Chilli and Lime Pepitas - Ole!

I first tried this delicious snack at Elk and Pea in Braddon - served warm in a bowl as an entree/appetiser, they went perfectly with drinks and were very moreish!

I got quite excited at the idea of making my own and kept thinking of what an excellent accompaniment they were to a cold beer or chilled glass of wine - great for serving at a party or gathering.  So of course I went on a mission to find a recipe and experiment!

Searching the internet, I found many different versions.  They seem to have Spanish origins, though how authentic the recipes were that I found, I can't be sure.  My first attempt was just 'okay' - I followed fairly carefully a recipe that sounded pretty good, but just didn't deliver quite enough tangy, punchy flavour.

For my next try, I played around with amounts of ingredients and added a small amount of smoked paprika and sugar which really added an extra element that the seeds needed.

Easy, tasty and healthy - what more could you want from a snack?

Ingredients:

300g raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chilli powder (or more if you like it HOT!)
1 tbsp light oil (I used light olive, but any light flavoured seed oil would also work)
Juice of 1 lime

Method:

Preheat an oven to 190 degrees celsius (175 for fan forced).

Place pepitas in a medium bowl.  Combine salt, sugar and spices in a separate small bowl.

Add spiced salt mix to pepitas along with oil and lime juice and stir well so that seeds are evenly coated with flavourings.  At this point, the seeds will seem a little wet with the juice but don't worry, moisture will evaporate during cooking.

Pour pepitas into a large metal oven tray (I used a rectangular slice tin but any tray or tin that allows for an even and not too thick layer of seeds will do)

Place in oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until moisture has evaporated and seeds are browned and crispy.  Give the seeds a stir about halfway through cooking to allow even browning.  It's also good to check them pretty regularly after the 20 minute mark as they can quickly turn from nicely browned to burnt at this stage!

After cooking, they should look something like this:

And will smell amazing and taste even better :)

Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container if making ahead.  They really taste best while still warm though!

A few of my favourite things (thanks Maria!)

As it goes in The Sound of Music song, there are a lot of things I can list which brighten my day when I'm feeling down - whiskers on kittens goes without saying, really.  I could also make a massive list of food-related things which I love - things that give colour, zing and happiness to both my meals and my life.  So as not to bore my lovely readers or take up the whole weekend typing, here are just a few:

Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine:

Has to be the paper version....the librarian and romantic in me feels sad thinking of the day that the electronic version takes over.  I will miss the pleasure of breaking up a shopping trip with a flick through at the supermarket or newsagent, salivating over recipes and photos, and the anticipation of settling on the couch - drink in hand - to read and dream of far-flung places and exotic tastes and the joy of all those sensory experiences.

Balsamic Kalamata Olives and Goat's Cheese

I confess I am a vinegar fiend....salt and vinegar chips, balsamic drizzled on salad, roast veggies, risotto etc - anything with that acetic tang just gets me going.  So when I discovered these babies, I was in heaven!  I wonder whether there's a version available at delis?  Of course, a perfect pairing is fresh goat's cheese.  Also great in salads (a fave of mine is quinoa salad with parsley, chopped tomato, cucumber, toasted pine nuts and the cheese crumbled on top), sprinkled on pizza before baking, or just spread on crackers (glass of crisp white wine an essential accompaniment!).

Rice Wine Vinegar

Continuing the vinegar theme, this stuff is the bomb - I could almost drink it straight, it's so mild and tasty!  Instead, I pair it with soy sauce for numerous Asian-inspired dishes.  As a marinade with soy, sesame oil and a little sugar for balance, it gives great flavour to grilled or baked eggplant or tuna (sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top for extra toastiness).  I also use it, again with soy and a mild salad oil such as light olive, as a dressing for a simple Asian salad of fresh bean sprouts, matchstick carrot and salad greens (Asian ones such as mizuna would be perfect, but the pepperiness of rocket works well too).

Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

I've just started getting into these recently - the best incarnation I've had so far is the chilli and lime roasted pepitas from Elk and Pea in Braddon (I'm planning to try my own version at home soon...watch this space for pics!).  They are also fantastic to give nuttiness and texture to baked goods such as muffins and loaves.  My all-time favourite gluten free bread (from Movida Bakery in Melbourne - not available in Canberra, cue sad face) was full of these things!

Ange's Cream of Asparagus soup

The highlight of a French-themed dinner that my friend Ange held recently, this was incredibly good - silky smooth, creamy yet not too rich, and studded with pieces of fresh, perfectly cooked asparagus.  Topped with crispy, cheesy toasts, this soup set the tone for the whole dinner - stylish yet hearty food (and conversation) that warmed the stomach and soul.

Readers, what are some of your favourite food-related things?  I'd love to hear about them!

The Cats That Got the Cream

For a growing city, Canberra's centre has surprisingly few decent weekend-opening cafes, it seems.  I was on the search after arranging with my friend Bec to meet up for lunch on the weekend.  Keen to be amongst the slightly more buzzy atmosphere of the city, and close to some good shops, I searched the internet fairly thoroughly for a place for us to relax and enjoy a quality meal.

I was also keen to find a place that offered a good selection of gluten free and vegetarian options, given both of us eat gluten-free and Bec is also vego.  My search turned up some of the old standards such as Gus' cafe, but nothing that really appealed, until I came across the link for Cream, in the 'North Quarter' section of Canberra Centre.  I know that Cream has been around for a few years now, but I had actually never ventured in for anything besides dessert or a quick coffee (or in my case, soy hot chocolate or tea!).  I was quite impressed with the variety and number of options on the menu once I checked it out online.

A booking was made for 1pm on a Saturday, and we were set.  As usual I was running a few minutes late on the day, but once seated, we didn't have to wait long for a waitress to come and take our drinks order.  The service here is quite efficient without being particularly friendly, but I was happy enough to just be able to catch a waiter/waitress when needed!  We started with a mocha (made with real chocolate - yum!) for Bec and a berry frappe for me:

The berry frappe was very refreshing, just the right amount of sweetness, and being made with raspberry sorbet and cranberry juice, also very FODMAP-friendly.  This is often difficult to find in frappes and smoothies made at cafes due to the prolific use of apple juice, so I was super happy!  On the subject of food intolerances, Cream are very accommodating of food intolerances - their website states that they 'aim to create a benchmark in this area' and that they have actually created a training booklet to educate their staff.  I noticed that when we ordered items without gluten or in my case, onion, they asked if it was just a preference or if we required items to be completely free of the product due to allergy or intolerance.  I really appreciated the awareness and extra care taken - it's so nice to be able to be specific in ordering requests without feeling like a difficult or picky customer!

Following on with the prompt service, we didn't have to wait too long before our food orders were taken.  I couldn't go past the Roast Vegetable Salad, which was packed full of beautiful colours, flavours and textures and combined sweet roasted root veggies with quinoa, walnuts, and best of all, crumbed goats cheese balls:

Really, it was those balls of melting crumbed cheesiness that did it for me - taking this dish from pretty good to blissful.  Here's the food porn shot of them:

Meanwhile, Bec enjoyed her dish of potato and feta rosti, sans the smoked salmon listed on the menu:

Served with rocket, slivers of cucumber and dill yoghurt, this was simply but beautifully cooked and presented.  The rosti were deliciously crispy, and paired well with the peppery rocket and tangy, creamy yoghurt.

We also visited the following weekend, for some pre-shopping spree sustenance, and were similarly satisfied with our choices - opting for items from the brunch/breakfast menu, which runs until 2.30pm on weekends, I had a vegetarian omelette with a filling of baby spinach, feta and olives on gluten free toast and Bec chose the corn fritters with spinach, peppers, avocado and egg.  Apologies that there is no photo of the fritters - I messed it up with my finger partially over the lens, and didn't notice until afterwards (I must have been too excited about the food!)

And to finish off...hot chocolates and mochas again made with real chocolate...so good!  It made me laugh to see that in addition to dark, milk, white and top deck varieties they also offer a 'chocolate overdose' hot chocolate.  I wasn't game to even ask what that involved!

Most of the light lunch and breakfast/brunch options at Cream range between the $15-$20 price bracket, which is actually quite good value considering the quality - these dishes are substantial and satisfying and made with great care and top ingredients.  The interior of the cafe is lovely too, with ample natural light from walls of windows, and fittings and tables that are both stylish and comfortable.  Cream also offer dinner and bar options from Monday to Saturday.

Highly recommended as an ideal destination for weekend eats, Cream gets the thumbs up from me!

Cream Cafe and Bar
Shop FG10, Canberra Centre (entrance from outside, street level)
Bunda Street, Canberra City
(02) 6162 1448

Smoque Restaurant, Canberra

Despite quite a few new restaurants having opened up in the last year in Canberra, some of which have gotten good reviews, I hadn't actually eaten out much in my home town for a good while - some takeaways were had from the local 'standards' - but not any proper restaurant meals that I could think of apart from a meal for a family member's birthday in November, which turned out to be a little disappointing (the meal, not the birthday!)

In the meantime a little group of family and friends had formed that shared a common love of good quality food and relatively adventurous palates.  I decided it was time to break out and come together for a meal out somewhere new!

Landing on a review of Smoque, an American-style BBQ restaurant located in the city area (where Antigo's used to be, a favourite in my post-high school years), I conferred with the others and made a booking for this place which promised hearty, tasty, casual eating of a different sort to that previously offered in Canberra.

Thankfully we had the minimum of six people required to secure a table - Smoque don't allow bookings for group numbers less than six - though they claim this doesn't cause too many problems for smaller groups, due to short sitting times (we booked for 6-7.30pm) and quick food service.  And there's always the bar for some relaxed drinks while waiting...

Turning up at 6pm on the dot, it was a little frustrating to find that our table wasn't quite ready - after the waitress wandered round for a few minutes figuring out which table would be ours, a group of blokes looking to be still fairly settled into their substantial meal were told that they would need to finish up in the next few minutes.  And so they did in a good-natured way, vacating quickly for us.

The decor was fun and casual, with a reminder of some of the critters that might be had in an alternative sort of BBQ (no beasts with these sorts of horns offered on the restaurant menu though!):

It didn't take us all very long to decide what we wanted, with 3 of us deciding to share the BBQ Trifecta platter (pulled pork, pork ribs, brisket) plus some extra sides of corn, chips and a serve of buffalo wings.

The other 3 ordered separate dishes and had tastes of each, with various combinations of meats, buffalo wings, chips, coleslaw and corn ordered, plus an Original 'sandwich' (actually more like a burger) with pulled pork.

As food is pre-prepared before each sitting, it comes out very quickly - usually within 10 minutes of ordering.  Just enough time to order drinks:

Mmmm...refreshing Pimm's jug!

And to check out the assortment of sauces on the table:

You may notice the roll of paper towel next to the sauce bottle - this came in very handy when the food arrived:

Yep, that's a whole lotta meat there!  I started with a piece of brisket (long strips shown in photograph) which was okay - tasty but on the dry side.  The pulled pork was shreds of slow cooked pork marinated with a tasty BBQ sauce - again, a little dry.  The real stars of the show were the succulent ribs - meat falling off the bone with enough fat to keep things moist, and slathered with a moreish sweet marinade - and the buffalo wings - chicken coated in Southern style batter then fried until crispy.  They had a delicious tang which may have come from buttermilk (common in southern fried chicken) and the meat was super tender and moist.  There was a ranch dressing on the side which wasn't necessary to add flavour, but came in handy for dipping one of the few concessions to healthy eating - carrot and celery sticks.  The sides were perfect and moreish - including corn with a mayo and cheese dressing, and crunchy seasoned potato chips.  As you can tell, any expectations of calorie-counting should be left at the door here!

We ordered the mildest heat 'setting' for the buffalo wings, but apparently they go to 'suicidal' strength, which by all reports of those who have eaten here before, are just that!

I didn't try any of the sandwich, but was informed that it was tasty if a little difficult to eat, being filled to overflowing.

Vegetarians reading this post may be losing interest by now if they have stuck with the review this long...but never fear, Smoque actually do quite a decent representation of vego dishes on the menu, surprisingly.  With a BBQ vegetable plate including haloumi, and several gourmet salads with premium ingredients such as gorgonzola, quinoa and edamame included, the non-meat side of things is definitely not neglected.

This is definitely not a place to linger, as we were promptly (but politely) asked to finish things up right on the dot of 7.30pm.  That was okay - it's not really the sort of place you go to dawdle over conversation, wine and cheese platters - more a fun, quick and cheerful place for a bite to eat before moving on to one of the city cafes to continue the evening (or afternoon if it's not a workday lunch!)

The prices seemed fairly reasonable, given the quality of the ingredients.  My share of the food (including a shared jug of Pimm's) came to around $30 - and I left feeling quite satisfied.  If you wanted a cheapish lunch or lighter (light being a relative term) dinner, you could order a few sides such as mac and cheese, a serve of corn and coleslaw, and still come away with change from $15 if you order the smaller sizes.

Will be back for sure to Smoque - if only for some more of those ribs and buffalo wings!

Smoque Restaurant

Shop 2, Bailey's Arcade (entrance from outside the arcade)

131 London Circuit

Canberra City

(02) 6162 3350

info@smoque.com.au

Melbourne Visit Part 2: Hipsters, Macarons and a Mysterious Restaurant

Hipster culture is BIG in Melbourne - probably more so than any other Australian city. Being an arty, crafty,  bikey, fashiony kind of place means that hipsters and their music, art and culture have flourished here.

I got to have my own hipster experience (despite being far from one myself!) when I visited the People's Market in Collingwood.  About 15 mins walk from the train station, this groovy little enclave is entered via a suburban side street.  When I went at about 4pm, many of the crafty stalls had packed up for the day (although I did manage to purchase a couple of pairs of lovely earrings from a friendly and chatty stallholder).  The food and drinks stalls were ramping up their business though, and with music pumping and crowds of 20-somethings dressed in skinny jeans and wayfarer sunnies, there was quite a party feel to the place.

Many of the food stalls at the People's Market change on a regular basis, but when I visited they included a waffle stand (freshly made, with toppings such as cream, berries and chocolate sauce), a meatball stand, and Dona Tona, a mexican food stall from which I purchased a refreshing lemon sherbet and mint fizz drink:

As it was turning out to be a hot day it was very welcome, and full of tangy lemon, fresh mint and big chunks of ice.  As I was going out for dinner and had had a late lunch I didn't buy anything to eat, but the variety and quality of food at all the stalls looked pretty amazing.  There were also plenty of alcoholic drinks for sale.

Speaking of late lunches, the previous day I had eaten a delicious (and FODMAP-friendly!) Japanese fried chicken salad at Zen Charcoal BBQ in South Yarra:

Fresh and light, it consisted of small chicken pieces coated in a light and crunchy (gluten free) batter and deep fried, then served atop a green salad with avocado and a sweet rice vinegar dressing.  A small bowl of miso soup came with the salad.

Next up for dinnertime was this restaurant:

Yep, that somewhat dodgy-looking entrance leads downstairs to Yu-u, a stylish yet simple Japanese restaurant off Flinders Lane in the CBD.  The only sign advertising that this was actually a restaurant was that little square you see next to the graffittied door.

