Latest co-op updates

We are letting this blog sleep here a little while longer as we get our website up and running in the various stages.

If you have come across it here, searching the web, for any enquiries we suggest you email info@fig.org.au. Alternatively phone the FIG Phone on 04166 47715, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.

There's lots to share and we generally update co-op members every week or fortnight.



See you at the co-op!

Co-op information for December and January

The end of another year is fast approaching. Where does the time go?!

The co-op is open for another two weeks on the 15th and 22nd December, then will have a short break.

FIG will be closed on 29th December and 5th January, and resumes on the following date:

First day back in 2015

Monday 12th January

Due to increases in the price of produce box prices will be $33.00 from January 2015.

During the final two weeks of co-op for this year, we will conduct the normal weekly boxes, a bulk order, have the usual extras table produce overflowing with goodies, and see two more weeks of the Member Markets - a great place to stop and buy some pressies - bring your cash with you!

See you at the co-op.....!

Time for an update

We are currently working on rejigging the website.  

Until such time it is ready, we are unable to edit the current website and so if you are new to FIG, please read on... 

If you would like a $30 trial FIG box please contact us on fig.centralcoast@gmail.com.

Otherwise, come visit the co-op between 2 - 4.30pm any Monday (unless Monday is a public holiday and we open on Tuesday instead for that week). After 4.30, the super efficient pack up volunteers will have swept away most of what to look at, so please come in earlier...

We hope to see you soon.

Using those potatoes and caulies!

We get asked for more ideas about warming recipes using the FIG produce, so here is a selection from a previous post with some great recipes from some Figgie members, just right for this time of the year!

1) Potato and leek soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large leek, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g potatoes, peeled, chopped
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1/3 cup sour cream (optional; if not used, increase the stock)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion has softened. Add potato. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. 
2. Add stock. Season with pepper. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. 
3. Blend, in batches, until smooth. Serve.

2) Creamy cauliflower and potato soup with bacon

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 250g bacon, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 leeks, halved, washed, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets
• 500g Sebago or Desiree potatoes, peeled, diced
• 6 cups reduced-salt chicken stock
• 1/4 cup light thickened cream
• Toasted sourdough bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bacon. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel. 
2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, garlic and leek to pan. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, potato and stock. Partially cover. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in half the bacon. 
3. Blend soup, in batches, until smooth. Return to saucepan over low heat. Stir in cream. Heat, without boiling, until hot. Ladle into bowls. Top with remaining bacon. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve with toast

3) Potato Frittata

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 8 eggs
• 50ml milk
• 200g mild cheddar, grated
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 500g potatoes, peeled, cooked, sliced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Beat eggs and milk in a large bowl. Add cheese and season. 
2. Heat half the oil in an ovenproof frypan over low heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until soft. Remove and add to the egg mixture with the potato. 
3. Wipe pan clean, then return to low heat with remaining oil. Pour in frittata mixture and using a palette knife, gently pull away from sides of the pan, allowing uncooked egg to run to edges. Once cooked around the outside (about 2-3 minutes), transfer pan to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until set. Turn out and cool.

4) Almond Crusted Fish with Potato and Leek

Cooking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 large (about 350g) desiree potatoes, washed, thinly sliced
• 1 leek, pale section only, washed, thinly sliced
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
• 2 tbs pre-grated parmesan
• 1 x 100g pkt almond meal
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 4 (about 500g) white fish fillets (such as smooth dory), cut in half lengthways
• 1/3 cup loosely packed chopped fresh continental parsley

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Arrange potato over a 17 x 24cm (base measurement) baking tray. Top with leek and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tbs of the olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake on the top shelf of preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the potato is tender and golden. 
2. Meanwhile, place almond meal and egg in separate bowls. Dip 1 piece of fish in the egg, then the almond meal, pressing firmly to coat. Repeat with remaining pieces of fish. 
3. Heat remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook fish for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through. 
4. Divide almond-crusted fish and potato and leek among serving plates. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately

5) Potato and Leek Quiches

Preparation Time 20 minutes

Cooking Time 25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400g  potato, peeled, cut into 2.5cm chunks
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 leek, washed, sliced
• 2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley
• 4 sheets filo pastry
• Olive oil spray
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (250ml) milk of your choice
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt & freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Steam the sweet potato until just tender. Transfer to a bowl. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring until soft. Add to the sweet potato with the parsley and toss to combine. 
2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 6 x 1 cup muffin pans. Spray a sheet of filo with the oil. Top with the remaining sheets, spraying with oil between each layer. Cut the sheets into 3 portions crossways, then cut each strip in half. Line each muffin pan with the filo. 
3. Divide the sweet potato mixture among the pastry cases. 
4. Whisk the eggs, milk and nutmeg together. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the filling. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just set.

Notes: You can make this without the pastry......I've tried it and it's quite nice...particularly if you're gluten intolerant or don't like pastry very much. Just make sure that the trays or cooking dish is well oiled with either butter or olive oil :)

6) Apple and Oat Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup raisins
2 egg whites
¼ cup honey
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 apple, grated

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2) Mix buttermilk, oats, and raisins together in a large bowl. Add egg whites and honey; blend thoroughly.

3) In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to oat mixture; mix to incorporate. Fold in grated apple.

4) Fill mixture in muffin tins ¾ full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in tins 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

They all seem yum to us!

Website issues

We seem to be experiencing difficulties with the FIG website at present.

We are looking into having it sorted as soon as possible. 

In the meantime, if you have any queries, please email the co-op on fig.centralcoast@gmail.com



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Tuesday operation this week

We wish you all a safe and happy Easter weekend. Safe driving, if you're on the roads.

Due to the public holiday Monday, FIG will operate on  Tuesday 22nd April instead.

Same hours and venue, so see you there!

A produce update

Hello, on this beautiful sunny Autumn day.

Today is the last day for a few weeks that we'll be having produce from Peter of Cooranbong. He has his next lot of crops in and they won't be ready for a while. That means his lovely corn, potatoes, cucumbers and heirloom pumpkins are finished. :(

However, as one door closes, another opens, as we have Bill's butternut pumpkins coming in from today, as well as his superb eggplant and some tomatoes. We are also getting in tomatoes from Glen and Peter, plus figs, herbs, persimmons and some trial melons. The cauliflower, broccoli, leeks and cabbage today is from Kurrawong Organics. We have those lovely apple cucumbers coming in from them as well, to join with cucumbers from Peter, "blonde cucumbers" from Rob, and our new local supplier, Virginia. We Figgies like our cucumbers! Great for munching and juicing or even making delicate cucumber sandwiches if you wish, they are a very alkaline forming food. (AKA, good for our health.)

The watermelon is from Pat, who is in conversion to being organically certified. Hooray for another organic farmer! Ed is supplying some zucchini, and Michael has lots of wonderful greens. Just don't ask him about lettuce! The last lot were weather affected and he planted more, telling us very enthusiastically that the next lot were nearly ready - just to have them wiped out in the rain and storms this week. Farming sure is a gamble. Luckily he has other produce in the ground as well, and that is arriving at the co-op today. Jean's basil continues, and we never knew how much bees loved basil until we grew some of our own and observed the mass of activity each year, perennial basil in particular.

We have local limes today in small quantities, also some lemons, and the valencia oranges are still available. Russian garlic from Bailey's farm up the coast is in today. They tell us they have been planting next year's crop and estimated they'd put in 8.5 kilometres of garlic. That's a lot! They're also diversifying into other crops as well; what started as a part time venture is moving into bigger production. Hooray there as well.

In this year, the UN International Year of  Family Farming, we need to encourage them as much as we can, more than ever.

See you at the co-op...

Jamie Oliver Pop Up Kitchen petition update

We've had an overwhelmingly positive response from FIG members - and the broader community - in support of bringing a Jamie Oliver Pop Up Kitchen to the Central Coast.

Many identified the need for increased awareness and education around healthy eating, accessing clean safe food and supporting local farmers. This is what Food Integrity Group is all about.

