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Recipe of the month

Seville Orange Marmalade~

Did you know?
The end of winter is the time for Seville oranges to come into season, and they make fabulous marmalade.

This variety of oranges is famously bitter, full of seeds, but absolutely packed with flavour. When combined with sugar to make a jam it makes a marmalade that has the perfect balance of bitter, acid, and sweet, with a real flavour punch. Truly ‘Joy on Toast’. They also have a thick rind, full of pectin (a natural gelling agent found in fruit) that allows a jam to set naturally.

Alfalfa House will stock Seville oranges when they are available. If you would like to order a box to make your very own marmalade batch, just contact the Store Team.

Get started with this three-ingredient Ultimate Seville Orange Marmalade Recipe from the BBC Good Food blog.

*Photo by Jay Short (unsplash.com)
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Podcast, book review

Podcast, book review

by Bruce

'Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures', by Merlin Sheldrake, Penguin Books Australia, 2020, also available as an e-Book and Audio Book

I recently stumbled across this wonderful, and award-winning book via ABC Radio National’s ‘Conversations’ podcast and a fascinating interview with the author (52 minutes listen).

PODCAST LINK HERE: Fascinating fungi - the intelligent kingdom

(from the Publisher) There is a life-form so strange and wondrous that it forces us to rethink how life works ... Neither plant nor animal, it is found throughout the earth, the air and our bodies. It can be microscopic, yet also accounts for the largest organisms ever recorded, living for millennia and weighing tens of thousands of tonnes. Its ability to digest rock enabled the first life on land, it can survive unprotected in space and it thrives amidst nuclear radiation.

In this captivating adventure, Merlin Sheldrake explores the spectacular and neglected world of fungi: endlessly surprising organisms that sustain nearly all living systems. They can solve problems without a brain, stretching traditional definitions of ‘intelligence’, and can manipulate animal behaviour with devastating precision.

In giving us bread, alcohol and life-saving medicines, fungi have shaped human history, and their psychedelic properties, which have influenced societies since antiquity, have recently been shown to alleviate a number of mental illnesses. The ability of fungi to digest plastic, explosives, pesticides and crude oil is being harnessed in break-through technologies, and the discovery that they connect plants in underground networks, the ‘Wood Wide Web’, is transforming the way we understand ecosystems. Yet they live their lives largely out of sight, and more than 90 percent of their species remain undocumented.

Entangled Life is a mind-altering journey into this hidden kingdom of life and shows that fungi are key to understanding the planet on which we live and the ways we think, feel and behave. The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them.

Watch Merlin Sheldrake eat the oyster mushrooms that ate his book! 

Some of the glowing reviews

 


“Entangled Life is a dazzling, vibrant, vision-changing book. Sentence after sentence stopped me short. I ended it wonderstruck at the fungal world and the earth-shaking, hierarchy-breaking implications of Sheldrake's argument. This is a remarkable work by a remarkable writer, which succeeds in springing life into strangeness again.”

— Robert Macfarlane, author of Underland


“Few books blew my mind like Entangled Life. The research, passion, writing, insights... Not sure if I've ever learned so much from ONE book. Here is to another scientist who celebrates imagination. Essential reading. Go and get swept up in a new world.”

Andrea Wulf, author of The Invention of Nature: The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt


“Entangled Life is a revelation. It is a radical, hopeful and important book and I couldn’t put it down. With elegance, wit and clarity Sheldrake engages us in the hidden world of fungi, a miraculous web of connections, interactions and communication that changes the way we need to look at life, the planet and ourselves.”

Isabella Tree, author of Wilding


“Unbelievably amazing”
— Tim Flannery, THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD


For further insights into Entangled Life, read The Understory by fellow writer Robert Macfarlane, in which Merlin & Robert go for a walk in the Epping Forest near London.

For more reviews of Entangled Life, go here.

Find out how to get a copy here.

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Getting crafty

Tips for upcycling takeaway containers by Greta

When the rainy days come, and it's cold outside, we're in no mood to cook. It's takeaway to the rescue. But it’s not without a cost, and not just to your bank account. We're all well aware of the detrimental effects of plastic to the environment and wildlife.

Here are some nifty ideas to consider for upcycling takeaway containers.

  1. Tupperware alternatives – takeaway boxes make the perfect food storage containers in the fridge (ask a chef!). They may not be as durable as Tupperware but can last between 3-10 uses depending on what you store.
  2. Garden equipment storage – think fertilizer, garden gloves, and seed packets.
  3. Loose tea storage – I'm a huge tea lover and storing different teas in takeaway boxes keeps my drawer neat and organised.
  4. Herb pot plants! Did you know that you can save the root end of spring onions, replant them and grow them again? The same goes for bok choy. Next time you buy some, consider starting your own windowsill garden, as per this simple project below.

DIY takeaway planter box

 

This isn't limited to just spring onions. Any small herb or plant will work, but I've used Spring Onions because they're very easy to regrow, and delicious in miso soups, noodle dishes, and rice bowls!

Materials

  • Takeaway box
  • Small crafting drill
  • A thin and pointy object (skewer, toothpick, pencil, etc.) for making a well for your herbs or plants of choice
  • Small shovel
  • Potting mix
  • Spray bottle
  • 6 Spring Onions (cut 3cm from the root)

Method

  • Gently drill 10 holes into the base of the takeaway container. Thoughtfully discard the plastic residue from the drilled holes.
  • Using your shovel, scoop potting mix into the container leaving approx. 1cm space at the top.
  • Using your pointy object, make 6 wells in the soil approx. 2cm deep, 3-4cm apart from each other.
  • Plant each Spring Onion in a well, and cover.
  • Spray the plants thoroughly until the soil is damp, but not saturated.
  • Keep your planter box in a sunny spot. Water them once or twice daily (three times in a hot and dry weather) – they love water very much.

