EATING IN SEASON | kale in september


Massaged Kale Salad and Grapes with Poppy Seed Dressing

{ Sarah Britton on Martha Stewart }


Massaged kale
1 bunch kale, stemmed and sliced into ribbons
1 lemon
Cold-pressed olive oil
Sea salt
1 ripe avocado
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ shallot, diced
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
Pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon honey

1. In a large bowl, dress kale with lemon juice and olive oil onto kale leaves and add a pinch or two of sea salt. Roll up your sleeves and massage kale until it’s deep dark green, soft, and tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add anything you like: fruits, veggies, cooked or sprouted grains and legumes, nuts and seeds. Get creative. Once you’ve massaged your kale, store it in a tightly sealed container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Here’s what I added to my massaged kale:
A couple handfuls each red and green grapes
Poppy Seed Dressing
¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil
Whisk all ingredients together. Store leftovers in a glass jar for up to one week.❞  ::

REMEMBER | fallen fruit

{ via lexicon of sustainability }

People rarely eat the fruit growing in their own gardens. They simply assume its somehow not as good as fruit from the market. That two block journey they take by car to theier local grocery store further reinforces that disconnect.
Los Angelos is a car culture - everything is seen through windshields against the soundtrack of cell phone communication. Part of these artists' mission is to get people to look at things they sometimes don't see. People often stop to talk to them when they pick. One girl told them she didn't eat bananas because she thought your were supposed to eat the peel which she hated. It wasn't until she tried one on a LA sidewalk that she changed her mind. ::


HOW TO CREATE A FRUIT MAP
1. Find a neighbourhood with lots lots of fruit growing in or over public space.
2. Trace an outline of the streets and place littel symbols for the fruit trees.
3. Share with your friends.
(Note: These maps should be suggestive and playful, not overly precise, and used to encourage people to explore their own neighbourhoods.::



























REVIEW | abundance glasgow #01, west end


picking. input - output.











The first picking activity of the new-born Abundance Glasgow Group took place last Sunday, 23 September 2012. After a quick introduction to apple trees and a wee apple tasting in the Children's Garden, we headed off to some spot in the West end to harvest apples. At the end of the picking session we were rewarded with freshly pressed cloudy apple juice. Many thanks to John providing all the equipment. ::

juicing. input - output.





REVIEW | work session #06 23.09.2012

finally a sign. the temporary solution.



















A sunny autumn afternoon in the garden. Our local hardware supply shop on Park Rd. was closed on Sunday, so that we had to reschedule the painting to one of our next work sessions. But still a spontaneous creation out of transparent files, tape, crayons and permanent maker does its best for the moment. The idea is to apply chalkboard paint to the cabinet boards, use chalk for quick announcements and updates, protected from the rain by a hard plastic cover.

EATING IN SEASON | broccoli in september

Today is the launch of the new weekly series of healthy recipes using produce that is now in season. Happy cooking!

SPICY ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH ALMONDS

{ credits to mynewroots inspired by ottolenghi// serves 2




…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

ingredients
1 large head broccoli (organic if you can get it)
¼ cup whole almonds

dressing
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. fresh, hot chili, sliced (more or less, to suit your taste)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. tamari 


1 | Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash broccoli well, then remove the very end of the stem. Slice the entire head of broccoli and remaining stem in half down the center lengthwise, then cut each half in half again. Repeat until you have relatively small slices of broccoli tops with long stems. Place in a large bowl.

2 | Prepare dressing and pour over broccoli. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the broccoli making sure it is well coated. Place broccoli on a baking sheet and set in the oven.

3 | On a separate baking sheet, place almonds and set in the oven below the broccoli. 

4 | Roast broccoli and almonds for 15-20 minutes (the almonds will probably need less time), until the broccoli is just turning golden brown on the edges. 

5 |Remove everything from oven. Roughly chop almonds on a cutting board. Plate broccoli, season to taste. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Serve. 

This would make a fabulous side dish for any meal, especially Thanksgiving dinner. Even though I am not in Canada, I will be celebrating over here in Denmark this weekend with plenty of Plenty, and of course, Spicy Roasted Broccoli with Almonds.
::


WHAT'S ON | 1st meet @ tchai ovna


REVIEW | work session #05 & blasda

transplanting tatsoy, salad, beans and nasturtium from trays to beds. 

Thank you guys for joining us at the Glasgow Blasda, it was a nice networking event to meet like-minded people, exchange experiences and ideas through interesting workshops, a good opportunity to get involved in the wider Glasgow local food movement which is a piecemeal of projects so far.


We had our first meeting for the 'garden freshers' on site last Sunday, followed by tea & cookies at our friends in Woodlands Community Garden (thank you Vickie & Pavez!) while collecting abundant plastic bottles (see picture above), and finally transplanting tatsoy, salad, beans and nasturtium in the raised beds. Thank you all for coming down to the garden, it was a pleasure to see, meet and chat to you! ::

WELCOME FRESHERS!!



