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Recent
Archives
SEO by:
Michael Eakes
Web Development by:
Ryan Wright |
John F. Kennedy wisdomThe problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need people who can dream of things that never were.Posted 6/22/2009 link
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carbon farming course in Tennessee! i support this course -- and its teachers -- but its image, almost above all. <3 Posted 6/04/2009 link
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some food wisdom from the garden state(from a Dodge Foundation-sponsored workshop entitled, Bringing People and Land Back into the Economy'..On the fast food, meal on the run, catch as catch can version of dinner, we talked about the fragmentation of landscapes; the 257 acres per hour that are lost to development; the fact that most of the preserved land in the US is posted “no trespassing”; and the fact that one in four people suffer from clinical depression. We also added notions of industrial agriculture, mono crops that strip our soils, rising food safety concerns, food scarcity, justice and access issues, and farming viability and affordability issues.. ..In thinking about “what we would like to do that’s just outside our current organizational fences,” we heard notions of linking food production to housing development; consolidating urban vacant lots for new urban farms; bridging newer suburban populations with long-time residents and farmers; initiating a statewide food security council; creating a sustainable food distribution model to small retail outlets; and creating an intergenerational local foods volunteer corps.. .. Now we were, in Peter’s words, “painting a picture of the world people want to go to.” ' (for context and full post see the Dodge Foundation) Posted 5/27/2009 link
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Green Venture Conference Interview yours truly was interviewed tonight at Fairleigh Dickinson University -- next to a sample forest garden plot i staged with one Jan Graff, of BigOldTrees, for the three day conference. Click here to read and hear the interview. ! what a fine start to the conference. Posted 5/19/2009 link
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in the first 110 days of this year, 200914,178,0++,+++ CHICKENS have been killed.that's 14 billion in 110 days. i suspect that there exists space within the global collective to be more thoughtful about that.  lovely art work courtesy of Ronna and this, and other fascinating numbers can be found at: World Clock Posted 4/21/2009 link
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how will we perceive the world?The works created by human kind -- all human institutions -- must be measured primarily by the extent to which they ignore, inhibit, or foster: a mutually-enhancing human/earth relationship.-- Thomas Berry Posted 3/20/2009 link
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what is meant by 'regenerative'?Regenerative means Healing -- in such a way that the life healed, may take better care of itself after, than ever before.<3 Posted 3/20/2009 link
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how darlingly succinct"We need to shift to a cosmology that is biocentric; recovering; has a strong gift economy; and is polycultural and partnership-oriented. The value shift entails switching from endless, linear, more-is-better values of Profit, Power, Progress and Products to self-limiting, circular, enough-is enough values of Nourishment, Fulfillment, Sustainability and Relationships, respectively."-- Dave Jacke Posted 3/12/2009 link
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what is permaculture?
Posted 1/19/2009 link
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Craft Good Health Through Re-UseTransform the season's detritus into a wrist pad for your computer desk. Gift yourself a Carpal Tunnel-free existence. INGREDIENTS: - wrapping paper tube - used wrapping paper or newspaper DIRECTIONS: - stuff paper into tube to level of desired resistance and support - place in front of your keyboard and mouse (optional) - decorate outside with paper, colors, old fabric. etc Posted 12/22/2008 link
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Please watch this brilliant animation and help set a better course.350.org - 90-Second AnimationThank you. 350 is the number of parts per million that is 'generally' agreed upon as a not yet catastrophic level of CO2 in the atmosphere sufficient to unleash what will go from being called Climate Change to Climate Chaos. The atmosphere checks in now at 387 ppm of CO2. We have backtracking to do from here. This is a global campaign that is attempting to place the amount of carbon in the atmosphere into everyone's awareness and everyday lives. And i want to help. namasté Posted 12/16/2008 link
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In the last 16 years..More than half of the United States has undergone a pronounced warming shift, enabling warmer climate plants to be grown north of their previous possible ranges. These geographical areas are known, horticulturally, as plant hardiness zones.The National Arbor Day Foundation has produced an updated map, visible below, detailing the changes of the last 16 years. (The banding depicted results from the 'middles' of the previous zones remaining in the same general category, while its geographic edges are overtaken from the South or pushed to the North.) Warming is here already. The good news: people in northern climates may enjoy a greater variety of homegrown fruits and vegetables. The bad: warming is an indicator of severe weather ahead. Global Warming sounds almost pleasant -- Climate Change, not so bad to those who still experience winter -- but when it presents itself clearly as Climate Chaos, we will be grateful for the food now growing in our gardens, the water we catch and store from the sky, and our close communities. namasté 
Posted 12/16/2008 link
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If my life was a garden, it could be made more sustainable and regenerative:-- by completing cycles of needs locally.-- with a community in place with which to grow, and share resources, hardships, and successes. -- by remaining in one place. -- by permitting self-feeding. -- by ensuring its food is healthy and vital. -- by checking aggression. -- by inviting entities with myriad contributions to join community. -- by utilizing the widest spectrum of available resources. -- by asking for help. Posted 12/04/2008 link
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to halt global warming...our present national average of Carbon Dioxide release, per person, will have to drop by 90% -- from 22 tons of CO2 per person to 2.David Orr has called this our 'Great Work'. Posted 11/17/2008 link
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garden party -- you are welcome please, RSVP if coming 2 days in advance. thank you. douglasFrances Posted 9/23/2008 link
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what i doI aid people to lead healthy lives, which support & create Health in the communities and life around them. I work first in kitchens and gardens to root immediately the Home in the Earth that supports them.I plant native, sustenance-providing, and medicinal plant gardens that grow largely to sustain themselves. These gardens provide lush habitat, and an abundant source of fresh, local food. I also prepare delicious vegan meals in home kitchens by the night, and week -- so that households may be free to conduct themselves as they will, feeling their meals to be nutritious, delicious, restorative, and healing to the planet. Posted 8/17/2008 link
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the leaf that eats like a meal the collard green Posted 8/08/2008 link
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adopted landmeet the new berry patch and plant nursery: (for a before-and-after, look beyond, then near) Posted 8/08/2008 link
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plant food live like food grew from trees Posted 7/22/2008 link
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Steps to Heal the Earth ---------- Where You Are (or did you think we were trying to save the world?) Stop Spraying Chemicals and Poisons Compost Keep Organic Material On-Site Apply Sea Minerals with All Trace Elements Amend Ground with Natural Charcoal Plant Intentional Communities Foster Diversity thank you namasté Posted 7/16/2008 link
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re-tooling mandala: mid july Posted 7/11/2008 link
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Posted 4/26/2008 link
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Posted 4/25/2008 link
