So quickly, things are happening

the first heirloom tomatoes of the season.

Stepping quickly into my old life of 2 years ago this evening has made me all the more grateful for where I am and who I am today. Thank you, to all of you, who have brought, pushed, and guided me here.

here's my life, now.

the medicinal herb spiral bed, growing heartily

German Chamomile

Cayenne Peppers
the first red ones of the season. We'll dry these for use in the winter, and use fresh make spicy pickles, hot sauces, and relishes to can.


The rooftop garden is producing like mad. It's hard to imagine what the garden looked like 3 months, 6 months, or a year ago, (when there was no garden). What a change, what growth. !

Seeing all the food reminds me of how easy it is to grow your own food. It takes dedication, true, especially at the proper times (i.e. seeding early spring, weeding, and watering in dry spells)- but mostly plants take care of themselves. All we humans have to do is nurture the little seedlings until they're large enough to take care of themselves. Then voila! You have tomatoes, carrots, peppers, grains, onions, lettuces, greens, flowers, squash, beets, and more. All for the price of the seed packet (if that) and some of our precious time. In exchange for good quality food, not so bad.

Looking at the prices of food at the grocery stores and farmers markets, the effort put into a garden really isn't exorbitant. Trucking food cross country in refrigerated trucks thousands of miles to huge stores hoping they make it and are purchased in time is a rather large cost to put food in your belly. Especially when it pops up in your own backyard (or rooftop).

Dietrich, with our first two cabbages





In another vein: foraging. We have a friend and a friend who pointed us in the direction of a very large, unpruned pear tree. Owned by Holly and Ben, it's practically dripping with lucious pears.

Alyssa and I with oodles of pears- likely up to 80lbs. whoa, there will be some intense canning in the next couple of weeks when they finish ripening off the tree.



Some of them are just starting to blush, a sign of beginning ripeness. They'll blush and become soft when they are ready. Right now, they're rather hard and rocklike. Beautiful, nonetheless!

Check back for some pear recipes- soon to come!

garden: August

eggplant blossoms

mammoth red rock cabbage

Rooftop green dent corn

Black Beauty peppers

The rooftop- post Feastival trampled.

Edible Alchemy Summer Feastival 2010

The feastival last weekend was amazing. Completely amazing.

I estimate that we had over 300 people out through the night to come and support Eco and Edible Alchemy (the co-op I help to organize)! It was quite magical to experience the rollercoaster that is preparing for an event. So much hard work; CLEANING, re-arranging, planning, contacting volunteers + performers, ordering food, prepping food, coordinating things, CLEANING, and thinking through every possible scenario to anticipate all the details. (I was exhausted). Then, the event! Photo credit: Eric Scott Baker

the event itself was magic. A continuous wave of dear friends, new faces, acquaintances, and total strangers all wanting to share their energies and excitement during the night. !! Oh, and the food! and the music :) and the fire!

Our menu:

Edible Alchemy Feastival

Menu

Summer 2010

Bruschetta with goat cheese and raspberry balsamic reduction

Polenta squares with tomato-mushroom tapenade

Quiche with rainbow chard

Collard wraps filled with cucumbers, carrots, avocados, and marinated mushrooms, dressed with peanut sauce

Indian spiced sprouted lentils in lettuce cups

_____

Raw coconut and chocolate coconut macaroons

Vegan chai latte cake

Gluten-free raspberry cake

All produce is locally and sustainably grown, with the exception of avocados and ginger.

**

it was scrumptious! We're very excited to continue to do catering projects for events- our next feastival will most likely be a fancy schmancy harvest dinner party at eco, in October or early November. yum! The Edible team is currently canning like fiends to capture the delicious ripeness of the harvest season. We've been making pickles of all sorts, canning sauce, dehydrating apricots and peaches, simmering down berries, and macerating the most delicious herbs into pestos. It's good to put up food this year- I always want to and never make the time to.


On a fire-y note: spinning fire in the garden was a big part of the feastival for me. I love spinning fire in the garden... it's something about connecting two things that I love so much right now- the fire and the plants. (Though they don't mesh very when when put in tight quarters, sadly.) So many good friends from all over came out to play :)



Here, Kanyon from detroit throws down on the roof.
Photo credit: Eric Scott Baker

So, even though the Feastival was an insane amount of work- it was totally worth it. And I'd probably do it again. Probably sooner rather than later. (Look for a fundraising fancy schmancy benefit dinner, coming round harvest time. )

am I crazy? I hope so.