Thank you all for visiting our stall at this year's GU Fresher's Fair and for signing up for the email list! 
It was a great success and a pleasure talking to you!
We are exited to see you soon and hear about your ideas - as you probably remember, the community garden only started recently over the summer.
A couple of announcements to make:

WHAT'S ON | 

Saturday 15 September
GLASGOW BLASDA
celebration of local food at The Briggait, 151 Bridgegait Street
Meet 2pm at Kelvinbridge SPT subway station or 2.30pm at The Briggait.

Sunday 16 September
WILLOWBANK GARDEN SUNDAY WORK SESSION
1-3pm, Willowbank Crescent, off Woodlands Road (The Drum)
Transplant seedling to raised bed, exchange ideas, discuss next proceedings.

throughout September & October
WOODLANDS COMMUNITY GARDEN'S TUESDAY TUTORIALS 
visit our friends at Woodlands Community Garden, 91-111 West Princess Street, G4 9BY
Trainings with their support gardener Vicki Fleck take place on tuesday evenings from 6pm-dusk in the community garden. No need to book - just drop in. Like them on Facebook to get their latest news.
Tuesday September 11th HAPPY PLANT FAMILIES
Understanding green manures and crop rotation

Tuesday September 18th HERBS FOR WINTER AND SEEDS FOR SPRING
Tips on freezing and drying herbs and saving seeds

Tuesday September 25th WONDERFUL WORLD OF WINDOW BOXES
What to grow now and how to go about growing it

Tuesday October 2nd CANNY CONTAINERS
Growing in containers, especially for those with limited space

Tuesday October 9th BUZZING BULBS
Bulbs and other beneficial plants for bees

Saturday 6 & Saturday 7 October
INTRODUCTION TO PERMAKULTURE COURSE
"Permaculture is a holistic design system for sustainable living, creating systems for minimum effort and maximum effect."
Woodlands Community Garden, cost: 40-120GBP depending on income, email lusialderslowe@gmail.com to book in. Check out www.permaculture.org.uk.

October - December
WOODLANDS COMMUNITY GARDEN'S VEGETARIAN COOKERY CLASSES
Interested in how to cook international menus using local and seasonal food? Email woodlandscommunitygarden@gmail.com for more information and to sign up. Hurry up - classes are popular.

any saturday
CEILIDH
at The Avant Garde, 8pm - 12am
34 King Street G1 5QT (near Trongate)


::


INTRODUCING | willowbank garden goes pinterest

❝ one picture says a thousand words 

In order to collect and organise all the ideas and images buzzing around the globe and internet, Willowbank Community Garden has now joined Pinterest to keep you inspired and creative. Check out our boards:
   
  G A R D E N  |
  C O M M U N I T Y   G A R D E N S  |
  C O O K  |
  L O C A V O R E  |
  R E U S E | R E C Y C L E | R E D U C E
  B I K E |
  R E A D |
  W A T C H |
  V I S I T |

pinterest/willowbankcg/::

REVIEW | wednesday herb planting

5 Sept 2012
fennel - cowberries - wild thyme - lovage.


















… are now growing in the planter on the right hand side. ::



WHAT'S ON | willowbank garden @ gu fresher's fair 2012

11 & 12 September 2012 | 10 - 15hrs


















Come and pay us a visit at the SRC marquee. ::


WHAT'S ON | harvest festival @ Woodlands Community Garden


08.09.2012 





















Let's support and visit our friends at Glasgow Community Garden this Saturday. They've been so helpful with spades and barrows. Feel free to 

* join them for preparations in the garden on Friday 7th September from 1pm onwards,
* volunteer on the day from 11am onwards,
* bring home baked cakes, biscuits, chutneys, jams or pickles for their community food stall.

Hope to see you there! ::


REVIEW | sunday work session #04

Shovel - unload - fill up - plant.
Another great Sunday afternoon down in the garden. We got some kids from the surrounding tenements involved, they helped us moving the soil to the newly arrived wooden planter squares from Glasgow Wood Recycling, one big bag is empty now and ready to be reused as a planting medium. We planted Loch Lomond-native rhubarb in the Whiskey barrel, transplanted Yusuf's succulent plants to the 4 drawers we recently found on West Princess Street, we created spontaneously some seedling boxes by cutting off the tops of juice/milk cartons and plastic bottles, as the boys were very curious to experience the whole process of planting happen. They are now nursing cabbage, salad and spring onion seedlings back in their flats. And as every sunday we did a quick clean up of the site and it has shown once more again the immediate need of rubbish bins on the site. We hope to install some temporary solution until we get a City Council bin delivered.

clean up done - new colours - new arrangement.


RECYCLING APPEAL |


Reduce your personal volumes of gabbage and keep collection the following items. They are a valuable resource for the garden and for a wide range of projects!

- yoghurt pots
- milk bottles
- juice cartons
- plastic bottles
- egg boxes
- card board
- bottle caps

Please make sure that you rinse all containers with a bit of washing liquid and let them dry. For health reasons we cannot take anything that has gone mouldy.
You can bring them along to our temporary recyling station at Zofia's office on Oakfield Avenue, near the Rankine Building.

If you spot any drawers or any random container with planting potential put on the skip, feel welcome to take them down to the garden.