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Two Worlds -- RumiThe breeze at dawn has secrets to tellDon't go back to sleep You must ask for what you really want Don't go back to sleep People are going back and forth across the doorsill ____ Where the two worlds touch ____ The door is round and open Don't go back to sleep. (thank you) Posted 4/13/2008 link
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Great Pacific Garbage PatchWhat is twice the size of Texas (Texas!), is 80% plastic, weighs about 3.5 million tons, and only grows larger?the Great Pacific Garbage Patch  An area of circular currents in the ocean has accumulated debris from all lands that surround the Pacific, as well as its traversers. vbs.tv has produced a 12 part video series of a research crew visiting the North Pacific Gyre. how may each of us reduce the creation of this waste? a simple start includes these items: 
Posted 4/11/2008 link
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wheel of fortune
Posted 4/11/2008 link
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40 years passing -- Martin Luther King, Jr. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. -- MLK Posted 4/04/2008 link
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millionaire's salad Reflections before Food: - I reflect on the work that brings this food before me - I reflect om my own imperfections - Allow self to remain free from preferences and greed - This food as an effective medicine to keep my body well - I accept this food so that I may fulfill my task of evolution namasté Posted 4/03/2008 link
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wood chips and a dream -- food, not lawns -- and natives on the way you will be seeing more of this project. an ordinary lawn in central new jersey -- garden variety. this can happen anywhere. Posted 3/24/2008 link
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toward a shared visionor, 'Where from here?'the following is courtesy of The Earth Charter Initiative (www.earthcharter.org/): PRINCIPLES (by which to move forward) I. RESPECT AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE 1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity. a. Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings. b. Affirm faith in the inherent dignity of all human beings and in the intellectual, artistic, ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity. 2. Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love. a. Accept that with the right to own, manage, and use natural resources comes the duty to prevent environmental harm and to protect the rights of people. b. Affirm that with increased freedom, knowledge, and power comes increased responsibility to promote the common good. 3. Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful. a. Ensure that communities at all levels guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms and provide everyone an opportunity to realize his or her full potential. b. Promote social and economic justice, enabling all to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood that is ecologically responsible. 4. Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations. a. Recognize that the freedom of action of each generation is qualified by the needs of future generations. b. Transmit to future generations values, traditions, and institutions that support the long-term flourishing of Earth's human and ecological communities. In order to fulfill these four broad commitments, it is necessary to: II. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY 5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life. 6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach. 7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being. 8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired. III. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE 9. Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative. 10. Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner. 11. Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity. 12. Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities. IV. DEMOCRACY, NONVIOLENCE, AND PEACE 13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision making, and access to justice. 14. Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life. 15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration. 16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace. ---------- '... if only we had some idea about what it would like...' namasté shanti shanti peace peace Posted 3/19/2008 link
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majora carter - Green the Ghettoa woman from the South Bronx brings down the house Posted 3/11/2008 link
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smoothie in a minutethree ingredients:rice milk peanut butter carob molasses (the last is a product of the eastern Mediterranean -- the concentrate of carob seed pods and water -- available at Lebanese/Syrian/Middle Eastern importers) now and again, i think the best smoothies have just three ingredients. to keep them as fine, the number of ingredients seems to double. namasté Posted 3/07/2008 link
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showing tender faces 'The Six Grandfathers have placed in this world many things -- all of which should be happy. Every little thing is sent for something -- and in that thing there should be happiness, and the power to make happy. Like the grasses showing tender faces to each other, thus we should do -- for this was the wish of the Grandfathers of the World.' - Black Elk of the Oglala Sioux Posted 3/06/2008 link
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much maligned This is Tobacco -- specifically, Nicotiana rustica. 'Indian tobacco'. 'Mapacho'. So is this -- Nicotiana tabacum. 'Cigarette' tobacco. These are plants. Spirits of Earth.  (a few more words on Tobacco -- by request) Tobacco -- to borrow words sequenced by Walt Whitman composed for an alternate purpose -- relies upon itself, invites no one, promises nothing, sits in calmness and light, is positive and composed, and knows no discouragement. In close family relation to Indian tobacco, is a far milder sibling named Nicotiana tabacum -- a plant, on whose back personal and corporate fortunes have been raised and multiplied -- a plant, on whose back also has been laid centuries of blame and contempt. If the following offends, please forgive my effort to raise the weight and infamy off the body of this plant that never asked to be grown in great monocultures, or adulterated with chemical additives, and rolled with fiberglass and glue. Neither has this plant encouraged the commercial, global, marketed manipulation of human patterns and desire that inspires its misuse, nor has it asked to be treated with the paucity of respect with which it has been widely greeted (despite, many may say, strong and clear signals to the contrary). I will state, as authoritatively as modern medical science suggests I may, that the smoking of cigarettes kills. Their abuse has killed. And it will continue to kill. To personalize this admonition, I will state also that I lost my grandfather, William, to lung cancer. Nevertheless, they remain plants. They are magnificent species among the myriad families of Creation, and within the plant family, Solanaceae. Their singular, wondrous characters have been identified -- and verified -- independently, across cultures, lands, and time. This is no secret. And as a result, multitudes steer themselves well clear of the individuals -- and sometimes the whole family. Yet, in front of our personal decisions, legislative goals, international trafficking, cultural beliefs, fears, love, and respect, grow these plants -- as they have grown always -- before us. namasté you are fine Posted 3/03/2008 link
