Northern Valleys News

Wikipedia tells me that polenta cakes trace their roots to Northern Italy, where they began as a hearty peasant food! This is a wonderfully versatile recipe if you’re catering for a range of dietary needs – it is naturally gluten free and can easily be made vegan by swapping the dairy yogurt for a soy alternative. Polenta cakes have a unique texture – slightly gritty, which is not usually an adjective welcomed when describing a cake, but in this case the grittiness really works.

Living his best life as Chief Eating Officer at Good Dog Treats is rescue red heeler Boss. Originally one of Chris Kelsey’s best customers, Boss joined the team of two less than a year ago, arguably becoming one of the region’s luckiest dogs, with the daily job of taste-testing the range of handcrafted kangaroo meat treats.

A good gravy can make a meal and is absolutely essential for any Christmas in July celebration. Traditional gravy is made using the pan juices from roasting meat. Flour is added to the baking tray and stirred vigorously over heat to incorporate all the bits and cook the flour. Small amounts of water are added gradually until the desired consistency is reached. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a baking tray with juices and tasty little caramelised bits, gravy cannot be made this way.

Residents say protecting wildlife habitat, including this rehabilitation area frequented by kangaroos, should be a consideration in planning the proposed Gonneville infrastructure corridor. Community members in Chittering have raised concerns about the proposed infrastructure corridor associated with the Gonneville Project, a critical minerals development near Moondyne in the Shire of Toodyay.

The Department of Health is working closely with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) following the detection of H5 avian influenza (bird flu) in a wild seabird near Esperance. WA Chief Health Officer Dr Clare Huppatz said the risk to human health remains low but there are important messages that people need to know if they find a sick or dead bird. “Avian influenza viruses do not spread easily from birds to humans and human infections are rare,” she said.

Local Moora artist Dean O’Callaghan has been invited to exhibit his paintings in a group exhibition marking the inaugural opening of the new Stafford Gallery in North Fremantle. Stafford Gallery Director Kathryn Stafford represents the continuation of Stafford Gallery and is the second generation of Stafford Art Dealers in Perth. Kathryn continues the legacy established by her mother, Marlene Stafford, who was a pioneering figure in the Australian art scene, particularly in Perth.

This soup can be made in as little as 25 minutes if using pre-prepared chicken stock and canned creamed corn. Add some greens to the soup, with some bread on the side, and there is a complete meal. The best chicken soup, however, means making your own stock from good-quality chicken. The added bonus is the extra shredded chicken for use in other dishes, as sandwich filling, or frozen for use in the next batch of soup.

After two decades of campaigning for safer rail crossings, Lara Jensen is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as the Nationals WA announce a Bill to the Western Australian Parliament to legislate mandatory train lighting. Lara, who lost her brother and two friends in a tragic rail crossing accident 20 years ago, has never given up fighting for safety improvements to passive level crossings – an obvious measure which seems to have met with unreasonable resistance.

After successfully winning $685,500 in Federal grant funding through the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program (RPPP), the Shire of Chittering is seeking feedback from the local community as the project moves ahead. The funding was sought for the Bindoon Town and Tourism Precinct project, and can only be used for planning and development works, but Chief Executive Officer, Melinda Prinsloo, says this will open the doorway for investors and further grants to deliver built infrastructure.

Liz Coles Here’s one tip to begin with — get your hands on a CWA Cookery Book and Household Hints. Whether brand new or lovingly passed down through generations, these books are treasured possessions in many Australian homes. Often gifted between family members or inherited over time, they are much more than recipe books; they are little pieces of history. Recently, I travelled through South Australia with my sisters.