The Sustainable Lifestyle Magazine

January 2013blikki.com

likkiBto Jump Start Your Year

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Grow Food Not LawnsPlant A Soup Garden!

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7 MouthwateringVeggie Meals

SpecialGardenFeature

5 Editors Memo6 Hail to the Chef7 Oh my gosh, Spaghetti Squash8 Veggie & Egg Tower of Power10 Wild Mushroom, Lentil, Olive Burgers11 Parsley Root Fries14 Lemony Quinoa Salad15 Curried Lentil Soup16 Mushroom Fettuccine19 Mediterranean Style Pressed Lasagna21 Jungle Dragon Elixir23 Corn, Drought, and Food25 A Soup Garden19 Soul Food

Contents

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Blikki® - [b’ lik-kee]January 2013

©2013 Blikki.com, All Rights Reserved. Blikki® is the registered trademark of Blikki.com. All other marks are either trademarks, service marks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. No portion of this magazine may be reprinted, copied or distributed in print or online without prior written consent. The statements and products featured in this publication and/or on this site may not have been evaluated by the US Food & Drug Administration. The statements and products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The articles written are from the author’s viewpoint and or opinion and may not necessarily reflect he opinions or views of Blikki, its owner, publisher, or editors.

Contributors

Leslie Cerier, “The Organic Gourmet,” has been teaching the art of farm to table healthy and delicious cooking at some of the finest eco lifestyle centers in the world. Leslie is a national authority on gluten-free cooking and baking specializing in local, seasonal, whole foods and organic vegetarian cuisine.

Raya Belna is an organic plant-based chef, specializing in gluten-free, vegan and raw foods. She owns the successful organic catering company, Wildcraft, showcasing local, raw, and wild foods. Her award-winning raw cupcakes have been featured on the Food Network and were voted Best Cupcake 2012 by the editors of OC Weekly.

Bonnie Manion is a garden writer and speaker out of coastal San Diego County. Influenced by her travels and time spent living abroad, she embodies a unique South France twist on the Southern California lifestyle through artful seasonal living in her cooking, gardening, and entertaining. Follow her at her popular blog by clicking here.

Kathy Gaudry, now based out of Boise, Idaho, has worked all over the world as a freelance writer, editor, and then as a book publisher and producer. Specializing in non-fiction, she writes blogs, articles, books, and website content.

Clay Perry is a very accomplished photographer who currently resides in the UK. His photographs have appeared in more than 20 books as well as many well known print magazines. Clay’s latest photographs can be found in the book Heirloom Fruits and Vegetables written by Toby Musgrave.

Sarah Britton (BFA, CNP), a holistic nutritionist and vegetarian chef, is the creative force behind My New Roots, the award-winning blog that has become an on-line destination for foodies everywhere, not only for its one-of-a-kind recipes, but also for its amazing nutritional information and mouth-watering photography.

Warren Bobrow - After years as an executive assistant in private banking, Warren was finally able to follow his dream of becoming a published author of food, wine, spirits, and travel. In addition to writing for Blikki, Warren also writes for Foodista, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, The Daily Basics, DrinkUpNY, and Modenus.

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Alissa Cohen is an internationally recognized author, speaker, raw food chef and consultant. Alissa's devoted following includes thousands of people throughout the world who have maintained successful weight losses, healed themselves of a myriad of diseases, and swear by her simple and fun approach to fantastic health.

Editors Memo

Sher Morrison lives in the Gulf Islands on the west coast of British Columbia where she enjoys a quiet life with her husband Mathew Des Roches. When she is not cutting hair or writing, she and Mathew play original music in their Duo ‘Lord and Lady Ravenshire’ (formerly Stella SOL)

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Happy New Year!OK, I’ll admit it, I’m a foodie – I absolutely love to read about, prepare and eat good food. Recently at lunch with a colleague of mine, we were discussing the pitfalls of creating another magazine featuring vegetarian recipes. We both agreed that even though most of us recognize that eating well is the foundation of good health, when you hear someone say “I’m a foodie”, the last thing you think is “they’re a vegetarian”. As the editor of Blikki (that’s pronounced b’lik-kee BTW), I want to change that perception. Whether you’re a hardcore vegetarian, or someone who wants to ease into the vegetarian lifestyle, we’ll show you how preparing vegetarian meals can be easy and obscenely delicious.

