Taking Time Out to Explore Fungi

December is busy with holiday preparations, but I was able to take some time away from shopping and baking to attend two events related to fungi. The first was a presentation giving by Rick Van de Pol, an environmental consultant and mycologist, at the NH Technical Institute as part of their Wings of Knowledge program. Dr. Van de Pol provided a brief overview of his experience studying mushrooms in New Hampshire, where he has identified over 1700 species. His talk focused on the benefits of mushrooms and the enjoyment of exploring the fungal kingdom.

The number of mushroom species across the globe is unknown since most have yet to be identified, but some estimate that it could be close to four million! When you see a mushroom on the ground, you are looking at the fruiting body of the fungi that grows beneath the soil. And, what we see above ground is just a small part of the vast network of growth below the surface, which can sometimes stretch for miles. Although some fungi are parasitic, think powdery mildew on your tomato plants, the majority of fungi are beneficial. Saprotrophic fungi serve an essential purpose by decomposing organic matter and creating soil which provides the lifeblood for living matter on earth. Mycorrhizae fungi benefit the environment by forming a symbiotic relationship with plants around it. These fungi help transfer nutrients and water from the soil to plants in exchange for carbohydrates. This is why it is important to avoid disturbing garden soil as much as possible as it disrupts this relationship.    

It was fortuitous that another opportunity to learn about mushrooms was playing at our local independent  Red River Theatres where they were showing the documentary Fantastic Fungi. If you enjoy beautiful time-lapsed photography and want to delve deeper into understanding the potential beneficial uses of fungi for people, then I recommend watching this movie. 




Although outside the ground is now covered with snow, you can still discover the many bracket fungi growing on trees, such as this polypore.

So, when you finish baking that last batch of cookies and putting the last gift under the tree, take a break to take a walk in the woods and contemplate the wonder of God's gift to us in the miraculous world of fungi.

Onion Lentil Soup

Onion Lentil Soup

Filled with both antioxidants and protein, this soup is great for boosting your immune system as we enter into the cold and flu season.

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 Medium sweet onion peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 cup dried brown lentils
1/8 cup tamari or soy sauce
4 cups water or broth
1 cup beer
1 bay leaf
Crusty bread and Swiss cheese for topping (optional)

In dutch oven or soup pot, melt butter and add onion, sugar and salt. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently so the onions don't burn. Cook about until brown and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minutes. Add lentils, sage and tamari/soy sauce, stirring for one minute. Add water/broth, beer and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until lentils are soft 30 - 40 minutes. If desired, pour into oven safe bowls, add swiss cheese and bread and broil until cheese is melted. 

Fall Preparations

Gladiolas dug up for winter storage

We have been blessed the past several weekends with cool dry weather which has been perfect for doing yard work and preparing the garden beds for the upcoming winter. As you can see from the photo above, the maple and birch leaves have been falling. We typically do a combination of running the lawn mower over the leaves so they will break down in place, and sweeping the areas where the leaves become too thick and might smother the grass in the Spring. There is always plenty for the compost bin.

This past weekend I dug up the gladiolas. I don't particularly like flowers that require extra care, but I have become found of my glads. The gorgeous blooms they provide in late summer are worth the work, which actually is quite minimal. After digging them up, I snip the roots and cut the stems and then dry them completely before storing in the basement. I use a small bushel basket and cover the bulbs loosely with newspaper. With these simple steps, I have been rewarded with many years of flowers from a single bulb. 

Gladiola bulbs that will be stored over the winter

Another chore that is not just for Fall, is to cut down as much bittersweet as possible. Ideally this should be done before any berries have formed. Although it sometimes seems like a losing battle, it is more of a constant battle. By continually removing the vines, they don't have a chance to take over, but an organic approach is not a once and done solution. It requires constant pulling, which can be discouraging.

Oriental Bittersweet underneath a Blue Spruce

I am primarily concerned with the vines damaging trees, so I try to regularly cut vines that are climbing up and around the tree trunks and branches.

