Grow Sprouts 123 Easy!

FREE EDIBLE WILD PLANTS!

Fun Fart Fact: 43-57% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Agriculture

 

While most blame Big Oil [fossil fuel industry] for the Climate Emergency, it is actually Big Ag that plays a bigger part in it!  Or let's say, "brothers in arms". The Economics of Ecosystems for Agriculture and Food programme or TEEBAgriFood  report details how this is happening now. More than 150 scholars from thirty-three countries came together to evaluate the impact of and solutions for our food and agricultural systems [teebweb.org].

The group reported that 43-57% of human-created greenhouse gas emissions are from "our" [who really owns/controls it?] "food" [are nutritionally deficient, abused animals, chemically laden things "food"?] system. This estimation includes soil loss, deforestation, factory farms, food waste, food transportation, refrigeration/freezing, and processing/packaging. 

Mapping out a very different future, their Scientific and Economic Foundations report confronts some of the largest global challenges today that are linked to the food and agriculture systems. These include climate change, environmental damage, loss of biodiversity and others. 

What is needed is a "system thinking" approach, drawing out issues related to health, nutrition, equity and livelihoods. A framework to evaluate and apply to these areas is necessary.

If you think it's the animals to blame, you need to read about Regenerative Agriculture. See my article "It's Not The Cow - It's The How". We need to ACT now: practising, educating and demanding such system thinking across the world. Be an engaged citizen before it's too late.

Granola Bars Supreme - Vegan Gluten Free and Sugar Free

 

 These yummy bars are easy to make! Try to use organic [and/or regenerative farmed] ingredients. Otherwise they are probably sprayed with Roundup [glyphosate] which causes cancer, birth defects, disrupts the micro-biome... See previous post for more info. You need:

4 cups oats

1 c sunflower seeds

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

1 c shredded unsweetened coconut

2 c almond flour 

1.5 c butter or veg substitute like coconut oil [melted]

1 c peanut butter

3/4 c tahini

1 T vanilla [real one]

Optional: 1 c raisins, chopped dates or other dried fruit [unsulphured]

and/or 1/2 c raw honey or maple syrup.

1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix together with your hands or large spoon.

2.Grease 7X11 inch pans and spread mix into pans. Press firmly with hands or fork. 

3. Back at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into desired pieces. They freeze well or should be kept in fridge if possible. 

4. Yum!

Pumpkin or Squash Turkish "Pancake" Borek [Babakli Borek] -

This is a quick snack served in Turkey and much of the region. It's also great as part of a meal. According to Musa Dagdeviren [the following is inspired by his recipe], the village women would get together to make the pastry sheets.

I prefer to bake the pumpkin or squash at 350 F till soft. Just cut in half, scoop out and save the seeds as they can be eaten too, and put on a cookie sheet face down to hold in the moisture. When soft, scoop out and mash the flesh. If using a soft skinned squash like Butternut, you can also use the skin.

What you need:

For the dough:

1 cup flour [any kind, I use spelt. You could use a GF gluten free one also]

1 cup oats

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup yogourt

For the filling [adapt as you wish]:

About 454g/1LB cooked squash or pumpkin

1-2 onions finely sliced

1/2 bunch cilantro finely chopped

1/2 bunch parsley finely chopped

1/2 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1 or 2 hot peppers finely sliced

1-2 T  garam masala

1/3 c butter, ghee, lard or coconut oil [saturated fats should be used for frying]

To make the filling:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except the fat.  Heat the fat in a frying pan and saute everything for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Then divide into equal parts - about 5.

To make dough:

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Cover the dough in a bowl with a damp cloth and leave for 20 minutes in a warm place.

Divide the dough into 5 parts and let rest another 5 or so minutes. Sprinkle each ball with a bit of flour and roll out on a dusted surface to a 40 cm or 16 inch circle or whatever size you desire.

Spread the filling over half the circle and then fold over the empty half and seal with a little water. Heat a large frying pan on high heat and add about 2 T fat. Test with a few drops of water - they will splat when hot enough [be careful as they may bounce off]. Lower to medium heat. Fry the borek about 2 minutes per side or until done [similar to making pancakes]. Flip and do each side again about a minute. Add more fat if needed between flips- but once the pan is hot it shouldn't need much more fat.

Put on a plate and serve. You can smoother in homemade yogourt if you like.

 

YUMMY WRAPS - TUNA, HUMMUS, PLANT BASED..GLUTEN FREE!

Super Food - Super Yummy Natto Bars - Plant Based/Vegan And Gluten Free Too!