So what makes our magazine different?

• Even though our recipes are featured as vegetarian, in upcoming issues we will provide alternative protein “swap outs” so that you can prepare our recipes with an alternative healthy protein that suits your family’s taste buds.

• We’ll feature recipes from bloggers and chefs from around the world that I challenge you to say are “typical, bland vegetarian fare”. Each recipe will prominently feature a link to the blogger (or chef’s) page (or book) so that finding additional recipes is a simple mouse click.

• Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the best part – our magazine is FREE.

So, flip through our magazine, try our recipes and then give us your feedback. I can’t wait to hear from you.

Hippie DivaPS - And don’t forget to “Like” our Facebook page

THREE OF THE WORLD’S BEST CHEFS (IN OUR HUMBLE OPINION) SHARE THEIR RECIPES FOR

NOUVELLE VEGETARAIN CUISINE

Flavor and Aroma should be the guides for your healthy palate. Jump into a new world that permits you to live in harmony

with nature. These three powerful influ-encer’s to your soul will share with you the ability needed to harness the power of the universe. One is a painter of taste, another a Culinary Alchemist and the third an activist for an exhilarating life.

Not just Good For You - Good for the UniverseSarah Britton paints with flavors just as an artist works with their individual medium. Her work is not your usual fla-vorless mélange of “good for you” ingre-dients. The aromatics of herbs, spices and concentrated vegetable stocks jump out and revive your palate. Color, flavor and aroma are tucked into each recipe. Foods that speak of a specific region or mantra speak clearly of Sarah’s passion for flavor and excitement to the eye. Her food actually looks as good as it tastes. No longer is there a lack of color or aroma in “healthy” cooking. Many of Sarah’s recipes could be accomplished in Tuscany or Northern California by using the freshest ingredients available. Broths and concentrated herbal mixtures set Sarah’s recipes apart from those of her peers.

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HAIL TO THE CHEF

Renaissance Cook, Healer and Culi-nary Alchemist Leslie Cerier is a healer, cook and Renais-sance woman. She is part alchemist, part visionary and part teacher. To describe her energy is to look towards the sky and dream. Her lessons for the universe are to be in harmony with nature. Leslie has discovered the bounty of the earth and she shares this passion through her determination for her craft. Leslie is the earth momma who you wish to be your teacher. She is a gifted photographer of the hidden elements in life and she cap-tures environmentalism in her images. Leslie teaches and writes about the whole life and the ability to express herself.

Raw Food Means Exhilarating Life! Alissa Cohen is the author of the Raw Food Diet. But for anyone who thinks that Raw Food means flavorless food, please think again. There is a sense of place in Alissa’s foods that is described as her boundless energy. This positive energy is transferred to the body through the diet. Her techniques and recipes for raw foods are bold and they speak very clearly of nature’s healing and the veloc-ity contained within.

When you think of raw food the first thought is of flavor and texture. Raw food is food that has been minimally pro-cessed to bring out the natural healing elements of the ingredients. Raw food is healthy because of the vitamins con-tained inside each bite. {B}

WARREN BOBROW

Oh My Gosh, Spaghetti Squash

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Oh My Gosh, Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash1 bunch kale1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can)3 cloves garlicolive oilsea saltpinch crushed chilies¾ cup toasted hazelnutsPecorino Romano (hard sheep’s milk cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Prepare the spaghetti squash by cutting it in half lengthwise, removing the seeds, rubbing the inside of each half with a drizzle of olive oil, then seasoning with salt and pepper. Place face down on a lined baking tray and place in the oven – cook for about 45 minutes.

3. While the squash is baking, prepare the rest of the filling. Wash kale well and remove the tough center rib of each leaf. Roughly chop kale into small pieces.

4. Heat small amout of oil, in a frying pan, mince garlic and then add to pan, add crushed chilies to taste, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant, then add chopped kale and cook until the leaves are bright green and just starting to lose structure. Throw in the chickpeas and cook just to warm. Remove from heat.

