Di's Rhubarb

Di McDonald has been growing rhubarb for years.
It all started when a farmer she was working for couldn’t afford to pay her, so he gave her some rhubarb cuttings.
Evidently he gave her a lot more than a bit of cash to get her though the next few months, he gave her a livelihood.

Di leases a block of land from Tahbilk Vineyard. The setting is amazing, the rhubarb grows on a gum lined bank of the Goulburn River. Grass parrots potter in the green grassy rows between the rhubarb stems. Kingfishers duck and weave in and out of woody hollows.



Di lives in one of three workers cottage on the vineyard, and whilst she doesn't have any immediate family, the vineyard workers are her extended family.

When you drive in the dusty road to the vineyard you can see Di, head down bum up, quite literally. Picking and tending to her rhubarb is how she relaxes.
Working 7 days a week, making her own compost, weeding, taking care of her girls (the chooks)who take care of her rhubarb, is all in a weeks work.


On Saturday mornings she wakes at 3am to drive to Melbourne for the Farmer's Markets. It takes her two hours to get to the city down the Hume freeway.
By the time she has a cuppa back on the farm, Saturday has been 16 hours long.


Its hard work, but she is richly rewarded with "moments" on her farm. Today she watched two turtles baking in the sun at the river while she pumped water, and the migrating Kingfishers circled above her head.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
You can buy Di's rhubarb from any of the Melbourne Community Farmers Markets
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Frank, Food & Me Baking is up and baking

I have been hitting the pavement of late with my cake samples.

At first we were a little scared, thinking if we actually went out there and tried to sell our cakes, pies and cookies to cafes, and they said they didn't like them, we would actually have to consider another career. We wouldn't have given up that easily obviously, but it is pretty scary putting you heart and soul out for judgment!

But there was no where to go, we couldn't keep testing recipes, baking cakes, and having no one buy them. We had to take it out of the theoretical world and into the real one...We had to sell these little tackers, so sell we did.

We are proud to say that Frank, Food & Me now has its first customers, and we are off and baking!

Now that we have all our branding, I thought it was time to share the vision, and show off some of our range! So here they are.


The Frank, Food & Me Sample Plate


Some tasters for the cafe folk


Rich Chocolate Brownie




Seasonal Fruit Crumble Pie


Poppy's Persian Shortbread


Lemon Cake with Seasonal Fruit (whatever is freshest and bestest from the farmers market goes into these lovelies!)


Morning Bircher Loaf: this one was created for a client that sells most of his cakes in the morning with coffees, something different from the muffins!


Me minis: these little beauts are for the chil'ens. Kids love icing in all its bright gooey glory, but no one loves a hyper kid,or the sugar low that follows, so these are an adaptation of the Lemon Cake with big juicy blueberries(when they are in season - something else otherwise) and an all-natural fruit icing.


Chai Tea and Honey Cake: a little creation of mine containing Calmer Sutra Chai Tea and Honey, great served warm with a dab of local honey.


Oatmeal Bali Biccies: These are heavy and wholesome, the recipe is from a health retreat I visited years ago in Bali, and a beautiful Balinese waiter took the time in perfect Indonesian English to write it on the back of a restaurant docket for me!


Citron Polenta: a homage to the woman I travelled to Paris to work for, Rose's Citron Polenta cake is UNREAL and is also gluten free.


A Chocolatey version of the Citron Polenta, adapted with some sheep's milk yoghurt to cut through some of the butter, and add a bit of sharpness - also gluten free.


Lemon Cake with Seasonal Fruit: at this time of the year rhubarb is great, so I grabbed some from Di at the market - best rhubarb in town, and tartness matches perfectly with an appley lemon base in this cake.