Summer Greens… Makes Me Feel Fine

It was a pleasure to pick up my very first Norwood CSA vegetable allotment and to let my mind run wild with what I could chef up while the green goodies were fresh and crunchy. 

While it might seem to be cliché to make a salad, the connoisseurs of these medley meals know that salads are diverse and exciting, especially if you are selecting from what is in season. Summer lends itself to the sunny and exciting disposition of citrus so when I received my fennel, cucumber, and head of lettuce, I imagined a simple yet tasty salad to accompany a fillet of red snapper.  The recipe:

Salad

Fennel Bulb, sliced

Lettuce Leaves, chopped

Cucumbers, sliced

Craisins

Optional: Slivered Almonds

Vinaigrette

Juice of 1 large lemon

Olive Oil (of excellent quality)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Shallow Fried Red Snapper

Red Snapper Fillet(s)

Season generously with the following dried herbs:

Granulated Garlic

Oregano

Celery Salt (Yes, you can use regular salt but, don’t be boring!  J )

Black Pepper (freshly milled)

Red Pepper Flakes

Flour to coat fillet

Olive oil for pan frying

The result was a light and satisfying just like our long summer days.

Enjoy!

Written by Keisha Warner-LoSasso

Go-Green Inspo: 5 Initiatives that Give us Hope for Earth

You don't have to look very far to find depressing stats on climate change, global warming, and the general damage done by generations to Earth. So, when I noticed pillars of plants on a highway in Mexico City last week, I couldn't help but do some research.

It turns out that the pillars were part of Via Verde, an initiative to reduce high pollution levels and make Mexico City less grim. The plan seeks to give clean oxygen to 2500 people and filter all type of contaminants via 60,000 square meters of vertical gardens on 1000 highway columns.

The project has received some criticism, but I'm all for anything that helps restore oxygen, promote green space (even vertical green space!) and is pretty, to boot. And, it got me thinking about other initiatives that seek to reduce pollution, eliminate litter, and help Earth overall. Below, find five initiatives urban gardening to trash reduction that are working to help Earth. Be prepared to head into Monday with a smile. 

(Click on the headings to watch the videos.)

1. Via Verde, Mexico City

2. White Streets, LA

https://www.facebook.com/NowThisFuture/videos/1725506787490494/

I can't argue with cooling down a hot city. I just hope drivers have sunglasses in tow.

3. Aero Farms, Newark, NJ

4. Mr. Trash Wheel, Baltimore

5. Composting, Everywhere

Fam, this is where you come in. We compost at the Norwood CSA Bainbridge Community Garden, so when you come ready to pick up your goods, bring a bag of your vegetable/fruit scraps from the week. Tea bags (without staples!) and coffee grinds/filters are welcome, too. Be sure to chop it all up when you put it in the bin. More instructions in the video above.

Hey, we may not be at the same level of trash reduction as this town in Japan. But, we can all take small steps to protecting and preserving Earth. (Here's more on that topic written by me for another site.)