5. Remove squash form the oven when it is cooked through. Using a fork, scrape out the insides, which will pull away from the shell in strands, like spaghetti (whoa). Place all strands in a bowl, and toss with the kale and chickpea mixture. At this point you can either serve it from the bowl, or mix it everything together and place back in one half of the empty squash shells for a beautiful presen-tation. Sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts and shaved Pecorino Romano. Enjoy.

The RecipesVeggie & Egg Tower of Power

1 giant sweet potato (750g / 26 oz.)200 grams / 7 oz. cherry tomatoes4 generous fistfuls of baby spinach (approx. 150 grams / 5 oz.) 2 medium red onions4 free-range, organic eggs1 Tbsp. vinegarghee or coconut oilextra virgin olive oil (optional)sea salt & pepperchili flakes

1. Start by caramelizing the onions. Peel and slice the onions into rounds. Heat some ghee or oil in a skillet, add onions and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally (not too often, or they will not brown) until dark, soft and sweet – approx. 30-45 minutes. Do not wash pan after use.

2. Preheat oven to 400 °F/200 °C. Slice sweet pota-toes across their width into ¼”/6 mm round discs. Coat with a little ghee or oil, place in a single layer on 2 baking sheets, leaving one sheet with a little space for the tomatoes. Wash and slice tomatoes in half. Place on one baking sheet with sweet potatoes, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes or so, until everything is soft. Keep in the oven until ready to serve.

3. Once the onions, sweet potatoes and tomatoes have all finished cooking, put a shallow saucepan of water on to boil, stir in 1 tablespoon of vinegar.

4. Wash spinach, but do not spin dry, as the water will serve to steam the leaves while cooking. Add spinach to the onion pan on low heat and stir occasionally until wilted (3-4 minutes).

5. While the spinach is wilting, poach the egg (see instructions below).

6. While the eggs are poaching, assemble the plate: place 6-7 slices of roasted sweet potato on the bottom, followed by the wilted spinach and caramelized onions. Scatter the roasted tomatoes around the base with a drizzle of good olive oil. Place the poached egg on top of the stack, sprinkle with chili flakes if desired, and a generous grind of sea salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.

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Recipes and Photographs Courtesy of Sarah Britton

Veggie & Egg Tower of Power

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Wild Mushroom, Lentil and Olive Burgers with Cashew Garlic Sauce

Photographs Courtesy of Sarah Britton

Parsley Root Fries

1. Wash and drain lentils. In a medium saucepan, cover with 2 cups water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce to simmer and cook until tender (about 20-25 minutes). Remove lid off to cool and set aside. Drain if there is any water left.2. In a frying pan heat a knob of ghee or coconut oil. Add sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about five minutes, then add garlic, rosemary and thyme. Cook for a few minutes, then add sliced mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to cook without stirring for a few minutes so that they brown on one side. After five minutes, stir mushrooms and add tamari, stir to coat. When mushrooms are cooked, remove from heat and set aside.3. In a food processor grind sunflower seeds until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add cooked lentils, mushroom mixture, mustard, olive oil, and plenty of cracked black pepper. Pulse to blend. You may need to help this process by stirring once in a while. Avoid adding too much liquid – the mixture should be really thick. Season to taste.4. Pit and roughly chop olives. Add to the food processor and stir to combine (you want them to remain in fairly large chunks).5. Form 6-8 balls with the mixture, slightly smaller than a baseball. Press to flatten into patties, but keep them thick. Press around the outside edge to prevent them from cracking.6. You can warm the burgers two ways. Remember that

they are already fully cooked, so all you need to do is heat them up.Frying pan: heat a knob of ghee or coconut oil and cook the burger on one side until golden, 4-6 minutes, then flip and cook on opposite side. 7. Serve burgers open-faced on a slice of whole grain sourdough toast, or in a high-vibe pita. Garnish with anything you like! I used Cashew Garlic Sauce, pickled onions, and a pile of greens.

Cashew Garlic Sauce½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hoursScant ½ cup water1 small clove garlic (start with just ½)2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice2 tablespoons chives½ teaspoon sea saltSquirt honey or maple syrup

1. Soak cashews for at least 4 hours, up to 12. Drain and rinse well.2. Add cashews to a food processor or blender, which ever is the most powerful. Add ½ clove garlic, all other ingredients and ¼ cup of water. Blend on high and add the remaining water in increments until the desired consistency is reached – not too thick, not too runny. Season to taste and add the other half clove of garlic if desired.