We are disappointed to say that council was unable to support our preferred Pop-Up-Kitchen site in time for the closing date of submissions and as a result, we were unable to proceed with our application.

This does NOT mean the potential to expand FIG and develop a community hub is lost. In fact, the show of support and passion for this project from FIG members and friends, local residents and businesses alike has highlighted the communities inherent desire and need for this kind of development.

This experience has fuelled our drive to succeed!  The valued support of members and community is integral in helping us secure a permanent site for a hub development and we will provide updates on the next step in bringing this FIG vision to life!

Thank you again for the enthusiasm and support.

FOOD INTEGRITY GROUP 

Petition to bring Jamie Oliver to the Central Coast!

Hi Figgies and all who are reading this!

FIG has just turned FIVE YEARS OLD, and if that wasn't enough excitement for the week, we have entered an Australia-wide competition for Wyong Shire to host a Jamie Oliver Pop Up Kitchen.

And so it is.... the start of our Central Coast Revolution! 

Sign the petition below to bring Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food Pop-Up-Kitchen to Wyong. 

This petition is part of a bigger vision to create a community hub on the Central Coast that will focus on health, well-being and sustainable living, and be a permanent home for FIG!

It's an exciting initiative and we'd really appreciate your support. We've had a great response so far in a short amount of time. Please forward to family and friends and help create history!!

Click here for the petition on Change.org

FIG's Facebook Page

For our members and interested parties, as well as the petition, we have a video being made at FIG tomorrow (from 2pm, Monday 3rd March) at Ourimbah Scout Hall. Come and join the merriment - and the possible chaos!

Video details.

Also ensure you find our letter of support (will be signposted at the hall) 

and sign that too...

Thank you... see you at the co-op!

New suppliers, great produce

The FIG box contents for tomorrow are 100% local. We've increased the quantity of some items to fill your boxes. Two are from Kurrawong Organics however the rest are from between Mangrove Mountain, Narara, Avoca and Somersby. Items for the extras table are a mix of local and further afield. Bananas have been ordered and our fingers are crossed they do arrive; they have been in short supply since the recent cyclone.

We're planning some farm and backyard inspections very shortly for new suppliers coming on board. We are also very excited about the heirloom tomatoes and eggplant which are new on the list the last couple of weeks, and there's talk of our newer suppliers growing more in time for FIG.

There were no juicing carrots or juicing apples this week again, however we have some of those lovely little local gala apples coming in which are great for juicing and eating. There will be some in the FIG boxes and on the extras table.

This week we're trialling the final ordering working out a little earlier of a Sunday, and already we're liking the idea - an early night for a change!

See you at the co-op...

Co-op is on today

Just a reminder....

Co-op is on today, 

yesterday being a public holiday.

See you later today!

Co-op information

Here are a couple of co-op updates...

Next Monday is a public holiday so FIG will operate on Tuesday 28th January instead.

Same hours: 2 pm until 5pm

Same venue: Ourimbah Scout Hall

Different day: TUESDAY!

28th January 2014

The latest bulk order form will be emailed to members either tonight or early Monday morning, and paper forms will be available at the co-op. 

Orders are due back by midnight 20th January, for collection Tuesday 28th January.

See you at the co-op...

Happy New Year!

That was a short break, with FIG resuming as normal tomorrow.

Happy New Year to all, and we hope you have had a lovely, restful time with family and friends.

We shall be taking bulk orders tomorrow, with collection due the following Monday, 13th January. An email with order form and ordering information has been sent to members today, however paper orders will also be available at the co-op.

The farmers have had a short break as well and we're all ready to get back into it!

See you at the co-op...

Raffle winner!

The FIG Christmas raffle was drawn after closing time today and the lucky winner was member Deb of Doyalson. 

Her FIG food hamper, which was around the value of nearly $100 after some more donations today, has been delivered already this evening.

Congratulations, Deb, and enjoy!

Last day of co-op for 2013

Monday 16th December heralds the last day of co-op operation for the year.

We will have member table markets, the FIG raffle (value around $90 of goodies), FIG tea towels...

