Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

You don’t have to go to school

A small but already by no means negligible number of Americans is starting to realize what their future looks like: no retirement, no job, no savings, plus they are getting old. Their only possible means of support in old age is their children.

And so, in the meantime, let’s continue to mindlessly send our children off to “learning” institutions, where they will be properly supervised at all times, bored half to death, medicated into submission should they rebel, even by simply refusing to pay attention, not taught anything worth knowing by demoralized, underpaid public servants, and then spat out into the world with their spirits crushed.

On second, thought, let’s stop doing that. When thinking about making big changes, sometimes it’s healthy to hear of places halfway across the world, which may have their own issues to deal with, but they are not the same ones we have here, allowing us to see past them. But the problem of institutionalization of children and emphasis on mindless discipline and rote learning is the same in all “developed” nations, being part of the worldwide legacy of industrialization and militarism, which we all have to deal with somehow. And a good first step is to starve this mindless suicide machine of fresh cannon fodder - by denying it access to our children.

Here is the story of a Russian woman’s experience with pulling her three children out of school that I thought would provide some valuable perspective to people in the States who are confronting the same decision, so I translated it.

Ksenia Podrova, St. Petersburg, Russia
http://ruk.1september.ru/article.php?ID=200701613 (Set encoding to Windows-1251)
Translated by me.

I have known this for sure for twelve years now.

During this time, two of my children have received high school diplomas while sitting at home (since it had been decided that these could turn out to be useful to them during their lives). My third child passed exams for the primary grades without attending classes, and is not about to stop there. Honestly, I am unconcerned. And I don’t get in the way of them choosing whatever substitute for school they manage to think of.

When my eldest was in secondary school, I started noticing that all too often he would recall situations of the following type: “I started reading a really interesting book during math class today;” or “I started composing a new symphony during history class;” or “It turns that Peter plays chess quite well – we played a few games during geography today.”

And I started thinking: why is he going to school? Is it to study? But then he does completely unrelated things during classes. Is it to socialize? But then it’s possible to do that outside of school.

Shift of consciousness

And then a sudden shift occurred in my consciousness. And I thought: “Maybe he shouldn’t go to school at all?” For a few days we discussed this idea. Then I went to see the school principal and told her that my son will no longer be attending school. (Afterwards many of my friends told me: “You were lucky to have such a principal! What if she didn’t agree?”) But it had nothing to do with the principal. If she didn’t agree, this would not have changed our plans at all. It’s just that in that case our further steps would have been slightly different.

The principal (whom I remember with sympathy and respect to this day) was sincerely interested in our motivations, and I was quite open with her concerning my opinion of school. She herself proposed how we should proceed: we should write a statement requesting that my child be transferred to home schooling, and she will make arrangements with the Department of Education, so that my child (supposedly because of his superior talents) will, as part of an experiment, study independently, and take tests as an external student at this same school.

And so we forgot about school almost until the end of the school year. My son was absorbed in all the things for which he had never had enough time. He spent entire days composing music and performing it on “live” instruments. He spent nights in front of the computer, building his own BBS (those of you who were fans of Fidonet know what that means). He also managed to find time to read anything he wanted, to study Chinese (just because he found it interesting at the time) and to help me with my work in translating and typing documents in various languages, installing email (still a difficult task at the time that involved consulting an expert), entertaining the younger children… In all, he was incredibly happy with his new freedom from school, and did not feel that he was missing anything.

The Price of Freedom

In April, we suddenly remembered: “Oh, we must prepare to take exams!” My son pulled out the dusty textbooks and concertedly read them for two or three weeks. Then we went to see the principal and told her that he is ready to take the exams. At this, my involvement in his school affairs ended. On his own, he caught up with the various teachers and arranged with them when and where they would met.

He managed to pass in all the subjects in one or two visits. The teachers themselves decided on the form of the exam. Sometimes it was just a conversation, sometimes a written test. Curiously, almost none of them wanted to give him an ‘A’, although my child certainly knew no less than the others. Our favorite grade became ‘B’, but this was not the least bit upsetting: this was the price of freedom.

Some time ago it had been considered that a child must attend school every day. If it turned out that someone doesn’t do this, one could get a visit from some special government agency (with something like “guardians of childhood” in the title, but I am no expert in these matters, so I could be wrong). In order for a child to gain the right to not go to school, it was necessary to receive a medical certificate that he is unable to attend school due to bad health. This is why I often heard confused questions such as: “What are your children sick with?” “Then why aren’t they in school?!” “They don’t want to be.”

An awkward silence ensued. By the way, later I found out that some parents simply bought such certificates from doctors they knew.

But in the summer of 1992 President Yeltsin issued a historic decree which announced that henceforth any child (independent of medical condition) has the right to study at home! Furthermore, the local schools must pay to the parents of such children, because they are spending the government’s education funds not on teachers and not on school buildings, but independently and at home!

And then there were two

When my daughter became old enough, I told her that she didn’t have to go to school at all. But she was a socialized child, having read many children’s books which stressed the idea that going to school was highly prestigious. Since I was in favor of a free upbringing, I wasn’t about to forbid it. And so off she went to first grade.

She lasted almost two years! Only around the end of the second year did she get sick of this empty waste of time, and she announced that she is going to study at home, like her older brother.

I delivered yet another statement to the principal. And now I had two children who did not go to school.

Yet another statement

Once in September I went to see the principal and give her yet another statement that this year my children are studying at home. She gave me the text of the presidential decree to read. (I didn’t think to write down its title, number and date, and now don’t even remember. If you are interested – search the Internet, and let me know.)

And then the principal said: “Nevertheless, we aren’t going to pay you for not sending your child to school. It’s too complicated for us to get these funds. But, on the other hand, we won’t charge you for their exams.”

I was quite satisfied with this. It would have never occurred to me to take money from her. And so we parted satisfied with each other and with the changes to our laws.

Spelled out in black and white

Last year I went to arrange home schooling for my third child.

