Minutes of GAF Gathering, held 17th April

Present: Caroline Evans, Helene Guillong, Nick Hobbs, Freya Sant, Yves Sant, Pragati Jain, Miriam Herzfeld, Annie March, Julie Payne, Paul Turvey, Anne Bliss

Apologies: Chantelle Delrue, Margaret Steadman, Suzanne Cooper

MEETING:

Produce Exchange: It was decided to keep this going weekly at present in the same venue and then review in the next four weeks. There has been good attendance recently and always lively discussions. The volunteer roster has been a challenge to maintain and it was agreed that we trial having everyone responsible for making sure that all produce is cleared away at the end of the exchange.

GAF Links with WHEN’s (West Hobart environment Network) web/blog/site (westhobartenvet.blogspot.com). WHEN’s new interactive website has a Garden and Food section which anyone can add comments, discussion threads etc… thanks to Paul’s enthusiasm and expertise. Paul has offered to upload the Minutes of GAF meetings, events, recipes, photos and other matters of interest onto the website. One of GAF’s members (Christine) has created a map and list of organic local produce outlets in Hobart. Many thanks Christine – a ‘standing ovation’ to you! Again this can be put on to the website.

Membership Renewal: Miriam will send out a notice to all GAF members regarding this together with a questionnaire/survey on GAF’s activities.

Role of committee: Current committee members are Annie Marsh, Caroline Evans, Miriam Hertfeld and Pragiti Jain. Members connect when necessary. Others welcome to join - please contact Annie if you are interested. Roles of chair/facilitator and minute-taker rotate at meetings and are open to all attending.

Sustainability in Action Project: GAF supports this initiative to connect with surrounding sustainability groups but awaits further details from Margaret on the proposal.

Winter Activities: Enthusiastic discussion evolved around the following inspirations:

1. Diet and Climate Change - Following in the foot steps of Ghent (Belgium), everyone to bring a dish to a vegetarian feast once a month.
2. Progressive Dinner - to celebrate the Solstice on 21^st June. Miriam and committee to organize.
3. Bread-making - for those who missed out on Annie’s super-duper no knead bread-making afternoon.
4. Musical Activites – bring an instrument, a song or a dance!
5. Winter Walks - with special topics of interest including local food-foraging forays, historic ambles, exploring art galleries and mulling it all over with a hot chocolate.
6. Living Simply - home based discussion group sharing ideas on the ever-complex (!) topic of how to simplify our lives. Linking this with issues of sustainability and social justice.

Community Garden: It is hoped to establish a Community Garden on some land off Molle Street (Pigeon Hole Cafe interested in this). There is also substantial north facing land near the Warwick Street Mosque. Annie has offered to approach Connections to feel out possibilities. GAF would like to support any individuals wanting to start up a Community Garden.

The Meeting was followed by an ample produce exchange and yummy autumnal feast with a highlight being Helene’s scrumptious apple pie, that brought many requests for the recipe!

2. Helene's Recipe

Here my try to translate the recipe and how to lit a fire from above:

Apfelwähe (~Apple tart) (26 cm diameter baking tray)

150 g plain flour
½ teespoon salt
50 g butter (unsalted or salt reduced)
4-5 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon hazelnut meal
about 4 apples
1 dl milk (about 0.5 cup)
1 egg
1 taplespoon sugar

Put flour and salt in a bowl. Cut butter in flakes, add it to the flour and comminute until smooth. Make a hole, put water in it and bring dough together. Wrap in cling film and place it in the fridge for half an hour.

Roll out the crust so that it fit in your baking tray. Take a fork and poke holes in the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle hazelnut meal on the crust. Cut apples in pieces and make a nice pattern. Bake it at 250 degree in the lower part of the oven. Meanwhile mix milk, egg and sugar and poor it after 15 minutes over the apples. Bake it for another 10-15 minutes.

En Guete (Swiss German for enjoy your meal)!

Enough smoke in the air from the bushfires?
Learn how you to light a fire from above in the fire place with less smoke and emissions. Sorry it is in German, but the pictures are quiet clear. It is important to use dry wood without any chemical treatment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHbGUeioLQY

Helene Guillong

3. Ten Conditions of Love

The ABC has scheduled the outstanding Australian-produced documentary about Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer, The 10 Conditions of Love, to screen at 9.30pm on 6 May.

I launched this film with Ms Kadeer at the Melbourne International Film Festival last year. Its screening provoked a storm of protest from China and caused a worldwide sensation. I was very concerned to hear the ABC had pulled the documentary from its scheduled screening of December last year and so questioned officials about it at the recent Estimates hearings in February. The ABC officials assured me it was not because of pressure from China and I am very pleased to see that following that hearing they have now found a spot for the film in their schedule. The documentary is a wonderfully inspiring and sobering portrait of a courageous woman and the struggles her and her family have endured to enjoy the same democratic rights you and I do. I thoroughly recommend it to you all.

Bob Brown

4. Not too late to object to the proposed Bottle Shop


Somebody omitted to ensure that there was a notice erected at the BP service station advertising the application for the bottle shop had been submitted.
To overcome this oversight, The Liquor Licensing Board has caused a notice to be erected and a further time for submissions has been allowed.
For those who missed round 1, objections may be submitted up to 28 April. Be quick!
The license application can still be viewed at http://westhobart.org.au/hillstcellar.htm
Kind regards
Paul Turvey

5. Hobart's Winter Feast

It's that time of the year again for Hobart's Winter Feast, a
celebration and fundraiser for Source Community Wholefoods Cooperative
http://www.sourcewholefoods.org.au/

Attached is a poster for more information - however it's on May 22nd,
6pm - 10pm at Wesley Hall on Mellville St.

Tickets are available AS OF FRIDAY 23rd APRIL from Souce, 12 French
St, Sandy Bay OR Eco Haven, 71 Murray St, Hobart

Fully Waged: $25, Concession: $18, Kids under 10: $10, under 2: Free.

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

Look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers
Hannah Moloney
0418 307 294

Annie's No Knead Bread Recipe

Labour-free, foolproof, slow-rise, delectable bread.

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour (I use Kialla bread-mix)

• 1 cup seeds and grains (Eumarrah 7 grain mix)

• 1 tsp instant yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 1½ cups water

• Soft rolled oats

Other hardware required

• Heavy deep baking dish with lid

• Tea-towel or old flour-bag

What to do

1. With a wooden spoon mix the first 4 ingredients in a good-sized bowl. Add the water and stir till all the flour is absorbed. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise at room temperature for 18 hours.
   
   
2. Flour your work surface. Tip out the dough, dust it with flour, shape it roughly into a square an inch deep, then fold 3 times into a strip 4 by 10 inches. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Rub flour then oats into the tea-towel. Fold the dough into a cube, smooth, then place carefully onto the towel. Cover, and leave in a warm place to rise for 2 hours.
   
   
3. 30 minutes before the rising’s finished, put the baking dish with its lid into the oven and set at 425 ˚ F. When the oven’s heated, tip the dough carefully into the hot dish, and replace the lid. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 20 more minutes until the loaf is rich brown. Put on a rack to cool.