(I managed to delete a month’s worth of legitimate, real, wonderful comments in a moment of anti-sp*m outrage. I apologise if your comments were affected. I also regret it, as I treasure every comment.)




One of the things I wanted to do on this website was to share recipes. I cook. I cook more than most people do and I can’t remember the last time I bought a mix for something. That said, I don’t enjoy, and therefore, hardly ever use, recipes that are time consuming, or intricate or require more than half of my attention. Also, I hate doing dishes, so I lean toward recipes that have minimal clean up. My family is vegetarian, so all the recipes will be too. Even if you are not vegetarian yourself, every meatless meal you eat is another point for your greener lifestyle. I’ll be sure to note which recipes are particularly good to serve to meat-eaters.

So.. On to the first recipe:

Grilled Seasonal Vegetables

Except, I call them Barbequed Seasonal Vegetables, because here in Canada, if you cook it on that cooker thing in your backyard, you are barbequing, regardless of any sauce or flavourings.

I’m starting with this recipe for a few reasons. For one, we’re eating it at least twice a week, and it is a little different each time depending on which vegetables are in season locally and what I’ve got on hand. It’s healthy. Also, it’s easy. But most importantly, the last four times I have cooked this for company, I have been asked for the recipe. I’m taking that as proof that this recipe is a winner.

Ingredients:

1. A mixture of locally-grown, in-season fresh vegetables (see below for preparation instructions)
2. Mrs Dash Original Seasoning
3. Olive Oil

Directions:

Toss the vegetables will just enough olive oil to coat (this is much less oil than you think). Sprinkle on the Mrs Dash seasoning liberally, toss again. Barbeque (grill) in a basket or perforated wok for about 20 minutes on medium heat, turning once or twice to cook all sides.

If you are cooking inside, put the vegetable mixture into a roasting pan and bake at 375 or 400, stirring once or twice, until cooked, about 20 minutes.

Almost any vegetable will work. Some must be precooked, but that’s easy enough to do as you chop the other vegetables. I have a mixing bowl that will hold the same amount of stuff that my barbeque basket will, so as I prepare the vegetables I put them into that bowl so I know when I’ve got enough. It’s really easy to make much more than you need. This isn’t a problem, though, as you can just put the prepared veggies in the fridge to cook in a day or two.

Suggested Vegetables and Preparation:

Choose locally-grown and in-season vegetables whenever possible. Check out the food hierarchy from Little Homestead in the City to help make the best choices at the market.

Onion: cut into thick wedges. I put onion in every time, regardless of what else is going in.

Potatoes: mini potatoes are wonderful, but big ones cut up work too. Potatoes must be boiled until tender beforehand

Garlic: whole peeled cloves

Broccoli: cut into large pieces and very lightly steamed beforehand

Cauliflower: cut into large pieces and lightly steamed beforehand

Zucchini: cut into 1″ chunks

Corn on the Cob: great way to use leftovers. Cut the cooked cobs into rounds about 1.5″ thick

Sugar Peas: any edible pod pea is delicious cooked this way

Asparagus: whole spears, or cut in half. People who don’t like asparagus often like it this way

Eggplant: cut into rounds. If you like, you can salt it ahead of time, let it sit and then pour off the liquid

Cherry Tomatoes: toss them in whole so the skin can help keep all the juice in

Green and Yellow Beans: toss them in whole

Mushrooms: I try to get small ones so they get a chance to cook through, otherwise, cut big ones in half

Sweet Peppers: cut into chunks

As I said, this has been a real hit ’round these parts. A dish like this is good in a crowd as people can scoop up more of what they like, and less of what they don’t. My oldest son picks out the potatoes, while my youngest goes for the cauliflower (I know. I don’t know either). My sister wants the mushrooms. I like the asparagus and the broccoli and the onions… ;)

Let me know if you give it a try. I’d also love to hear about any other vegetables you tried.

“Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social, and spiritual consequences. It is time to re-examine some of our deeply held notions that underlie our lifestyles.”
- David Suzuki

I like things to be laid out and clear. I want to know what the best plan of action is. I know that what is considered the ‘best plan’ may change as information and circumstances change, but if I know what the best plan is for today, then I can get on with it.

I don’t think I’m so unusual in this and I believe that a (perceived) lack of a best plan is what keeps a lot of people from making significant changes to their lifestyles. Most people want to live greener lifestyles, I think, but many are unable to move forward because they are unsure which way to go. There is an expert for everything; pick one and go :)

Radishes from our backyard garden.