Although most of the flowers are done blooming, these Cosmos,  are hanging in there and are providing some late season nectar for this bumble bee (on the white flower.)

We have only had a couple light frosts, so the grass and many plants are still green. It is unusual, though to see lavender blooming this late in the season.

Lavender Blooms

Also unusual to see is the new growth on an Anise Hyssop plant. It reminds me more of Spring than Fall.

Anise Hyssop

In addition to putting the garden to bed, I also recently planted a small area with arugula and radishes which has been very enjoyable in dinner salads. I love extending the season as long as possible and this year the end is not clearly in sight.

Fresh Fall Radishes

Roasted Eggplant with Broccoli and Chickpea Rotini

This is a quick and easy mid-week meal, which is good any time of the year. In the early summer, you could substitute the broccoli for zucchini. 

Ingredients: 
1 eggplant, sliced about 3/4 inch thick and cut into 2 inch cubes
Olive oil 
Salt
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 medium tomato diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1- 8-10 oz box chickpea Rotini
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 ounces feta cheese cubed or crumbled
1 teaspoon dried red peppers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray bottom of cookie sheet with olive oil and spread out eggplant pieces. Sprinkle with salt. Brush each piece with olive oil. Roast eggplant in oven until soft, turning every 15 minutes and spreading with additional olive oil as needed.

Cook Rotini according to package directions. When rotini is done, drain, reserving a cup of liquid. In same pot add cooked eggplant and remaining ingredients, except for the feta cheese. Stir in 1 Tablespoon olive oil and pasta liquid. Simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Warblers and More in Webster

Part of our birding group gazing at Mount Kearsarge over Knight's Meadow Marsh

Two weekends ago I had the pleasure of joining birding expert Bob Quinn and a group of area birders on an early September bird walk in Webster, New Hampshire. The weather forecast was for rain, but other than a few sprinkles, it turned out to be a beautiful morning for observing fall migratory birds. I had previously only been on Spring warbler walks so I did find that the foliage on the trees and bushes made anything more than a brief sighting a challenge.

Cedar Waxwing

Before driving to our destination, while we gathered in the school parking lot, a few Cedar waxwings landed atop a barren tree, so there was no difficulty in seeing them.We also heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the distance, and had I been alone, I probably would not have noticed it.

Once everyone arrived, we drove a few miles to Knight's Meadow Road to begin the walk which ended at Knight's Meadow Marsh. It did not take long before birds started appearing, including warblers. Once they started appearing, all we had to do was stand in place and watch them fly back and forth from one side of the road to the other. Our group as a whole identified 11 warbler species. It was somewhat disappointing that I was only able to capture one, a Blackburnian, with my camera. The Blackburnian warbler breeds in the United States from Northern Minnesota westward through the state of Maine. During the summer they are found in the forest canopy, but during migration they come down to the lower brush with other warbler species. I consider myself lucky to have seen this one. He has a long way to go before his final destination - the open forests of South America.

Blackburnian Warbler

After a couple hours of warbler watching we entered the woods where we heard and saw a Broad-winged hawk. We then crossed over a brook, and stopped to observe a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Upon our arrival, the Marsh was relatively quiet. There were some Wood ducks and a Great blue heron, but the marsh is so beautiful that seeing any birds was just an added bonus.

Knight's Meadow Marsh

That being typed, I was thrilled that a Solitary sandpiper flew in and landed in front of us.

Solitary sandpiper

All in all, this was one of the most interesting bird walks I have experienced, with great weather, people, and, of course, the stars of the morning, the birds.

What is Eating all the Milkweed?

Decimated leaves of milkweed plant

I know that a variety of insects feed on milkweed and I have marveled at the variety that are attracted to this plant - from butterflies and bees that feed on the nectar of the flowers, to the caterpillars and beetles that feed on the leaves. In the past there has always seemed to be plenty of plants to support all of these insects, but this year, the demand on these plants has taken a toll.