Beautiful linen: hand dyed, screenprinted, ironed and folded by Figgie members, including Utopia Screenprinting.

... and some Christmas cakes!

We're back on Monday 6th January and wish all our members a safe and happy holiday season.

Christmas is coming!

We have three more co-op days before a short break.

FIG will be open on Mondays 2nd, 9th and 16th Dec

and then you won't see us again until 6th January!

We will have member table markets at all three December co-ops and judging by the success of last Monday's market day, these will be a good place to buy gifts and yummy treats for your family and friends, or more seedlings for your gardens. We now have FIG tea towels thank you to a group of wonderful members. Check them out next time you're in.

The last bulk order for the year is due to be collected on the 16th December, which means orders are to be in on 9th December. Order forms will be emailed out to members.

It has been a good year for FIG and we can barely believe 2014 is just around the corner...


See you at the co-op.

Free workshop on Thursday, 21st November

The new date for the Love Food Hate Waste Workshop has been set for Thursday, 21st November.

‘Love your lunch’

Hands-on activities and cooking demonstrations 

• Save money and the environment while creating healthy lunchboxes for school and work that loved ones will love.
• Inspiring and informative
• Learn how to store food effectively, use leftovers, plan ahead and provide healthy seasonal food that tastes good.

Bookings are essential; please call: Kariong Neighbourhood Centre on 4340 1724.

All participants receive a free lunch/tastings and a Love Food Hate Waste pack.

Thursday 21st November, 11.30am to 1.00pm, 

FIG Co-op, 

Ourimbah Scout Hall, Ourimbah Creek Road, Ourimbah

Tuesday co-op next week

Next Monday is a public holiday so FIG will operate on Tuesday 8th October instead.

Same hours: 2 pm until 5pm

Same venue: Ourimbah Scout Hall

Different day: TUESDAY!

In the meantime, we wish you safe and happy holidays...

This week at the co-op

The FIG Annual General Meeting is on tonight and all members are invited for that and also the general meeting which will follow.

Emails containing details have been sent to members.

This week also marks the end of our annual subscription period for the 2013-14 year. Members not renewing their membership by Monday 30th September will cease to be a FIG member, shall be removed from the email list and unable to order food boxes or buy from the extras table. Please contact us on info@fig.org.au if you are having difficulties paying your fees and we can arrange for you to begin paying them off.

The beautiful Kirkconnell pears have come to an end and the Pink Lady apples will soon, too. Tuckerflora Swiss Brown mushrooms have come back into production and we will also begin to get their avocados in from next week. We've been enjoying local blood oranges and Biodynamic mandarins as well as lemons galore. The navel oranges have been superb.

There's talk on the FIG Facebook page of a FIG Green Smoothie Challenge for members, starting in October. More information will be mailed out to members shortly.

Another Public holiday is looming up, so instead of opening on Monday 7th October, the co-op will operate in Tuesday 8th. Same times, same venue, different day.

See you at the co-op!

This week at the co-op

We began the ordering process not knowing if we would have many greens in the boxes this week, however are pleased to be able to say that we have a full compliment of greens - thank you to our farmers and members!

The drier weather has meant Ed's crops have slowed down. Jean's avocadoes should be ready soon. Hardly anyone has garlic left however it won't be tooo long before new season crops are ready. Ginger is in short supply as well.

However, there is lots of citrus! We have white, yellow and pink grapefruit, meyer and eureka lemons, juicy, tasty navel oranges, a couple of different mandarins and some blood oranges coming in today.

The bulk order team will be sweeping in today to weigh and pack all the fortnightly bulk orders. They will be waiting for collection down the back of the hall at opening time, and we have two trolleys and a volunteer to help get them to your car.

Today is the first of our monthly market arrangements, for members who have booked up table space... bring some cash with you! This market will be held on the last Monday of each month throughout the year except for December, however during December we shall be conducting weekly markets every Monday. It allow members to sell their surplus veggies, pickles, jams, kimchee, honey products and health concoctions!

See you at the co-op!