Entries by Bhagya

Farewell to David Francis

David’s open warmth and enthusiasm will be sadly missed by those who have known and worked with him in the musical sphere of the region, particularly with Four Winds, over the past five years.
He and partner Paul and their two well-known whippets, Dexter and Bailey, are leaving Bermagui and heading north, not too far, to Wollongong where David is taking up a new challenge as CEO of Wollongong Conservatorium.
David and Paul like to be … Read more »

The Paris Library

Janet Skeslien Charles
$32.99

Books like this are my dream! Books themselves are the central characters – collected, stored, borrowed, discussed and loved by staff and customers of libraries (and bookshops) the world over.
The library in this story is a real institution – the American Library in Paris. Staffed by multilingual librarians, it survived the Nazi occupation of Paris but only because of the total dedication of the staff and volunteers. They ensured that troops in the field received books and arranged home delivery when Jews … Read more »

Great Grevillea

Keith Mundy

Heading into winter, I thought it timely to again talk about the genus of native plants that is probably the most widely grown in Australian gardens and that is Grevillea.
The plants in this amazing group come in many forms, from genuine species to varieties that have been developed by hybridisation where, usually, several plants have been crossed to select a plant that has all the good attributes of its parents. This hybridisation can … Read more »

Tahini-Date Salted Fudge

1 cup pitted dates
½ cup tahini
2 tablespoons coconut oil (room temperature)
½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
sprinkling of flakes of sea salt

Combine the dates, tahini, coconut oil and cardamom in a food processor. Blend till it’s a very smooth, creamy and thick paste.
Transfer the mixture to a cling-wrap lined baking tray and use a spatula to press it down evenly. Sprinkle with … Read more »

Watermelon curry

1 tsp each ground turmeric, ground chilli and coriander seeds
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 kg watermelon flesh, cut into 2 cm cubes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
10-12 fresh curry leaves
Pinch of white sugar

Crush coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Add turmeric, chilli and garlic, pound to a coarse paste, then add 200 gms watermelon and pound until … Read more »

Miso roasted pumpkin

1 tbsp shiro (white) miso
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ small pumpkin, cut into 8 wedges

Preheat oven to 225°C.
Whisk miso, soy sauce and oil in a small bowl to combine. Brush all over pumpkin, transfer to a roasting pan and roast, turning halfway, until pumpkin is tender and caramelised (30-40 minutes). Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with quinoa.