Meant ‘dhal’ in prev comment – came to me last night when i was awake and worrying about Leigh Sales question to Peter Garrett – when are we going to get cheaper books?! – just provocative phrasing, surely – she cannot have actually accepted nong logic of productivity commission, can she? And did PEter Garrett have white eyeliner inside the lash line of of lower eyelids?

Now, our garden is producing greens all year round – almost any type of salad green… we also have a massive crop of potatoes this year, and some lovely types. Mouth-watering and that has cost almost nothing, as our local organic food store had potatoes that had started to shoot…

there are websites devoted to this sort of thing, such as http://tinyurl.com/nr5j5s ( interesting recipes, check it out) but gourmet to one person may not be gourmet to another.

Boxes of tomatoes that at the end of summer are selling cheap in bulk, are useful too, as you can cook them up plain, freeze, then when required use for a huge range of things.

I also stay on the lookout for gourmet/organic breads that are marked down. They go into my freezer for later use. Rosemary and olive bread is always a winner, even if only good enough to be made into gourmet croutons!

If I can save on some of these basics, then i can and do afford to buy specialty items for great occasions. We are fortunate that we are vegetarians and keep chooks for eggs, so also save on the meat and good quality egg thing.

we belong to a food co-op where we not only share in the bulk-buying of organic staples, but when our gardens are overproducing we are able to swap or share our surplus.

I make the choice to buy organic and local foods where poss, and specialty items for gourmet occasions. We eat fairly simply between those times, and we may go without other things in life because this choice (organic/quality) is sometimes more costly. But most of all…I think it is about being creative.

Indian food good for feeding big group without spending too much $$ – dahl, rice, bread, a veg curry, a meat curry made w nice cheap gelatinous cut, accompaniments – a good eg of how time vs money can work.

Ms Melbournia, a recent arrival from the south, arrived here the other day with a jar of home-made labna, those incredible yoghurt/cheese balls marinated in herby oil. Oh MY. I plan to snaffle the recipe from her as soon as I can wring it from her, and have a crack myself. It is amazing stuff.

Now, Empress, I don’t suppose you have some kind of pickle recipe for cumquats? We have been given a kilo of the beautiful little beggars but we have marmalade gifts lined up in the pantry, so no more marmalade or jam needed here. I’m thinking some kind of spicy pickly chutneyish thing? Will search …