Category Archives: Nutrition

Crispy Or Riced, Cauliflower Rocks

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Ann Lovejoy
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Sometimes sold as broccoli, heritage Italian romanesco cauliflower is indeed a kissing cousin, that distinctive swirling shape and rich flavor marking the transition of one vegetable into the next. (This blending is a bit like plums and cherries, which are so closely related that’s it’s sometimes difficult to suss out which a given fruit really is.) Veronica a striking Romanesco type with jade green curds. Broken into starburst-tipped spears, it makes a beautiful garnish or an elegant side dish, drizzled with a spritely spring herb sauce. If you haven’t tried stick cauliflower yet, plant a row of Fioretto 60 and prepare to play. This fascinating variation offers beautiful, long-stemmed florets that wouldn’t look amiss in a floral arrangement. The creamy curds atop the fresh green stems are great for dipping and very pretty on a veggie plate. Sweeter than headed cauliflowers, the crunchy stems can be stir fried with sesame oil, garlic and ginger, or tossed as is into salads. Continue reading →

Posted in Early Crops, Genetic Engneering, Nutrition, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Working With Family Relationships

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Ann Lovejoy
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It’s also useful to know that some family cycles are particularly beneficial. For instance, both legumes and nightshades do particularly well when planted where sweet corn recently grew. Conversely, it’s less productive for squash family members to follow tomatoes and vice versa, probably because both need lots of calcium. (Our Northwestern soils tend to be calcium poor anyway, so both these crops will benefit when you spray the foliage with diluted skim milk. A 10% solution of 1 part skim milk powder mixed with water works well and won’t clog most sprayers.) Continue reading →

Posted in Early Crops, fall/winter crops, Garden Prep, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Giving With Joy

Posted on December 25, 2017 by Ann Lovejoy
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      Making And Mending The Seattle region got a white Christmas for the first time in years, making kids who were already excited about the holidays delirious with happiness. Last night, the island roads were hushed, usually upright … Continue reading →

Posted in Nutrition, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Vegan Recipes, Winterizing | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Accepting Winter’s Gifts

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Ann Lovejoy
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One of the best ways to counter despair and toxic info-overload is to develop a durable practice of gratitude. Gratitude is hot stuff these days, researched everyplace from Harvard to Berkeley. Practicing gratitude brings measurable improvements in health and well-being, in happiness and in generosity and altruism. What’s not to like? And why is it so hard to maintain a daily practice? Just as many of us tried out the daily changes that could help slow climate change but gradually drifted back to our old habits, creating a personal practice takes, well, practice. And persistence, something we are beginning to feel a little fondness for, thanks to the estimable Senator Warren. Continue reading →

Posted in Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments