Community Spirit

“Other than the great sized cloves and lovely taste an additional benefit of elephant garlic is the magnificent flower it produces. The stem of the flower is called the scape and can be harvested and cooked providing a flavour somewhere in between a shallot and a garlic clove.”

Elephant garlic will keep for many months when stored in a cool dark place. The Ugly Elephant Farm’s garlic is available seasonally at many local produce stores so the ‘food miles’ are kept to a minimum. Visit The Ugly Elephant Garlic Farm on Facebook for more insights.

What is black garlic?

While delivering Eumundi Voice to the Eumundi Markets recently my attention was grabbed by a stall selling black garlic. After chatting with Teneille who runs the boutique business Noosa Black Garlic I was interested to learn more.

Black garlic is not a variety of garlic at all as it doesn't grow that way – it is made with organic elephant garlic sourced from the Noosa hinterland! Having just visited The Ugly Elephant Garlic Farm it was exciting to see how in our unique part of Australia we are increasingly providing local consumers with a paddock to plate experience. Paddock to plate food is all about ensuring every step your food takes between being in the ground to your dining table is carefully monitored to ensure the food is processed sustainably and kept as fresh and unprocessed as possible.

Black garlic is not roasted, smoked or burnt. It is produced using a unique ageing process where time and temperature change the white garlic into sweet, dark and umami black garlic in a process called the Maillard Reaction which is responsible for creating these special onyx gems. Teneille calls them the truffle of the garlic world! The usual pungent Cont. p18 and sulphurous garlic odour and taste are broken down during the ageing process so as a bonus there is no lingering garlic breath!

Noosa Black Garlic recently won reserve champion and a gold medal and silver medals for their black garlic cloves at the prestigious Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards. To try, buy or for stockists visit Eumundi Markets or: noosablackgarlic.com. Tania Watson

Road safety continues to be a major priority for Qld police as we attempt to reduce road trauma. In the Eumundi Police Division last month we had six reported traffic accidents which required police attendance and investigation. Police also charged seven drivers with driving under the influence of liquor or drugs. Ideally we would like to see these numbers reduced to zero, not only in our division but all over Qld, so plan ahead if you are having a cold one and arrange for alternate transport to get home safely. With school holidays approaching we will likely see an increase in traffic volume through our beautiful area as the southerners seek warmer temperatures. Again, let’s be patient on the roads and make sure everyone gets to their respective destinations safely during this period.

As previously mentioned, the Sunshine Coast continues to be an area targeted for unlawful entry and stealing of motor vehicles. Remember your car and home security and report suspicious behaviour. The Eumundi Division had one reported stolen vehicle last month and the owner had left their keys inside so be vigilant and lock-up your cars and homes.

The Eumundi Police Station counter is open 8am-4pm Monday, Wednesday and every second Friday. During these hours you can also contact Eumundi Police on the landline provided. Outside of these hours the landline is diverted to Policelink where you can report nonurgent matters or request to leave a message for a police officer.

Go bush in the gardens

The next Noosa Botanic Gardens event on Sunday 2 July will feature something special. As part of NAIDOC Week celebrations a guided bush tucker walk will be hosted by local Gubbi Gubbi woman Lisa Powell. Participants will discover the gardens' bush tucker plants, their cultural significance and uses. The hour-long walk starts at 9am and costs $15 or $10 for Friends of Noosa Botanic Gardens members. Bookings essential. Visit: noosabotanicgardensfriends.com/events or visit the Friends' Facebook page.

Thank you and stay safe. Please call 000 in emergencies, Policelink 131 444 for non-urgent matters and crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Acting Sergeant OIC Gary McNeil, Eumundi Police

Eumundi Police Station 5475 2323

The Taj Mahal

On 17 June 1631 Mumtaz Mahal died in childbirth in India. We know that because her husband, Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, was so grief-stricken that he ordered the construction of a tomb that became known as the Taj Mahal. The base material of the Taj Mahal is red sandstone but it is the white marble exterior, precious stones and perfect symmetry of the building and surrounding gardens that draw around seven million visitors annually. Amidst the heavy pollution and noise of the surrounding city of Agra the Taj Mahal has an air of calm, tranquillity, romance and beauty.

Construction work on the tomb began in 1632 and took 16 years to complete with another six years to finish the surrounding buildings. From across the Mughal empire 22,000 labourers were requisitioned and more than 40 types of precious gems were brought from India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Persia, China and Central Asia. Over 1,000 elephants were used to carry heavy materials. The cost was monumental, even then. Today the Taj Mahal is considered the finest architectural achievement of Indo-Islamic architecture. National Geographic identified it as one of 50 places to visit in a lifetime and UNESCO listed the Taj Mahal as a World Heritage site in 1983. Rhonda Piggott