Three Things to Nourish July: From Your Plate to the Wild Coastline

Jul 09, 2025

Written by tracey gunn

Three Things to Nourish July: From Your Plate to the Wild Coastline

Here on the South Coast, winter draws us inward. It invites small comforts — warming meals, creative gatherings, and the quiet awe of whale song echoing along the coastline. This month’s Three Things is a reflection of that rhythm: nourishment, connection, and the beauty of the season.

Delicious: A Love Letter to the Humble Cabbage

As winter deepens the need for comforting food beckons. For this recipe I wanted to use a vegetable often unlooked or snubbed. The humble cabbage has had a bad wrap over the years. Childhood memories of my mother cooking cabbage often conjured up that sulfurous smelling limpness that sat on the plate, alongside a lamb chop. Grey and unsightly. No-one wanted to eat it, yet we were forced.

As I moved into my adult years I parked any idea of eating this unmemorable offering. Too many bad memories came to mind. It wasn't until I got the vegetable growing bug that things changed. During winter, you grow winter veg and there's mostly brassicas to choose from. It's interesting when you grow a cabbage or any brassica for that matter. It's like the gestational period of growing a child. It takes time. You watch it slowly grow. The bump gets larger each day and you have to fend off opportunistic predators. But when the time comes to harvest, you get this amazing sweet and crunchy delight, that doesn't need much in order to highlight its delicious flavours.

I started off fermenting my cabbages. Preserving that amazing crunch and transforming those delicate microbes into bubbling assistants. Sauerkraut and kimchi was my thing. That is all good and well but then there's days when you want comfort and not something cold. Especially in winter. Cue the baked cabbage delights!

This Miso roasted butter cabbage is a recipe that I often go to in winter if I am invited to a dinner party. It's something that I can prepare ahead of time and take to the table and it will be received with oohs and ahhs from the guests. Very easy but an absolute show-stopper. If you want to remove the gluten element, grind up some cashews and mix with parmesan cheese for a bread crumb like texture. Although not my recipe, it's from a fabulous cook.

Here’s the recipe →

Vibrant: Meet the Makers Festival + Kitchen Beauty Workshop

We’re so looking forward to being part of the upcoming Meet the Makers Festival right here in Milton, a celebration of creativity, community, and handmade magic.

As part of the festivities, I’ll be running our Kitchen Beauty Workshop. It’s a hands-on session where we’ll be using ingredients from the pantry to create beautiful, nourishing skincare. These workshops are all about sharing knowledge and slowing down to reconnect with natural beauty rituals.

If you’d love to join us, you can reserve your place here. Spots are limited and we’d love to have you.

Beautiful: Whale Season on the South Coast

If you’re local, or visiting the region, this is one of the most breathtaking times of year to head to the coastline. The annual whale migration is underway, and there’s nothing quite like standing at the edge of the sea, watching these magnificent creatures glide past.

It’s humbling and grounding, a gentle reminder of nature’s rhythm, and of the vast, beautiful world we’re all a part of.

Wishing you warmth, nourishment, and connection this season.
With love,

Tracey

Delicious Vibrant Beauty

Three Things to Nourish July: From Your Plate to the Wild Coastline

Delicious: A Love Letter to the Humble Cabbage

Vibrant: Meet the Makers Festival + Kitchen Beauty Workshop

Beautiful: Whale Season on the South Coast

Leave a comment