Tag Archives: Local Food

Cloudy With a Chance of Stinging Nettles and Smoothies

Last weekend, we went out to pick stinging nettles. This was a fun excursion. Stinging nettles grow wild around our city, although I’ve never had the opportunity to pick them before. They grow near sunny ditches, and we have a lack of both sun and ditches in our particular neighborhood. When we got home, I steamed the nettles and we ate them for dinner. They were a lovely cross between earthy flavor and leafy green. They are also supposed to be very nutritious. Unfortunately, my daughter took one bite and determined that they were icky. Oh well, at least she … Continue reading →

Dandelions Part Two: Eat Your Weeds

Yesterday I wrote a blog about the health benefits and delicious nature of the lovely, not-so-lowly dandelion. For those who are feeling intrepid, here are some of the many ways to use the wild dandelions that you find in your yard. To harvest your dandelions, make sure that you find a place that is relatively wild and unsprayed, or simply grow them in your own yard. Yes, I’m telling you to grow dandelions. After all, they appear to be nearly-impossible to get rid of, so why not say that you actually want them there? If you are harvesting dandelions from … Continue reading →

The Delight of the Dandelion

Do you have a joyful little yellow flower sprouting on your lawn? The one I’m referring to is a couple of centimeters wide. It’s fluffy and has a cheerful, bright color. It’s commonly considered to be a weed, but it’s actually incredibly useful, if a little bitter. What plant am I talking about? The dandelion, of course! Today I walked over to our local recreation center and took a shortcut through the forest. I met a woman with a whole fistful of dandelion leaves. “Making salad?” I asked her. She looked surprised and nodded, then proceeded to tell me about … Continue reading →

The Slow Food Movement

Mary Ann and I have talked about organic foods, composting, and other green food ideas, but I don’t think we’ve talked about the Slow Food Movement. The philosophy of Slow Food Movement is simple – good, clean, and fair food. Food that tastes good, is processed in a clean way, and doesn’t harm the environment, animals, or us. And fair food isn’t about corn dogs and cotton candy – it is about the people bringing your food to you being fairly compensated for their work. The mission of the Slow Food Movement is simple to – to save traditional grains, … Continue reading →