15 kalamata olives2 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoons Dijon mustardFreshly cracked black pepper

Wild Mushroom, Lentil and Olive Burgers with Cashew Garlic Sauce

Parsley Root Fries *Note: If you cannot find parsley root, this recipe is delicious with any root vegetable.*

3 large parsley roots – about 1.5 lbs / 700 gramshigh-heat cooking oilsea saltfreshly ground black pepperfresh rosemary (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.2. Peel roots and cut them into french-fry sized sticks. The thinner, the crispier they will be. Toss with some oil, a few pinches of salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary if desired.3. Roast for 20 minutes, toss, and place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes until golden on the edges with crispy ends and a tender center. Serve immediately

1 cup beluga lentilsKnob of ghee or coconut oil1 red onion, slicedCouple pinches sea salt2 cups mixed wild mushrooms, sliced (shiitake, oyster, chanterelle…)

5 cloves garlic, minced3 tablespoons fresh rosemary1 tablespoon fresh thyme2 tablespoons tamari½ cup / 80g sunflower seeds

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Recipes Courtesy of Sarah Britton

OUR GOALSFor more than a decade, we have continu-ously aimed to make the best olive oil pos-sible. Apollo Olive Oil is a pure, unadulter-ated, 100% raw product. The top quality of our oils is assured by:

• Extra virgin certification to international standards

• Organic certification• Superior antioxidant analysis• Consistent competitive awards• Recognition by food writers and chefs

Our hand-picked olives are harvested at optimum ripeness, and cold-pressed on the only mill in California designed to maximize extraction quality, thereby preserving the highest levels of flavor, nutrients, and anti-oxidants.

“Best olive oil I’ve ever tasted and that’s saying something because I’ve tasted a lot.”

Heidi Swanson, www.101cookbooks.com

“WOW! My wife and I just finished tasting your Mistral olive oil using an old family recipe. Oh my gosh! My palate was singing! I have never tasted an olive oil that possessed such a fresh exciting bouquet. Thank you for this truly amazing olive oil.

J. & K. Wojtas, Allen, TX

OUR FAMILY COMPANYMiller Gianni Stefanini, his wife Diana and their son Umberto – the up and coming Miller #2 – work together to make great Apollo Olive Oils year after year. A world leader of Premium

Extra Virgin olive oil, Apollo Olive Oil was named in the Top Ten Oil Producers in the World, by the prestigious Italian judging panel, I Mastri Oleari.

www.ApolloOliveOil.com(877) 776-0703

Oregon House, California

ApolloOlive Oil

“A REPEAT WINNER”San Francisco Chronicle

“BEST OLIVE OIL,UNBEATABLE TASTE”Men’s Health

“ONE OF THEBEST INCALIFORNIA”Food & Wine

EST. 1992

✹ Small & Local✹ Family Business✹ Extra Virgin ✹ Organic ✹ Raw✹ Award Winning

Lemony Quinoa Salad with Toasted Sunflower SeedsServes 6 to 8

With its bright, sprightly flavors, this is a wonderful springtime dish. But there’s nothing to say you can’t serve it with a green salad in summer or roasted vegetables in winter. To make the sunflower seeds more easily digestible, soak them overnight beforehand.

3 3/4 cups water1/2 teaspoon sea salt2 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed1 cup raw sunflower seeds, presoaked if you like3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the quinoa, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, toast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring

often, for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are aromatic and start to pop. Add the sunflower seeds to the quinoa, along with the lemon juice and oil, and stir until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired.

Variations• Quinoa with Herbs and Toasted Sunflower

Seeds: Increase the amount of sunflower seeds to 1 1/4 cups. Omit the lemon juice and increase the amount of olive oil to 7 tablespoons. Add 1/2 cup of chopped marjoram or oregano leaves when you stir everything together. Taste and adjust the seasonings; you may want more salt.

• Quinoa Tabouli: (below) Add 1 cup of chopped parsley and 1 cup of chopped scallions when you stir everything together.

• Swap pumpkin seeds for the sunflower seeds.

