EATING IN SEASON | brussels sprouts in november

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS & GOAT CHEESE PIZZA 

{ all credits to Erin Alderson from Naturally Ella }

//Serves 3-4

Dough

¾ cup warm water

2½ teaspoon yeast

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoons alt

1½- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Topping

½ lb Brussels Sprouts

1 red onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)

4 ounces goat cheese

½ cup balsamic vinegar (optional)

1. In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and honey- stir with a wooden spoon until yeast is dissolved. Let sit until yeast begins to activate, 5-10 minutes. Once yeast is ready, add in oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Turn your mixer on low with the dough hook on and let mix, scrapping down the sides as needed. From here on out, add 2-4 tablespoons of flour at a time, letting the dough mix for a bit until adding more flour. When the dough starts to come together, continue to let the mixer run for 1-2 minutes and adding more flour until your dough has pulled away from the sides of the mixer. Remove from the mixer and place in a warm spot. Brush with oil and let rise for 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 375˚F and with a pizza stone placed in the lower third of your oven (you won’t use it now but you want it to heat up with your oven.)

3. Quarter Brussels Sprouts and chop onion, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast until sprouts are tender, 25-30 minutes.

4. Once your dough has double in size and sweet potatoes are done, turn up your oven to 500˚F. Return to your dough and punch it down. Let rise for 20 more minutes.

5. Roll the dough out onto a surface covered in cornmeal (I used a large wood cutting board put some of you may have a pizza peel.) Roll it out to the size of your pizza stone.

6. Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over rolled out crust. Sprinkle roasted Brussels Sprouts, onion, red pepper flakes, and goat cheese over dough. Bake until crust is golden, 10-15 minutes depending on oven.

7. Optional: While pizza is baking, place balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook until vinegar has reduced down by half. Remove from stove top and drizzle over baked pizza.

UPCYCLE | toilet rolls

Add caption

{ constança cabral }

REMEMBER | food security

{ via lexicon of sustainability }

FOOD SECURITY

"Having consistent year round access to safe, local, affordable and culturally appropriate food that is grown, raised, produced and moved about in manners that are responsible to the environment while reflecting a consumption of natural resources that is equitable with a view to our offspring's even generations from now" Erika Allen

I ask Erika what she grow in her urban Chicago garden and she says: "Heirloom tomatoes, lemons, cucumber suyo long cucumber, Italian eggplant, ping tung eggplant, blanco eggplant, okra, ground cherry, endive, cosmic purple carrots, Nantes carrots, leeks, redbor kale, dwarf curled kale, Russian kale, dandelion greens (red rib), scarlet runner beans, fever few, chamomile, thyme, sage, table grapes, sunflowers and lot's of basil (and that's just her summer crop)."

EATING IN SEASON | red cabbage & apples in november

FOREST WALK CABBAGE SALAD

{ all credits to mynewroots }

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 pound head of red cabbage quartered and cut into thin ribbons
1-2 crisp green apples, chopped into chunks
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
a couple handfuls golden raisins (or other plump, chopped dried fruit)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup walnuts (or toasted hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds...)
fine grain sea salt
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (totally optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion for a minute or two with a couple pinches of salt. Stir in the garlic, and the cabbage, and a few more pinches of salt. Stir and cook for just a minute or so, or until the cabbage softens up just a touch.
2. Then stir in the rosemary, most of the raisins, and the vinegar. (The cabbage will continue to get more and more tender even after you remove it from the heat, so keep that in mind, and do your best to avoid overcooking it - where it collapses entirely). Fold in half of the goat cheese, the apples, raisins and walnuts, then taste. Season with more salt if needed. 
3. Serve garnished with the remaining raisins, goat cheese, and walnuts, and perhaps a sprinkling of rosemary sprigs.

To make a complete meal, serve this salad on a bed of wild rice, adding to the overall "woodsy-ness" of it all. For vegans, omit the goat cheese and throw in more nuts. ::

UPCYCLE | bottle homes

{ family fun }

REVIEW | work session #11 18.11.2012

spontaneous crafting - work session #10

No prove of picture for our 11th work session, it was just to cold to unpack the camera.