As soon as I cautiously stepped inside, I was immediately welcomed by a friendly Japanese waiter and led down a few stairs into the restaurant.  Seated straight away at the u-shaped bar which provided the main seating centred around the yakitori grill, a warm moist rolled-up towel was placed in front of me, to be used for freshening the hands and face.

I was absolutely dying for a glass of water before I had anything or even looked at the menu, as it was very hot outside.  I was a little surprised that this wasn't offered immediately and I had to call the waiter and ask before this was provided.  After hydrating myself, I ordered an Asahi beer.  Coming in a long tall glass with a good frothy head, it was deliciously cold and perfect for the food I was to order.

Now, this is the point where I would usually post more mouth-watering photos of what I ate, except that I was informed after my usual polite enquiry about taking photos that no photography was allowed at all!  Very disappointing, so you'll just have to visualise.

I began with three burstingly fresh oysters that were super plump, creamy and briny, topped with ponzu (a citrus-soy dressing), chilli and a very little spring onion.  Absolutely delicious!  This was then followed by 2 freshly cooked (in front of me!) chicken yakitori skewers.  One was plain, served with a very moreish chilli sesame salt which came in a tiny pot with an even tinier spoon.  The other had a line of umeboshi (salted plum) sauce drizzled down the centre.  The skewers were okay, although the umeboshi one was a little dry.

The next dish was a Yaki Onigiri - grilled rice ball with sweet soy sauce.  This was simply a triangle shaped handful of rice, coated with a thin layer of soy and lightly grilled.  Tasty enough, but nothing special.

The final dish was on par with the oysters as my favourite.  The pan-fried calamari and asparagus was super tender and coated with a layer of light citrusy mayo.  The waitress suggested to sprinkle more chilli salt over, and this added a perfect kick.

This restaurant's main focus is Izakaya-style food - Japanese pub food - so the dishes are more snack sized bites to have with drinks rather than full-sized meals.

Apart from the no-photography rule, I really enjoyed my visit here, and this sort of food is perfect for low-FODMAPers, as is much Japanese cuisine.

My next indulgence (not the same day!) was these macarons:

Bought from The Cupcake Family shop in QV precinct, above Melbourne Central station, these deluxe strawberry cheesecake and blueberry macarons contained fresh fruit and a cream cheese filling, which I hadn't seen before in macarons and was actually even nicer than the traditional buttercream.  It was just lovely sitting in the sun on the astroturfed inner square, enjoying my sweet treats and relaxing.

Now I can't close this post without finally describing one of the very nicest meals I've had for a long time - super simple but incredibly good.  One evening, after a long day of walking and exploring, I popped into a little bar that I'd read very good things about - Gerald's Bar.  Located in North Carlton, this cosy little place looks quite unprepossessing from the outside, but is a wonder of good food and wine on the inside.

Going on advice from reviews, I turned up for an early dinner and settled in on a stool up at the bar.  After a little discussion with the bartender/waiter, I settled on a glass of white wine and some olives to start with.  There was a choice of three whites that were some of  the 'wines of the evening' and I trusted that they would all be fantastic, given the reputation that Gerald's have for their wine knowledge and service.  No stale long-opened crappy bottles here!  Now, I have to confess that because I don't know a lot about wine myself, and I was tired from so much wandering, I accepted the bartender's description and recommendation without noting what the wine actually was.  I do know that one on offer was a chardonnay, which the bartender gave me a taste of, but I am not really that into chardonnay, particularly heavily oaked ones, which they mostly seem to be.

Anyway, whatever that glass was that I chose, it was delicious and so perfect for the moment, paired with these:

The olives were slightly warmed, bathed in a little olive oil and some rosemary.  Yes, that's sourdough bread in the background, that came complimentary with the olives.  And yes, I did eat it despite it having lots of wheat as there was no way I was rejecting any of this food that was put in front of me - it was like tasting the sun-warmed Mediterranean on a plate.

