Resilient Kitchen & Garden News

Humans and the livestock they consume is a tale that impacts lives in a deep and meaningful sense. Human history is interwoven with the production of meat for consumption, and its availability and nutritional value as a source of protein has played a major part in the diet as far back as we can imagine, shaping regional identities and global movements. The emotionally charged debate over the ethical suitability of meat consumption may never reach a conclusion, but it is only comparatively recently that the climate impact of livestock rearing and the nutritional and health issues caused by meat have become a pressing concern. Achieving a healthy diet from a sustainable source is a struggle new enough to countries with an abundance of food that it has proven difficult to enact meaningful change. Government efforts to curb consumption and thus curb weight gain in high-income countries are yet to display a meaningful effect, and most of these efforts are focused on sugar or fat. Similarly, the global ecological sustainability of farming habits has not been a major topic of conversation until the last few decades. It’s only now that we’re beginning to have a conversation about the role of meat … Read more

From RAWvolution, Matt Amsden A rich chunk of walnut and coconut fudge sweetened with agave nectar 3 c. raw walnuts ½ c. carob powder 2 c. shredded unsweetened coconut 5.8 c. agave nectar or honey Grind the walnuts in a food processor until they have a buttery consistency. In a large mixing bowl, combine the carob powder and shredded coconut and mix well. Add the ground walnuts and the agave or honey and mix well. Press the mixture into a glass baking dish, creating a flat, even layer approximately ¼ inch thick. Cut into squares and serve as is. Or cover and freeze until thoroughly chilled for a more solid consistency before cutting and serving.

There can be a great joy of foraging for one of your first crops of the season. Bitter foods such as dandelion leaf and root, chicory, rocket, and other bitter green foods can have a great digestion-enhancing effect! These bitter vegetables help to support our digestion by increasing bile flow, increasing gastric acid and improving our overall digestive function, which improves our nutritional capacity. It’s the bitter flavour of these foods (which sometimes we need to take time to a bit of time to get used to), which we need to taste to get these benefits. Bitter foods also play an important role in our immune system due to the increased gastric acid from eating bitter foods; it helps to create a more unfriendly environment for pathogens (as part of our first line of defence), as well as improving how well we break down food, which is important for our overall health as well. There is an herb we are blessed with in early spring, which is dandelion. The dandelion root tea has helped many get over the cravings for coffee. It’s a satisfying healthy alternative to coffee. Dandelion root tea continues to gain popularity. It has an earthy and … Read more

Written by Kaleigh Schmidt Spring is hanging in the air here at The Living Centre (TLC), and we are all getting excited about what this season is going to bring! The buzz of spring is energizing and revitalizing as we begin to see all the signs of Mother Nature coming back to life after the winter season! Basking in the warm sun, longer days and listening to the songbirds that have returned can be very endearing. Although for some homesteaders who rely on the growing season for food, medicines, teas and more, it can be a little overwhelming with everything that is needing to get done. So here are some tips and resources for making the most of this time of the year. Getting your garden in the best shape for growing plants, and most importantly having another season to be adding life and nutrition to your soil. Gaining more organic matter and vitality to the soil, this is the place that matters most in your garden. List of To-Dos for March: Begin utilizing any greenhouse space and hoop house space, sowing seeds that can take cooler weather and shorter days. This means mainly; kales, lettuces, micro-greens, spinach, herbs, cabbage … Read more

We are living in a time on planet Earth where many are questioning is there another way to live. And we here at The Living Centre believe the Earth is asking us to shift our ways both in how we live and how we tend to the landscape. Each of us living here at the centre is looking at how do we move through our day in a peaceful and in harmony with our environment. A permaculture solution-based approach can help us to solve many of the challenges that are happening in the world. One aspect of permaculture is looking at what plants to grow that will nourish us and sustain us. Imagine a landscape that requires no fertilizer, irrigation, pesticides, or tractor cultivation, and produces highly nutritious, tasty foods. Now imagine that the food and medicine grew or wildcrafted. The food is also incredibly delicious and dehydrated crackers made from the nutty, sweet edible grass seeds, covered with a sauce made from sun-dried elderberries. The crackers are decorated with strips of juicy nopales – prickly pear pads. You begin your meal with a green salad of chickweed and lambs’ quarter greens and follow with a dessert of high-protein plantain … Read more

Sauce: ¼ Olive oil or Sesame Oil 6 cloves of garlic 4 – 5 tablespoons of ginger ½ cup of water ½ cup tamari 1 tbs agave or honey 1 Tbsp. Tahini or ground sesame seeds to thicken Blend until thoroughly blended Chopped Vegetables can include: Burdock Root Wild Carro Artichoke Roots Salsify Wild Leeks Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Snow peas Onions Zucchini Bean Sprouts Or any other of your vegetable delights Chop the vegetables into bite-size pieces and place into a glass casserole dish with a cover. Add the sauce to the vegetables. Toss the vegetables, cover and place into the dehydrator at 145 for an hour and 115 for 2 hours before serving. Stir occasionally. Serve over a bed of sprouted wild rice or shredded zucchini or just as is. Yum!

I made this cream soup today after having a pretty bad cold for the last few days.  Oh yes, and it’s delicious too. ½ cup soaked almonds (soak for at least 8 hours, drain liquid and rinse before using) 1 tbsp. soaked & drained sesame seeds 1 cup chopped broccoli ¾ cup chopped cauliflower 1 red or orange pepper chopped 2 stalks of celery 1 tsp red onion chopped (optional) 1 tbsp Tamari 1 tsp. chopped ginger 2 substantial sized cloves of garlic ½ tsp salt or to taste 1 bunch of parsley  (optional) Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. If you don’t have a high-speed blender and it doesn’t come out really smooth, not to worry, it will still be delicious. If the weather’s a little chilly outside you can warm it – but don’t cook. Otherwise, eat at room temperature. Options: Add sprouted wild rice, sprouted quinoa, or anything else that strikes your tastebuds. J ENJOY!!