Recording and Notes From the March 18 Meeting
On How Long It Takes to Grow Rhubarb From Scratch
On today’s call we discussed seasonality of fruit and vegetables, and what we miss outside its usual season. Asparagus, figs, persimmon and rhubarb were mentioned. We wondered if one could freeze avocado in a way that it would remain tasty and whether it was possible to freeze oranges1. We discussed how long would it take to grow rhubarb from scratch. If you have tried, and know the answer, do let us know in the comments. While I am not a big rhubarb fan (except in a good crumble), whenever I hear it mentioned, I think of this beautiful painting by a Norwegian painter Nikolai Astrup, which I saw at an exhibition at my favourite museum in Stockholm, some years ago.
We also talked about the Welcome email that our subscribers get when they hit the Subscribe button, or when they Upgrade from free to paid subscription. We agreed it makes sense to personalise it but we also wondered about the value of it being very long — some of us even said we were inclined to unsubscribe if the Welcome email’s length suggested a particular Publication could be too much of a commitment.
Here is what Substack support says about Welcome emails:
Thank you to The Lemon Grove Lizzie Wingfield Amela Marin Wendy Trollip and Jamie Schler for a great conversation.
You can find the recording here:
Passcode: !8QDfVsh
[Once more, I am realising I need to up my Zoom skills, this time I did manage to record it in a way that you only see whoever is speaking, not the gallery of all the participants]
Here is a version of audio only, if that is your cup of tea:
https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/play/1oK0aq_E1rNVWnjeH3Yj0m31ljvuEE97RQLDTFTzbziqosCLICHl-bfLDgleaUXVOD5ccnk7bncgMdwz.Z1-m4pj59mLnwKqu
Passcode: !8QDfVsh
Coming Up:
Office Hours
What is Office Hours: It’s a way to get feedback, work through blocks, and spend time with people who get what you’re creating. Whether you’re refining your Substack, working on something specific, or need a focused window to work, this space is for you!
Who Office Hours is for: People actively building or working on something for your Substack: Writing, recipe development, or perhaps, something in the backend of your publication like your welcome emails, about page or starting Notes.
How to join:
Wednesday, March 25, at 12:00 p.m. New York (Eastern Standard Time)
Meeting hosted by Carla Contreras of Nourishing Creativity
Sign up with this link to register for this month’s Office Hours. Bonus: There is no recording to catch up on, this meeting is held live.
Note: You must be a registered Zoom user to sign up for this meeting. After you register for office hours, you will receive an email that will allow you to add the meeting to your calendar in your time zone. Need support? DM Carla Contreras
Links and Resources!
If you’d like to volunteer to teach a mini-masterclass at an upcoming Mastermind Meeting, please sign up here!
If you’re not listed in the Directory, leave a comment on the Directory with your name and publication and I’ll get you added!
Community Resources: A revolving list of resources from food writers for food writers
Collaboration Network: Find other Substack food writers to collaborate with
The Mastermind for Food Writers chat is a great place to connect with other food writers on Substack.
Upcoming collaboration opportunity:
Maggie J is hosting a recipe round-up post similar to the curry one that took place a while ago.
The below information is from Maggie: [please reach out to her directly if you want to participate and note that submission deadline is Tuesday, April 28, 2026 and that the post will be published Tuesday, May 5, 2026].
“If interested in participating, please create a post with your favorite condiment. This could be a salad dressing, mayo-based something or other, chutney, homemade teriyaki, etc. I’m open to anything that can be used to enhance a dish!”
Next month’s meetings will be on April 1, 11 am EST and April 8th, 8 am UK time. Links for registration will be shared later this month. As I requested in today’s call, please try to register the night before, and don’t worry if you registered and can’t attend in the last minute. Early registration saves me from last minute checking the Zoom app for additional registrations and/or saves you from the risk of not receiving the link on time.
For any questions or ideas related to this group, reach to Liza Debevec and/or Rebecca Blackwell.
I mentioned this post by Mira Dessy
Thank you Liza.