This Sunday was a quiet one. We had apple man John Hancox visiting. He gave some advice where ideally plant apple trees. He was suggesting to make use of the brick walls by planting the trees in an espalier style. This would keep them low and would prevent any complaints by the neighbouring residents due to reduced lighting conditions. The compost comes now with a lid and the wildlife shack has grown by two more palettes that need to be filled with material next time. 14 helping hands made it possible to move the heavy bag of soil on the garden site, footpaths are cleared now. ::

REMEMBER | grass fed

{ via lexicon of sustainability }

GRASS FED

Don Gilardi's 80 acre farm has been in the family since 1914. It was primarily a dairy farm until five years ago when Don began raising his family's sheep. They are pasture fed, with a supplement of alfalfa from a feed store in Petaluma. The sheep are sheared in June; the wool is sent to Yolo Wool Mill and comes back as yarn, batting and roving. :: 

EATING IN SEASON | beets & mushrooms in november

BEET BOURGUIGNON

{ green kitchen stories }

// serves at least 4

This is one of those dishes that works well making a day in a advance. The flavors will become more intense and the vegetables more tender.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 small beets, peeled & quartered (we used Chioggia beets)
4 medium sized carrots, sliced in large pieces
2 sprigs thyme
sea salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp tomato paste1 cup red wine 
2 cups vegetable stock
3 bay leaves2 tsp arrowroot powder, solved in 2 tbsp water (optional)

2 cups puy lentils, for serving
4 cups water
a pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 portobello mushrooms
10 champignon mushroom
10 small pearl onions, peeled

Cooking the stew: Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or a large cast iron pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic, sauté until soft. Toss beets, carrots, thyme and salt and pepper into the pan, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste, red vine, vegetable stock and bay leaves, let simmer on low heat for 40 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the lentils, mushrooms and pearl onions.

Preparing the Puy lentils: Rinse lentils under running water. Bring water to a boil, add lentils and lower to medium heat. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, when almost done add salt. Set aside.

Searing the mushrooms and pearl onion: Heat olive oil in a pan. Lower the heat and sear the portobello, champignon mushrooms and pearl onions, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden in color. Season to taste. Set aside.

Finishing the stew: Taste the stew, add more wine, stock or herbs if you like. If you prefer the stew a little thicker, add arrowroot mixture, but this is optional. Add mushrooms and onions and simmer for 10 more minutes. To serve, spoon the stew over a plate of lentils and sprinkle with fresh thyme. ::

UPCYCLE | glass jar frames

{ decor hacks }

REVIEW | work session #10 11.11.2012

preparing the wildlife shack - wildlife session.

Another lively work session took place last Sunday: 

We were busy preparing the compost's lid, dragging along pallets in a caravan from KRK on Woodlands Road to the garden - they will make the framework for our new wildlife shed; reusing the grass clippings to fill the hollow spaces between the palettes and creating wee shelters from old planting pots we fortunately kept on the site. 

Our zoology students hold wildlife session for the kids, and blossoms made from egg boxes Karina was carrying with the magic box spontaneously turned into a colouring workshop.

We were also happy to welcome Ellie and Caitlin from the CACTUS team, a voluntary society at Strathclyde University, who gave us their helping hand. We will be looking forward to cooperate with CACTUS on future Willowbank projects. ::

REMEMBER | good food revolution

{ via lexicon of sustainability }

Food resilience means the creationof a community food system that can reliably produce adequate good food that's safe, wholesome and affordable to all.

Growing power plays a vital role in the Milwaukee Foodshed, providing people from diverse backgrounds equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food. Their national outreach programs teach community leaders across America how to grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner. Training today covers such topics as anaerobic digestion for food waste, bio/photo remediation, aquaculture, vermiculture, small and large scale composting, urban agriculture, permaculture, food distribution, marketing, youth and leader development, community engagement and project planning.

VERMICULTURE |
Red wiggler worms enrich and remediate soil with their costings. This worm poop is the best organic fertiliser available. Worms can even decontaminate soil. The beneficial bacteria in their gut breaks down heavy organic compounds and actually destroys harmful E. coli bacteria.

PRODUCE |
While tomatoes only grow in the summer months, over 150 varieties of produce, including spinach, arugula, chard, turnip and collard greens, lettuces, and peppers grow throughout the year.

