2017 End of Year Cooking Class & Lunch Wrap Up
See some photos from the day including our delicious Eritrean lunch feast
On Sunday December 3rd 2017 – we held our first group cooking class and lunch hosted by Cultivating Community. It was a worry of a weekend with extreme weather warnings forecast across the state, but somehow the sun managed to break through the clouds to allow us a tour of the Fitzroy Kitchen Garden while our lunch was simmering.
Outside the Fitzroy Community Food Centre at their Kitchen Garden
Our dining table with flowers from the Fitzroy Kitchen Garden
Along with our hosts, Cultivating Community, a small group of us gathered at the Fitzroy Community Food Centre to learn and make an Eritrean feast taught by our cook Shadya. We learnt a generous handful of dishes that she was taught by her mother and father in Eritrea at their restaurant (which is apparently still standing). These included falafil, humus, purslane lentil curry and a vegetable curry – all recipes where completely vegetarian and delicious! And we can’t forget dessert! Shadya shared her recipe for Makleel with us too. These are very similar to Lukumades (a Greek sweet doughy fried dumpling/doughnut) but an Eritrean version and are drizzled generously in honey. Mouthwatering!
Peta Christensen, the Food Systems Leader at Cultivating Community taking us on a tour of the Kitchen Garden
Prepping for our curries
Lunch is served
It was a collaborative class with everyone spread out at different areas in the kitchen space – some peeling vegetables, others cutting, some frying veggies, while some ground spices. All the while, we watched and listened to Shadya as she effortlessly whipped up dishes – gliding across the kitchen smiling, mixing and blending ingredients.
Shadya juicing lemons for salad and hummus
Here are some photos from the day. A big thank you to Shadya, Peta and Sophie from Cultivating Community, and thank you to everyone who came and contributed to the atmosphere on the day. Stay tuned for Shadya’s recipes – coming very soon!
Our partners who contributed to our gift bags on the day – more details below
Note: All the proceeds from the tickets sales contributed directly to the Cultivating Community team.
P.s – Thank you to our partners who contributed to our goodie bags on the day: Retreat Here, Natif.com.au, Kali Drinking Chocolate, La Crostoleria and Prahran Market (all pictured above).
One of the ‘favourite’ garden plots at the Fitzroy Kitchen Garden
Stunning and scented roses at the Fitzroy Kitchen Garden right next to the pizza oven
So much variety at the garden – every plot reflects a different person and culture
More gorgeous roses at the garden
Beautiful smiles before we dug into our beautiful meal
Delicious filling food – injera, vegetable curry and a lentil and purslane curry
Shadya hand mixing the ingredients for her falafil
This is how we slice!
Luscious and delicious – vegetable curry
Shadya adding a generous amount of hand mixed spices for the falafil
Shadya’s falafil – just out of the frying pan
Talented, and so humble – our cook Shadya with her hand made falafil
Mouthwatering injera with equally as delicious lentil and purslane curry
Dessert on its way – Makleel, a deep fried African dumpling/doughnut
Makleel are served and drizzled with lashings of honey
Smiling patiently as we all wait for the food photos to be taken before we eat
Something very special – spicy African coffee prepared by Shadya with green coffee beans she roasts herself and mixes with ginger. Incredible and so memorable!
Some of my favourite roses at the garden