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nightshades -- to some delicious, sacred, poisonous, magical, medicinal, deadly, scary, intense, special, delectable, psychotropic, dangerous Solanaceae -- the latin nomial of a plant family -- much loved -- and much maligned. Imagine being, if you please: as earthy and fine as Potatoes -- as tangy and versatile as Tomatoes -- as remarkable as Eggplants (of which, Turkish people alone have devised more than 1,000 preparations) -- as spicy and bold and Chiles, Peppers -- as fragrant and intoxicating as pure Tobacco -- and yet, because of the family (your family, if still role playing -- think aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents), entire diets, and groups of people, steer well clear of (you, and) all of the above, on principle, and more. Macrobiotic dieters, for instance, maintain such a profound respect for Solanaceae's stimulating properties (extreme Yin energy), they are simply excluded from regular dietary rotation. To be personally clear, I believe the Macrobiotic diet to be elegance incarnate -- delicately balanced, wholesomely conceived, and in able hands, positively delicious. Call it perhaps, then, a personal tendency, or leaning -- of mine -- to be wholly fascinated with the lot of Solanums. Tobacco is universally recognized, among the native peoples of the Americas, as sacred and healing. It is ostensibly first -- among offerings made to people, plants, and the earth itself. Its curative properties are present in all forms of the plant. The smoke itself is blown on the bodies of life to protect and heal those forms from abounding hazards. Brugmansia, pictured above, is associated with a selfish and generous spirit whose magnanimity is rarely felt without a dedicated allegiance to said plant and spirit. (Do not mess with). The center of genetic diversity for the Solanaceae family is Equatorial America, though its presence is global. This is of significance because the family has been largely undisturbed by the ice ages that slated clean, land under glaciers, and has had ages to adapt to the extreme ecological niches of the region. Simply phrased, the older and more adapted the line, the more creatively structured. The Solanaceae family is regarded botanically as narcissistic -- meaning leaf litter from within the family is especially appreciated as compost to other members growing locally. Allegiance seems to be a theme among nightshades -- human dependence is but one shade of this character. This is an extraordinary family -- with more to impart and share than human civilization will likely ever get around to embracing fully. Certainly, the Solanaceae are not to be trifled with. Their demanding nature, it seems, is one of the biggest obstacles to sustained, broadly experienced understanding. Virtually anything less than complete respect, and near subservience occasionally, may yield something akin to wrath. (Mercifully, the commonly edible varieties are gentler). I am but an admirer. An appreciator. A cultivator. An eater. Solanums to me are a fascination. I know them not at all, I report to you accurately. But I appreciate them with a divined awareness, and a certainty that, when near, I am in the presence of majesty. namasté  'Irish' (Andean) Potato flowers Posted 2/27/2008 link
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West Coast Seafood GuideIf you will, sustainability trumps. Click above to enlarge. For the printable wallet reference guide, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch. Posted 2/25/2008 link
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save a fish. roll your own.Let's consider the Bluefin Tuna. These magnificent creatures -- up to 12 feet long, weighing as much as 1,500 pounds, traveling in large schools, and deftly navigating the ocean at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour -- are commensurate with the American Bison in grandeur and largess. The relatively sudden collapse of Bluefin Tuna stocks is less apparent than the comparative disappearance of the bison -- at least in part because we do not share their deep blue home. Nevertheless, through a reckless combination of market demand, governmental subsidies, and overwhelming technological fishing advantage, the Bluefin Tuna population may be at less than 10 percent of its level measured in 1970 (to say nothing of where it may have been when giant Tunas were painted on walls of sacred caves at the dawn of history). Whole schools of Bluefin Tuna -- guided by evolution to surface for reproduction -- are spotted easily by airplanes searching for the giant silver creatures splashing and reflecting the sky. A call is quickly made to a fishing fleet on the water, which swiftly, and mechanically, encircles the school, and nets every fish -- up to 3,000 at a time. These fish will then likely be herded to penned sea ranches, and fed oily little fish to fatten them for market sale throughout the year. According to National Geographic Magazine the present rate of tuna harvesting is more than 4 times a remotely sustainable rate, and nearly as many times over and above the quotas and regulations drawn to protect the stock. These fish are deliberately overfished. Meanwhile, as the market is flooded with tuna all year, the return on each fish drops, inspiring the fishermen to catch more tuna. As consumers we may choose to withdraw our support from unsustainable industries and fisheries -- indeed, for the Bluefin Tuna, consumer choice is certainly more powerful than un-heeded, un-enforced legislation. For fisheries worldwide, the mere presence and operation of all 4 million-some fishing boats in the world -- more than double the necessary amount to fish within the oceans' means -- result in an insatiable drive that is crippling the oceans' ecosystems. No one has to give up sushi. But now, maybe rolling our own creatively makes more sense than ever. Have fun with it. Even the messies look cool:  Most folks have at least heard of these women -- now, you may watch Isa Chandra and Terry Hope roll sushi at home, in the Post Punk Kitchen. Posted 2/24/2008 link
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pilaf constructionfragrant seeds and pepper (toasted) olive oil collard stems onions garlic carrots collard greens + grains and beans (cooked ahead) scallionsremember: this is flexible and versatile cooking. some semblance of considered sequence rewarded, sure. but this can be anything. Posted 2/07/2008 link
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evolution
Posted 2/02/2008 link
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agrarian hero, Wendell Berry "Industrialism separated utility and beauty. If a thing was functional, it didn't make any difference how it looked, and I think you can only go so far with that. If a thing is ugly, I think we need to ask questions about it. How did it get that way? What else is wrong?" excerpted from Heifer International's 'World Ark' Posted 2/02/2008 link
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public service -- consumer marketinga.k.a. junk mailthere exists a company that, when commissioned, delivers our names, addresses, and unique demographic information to companies desiring to expand their consumer base. this same company makes it quite easy to omit one's name from their list of out-going addresses. simply e-mail them at this address:  .. with 'opt out' in the the subject line, and your name and address below (or addresses if you've moved recently)namasté Posted 2/01/2008 link
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lean on plants. ----------- cooking for substance, cooking for flavor ----------- American cooking wisdom holds that garlic flavors food. So does olive oil. Be cautious however, accepted wisdom continues, about using too much of either -- one repels loved ones (supposedly), the other bears fat. I say cook generously - with substance - and endow meals with a plant-based heart. The small step from cooking for flavor, to cooking for substance and flavor, is the same small step between cooking and successful vegan cooking. As it is said, particularly when a given dish calls for few ingredients, to ensure that the ingredients procured are of excellent quality, so too is it true, that when there is no meat or dairy on which to lean, the presence of just one clove of garlic, or a tablespoon of olive oil, becomes scant and cheap. In a supportive vegan diet, garlic, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, chard stems, pine nuts, (etc.) are no longer simply flavor accents -- rather, they are indeed that which supports us. lean on plants. remember to thank them for leaning back. namasté why vegan? again Posted 1/28/2008 link