AQUAPONICS |
= aquaculture (fish farming) + hydroponics (growing plants in nutrient-enriched water instead of soil). 
GP raises about 100,000 fish per year. These include tilapia, a warm-water fish native to Africa, and lake perch, a cool-water fish native to North America. ::

EATING IN SEASON | root vegetables in november

ROOT & WHITE BEAN SOUP
{ Green Kitchen Stories }

::November fave! I also add a dab of Greek Yoghurt and toasted walnuts on top!::

//Serves 4

2,2 lb (1 kg) root vegetables (celeriac, parsnip, jerusalem artichoke, turnip root, parsley root…)
1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 clove garlic, peeled
2 cups (500 ml) cooked white beans
4 – 6 cups (1-1 1/2 liter) water
½ cup (125 ml) white wine
½ lemon, juice
a couple of fresh oregano sprigs
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Homemade purple potato chips
1 lb (1/2 kg) purple potatoes (you can use other kinds of potatoes)
sea salt, to sprinkle

Preheat the oven to 400F/200°C.

Prepare the root veggies: Wash well and cut into large pieces, place on a baking sheet together with onion and garlic. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and soft inside.

Meanwhile prepare the purple potatoes: Slice the potatoes paper thin by using a mandolin or a sharp knife. Pad them dry with a kitchen towel and place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly brown and the edge lift slightly. Turn them every 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they burn easily. When done, remove from oven and sprinkle with salt.

Finishing the soup: Remove the root vegetables from the oven (let cool slightly) and place in food processor or use an immersion blender. Add beans and water (start with 4 cups, add more if needed) and mix until smooth. Pour the soup into a pot, bring to a simmer on medium heat and add white wine, lemon juice and oregano. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the stove and stir in the olive oil. Serve in bowls and garnish with your homemade potato chips and fresh herbs. ::

UPCYCLE | watering milk jug

{ home jelly }

REVIEW | work session #09

We were a small work group today, but we got some basic maintenance done:
Alistair finished the compost by fixing the building bag to the compost, a sign is now indicating what belongs in and what stay out from the compost. We managed to move one soil bag into the construction area. Next week's task will be i.a. to shift the soil of the full bag. Furthermore we cleared the concrete area from fallen leaves and tackled the really disgusting food waste dumping issue by disposing the layers of rotten food, cluttering this weak spot with drawers planted with flowers from the council and by putting up a friendly sign. We recieved again positive feedback on the project from two Willowbank Mums who brought down their children today. ::

REMEMBER | the soil food web

{ via lexicon of sustainability }

"THE SOIL FOOD WEB
Our soil teems with a multitude of organisms which provide the necessary work for healthy plants to grow free from disease, pests and infertility. These interconnected interactions and feeding relationships (quite literally "who eats who") help determine the types of nutrients present in soil, its depth and pH, and even the types of plants which can grow.

Dr. Elaine Ingham believes getting a healthy food web back into our dirt will stop poisoning us and turn this sick world around. Our use of toxic chemicals to grow food has greatly imperilled our soil, rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. In many areas of the world, our impact has been massive and unremitting, resulting in the loss of many organisms we don't even know exist (we have only identified 10% of the bacterial and fungal species on the planet). Can nature teach us how to grow enough food to feed an abundance of life sustainability without killing everything in a field simply to grow a single crop? she asks.

ELAINE'S NOTE TO FARMERS:
Making a more vibrant soil food web begins with making good compost. Properly converted organic waste are worth their weight in platinum." ::

EATING IN SEASON | pumpkin, carrots & courgette in october

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE TAGINE

{ Green Kitchen Stories }

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 The tagine (or tajine) is similar to a large clay pot with a conical lid. I am not a scientist, but as far as I understand the moist and flavors that evaporates from the food stays within the lid and – thanks to its shape – drips down back into the food. So the food is steamed in it’s own vapors and cooked/baked at the same time, isn’t that just groovy!? The result is incredibly tender vegetables filled with flavors.

A few simple secrets to a successful tagine.

1. Always balance the sweet (apricots, raisins and cinnamon) with the spicy (harissa or chili).

2. Think big. No need for fine chopping, use large chunks of vegetables. Looks better, tastes better.

3. Don’t stress it. Let the vegetables sweat for a long time on low heat under a lid.

4. No peeking. If you lift the lid the steam will vanish. If you however have to lift the lid, make sure that the vapor under it drips back into the pot.

