Fascinating podcast - how the invisible fungal network of a forest helps move nutrients from the sun, air, rocks & death into living trees - and how these organisms communicate, share, ask for help, and even plan.  One thing to remember: most large-scale farming (organic or not) obliterates the microbial soil network.  They grow plants in dead soil to avoid weeds, adding nutrients (chemically or naturally) To help these (nutritionally depleted) crops survive.  Without this network, WE are cut off from this cycle of nutrients.  Composting, gardening, buying from small local farms with good practices - all of these are ways to get ourselves back in this loop!

RadioLab - From Tree to Shining Tree

New Moon Spring Self-Care

Spent an amazing Saturday evening *by myself*.  This week has been a really intense ending to a fairly intense semester.   As part of my self-care, I finally got out in my garden and planted all the seedlings I bought weeks ago (some of which look the worse for wear after waiting outside for me to find time for them).   I sifted through the springy, alive compost I spent all winter making, and just got back in touch with the ground that I hadn't touched for almost nine months.  I pulled weeds, cleared ground, and dug nutrient-rich compost into some of the harder winter dirt and planted about half my garden with kale, cabbage and tomatoes.   Last year, I tried, as usual, to have it all - but my cabbages, shoved into a shady corner, grew slowly and  were ravaged by bugs and bunnies.  This year, I thought about what I *really* wanted, and what I had energy for.   Instead of tucking in carrots or onions where they really wouldn't have space to grow, or crowding in larger plants in an effort to "have it all," I chose a few plants I really wanted to prosper - cabbage, kale, spinach, tomatoes - and spread them out all over the garden.  I gave them a crap-ton of compost and plenty of room to be strong and well.   I knew this meant I would have to give up some things - eggplants, for one, and maybe green peppers - but I know that I won't have time to tend high-maintenance seedlings or slow-growing, disease-prone tropical plants like them.   So I did the hardest thing for me - I said "no" to possibility and variety.   Instead, I channeled strength and power into the "few good things."  Cabbage, kale and spinach have become staples- this summer, I'm hoping to provide weekly food instead of dazzling breadth.   We'll see if I can hold back, though.   I do love the *4* eggplants or peppers I usually get.


This is, as usual, a metaphor for my life.  I am fueled by the possibilities - or my dreams of how life *could* be.    This is both beautiful and dangerous.  

Planning a garden?

Every year, I try to boost this website (the precursor to the Backyard Garden blog) that I made in 2010 giving advice and resources for urban folks trying to start their own gardens.    If you fall in that category, please check it out.   It has information on what to plant ("easy" vs. "hard" plants, cold vs. heat loving plants, shade tolerant plants, etc.) and where to plant it.    Also, where to get good cheap stuff around Boston.     It also starts out with a very cute essay about why gardening is so awesome (and how Dawn and I started our own backyard garden from a trash-filled lot!)

Enjoy!

https://sites.google.com/site/abbymachsoncarter/home/boston-backyard-gardener

Spring has sprung!

well....I already know from looking at my garden calendars that spring is actually WAY early this year (compared to the last few).    While in years past we've had nights still down to freezing at this point, my early April hardy plants (lettuce, spinach, radishes & peas) seem to be doing just fine.   Usually at this time of year I'm reminding folks that the last frost date isn't until Mother's Day, at least!   Now, however, I feel like we have no idea - so this year I'm trying to get on board and plant hardy plants ASAP...so that they can be of harvestable size before whatever is coming next (namely, tender squash, beans and cukes!)  Is global warming helping my garden?

Also, the dandelions are up!  I used to think these were just completely obnoxious weeds..until, perusing some garden reading, some author mentioned how helpful dandelions are.    So many beneficial insects need flower nectar to feed off of, and dandelions, one of the first flowers up in spring, provide an excellent source before the real cornacopia of spring and summer flowers get going.   So, the advice goes, let dandelions flower with reckless abandon - and then uproot the heck out of them when they start going to seed!

Spring lettuce and spinach in the front raised bed

hardy urban dandelions

First day of "eatin' season!"

Well, it's official - i ate something that grew out in my backyard!   I guess this season I'll be making paleo, seasonal food  - which shouldn't be too hard, since what I grow is vegetables, and that's what we're supposed to eat...right?

So this morning I made myself a mushroom and backyard chive-and-marjoram omelet.   These tender herbs are the very first things to come up in spring (other than garlic shoots...which I skipped in the fall and, as always, miss in the spring!)  verdict?    I don't actually like Marjoram.   Bought it at the local garden shop to try something new...turns out it was the ubiquitous herb-of-choice in Ecuador during my study abroad....and although I enjoy the time warp quality of eating something I haven't had in a while, I pretty much made myself forever sick of that herb (as well as chamomile tea!).

So....anyone want some marjoram?  (ie, wild oregano?)

Bees!

These people grow bees in Jamaica Plain - I love bees!   I want to grow some (but I fear our backyard is tooooo small :(   )  

but maybe I can visit their backyard and check out how their bees are doing!

http://www.nofamass.org/articles/2013/02/addicted-bugs#.UVjUlBmd4fF

Worm Moon & a Brand New Way to Compost!