Imagine this situation: i come to see the head teacher and tell her that I want to register my child to attend school, first grade. The head teacher writes down the name of the child and asks for the date of birth. It then turns out that then child is ten years old. And now – the really pleasant part: the head teacher reacts calmly, and even shows me an official document that stated that any person has the right to come to any school and request to take exams for any grade, and is not required to show any documents regarding completion of previous grades. The school administration is required by law to create a commission to administer all necessary exams.

That is, you can go to any school when you reach 17 years of age (by the way, along with my daughter, there were two bearded fellows who had suddenly decided that they wanted their diplomas) and directly take the exams for 11th grade. And you will receive that same diploma, which so many people consider to be so necessary.

As they explained to us

Once, after we moved, and more out of curiosity than need, I went to the school nearest to our new house, and asked to see the principal.

I told her that my children have long since and irreversibly stopped going to school, and that I am currently looking for a place where they can take exams for 7th grade, quickly and inexpensively. The principal (a pleasant young woman with progressive views) was very glad to meet me, and I was glad to tell her about my children. But at the end of our conversation she suggested that I look for some other school.

They were, by law, indeed required to accept my children, and indeed required to allow them to study at home. That would not be a problem. But, she explained, ordinary teachers, which are the majority at this school, will not agree to my conditions of home schooling: letting the child pass the entire annual course at one go. The child cannot pass the entire program in one visit! The child has to work a certain number of hours. That is, they have absolutely no interest in what the child actually knows, they are only interested in the time spent studying. They want the child to attend all quarterly exams. And, of course, the child is required to participate in the life of the school: wash windows on Saturdays, collect trash on school grounds, and so on.

Obviously, I refused.

We just do not understand

But in spite of this the principal gave me what I needed, simply because she enjoyed our conversation. Specifically: I needed to borrow all the textbooks for the 7th grade from the library, to avoid having to buy them. And so she immediately called the librarian and ordered her to issue me all the textbooks free of charge until the end of the school year.

And so my daughter read all these textbooks and, with no fuss or “class participation,” passed her exams somewhere else. Then we brought the textbooks back. After that, if only she wanted to, she could have gone to any school and studied alongside her peers.

But somehow she doesn’t want to. Quite the opposite: she, just as her brothers, just as I do, considers such a suggestion to be pure nonsense. And we just cannot understand why a normal person would want to go to school.
Posted by kollapsnik

http://www.dietsinreview.com/recipes/no-salt-dry-soup-mix/

No Salt Dry Soup Mix
Keep on hand for wholesome, homemade soup anytime!

Yield: 3 cups of dry mix (or 9 cups of soup)
Ingredients

*
2 c. non-fat dry milk
*
3/4 c. cornstarch
*
1/4 c. instant chicken bouillon
*
2 TBS dry onion flakes
*
1 tsp. thyme, dried or fresh
*
1 tsp. basil, dried or fresh
*
1/8 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1.
Use 1/3 cup mix to 1 cup boiling water
2.
May add vegetables
3.
Great with whole kernel corn, leftover meat and chopped fresh carrots or asparagus
4.
For a professional touch, add one whole bay leaf and two to three peeled cloves of garlic

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Homemade-Cream-Style-Soup-Mix/Detail.aspx

Homemade Cream-Style Soup Mix

SUBMITTED BY: DeAnn Alleva PHOTO BY: ONIOND
“This easy-to-make soup mix is great to have on hand for those nights when you need to whip up supper in a hurry. It’s also a great substitute for canned cream soup in a recipe.”
Homemade Cream-Style Soup Mix Recipe
RECIPE RATING:
This recipe has been rated 5 times with an average star rating of 4.6

PREP TIME 5 Min
READY IN 5 Min
SERVINGS
(Help)

Servings

US METRIC
INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups instant nonfat dry milk powder
* 10 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
* 1/4 cup chicken bouillon granules
* 2 tablespoons dried vegetable flakes
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

* add to recipe box Add to Recipe Box
My folders:
* add to shopping list Add to Shopping List
* Customize Recipe
* add a personal note Add a Personal Note

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients; cover and process until vegetable flakes are finely chopped. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 1 year.

FOOTNOTE

*
Editor’s Note: Use as a substitute for half a 10-3/4-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken, mushroom or celery soup. For half of a can of soup, in a microwave-safe dish, whisk together 2/3 cup water and 3 tablespoons soup mix. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes, whisking occasionally. For mushroom soup, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sauteed sliced mushrooms. For celery soup, add 1/8 teaspoon celery salt or one sauteed sliced or chopped celery rib.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Condensed-Soup-Mix/Detail.aspx

Condensed Soup Mix

“It is great to make your own condensed soup mix since it makes your soups taste better. It also contains 1/3 less calories and sodium than store bought condensed soup. You can make this any flavor you desire. Just add a different flavor of bouillon granules.”

Condensed Soup Mix Recipe
RECIPE RATING:
This recipe has been rated 11 times with an average star rating of 4.6
Read Reviews (11)

US METRIC
INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
* 3/4 cup cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup chicken bouillon powder
* 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

DIRECTIONS

1. Using an air tight container combine dry milk, cornstarch, onion flakes, pepper and chicken bouillon. If desired also add basil and thyme. Mix well and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
2. When using the mix combine 1/3 cup of the mix with 1 1/4 cups of water in saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Earthbag-Building-Garden-Shed.aspx

Low-cost Multipurpose Minibuilding Made With Earthbags

By Owen Geiger

One of the most practical structures on a small farmstead is a multi-purpose garden structure that can serve as a storage shed or cool pantry above ground, or as a root cellar or storm shelter below ground. You can build this multipurpose structure for about $300 using earthbag construction (bags filled with earth and stacked like bricks). And the skills you learn by building the dome will serve you well if you plan to build a larger earthbag structure or even an earth home.

