Down to Earth: Explore Organic Farming
Adam, a WWOOF volunteer, made the most of the growing season at Jim Long’s herb farm.
Tags: herb farm
Herbs in our Live
Discuss and share all about herbs.
Osmanthus Fragrans – Tea Olive Plant
Osmanthus Fragrans – Also known as the tea olive plant, is often used as a landscape shrub. The intoxicating osmanthus flowers are infused into many chinese and asian teas.
Tags: Osmanthus Tea, plantRelated posts
Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
If you search for butternut squash soup recipes you would find an endless supply. I’ve picked a few to try since I have so many butternuts. For this one I used only one big Waltham.
Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
I had no trouble cutting the butternut lengthwise. Maybe my knife was better, or the squash was not as tough as the one she used.
I also sauteed the onions, added one clove of garlic, the apples, and then the spices. This brings out more flavor.
Since I wasn’t leaving it for the day, I kept the crockpot on high. It took about four hours for the butternut to be tender enough. After cooling slightly, I used the immersion blender.
After topping with chives and tasting, I did add come cream. I had planned to garnish with nutmeg, but it was already spicy enough. The spices made it taste more like pumpkin soup than other butternut squash soups I have tasted.
Sometimes, crockpot cooking is a great way to go, but I didn’t think it was worth it for this recipe. Cooking the squash really made the task of peeling much easier. I will probably use that anytime I need to peel it. Once in the oven, it’s even easier to cook it until it’s done. Doubt I’ll ever make this recipe again.
Tags: Butternut, Crockpot, soup, SquashRelated posts
Soil Competition Final
The more they grow the more obvious it is. The plant on the left is grown in MiracleGrow and the one on the right in Baccto. Does looks more and more like it’s worth the extra money. Now, I’m going to start using the basil for pesto, salads and other delights.
I decided I should also try another plant, so here are the early parsley results. Again, the MiracleGrow is on the left and the Baccto on the right. Thank goodness the ones in the garden and other pots are much bigger.
Tags: Baccto, MiracleGrow, soilRelated posts
Tomato-Basil Pesto
The ingredients above are for the recipe below. It’s a very simple and flavorful recipe.
The sauce can be blended while the spaghetti cooks. The almonds can be toasted while the tomatoes and garlic blend.
I enjoyed the meal but it left me feeling there was something that could improve the taste. After adding parsley to the top it helped. Next time I might use a different kind of tomato, and walnuts instead of almonds. Perhaps more basil would add even more flavor. Let me know if anyone has other suggestions, or has tried a variation of this recipe that was better.
Tags: garlik, parsley, recipe, spaghetti, ssauce, tomatoRelated posts
Having a garden pond can really become your favorite thing
Having a pond near or around your garden really does more than just bring wildlife around; it can also bring forth a happy feeling and a satisfaction knowing you are adding to the environment in a great way.
Even if you start with a basic pond kit from a home improvement store you can bury the pond kit and allow the grass to grow over the edge to help attract wildlife in any form. Some of the most beautiful things can be seen around a garden pond such as animals and plant life that is simply amazing.
Frogs will jump from the edge of the pond, and mosquitoes battle each other for landing spots on cattails or other plants around. Bees and butterflies gather nectar and pollen and even swoop in for a quick drink. Turtles may move into your garden pond and pop their heads up and down while watching you, watch them. Birds such as bluebirds will perch while larger birds like heron will come to the edge to check things out.
Your plant life will allow shelter and hiding places for goldfish or Koi and lilies offer the best display of color in the water with their bright purples and yellows that bloom against the green plants around in other locations of your pond.
At night bats will swoop down to grab up lingering mosquitoes and chickens and roosters will be leaving the area to roost in the night if you have them around your yard.
If this is the first pond you have had or are thinking about consider keep frogs and tadpoles to cut down on mosquitoes during the hotter months. A pond is a living ecosystem and it will change with the seasons with little to no maintenance if kept right.
Nothing is better than sitting near the ponds edge and listen to what you have created.
Tags: garden, pondRelated posts
Make Stevia Syrup
Stevia is a natural sweetening agent. A South American perennial that’s sold as a commercial sweetener under the name Truvia in the U.S., stevia can be grown in your backyard herb patch and processed into a powder or syrup for use in cooking and beverages.To use stevia as a powder, dry the leaves a warm, dark spot, in a dehydrator or in the oven, and then grind them.
Tags: stevia, sweetener, SyrupRelated posts
Wild Edible and Medicinal Mushroom Class
A new class at the Herbal Bear School! -
Wild Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms
Date & Time:
Saturday, October 3, 2009;
10am – 5:45pm
Location:
The Herbal Bear House
11 Old Ferris Farm Road,
Grand Gorge NY 12434
Cost: $175.00 (includes lunch)
Register Here
Learn the skills needed to utilize wild edible and medicinal mushrooms! Spend an exciting day at the Herbal Bear Catskill Cabin with our instructor Bob Beyfus, learning about wild mushrooms and their many uses.
The course provides an introduction to wild mushroom identification. Emphasis is on basic identification skills of wild mushrooms, including edible mushrooms, medicinal mushrooms and their poisonous look-alikes. Students will learn how to use a key to identify mushrooms and the terminology used to distinguish common mushrooms and relatives. Basic fungal biology and ecology will be discussed.
The class covers mushroom foraging fundamentals, including:
· Where to look for different species: habitat preferences
· When to harvest different species: seasonal growth patterns
· Non-edible look-alikes and poisonous mushrooms to avoid
· Mushroom cultivation
· Storing and preserving wild mushrooms
· A review of useful resources: books and websites on mushrooms
The course begins with a slide show presentation that explains how to identify a wide variety of mushrooms found in the Northeast. The course continues with a mushroom foraging hike. The afternoon is spent practicing identification skills with the mushrooms gathered on the foraging hike, learning mushroom cultivation techniques, and ends with a presentation on the use of medicinal mushrooms. Hand-outs are provided with resources for further learning.
Each Student must have:
A copy of the Audubon Field Guide to mushrooms.
A hand magnifying glass.
Hiking shoes suitable for walking in the woods.
Rain gear – in case on inclement weather.
You may bring your own copy of or purchase one at the time of registration for this class. Your purchased copy will be given to you at the class.
Each student will receive a mushroom kit that they can take home and grow their very own mushrooms. Tuition includes lunch. Supper is served after the class lecture and is available to students for an additional $20.00.
Lodging is not included. If you wish to stay in the area – we can recommend several local motels or inns.
Register Here
The registration fee will include a non-refundable $35.00 fee that can not be applied to any other class. No refunds will be made for missed classes or cancellations that are made less than two weeks before the class begins. We will not make refunds or offer make-up sessions for classes missed by the student.
NOTE: All students must be pre-enrolled and paid in order to attend the classes.We will not accept walk ins.
The Herbal Bear School of Botanical Medicine offers classes in herbal studies. Visit our website at www.herbalbear.com
Tags: Medicinal Mushroom ClassRelated posts
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