Forgo toasting the sunflower seeds; instead, add them to the saucepan when you add the quinoa.

Curried Lentil Soup with Coconut MilkServes 6 to 8

Adapting this main course soup to the seasons is easy and always tasty.

You can use fresh tomatoes, summer squash, spinach and eggplant in the summer; canned tomatoes, carrots, yams, or delicata squash in fall and winter.

1 cup red lentils, rinsed2 cups water1 cinnamon stick2 tablespoons grated ginger1 tablespoon seeded and coarsely chopped cayenne pepper2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed 3-inch-piece dulse, or 1 tablespoon dulse flakes (optional)1 cup coarsely chopped onions10 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped plum tomatoes 14-ounce can of coconut milk1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

1. Place the lentils, water, cinnamon stick, ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic, and dulse (if using) in a 6-quart stockpot. Bring the ingre-dients to a boil, then reduce the heat to medi-um-low. Simmer covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until the lentils melt and become yellow.2. Add the cauliflower, tomatoes, and coconut milk, and continue to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cauliflower is soft. 3. Add the salt.4. Adjust the seasonings, if desired. 5. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

VariationsSubstitute 7 to 8 cups of yams, delicata squash, and/or butternut squash for the cauliflower. Recipe excerpted from Going Wild in the Kitchen by

Leslie Cerier, © 2005, Square One Publishers, Inc. Used by permission.

Recipe excerpted from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier, © 2010, New Harbinger Publications, Inc, Used by permission.

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Mushroom FettuccineServes 6

2 cups chopped mushrooms2 garlic cloves, graded on a micro-plane rasp1 Anaheim chili, sliced into thin rings1 shallot, minced3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar1 tablespoon paprika2 teaspoons mushroom seasoning (see below)1/2 teaspoon, plus a pinch of salt1/2 teaspoon, plus a pinch of freshly ground black pepper5 large zucchini, peeled into long strands using a vegetable peeler2 cups saffron Sauce

1. Put the mushrooms, garlic, chili, shallot, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Toss to combine thoroughly. Set aside.2. Season the zucchini with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss with the mushroom mixture.3. Toss with the saffron sauce to coat. Divide among 4 plates and serve immediately.

Mushroom Seasoning

1 teaspoon cardamom pods1 teaspoon allspice2 teaspoons mustard seeds2 tablespoons coriander seeds2 tablespoons anise seeds

1. Put all the ingredients in a spice or coffee mill. Grind the spices2. Transfer the ground spices to a glass jar. Shake until the spices are combined. Store at room tem-perature.

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Mushroom Fettuccine

Saffron Sauce

.5 gram Spanish saffron threads2 cups cashews2 cups pine nuts3 garlic cloves1 teaspoon sea salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the saffron and 4 cups water in a bowl and let it sit at room temperature overnight.2. The next day combine the saffron water, cashews, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper in a Vita-Mix. Blend until completely smooth; there should be no lumps. Once the ingredients are blended, carefully remove the lid while the machine is running. As long s the machine is not too full, taking the lid off while the machine is running will not result in splatter. Using a spatula, push the mixture around to make sure it's smooth. Replace the top before turning the machine off. Use immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days

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Recipes and Photograph Courtesy of Alissa Cohen

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Mediterranean Style Pressed Lasagna

Mediterranean Style Pressed LasagnaServes 8

5 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into long thing strips on a mandolin1/2 cup herb oil (see below)Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper2 tomatoes, quartered1/2 pitted olives2 cups Quick Cheese (see below)3 garlic cloves, grated on a micro-plane rasp2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakesSea Salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 pound mushroom caps, thinly sliced2 tablespoons Garlic Oil (see below)1 pound baby spinach2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

1. Lay the zucchini strips out on baking sheets. Using a pastry brush, brush each layer of zucchini with the herb oil. Lightly salt and pepper each layer and set aside.2. Put the tomato quarters and olives in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the cheese, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Pulse until the mixture is creamy. Transfer to a bowl. Using a spatula, fold in the mushrooms until thor-oughly coated. Set aside.3. Whisk the garlic oil and pinch of salt together in a bowl. Add the spinach and toss to coat.4. To layer the lasagna, you'll need an 8-inch square pan. Cut the zucchini slices into 8-inch lengths. Layer the lasagna as follows: Zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, cheese and tomato slices, then repeat.5. Cover the pan with parchment paper and using water-filled jars, weigh down the lasagna and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. To serve, cut pieces and garnish with any remaining herb oil. Cover any leftovers and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Quick Cheese