What to do with NATTO?  If you don't know what or how to make Natto see my earlier post and also my video here. This super food great for blood clotting, moving calcium to the bones, probiotic benefits and more.... But many don't like the taste or slimy-ness. So here we disguise all that in a super bar! This traditional Japanese food iis your ticket to good health and yummy-ness!

Grind together:
1 1/3 cup oats
1/4 c pumpkin seeds
1/4 c sunflower seeds
1 c raisins
1/2 c rice flour [or other]

To above, add:
1/4 c ground flax seeds
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
1 T sesame seeds

Heat slowly till well mixed:
1 c peanut butter
1/4 c honey

Then add
1 T vanilla extract [the real thing]
1/2 c tahini
8 T Natto

Mix all together. Grease an 8" pan and press the mix into it. Be sure to press hard with a large spoon or hands.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Cut into small bars or squares. Can wrap in plastic wrap and will keep for 2 weeks in fridge. Yum!
 

VEGAN PROBIOTIC WATER KEFIR DIY

China: Leader In Organic Food Production [and not just the Coronavirus]?

The last, but surely not the least workshop at the recent Guelph Organic Conference  was perhaps the best! This writer is a little biased after living in Asia. With the worlds' eyes on China in terms of "development" and also pollution [and now the Coronavirus], it was a fascinating workshop. It was also a hope-full one: to know that the Chinese are also concerned about the food they eat as it relates to organic ag.

Organic tea farm in Hangzhou. 

Steffanie Scott and Zhenzhong Si shared their experience with growers, sellers, consumers and government officials in the organic sector of China. China is a leader in the organic field - #3 in area in organic production in the world - selling US $28.5B globally/yr. Canada imports US$400M/yr of food from China.

 While Canada is a larger country than China, China has 4.1M hectares in organic acreage. 3.1M hectares for crop production and 0.97M hectares for wild production  Canada has only 1.1M Ha mainly for pasture and forage, followed by field crops. China also produces 2.8M t of organic animal products and 4.8M t of organic processed food. This places China fourth in the world in terms of sales.

 The authors at the Green Cow farm in Beijing

The middle class is rising incredibly fast: going from 29M in 1991 to 531M in 2013! This translates to higher wages, being more informed about the health benefits of organic food and the ability to purchase it. People are also more aware about GMOs - and confused. Some consumers groups are actively supporting them, while others see them as part of a U.S. plot to control the Chinese food system. Yet packages are labelled if GMO - unlike in Canada/US where we must "trust" Big Ag and the government to "care for us".

But we must wonder how trust worthy the certification procedure is. I have worked with many Chinese who stress the "bribe factor" that runs the country. That is a concern for sure. Yet the national standards do include:

• Traceability
• Requirements for air, water and soil quality
• Fertilizer requirements/standards 

 Presently there are equivalency agreements with NZ and ones with the EU are being worked on.

The various structures of production include enterprises leasing in land, contract farming, CSA/alternative food networks, farmers' coops and being organic due to poverty and lack of funds to buy chemicals. It is the large scale operations that get more support both from the government and from the public.

Tu Sheng Liang Pin ecological restaurant in Nanning

Yet "Little Donkey Farm" won the country's affection and increased support for the 'little guy/girl'. But it is hard to start a small farm as there are few social supports. Some government funding is available though.There are also free bio-fertilizers for farmers. But the purity of them is suspect.

The government also considers these smaller operation to be mere "niche" and considers the yields to be too low. They seem to be too paranoid about food security without realizing that small farms can be very productive, employ more people per ha and pay more attention to building the soil. Unfortunately there are little attempts to counter this erroneous narrative.

Social media may 'save the day'. The popular platform "wechat" connects consumers with farmers and stores. People can purchase organic products enabling small scale farms to survive and hopefully thrive.

Anyone interested in more detail can purchase the book and see the authors' website here
Images from cited site and used by permission.

Turkish Sesame Bagels [Simit]

These bagels can be found throughout Turkey. You can find them under the names Simit, Gevrek or Kahke, according to Musa Dagdeviren's "The Turkish Cookbook" which inspired this recipe.

For the dough:
2 cups flour [I used 1/3 c ground millet, 1/3 ground oats, rest all purpose]
1/2 tsp salt
1 T yeast

1 T yogourt
1/2 c sesame seeds

To make the dough:

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in mix and add the yeast, along with 175ml [3/4 c] warm water. This may vary depending on the flour used. Combine well. Knead the dough at least 5 min. on a lightly floured board. Put back in the bowl and let rest at least 15 min. in a warm spot, with a damp towel over the bowl.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Divide the dough into 4 equal amounts. You can let it rest another 15 min. if desired. Then roll out the dough into 35cm [14"]. Twist the dough and attach making rings.