Food - what we eat and where it comes from - is a huge part of greener living. But buying food carefully can be really difficult. My grocery store labels produce as “local” - with the quotes. Is that really local or just quoty-fingers local? And how local? Telling me it is Ontario-grown doesn’t say much. Ontario is a huge province (according to Wikipedia, 1,076,395 km² or 415,598 sq mi), so Ontario-grown doesn’t necessarily mean local. But there is no ‘official’ definition of local, anyway, so.. Uhh?

My best plan for local is this: my first choice is food that is labelled with the farmer’s location. If is somewhere near me, then yay. If not, then I choose the one closest to me. Next choice, is to believe it when my grocery store says “local”. Some things I just won’t buy if they aren’t local. For example, I live in some of the best apple-producing country in the world. Many varieties keep well over the winter. I won’t buy apples that come from outside of Ontario. We are apples. So why is my grocery store stocking apples from South Africa? (or tomatoes from Holland for that matter?) Ontario grown apples only.

But then there is organic. (My plan: yes if I can get it, local is preferable, but I’m not paying 3x the price of conventional. Double is as high as I will go, usually.) And what about corporate farms vs family farms? And what about Fair Trade? It quickly becomes overwhelming and then I’m standing in the grocery store and can’t decide which broccoli to buy.

Homegrown salad greens. Several kinds of lettuce, swiss chard, spinach, chives, parsley.

So I was SO happy to see this in Little Homestead In The City

If not FROM BACKYARD then locally produced.
If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Fair Trade.

That there is a Food Hierarchy and I am ever glad to see that! I love option hierarchies. If possible, choose this, if not, then this, etc etc. I’ve printed that out and put it on my fridge and copied it into my PDA so I have it when I’m shopping. I have a Best Plan and will never be stymied by broccoli again. :D

And speaking of organic, this is an awesome little movie (thanks Jean!) about organic farming and produce. Sure to be a hit with Star Wars fans:

We’re working the Food Hierarchy here at my house. We’ve been eating greens from our backyard gardens all month. In fact, I haven’t bought any since the beginning of June. And I’ve already processed and frozen two flats of strawberries (well, what was left of two flats after all the eating that went on lol) from the farmer just up the road. I’ll definitely be freezing more and making jam too. Once the strawberries are done, that same farmer will have raspberries. Mmmmmmm :)

Little Homestead in the City I have been reading this blog almost since its inception. There is a lot of really good information there; it is a never-ending source of inspiration and is fast becoming one of the pillars of the Sustainable Living grassroots community.

David Suzuki Foundation: Solutions Are In Our Nature

PickYourOwn.org - Where you can find a pick-your-farm near you. Cover the US, Canada and other countries too.

We all have this deep-rooted fascination with the wild. It’s as simple as feeding squirrels and pigeons on a park bench for some people.
- Nick Jans

Maybe it is pushing it to call a squirrel “wildlife”, but technically, they are. This house is about eight years old and we saw the first squirrel in our backyard three years ago. This is the first year we are seeing them regularly. As far as I can tell, there are two grey and one black that come. Obviously, they are not bothered too much by the rain :)

Squirrel tongue! hehehhe :)
I had been leaving those peanuts out for them, but I’ve stopped now, because twice they’ve dug up my bed of tiny carrot sprouts to bury the peanuts, only to dig them up again hours later. No more peanuts in the shell for them! There are still lots of shelled peanuts, though.

Also not bothered by the rain are the Red Winged Blackbirds. They are regular and noisy visitors to our feeder. In fact, they are quite sure that when we are in the yard we are trespassing on their property and they sit on the fence and click and buzz at us.

I’ve been keeping a list of the kinds of birds we’re getting at our feeders. When you write it down it is surprising how many different kinds there are. I’ve made it a personal challenge to learn to tell apart the different types of sparrows, and to identify the females as well as the males.

Also surprising is how much time my 18month-old will sit quietly at the window watching the birds. He is facinated by them and reminds me to fill the feeder every day when we go out.

I apologise for the silence here recently. We’ve had a few rough weeks with the sudden illness and death of Artemis, our standard poodle.

This is the book I’ve used for years and years to identify birds:National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds–E: Eastern Region - Revised Edition

If you live in Western North America use this version:National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Western Region

All entries in the Nature Journal series from Suburban Green is People.

Nature Deficit Disorder: How this series began.

• House Approves Bill to Help our Nation’s K-12 Schools Go Green!!