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whole grains, plant foods diet shown to reverse ovulatory infertility According to Harvard University researchers, ovulatory infertility, which is responsible for 1/4 or more of all infertility cases, may be treated, cured or reversed, by eating a diet of whole grains (slowly digested, complex carbohydrates) and plant-based proteins. The study points out, as well, the obvious bonuses such a simple course of treatment provides: it is inexpensive; there are no (negative) side effects; it sets the stage for a healthy pregnancy, as well as a healthy diet for life; and, it reduces the likelihood of the onset of gestational diabetes. Harvard's Nurses' Health Study found clear and significant links between the consumption of, 'fast carbs', trans-fats, and animal proteins -- with ovulatory infertility. Refined, white foods, with high sugar and simple carbohydrate levels, disrupt hormonal balances and natural cycles, by raising blood sugar levels. While trans-fats, even in modest amounts, were found to decrease rates of conception. Animal-based proteins, as well, did not approach the comparative degree of success of reversing ovulatory infertility as consuming those produced by plants. In full disclosure, the study found also that whole milk products (NOT skim or low-fat) seem to help women become pregnant. As healthy hormone levels are rebalanced, it would seem to make extra sense to invest in hormone-free, organic milk products. Finally, healthy body weight and moderate exercise were also found to be significant factors in raising fertility rates. However, even just moving in the direction of a more ideal weight was shown to reduce infertility. Once again, the vegan diet sings to be noticed. Allow the word in. vegan. You need not become Vegan (all the time), and unhappy, to event this love in the world. But every healthy, vegan decision made, improves the vitality and fertility of people and the planet. If you need a goal toward which to aim, think 80% vegan. Let that last, hardest 20% go, completely. But do, please support the more sustainable, and humane, animal-agriculture practices and products available to you, to complement your beautiful, plant-based diet. Thank you. namasté Posted 1/22/2008 link
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---- why in the world are we here? ---- ... surely not to live in pain and fear. Posted 1/15/2008 link
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whole grains. the palm of your hand. i would like to go ahead and thank the Japanese, and their neighbors, publicly -- for the rice ball (!) first: cook rice. for mine, brown, with some broth and pleasantly salted. (and in a rice cooker). second: while rice cooks, get creative -- get personal with a small pan of something. make it strong, spicy, tangy, or what have 'you'. (in the above there are: scallions with jalepeños; also, onion and chopped mushrooms, with red chilis and parsley) third: let rice cool enough to handle in a bowl with a drizzle of rice vinegar. make ready full sheets of nori seaweed by dividing, folding or cutting each into four pieces. optional, but lovely, is to (dry) pan-toast sesame seeds as well. fourth and final: with wet hands, scoop rice into palm, 1/2" flat or so with a deeper something in the middle. spoon or press desired filling sparingly into center. bring sides up and around filling creating a ball of rice (if the 'walls' are too thin, pad them with more rice). as long as the rice is still warm, you should not need to (and might rather not) press too hard. set ball on nori square and bring corners up. if there are toasted sesame seeds in the vicinity, roll the exposed rice in the seeds. this is the best food. (no offense to other food) namasté Posted 1/13/2008 link
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different times. different measures. (image thanks to jordan) In the 1930's, beef cows grew naturally, over a period of 4 to 5 years, to their approximate slaughter-weight, between 1100 and 1200 pounds. In the 1950's, American farmers, at the dawn of the Age of Industrial Agriculture, nearly halved that time to between 2 and 3 years. Modern, industrial 'meat production', centered around CAFOs -- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations -- where animals are unnaturally fed: CORN (rather than grass), FAT from already slaughtered animals (remember these are herbivores by evolution), PROTEIN (concentrate), and generous portions of DRUGS and ANTIBIOTICS (so they survive the former) -- has reduced this time period, wherein cows ascend from their birth weight of 80 pounds to upwards of 1200 pounds, in just 14 to 16 months. This represents the lives attached to MOST of the meat purveyed in this country. If this seems at all amiss, allow it to affect you. Please. And thank you. This information courtesy of: Michael Pollan and his 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'. Posted 1/11/2008 link
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Kerala, India adopts Zero Waste action plan. Go, them (you). (Photo above courtesy of Chris Jordan, an amazing visual artist) How long, you ask, is this plan of action to zero waste? They aim to accomplish this in 5 years. Again, the state of Kerala, on India's southwest coast, demonstrates its standing as a bastion of sanity, reverence and sustainability in the world. Known already as the highest seat in India for quality of life indices, such as life expectancy, literacy, and health care, Kerala rivals and surpasses recognized '1st world' nations of the world, while maintaining income levels typical of the so-called '3rd world'. Beside an emphasis on even greater public education, a hallmark of the plan is the creation of jobs -- indeed, a whole economy -- in sustainable industry, or 'green' enterprise. Read more here. namasté Posted 1/06/2008 link
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paper mining -- waste reduction move toward 'zero' waste at home. one step. and then another. use your junk mail. mine from it usable paper. in just a little more time than it takes to open and discard all junk mail into a recycling container, tear list paper from the backs of envelopes and other package contents. or place whole sheets with blank backs next to your printer -- to receive the next map or driving instructions it is commanded to print. junk mail is nefarious. and ubiquitous. until we make it stop completely, why not use it for something constructive? save the future trees demanded for pads of to-do-list paper and single-use maps, and extend the serviceable existence of sanctioned waste. namasté Posted 1/06/2008 link
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save your stems, folks -- they are vegetables, too before you toss them into the compost bin, or -- gads! -- the garbage, consider the possibility using vegetable stems as a delicious (and nutritious, and fibrous) green condiment. browse your recipes. peruse those that call for greens, such as collards, kale, and chard. confirm that nearly every one of them calls for discarding those stems. then say no. and then yes to stems. recipe: ingredients -- - stems and central vein from one or more bunches of chard, kale, collards, or something similar - olive (or any other) oil - sea salt - (fragrant) seeds, such as coriander, caraway, or mustard - pepperoncini procedure -- - cut the rough, dirty bottoms off stems. you may discard these if you wish, or add them to a stockpot (see post from 3/01/07). float or rinse stems as you would any other. - mince, or finely chop stems, being careful to cut through and across the fibrous grain of the stems (also may be read: do not use a food a processor) - with sea salt, add stems to pan, with already heating oil, red pepper and seeds. heat gently at first, covered, to free locked moisture and soften centers. then uncover, and raise heat to medium-high, until stems caramelize. - garnish anything, to taste. or add to sandwiches. or fold in to grains. - enjoy Posted 1/05/2008 link
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quinoa, italian style -- (easy winter food, summer too) 2 cups quinoa, rinsed of saponin coat 2 onions, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 can tomato paste 1 tbsp pepperoncini 2 tsp sea salt 3 - 4 tbsp, olio (optional but lovely garnishes) : pignola nuts, 1/4 cup, toasted, dry or in oil sun dried tomatoes, 2-4 tbsp soft, chopped 1) in sizable pot, heat onions, olio, and pepperoncini over medium heat. after 5 minutes add celery. after another 3-5 add carrots. (after each vegetable added, add a bit of sea salt totaling about 1 tsp). continue sautéing until soft. add garlic. saute until caramelization just begins. add tomato paste. combine well. saute for 3 more minutes. 2) add 4 cups (hot, preferred) water, quinoa, and other tsp or so of sea salt. bring to boil. reduce heat to low, cover. let simmer for 15-20 minutes. remove from heat. let sit 10 minutes. 3) spoon quinoa into lovely, warm ceramic vessel. garnish with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts, if available. Posted 12/20/2007 link
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trans-plantedour roots are once again in new jersey soil -- our branches reach new york -- and we left a cutting in San Francisco. drop us a line -- we are again OPEN FOR BUSINESS.Posted 11/29/2007 link
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off growing-783596.jpg)
Posted 8/24/2007 link
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where do you come from?
Posted 8/21/2007 link
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who is your grandmother?