In many cases, no building permit will be needed for this little building, because it’s below the minimum size required by most building codes (for structures that are not inhabited and not attached to a residence). But because codes vary by region, check your local building regulations before you begin.

Earthbag structures provide a cool space in summer and an escape from the cold in winter, which means this earthbag dome is well suited for many purposes. Depending on your needs, the most practical combination of uses might be a root cellar/cool pantry for daily use and a disaster shelter for emergencies such as tornadoes or hurricanes.

The earthbag dome has a natural look and blends in with the land. It has a solid, organic feel — just what you’d expect from a design inspired by nature that has been combined with a little modern ingenuity and thousands of years of earth- and dome-building wisdom.
Building with Earthbags

No expensive forms or equipment are needed with earthbag building, and the technique is faster and easier than other earth-building styles including cob, rammed-earth tire construction and adobe (if you have to make your own bricks). Earthbag buildings are more water resistant than those made with straw bales, making them suitable for earth-bermed and below-grade structures. If your site is susceptible to flooding, earthbag building is one of the best options after all, sandbags have a long history of use for flood control. Just use an appropriate fill material, such as gravel, in lower courses.

The cost of building with earthbags varies. You can almost build free if you take the time to scrounge the materials, (used poly bags and barbed wire, recycled wood, and local soil and gravel). Few tools are required. Here’s a “middle of the road” cost estimate that assumes you’ll buy the major items but also take time to shop around. For example, if you don’t have used polypropylene bags, you can almost certainly find a local farmer who does.

The most significant advantage to building with bags is the simplicity of the process. No special skills are required: Fill bags with earth and tamp them solid. Building with bags requires a lot of physical effort, but brute strength is not necessary because each step can be done a little at a time at a comfortable pace.

Earthbag domes are incredibly strong and hold up well in hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. After being plastered or bermed with earth, they are virtually fireproof. A properly constructed earthbag structure approaches the strength of stone, at a fraction of the cost, labor and necessary skills.

This earthbag shed is 8 feet in diameter inside (about 11 feet outside) and approximately 8 feet high. Plans could be scaled up to create 10- to 16-foot diameter domes. At the top of a larger dome, the earthbag thickness and cantilever (corbel distance) have to be adjusted slightly so it’s more conical.

Any building project can be dangerous, so stay alert while working. Until all the bags are in place and locked together, there’s a risk that they might fall, causing damage or injury.
Cost

View the Earthbag Building Materials Costs chart for a list of materials and prices.

continues, with full instructions for the project...

This is the printable copy full report link, above has the photos.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=2147484290

http://www.motherearthnews.com/print-article.aspx?id=2147484415

Grow Your Best Fall Garden: What, When and How

By Barbara Pleasant

Right now, before you forget, put a rubber band around your wrist to remind you of one gardening task that cannot be postponed: Planting seeds for your fall garden. As summer draws to a close, gardens everywhere can morph into a tapestry of delicious greens, from tender lettuce to frost-proof spinach, with a sprinkling of red mustard added for spice. In North America’s southern half, as long as seeds germinate in late July or early August, fall gardens can grow the best cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower you’ve ever tasted. In colder climates it’s prime time to sow carrots, rutabagas and turnips to harvest in the fall. Filling space vacated by spring crops with summer-sown vegetables will keep your garden productive well into fall, and even winter.

Granted, the height of summer is not the best time to start tender seedlings of anything. Hot days, sparse rain and heavy pest pressure must be factored into a sound planting plan, and then there’s the challenge of keeping fall plantings on schedule. But you can meet all of the basic requirements for a successful, surprisingly low-maintenance fall garden by following the steps outlined below. The time you invest now will pay off big time as you continue to harvest fresh veggies from your garden long after frost has killed your tomatoes and blackened your beans.

1. Starting Seeds
Count back 12 to 14 weeks from your average first fall frost date (see “Fall Garden Planting Schedule” below) to plan your first task: starting seeds of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale indoors, where germination conditions are better than they are in the garden. Some garden centers carry a few cabbage family seedlings for fall planting, but don’t expect a good selection. The only sure way to have vigorous young seedlings is to grow your own, using the same procedures you would use in spring (see Start Your Own Seeds). As soon as the seedlings are three weeks old, be ready to set them out during a period of cloudy weather.

If you’re already running late, you can try direct-seeding fast-growing varieties of broccoli, kale or kohlrabi. Sow the seeds in shallow furrows covered with half an inch of potting soil. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings germinate, then thin them. The important thing is to get the plants up and growing in time to catch the last waves of summer heat.

When is too late? The end of July marks the close of planting season for cabbage family crops in northern areas (USDA Zones 6 and lower); August is perfect in warmer climates. Be forewarned: If cabbage family crops are set out after temperatures have cooled, they grow so slowly that they may not make a crop. Fortunately, leafy greens (keep reading) do not have this problem.

2. Think Soil First
In addition to putting plenty of supernutritious food on your table, your fall garden provides an opportunity to manage soil fertility, and even control weeds. Rustic greens including arugula, mustard and turnips make great triple-use fall garden crops. They taste great, their broad leaves shade out weeds, and nutrients they take up in fall are cycled back into the soil as the winter-killed residue rots. If you have time, enrich the soil with compost or aged manure to replenish micronutrients and give the plants a strong start.

You can also use vigorous leafy greens to “mop up” excess nitrogen left behind by spring crops (the organic matter in soil can hold quite a bit of nitrogen, but some leaches away during winter). Space that has recently been vacated by snap beans or garden peas is often a great place to grow heavy feeders such as spinach and cabbage family crops. When sown into corn stubble, comparatively easy-to-please leafy greens such as lettuce and mustard are great at finding hidden caches of nitrogen.

