fou de Bassan

kangarool, Why not T'Gallant for pizza? It will be something familiar and it's laid back. There's always the cheese tasting at Red Hill Cheese or the General Store that I suddenly have drawn a blank on as far as its name... Sorry. At Peninsula Hot springs they have a healthy menu with a few sheltered tables. The food's not bad and you could hop into the springs.

Lucky you! This is really amazing and I'll be glued to this thread (although not as prettily as those rose petals you posted)!

I just bought tea plants to make a hedge. As soon as they get established my plan is indeed to harvest the tips. Keep us informed on your progress, please.

I agree with fat guy. I'd either go for a rectangle or a wide oval. We had our table made for us about 15 years ago and I still love it. It is a wide oval with a removable leaf. Removing the leaf turns it into a circle. It is a smaller table that seats 6-8. If you can find a local woodworker you can commission a table of your own design. The guy we worked with loved the challenge and the general design I provided and I let him take over from there. I loved his work and trusted him completely. JAZ, I also think a woodworker could create something made to measure for your space. Maybe a gateleg table or something with an extra long hinge called a piano hinge.

ryangary, No, not as far as I'm aware. I dearly wish there was, until then I'm making my own.

Donna Hay is huge here in Australia. I haven't cooked from her books but the recipes seem to be as you describe, Bella. Easy, relatively quick and with good flavor. She seems to be the equivalent of Martha Stewart here.

Sandra, welcome! There will be lots for you to discover in Melbourne. Re: the chiles... My poor little seedlings wilted and died in the massive summer heat. The Mexican food shop has a website that says it is still in the same location, near the airport. Do give aux batifolles a try. Kathryn

aussiebarracuda, In her book "The Cook and The Gardener" , Amanda Hesser gives a recipe for making sloe gin that sounds quite good. I could pm the recipe to you if you'd like. I'll take a look in my Southern cookbooks as well. kathryn

Happy birthday! I hope your year is full of good things. I'm tempted to try those trotters this winter. And that champagne jelly makes my gold slipper gene tingle.

Thanks for bloggingand photos of a beautiful part of the country. I'm from Virginia and miss it so. I'd never tasted those swirled toll house chips before but my dad brought some on his last visit and now we are all addicted! I would love to find a menu planner like yours here in Australia. For now I'll have to keep using post its.

Thanks for such a well written piece. This morning I was watching the bees on our lemon trees and wondering where their hive could be. This afternoon I get to read your piece. I feel as if I'm in that "bee-loud glade".

Nakji, My husband was reading this over my shoulder and repeating, mantra-like, this is making me hungry... His father was born in Pnom penh and he has a fondness for all things Vietnamese. Thanks for taking the time to blog and for the photos. Off to find food for salivating husband.

Thanks for the beautiful photos! I've missed much of this week so I'll go back now and read the whole blog. Just wanted to say thanks before your blog was over. I've never seen taro mochi before I wonder, if I can't find it locally, if it's very difficult to make?

Cabbage(but that's not white) or onions( have eaten stuffed onions with a Syrian friend) otherwise my brain refuses to work(much like my internet access).

Curse you dial-up internet! I can't see the photos! If I go back to the market photos I guess red pepper, carrot, turnip( or maybe daikon radish?)