  Washington, DC - The House of Representatives has passed legislation that will provide nearly $7 billion in grants to help our nations’ K-12 schools go green. Called the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 3021), the bill, sponsored by Ben Chandler, will help schools to become more energy efficient and healthier. There is a special emphasis on low-income schools where children are most at risk from unhealthy facilities and on schools that still suffer from the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.

  According to Earth Day Network’s Green Schools program, close to 60 million students spend up to 40 hours a week in facilities that are often unhealthy and a hindrance to their ability to learn. Green schools reduce sick days, significantly improve the health of students with asthma and other respiratory illnesses, and increase student morale and confidence. ..

  EarthDay.net

• What is Walk Score?

  We help homebuyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods. Walk Score shows you a map of what’s nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment.

  WalkScore.com

• Ontario premier lifts outdoor-clothesline ban

  Ontario residents can now hang their clothes and linens out to dry after the premier lifted the ban on outdoor clotheslines on Friday.
  There were restrictions in many subdivisions across the province, but the province’s new regulation will overrule the neighbourhood rules, which were put in place because clotheslines were considered unsightly.

  ctv.ca

  Lifting the clothesline ban in not new news - it happened in April - but I wanted to put it up anyway because it has always struck me - and still does - as absolutely absurd that such bans existed and were permitted in the first place. And don’t think that it was a minor thing. I had a neighbour that was quick to report any outdoor drying of clothes in our subdivision to the town and I know a few people who were threatened with fines if they didn’t take theirs down.

• I’m not sure how I feel about bumper stickers. When I see one that I like, one whose message resonates with me, I’m all excited and loving the driver of that car and sometimes I think, “Oh, I definitely need that bumper sticker for MY car!”. But I have never, ever had a bumper sticker on any car. I can’t bring myself to do it. But some bumper sticker messages I would definitely wear on a t-shirt. Like this cool bumper sticker from SimpleLiving.net:

  

The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I always forget how purple the gardens are as May ends and June makes her grand entrance. Early in May, the crocuses come up purple and yellow, then the chives bloom purple, then the comfrey adds it’s hairy blooms, and now the clematis.

The bees are crazy for the comfrey. They love it. We especially get a lot of those giant biker bees that look like they’re wearing leather jackets. Their buzz is a loud and low BUuUUUuuuUUZZzzzzZZZz.. That is, until they get into one of those little bell flowers, then it becomes high and thin, almost nasal sounding. Zitzitzzzittzitzit.

The bees also love the chive blossoms. I know that, strictly speaking, if you are going to eat your chives, you shouldn’t let them bloom. We do eat them but I let them bloom for two reasons: 1) The bees. The bees start coming around before the first buds are even open, looking for one to snack on. 2) The people. The chives are some of the first blooms to come in the Spring and after the long Winter and grey and dreary start to Spring, the flowers are much more important than any subtle difference in flavour in my chives. My unofficial policy is the let the first flush happen unimpeded - all the chives can bloom all they want. And then, if I get around to it, I’ll keep a bunch here and a bunch there free of blossoms, while letting the others go to town - for the bees and the beauty. These chives are ready to be cut back. The blooms have faded now and the bees have lots of other choices for their dining pleasure :)

There are a lot of rabbits in our subdivision. A lot. No really. A LOT. And they like our yard because we have lots of clover and dandelions in our lawn. A benefit of this is that they tend to leave our gardens sort-of alone because their favourite foods are right there in the lawn. They do of course, eat some things in the gardens (hence the fencing around my vegetable gardens), and in winter they munch on the shrubs and trees, but compared to other people with no “weeds” in their lawn, my gardens are relatively unscathed.

This Spring there has been one rabbit that has been quite bold. She hangs around in the yard even when we’re out there and only runs away if we move directly toward her. She’s all calm and munching on the clover beneath the birch tree. The Baby loves her and grins when he sees her. And as a family we spend hours watching her nibble and twitch and wondered what we had done to deserve such a gift.

Eventually, quite by accident and just in the nick of time, we discovered why she was around so much:

(Pardon the blur. I was trying to be quick and intrude as little as possible). There were at least four babies in there. And whenever someone would wonder aloud, “I wonder how the bunny babies are doing” we’d all get that omg-they’re-so-cute-it-makes-my-stomach-squoosh feeling. And seriously, it was better than free money having those little guys back there.

NatureWorks: Eastern Cottontail Info Page
All entries in the Nature Journal series from Suburban Green is People.
Nature Deficit Disorder: How this series began.