3. Try New Crops
Several of the best crops for your fall garden may not only be new to your garden, but new to your kitchen, too. Set aside small spaces to experiment with nutty arugula, crunchy Chinese cabbage, and super-cold-hardy mâche (corn salad). Definitely put rutabaga on your “gotta try it” list: Dense and nutty “Swede turnips” are really good (and easy!) when grown in the fall. Many Asian greens have been specially selected for growing in fall, too. Examples include ‘Vitamin Green’ spinach-mustard, supervigorous mizuna and glossy green tatsoi (also spelled tah tsai), which is beautiful enough to use as flower bed edging.

As you consider the possibilities, veer toward open-pollinated varieties for leafy greens, which are usually as good as ;or better than hybrids when grown in home gardens. The unopened flower buds of collards and kale pass for the gourmet vegetable called broccolini, and the young green seed pods of immature turnips and all types of mustard are great in stir-fries and salads. Allow your strongest plants to produce mature seeds. Collect some of the seeds for replanting, and scatter others where you want future greens to grow. In my garden, arugula, mizuna and turnips naturalize themselves with very little help from me, as long as I leave a few plants to flower and set seed each year.

With broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and their close cousins, hybrid varieties generally excel in terms of fast, uniform growth, so this is one veggie group for which the hybrid edge is a huge asset. Breeding work is underway to develop better open-pollinated varieties for organic growers, but for now, trusted hybrids such as ‘Belstar’ broccoli, ‘Gonzales’ cabbage or ‘Snow Crown’ cauliflower are usually the best choices.

Finally, be sure to leave ample space for garlic, which is planted later on, when you can smell winter in the air. Shallots, multiplying onions and perennial “nest” onions are also best planted in mid-fall, after the soil has cooled. In short-season areas these alliums are planted in September; elsewhere they are planted in October.

4. Watering Fall Garden Plants: Keep ’Em Soaked
Even short periods of drought stress can put a nasty kink in the growth curve of most fall crops. Dry soil can be murder on slow-growing beets and carrots, and any type of setback can devastate temperamental cauliflower. Your best defense is to install a soaker hose before you set out plants or sow seeds. Try laying out the hose in various patterns and turning it on to get a good look at its coverage first. If the hose won’t stay where you put it, use short stakes or wire staples to hold it in place.

Keeping newly planted beds moist long enough for seeds to germinate is easy with leafy greens such as arugula, Chinese cabbage, collards, mizuna or turnips, because the seeds naturally germinate quickly, in five days or less. But beets, carrots, lettuce and spinach are often slower to appear, which means you must keep the seeded bed moist longer. Simple shade covers made from boards held above the bed by bricks do a great job of shielding the germination zone from drying sunshine, or you can shade seeded soil with cloth held aloft with stakes or hoops. You may still need to water by hand to make sure conditions stay moist, but shade covers can make the difference between watering once a day or four times as often.

5. Go Mad for Mulch
Whether you use fresh green grass clippings, last year’s almost-rotted leaves, spoiled hay or another great mulch you have on hand, place it over sheets of newspaper between plants. The newspaper will block light, which will prevent weed growth, help keep the soil cool and moist, and attract night crawlers and other earthworms. To get the best coverage, lay down the double-mulch and wet it thoroughly before you plant your seedlings. Cover the soaker hose with mulch, too.

Mulching can have one drawback in that organic mulches are ideal nighttime hide-outs for slugs and snails, which come out at night and chew holes in the leaves of dozens of plants, and may ruin mature green tomatoes, too. Watch for mollusk outbreaks, and use iron phosphate baits or beer-baited traps, if needed, to bring problem populations under control. Visit the “garden slugs” search page to find our recent slug control update, which includes readers’ reports of slug-slaying methods that really work.

6. Deploy Your Defenses Against Garden Pests
Luscious little seedlings attract a long list of aggressive pests, including cabbageworms, army worms, and ever-voracious grasshoppers. Damage from all of these pests (and more) can be prevented by covering seedlings with row covers the day they go into the garden. Use a “summer-weight” insect barrier row cover that retains little heat, or make your own by sewing or pinning two pieces of wedding net (tulle) into a long, wide shroud. Hold the row cover above the plants with stakes or hoops, and be prepared to raise its height as the plants grow. See The No-spray Way to Protect Plants for more details on using row covers in your garden.

Summer sun can be your seedlings’ best friend or worst enemy. Always allow at least a week of adjustment time for seedlings started indoors, gradually exposing them to more direct sunlight. Even transplants that are given a week to get used to strong sun appreciate a few days of shade after they are set out, which can be easily provided by placing an old sheet over the row cover. Or, you can simply pop flower pots over the seedlings for a couple of days after transplanting. In most areas, insect pressures ease as nights become chilly in mid-fall, but you might want to keep your row covers on a little longer if your garden is visited by deer, which tend to become more troublesome as summer turns to fall.

Fall Garden Planting Schedule

There is no time to waste getting your fall garden crops into the ground, but exactly when should you plant them? Exact dates vary with location, and we have two online tools to help you find the best planting times for your garden. See Know When to Plant What: Find Your First Fall Frost Date to find an article that includes a link to tables showing average frost dates for cities in your state. For fall gardens, we suggest using the date given for a 50 percent chance of having a 28-degree night what gardeners call a killing frost. (Keep in mind that cold temperatures may come and go for several weeks in late fall. In most areas, you can easily stretch your fall season by covering plants with old blankets on subfreezing nights.) Also check out our What to Plant Now pages for monthly planting checklists of vegetables and kitchen herbs for your region.

12 to 14 weeks before your first killing frost

* Direct-sow last plantings of fast-maturing, warm-season vegetables such as snap beans, cucumbers and summer squash. Also sow parsnips and rutabagas, and begin planting cilantro, lettuce and radishes.
* Start cabbage family seedlings indoors, and set out the seedlings as promptly as possible.
* In climates with long autumns, plant celery, bulb fennel and parsley in the fall.

10 to 12 weeks before your first killing frost

* Set out broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi and cauliflower seedlings, along with celery, bulb fennel and parsley.
* Direct-sow beets, carrots, collards, leeks and scallions, along with more lettuce and radishes. In some areas, even fast-maturing peas and potatoes will do well in the fall garden.