Posted 8/21/2007 link
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hiring Posted 8/21/2007 link
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my letter to the editor of the ny times in response to Home Again on the Kitchen Range Respect the Buffalo -- Save Ourselves In response to executive director of Slow Food USA, Erika Lesser's remark of the American buffalo, "You have to eat it in order to save it," I respond: To save ourselves, respect the buffalo. A perusal of the Slow Foods Ark of Taste website revealed further evidence that an important concept has been lost to the Slow Foods Movement. Of particular breeds of sheep, cattle and fava beans, SFI states, "All are endangered products that have real economic viability and commercial potential." The relegation of these viable species to mere products for our consumption is disrespectful to life everywhere, and reveals a deep-seated human arrogance. The wild buffalo of North America are native before us. They simply belong here, and their presence enriches the planet. They need not trade of themselves their meat to be granted the right to stay. There is cause to eat buffalo meat. But, please: the American buffalo are sacred in their own right. The Native Americans knew this -- and used the whole thing. Posted 8/20/2007 link
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like you mean it, tree-huggers KISS Posted 8/17/2007 link
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off growing
Posted 8/17/2007 link
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ZUCCHINI -- french croquettes -- turkish gozleme -- american cakeshello all - we are in high summer. zucchinis pour from the earth. they are so fine.this is my favorite zucchini preparation -- a great many thanks, and much love go to Burt Greene, a fabulous cook, the sweetest of men, and a wellspring of inspiration  recipe OUTLINE (have fun -- feel free to veer) grated zucchini (2 cups or a whole lot more -- there are never enough cakes it seems) sea salt red pepper flakes shallot, red onion or neither large garlic clove, minced or crushed curry powder, ground coriander, etc (1/2 teaspoon) sun dried tomatoes, dried raspberries, etc any other thing you may want (shredded greens, blanched or not, sunflower seeds, toasted or not, etc) olive oil (2 Tbsp) baking powder (1/2 tsp) whole wheat flour (1/3 - 2/3 cup) vegetable oil (3 Tbsp) 1) sprinkle zucchini with salt, let stand 20 minutes, wring out (reserve liquid for broth or future grain) 2) combine and mix wet materials and spices. then flour and baking powder. 3) make into patties 4) drop in pan with veg. oil over medium heat. heat til golden brown on one side. turn over. cook until golden brown on the other. (use less flour this way) alternatively, bring the heat down to low after turning gozleme over, then cover and finish cooking about 12 minutes. (the more-flour cooking method) enjoy, if you would please Posted 7/27/2007 link
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buy local, support the peasantryI am reading Barbara Kingsolver's, 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle'. I culled this gem today, written by her husband, Steven L. Hopp:'Food transport has become a bizarre and profitable economic equation that's no longer really about feeding anyone: in our own nation we export 1.1 million tons of potatoes, while we also import 1.4 million tons. If you care about farmers, let the potatoes stay home.' www.viacampesina.org LA VIA CAMPESINA -- International Peasant Movement Posted 7/16/2007 link
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sheet mulched vegetable bed -- five months onthe fruits of sheet mulching
Posted 7/14/2007 link
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a luther burbank salad? i wonder if the world's most adept plant whisperers could horticulturally turn this leaf into a meal.. serve on platter. sprinkle with seeds. drizzle with oil, sea salt, pepper, and pomegranate molasses. Posted 7/09/2007 link
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incontrovertible evidence that CSA's rockwhen i arrived home today, i needed fuel. on my fruit plate, from my CSA box, were nectarines and blueberries.- one fabulous nectarine - 1/3 pint of fresh blueberries were placed in a blender with two of my pantry staples: - rice milk - two organic bananas, $0.29 each from TrJoes (please though, ask them to carry organic, 'fair trade bananas' -- Oké distributes -- if you shop there) this was among the best smoothies i have ever experienced Posted 7/05/2007 link
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plum salsa, recipe fresh plums red pepper flakes (pepperoncini) black ground pepper sea salt olive oil cut flesh away from stones. once stones are removed, chop pile coarsely. place in bowl. sprinkle with pepperoncini, black pepper, and sea salt, to taste. drizzle with olive oil. mix well. put on anything. ANYTHING. yum. Posted 7/02/2007 link
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embrace this fruiting season Sunny California is America's fruit and produce capital. We have riches here approaching unimaginable elsewhere -- even right here in urban San Francisco. Amazingly, our chilly, foggy city is at least a month ahead, seasonally, of the Willamette Valley in Oregon in terms of its available fruit harvest. Look for plums right now. They may be littering your garden.  Pick them (up). Eat them. We let our scant and precious, edible cityscapes go to waste, too often in cities -- because 'food comes from stores' or 'food comes from farms'. Food comes from plants -- plants in your community. Eat local. Eat fresh. Plums on the ground. Plums in a bowl. Plum salsa. Remember, please, to thank your food provider and treat them kindly as you harvest. Posted 7/02/2007 link
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early summer sauté in skillet, combine olive oil, red pepper flakes, whole coriander seed, and 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped roughly and lightly crushed. heat gently until fragrant. (fresh ginger is lovely in addition to the garlic as well) add rinsed kale leaves, with rinse water clinging. salt and cover -- 15 minutes (kale and this step are optional) slice 2-5 fresh zucchinis in 4 long sections each. chop these roughly. add to pan with sea salt and whole white peppercorns (in about 1/3 proportion to the amount of coriander added earlier). stir. (cover less than 3 minutes -- cook another 4-5) slice kernels from 2 cobs of fresh white corn. add to pan with a pinch more fleur de sel. (keep over medium low heat, uncovered for another 3-5 minutes) serve. ***recipe notes for whole site: water = filtered water salt = sea salt = fleur de sel plant based foods = organically grown Posted 7/01/2007 link
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leaf of baby kale, recipe place tip of fresh-plucked, baby kale leaf barely in mouth. bite through leaf tip with front teeth, drawing leaf back in micro-inch increments, biting each time. consider the changing section of the leaf as you reach the stem and continue biting incrementally down, leaving the flesh of the leaf largely exposed -- and resting flat across the expanse of your tongue. then figure out what to do next. gasp. sigh. wonder. however you respond -- it will be singular. namaste Posted 7/01/2007 link
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(the best) carrot cake 1 1/2 cup ---- whole wheat pastry flour (or some combination of other preferred flours) 5/8 cup ----- evaporated cane juice 2 tsp -------- baking powder 1 tsp -------- cinnamon 1/4 tsp ------ sea salt 1/4 cup ------ millet, toasted 3/4 cup ------ +carrot juice / -rice milk combination 2 tsp -------- vanilla extract 1/4 cup ------ oil (vegetable, walnut, canola, etc) 1 Tbsp ------- flax, ground 1/2 cup ------ carrot juice 1/2 cup ------ carrot pulp 1 Tbsp ------- ginger preheat oven to 350. in large bowl, mix dry ingredients together. re-constitute carrot pulp with carrot juice in equal proportion. add this to bowl of wet ingredients combine wet and dry until just mixed. pour thinly into oiled baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. pour thickly, and bake for 45 minutes. a knife should come out clean. namaste Posted 7/01/2007 link
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a little more whitman -- recipes soon -- promise(click to enlarge)
Posted 6/26/2007 link
