Thoughtful Foods

My patient revolutionaries,

I've been thinking a lot about liberation, layers of it.  Freedom.  It's a funny concept, really.  There's an invalid implication of disconnect in the word, because we're usually thinking in terms of escape, of oppression.  But freedom is also a total connection with what you love, what you are.  Freedom--liberation, they're about being a part of something greater, part of existing within our communities and countries and the world that we create.  Liberation must be acting, doing, being; discarding empty distractions, embracing every day. 

Hmmm, got pretty excited there.
Whadaya reckon?

Anyway, it's a long, long bulletin, so without further blah-blah-blah, the good word:


Co-op News
From Lah
The next General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 2nd September at the co-op. Here is the agenda so far, but you can also add agenda items on the day:
- Report back from management (coordinators, ordering and finance)
- Environment week issues
- ASEN affiliate group membership
- Propose $50 per month social/ advocacy fund and system to keep track of money spent


Volunteering
From Andrew
We are desperately in need of volunteers to help out on Thursday mornings.  Thursday is our big day and it won't run smoothly unless we have people around to help set up boxes and tables and help distribute the vegetables.  Some people have put their names down already, but if you have any time free from 9am, please check the roster and write down your name if there is space.  Thursday volunteering can be a really fun and exciting time when there are enough volunteers around.

(Come on ya'll: membership is booming, the co-op is seriously buzzing, please help keep it functional!  Come & volunteer!)


Boxes
from Andrew
We are running low on twenty dollar boxes for vegetables on Thursday.  If you get these size boxes, we ask that you bring a bag along - or get one from the shop! - as this will make the following week just that much easier.


Veggies
Delicious spring. You've felt it in the warming air & no doubt so too have the veggies. A friend recently disclosed that his snow peas are all a-petal. Now is the time for blossoming.

Such excitement will soon spread to our veggie boxes, so don't forget to have your order in by 9:30 am on Wednesday! After that, you'll just have to wait until next week, and that sounds tragic to me.


Eggs
You absolutely must have your egg order in to Lah by 11am Tuesday. If you don't, your chances of eggy bliss are slim to none. Please be specific about exactly how many you'd like (in dozen or half-dozen increments please, you cheeky creatures). Thanks!


Cross-Co-op Communication
From Tessa
Well this year I was supposed to be 'Co-op Liaison Officer'... I've been pretty busy, and pretty lazy so far, but last week I finally kicked things off with visits to USyd and UTS Co-ops. Below are some brief comments - but both are super keen for co-op crawling so you can find out more then!

UTS
Broadway Co-op is going ok. Virtually all of the core members/volunteers/keen beans keeping it alive and pushing it forward left the co-op late last year, and the co-op really struggled for the first half of this year. A new crew stepped up though and now there's about 6 people putting lots of effort into building capacity. There is a focus not so much on finding new members but in growing the number of active members and nurturing people to step up and participate in their co-op. They're starting to branch out on the community side in addition to their student base, getting more and more vegie box buyers from the ABC. With this though, they're trying to make sure that there is an emphasis on communicating that the co-op is not a regular shop! I think we could be doing a lot to support UTS Co-op, and they need it - just need further communication to figure out exactly what they want; exactly how we can help. They are beautiful people and it is inspiring to watch people devote themselves to what they believe in.

USyd
WOW!! I accidentally stumbled into their AGM, and was shocked. The Sydney Uni Co-op almost died last year, were treated very rudely by their university, but held on mightily - there were about 30 people at the AGM! Dinner was provided, there was an exciting restructure with about 10 people stepping up into the new, more democratic, less hierarchical management committee (which was modelled on ours! there was great gratitude to Monika for helping them out with this :D ), and the room was buzzing with energy! In the last year they have signed on 250 new members (compared to 500 over the last 9 years combined!); have spent $10 000 on renovations, including a new floor, gravity feeders and a display fridge; doing lots of social stuff, amazingness etc etc. We went out for drinks afterwards and had a great time! They are truly wonderful people, and have done something really special there. I want to go to their meetings all the time! Co-ops rock. We have so much to learn from each other, and I had forgotten that. Lots of them will be coming on the co-op crawl - I'm sad I can't come, but fully encourage you to go along and meet these inspiring people!  


Community News & Events
Enviro Week
From Tessa
Hey crew!
As you will see, there is a sweet gig planned for this Wednesday as part of wicked Enviro Week celebrations. There's gonna be a delicious, ethical, cheap vegan BBQ from 5pm--can you help? We need people to chop veg, set-up, smile, be merry and cook. You will be able to chill with long-lost Enviro Collective siblings. Funn! :D Please let tessa.dowdell@gmail.com /0424 808 639 know if you can help at any (or all! :P) of these times:

Wednesday 3/9 (2 people each shift)
3pm: Choppin' veg
4pm: Choppin' veg and setting up BBQ
5pm: Cookin'!!
6pm: Still Cookin'! Then packing down

For the complete action-packed Enviro Week schedule, check out http://www.arc.unsw.edu.au.

Co-op Crawl!
The co-op crawl is a great way to see what other area co-ops are doing.  Please join us Friday 5 September for a day-long adventure across Sydney!

We'll meet at Thoughtful Foods at 9:00am and have a bit of a getting-to-know-you session & talk about our route.  Then it's off to  Sydney's oldest food co-op, Alfalfa House, in Enmore from 11:00am.  From there we'll travel to the University of Sydney co-op for a midday arrival.  After a lunch break, we're off to UTS co-op.  Finally, it's off to Manly co-op--we'll meet in Circular Quay around 2:30 or 3:00 & take the ferry as a team. 
After Manly co-op we'll have dinner--if you're interested--and then head off into the twilight.  It promises to be a totally awesome day with loads of delicious food & cool people.  You should come!

Keen?  Just click on the link above or contact Chris on 0422.521.598!

Sustainable House Day
From Lah
Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September
$5 per house you visit (pay at the door)

Homes across the country will open so others can learn and experience the benefits of all aspects of sustainable living. There is nothing better than talking to people who have already done it. You can learn the good, and the bad, from the home owner's personal experience and talk to architects, builders and designers.

We could cycle around the Inner west and eastern suburbs and check out the sustainable houses located there. There are houses in the following suburbs: Five Dock, Annandale, Newtown, Chippendale, Paddington
See http://www.sustainablehouseday.com/index01.shtml for details.

Please contact me (angela.johnstone@gmail.com) if you are interested in coming along.

Fun Food Workshops
From Emma & Suzie
In the spirit of eating good food, making it with your own hands and enjoying some lovely company, we are pleased to announce that we will be launching a series of Foodie Workshops this semester. If you are interested in participating in any of these, please email Emma (purple_tomatoes@hotmail.com) or Suzie (suzie.hunter@gmail.com) so we can have an idea of numbers. We'll organise venue and equipment once we know how many people there are! For this workshop, we'll take advantage of the wonderful produce springtime brings us to make... well, whatever our inspiration creates!

Hanging out with the ABC?
So, the co-op got this email from the ABC about a new Q&A show.  They have room in the audience on both 11 and 18 September and are happy to coordinate transportation for a group.  Apparently they're keen to have thoughtful, intelligent people in the audience--that means you!

11 September:  Opposition Leader in Senate, Nick Minchin, Minister for Housing and Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, veteran political commentator and author,  Mungo MacCallum, author, Linda Jaivin and the Director of the IP and Free Trade Unit at the Institute of Public Affairs, Tim Wilson.

18 September: member for Bennelong and former ABC journalist, Maxine McKew and Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs, Tony Abbott.

Please contact Anna Klauzner if you're interested.  

Pushy power, funky vibes, and the odd fair-trade chocolate bar
(from Alice)
Are you looking for something challenging to do in January? How about empowering youth about a sustainable future? Or riding around rural Australia living sustainably and "being the change you want to see in the world"?

The Otesha Project (Australia): Cycling for Sustainability is undergoing massive preparations for its upcoming bicycle tour in rural Victoria starting in Melbourne on January 18th. The tour will ride along the Great Ocean Road, up to the Grampians, making our way over to Bendigo before finishing back to Melbourne while speaking to youth about sustainability issues.

Since 2000, The Otesha Project (Aus.) has pedalled across Australia educating youth and raising awareness about environmental sustainability and social justice issues. The Otesha crew combines theatre performance with interactive workshops to empower high school students to consider their life choices to ensure a positive future. Tour participants will travel around rural regions of Victoria and present the comical Morning of Choices presentation and engaging workshops to youth throughout the state.

The Otesha Project is seeking individuals from varying walks of life – people with different experiences, backgrounds, and interests to help us build a roving community.

Applications for the Victorian tour are pouring in so be sure to get your application in before the deadline of September 19, 2008. For information about applying visit the Otesha Australia website at www.otesha.org.au/biketours/apply.


Featured Product: Barley
From Alice
We now have delicious pearl barley at the co-op.  Grown in Australia, this crop is widely adaptable and more tolerant of dry heat than rice, but you can use it for just about as many things!

History: When you eat barley, you're linking yourself with thousands of years of human history, as it is one of the most ancient of cultivated grains, having been eaten since the stone age.  It was the staple grain of most of Europe till the 16th Century.  It was a staple cereal of ancient Egypt, used to make bread and beer.  It had religious and ritual significance in ancient Greece and Rome.  Tibetan barley is the major staple food in Tibet, and has been for centuries.

Nutrition:  Barley is a good source of dietary fibre, manganese and selenium.

General Use:  Barley can be used as an alternative to rice, to serve with stir-fries or curries, added to salads or pilafs, or even made into risotto, which I trialled last night and would highly recommend.  To cook, boil 1 part barley to 3 parts salted water in a covered pot for 35 to 45 minutes.
Also very delicious simmered in soup, where the grains become swollen and tender.

Recipes
Barley Risotto (adapted from Andrea Chesman)
Heat 4 3/4 cups of stock with 1/2 cup dry white wine to a simmer and keep over low heat.
Saute garlic and onion/shallots in olive oil for 2minutes.  Add 3/4 cup uncooked pearled barley and saute until it appears toasted and is slightly fragrant.  Stir in 1 cup of broth, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently until the liquid has been absorbed.  Continue this way adding 1 cup of the hot liquid at a time.  Towards the end, add chopped mushrooms, peas/ other greens.  Serve with chopped fresh herbs, parmesan cheese if desired.  You can also add diced carrot early on.

For a breakfast barley porridge, add currants and orange zest while cooking, and stir in honey at the end.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley
Chesman, A., 1998, 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans and Grains
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5679/2


Of stardust & jet planes
I've spent the weekend somewhere between cross & empowered, if you want to know the truth of things.  It all comes down to my own liberation, in finding my joy.  A dear friend mentioned tonight that he loves to be around people that glow.  You know that glow, the one that comes with being engrossed in your own life, in giving fully, in that blissful space between self-awareness & self-absorption.

We can all glow.  Once upon a time, I had 130 students worth of absolute sparkle.  Having known that radiation, I'm sure I can find it again.  It'll be something to think about as I spend the whole of Monday US bound, airsick & contemplative. 
I hope it's something you'll think about with feet firmly planted on terra firma.

Here's to using every ounce of energy to pursuing our passions (and a selfish request for clear skies and functioning planes).

With love, good cheer through weary eyes, and glimmers of springtime,

Meghan