Monday, January 23

Gold comes in many guises.


I feel I have found golden treasure, and had not realised I had already found it, in a garden of my childhood.

It is the humble little Cape Gooseberry, as we called it in our youth. The little green lanterns would become brown and transparent, and we could see the beautiful golden berries within, ready to be eaten.


Here are some photos, taken/stolen from the internet Image files. I sincerely hope the people who own the photos are not offended at my usage of their images.

The Cape Gooseberries of childhood in New Zealand, are now 'Incaberries' living here in Australia. No one seems to have heard of them until now. How curious.

I discovered the 'Incaberries', in a beautiful beetroot, carrot, pinenut,  & coriander salad. I was amazed at the delicious flavour these mystery berries imparted. A wonderful sweet and sour flavour, so intriguing to the taste buds. They are touted as being a 'new' wonderfood, and beneficial for all sorts of healthy reasons.

So, of course, I Googled them and discovered that they were in fact, the berries we had loved as children.

I wonder Ali, if you read this, you will remember them? Or perhaps even still have a plant or two. As you are now living in the region where I grew up, I could not help but think you might know of these wonderful little berries.

I was intrigued to read they are a South American fruit, mostly grown at high altitudes. Of course, until I had the salad, I had never known they could be dried! We, as children gobbled them up as soon as they were ripe.

I reminded my beloved Brother of them, and he instantly remembered them with joy at the memory.
Now I am going to be wanting to source them, to use for my own salads.

*****************

More Gold was the sudden onset of gobbling Doule Chocolate Caramel Tim Tams. I have no idea what came over me, but before I knew it, I had eaten five in a row! Normally, I am not much of a chocolate eater, and can take it or leave it.
Gom was the chocolate lover.
Ah well, I guess I can now wear the Tim Tams as extra padding for the Winter.

*****************

In other, much less golden matters, I have been having some 'rounds'  with the local Council's garbage collection company. Two weeks ago, I booked a collection.
The week came and went, the garbage remained.

I rang to inquire what the problem was.
"Not a problem," said the SYT (Sweet Young Thing) "You are on a Wait list, and it will be collected in the next few days."

The days ticked past. Garbage remained.
Another call. Another assurance by another SYT that I was "Still on the waitlist."
Come the collection day, no disposal truck. No collection.

WTH??

Many withdrawals had been made from our pile, but on the other hand quite a lot of deposits had been generously donated by other, swinish lazy folks.

A fair number of the scavengers had strewn rubbish over our lawn, and the street. I never object to anyone taking anything they can use. But please! Leave things tidy!
I spoke to a very pleasant man, who was collecting metal, who neatly repacked things after examination. I took him a further metal object to add to his collection. I do hope he uses some of the money he makes to buy himself some teeth for his head.

Mrs Nice Neighbour had booked a collection - after I had booked mine, as it happened. Imagine my horror last Friday, which is not the normal collection day,  when Mrs N N's garbage was collected, and the truck drove straight past our, by now disgusting, pile of 'stuff'.

I could not believe the truck drove straight past our lot. I had a laugh with Mrs N N about it, and we decided I am wearing a psychic "Kick Me" sign on my back, and we are both wearing psychic "Sh!t on Me" signs on our heads, since she had waited almost 2 weeks too.

The rest of the saga is too depressing for words. I have phoned the Council, who got a Garbage Comapny SYT to phone me today, with further assurance "Not a Problem"

(What is with this useless bloody phrase that the young keep trotting out, mindlessly.)  "Of course there is a problem!" I was practically bellowing, and since I was visiting a friend at the time, I frightened their various birds in the avairy, to say nothing of their cat, dozing on a seat. Their puppy had long since departed, I suppose fearing something might be deemed his fault.

We live on a corner block. Our actual road address has a 4 foot ditch on the side of the road. (In all the twelve years we have lived here, we have been assured by Council it will be paved and guttered, "Next year" Yes, next year, when the pigs fly over, I think to myself.)  Of course, our entry and 'frontage' are on the other street. SYT seized upon this as being the reason the garbage had not been collected. By then I was almost screaming.
"Surely the collctors can see it is not practical to place the garbage in the 4 foot ditch! Could they not use their brains to see the garbage as they drove past, and practically over it!!!"