Next up was this simple little dish:

Panfried garfish, served whole with a very simple dressing of the best olive oil, chopped continental parsley, tiny tangy capers and a good squeeze of lemon to finish it off.  And those five ingredients somehow magically transformed by the chef's talented hands into a completely heavenly dish that had me almost floating on a cloud while eating.  There was something about the pairing of the beautiful wine with these carefully and lovingly cooked dishes that just hit the right note.  And talking about right notes, another fabulous aspect of Gerald's was the funky vinyl that they continually spun - the music creating just the right groove and not too loud.  A comfortable, just-right background vibe.

Well, that's about it for this post, lest I drag on too long.  Keep an eye out soon for the last instalment of my Melbourne food adventures!

Gerald's Bar
386 Rathdowne Street
Carlton North, VIC
Ph: (03) 9349 4748

The People's Market
64-68 Stanley Street,
Collingwood, VIC

Zen Charcoal BBQ
306 Toorak Road,
South Yarra, VIC
Ph: (03) 9912 6460

Yu-u
137 Flinders Lane,
Melbourne CBD, VIC
Ph: (03) 9639 7073

The Cupcake Family
22 Red Cape Lane,
QV Precinct,
Melbourne CBD, VIC
Ph: (03) 9663 0055

A quick cycling/triathlon interlude!

As I mentioned in my little blurb on the side, every now and then I might post a bit of cycling stuff.  Most of my training and the occasional race that I do are pretty ordinary - familiar routes and details to most cyclists around Canberra.

I had the opportunity last weekend though to do something a little different - a team sprint distance triathlon.  A last minute withdrawal from the team meant that my friend was looking for a replacement for the race at the Huskisson Triathlon Festival.  Being that I am a terrible swimmer but a reasonable cyclist, I opted for the bike leg out of the two choices given to me.

On the Saturday morning we joined the 12 other teams, plus many other individuals, who were completing the 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run around the roads and beach of beautiful Huskisson.  I have to say, it was a lot of fun!  There was a real buzz in the air, and the atmosphere was so positive and encouraging that I really enjoyed it - and the two other girls in my team were excellent company:

We also watched the run leg of the long distance course (2km swim, 83km bike ride, 20km run!) on the Sunday from the backyard of our holiday house, rented for the weekend.  As we cheered on many seemingly shattered athletes (and a few superhuman looking ones too!), I realised what a commitment and test of endurance this race really was.  Despite this, I can't deny I was a little inspired....definitely seeded some ideas for branching out sport-wise this year ;)

Melbourne Visit Part 1: Show Me the Tasty!

I very recently spent 7 glorious days in Melbourne, the food capital of Australia.  Last time I visited was at least 2 years ago (possibly 3?) and the prospect of visiting this time with restrictions due to food intolerances was actually quite an exciting challenge for me - I figured if I couldn't find good FODMAP-friendly food here, where could I?  I was also determined not to be too restrictive with myself.  I often find that I can tolerate some foods that contain FODMAPs if I don't make the load too high in one go - ie: several meals in a row, or over several days.

I found that there were so many 'regular' restaurants that had 'safe' meals for me to eat, that it wasn't really necessary for me to go out of my way to visit places specifically advertised as allergy-friendly, although there were several I found in my internet searches - I will detail these in a later post.  My experience is that many high-quality restaurants tend to do simple, pared-down meals very well.  The ingredients and care taken with them is such that the flavours shine without too many complex sauces or layers that may hide foods I shouldn't eat.

With this in mind, one of the first delicious meals I had was at Republica restaurant at St Kilda beach.  Firstly, what a setting!  My appetite was already stimulated by a swim in the seawater pool at St Kilda Baths, an indoor 'resort style' pool with huge windows overlooking the beach.  After an hour or so of alternating between laps in the 25m pool and lolling in the heated hydrotherapy pool (basically an oversized spa) I was very ready for some lunch.