8 to 10 weeks before your first killing frost

* Direct-sow arugula, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, turnips, spinach, mustard, pac choi, tatsoi and other Asian greens.
* Sow more lettuce and radishes, including daikons.

6 to 8 weeks before first killing frost

* Make a final sowing of spinach along with mâche, which matches spinach for super winter-hardiness. (In most regions, you can expect to enjoy these crops in your Christmas salads!)
* Make a final sowing of lettuce beneath a protective tunnel or frame.

On or around your first killing frost date

* Every fall garden should include garlic and shallots. If you love onions, be sure to try multiplying onions and perennial “nest” onions.

Getting the Most from Your Fall Garden

High-density planting in double or triple rows can increase your per-square-foot return by 40 percent with broccoli, or up to 70 percent with cabbage. Use a zigzag planting pattern to fit more plants into less space while allowing 18 inches between plants. Use dwarf varieties when spacing plants closer together, because too much crowding can lead to delayed maturation and low yields.

Cut-and-come-again harvesting can prolong the productive lives of heading crops such as spring-planted cabbage and Chinese cabbage. As long as the primary head is cut high, leaving a stout stub behind, small secondary heads often will develop within a few weeks. Many varieties of broccoli are enthusiastic cut-and-come-again vegetables, too. After the main head has been harvested (taking only 3 inches or so of stem), varieties such as ‘Belstar,’ ‘Green Goliath’ and many others produce numerous tender side shoots. The harvest will continue until temperatures drop into the teens, which seriously damages broccoli plants. In much of Zone 7 and 8, healthy broccoli plants will keep spewing out shoots for months, and sometimes all winter.

Transplant the untransplantable if that’s what it takes to get a good stand. For example, most gardeners have read that beets, carrots and rutabagas should be sown directly in the garden, but I often get better filled, more uniform rows in late summer by starting seeds indoors and setting out seedlings when they show their first true leaf. If the seedlings are kept moist and shaded for a few days after transplanting, about 75 percent of them survive. If you feel the need to brush up on your seedling-handling skills, see Garden Transplanting: Expert Advice.

Contributing editor Barbara Pleasant lives and gardens in southwest Virginia, where rutabagas are her favorite fall crop. Visit her website, Barbarapleasant.com.

http://etherwork.net/ejmtph/recipes/pasta_spicy.html#favourite

Pasta with Hot Chillies and Broccoli
makes enough for 2
Ingredients

* 4 - 6 dried red chillies, coarsely cut (do not pre-soak)
* 3 - 4 Tbsps of good quality olive oil (a good splash)
* 4 - 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped but not minced
* 3 pieces of sliced smoked ham (we use black forest) cut coarsely into small squares
* 1 cup of good quality GRATED Parmesan cheese (a little more or less depends on you)
* Good bunch of spaghettini enough for 2 people
* broccoli, chopped in bite size pieces (enough for 2 people)
* Boiling salted water
* Salt and Pepper

Preparation

1. In a large frying pan heat olive oil and throw in the chillies and cook them at med heat until they are BLACK (this is important). They shouldn’t be burnt to a crisp just nicely blackened.
2. Throw in the ham and cook until the pieces are quite leathery. (No...I’m not kidding.)
3. Throw in the garlic at the last minute or so of cooking the ham so it doesn’t burn. (Nothing worse than burnt garlic).
4. Cook spaghettini in boiling water for as long as it takes to make it al dente. (6 minutes?)
5. Throw a ladle full of hot pasta pasta water into skillet about 3 minutes before pasta is done. Toss in broccoli.
6. Drain pasta. (You want a bit of water left in the pasta - it takes the cheese and turns it into a coating sauce) Throw hot cooked pasta into skillet. Toss for only 30 or so seconds.
7. Throw (looks like we throw everything doesn’t it? - we do) in the cheese and toss everything together. Salt - yes you will still need lots of salt even though there is lots of Parmesan cheese. Hot chillies seem to need more salt for some reason. -tph

I leave the chillies uneaten because I’m a wimp. But the pasta is permeated with hot spiciness. I know people who do eat them, squealing with delight. The claim is that the blackened chillies take on an amazing toasty flavour. edit April 2007: Newsflash! I have started to eat the chillies!! (only one or two, nibbling tiny bits at a time...) And it’s true. They are wonderful and do indeed have an amazing toasty flavour. -ejm

Italian dishes:
Pasta with Hot Chillies & Tomatoes . more Italian style recipes
Pasta with Tomatoes, Chillies, Sausage

makes enough for 2 - we often make the sauce a couple of hours before cooking the pasta.
Ingredients

* 8 dried red chillies, whole (do not pre-soak)
* 3 - 4 Tbsps of good quality olive oil
* 1 double smoked Polish sausage, cut coarsely into small squares (sausage is about 12 inches long and an inch in diameter)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, chopped
* 4 Roma tomatoes, quartered
* ¼ c dry red wine (or vodka)
* Good bunch of spaghettini, enough for 2 people
* Boiling salted water
* Salt and Pepper
* 10 - 15 sun-dried olives
* soft goat cheese (optional)

Preparation

1. In a small pot, heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil and throw in the chillies and cook them at med heat until they are BLACK (this is important). They shouldn’t be burnt to a crisp just nicely blackened.
2. In a large non-aluminum frying pan, heat 2-3 Tbsp olive oil. Throw in the sausage and cook until the pieces are quite brown and almost crispy (No...I’m not kidding).
3. Throw in onions and saute til soft; add the garlic at the last minute or so of cooking so the garlic doesn’t burn. (Nothing worse than burnt garlic).
4. Throw in tomatoes, red wine (or vodka) salt and pepper. Add chillies and their oil. Let simmer til the tomatoes are soft. (You can take this off the heat at this point and store it in the pan til it is time to cook the pasta.)
5. Cook spaghettini in boiling water for as long as it takes to make it al dente. (6 minutes?) Throw hot cooked pasta into skillet after draining. Toss for only 30 or so seconds.
6. Throw (looks like we throw everything doesn’t it? - we do) in the olives and toss everything together. Garnish with little pieces of goat cheese for extra richness. -tph

Serve with green salad and beer. You may want to make this with fewer chillies if you are unused to hot food. The pasta gets permeated with hot spiciness. In our household, all the chillies get eaten (and sometimes there are complaints that there weren’t enough chillies). I eat one chilli very gradually over the course of the dinner. The blackened chillies take on an amazing toasty flavor. -ejm

Italian dishes:
Fresh Pasta . more Italian style recipes
Egg Noodles - Fresh Pasta
linguine
ravioli

* 1 c semolina flour
* ¼ c unbleached all-purpose flour
* ¼ c whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
* 2 large eggs

Preparation

1. Mix flours together. Stir eggs in with a fork. Knead with hands to form a ball. Cover tightly with plastic and allow to sit on counter for a couple of hours.
2. Put dough through handcrank pasta maker. Leave as sheets for lasagne, ravioli and manicotti or cut each sheet into spaghettini or linguine. Lay loosely on a tray. Sprinkle a little flour over top to keep the pasta from sticking to itself.
3. In a large pot, boil well-salted water. Add noodles cooking them until just tender (very short time). Drain and toss in your favourite sauce.

Serve with your favourite sauce. Fresh egg noodles are wonderful tossed in butter and sage and served as a sidedish with grilled meat as well. Or tossed in butter and toasted poppy seeds to go with goulash or Beef Stroganov. They are also brilliant in Asian flavoured chicken broth.

http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=553#recipe

Pasta with Nettles and Cream Sauce

pasta

* ½ c semolina flour
* 2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
* 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
* 1 large egg

filling

* nettles
* good shot olive oil
* onions, minced
* seasalt and pepper, to taste
* grated Ilha branca (or any hard cheese)
* finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

cream sauce

* ¼ c olive oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped finely
* 3 Tbsp flour
* 1 c skim milk
* 1 tsp chicken stock powder (or seasalt)
* splash of 10% cream
* pepper, to taste

for assembly

* good shot butter
* fresh herbs to garnish

Preparation

1. pasta Mix flours together. Stir egg in with a fork. Knead with hands to form a ball. Cover tightly with plastic and allow to sit on counter for a couple of hours.
2. Put dough through handcrank pasta maker. Leave as sheets and hang to dry a little. Cut into squares and lay loosely on a tray. Sprinkle a little flour over top to keep it from sticking to itself.
3. filling Rinse nettles. Caution: When nettles are uncooked, their tiny barbs on the leaves DO sting. Use tongs of gloves to transfer them from place to place! Put the nettles in a small amount of boiling water for about a minute, turn them a couple of times in the water to ensure that all the leaves have been blanched. Drain and set aside in a colander.
4. Sauté onions in olive oil.
5. Add nettles to the onions and sauté until the nettles look done. Season with chicken stock powder (or seasalt) and pepper. Set aside until it is time to cook the pasta.
6. Melt the butter in another frying pan. Continue heating until it turns light brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning!! When the butter is dark gold, remove from the heat, and set aside til it is time to cook the pasta.
7. cream sauce (béchamel) Finely chop the onion. Pour milk (we use skim milk powder and water) into a small pot. Add a quarter of onion. Heat the milk just until it is smiling. Remove from heat and allow to steep for about 15 minutes. Set aside.
8. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add the rest of the onion to the oil. Sauté onions til soft and just beginning to turn golden.
9. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon to get rid of lumps.
10. Add milk and chicken stock powder (or seasalt); cook til sauce is the right thickness. (This can be done a few hours before serving.) Cover. Set aside till it is time to cook the pasta.
11. cook the pasta In a large pot, boil well-salted water. Add pasta and cook until just tender (very short time).
12. As the water is coming to a boil, warm up the pans with the nettles, brown butter and cream sauce. Add a splash of 10% cream to the cream sauce and stir to heat through; grind in some pepper.
13. Gently drop pasta into the boiling water and cook until just tender (very short time).
14. Drain the pasta squares and toss in the brown butter. Lay a square of pasta on each serving plate. Spoon some of the nettle mixture into the center of each square of pasta. Add a little grated cheese (we used Ilha branca) any hard cheese would work - just bear in mind that you don’t want to overpower the delicate flavour of the nettles. Place another pasta square on top. Spoon on more nettle mixture. Top with pasta square. Pour cream sauce. Scatter grated parmesan overtop and garnish with fresh herbs (we used savoury, parsley and/or thyme).

Serve immediately as an appetizer, or as accompaniment with a grilled chop and green vegetable.

This is a forum for food and all related, very interesting:

http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=553#recipe

Bread Making Notes, good ones:

http://etherwork.net/ejmtph/recipes/breadnotes.html

http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=667

Herbed Radish Butter
based on Jude’s (Apple Pie, Patis and Pate) radish herb butter; measurements are rather approximate; I just winged it

* 1 large radish
* splash fresh lemon juice
* 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, soft
* fresh mint leaves (a large sprig)
* fresh chives (~8 blades)
* fresh parsley leaves (a small sprig)
* seasalt and pepper

preparation

1. Wash the radish well and trim the ends. Cut it in half and then thinly thinly thinly slice it. Turn the slices a quarter turn and julienne them. Add lemon juice to the radishes and set aside.
2. Cream the butter with the back of a small wooden spoon.
3. Chop herbs finely.
4. Stir herbs, salt and pepper into the butter.
5. As best you can, without breaking the radish pieces, stir radish into the butter.

Serve immediately with crusty bread. (Of course, it can be kept in the fridge for an hour or so before serving too.)

note

* Don’t worry if the radish isn’t completely encorporated into the butter. As long as there is butter in with the mix when spooning it onto the bread, it tastes fine. More than fine, actually.