Dip the rings into the yogourt and then into the sesame seeds. Put on a lined baking sheet and let rest 15 min. covered with a damp cloth. Bake about 20 min.

You can enjoy them dipped in more yogourt, covered in butter or just as they are! Yum!

Tempeh: Plant Based Probiotic Filled Yummy-ness: Quinoa And Kidney Bean

Tempeh comes from Indonesia with some Chinese and Japanese influence in the origin of it.  It's a great source of protein, B Vitamins [even some B12 according to some, yet others dismiss as inaccessible due to it's analogue form] and probiotics. Fermentation halts many of its antinutrient qualities. It's fairly expensive in the West though. So here's how you can make it yourself! It's quite easy but the temperature range if VERY limited. You need an incubation chamber such as a dehydrator or an oven with the light on. I use a construction light on a cord with a 100W bulb.

As with most ferments, experimentation leads to truth 😆. Get set:

2 cups kidney beans soaked over-night in about 4 c water
1 cup quinoa
4 Tablespoons white vinegar
Starter [I make my own - watch for it!]

The skins need to come off the beans. You can try taking them off before cooking or after. It depends on the bean as their thickness varies. You need to do this so the mold - the mycelium can enter the flesh of the beans. An option is to slightly cut up manually or in a food processor.

Cook the beans in a pot or pressure cooker. They should be al dente. You don't want mush.
When done, cook the quinoa in 2 c water for about 10-15 minutes.

Drain both of these very well in a sieve. Mix.
These need to be slightly dried. Using a towel or a hair dryer, dry them so they are just damp.
Spread the vinegar evenly and mix all.
Put in your casserole dish or similar - but the layer should not exceed 2 cm or 1 inch.
Distribute the starter evenly over the tray[s].
Cover with plastic wrap. Put pin size holes in it about 1.5cm [1/2 in.] apart.
You could also put the mix in ziplock bags with the same type of holes throughout them.
Put in your incubation chamber. Maintain a temp. of 31C/88F.
After 12-18 hours white spores will begin to be seen. The excitement begins: it will create it's own heat. So watch carefully and turn off the heat to maintain 31C/88F.
Within 6-12 hrs. the tempeh will look like a thin white cake.
At this point you need to stop fermentation. Put in the fridge or freezer. Only freezing will halt the process totally.

Watch for recipes and how to make your own starter! Enjoy.

Veganism: Will A Plant Based Diet Make You Thrive?

 Much adieu today about eating only plants. Even Canada's Food Guide leans this way. But to regard such guides as reliable, just look at the past ones in Canada/U.S. - see how they change with the dietocrats' words. With little scientific basis, they are mainly the result of persuasive people, organizations and corporations. The bed-fellows of the FDA, USDA, Monsanto, and other toxic pesticide companies do a lot to ensure that we eat poisoned food from toxic soil. Monsanto has been sued numerous times - so perhaps some justice is being done.

Looking at the work of Weston A. Price [and others], a Canadian dentist who traveled the world examining groups who ate a "primitive" diet, high in fat: around 60% mainly from animals,  found people without cancer, heart disease, no cavities and well shaped faces/jaws, and entire bodies. Compare today, how many us don't have room for 'wisdom teeth', other teeth crowding, cavities, root canals, etc. Yet when he, and others, examined those eating the "civilized diet", consisting more of processed grains, sugar, and less animal products, he found unhealthy teeth, heads and entire bodies.

The Masai, an African tribe ate only meat, raw milk [lots of it], and blood. They are/were stronger than other tribes that did not follow that diet and had great hearts too! And few cases of cancer! Compare that with today!

But here is where science comes in. We can not draw "cause and affect" relationships based on epidemiological studies. They were not designed to study nutrition and certainly not long term stories. Yet this is oft the case with support for diets of all kinds. There are too many factors involved to pin point just one. Yet we can certainly see clear correlations.

And many of these studies do show that societies that ate more of a plant based diet, did not live as long as those in the vicinity that ate more animal products.  Teicholz has well documented that it is the low fat and vegan diet that  has caused the cancer and heart problems we see today.

