Drop your entries off by 5pm Friday 20 March for judging. Come along on Saturday from 11am-2pm and check out the competition … and the winners. Shop, eat, listen to music … get creative, pet a baby animal or two … and enjoy our great local community!

Hi everyone,

It was nice to have some rain last week. Clare has been working on our front garden and it’s looking great! How lucky we are to have so many awesome community volunteers.

Footy starts on Thursday…. if you haven’t already, join our community tipping competition! You can sign up at this link.

And of course we are very excited to be preparing for the Alphington Show. Please contact us at info@alphington.org.au if you would like to be a participant in the arts and crafts competition. And read on for some tips on what our judges are looking for in each category.

Crunch is back this week from 12.30-2pm on Thursday. Don’t forget to book in online if you would like to attend. Wednesday and Thursday evening book clubs will also be running along with our normal weekly programs, including playgroups, line dancing, choir and more! Check out our bookings site here for more info about getting involved.

ALSO this weekend will be the labour day long weekend so please note we won’t be open next Monday the 9th of March.

Cheers,

Leanne

…… all about how to make your Alphington Show contributions shine! Our official criteria for the most highly-regarded and prestigious competition in all of Alphington.

For Scones:

Cut with plain cutter, no frilled edges

Free from excess flour; especially at the bottom

Brush lightly with melted butter when hot

Even baking top and bottom

For Bread:

Crust golden brown in color with crisp and even thickness.

Well shaped even surface and crumb is spongy to feel.

For Relish:

Bottle clean and the relish is bright with good flavour and consistency.

It should not be dark, bubble or have blemishes.

For Olives:

Olives are fresh and unbruised

No trace of bitterness

Attractive presentation

For Scarves:

Sides even (slip first stitch)

Even tension - no tram lines, no joins

Fringe to be even

For Patchwork:

Construction precise

Corners and points matching

Stitches do not show unless a feature

Seems are secured

Patches should be cut with the grain and sides be of even length

We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Garden to Plate is back again this Thursday from 11.30am-1pm! As always, we will be cooking and enjoying a meal made together with fresh seasonal vegetables. Book in online to attend here.

And in case you missed our first session two weeks ago, here’s just one of the great recipes we made that you can try for yourself at home whilst tomatoes are cheap and delicious.

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 8 medium-large ripe tomatoes

• 150g (3/4 cup) cooked rice (white or brown)

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small zucchini, finely chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (or parsley)

• 50g (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (optional, for extra crunch)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Tomatoes

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Slice off the tops of the tomatoes and set them aside. Using a spoon, gently scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, leaving a thick shell. Set the tomato flesh aside in a bowl. Season the inside of the tomatoes with a little salt and pepper and place them upside down on a plate to drain any excess liquid.

2. Cook the Filling

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, zucchini, and red bell pepper, and cook for another 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the reserved tomato flesh, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Add the oregano, basil, and cooked rice to the mixture. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is well combined and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stuff the Tomatoes

Turn the hollowed tomatoes upright and spoon the rice and vegetable filling into each tomato, packing it in gently. Sprinkle the tops with grated Parmesan or mozzarella and breadcrumbs (if using) for added texture. Put the lids back on top.

4. Bake the Tomatoes

Place the stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish and drizzle them lightly with olive oil. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and the cheese is melted and golden. Alternatively cook on 200 in your air fyer for 20-25 minutes.

5. Serve

Once baked, remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before serving. Garnish with extra fresh basil or parsley for a burst of freshness.

Lots of good things coming up this week.

Preserves Group - Join Kalimna in the kitchen on Tuesday for Preserves Group. From 1pm we’ll be cooking up some tomato chutney and some summer fruit jam. In between chopping and stirring we’ll stop for an afternoon tea break - coffee and a sweet treat, so it’s not all hard work. From 1pm. Also …. if you have small clean jars to donate we’d love some more! We’re cooking up in preparation for sales at the Alphington Show (coming up on Saturday 21 March - a date for you diaries).

Day of Action - on Wednesday our office will close for a couple of hours around lunchtime as we head into the city to campaign for better funding for neighbourhood houses on the steps of Parliament. If you’d like to support this we’d love your company. Just email us here and we’ll let you know the details (we’re catching the train in!).

CRUNCH - Join Lee and Leanne for lunch and a creative arts activity at ACC on Thursday from 12.30pm. Only $10 this year. Book in on our website here.

and/or ….

Alphington Arts - on Thursday evening at 7.30pm for more arty fun! A lovely opportunity to meet other creative folk in the ‘hood, chat and create. This time we will be doing collage, inspired by Gustav Klimt. You can start your work with a photo of someone you love (bring your image along) or choose a random person from a magazine. We’ll be using mixed media - ink, paint, markers and paper to build our works. Thanks Lee for organising this session. You can book in here.

Community Lunch - we have the Deputy Mayor from Yarra Council joining us on Friday, along with some of our Council colleagues. It is always great to have Councillors and staff come along and see our space in action! All welcome (of course).

Hope to see you soon!

Cheers Leanne