It IS really wonderful, Kalyn. And I suppose one could dispense with making the radish butter by simply making open face radish sandwiches by buttering bread and then putting thinly sliced radishes that have a squeeze of lemon juice on them, chopped mint, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. It would certainly resolve the problem of getting the radishes completely encorporated into the butter. -Elizabeth

Comment by MrsBrown — 24 July 2009 @ 11:44 EDT

We had some radishes growing in our garden but something black and furry whose name begins with Nicky the Black Dog thought it was a good idea to pull them up, eat the radishes and leave the greens neatly on the ground. She seems to think we’ve put the garden there for her personal use. Luckily, she doesn’t seem to like mustard greens or lettuce and she hasn’t discovered the carrots. At least she left the greens in a tidy pile.

Perhaps we’ll try again just so we can have radish butter.

http://etherwork.net/blog/?cat=36

sourdough and wild yeast

Her articles and wonderful looking recipes, a must check out for the sourdough bakers.

http://etherwork.net/blog/?p=495

Two summers ago, along with a selection of fabulous cheeses, I was given a box of the most wonderful crackers, Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps. The crackers are available throughout Canada and the USA. And they are delicious. But at their price, they really are only for special occasions.

Or so I thought.

This past summer, one of my sisters-in-law brought faux stowes as part of her offering for the family dinner. They were just as fabulous as the real thing and she claimed they weren’t all that difficult to make.

It turns out she’s right. Even though they require double baking, they’re dead easy. And they’re delicious! And being home made, MUCH less expensive so they can be for every day rather than just special occasions.

I made a few changes to the recipe my sister-in-law copied out for me. I used dried rosemary instead of fresh.

I had to use dried rosemary. Unlike my lucky western relatives’ rosemary, our rosemary does not survive outdoors in the winter. I have a small rosemary plant in the basement but it’s so spindly that removing even a teaspoon, let alone a tablespoon of leaves would render the poor little plant leafless.

And I omitted the fruit (I forgot to put it in…) I also added the left over sludge from building up my wild yeast to the batter. I’m positive that this is not a necessary addition. It’s a great way to use up the discards though!

Here’s what I did to make the crackers:

Faux Stowes
double the recipe to make twice the amount

* 1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 2 Tbsp flax seeds
* ½ tsp seasalt
* ½ tsp dried rosemary (or ½ Tbsp fresh)
* discarded sludge from wild yeast buildup, optional*
* 1 c buttermilk
* 2 Tbsp brown sugar (demerrara)
* 1 Tbsp molasses
* ¼ c pecans, chopped
* ¼ c pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
* 2 Tbsp brown sesame seeds
* ¼ c raisins or dried cranberries, optional

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Stir flour and baking soda in a medium sized bowl.
3. Use a pestle and mortar to coarsely grind the flaxseeds, salt and rosemary. Set aside.
4. Stir in buttermilk, sugar and molasses. Also add the left over sludge from building up wild yeast, if using.
5. Stir in nuts, seeds, salt and rosemary. Also add the fruit, if using.
6. first baking:Pour the batter into the parchment lined loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean.
7. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. (The bread can be eaten at this stage - it is delicious!)
8. making the crackers: Preheat oven to 300F. Slice the bread as thinly as possible.
9. second baking: Place the bread slices on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for a total of 30 minutes - 15 minutes per side.

Allow to cool on a rack before eating or storing in a tin.
Notes:
* Please note that the wild yeast sludge is my addition to my sister-in-law’s recipe. I’m certain that it is completely unnecessary. It’s just a great way to use what would normally be discarded from the wild yeast buildup. Waste not, want not….

* Piano Piano Pieno Crackers
* Don’s Health Biscuits (don’t let the name fool you; they’re delicious!
* Cheese Cookies
* Quickbreads and muffins
* recipes from OUR kitchen - index

bread for Faux Stowes As I was slicing the bread to put onto the cookie sheet, T tasted a piece and insisted that I leave half the loaf unsliced because it was so delicious that way. And he’s right! It really is good.

It also leads me to believe that any muffin recipe could be baked in a loaf pan, sliced and turned into Faux Stowes.

Sadly, the rosemary flavour got lost - but I suspect we would have found something lacking if I had left out the rosemary. When we have an abundanced of fresh rosemary, I’ll have to try these again. Maybe I’ll remember to add the raisins too!

And next time, to get our crackers to look even more like Lesley Stowes’ crisps, I’m going to put a fold of parchment paper lengthwise down the middle of the loaf pan so that the finished bread will create square slices.

Weekend Herb Blogging (WHB) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Admittedly, fresh rosemary really is preferable to dried. Dried rosemary is quite brittle and can have a bitter taste. It also loses its beautiful green colour and turns to a quite dusty grey green. Not exactly the most appetizing colour.

However, it is very easy to grind and because it is so strong tasting, it is one of the herbs that retains a lot of its flavour and aroma.

Please read more about rosemary:

* other WHB posts featuring rosemary:
* stock making (WHB#113) - includes instructions for overwintering indoors
* focaccia again (WHB#91)
* Cherry’s Claypot Chicken is a Keeper (WHB#60)
* waffles with rosemary honey (WHB#22)
* growing rosemary
* wikipedia - Rosemary
* Plants for a Future - Rosmarinus officinalis
* Spice Pages: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

At times, one finds a list of so many interesting recipes, that there is no starting point for posting, so go get them here:

http://etherwork.net/ejmtph/recipes/

http://spicyipindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/guest-post-critical-analysis-of-indian.html

Monday, August 03, 2009
Guest Post: A critical analysis of the Indian Policy on seeds - Bane or Boon?

We’re pleased to bring to you a guest post by Nirajan Man Singh & Sheja Ehtesham, both of whom will be graduating from NALSAR this weekend. Their post deals with the Seed Act, 2004 which is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament amidst severe opposition from farmer associations.