Back and June I saw the first monarch caterpillar on a milkweed plant next to our house. I watched it as it grew and I assume that it made it's way to form a chrysalis and then emerge as a butterfly. A couple weeks later, this same milkweed plant was completely covered with tussock moth caterpillars.  Although there were several other milkweed plants nearby, this particular one seemed more favorable than the rest, which was unfortunate, because it certainly could not support the number of caterpillars that were trying to feed on it. I have never seen anything like it, and have not noticed such an infestation on any of the other milkweeds since.

Tussock Moth Caterpillar invasion, and what looks like a little inchworm.

Almost every inch of the plant was covered in addition to hundreds of larvae on the house. I am not sure what happened to them, because within a few days they were gone.

I have also noticed that some of our milkweed plants have appeared to be eaten by something larger than insects, since in addition to large chunks taken from the leaves, the plants themselves have been knocked over. I know that we have a neighborhood porcupine and wonder if perhaps it is the culprit.

Milkweed stalks pulled to the ground.

On Saturday, I was happy to see that in spite of the struggle that the milkweed plants seemed to be having, I saw two small monarch caterpillars on one plant. A monarch will typically lay just one egg on a plant and since one caterpillar was quite a bit smaller, they probably came from two different butterflies.  Unfortunately,  yesterday I witnessed how Nature can sometimes be cruel as a beetle decided to make a meal of one of the caterpillars. I am not certain, but think the the beetle was an early stage of a predatory stink bug. I would be grateful if someone could confirm.


As sad as it was to see this, I understand that it is all part of the cycle of nature. When I checked on the milkweed plant later in the evening, there were three more beetles which I knocked off the plant. I am hoping that the one monarch caterpillar lives, but I know that statistically less than ten percent of eggs laid will survive to become adult butterflies. I support the planting of milkweed to support monarchs, I do not believe in overly heroic measures to save them, as nature typically knows what she is doing, by supporting millions of species, all which serve some purpose, even though we  humans can't always see what that may be.

Lemon Quinoa with Chickpeas

Lemon Quinoa with Chickpeas and Asparagus

This is a simple dish and with canned chickpeas, it comes together in about 30 minutes. Served here with asparagus, it's a quick summer meal.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpease
1 lemon
salt and pepper
1 cup quinoa
1 lime
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup pistachios chopped

Rinse chickpeas and combine in bowl with zest and juice from lemon and salt and pepper. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. Cook quinoa per package directions. In a blender, blend juice from lime, honey, mint, dash salt and 1/2 cup water until smooth. Warm chickpeas in marinade over stove or in microwave. Drain and serve with quinoa. Pour sauce over both and sprinkle with pistachios. 

The Biggest Little Farm

The Biggest Little Farm has had an extended showing at our local independent theater for the past few weeks. I have been wanting to see it, but after-work hours are precious in the summer with a never-ending list of outdoor to-do items, so finding the time has been difficult. Fearing that this may be its last week, and since it rained most of the day, making the garden too wet for work, this evening was a perfect time to go to the movies.

I had heard good reviews, and thought that it would just be a pleasant movie to watch about two young city-dwellers who give up everything to fulfill a dream of owning a farm.It is that as Molly and John Chester left their comfortable lives of chef and filmmaker to become full-time farmers, but it is so much more. In addition to the magnificent cinematography, it is a story that evolves over seven-years and shows the evolution of the property from a conventional farm where most of the soil was bare and devoid of life, to a thriving living organism that supports an abundance of life. The realities of the journey that entailed failures and tragedies before successes are what make the movie exceptional and an emotional experience for viewers. If you haven't seen it already, I encourage you to find a local showing and become inspired while being reminded of the intricacies and complexities of the natural world of which we as humans can never fully comprehend, but can certainly appreciate and learn to accept.   

Blueberry Tea-Torte

I love going outside early in the morning and picking fresh blueberries to put atop cereal or yogurt. We are fortunate to live on a lot that has several high bush blueberry plants. And come July it is always a race between us and the birds for who gets them first. This blueberry torte recipe was easy to make and came out very moist.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups blueberries dusted with flour
1 cup chopped pecans 

Sift dry ingredients into large bowl. Stir in eggs, sugar and extract. Gently fold in blueberries. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake at 300 degrees F until cooked through, about 1 hour.