5. Stir carefully. After a while the vegetables will be very tender and you don’t want to crush them.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

//Serves 4 

You can use almost any kind of vegetables in this stew, it’s perfect for emptying the fridge.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, minced (or 1 tsp grounded)
1-2 tbsp grounded cinnamon 
1 tsp cumin
salt
2-3 tsp harissa paste (or dried harissa)
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
1 lemon, juice and zest
a handful fresh cilantro1 small pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces1 zucchini, cut into 2-inch pieces10 dried apricots1/2 cup chickpeas/garbanzo beans, pre boileda handful raisins

Serve with: white quinoa or couscous, roasted almonds, fresh cilantro and fresh mint

In a clay pot: Heat olive oil in a large clay pot and sauté the onion for a few minutes until it softens. Add garlic, ginger and the spices and stir around before adding harissa, tomatoes, lemon juice and fresh cilantro, Bring the tomato sauce to a boil and then lower the heat.
Add pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, zucchini and apricots. Stir around, make sure that all vegetables are somewhat covered in tomato sauce. Put the lid on and simmer for about an hour. Stir carefully once or twice, otherwise leave the lid on.

In a tagine: Prepare the tomato sauce according to the instructions above. Transfer it to the tagine. Add the vegetables, attach the lid and put in the oven on low temperature for at least an hour. When the vegetables feel tender, add chickpeas and raisins and let everything simmer for 5 minutes before removing it from the oven.

Serve the tagine in bowls together with cooked quinoa. Sprinkle with almonds, lemon zest and fresh spices. ::

UPCYCLE | wine cork plant marker

{ Shine your Light }

1 | Save the corks.
2 | Write the names of your herbs on them with a permanent marker.
3 | Push wooden skewers into them.

REVIEW | open day #2

green gym.

finger food potluck - chatting - willowbank squirrel.

What a great success!

Even weather wasn't looking promising by 2pm, rain really took a break from 3 to 5pm and drew students, Willowbank residents and garden enthusiasts into the garden.

What a great pleasure to see you all gathering, enjoying food and hot tea, working out in the green gym, the children romping around and planting bulbs.

Please apologise that workshops for the kids were cancelled and no contact list was provided.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to make this community event happening!

Many thanks to all Willowbank residents coming down on Sunday afternoon,
you gave us a cheering feedback!

Willowbank, we can do it! ::

INSPIRATION | keimzelle, hamburg

And again the city of Hamburg shares some more inspiration on urban gardening with us. The Keimzelle {germ cell/ nucleus/ seedbed} is operating since May 2011 and calls itself  a "wee social urban garden".

    

Another inspirational take on turning wooden pallets into raised beds.   

Probably the cheapest planter ever…

REMEMBER | perennial vs. annual

{ via lexicon of sustainability }

Wes Jackson has been domesticating intermediate wheatgrass at the land institute since the 1970s.

Workers separate seeds form the chaff of intermediate wheatgrass samples using a dehuller. These will be carefully analysed by researchers. Each successive planting brings Wes closer to his goal, that of replacing annual wheat with more sustainable perennials. According to Wes, the domestication of wheatgrass is expected to take ten to twelve years, after which a commercially viable wheatgrass will become available.

PERENNIALS HAVE LARGER ROOT SYSTEMS

1 | Improved soil stability = less need for tillage & reduced erosion
2 | reduced fossil fuel consumption
3 | better managed nitrogen
4 | reduced need for pesticides
5 | less labour intensive
6 | increased soil water storage
7 | better carbon fining
8 | greater biodiversity

::

EATING IN SEASON | parsnips & celery in october

BEAN CHILI WITH WALNUTS & CHOCOLATE

{ Green Kitchen Stories }

::Soooo tasty that I cook it once a week at the moment. Replacing chocolate by cocoa/cacao powder also works well!::