We must remember that anecdotal evidence is not scientific. It should lead us to clinical trials. These are very expensive and difficult. But when we come across anecdotal stories, we need to look at the starting point of the person's diet/lifestyle. It is common to hear of the fast food guru with high blood pressure, no exercise and a tummy that you swear has 3 full grown kids in it. And I'm referring, just to men here! Then they "go vegan" and feel great. They exercise regularly, have secret vegan facebook friends/groups [for real] = social support, have purpose....No wonder they feel great! Is it the food or the other factors? All of them! But this doesn't prove plant based diets [or any other] are the real 'fixes' here. Correlated perhaps.

So now you eat a vegan burger. You feel great. You are helping "the planet" too. Actually these are worse for the "planet". See article in this blog and also here for discussion. But what is missing that healthy, sustainable [local, grass-fed, etc.] meat would provide? Meat is high in vitamin A, B12, Iron and many minerals. Talk to doctors, including naturopaths and they will tell you the multitudes of vegans and vegetarians lacking iron and B12, among other essentials.

Homo sapiens have evolved eating 45-65 per cent animal products. But "we" have chosen the fatty parts - especially the organs - which are far more nutrient dense than plants. Some argue this is why we have the brain powerhouses that we do.

Many vitamins are soluble [ie. assimilated] in fat. Vitamins A, D, E, K all need to be eaten with fat. And if you're importing coconuts oil from far far off, this is not sustainable, the workers have no rights, and huge corporations steal land from peasants to grow your fat. See my articles that deal with such issues.

Indigenous cultures are lauded around the world today. Yet few want to praise their food systems: all animal products, with a few berries. Some in tropical areas would also have eaten some grains, tubers, fruit and other plants.

But to get plant protein, one needs to eat grains and beans. Many can not digest these and are allergic to gluten. They also are high in phytic acid which leaches minerals when eaten. These anti-nutrients can be removed by fermenting, sprouting, soaking, and some argue, by cooking. The same is true for nuts.

To change one's diet or to recommend a nation to go more plant based is not looking at the history of homo sapiens. The polyunsaturate oil push did [as is still doing] just that. To alter our evolved foods must have dire consequences. I am not arguing in support of factory farming, of course not. But plants are being grown in the same manner today: production, toxic chemicals applied, speed, money! Meat/fish provide dense nutrition that we were made/evolved to assimilate. Iron from heme in meat is easily absorbed, while plant based iron is not.

Watch for more on this topic. This is a huge topic. But to put forth the claims about the wonder of plant based diets we hear today. without clear LONG TERM clinical studies [which include affects on offspring], we can not truth-fully claim much at all. Remember that epidemiological studies do not show cause and affect!

If you do rely on plant based proteins, be sure to prepare as described above. And grow your own food! Even in apartments you can grow a few herbs or veg. And support small scale local organic growers that are building the soil. Animals poop is actually needed to do this [see articles in this blog and here ]. You can also compost your poop and use to build the soil and grow food in. See here.

Superfood: Fermenting Turnips - Sauerrueben

Turnips are quite easy to grow. I start them in my greenhouse in late winter. Here a great recipe to preserve them for the winter or just to add some fizzle and beneficial bacteria to them!

Turnips fight cancer as they are part of the cabbage family. See 123EatMeOut for other foods that also fight cancer. They are a traditional food in most of Europe and much of North America. You can follow the easy recipe below and also see the video here.

All you need are:
3-4 kg of cleaned turnips
3-4 T [tablespoons] of salt [use sea salt etc. without iodine or anything else]

You can either thinly slice or shred the turnips like coleslaw. 
After doing that, rub in or sprinkle the salt on the turnips. Put them in mason jars with the top on them.
Let sit for 30 minutes or so. The water will start to come out of them.
If there isn't enough liquid, which is more common when slicing them, you can add more.
The standard mix is 3 T salt to 4 cups water.

You want them to be covered in the jar. That's it!
Leave the sealed jar on the counter 3-5 days out of the sun. Press down to get the air out. Be sure there's always enough liquid to cover veg. Leave about 1 cm air space at the top before putting in the fridge. They will last 2-3 years! Wow!

Note: be creative and add things like ginger, pepper, caraway, fennel seeds or whatever spices you like.

Edible Wild Plants: Garlic Mustard And Friends!

Many people complain about the rain, the cold and the weeds. I say "screw you all" 😼 . It's been a cold, wet [always is] spring in Ontario. We need the rain. We need gratitude! Many floods...but what do you expect when you pave over forests, plains, swamps...all places the water would have gone into and been absorbed!.Too many people using too many resources and not thinking/caring. We need to examine the destruction and act to change NOW. Time to get "political" as right-wing governments that worship money and destructive jobs are devouring the land, water, air.

