shared at this sight was the Japanese talent - Sadaharu Aoki. Here are 3 images of his creations.




Wow... the mind boggles ... Macha green tea is used extensively in his creations... love the colour!
Below: A Macha Tea Opera Slice with chocolate filling.



and chocolate with Macha:




We were rerouted over to Christophe Adam where some spectacularly unusual treats awaited!

L'éclair Lisse - Caramel au beurre salé par Christophe Adam


.Crise-de-foi_christophe adam(3)


Mouton givré

Mmm.. this looks curious...but apparently edible!
see ... I did tell you! ...and did you see the rainbow coloured eclairs?

and somehow I found my way to Paris by Appoinment Only where I read about Paris Food and Wine Safaris conducted by Wendy Lyn. This story really grabbed me;

Wendy tells a brilliant behind-the-scenes story about how Dr. Debauve, the royal pharmacist to Marie Antoinette, was asked by her doctor to hide the Queen’s meds in something sweet (she did marry at fourteen, remember).


Marie-Antoinette-Chocolates

He “started goofing around, putting medicine in chocolate along with rose petals, earl grey tea, honey, orange blossoms and rolled them into shapes,” says Wendy. They were such a hit at Versailles that they had to be hidden in hollowed out books in the library to keep the staff from stealing them. Which lead to another problem: them melting together. So, the chocolate box as we know it today is actually the pillbox of yesteryear: a way to keep the Queen’s gout and flu medication separate. Go figure!"


I'm off for coffee now... and no...there's nothing quite like Paris where Im off to... I'll just have to dream about those Macha Tea Opera cakes!


Although there is a rather special place ...but that's not where Im headed!
Have a good day everyone...
It was great to put aside the lists for a while ... thanks for your company!