LYNETTE McClenaghan\u2019s green thumbs are playing an important role in how she keeps in touch with loved ones far away.<\/p>\n
As a member of the Ballarat Community Garden, she\u2019s been busy outside, and in the kitchen, inspired by the many herbs in her plots.<\/p>\n
Stripping and drying rosemary, parsley, sage, spearmint, basil, basil mint and oregano, and putting them in basic envelopes, Ms McClenaghan has posted and gifted the plants to those she cares about, so they can enjoy their home-grown, fragrant flavours while cooking in self-isolation.<\/p>\n
A former Melbournian, she said Ballarat\u2019s climate is \u201cfantastic\u201d for growing herbs and anyone could try their hand at growing, or drying, successfully.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started growing herbs because I thought, if I couldn\u2019t grow those, I\u2019d struggle growing anything else. They are pretty tough, a lot of them grow all year round, and I was way more successful than I expected to be,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes a little bit of patience, but I discovered, through trial and error, that the best, most time efficient way to deal with herbs, like basil and rosemary, is to pick the herbs and strip all the leaves off.<\/p>\n
\u201cI chuck all the stalks out, then wash the herbs, put them in a colander outside on a clothes hoist and let them dry as much as I can, then I roll them through a tea towel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms McClenaghan ensures her produce is as dry as possible before she puts them in the oven.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach person\u2019s oven will be a bit different, but I turn it on a preheat of 120 degrees.<\/p>\n
\u201cI put baking paper or old brown paper bags onto trays, sprinkle the herbs onto them, put them into the oven and check them every 15 minutes, until about 35 minutes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Wetter plants, like basil, may take a bit longer, but as all herbs start to dry, Ms McClenaghan scrunches them with clean hands to aid the process. Once they\u2019re properly dried, they\u2019re put straight into clean jars.<\/p>\n
For a journey through the post, she puts herbs into snap lock bags and then into regular sized letter envelopes, which are light and cheap to send.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are really delighted to receive them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust as excited as if someone came and delivered a box of chocolates. The fact that it\u2019s been handmade, it\u2019s the thought that counts.\u201d<\/p>\n
While she can\u2019t head to any swap meets, Ms McClenaghan has harvested all her green tomatoes to make relish, which she has exchanged with neighbours while checking in.<\/p>\n
She also makes vegan chocolate, which can be mailed safely in the cooler months, and sometimes adds herbs to it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LYNETTE McClenaghan\u2019s green thumbs are playing an important role in how she keeps in touch with loved ones far away. As a member of the Ballarat Community Garden, she\u2019s been busy outside, and in the kitchen, inspired by the many herbs in her plots. Stripping and drying rosemary, parsley, sage, spearmint, basil, basil mint and […]<\/p>\n