Councillor Notes

A big thank you to all those people who took the time to put nominations forward for the recent SWDC Civic Awards. The categories were, Young Achiever; Services to the Environment; Sport; Arts and Culture and Community Service. It was fantastic to hear about so many talented and community minded individuals and groups that had been nominated. Our own Maree Roy took out the Community Service award for an individual.  As many will know, Maree goes quietly about town answering those calls for assistance and help and steps in where needed.  She has walked many a mile around town and while on those walks has picked up a ton or more of litter.  We owe her our thanks for our litter free streets.

The supreme award for South Wairarapa Citizens of the Year went to the Waiohine Action Group. Congratulations to this talented group, they had come up with a flood management plan for Greytown and Carterton which saved ratepayers millions of dollars.  

Congratulations go to Amanda & Lindsey Goodman co-owners of The Drunken Nanny, on receiving not just one award but three gold, two silver and a bronze at the recent Outstanding NZ Producer awards.   The awards were for their delicious lemony lush, black tie, dill lush and fresh lush cheeses which are all made from goats’ milk. It is great to see all their hard work being recognised throughout the country. … Continue Reading

Cooking corner

We have been given a 1996  cutting of an item on the Martinborough Collie Club’s Ladies’ Committee who were catering for the Collie Club’s centenary trials event held on Colin McLeod’s Hillside property.

Each of the ladies had given a favourite recipe for the article . These were varied covering every aspect of cooking from cakes to relishes. Including such tempting names as Chocolate Cinnamon Cake,  Sweet Gherkin Relish, Caramel Biscuits, Fruit Loaf, Snax Pudding and Bhami Noodles. 

It was very difficult to chose one for the Cooking Corner, however having a bit of a weakness for chocolate cake myself I have chosen  Yvonne Harvey’s Chocolate Cake for this month’s recipe. More will follow in later issues.

Chocolate cake

Ingredients

115 gr butter

2 eggs

2 dsp cocoa

 2 tsp baking powder

 1 small cup milk

 Vanila essence

 1 breakfast cup sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

 2 cups flour

 1 tsp baking soda

 pinch of salt

 Method

Cream butter, sugar, cocoa and salt.

Add eggs, and vanilla and beat well

Add golden syrup

Dissolve baking soda in milk stir well

Add gradually the dry ingredients 

Bake in Moderate oven (about 150 C) for an hour (no more) in a 9”x 9” tin. 

Congratulations Maree

Our congratulations go to Maree Roy for her very well deserved Service Award. The Midweek had an excellent write up of Maree’s many and various involvements in making the world a better place. It is just as well the Midweek  covered the award fairly comprehensively as Maree, being Maree,  is very reluctant to have further publicity. 

However, what was not mentioned was Maree’s involvement with the Star. Maree has been an active supporter  from the Star’s inception particularly as  the go to person if a delivery round became suddenly in need of a deliverer as the usual person was unable to do it. Maree has cheerfully helped out at the last minute dozens of times. 

On the writing front we are gifted Maree’s Monthly Musings; amusing, informing and sometimes challenging.  This is a hugely enjoyed salmagundi of cogitation which put we lesser folk’s brains into overdrive. And we love it. 

So, once again congratulations Maree, and from all you have touched with your kindness and humour a BIG THANKS.

The Star team

Community Garden News

“To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves”.Mahatma Gandhi

The garden is looking lush and full of promise for our winter crops…some of the summer crops are still producing: the ‘never ending’ zucchinis and still a few cucumbers and lettuces.

Many thanks to the Community board for their generous grant. This has enabled us to purchase two new planting beds, and another composting bin, which should help us to a high degree of self-sufficiency in providing good organic matter for the garden. It will also allow us to plan a better rotation cycle for the vegies, as we can budget for seasonal planting, rather than using the “what can we afford to plant” method. It also means that we can afford to leave some planters to ‘recover’ from a heavy cycle of production before we replant. Mauruuru nui koe, Community Board.

Some of you may have received our Survey (and those who haven’t can pick one up from the Larder at the Medical Centre). We are keen to attempt to grow more vegetables that people like to eat, know how to cook and are not readily available at the Larder. We know that people would like kumara, but unfortunately our attempts to grow them have not been a raging success… we do hear that there are some “Kumara Kings/Queens” out there, and we would love you to visit the garden and share your experience.

We are a little unsure as to the value of a large potato crop; we have the space but didn’t have a prolific crop…once again, if there are any experts out there who are keen to take charge of a crop of potatoes, please come along and share your knowledge.

Many thanks to our summer waterers. We have had a roster of people who have been invaluable to the garden though the summer, ensuring daily watering. The benefits of these contributions have been significant for the health of the garden.

What to expect in the Larder over the next month…beetroot, lettuce, silver beet, kale, spinach, red cabbage, and just maybe the first of the brassicas.