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poets of the kosmos -- walt whitman The poet is the arbiter of the diverse. The poet sees for a certainty how one not a great artist may be just as sacred and perfect as the greatest artist... The power to destroy or re-mould is freely used by her, but never the power of attack. What is past is past. If she does not expose superior models and prove herself by every step she takes, she is not what is wanted... Now she has passed that way see after her! There is not left any vestige of despair or misanthropy or cunning or exclusiveness or the ignominy of a nativity or color or delusion of hell or the necessity of hell... and no person thenceforward shall be degraded for ignorance or weakness or sin. If the poet breathes into anything that was before thought small, it dilates with the grandeur and life of the universe. She is a seer... she is individual... she is complete in himself. The others are as good as she, only he sees it and they do not. He is not one of the chorus... he does not stop for any regulations. He is the president of regulation. The poets of the kosmos advance through all interpositions and coverings and turmoils and strategems to first principles. They are of use... they dissolve poverty from its need and riches from its conceit... As soon as histories are properly told we will have no more need of romances. -- Leaves Of Grass Posted 6/11/2007 link
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plant*SF, nature works @ the corner of oak and scott PERMEABLE LANDSCAPE A NEIGHBORHOOD TREASURE IN SAN FRANCISCO plant*SF (www.plantsf.org) , a beautiful organization founded by Jane Martin, has streamlined the permitting process to replace uninterrupted swaths of concrete on city sidewalks with porous surfaces and planted gardens. Working with Jane Martin, and resident Lisa Zahner, nature works helped transform the SE corner of Oak and Scott into the newest such garden in the city. consider the before: 
Posted 6/06/2007 link
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plant*SF, nature works @ the corner of oak and scott  the benefits: water percolates naturally into the ground, re-charging ground water supplies and life fresh clean water is diverted from city sewers, which, during heavy rains, release sewage untreated when inundated opportunity for native plant gardening and habitat creation increased health of street trees, in a more natural setting neighborhood beautification and ensuing traffic slowing community building, interaction and support Posted 6/04/2007 link
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vegan aphrodisiacschocolate and lovePosted 5/26/2007 link
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soak dried beans Invite them to life. Seeds -- beans -- they are the stuff of life. Created by life, infused with life -- then protected and instructed to birth themselves later -- to come alive when conditions suit. There is no delay after mammalian fertilization. Life begins immediately in dark, moist wombs. Plant seeds must wait until they find their own moist, dark places. Seed germination is the birthing of life. To come alive, dried beans first need water. Light alone will not spark life. Life-bringing channels are restored only by water. Once breath is possible, life may begin. They grow -- Magic. Seeds convert simple starches into complex and brilliant forms. Even if halted after only a few hours, life will have begun. Soak beans, if possible, at least 8-24 hours. Then rest them, exposed to air, briefly before cooking. In contrast, to drop dry, patiently-waiting, beans into boiling water is to rob them, each, of a chance to live -- racing them from an unreadiness to breathe to the extinguishment of its very possibility. Consider the notion of softening beans, rather than beating them with heat -- of pushing gently on indigestable elements, rather than vanquishing the complex. Raise the water temperature gradually -- cook slowly -- allow life to leave as gently as it arrived. Retain that alchemical magic of life. Or to experience their full vitality, do not cook beans at all -- simply soak, sprout and eat. en matematica: (any life) x 0 = 0 (any life) x (0 < n < 1) = 0 < life < 1 (any life) x 1 = life To re-state: Life is what is so special here. Ingest vitality, and invite into our beings more life. Without life, we can slip into a realm where beans are lumps of nutrients -- the elements and minerals that comprise their form -- where the acts of growing, cooking and eating suggest a realm of mining plants for subsistence. A claim: Mining is disrespectful to life. Another: Respect for life is a universal love. namaste douglas (dedicated, please, to michael eakes) Posted 5/11/2007 link
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Vegan Sunday Brunch Menu for April 29th I am so pleased to offer this menu. It feels, to me, a blend of the beautiful and the sublime, of the old and the new. I do hope you enjoy. I am also tremendously pleased to announce that this Sunday's brunch will be accompanied by musical guests -- Olive Mitra and his Eggplant Casino. I have learned much already in the preparation of these brunches. One conclusion continually re-asserts itself, as if it had never before been realized -- this town is outstanding. Thank you all. namaste douglas ** If you would like to receive e-mail announcements for future vegan brunches (and do not already receive them) do please e-mail me ** Posted 4/25/2007 link
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a claim:fewer people understand as readily that the ocean merges with the drop, as the drop merges with the oceanPosted 4/23/2007 link
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Vegan Sunday Brunch Menu for April 22ndLast Sunday's brunch was a great success. Thank you to all who came out and to all who made it possible.namaste Douglas 
Posted 4/18/2007 link
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fast DESSERT -- afters, with befores on top, one spoonplace into a dessert bowl:one heaping spoonful of your favorite organic PEANUT BUTTER a small handful of sigh-inducing, fair-trade, DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS some whole, fresh PEANUTS COCOA NIBS, to taste drizzle with organic, grade b, MAPLE SYRUP stir, and eat with your single, dainty, peanut butter-scooping spoon Posted 4/13/2007 link
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brunch menu for this sunday
Posted 4/10/2007 link
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homemade beverages that rockBANINI:-- Bananas, tahini, rice milk. Blend. (my friend Daniel adds a little maple syrup) LEMONADES: (please use only real, fresh lemons) -- The Elegant One -- the juice of one lemon, in a wine glass, a teaspoon or so of pomegranate molasses, and filtered water -- The Fiery One -- the juice of one lemon, an equal volume of maple syrup, 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of fresh cayenne pepper and 6-9 ounces of filtered water TONIC: (for fast hydration, and wellness) -- 1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon honey, a small pinch of sea salt, add then a full glass of filtered water. (this makes a great 'well' drink -- i stand at the faucet sometimes, taking sips of strong-er tonic and diluting the glass further after each, until it is just right to sit down with a full glass) TEA: -- (usually the leaves and buds of) camellia sinensis, steeped in hot water. oolongs, greens, blacks, whites. they are all lovely. loose-leaf tea is special -- tea bags are a meager substitute. (used leaves make great potted garden mulch) enjoy if you try namaste douglas Posted 4/06/2007 link
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Bread To The People The mastermind behind this no-knead, easy to create, crusty, airy, delicious bread loaf, Jim Lahey, humbly and generously requests that it be shared widely. Jim Lahey is the owner of Sullivan St. Bakery in Manhattan, one of my grandmother's favorite bread bakeries in New York City. To brilliant idea sharing! Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting ¼ teaspoon instant yeast 1¼ teaspoons salt Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed. 1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. 2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. 3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger. 4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Yield: One 1½-pound loaf. Thanks also to Mark Bittman and Colin Owen -- my go-betweens. namaste Posted 3/20/2007 link
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after only three months in the ground... cirsium brevistylum, our native thistle Posted 3/10/2007 link
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are your carrots this pretty? courtesy of my CSA produce box Posted 3/10/2007 link