The restaurant was conveniently housed in the same building as the Baths.  After deciding on a suitable spot (a fun hanging egg-shaped wicker chair) I put in my order at the outdoor bar window.  On a sunny day, with a light sea breeze blowing and the picture perfect setting, I felt that only seafood and a crisp, cold beer would do - despite not being much of a beer drinker.  As I waited for my tuna salad to arrive, I sipped on an entirely appropriate Corona:

This was fairly quickly followed by my freshly grilled tuna salad (which wasn't listed as containing onion - thankfully it was quite easy to pick this out and didn't alter the enjoyment and flavour at all).  Light on the promised ginger dressing, it was still very tasty, light and perfect beachside food.

A beautifully tender, charred piece of tuna, rare in the middle as it should be, sat atop thin curls and small chunks of cucumber combined with slivers of chilli (not very hot), coriander and sesame.  The little yellow adornments were listed as fried whitebait on the menu, though I could detect little fishiness - they could just as easily have been fried noodles.  Despite this, they added a pleasant crunch.

Being pretty hungry after the swim, I quickly finished the salad, then sipped on my beer, enjoying the view.  I confess that I was also plotting where to go for my next course (that salad was pretty light!).  Hmmm...didn't take too much pondering, being within 5 minutes walk of Acland Street, also known by some as 'Cakeland Street'!

A short wander down and across the road and I found myself perusing the alluring displays in the multitude of cake stores that lined the street.  Many of these stores have relatively long and rich histories, with a predominance of older European specialties, along with more modern additions.

It didn't take long for me to find Monarch Cakes, who provided several gluten free options.  Having eaten there on a previous Melbourne visit, I knew that anything I ordered would be super fresh and incredibly good quality, so there was no fear of a sad, dried-out, second rate cake as the 'special' choice.

Of course, the white chocolate, hazelnut and orange flourless cake I ordered (with a soy hot choc on the side) was absolutely divine:

Sitting at a small table on the footpath, I enjoyed every mouthful, along with the people-watching and snippets of overheard conversations between fellow cafe-goers.  It is always so interesting to get an insight into the lives of others in these contexts! :)

One thing I have forgotten to mention so far is the little detour I took on the way to Acland Street.  You see, on my last visit I discovered a little hidden haven from the hustle and bustle, known as St Kilda Community Garden.

Full of flourishing plants grown for both decorative and edible purposes, this place is truly inspirational.  Coming from Canberra, gardens are taken for granted with the relative abundance of land we have here.  Houses with decent backyards are the norm here rather than the exception, whereas Melburnians need to be much more persistent and innovative when it comes to gardening with all but the outer suburban dwellers finding space and soil at a premium.

The Community Gardens contain not only plots of land full to the brim with veggies, fruit and flowers, but also a chicken run, dedicated composting area, artworks/sculpture and a basic kitchen/dining setup which is open to all users.

I got the feeling during my short visit to Melbourne that this was not an isolated example.  Brochures on an upcoming Sustainability Festival, along with a demonstration kitchen garden area complete with astroturf, were readily accessible in the middle of Melbourne Central shopping mall, of all places:

Overall, the impression I had was of a vibrant, adaptable and passionate movement within Melbourne to embrace sustainability in an enjoyable and inclusive way.  A way in which people's lives can feel enriched, not deprived, by a change to different methods of production and consumption.  Pretty amazing stuff!

St Kilda 'Veg Out' Community Gardens
Cnr Shakespeare Grove and Chaucer Street, St Kilda
(behind Acland Street, near Luna Park)
hello@vegout.asn.au

Melbourne/Victoria Sustainable Living Festival
February 9-24 2013
info@slf.org.au
(03) 9249 1888

Republica Restaurant
St Kilda Sea Baths,
10-18 Jacka Boulevard
St Kilda, VIC
(03) 8598 9055

Monarch Cakes
103 Acland Street
St Kilda, VIC
(03) 9534 2972

St Kilda Sea Baths (owned by South Pacific Health Club)
10-18 Jacka Boulevard
St Kilda, VIC
(03) 9525 4888