1 cup macadamia nuts1 cup cashews2 tablespoons Nama Shoyu1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Turn on the machine and slowly add 1/4 cup water through the hole in the top. Add ore water as necessary, up to another 1/4 cup, until the mixture is smooth, thick and creamy.2. If not using immediately, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

Garlic Oil

1 cup extra virgin olive oil5 garlic cloves, grated on a micro-plane rasp

1. Combine the oil and garlic in a glass jar. Cover the and give it a good shake.

2. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let the oil cool to room tem-perature before using.

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Recipes and Photograph Courtesy of Alissa Cohen

Jungle Dragon ElixirRecipe Courtesy of Raya Belna

yield: about 16 oz

1 extra ripe banana1 1/2 T jungle butter or peanut butter

1 T lucuma powder1 T maca powder

1 tsp incan spirulina powder1 tsp chlorella powder

1/4 tsp shilajit 1 capsule sangre de drago (dragon's blood)

pinch of himalayan pink salt

12 oz coconut water

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy.

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H ave you seen an increase in food prices lately? If not, experts are predicting that consumers will

see the economic fallout of the 2012 drought by the end of the year. The drought was so wide-spread that 80% of all farmlands from Ohio to California were affected, but the impact was most concentrated in the Midwest, partic-ularly Illinois and Iowa. This is the worst drought in the US since 1956, although we have seen lesser droughts more recently.

The US produces a number of feed grains both for use here and around the world, but corn is our number one grain crop, accounting for over 80 million acres of production. You would think that all of that corn is being used for food in some way, but because of the “green” move-ment over the past few years, we are now using over 40% of the corn we produce to make ethanol, a gasoline additive. Originally, the mandate was for 17% of the corn crop to be used for ethanol, but as crop production and gaso-line demand increased, so did the ethanol demands. Consumers will be seeing higher gas pump prices for quite some time, until the new corn crops are harvested.

The rest of the current corn crop is divided between animal feed (36%) and human food (24%). Over 75% of all grocery products do include corn in some form. Barbeque sauce, soda, cereals, even dog food and bourbon all depend upon corn. Experts predict that general grocery prices will rise probably 2.5% to 3.5% for the next year.

The drought in the US is a particularly dev-astating one, for the worst of it was felt in late June and early July, just when the corn plants were beginning to produce. Rainfall just did not happen when it was needed. Because of this, the fields now are filled with dry, twisted stalks of corn with no or disfigured ears, useless for any application. Some farmers have begun to “chop” the stalks (cutting it up into livestock feed), but

there is no nutritional value in this. Corn has been used for decades to feed and “finish” live-stock (steers and pigs) intended for market; it adds the marbling that makes meat so tender. Without that feed available, livestock producers are culling herds now, keeping only a limited

number of breeding stock, and selling the rest. The immediate result of this for the Ameri-

can consumer is lower meat prices, but the intermediate and long term result will be

much higher meat prices, probably 4-6% higher.

Dairy and chicken production will not be as affected as the beef and pork industries, although corn is a major part of the poultry diet. Dairy herds are traditionally fed a high protein alfalfa diet, and hay has not been as affected as corn, although prices of hay are at record levels. Inter-estingly, 70% of an egg is derived from corn, and chicken feed is primarily corn, so there is some residual effect here. Retail prices of dairy and poultry products over the intermediate and long term are expected to rise by 1-3%.

The drought may force corn growers to look to other methods for better production during diffi-cult times. Organic practices have been proven to be effective during droughts and pest-infestations. Pete Rily of GM Freeze, says that “The sooner we switch to agro-ecological

farming techniques, such as avoidance of monocultures, long rotations and

the use of natural predators to control pests, the better.” Organic may be one of

the long-term solutions to a problem like drought.

