Out the back of the Cobargo Co-op on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday mornings you’ll find a lively crew of volunteers running the Triangle Tool Library. If you haven’t visited yet – now is the perfect time to do it.

With gardens overflowing and benchtops stacked with zucchinis, tomatoes and stone fruit, the Tool Library and its ‘Food Tool Library’ subgroup, is a brilliant resource for turning seasonal abundance into something delicious.

Membership of the Tool Library gives you access to a wide range of foodprocessing and preserving equipment designed to help you make the most of the summer glut. Think electric Vacola water baths for bottling tomatoes and stone fruit, passata machines for taming buckets of cherry tomatoes, dehydrators for zucchini chips, grain mills, sausage-making gear, fruit presses, juicers, spit roasts and more. You can browse the full inventory on the website (triangletoollibrary.org.au – use the ‘Kitchen and Dining’ filter).

But our vision goes far beyond equipment. It’s about neighbours sharing harvests, swapping skills and building a community that’s confident and capable of feeding itself. We know that our backyards can grow a range of produce and with a little knowledge and access to quality equipment, people can turn that abundance into year-round food security. Reducing food miles, packaging and waste is simply a bonus.

Email us at thefoodtoollibrary@gmail.com if you’d like to stay in the loop, join our mailing list or become involved.

Enjoy turning your glut into goodness with this Sally Wise recipe.

Ingredients

1.5 kg green tomatoes, finely chopped
500 g onion, finely chopped
1½ tbsp salt
1½ cups apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp ground black pepper
500 g sugar
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar, extra
1½ tbsp curry powder
1½ tbsp mustard powder

Method

Combine the tomatoes and onions in a bowl, mix in the salt and leave covered overnight.
Next day, drain off the liquid and place the tomatoes and onions in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the vinegar, sugar and pepper. Cook for about 1 hour, stirring often.

Mix the extra vinegar, curry powder and mustard powder. Once the tomatoes and onions are cooked and reduced. Add the vinegar mix to the tomatoes and onions and mix well. Cook until thickened.

Pour into warm sterilised jars and seal OR borrow the Food Tool Library electric Vacola Unit and pour into clean jars leaving 12 mm headspace and process in the Vacola Unit for the time specified for your unit.

When processing time is up, remove unit lid, wait five minutes, remove jars, cool and store.
This tastes best if flavours are allowed to develop for a few weeks. Store jars in a cool, dry and dark place for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.

Heather Anderson and Thea Constantarids