Pause Before Cutting

Now that summer is officially here, everything is growing like crazy. This includes not only flowers and vegetables, but weeds as well. Although it is easy to be tempted to get out the  weed wacker at every opportunity (particularly since I just got a new ECHO cordless trimmer), using manual tools will cause less harm to unintended targets. It is breeding season and if you aren't careful, you may inadvertently disturb a nest or destroy foliage to which certain species rely. This is what almost happened yesterday, when I went to remove a milkweed plant next to our foundation. Fortunately, I looked first and noticed a small monarch caterpillar. It was only about an inch long and would have been easy to miss. To prevent moisture buildup around the sill, we keep plants away from the foundation, but this one will be allowed to stay.

Common milkweed

Small monarch caterpillar

As the temperature heats up, salads become a perfect meal and are easy to modify based upon what is in season and what you have available in your kitchen. This recipe, adapted from Good Housekeeping, is packed with protein and was a breeze to put together.

White Bean, Tuna and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh green beans

1 15-oz can small white beans

1 5-oz can albacore tuna

3 hard boiled eggs

1-2 heads romaine lettuce

1 cup baby spinach   

1 Tablespoon pesto

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Fresh basil leaves

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half

Trim and cook the green beans until barely tender (3-4 minutes.) Rinse under cold water and set aside. Drain and rinse the white beans. Trim lettuce and tear into small pieces. Toss in a large bowl with the spinach. Add the beans, tomatoes and tuna. Make dressing by combine the pesto with the vinegar and oil. If too thick, add more oil and vinegar. Toss the dressing into the salad and top with egg slices and basil leaves.

 

Ferns Ferns Everywhere

Sensitive ferns

We returned from a two and a half week vacation the beginning of June. When we had left in May, Spring had barely started, but while we were away the plants really took off. The most noticeable growth was with the ferns. I love these feathery plants, but not want them taking over my perennial beds.

I recently purchased a pocket guide to ferns of the Northeast, Identifying Ferns the Easy Way by Lynn Levine.  The ferns in our yard provided me with a good opportunity to practice these identification techniques. The photo above shows a group of Sensitive Ferns (Onoclea sensibilis) in one of my planting beds. Their name is derived from the fact that they are sensitive to the first frost. The plants will turn brown later in the season. They prefer partial shade and wet soils, and the plants are often used as shelter by frogs and salamanders. This area where they are growing is not particularly wet, but it does receive some shade from a crabapple and white pine trees.  

Hay-scented ferns (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)

In another perennial bed, Hay-scented ferns have taken over. The Hay-scented ferns are great for adding to a bouquet of flowers. They grow individually and seem to grow anywhere. Here they enjoy partial shade under an oak and choke cherry tree. They are easy to pull up, so I am constantly thinning them over the summer. The book reads that Hay-scented ferns can interfere with the regeneration of hardwood forests and looking at the photo above, it is easy to see why. 

The Hay-scented fern can sometimes be confused with Lady fern, latin name Athyrium angustum (above.) There are a couple key differences. Instead of fronds growing individually, they grow in clusters. This cluster next to our foundation comes back every year. Another unique feature is that the stalk of the Lady fern it will be covered with dark long scales as in the photo below.

  

Ferns are a resilient and amazing plant in that they first appeared on earth 400 million years ago and have survived several mass extinctions. Ferns come in all shapes and sizes. While hiking in the White Mountains this past weekend, we observed this ferns on a large glacial erratic boulder. It was only about three inches long. I never cease to be awed by the variety and uniqueness of species in the natural world, and now, but learning a little more about them, I have an even greater appreciation of  ferns.

Wheat Berry and Lentil Salad

A nice side dish or serve as a main course.