Meat production, being devastated by early selling, will not revive in the next couple of years, until herds are rebuilt. As corn prices go up, however, there is a side benefit; next year, more corn will be planted and with that bounty (barring no weather issues), the price of corn and its various products should begin to fall and the American consumer won’t feel the brutal money pinch at the store. {B}

Corn, Drought, and FoodKathy Gaudry

Do you wish you could extend the “fresh vegetable concept” of summer throughout the year by growing your vegetables year-round. Well, you can, and it is much easier than you think. It is an age-old concept borrowed from the French, called the “potager” or literally translated “soup garden.”

In America, generally speaking, our traditional backyard vegetable garden consists of planting the garden in the spring, reaping fresh produce over the summer, and sometimes utilizing the abundance of the harvest by freezing or preserving for use over the winter or for another time.

Americans, unlike the French and other Europeans, do not normally have a vegetable garden year-round. This might be changing now. One of the hottest food trends today is “growing your own vegetables”. Gardeners want to keep the “fresh produce concept” alive after the summer has waned. We all know that fresh strawberries out of a morning garden for breakfast, or fresh green beans harvested still warm from the sun, are a delight to the senses and incomparable.

There are many wonderful elements which embody a potager such as enclosure,

pathways, borders, structure, order, chaos, beauty, small trees, garden ornaments, the intertwining of function and beauty, and the romantic mixing of vegetables and flowers rotating through their seasons.

Elements That Define A Potager

1) A potager is usually defined by some type of enclosure. Enclosure can be defined as walls, fences, or thick hedges. Some of these enclosures can be a working surface for your potager, for espaliered fruit

trees, support for tall plantings, and heat retention. Enclosure protects from competing critters and forces such as wind.

2) Pathways are important to divide your plots, create travel pathways, and working space to care for your potager. Pathways may be made of materials such as coarse mulch, gravel, bricks, cement, or even bare soil.

3) Borders can be of a permanent design, for instance growing a low boxwood hedge, a “wood box” edge, or a stone border. Borders may also echo seasonal plantings such as a

A Soup Garden by Bonnie Manion ~ Photographs by Clay Perry

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marigold border, or ornamental cabbage. Like borders will create a formal design in their repetition.

4) Structure is the bones of your potager. Structure can be vertical in the shape of an arbor, small trees, a garden ornament. Structure is also walls, gates, and even terraces. Structure adds interest, and further defines the personal style of your potager.

5) Order versus chaos. You might prefer a very formal potager, set out with boxwood borders, and

neatly confined rows of planting. Your potager might start out with order, and as it grows becomes chaos, or a more romantic mixture of vegetables and flowers. Or your plantings from each seasonal beginning may by more informal, such as planting wildflower seeds.

6) Center a focal point in your potager such as a small tree, garden ornament, urn, statuary. In my potager I have planted a bay laurel tree trimmed into a two-

ball topiary. A focal point might also be an impressive artichoke plant, which renews itself year and year. More examples of possible focal points are a sundial, bird bath, obelisk, or a planted arbor.

7) Place a convenient tool shed or small building where you can keep all your tools, seeds, perhaps a potting shed, and your other potager resources at hand. {B}

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Garden Photographs Courtesy Clay Perry Photography

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Love is in the air… can you feel it? We all have the capacity to have love in our lives in different ways if we choose to see it. I remember being in Thailand years ago and having one of those dreams that felt more like a vision. I was floating in the vast universe and I asked a question, ‘what is the answer to everything?’ A reply resounded deep in the core of my being… LOVE. It all made sense at that moment only soon to be forgotten by the drudgery of daily life dealing with things about myself that were not so pleasant.

I think the rest of the answer lies in self-love. Can we truly love another if we don’t completely love ourselves? I remember the moment that I realized that the love

for myself was conditional. When I was fit, looking good I loved myself. If I gained weight or felt bad I beat myself up like I was a disgrace to humanity. We are born pure potentials of being, full of love and light. If we don’t accept who we are right at this moment in time, the chances are we are going to keep judging the people and circumstances around us. Everything is a reflection of us, everything we dislike AND love are all aspects of different parts of ourselves. Try for one day beaming unconditional love from your heart to everyone you come in contact with, especially the ones that are completely getting on your nerves, and see for yourself how Love is the answer.

LOVE IS THE ANSWER

SOUL FOOD

SHER MORRISON

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