We have had many collections in the past, without incident or problem. I am assured it will all be gone next Thursday. ???
In the meantime it will probably grow, as pickings are now very slim. None of the 'donations' seem to have been worth taking.
 And our lawn is dying, but I suppose,  since it is mostly Bindii, that wont matter a great deal. GRRRR!

So, you may see, why I am looking for the Gold. Constantly.

An old favourite, Bread Truckin' down the Highway.



14 comments:

VioletSky said...

Oh, thank you Meggie for these several belly laughs!!
I have no idea what Tim Tams are, but another Aussie blogger who has moved to England has been longing for them on several of his posts, so I am now craving something I know little about except that it is chocolate (and I love chocolate!)

Marigold Jam said...

Life can be so frustrating can't it but I had to laugh at the way you told the story! Hope your rubbish soon goes - just a thought perhaps you could fill in the 4 foot ditch with uncollected rubbish ready for when they get round to paving it over?!

I love cape gooseberries but had no idea they came in dried form too. What is a Tim Tam?

Christine Thresh said...

Garbage! A new can was delivered at my place last week. It only holds 20 gallons (the rate is cheaper than the 40 gallon size). However, along with the new little can came TWO 96 gallon toters for green waste and recycle waste. The huge cans are impossible for me to wheel out to the lane. It will take me months to gather up enough stuff to fill the recyle one and when it is full it will be too heavy to push.
I guess garbage is a problem around the world. At least you have a sense of humor dealing with it.

Thimbleanna said...

Too bad you can't just burn it like in "the good old days" LOL. I hope you finally have a collection this week. And TimTams! You lucky thing! We used to be able to get them here, but no more - I love them!

Jennifer said...

Let's hope that pile of garbage is collected soon! Oh dear.....it's not funny, I know. I remember little green gooseberries in the garden of my Melbourne grandmother, as a child - but didn't know these little golden berries.

Ali Honey said...

Yes, Meggie, We have cape gooseberries here. They grow wild. They pop up in the compost. R likes to make jam out of them ( very seedy jam )We collect them and put them in a plastic bag in the freezer till there is enough there for a batch of jam. Birds spread the seed I think.
I think like many things they are an aquired taste but like feijoas one that many kiwis are very used to.
Threaten to deliver the garbage to the Council's front lawn!

Floss said...

I love gooseberries and also had no idea that they could be dried.

Cathi said...

We found Tim Tams in a grocery store here and, having read about them on various blogs, bought a package. Oh, my goodness. They are amazing! Glad it's not at a grocery store that's too close -- I think we'd be buying them altogether too often!
I'll keep my fingers crossed that you actually get garbage collection this week!

ancient one said...

I had to google Tim Tams to see what they were... they look delicious...and I do like chocolate. Hope the "powers that be" will soon see fit to pick up the garbage. I don't know what those berries are? Sweet and Sour .. sounds good!

molly said...

Meggie , I remember gooseberries [we called them goosegogs!]growing in Ireland. When ripe they turned a goldish green and were delicious!My friend's mother made jam from them. But they had fuzzy little hairs all over the outside and a sort of stripey look---not smooth at all like those in your picture.

Hope they take that garbage away!

Catalyst said...

Now THAT'S the Meggie I know and love! I thank the garbage collectors down there who stirred the creative impulse.

Solution: If there is a television station near you, or a newspaper, contact them and ask them to come out and do a story on your uncollected garbage. A little publicity does wonders.

Rosie said...

I've just finished eating the last of our cape gooseberries...yum.

Marja said...

What a pain about the garbage Hope things get sorted Meggie.
I never heard of cape gooseberries Would love to taste one one day.
You have a great weekend Meggie

persiflage said...

I hope that garbage is gone by now. The time you have had to wait sounds most aggravating.
Did you ever listen to Arlo Guthries's Alice's Restaurant?
I have not thought about it for a while - my copy is so old it is on a record, it I think you'd enjoy it!