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Kitchen gardens enjoy a comeback in Japan
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By Yaeko Abe, printed in the Asahi Shimbun, June 22, 2007
Across the world, backyard vegetable patches have traditionally been the preserve of bearded baby boomers.
In recent years, however, a rustic urge has been catching on in Japan. People of all ages and interests have been getting down on their hands and knees to cultivate the earth.
Some do it to put fresh, pesticide-free vegetables on the table. Others simply want the satisfaction of growing their own produce.
In response to booming demand, allotment gardens that make use of fallow farmland are cropping up everywhere. There are up to 3,000 across the nation--the little "kitchen garden," it seems, is making a comeback.
Urban vegetable gardens that cater to members only are being created in front of railway stations in major cities. Tokyoites are now able to grow vegetables in patches that straddle railway lines.
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Easy garden fresh tabouleh recipe
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Tabbouleh is a Lebanese dish, considered by many as the "national salad". Its main ingredients are bulgur, finely chopped parsley, mint, tomato, scallion (spring onion), and other herbs with lemon juice and various seasonings, generally including black pepper and sometimes cinnamon and allspice. In Syria and in Lebanon, where the dish originated, it is often eaten by scooping it up in Romaine lettuce leaves. In the Middle East, it is truly a salad with the green ingredients dominating. The dish's global popularity has led to new interpretations and regional modifications such as the use of couscous (which originates from Northern Africa) in place of bulgur.
Ingredients
2 bunches of fresh parsley (1 1/2 cup chopped, with stems discarded)
2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
I small onion, finely chopped
6 medium tomatoes, finely diced
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup bulgur
juice of three lemons
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Procedure:
Rinse bulgur in water and add to a large mixing bowl. Combine all chopped ingredients, salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and stir. Cover with a clean dish towel and let sit for 1-2 hours or until bulghur is tender.
Photo credit: Ulterior Epicure
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Food fight (of the red and juicy sort)
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You won't catch kitchen gardeners doing this with their hard-won tomatoes! The footage comes from "La Tomatina", an annual tomato-throwing festival in the town of Bunoi, Spain where residents and visitors turn five truckloads of tomatoes into puree in the span of one juicy hour.
For more info on the festival,see http://www.latomatina.es/
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How to make compost
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With autumn leaves falling, lush grassy lawns springing back from summer's heat and drought, and gardens generating heaps of tired vines and other vegetable wastes, this is the perfect time to start a new compost pile or breath some new life into your old one. Our latest how-to video shows you what you need to know to create a pile that smokin' hot.
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