In a few days, you'll start to see new shoots emerging from the base of the Spring Onions. These will be ready to harvest in 1-2 weeks. Free Spring Onions forever!

Tips for reducing waste at home

by Greta~

Home is where the heart is. This definitely rings true when we're spending so much time there during this lockdown. We're forced to slow down, reflect, and reassess our priorities and goals – a good thing! There's never been a better time to reassess our waste around the house. Here are some great tips to help you do just that.

Get creative with your meals

Before leaving the house for that dreaded grocery run, have a look around your pantry and freezer for food items that you've totally forgotten about. Maybe you've got frozen peas sitting in the back of the freezer. Or perhaps you have some canned vegetables that have gone unnoticed in the back cupboard. It's time to get creative! You'd be surprised by what weird and wonderful dishes you can make with your forgotten long shelf-life food items.

Forget the Chux, use your clothes.

I mean clothes destined for the clothing bin or op shop! Simply cut them up in squares – I use 30cm x 30cm ones. They work a charm for cleaning surfaces or wiping down dust.

Save those paper bags and butcher's paper

Do you have compostable brown paper bags laying around after shopping at your favourite wholefoods store? These are great for storing white mushroom cups on your next grocery run, and wrapping up green vegetables in the fridge for longer shelf life.

Butcher's paper makes wonderful bin bottom liners that soak up moisture, amazing mirror cleaners that produce a satisfying streak-free shine, and is handy when packing parcels and disposing of broken glass from domestic mishaps.

Regrow your store-bought vegetables

Examples of vegetables that can be regrown at home:
- Green onions
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Celery
- Leeks

Simply cut 3-5cm long bottom parts (from the roots up), and place them in a cup of water until they take root. Transfer them into a well-draining, healthy potting mix, water them frequently and voila, you've just started your own home veggie garden!

Bulk-up

Buying your home necessities in bulk minimises packaging and plastic consumption. It's also cheaper, and more time efficient to buy in bulk. Alfalfa House is still open for your everyday household needs. Support your local, ethical business on your next run for grains, nuts, flour, eco-friendly cleaners, and much more!

Ten fun household facts

1. 'Typewriter' is the longest word that can be typed on one row of the keyboard.
2. Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.
3. Almonds are part of the peach family.
4. Almonds and Peaches both belong to the Rose family (Rosacea)
5. In the 15th century, people made their mattresses from feathers, horsehair, or straw.
6. The word 'chair' comes from the Latin word 'cathedra' meaning to sit down.
7. A 'butt-load' is a real measure of weight.
8. Mother's Day was originally not a commercial event. It was started by Anna Jarvis in 1908 as Memorial Day to commemorate the time and sacrifice a mother makes for their children.
9. It's illegal to have a pet rabbit in Queensland.
10. Brass doorknobs can disinfect themselves. The metal ions in brass and copper are actually toxic to mould, bacteria & viruses.

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At home with Alfalfa House 

by Caroline~

Wake: one of the many things we pride ourselves on at Alfalfa is our selection of delicious and soothing teas. From brands such as Organic Merchant to Chai Walli, we have dozens of varieties to choose from, including our very own delicious house blends.

Morning cleanse: we can’t think of a better way to get your mind and body off to a great start than with our Antioxidant tea. Steep the beautifully coloured loose leaves for a couple of minutes then add a slice or lemon for a tasty liver cleanse.

Treat: customers travel from across Sydney to stock up on our famous Earl Grey, a favourite of our stock coordinator, Yue:

“I’ve had this ritual for many years now, where I steep a good teaspoon of Earl Grey in my ball strainer in my favourite cup for a few minutes, then add a splash of Bonsoy and a teaspoon of our incredible Malfroy's Gold honey.

It’s important that the water isn’t boiling hot so that the honey maintains some nutritional properties.”

Grind: if coffee is more your thing, we have a great range: from Australian grown to organic, in compostable packaging. There's a coffee bean to suit every Alfalfa member. Plus we stock every milk you can think of, including our very own package-free fresh almond, cashew and oat mylks.

Cleanse: there’s never been a more important time for self care! Our best-selling shower and bathing products are our soap and shampoo bars from Clover Fields. And for good reason, they’re eco-sustainable, natural and harm-free and are made using Australian-sourced ingredients. They are not tested on animals, are 100% Australian made, and don't contain any harsh chemicals, making them better for you and the environment. The natural scents will add a new dimension to shower time.

Bathe: we also have some wonderful and natural ingredients in stock so you can make your own bathing treats. Try this! Add a large handful of our Epsom bath salts to your running bath water, sprinkle in some lavender flowers, rose petals and calendula flowers, all available in bulk at Alfalfa. Steep and relaaaax.

Nourish: we stock some of the finest ingredients and produce available, so you know that whatever dish you’re treating yourself, family or friends to, it’ll be a with love from us and our planet

Spring is all about fennel, and thanks to Jamie Oliver, we think we’ve found a fennel recipe for everyone .

Share your dishes with us on Instagram by tagging @alfalfahousesyd

Handy tip

Alfalfa House will continue to offer our Personal Shopper service throughout the Covid lockdown. A great option for a contact-free shop. You send us your shopping list, we do the shopping, and then you collect! Easy.

You can place your order online

Or just give us a call on (02) 9519 3374.