Visit Australia and

02-06-03

Part of my job at the moment means that I have to travel to the Big Smoke every week (if my firm has the money, we're on a shoestring budget), but like all good homesteaders, I take advantage of the smog-bound.

I was blessed enough to enroll in the North Melbourne Library, as a resident of Victoria, this is free. Yahoo! I have borrowed out some excellent reading material about Homesteading, gardening and frugality, including wild gardening and companion planting. Knowing that I am there on a weekly basis makes Melbourne a much appreciated resource, even though I am running around like a chook with its head cut off whilst there.

I also was blessed to indulge in one of my favourite cuisines - Vietnamese, which is so easy to recreate at home. Ground pork, cooked with a variety of sauces (I use sweet chili, soy, worcestershire, tomato, plum and/or anything else I can lay my sticky hands on). Boil up and drain some vermicelli noodles. Put both in separate bowls, and also have a bowl each of chopped up cucumber, shredded carrot, lettuce leaves, and a mixed bowl of chopped fresh mint leaves and chives.

Now, drape a clean tea towel (used for drying dishes over here) over one shoulder, so that plenty hangs down in front without falling off. In a large bowl of hot water, place a rice paper round (usually from India) and gently move it around until it is soft. Pull it out and place it on your chest so that one side is flat on the tea towel, and the other side can be patted dry. Put the rice paper on a plate, and at the area nearest you, bung on a lettuce leaf, some pork (you can also use chook mince, beef or whatever), noodles (it's ok if these are both cold by now), and half handfuls of the other ingredients listed above. Now, wrap as you would a piece of butcher's paper or newspaper, so that you have a base flap over the ingredients, take another flap from the right and one from the left on top of that, and just continue rolling upwards until you have a nice, firm little package. These are great for picnics, al fresco, or TV dining. Did I mention how disgustingly healthy they are?

I also went into a number of independent supermarkets in Melbourne. These Indies cater to the local population and their tastes. At one, I found some lettuce seeds imported directly from Italy. The directions, unfortunately, are all in Italian (I just love a challenge, don't you?), but our local Greengrocers are Italian, and this is SO PRETTY, being pale greenish-pink, with red streaks. Only $1:65 per packet. There was also a packet of interesting looking egg plant, so I bought that, along with artichoke, other types of chicory (lettuce, hopefully) and fennel. Previously, I have bought Asian greens at an Asian Indie. They came up well.

I'll keep you posted as to how it all goes.

Remember, in this century, above all other centuries, in your country, above all other countries, with your knowledge, freedom and abilities, you have the opportunity to make your own future, and shape the futures of those around you that you love.

Dominus tecum,

Leonie