Ingredients:
2/3 - 3/4 cup wheat berries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lentils
2-3 carrots diced
Juice squeezed from 1/2 lemon
1 Tablespoon Sriricha or hot sauce of choice
1/4 cup shaved almonds
3 Tablespoons olive oil 
Cherry tomatoes halved for garnish
2 springs of fresh Parsley chopped 


Bring wheat berries and 5 cups of water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 1 hour, or until berries are cooked, but still chewy. Drain and cool. Mix olive oil, lemon juice and hot sauce and set aside. Bring lentils, carrots and 3 cups of water to a boil; simmer until tender 20 - 25 minutes. Cool in water for 15 minutes. Drain lentils and mix with cooked wheatberries. Stir in dressing and almonds. Garnish with parsley and cherry tomatoes. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

If there are morels, it must be spring!

Freshly picked morels

The saying, "April showers brings May" flowers has never rang more true than this year, at least the rainy part. Cool, wet weather, without sunshine has delayed many spring flowers, but this combination has been perfect for the early emergency of morels. Since discovering them nearby, they have become my second favorite food of spring, next to asparagus.

You don't have to be a mycologist to confidently be able to identify morels in the wild. A great book for assistance is Mushrooming with Confidence, A Guide to Collecting Edible and Tasty Mushrooms, by Alexander Schwab. It comes with many colorful photographs and a positive ID checklist.  Fortunately, morels are very unique in appearance with a pitted cap and a completely hollow stem and cap. Remember though, when in doubt leave it alone.

Morels have both a hollow cap and stem

Fresh vegetable stir-fry with morels

It was such a treat to find these outside this evening, and to add them to stir-fried vegetables for dinner. 

Bats and Birds in Texas

This past week, we flew to Texas to attend our niece's wedding in Bryan, and then to spend a few days in Austin. I have only been to the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas, so it was nice to see a different part of this big state. In a span of five days we experienced weather extremes from sixty degrees with rain and a threat of tornadoes to sunny and a near record high of 91. Since it snowed back here in New Hampshire while we were away, it was nice to enjoy summer-like temperatures.

Upon arriving at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport we were greeted by the sounds and displays of Great-tailed Grackles. Larger than the Common Grackle, these birds are not shy of humans and enjoy making a display of themselves. Their iridescent black color and yellow eyes are quite striking.

Great-tailed Grackle

Although Texas has some great opportunities for viewing spring migratory birds, we did not have time to do any serious birding. We did, however make a point of walking underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin to see the bats come out at dusk. The bridge, which crosses the impounded Colorado River, aka Lake Bird Lake, now hosts the largest urban bat colony in the world. When the bridge was redesigned in 1980, the crevices that were created provided prime nesting spots for the Mexican free-tailed bats that migrate to central Texas each spring. After construction, the bats immediately started arriving by the thousands. Irrational fears from the public, led to proposals for eliminating the bat population, including illuminating the bridge. At that time, Bat Conservation International moved their headquarters to Austin and educated city officials on the benefits of bats including the fact that each bat can consume of thousands of insect pests per night. Thankfully, the City listened, and viewing the bats from spring until fall has become a popular tourist attraction.


From the viewing platform underneath the bridge and on the water, visitors await the emergence of the bats.

While we were waiting for the bats to come out, birds were putting on their own show. Behind us, dozens of grackles congregated and made quite a racket before they settled down for the night. Then, across the river, hundreds of egrets landed in a single tree. Due to the distance I could not tell whether they were Snowy or Cattle egrets. Interestingly, both species of egrets and the Great-tailed Grackle are listed among six species of birds that have been identified as having "nuisance" heronries (nesting areas of colonial water birds) in Texas according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife publication Nuisance Heronries in Texas Characteristics and Management. Dealing with large populations of birds is another example of the challenges that occur when the human populated landscape intersects with wildlife. Although most people enjoy and are inspired by the beauty of seeing wildlife, they do not want wildlife to interfere with their daily existence. From the extreme of being a danger to air traffic at airports, to the nuisance of excrement falling on the family car, large congregations of birds may not be well tolerated by society. However, as scientists continue to learn how closely interconnected all species and how disruptions to one species can sometimes cause irreparable harm to entire ecosystems, we need to be careful how we address these issues. As a reminder, the theme for this year's Earth Day is "Protect Our Species." We all must act to curb the massive rate of plant and animal extinction that is occurring across the globe

Flock of Egrets along Lady Bird Lake

Thankfully, for the bats in Texas, organizations such as Bat Conservation International and Austin Bat Refuge are educating the public on how to enjoy and live with bats to help preserve their populations.

