Bookworm: Sundays Under the Lemon Tree with Julia Busuttil Nishimura

In our interview series Bookworm, we chat with authors and artists about books, gardening and food. This month, we meet cook, author (and ex-Kitchen Garden Program educator!), Julia Busuttil Nishimura.     

As the youngest of three siblings, Julia Busuttil Nishimura discovered her voice through food. “Cooking was always so special for me. It’s how I found my identity in the family,” she shares. 

Julia fondly recalls podding kilos of broad beans with her grandma, the smell of onions caramelising for her mum’s French onion soup, and climbing down steep steps to the beach to collect seawater for making ricotta. These treasured memories come to life in her first children’s picture book, Sundays Under the Lemon Tree, out this November. 

Beautifully illustrated by Myo Yim, the story draws inspiration from Julia’s childhood on the South Australian coast. It’s a joyful celebration of cooking, family and tradition — complete with an apple cake recipe inspired by her own family’s version, perfect for little hands to help with. 

Seeing the joy of the story’s young heroine as she cooks with her family is truly heartwarming. 

The young heroine of Sundays Under the Lemon Tree loves preparing and sharing food with her family.

“Often, we underestimate how amazing kids are in the kitchen, and we underestimate the connecting power of food,” says Julia. “It's never too late to create your own traditions. Of course, you can pass down old traditions, but you can create your own too.” 

Julia in the Kitchen Garden 

Julia knows a thing or two about empowering children through food. Before becoming the beloved cook and author we know today, she taught Italian and was a Kitchen Garden Program educator at Fitzroy North Primary School. 

“We were already doing a little bit of cooking, but it was so good to have the support of the program and those curriculum links,” she says. “It was such a great way to teach a language as well, because it was so fun and immersive, and the kids just loved it.” 

The school started with a few electric frying pans before building a dedicated kitchen, which still hosts Kitchen Garden Program classes today. 

“I sometimes see the parents of kids I taught, who are now in high school, and they say ‘Thank you so much. My kid still makes this pasta for us for dinner’,” she shares. “Kids try new foods, eat together, and it really does change lives. I loved being part of that.” 

The joy of cooking together 

Julia doesn’t teach in a classroom anymore, but she still shares her love of learning and food with her two sons, Yukito and Haruki. Pasta, gyoza and guacamole are among their favourite dishes to make. “My 5-year-old can make cavatelli, and it's so nice that he feels confident. And my oldest loves making salads using the salad spinner,” she says. “It’s so simple. But we can take for granted how meaningful those little moments are for them.” 

Julia Busuttil Nishimura with her sons, Haruki and Yukito. Credit: Annika Kafcaloudis

The family keeps a small herb garden and grows tomatoes in summer. When they shop for food, seasonality is always top of mind. “They know what’s in season tastes better, is better for the environment, and is cheaper,” Julia says. “It’s kind of ingrained in them now. They know why they can’t have a peach in July.” 

And most importantly, they make time to eat together as often as possible. “Sitting down at the table together, helping serve, and talking about what we’re eating, that’s really key for me,” she says. 

• Sundays Under the Lemon Tree is available for pre-order. You can find it at your local bookshop from 4 November.  
   
• Join one of our free Kitchen Garden Program online info sessions on 24 November (Early Childhood) or 27 November (Primary Schools) to go in the running to win copies of Sundays Under the Lemon Tree, thanks to the generosity of Scribble Books. 
   
• Read our previous Bookworm interviews with Zeno Sworder, Jaclyn Crupi and Tai Snaith.