Late summer News

Late Summer News

Relish the Tomato

It's tomato a time, yep, even in Melbourne and I couldn't resist a box full of luscious red beauties outside my fruit and veg wholesaler.  Frank used to have an outlet locally, just around the corner from my flat, but the march of progress saw his shop, along with the original book grocer (no book over $10) pulled down for a new 'development'!  He is now selling from a space not far away, visits the markets every day and mainly sells to restaurants.  Wholesale prices and great fresh produce.

Rang a friend in Altona to see if he would like a bottling day and he bought another box from 2nd Avenue, a favorite Italian grocer out his way. 

We spent a day cutting up and cooking, the next, bottling...sauce, chutney, passatta and an intense tomato juice/stock, great for cooking with.

Enough to keep a couple of households going for a while, though you always run out before the next season.

Today, while babysitting Hunter, I am bottling a batch of relish that my daughter Jo made from their crop..Chris is an amazing gardener and has kept our households in potatoes, garlic, herbs, beet root, onions and zucchinis for the last few months, and now the tomato crop. All from

I also have the task of dealing with a fridge full of silver beet!  A market gardener friends at

Werribee,  not far down the road, had to pick a whole crop when his watering system failed, so we scored a few bags.  Will spend the day steaming, squeezing and Freezing for future use.  Lots of Spinach pies and Spinach Gnocchi coming up.

Lots of food events on at the moment with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.  Will be restricting my choices to things this side of the 'river' where there is lots to choose from and far less expensive.  Have been given a ticket for a Rickshaw Run around some of the best Asian spots in Footscray.  Should be lots of fun, will report on that next time.

Meanwhile it's back to the bottling...thank goodness Hunter is an undemanding baby and happy to watch hos ‘nonna’ cooking.

Happy cooking, Georgina.

summer cooking

Summer Cooking

Back in Melbourne after a glorious month of Beach and Bush with family and friends partaking in ‘glamping’ on the far south coast of NSW at Umbi Gumbi, just south of  Bermagui, next to Cuttagee Lake.   There were many fine meals prepared on the open fire,  with fresh local produce collected from neighbours’ gardens and local markets and a regular supply of freshly caught fish and oysters from the lake.  I love an outdoor kitchen.

Back to the city now and looking forward to more city food experiences, especially those recommended on the Footscray Food Blog, or Consider the Sauce.  Two great websites, check them out for whats best in the West

Keen to get back into the kitchen and start teaching again.  As well as my ‘cooking with English ‘ program, at Yarraville Community Centre, I am offering some summer classes…’Back to Basics, things you would have liked to ask  your grandmother’  with Pastry, Cakes and Desserts classes at YCC.

Google Yarraville Community Centre/short courses/cooking and hospitality for information.  I am teaching ‘Patience with Pastry’, Queen of Cakes’ and ‘Summer Desserts’.  It’s a great kitchen, the classes are hands on and will be lots of fun.

 I am also happy to conduct cooking classes in your own home, individually or with a group of friends.  A terrific way to celebrate an occasion.  Call me on 0448629042 or email geo@georginascucina.com.au

Looking forward to many new food adventures this year, hope you will join me for some.

Happy Cooking,

Georgina

Spring in Melbourne

NEWS FROM GEORGINA'S CUCINA                                                 SPRING IN MELBOURNE

Although you may not have heard from me for a while, I am still happy in the kitchen, cooking, teaching and quite often singing, the latter becoming my other passion since being in Melbourne.  As we speak I am busy preparing food for a event taking place in Footscray.  A really interesting show with choir, orchestra and actors, who all have to be sustained over the weekend.  Check out www.thingsthatfallover.wordpress.com/..swansong-the-musical

Still in the kitchen classroom, but not with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program as I was last year.  A terrific experience setting up and running a new program at Dingley PS, but reluctantly I had to give it up as the travel to the other side of the city was taking its toll.

I am now teaching cooking to some new English learners..'.English in the Kitchen' is the name of the program I have developed, run in a great teaching kitchen at the local Yarraville Education Centre   Lots of fun and I am learning as much as I am teaching.  Vietnamese Pho and Cow Cakes (a new one for me) was on the menu last week.

I  have some short courses scheduled in the brochure for next term at the centre.. Back to Basics with Pastry, Cakes and Summer Desserts.  For more info on them go to www.ycc.net.au/courses

Also on the offer are lessons in private homes, so if you have a kitchen you would like to share, lets talk about it.

This has been a big baby year for this 'nonna' and I have had the pleasure of providing sustenance and helping out a couple of families with shopping and cooking.  There is a new member of my family, a brother for the twins,  and he is doing really well. 

Next year I see a bit of travel on the horizon and hope to get some food tours happening.  On the horizon are:

     Explore King Island, a fabulous food and nature retreat that I discovered earlier this year.  A short get-away there is  definitely planned, possibly coinsiding with their annual 'long table' food event  (March)

      Return to Tuscany.  I have been dreaming of that wonderful area in northern Tuscany, the Garfagnana, that I have visited often.  Its time again and I know there are a number of you who would love to join me.  Let's do it!  (September/October)

      Far South Coast NSW, my homeland, just gets better.  I return often and still think it is one of the  undiscovered food regions of Australia (although River Cottage is doing its best to alter that).  I have access to a couple of wonderful beach and bush retreats, with great kitchens, where we can enjoy the best the coast has to offer, eat and cook to our hearts content. (February thru June, late summer and autumn is the best time on the coast).

Contact me for any enquiries and more information.
email:  geo@georginascucina.com.au
phone:  0448629042

Would love to hear from you, so please send me a message or blog.  I am new to this!

Happy Cooking,
Georgina