//Serves 6-8

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, ghee or coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1  fresh chili, minced (more if you like it spicy)
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bell pepper, red & yellow, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and finely chopped
2 large stalks of celery with top greens, finely chopped
150 g raw walnuts, very finely chopped
800 g cooked mixed beans (adzuki, kidney, black eye, borlotti)
2 x 400 g cans whole plum tomatoes1 cup (240 ml) water2 tsp salt1/2 cup (120 ml) red wine or balsamic vinegar1/2 cup coffee (optional)70 g 80% dark chocolate, broken in pieces

For serving
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 lime, quartered
4 corn tortillas, toasted

Start by preparing all vegetables. Heat oil in a large thick-bottomed saucepan or dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, cumin, chili, paprika and oregano, and let fry for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spices smells fragrant. Be careful so they don’t burn. Add bell pepper, carrot, parsnip and celery, let cook for another couple of minutes. Add walnuts, beans, tomatoes, water and salt and let cook for 30 minutes more. Now add red wine, coffee and chocolate, stir around carefully and let cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve in bowls with a dollop of yogurt, fresh cilantro, lime and toasted corn tortilla. ::

UPCYCLE | plastic bottle funnel

{ Real Simple }

Simply bisect a plastic bottle and keep the top half to use as a funnel.

REVIEW | work session #08

compost crew - overview - bird feed.

Lucky Willowbankers, we were blessed again with sun during this Sunday's work session. Getting the compost ready for the open day - moving, sawing, hammering. Many thanks to the Willowbank compost crew for all the labour they put into the project! Compost is now hungry and cannot wait to be introduced to and fed by the wider Willowbank public on our Open Day. Chalkboards were turned into signs finally, birds will be fed for the next weeks. Chatting to a Willowbank mum who came down to the garden with her two children who are very excited about growing food. Nice day again. Thank you all for coming down. Good job Willowbankers!!! ::

INSPIRATION | neuland, cologne

{ credits to Stefano Chiolo }

Another source of inspiration from Germany, this time from Neuland {uncultivated land} in Cologne.   This mobile urban garden has sprang up on the brownfield site of former Dom brewery in July 2011 in order to turn an underused, decaying inner city site into productive space.

Raised beds from wooden pallets.

I really like the idea of building a wooden construction for the white carrier bags. We could do this for Willowbank, too… given that a carrier bag is sitting on the pavement and that we do know where to source pallets from by now.

Reusing sauce buckets from catering to grow sunflowers. jejeje…

 ::

REMEMBER | urban farmer

{ via lexicon of sustainability }

Novella Carpenter says, "50% of people live in cities. In places like my neighbourhood, they're never going to be able to afford local, organic, sustainably raised food. We live in a society where supposedly you can vote with your fork, and you can change the system just by buying local food, but the thing is, if you look at our society, that's great for people who have money … but there are people who don't have access to ANY food. You look around here, it's a total food desert. It's like malt liquor is all that's available so that's what people are going to buy." ::

EATING IN SEASON | carrots in october

THAI CARROT SOUP

{ Happyolks }

3 sweet onions

3 cloves garlic

2 tsp grated ginger

2 tsp red chili flakes

3 spoonfuls coconut oil

2 tbsp cumin

dash of nutmeg

2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped

1.5 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped

1 can full fat coconut milk

5-6 cups chicken broth

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

3 tsp salt

4-5 thai chiles, de-seeded

handful fresh basil

3 limes, juiced

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, saute roughly chopped onions with grated garlic, ginger, red chili flakes, and coconut oil until softened but not terribly browned. Add apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pot. Add cumin, nutmeg, lemongrass, and carrots. Stir to coat. Add coconut milk and the broth. Combine. Simmer on low with a lid for 30-40 minutes or until the carrots are completely softened.

2. Pour contents of pot into a high-powered blender in small batches with the fresh thai chiles. Blend until completely pureed. Add water or stock to adjust the thickness. Pour into individual bowls and top with juice of fresh lime and chopped basil. ::

UPCYCLE | cereal box organiser

{ family fun }

1 |Cut the flaps from one end of each box.

2 | Stack the boxes. Some boxes, such as those from FedEx, have flaps that add thickness to the back of the box. To make your stack level, use scraps of cardboard as shims in between the front edges of the boxes.

3 | Seal the boxes together with packing tape.

4 | Cover the boxes with the wrapping paper.

5 | Line the raw edges at the front with the duct tape. ::