This past week marked the March full moon, also known as the "Worm Moon".
From the Farmer's Almanac website:

The Full Worm Moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.
At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.

Well, global warming or no global warming, it is beginning to feel like springtime here, with warm days alternating with raw, windy nights, and, of course, the hallmark of New England spring: MUD!

I love the feeling of this time of year, the energy shift that it brings.   The days and nights are equal length, the daylight lasts longer and the earth is coming back to life.   It's subtle, animal things that our body instinctively feels: more bird noises, more smells coming out of the wet ground.  Crocuses, daffodils and all my perennial buds pushing their way out of the ground.    Yesterday I saw a dove sitting on our front porch.  

Midwinter eating!

Well, just because it's winter doesn't mean we have to be boring, does it?

This week in Boston Organics I got a beautiful, deep, luscious-red watermelon radish.  Sweet on the outside, spicy on the outside.   And, of course, citrus!

So what to do?   Make a lightly-pickled watermelon salad with citrus dressing!  Place up the sweet/spicy/tangy flavors of the vegetable itself.   Yum.

Ingredients:
1 large thinly sliced watermelon radish
1 small white onion (thinly sliced)
Juice from one small orange (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil (I used light-tasting)
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
splash rice wine vinegar (optional)

Mix everything together.   Store in a bowl in the fridge overnight (or for a few hours).   Eat!
Source:
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/10/meet-watermelon-radish.html

Update, Recipes for a Paleo Week + shopping list

  (Impatient people: Go to end of post for shopping list)
Well, it's been about 3 months of my modified diet...I have to say that I remain happy with the results, and have been feeling good about the balance of my life with food right now.   Still sleeping well, my skin looks good, my flexibility is still improved, muscle pain decreased, energy where I want it to be.   I did fall off the sugar wagon HARD over the holidays, but started a second "whole 30" this month, and I am keeping the sugar dragon at bay (mostly :).  I sorta miss some foods, but in a distant, "oh-yeah, I used to really like that" kind of way.    Dairy has made me feel so gosh-darn awful that pizza and ice cream don't look like fun anymore, but I am trying to add back in some cheeses, just to see if I can opt to do that without feeling terrible for days (so far, chedder & parm = OK).   I have also started to acclimate myself to the whole cooking/cleaning regimen - that's starting to feel OK, especially with help from a super-sweet partner (although I've been on break, so we'll see when work starts up again).  One more unexpected side effect is that, since I've lost almost 20 lbs. (!), the changes in me have become super-duper visible to friends and family, and this diet has been spreading like a virus.   My noble Fiancee, who loves sugar almost as much as life, agreed to try giving it up for 30 days and follow the diet; my dad, who has Type I diabetes and a milk allergy that he has spent years finding soy alternatives for, also agreed to give it a shot!

Dairy test day update

Ice cream is out.

Light/heavy cream are out

Chedder cheese and sugarless yogurt may require more testing.  

Post- Whole 30 cleanse update

Hi!  

So, it's been more than my 30 days of "The Whole 30" "clean eating" cleanse.  

I'm adopting this phrase (clean eating) from paleo eaters because in some ways I really like it - that's how it feels, clean of things that don't have a ton of nutritional value or take a toll on our bodies to process.  I think it also emphasizes a lesson from this diet: although in the past I've thought that simply eating a lot of healthy foods constituted healthy eating, I think at this point I've noticed that all the other, less-healthy stuff was actually taking a toll on me.   So it's not just about trying to "eat more" of the healthy stuff and "less" of the unhealthy stuff - it's actually just rejecting ALL the foods that are stressful on our bodies.


But I digress.   I wanted to write an update about how my "Whole 30" went. 

Persephone Days

Elliot Coleman calls these days the "Persephone Days."    The Persephone Myth is the story of a mother who loses her daughter to the underworld, and a daughter that comes close to being trapped by death but escapes....but must return for three months each year.   Although our New England winter is longer than three months, these three months, from Nov. 15 to February 15, are the months when there is so little daylight plants literally cannot grow, no matter what the temperature.    They sort of freeze where they are and wait for the days to get longer.

So celebrate the Persephone Days by taking a walk during your lunch break on sunny days - your body will appreciate the extra vitamin D.  

Or eat a Pomegranate.   

Marrow bones

Soup bones for stock.   (saved 'em for a lucky dog!)

October! Habaneros w Chuck Berry

Summer Habeneros strung up to dry w Chuck Berry

Bok choi/Squash/Chicken / Paleo Lunch / Gratuitous Food Pics

Just my lunch.   That's all.

Steamed Bok Choi (with lemon and salt), baked butternut squash (with coconut oil) and "Damn Fine Chicken"  (from Nom Nom Paleo...see link.)

Also, I'm obsessed with my cast iron pans.   I'm liking the way they cook and the way they reheat food better than the microwave (although one more pan to clean).


http://nomnompaleo.com/post/4207543396/damn-fine-chicken

What do you eat on an anti-inflammation cleanse?