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE INDIAN POLICY ON SEEDS – BANE OR BOON?
India is predominantly an agricultural country. 31% of its GDP comes from agriculture and around 64% of its labour force is dependent on agriculture.[1] Thus any developments in the arena of agriculture warrant a very close scrutiny. Especially in the light of the widely accepted perception that seeds belong to farmers, as they are the discoverers, selectors and protectors of agricultural biodiversity.[2]

The trend that emerges is that a majority of the private investment in the area of agriculture goes to seeds other than wheat and rice. Rice and wheat are domains wherein the investment is mainly from public research institutions funded by the Government, which naturally, is not sufficient. The merits of this policy are questionable and it has often been criticized as being a key factor in reinforcing poverty in a majority of the population. Consequentially, it has emerged as the need of the hour to attract further investment in rice and wheat. Accordingly, the Government decided to permit private participation in this field. They further endeavored to ensure that there were enough safeguards introduced in new Seed Bill and the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (i.e. PPV & FR Act) to reduce the scope of any misuse.

The introduction of foreign and domestic private participation would inevitably increase the investment in the area of food and agriculture. It will bring new varieties of seeds to the farmer with higher productivity. This was, perhaps, the main objective behind allowing for an inevitable, yet limited monopoly to private players. It seems reflective of the Government’s consciousness of the fact that its investments alone will not suffice to provide for food security to the country. Private participation is the need of the hour. Furthermore, the disadvantages to bringing in the private players are substantially counterbalanced, considering there is nothing in the existing legislation which provides that seed saving is a crime.

BT COTTON: FARMER STITCH THEIR OWN SHROUDS

In 1996, an insect resistant Bt cotton was discovered by introducing Cry1Ac gene from a soil borne bacteria, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) and was commercialized in USA and subsequently in other countries. Those varieties of Bt cotton have reportedly failed in large parts of Madhya Pradesh causing serious losses to farmers. Reports of the failure of Bt cotton have been coming in steadily after the harvest of the first crop of 2002- 2003. Gene Campaign’s study of the first Bt cotton harvest in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra had shown that 60% of the farmers who cultivated Bt cotton in these regions had suffered such massive losses that they were unable to even recover their investment.[3]

As per the Andhra Pradesh Government Report of the Bt cotton failure, the state has banned the sale of such varieties of Bt cotton, due to the large scale losses incurred by farmers. The cause of such a colossal failure of Bt Cotton in India was that India’s Bt Cotton technology was faulty and inadequate to protect the cotton crops, where the major pest is the bollworm. Bt cotton hybrids being produced in India were found to be unstable and unpredictable and not very effective against the bollworm, as the variety being used here was created for the US, to protect America’s cotton crops against its major pest, which is the tobacco budworm, not the bollworm.[4]

The poor performance of Bt cotton in India can also be attributed to the fact that in India, Bt cotton seeds were produced as hybrids, not the true varieties. It could possibly have been a wiser choice if the government undertook the decision that only true breeding varieties of Bt cotton would be permitted in India, not only because they perform better but also because they would be a cheaper option for farmers who could save seeds for the next harvest.[5]

The Navbharat Bt seed was another variety selling cheap at Rs 100 per bag, since it was illegal – similar to selling on the black market, at a lower cost. The tragedy began unfolding inGujarat where over 10,000 acres of Bt cotton were planted illegally. The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, whose permission is required for cultivation of any GM crop, ordered the destruction of this illegal Bt cotton that was still standing on the field. This decision led to numerous farmers committing suicide.

Despite the widespread failure of such Bt cotton varieties neither the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) nor the Ministry of Agriculture, have so far moved to take action against the offending company. The company contended that the failure was attributable solely to agronomic conditions like shortage of water or heavy rain, hence it was reported only from a few pockets, and not the whole country.

continued, in depth discussion of seeds and modern ways.

http://www.streetdirectory.com/food_editorials/pastry/bread/free_bread_machine_bread_recipes.html

There are many free bread machine recipes available online, so don’t go out a spend money on books - instead, spend the money on delicious ingredients. Here are some mouth watering bread recipes to get you started.

There are literally thousands of bread machine bread recipes that are free and readily available online from both home cooking websites and bread making forums. You can find not only unusual and delicious recipes; you will also get advice on how to get the best out of your bread machine so you get perfect loaves of bread every time.

Easy Sourdough Bread

If you love sourdough bread but don’t relish the idea of the effort involved in making it, you can try this easy sourdough bread recipe.

Ingredients - this will make a 1.5lb loaf

1/2 cup of plain, nonfat yogurt
2/3 cup water (room temperature)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon softened butter (margarine can be used instead)
3.25 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons regular active dry yeast

Directions

Never use the delay bake option with this recipe. Put all the other ingredients into the bread pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the French bread cycle.

Apple Oatmeal and Raisin Bread

This is a delicious, sweet and moist bread; perfect for children and adults alike.

Ingredients - this will make a 1.5lb loaf

1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats
5/8 cup of water
1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
2 3/4 cups of bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter (margarine can be used instead)
1/2 cup of raisins
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

Directions

Put all the other ingredients into the bread pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the basic bread cycle with the light crust option and press start. After baking, leave the loaf to cool for at least one hour.

Carrot and Thyme Bread

This is a moist multi-grain and versatile bread that goes with fruit or vegetable salad or pulse soups.

Ingredients - this will make a 1.5lb loaf

2 1/4 cups of bread flour
1 cup of rye flour
1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of dried thyme
2 cups of freshly grated carrots
1 cup of water (some bread machines may require a little more)
2 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

Directions

Put all the other ingredients into the bread pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the basic bread cycle and press start. After baking, leave the loaf to cool.

All of the above recipes are not only flavorful; they are full of fiber and vitamins. Preparation time is also minimal; grating the carrots for the above bread machine bread recipe is the part that requires any work at all. Other, equally delicious bread recipes for bread makers are available online.

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