Anyway, the plants are happy! So am I! Free nutritious food is popping up everywhere!

So what is out and edible now? In the pic we see dandelions, garlic mustard, violet flowers, fiddleheads [ferns] and nettles. These are all very nutritious. For e.g., garlic mustard is super high in Vitamin A and has the constituents of garlic and mustard: both with fight cancer. Nettles are high in iron and great if you have allergies. Be careful...they prickle. You may feel the sting for hours after handling. Hence they are called "stinging nettles". Both grow in disturbed areas. GM also grows in forests and may damage the tree roots. Mustards are known to "sterilize" the soil. Some are used to help kill nematodes in the soil, such as the garlic nematode.

Dandelions, also high in Vit A feed bees and many insects in early spring. Foolish people spray this wonder-full plant and medicine. It is great for the liver also. Bitter is good for you. Our stomachs, like our tongues have sensors that detect bitter, according to Jeffrey Bland, the "grand-daddy" of Functional Medicine. You can make wine from the flowers, eat the leaves and make a coffee substitute from the roots!

Violets feeds insects with the flowers. They are also great if you have a cold [so are the leaves].

Fiddleheads grow in sun and sun/shade in gardens and forests. Be sure you know which are edible. There are many types eaten all over world. They are all toxic to some degree. When cooking the ostrich fern, discard the steaming water. Watch for my fermented FH recipe. These fight cancer and have antioxidants and Omega 3/6 fatty acids. See article on foods that fight cancer in this blog.

Remember to not go off paths to collect any plants. These are all in abundance so no issue with picking too many. GM needs to be picked. Watch this blog and here for a video on making PESTO from GM! Yum.

En-joy the free, nutritious food! If you have land, you can plant all of them. But not the GM. Unless that is all you plan to grow! According to medical botanist James Duke, they can produce 100,000 seeds in 1 sq. m!
Beware! But it may be better than useless/destructive foreign grasses that stupid men are brain "washed" to love, protect and worship. Better to grow something that feeds the real world of nature [of which we are part of!].

GMO's, Science, Quaker Oats: A Deadly Breakfast

I sat down to eat what I have been told is a healthy break-fast: good old Quaker Oats. As I was eating them, I read that they, and many crops like wheat and even oranges are sprayed with the herbicide Roundup. What? My wholesome meal is tainted? Yes, Billy, the world is in a sad state today.

Years ago a farmer had told me he sprays his wheat and other crops with Roundup so they die and dry quicker for harvest. I had forgotten. This is Canada - the land of clean water and 'democracy'.

So what's the big deal? Aren't GMO's the big bad guys? The WHO says that Roundup causes non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.Wouldn't Science win and save us? Well, Mr. Monsanto got right on the job to disprove an organization that attempts to make the world better. It's amazing what money, being "buddy buddy" with the FDA/Health Canada...and supplying your own 'science' to them can do. Surprise surprise: most have no idea about this nor the fact that they are eating GMO's or crops sprayed with Roundup.

Don't we have a 'right' to know what we are eating? Let's not forget the other toxic sprays on our food that are not on labels - but should be! Let's also not forget the sweat of the workers - oft exploited beyond our imagination.

Monsanto has had to pay $289 million to compensate for a man's cancer.Recently, another $80 million being paid to victim.

The recent film, Modified reminds us that more dangerous chemicals are being used due to resistance to Roundup [glyphosate based]. The old, deadly toxin 2, 4-D is also now being engineered into crops.  Hello super weeds and more cancer, hormone disruption and...

How is it that Monsanto [bought out by Bayer - who control 25% of world's pesticide market], Canadian and American governments, that we are told protect us, do what is detrimental to our, and the "planet's" health? Do we need to move to Europe for some regulations that are in the 'peoples' interests'? Health Canada and The Canadian Food Inspection Agency wouldn't even participate in an interview for Modified! Now that's reassuring. Great to see our taxes being used wisely.

Remember that corporations lobby the politicians constantly - while the rest of us look at our phones, go to sports games, hide in fantasy entertainment....We're told Science will save us [see other articles here and here that will scare you!]. But it looks like Mr. Science got bought out by Bayer too! You see, Billy, capital-ism does work and is the best possible economic system in the world and for all time.

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;

you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

defending the fatherless and the oppressed,

in order that man, who is of the earth, 

may terrify

no more.

Psalm 10