So....  this morning I made the most amazing scramble:  late-fall "found" green onions (i.e. I forgot to pick them this summer), garden jalapenos (de-seeded, cause I'm a wimp), and smoked salmon in scrambled eggs (with coconut milk).   Served with bacon, a big helping of greens, coffee, and a slice of avocado - lemon juice and evoo over all.   I would've taken a picture, but it was so good I ate it all before any pictures could be took.

Bone broth in slow cooker

And, I'm back experimenting with new recipes (my favorite!).  Today I'm using big beef femur bones to make bone broth in the slow cooker  (I'll put up a link to a website with a pretty good recipe).


I also made my own mayonnaise yesterday!   Not very hard, as it turns out....but I'll have to check out more recipes, because this one was too mustardy.

Homemade Mayo

And last, I'm making one frittata a week: meat, veggies, and eggs all cooked in a cast iron pan, slipped into the oven for 10 minutes, then broiled for 2.    It's a good "to go" breakfast.


The only downside - I'm kind of exhausted from all the shopping, prep, cooking, eating and cleaning I'm doing.   I know I cook more on the weekends to have leftovers for the week, but still....it's a lot to cook everything for every meal.  

Chorizo sausage, spinach, pepper n squash frittata

Peace!

A cool (local) Paleo food blog....

My new favorite!


http://nobeantown.tumblr.com/post/34592119622/homemade-tomato-sauce-spaghetti-meatballs


This post is about paleo spaghetti and meatballs - I want to try it.  I made amazing bolognaise and put it over grilled eggplant....in the end, it was too much meat for not enough...something to eat it on.


Maybe I'll try this next time.


(Although I'm not too thrilled about the "Paleo" label - like I'm too cool for the last 10,000 years.   I prefer the concept of Anti-Inflammatory instead.)

The Organic Garden

"Basically, organic gardening means a partnership with nature.  Nature's gardeners are numerous and eager to help.  Millions of beneficial organisms (everything from bacteria to earthworms to ground beetles) thrive in a fertile soil, and they make things go right if the gardener encourages them.  The gardener does that by understanding the natural processes of the soil and aiding them with compost.  The inherent stability and resilience of natural systems can be on your side if you work with them.  Organic gardening is a great adventure, an expedition into a deeper and more satisfying understanding of vegetable production.  You are now a participant rather than a spectator.  You share creation."

- Elliot Coleman, Four Season Harvest

Paleo/30 day anti-inflammatory diet

So...I'm writing here so I don't annoy everyone on Facebook  (and don't sound like a groupie for the so-called "Paleo" diet, which feels like it's gained a sort of self-righteous "look at me, I'm awesome" glow around it).    And because it feels like a big deal to be making big changes.   Also, warning:  I talk about lady things (like menstruation) in this post, and if that freaks you out...sorry?

This is the end of my first week eating no: sugar, grain, dairy, legumes, canola/soy oils.  


Why did I do this? 

Garden Takedown

It's become part of the seasonal flow - a time-marker for me:  the end-of-main-garden season takedown.   I'll have to check when we did it last year - I think last year I tried to do it very early, because I knew I wouldn't have time to do a lot of gardening while starting a really hectic schedule.

This year, the beginning of September marked the beginning of another new teaching schedule at another new school - which meant a shift in priorities:  prepping new classes, learning new routines and administrative requirements, learning about a new student population, grading many more student papers all took precedence over the garden - or at the very least, gardening had to sneak in around the sides! 

Which means, as always, that I'm a little sad that I didn't get fall crops in.  I tried for some second rounds of stuff (carrots and lettuce) but when the self-watering system didn't water by itself, that was that.   New seedlings take a fair amount of TLC,  and I pretty much only had time to harvest, cook and eat.  

Now it's nearly Halloween, and almost everything has stopped being productive (even if we've only had *maybe* one light frost).   Tomatoes, squash, beans, peppers and cukes are fully done - so it felt excellent to pull them down, clean up any plant waste left around (after all the late blight I want to try to get rid of anything tomato-y to try to make it through next season!), pull up the hold straw and put down a layer of compost for next year. 

And, while cleaning up there turns out to still be some bounty to gather: a bunch of green tomatoes that can slowly ripen in the back hallway, 2 - 2 1/2 big handfuls of red fingerlings, a few beans, fall radishes that made it without any TLC, a few rogue carrots and onions, and a bunch of slightly -frost-burned jalapenos and habaneros...got to figure out how to preserve those!   We still have herbs, and I pretty recently got two tiny eggplants from the Asian eggplant.   It's fun to still be eating from the yard this late!   (And of course, the Kale lives on, proud and healthy - we'll see how long we can keep eating that!)

So....before, it was making me feel kind of bad, looking out and seeing all these half-dead plants and unharvested ripening tomatoes, etc.  Now, the soil is covered, vegetable "trash" gone, rich compost spread, poles and cages down, extra pots in the basement - it's nice to have a sense of closure on the season and turn our thoughts to what we have now (Kale, frozen tomatoes, canned goods, potatoes) and what's coming next year.