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Community Supported Agriculture -- Make Your Own BrothIs your life and diet short on vegetables? Would shopping be less of a chore without packing, carrying and identifying the origin of your produce? Do you wish to eat with the seasons? Or support local, sustainably-driven enterprise?May I kindly suggest an organic, CSA produce box delivered to your home as often as you please? Support your local organic farm. Directly. Eliminate middle bodies. Contract with one of more than a dozen farms and farm cooperatives, operating in the Bay Area, that offer home or community delivery of their fresh picked produce.   Which brings me around to why I have a counter full of produce and why a weekly delivery vegetables encourages such kitchen-based enterprise as broth-making. RECIPE for homemade VEGETABLE BROTH: - Remove 'heads and tails' from (the more) produce (the better). - Place in large pot, fill with filtered water, heat to boiling, reduce to simmer for 30 minutes - 60 minutes, covered. - Allow to cool slightly, scoop vegetable parts into a colander inside a larger vessel. - Press vegetable parts into colander -- they will also act to improve your sieve. Pour the liquid through your colander-and-vegetable-part strainer, caring not to pour so much that liquid floods the sieve, re-releasing particulate. - Now, pour your fresh, delicious broth into jars for the week, and that pan of grain on the stove. - You should have between two and four quarts of broth, and had the pleasure of not scrubbing your vegetable parts. - Lastly, give these beautiful and generous vegetable parts to eager compost worms, who will in turn create plant food for more vegetables. The cycle of wealth is unbroken. This is all fantastic because: - Broth is delicious and nutritious and adds greater depth of flavor to grains, and beans, and de-glazed pan sauces. - Vegetable prep for the next week is already half complete (meals come together faster and with less impediment). - We use the whole buffalo -- no waste -- even the worms eat better with soft veggie scraps. - Boullion is expensive, and invariably contains dry ingredients. Read ingredient lists on all such products. Whole fresh foods win every time. - Not feeling well? Drink warm broth. - Food becomes an even more integral and intimate part of existence. - With a CSA box, produce is suddenly ubiquitous in your kitchen. And availability inspires. namaste Douglas Posted 3/01/2007 link
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Putting micro-organisms to work! For You.A brief introduction to sheet mulching:5 basic layers of organic material, designed to minimize labor, maximize nutrients and to discourage weeds. (before)  (tamed)  (chicken manure --> high nitrogen)  (corrugated cardboard --> biodegradable but not readily permeable to weeds)  (aged horse manure --> plants love this)  (straw --> thick mulch)  (compost --> top dressing and more nutrition)   (whole garden in various stages) Do not use this technique for a native plant garden -- I don't think a manzanita would know what to do with all of this food. This is a beautiful foundation to a food producing garden. namaste Posted 2/20/2007 link
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you are...you are what your deepest desire is. as is your desire, so is your intention. as is your intention, so is your will. as is your will, so is your deed. as is your deed, so is your destiny.from the Upanishads namaste Posted 2/02/2007 link
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plants love humus, tooallow me to approach the claim that a non-invasive influx of organic matter into one's life is a positive event.what is humus? humus is compost. and compost is plant material that has been broken down by soil organisms, micro and small. in an urban context, the process is often helped along by people, but it would get done anyway -- and it is the digesters that are performing wonders. they eat and recycle plant matter, breaking it down into basic elements readily absorbed by existing plant life. NO WASTE, ONLY FOOD. depending on your own garden and the amount available, with compost you may: - spread, around each precious plant in your garden, providing a radius of 8-24", being careful to avoid contact with the crown or stem of the plant -- this can cause rot as the plant would be unable to dry. - spread thickly, after weeding an area of your garden. plants need water, sun and earth. take away any of these, in theory, and unwanted plants cannot survive. (this approach DOES NOT WORK FOR OXALIS, as it uses energy the sun provided long before you mulched) - top dress your whole garden, providing: weed suppression; moisture retention; temperate insulation; a gorgeous brown 'look'; immediate, and slow-release nutrition for all. - turn compost in to beds being prepared for non-native plantings. this fertilizes our sandy bay area substrate, and provides absorbent material so water is retained longer and passes through more slowly. - top dress all potted plants to slow drying of pots (insulating with a second, nested pot also performs this function) - make compost tea to feed the leaves and roots of plants. this. is. complicated. (see www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00030.asp for a thorough explanation) - give any extra compost to neighbors, friends. introduce more organic matter into their lives. this is positive. shanti. shanti. peace. namaste douglas Posted 1/12/2007 link
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holy cold!Have y'all seen the forecast? 23 degrees in Oakland tonight. Mulch is a beautiful buffer against frost. It also is great for moisture retention and weed suppression. So if you were looking for that last reason to procure mulch, a 23 degree low is a great one. If you have recently planted your garden, there is cause for concern. While native plantings are strong, young ones still are tender.Extra mulch is the easiest level of added protection to attain. Simply apply a thicker pad around the crown of the plant (remembering still not to contact the stem itself with the mulch). For individual plants (choose those most delicate or sensitive), bottle, box, or tent. Do you have a plastic bottle? (a two-liter soda bottle, or equivalent) Cut off the bottom and unscrew the cap. 'screw' the bottle down over one plant, protecting it from wind and a little chill, taking care to avoid foliage contact with the container. Lacking such a bottle, use a milk carton, or something else equivalent. Just remember to remove it soon after the weather changes. plants like light :) and air. Cardboard boxes are ready made and any reasonable sized will work also. Any plants that look vulnerable, drop shelter around. Namaste. Douglas Sources of free mulch: -The City of Berkeley processes and returns city green waste -As does the City of San Francisco at the Sunset Scavenger Facility on Tunnel St in the southern quadrant -Bayview Greenwaste, near Candlestick Park, on Carrol offers compost as well If you have a truck, bring it. ONE MAY ALWAYS FIND USES FOR ADDITIONAL COMPOST. Posted 1/12/2007 link
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slow winter salad feel connection to the season with fresh greens. vacuum sealed bags of greens are no substitute for a fresh head of lettuce. so, pick, or have delivered to your home, a beautiful head of winter lettuce. say hello, and how do you do -- it is shortly to be your salad pull off and compost damaged leaves, feeling free to salvage healthy bits with EACH large leaf of lettuce, slice vertically through the center of the rib, and tear remains into BITE-size pieces. swirl lettuce in bowl of filtered (always preferred) water. let sit 5 minutes while sediment falls. place all leaves in a salad spinner (it is time to invest, all, in a salad spinner.. oxo makes one that is flawless). spin dry. twice. in a clean dry bowl, mix leafs with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt and fresh ground pepper optional additions to dressing: mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, pomegranate molasses, garlic, other vinegars garnish or fortify salad with: pumpkin or squash seeds, nuts, pomegranate jewels, raisins enjoy namaste -- douglas Posted 12/20/2006 link
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sesame. hummus. brace yourselves. one can organic garbanzos, drained and rinsed tahini, sesame oil, sesame seeds, olive oil, sea salt, 5 olives 1-2 cloves garlic, 1 lemon the 'dregs' of your jar of red pepper flakes (trust me, it makes it hot all the way through) unreal! namaste douglas Posted 12/20/2006 link
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winter recipe: butternut squashpeel squash. shave off top and bottom. cut in half -- longways.slice each half into 1/4" slices toss slices with olive oil, honey, rosemary, salt, and pepper (red or black or both) place in oven safe dish or pan and bake til soft at 375 (20-30 min), tossing or stirring after first 15 min you have made winter tears namaste douglas Posted 12/20/2006 link
