School fete

As I mentioned in my barely-qualifies-as-a-post yesterday, among our activities this weekend was Miss B's primary school fete. School fetes are a big deal in Australia, or at least in the ACT; at this time of year, when you drive around Canberra, you will see signs for them every weekend from the start of November until school ends for summer holidays in the third week of December. The fete is usually the school's principal fundraising event every year, and our school community puts a huge amount of effort into it. This year's fete had more than two dozen stalls and attractions, including turning the entire school hall over to secondhand stalls selling children's clothing, books, and other stuff. Pictured above is a small sample of what my stitch group had for sale at their stall; I can't take any credit for any of this as I have not produced one single saleable item this year. I did volunteer a morning to help with fete food prep, and baked a cake at home to bring for one of the cake stalls; and I spent 2 hours on fete day selling people lunch at the Mexican food stall. (Oh, and I also procured the authentic fiesta decorations for the Mexican stall during my recent visit to Dallas.) So, though I remain a terrible knitter, I try to do my bit in other ways.

Miss B came with me to explore the fete while I was working, and between bouts of helping out at the Mexican stall and the stitch stall (being run by her beloved Year 3 teacher), she practiced being independent by heading into the throng to visit the cotton candy lady, the face painting booth (where she got a bracelet painted on her wrist), and the people giving out free balloons. So a good time was had by all, and word went round the school today that this year's fete raised somewhere in the neighborhood of AU$25,000. How's that for the power of volunteerism?

Sunday snafus

The technology is conspiring against me! First my laptop crashed, and now my iPad keeps booting me out of Safari! So I'll try again tomorrow with updates on the school fete, cooking escapades, and what a small world it really is. Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

Sour cherries

This morning I did my usual Saturday farmers’ market run. I was a bit more pressed for time than usual, so I had to prioritize what I really needed, so I could whip in and whip out again.

Having found everything I needed very quickly, I decided I could reward myself by heading out via the middle aisle – a part of the market I frequently forget to visit, because none of my regular vendors are there and what is there seems to change a lot.

I’m going to have to file this away as a reason to deviate from my normal routine more, not less, often. Because the last time I went down there, I found spelt flour for the first time in Canberra. And today, I hit the jackpot again: I found a cherry stand that had, alongside piles and piles of sweet cherries, just a few boxes of sour cherries.

I’ve been in love with sour cherries ever since I first discovered them at a farmers’ market in western Mass. more than five years ago, but even at farmers’ markets they’re a rare commodity. It’s probably been three years since I’ve been able to get my hands on any; my supplier in Kansas had her sour cherry harvest flooded out by the Missouri River in 2011. Last year I asked every cherry seller I came across in Canberra if they had sour cherries; every single one told me no. I was convinced they weren’t even grown in Australia. And now here I am with 1.5 kg (3 lbs) on my hands!

Now the question is: what to do with them? I love the combination of sour cherries and peaches in baked goods, but peaches aren’t really in season yet. Maybe a plain cherry pie? I’ve never made one of those before. Jam? Or maybe I should plan ahead to Thanksgiving, and use them as a stand-in for the equally elusive (around here anyway) fresh cranberry?

Cherry experts - please share your wisdom!