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look at them settled.  there is much rain yet to fall, but the sooner natives are planted in the ground, in the winter, the more optimally they will live all year. these are the thistle and iris i planted some weeks back. Posted 12/13/2006 link
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have you seen our city's oxalis zoo? come see this curious animal of a plant, across from our majestic city hall -- immediately to its south, across grove, between van ness and polk. there exists a vacant lot, behind chain link fence, where oxalis pes-caprae, a native to south africa has been left to its own devise. oxalis pes-caprae is distinguished by being one of the five most invasive plants on the san francisco peninsula. eradicating oxalis from one's garden is a herculean task, and rarely ever accomplished -- this zoo represents a chance to admire this special plant in a contained and non-threatening environment. bring the kids. namaste douglas Posted 12/07/2006 link
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tomato sauce. with sprinkles!marinara sauce:a fast cooked tomato food, excellent on pasta, millet, squash, bread, and a whole lot more -first, embrace olive oil as you pour 1/4 cup of it into a wide-bottomed sauce pan -with red pepper flakes to taste (and a sprig of fresh oregano or thyme, optional, to flavor the oil) bring to heat slowly (olive oil 'burns' easily and is then unpleasant) -toss in 4-7 cloves of chopped garlic garlic should become fragrant and yellow, not brown, over medium-low heat -add then a 28 ounce can of your favorite organic tomatoes (if dinner is to be pasta for 5 people or more, i will add also a 14 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes in addition to the first -- i like it saucy). any style of canned tomatoes, except crushed works well. if whole, cut into pieces with scissors directly in can. -a dash then of dried thyme or oregano, or fresh sprigs of either simmer until the rest of dinner is ready (as little as 15 minutes) as great recipes go, this one too is highly amendable -- olives, sundried tomatoes, coriander, pre-sauteed chard stems -- all are amazing additions. be creative. and then, to sprinkle on top: nuts or lightly toasted seeds, whirly-birded*, with coarse sea salt and herbs (thyme works well, with cashews, sunflower seeds, etc). i am not an advocate of soy parmesan. *to whirly-bird a food stuff is to place it into a food processor and then pressing 'on' Posted 12/07/2006 link
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bury your scraps?!yes. bury deeply the compostables that accumulate in your kitchen, and your garden will receive a time release feed of rich organic matter. omit though, please, the meat and dairy. your garden has far less need and use for your meat and dairy.this is your big chance to dig holes! -- careful holes, brutish holes, square holes, round holes. shape and style do not matter. see what the residents before you were burying. the top of the scraps should simply be at least 14" below the ground plain. the caveats: do not bury a plastic bag containing plant material. do not dig holes immediately adjacent to established plants -- root damage happens, and the benefits are outweighed. this is not a strategy for already dense gardens -- before they become dense is the time. i have dug the last of my compost holes in my garden. stay tuned for compost strategies, post-burial peace -- namaste douglas Posted 12/06/2006 link
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planting season the rains have arrived. the time has come to visit your neighborhood native plant seller or purveyor of other fine mediterranean (read: drought loving) flora. bring plants home, and put them in your garden immediately. a long season of rain foundationally supports the health and continued vibrancy of new plantings. many natives 'sleep' during the summer. use this time to watch these bay area denizens wake up with the rain. i brought home with me today 2 douglas irises and an indian thistle (Cirsium brevistylum and Iris douglasiana) most nurseries have selections of native plants. do inquire about light preference if you are not aware of the plants' habits. in my neighborhood, the haight-ashbury recycling center, beside kezar stadium, keeps a native plant nursery run by bay area naturalist, Gregg Gaar. Gregg collects wild seed locally, and propagates natives for sharing and for our enjoyment. the nursery asks a donation of $5. welcome your new plants. and then the native fauna will too. peace -- namaste douglas Posted 11/09/2006 link
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trinity (s)base (s). foundationonion, celery, carrot are at the bottom of most italian soups and many italian sauces. much of the mediterranean holds these three dear. sauteed in olive oil, in the above order, this root supports the very world above creole trinity: onions, celery, bell pepper without the trinity, is there still gumbo? latin sofrito: (more than 3 -- blended completely) onion, garlic, bell pepper, ajicito dulce, hot pepper, tomato, cilantro, culantro i dare you to add hummous to any already sauteeing pans of these offered anonymously: The "Holy Trinity" of Bahian cuisine: coconut milk, dendÍ oil, and malagueta pepper. care to share a trinity of your roots? peace -- namaste douglas Posted 11/07/2006 link
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hummus -- the ultimate beans*-723089.jpg) * no offense to other beans so versatile, so delicious, so hearty, so giving of themselves to you and me and flavors of the planet. please, meet: the garbanzo bean -- the chick pea -- Cicer arietinum -- or, in arabic and hebrew, hummus so what can one do with this taste of delicious earth? i first would like to offer my gratitude and love to those who have bestowed the elegant 'hummus bi tahini' recipe almost entirely unchanged through the course of cultivated millenia. and now, here are hummus: -- mix and mash, in a food processor, the garbanzo bean with: garlic, lemon, tahini, salt -- for the classic hummus bi tahini mentioned above, then drizzle with olive oil or omit any of the above and see what happens or perhaps add the garlic and salt, sauteed with red-pepper flaked swiss chard pistachio nuts (sparingly) add a richness that is often complimented by the presence of olives making a marinara sauce? skim off a few spoons to add to the hummus mix hold onto your parts, purists -- for a sweeter variation, think about maple syrup and/or orange juice, pomegranate molasses looking for an appropriate medium to include more ginger or coriander in your diet? aren't we all? am i yet illustrating a versatility? no lemons? i recommend apple cider vinegar to substitute, or omit it entirely and adjust accordingly have a spice grinder? experimenting with spice blends? see how they go over, or in, hummus. zatar is a favorite of mine. fresh herbs? thyme in a pot on your porch? yes. please. many claim that dehusking the chick peas before blending make for the creamy-best preparations i will tell you that sprouting the garbanzo beans prior to use makes for a positively electrifying dish some will say that canned chick peas are a meager substitute for the dried -> fresh variety. but they sure are ready when you are. and trader joes sells organic, two-serving cans, for $0.89 soaking and cooking dried beans is irreplaceable and magical. feel like you might want some hummus in the next couple days? put some beans in a bowl of water (filtered is preferred) and leave them there for as many as two days. add a bay leaf, maybe some fennel seed, or kombu to the pot for cooking. salt the hummous, not the water -- for softness. at its most obscene, the organic, dried, chick pea market asks about $1.50 per POUND, the weight of which doubles or triples in water. and then the cook water is a great liquifying agent to achieve your perfect consistency. this beats 'can juice' which i drain and rinse away. soaking the beans is also step one of germination. canned beans do not sprout. and perhaps lastly for now, though i realize i have not even discussed applications with whole garbanzo beans (maybe just one -- try hummmus bi tahini unmashed) -- what if i do not keep tahini at home? then i cannot have baninis: organic bananas, rice milk, tahini, blended. viola! peace -- namaste douglas Posted 11/04/2006 link
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the first thing i said about bonsai..i must take back. bonsai seeds are widely available over the internet. cheaply in fact. and at least some come with germination instructions.peace -- namaste Posted 11/02/2006 link
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