After the sun set, the bats began to emerging from underneath the Congress Street Bridge. My small camera was inadequate to capture a good photo, but seeing them in person was a sight to behold.  According to the Austin Bat Refuge, 814,000 bats took flight that evening. In August, that number may double when the pups join the air with the adults. It was surreal to look up in the sky and see a large black cloud, knowing that it contained tens of thousands of bats. It's an experience I will not forget.

It is difficult to see, but those black specks are all bats in the sky

References:
1. Bat Conservation International, http://www.batcon.org/index.php/our-work/regions/usa-canada/protect-mega-populations/cab-intro

2.  Sustainable Food Center, https://sustainablefoodcenter.org/latest/gardening/austins-bat-history-and-the-benefits-of-bats-to-food-gardeners

3. Texas Parks and Wildlife, Nuisance Heronries in Texas Characteristcs and Management, Second Edition, Ray C. Telfair II, Bruce C. Thompson, and Linda Tschirhard
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0134.pdf 

4. Austin Bat Refuge, https://austinbatrefuge.org/congress-ave-bridge/


  

Happy Spring and Third Super Moon of 2019

If the skies are clear tonight you will be able to witness another Super Moon, that is when the full moon is at its closest point to the earth in its elliptical orbit. This is the third consecutive Super Moon of the year, and will be the last.

Watch video on the full moon of the 2019 Spring Equinox, also called the Worm Moon.

With Daylight Savings Time in effect and longer daylight, coupled with a few days with temps in the fifties, it is apparent that gardening days are not too far away. 

This past Saturday was the NOFA New Hampshire Winter Conference. Although it was almost Spring, the day still felt very much like winter with cold blustery winds. From 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM farmers, backyard gardeners and conservationists listened to a variety of speakers, enjoyed delicious healthy food and shopped at a Green Market Fair.

Rather than focus on a particular theme, I selected four workshops that were all different from one another. In the morning, Cat Buxton of Thetford, Vermont, spoke of Soil Health and In-Field Monitoring. Improving the health of our soils through minimizing disturbance, maximizing diversity and keeping the soil covered can all help absorb carbon from the atmosphere. There is tremendous potential there and scientists are only beginning to understand the potential of utilizing plants and life underground to address the current climate crisis that has been brought on by industrialization and the destruction of the Earth's natural vegetative cover.  

Cat Buxton describes different soil characteristics

The second session I attended was presented by Dr. John Zahina-Ramos who traveled from Illinois to

talk about his research projects on quantifying sustainability benefits of small-scale agricultural operations through experiments he has done as a single farmer on his own property. 

The NOFANH Winter Conference always has great vendors at their Green Market Fair and this year was no different. I can never pass by the books displayed without buying something. This year I purchased Consulting the Genius of the Place by Wes Jackson and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I have already started reading Braiding Sweetgrass which describes how all plants and animals as intrinsically connected and calls us to truly acknowledge the wonder of nature, thereby demanding our respect and appreciation. Musical entertainment at the fair was provided by American folk band Decatur Creek.

 
In the afternoon, I listened to the history of some of New Hampshire's heirloom and native plants through photos presented by John Forti of Bedrock Gardens in Lee, New Hampshire. And, finally the last workshop session I attended was a virtual walk through the woods as poet Hannah Fries read from her book Forest Bathing Retreat: Find Wholeness in the Company of Trees. It was a relaxing way to end the afternoon before listening to the evening keynote "What's Wrong with Working 35 Hours Per Week? Using Lean Ideas to Cut Out Waste and Free up Your Time" by farmer and author Ben Hartman.

There was a lot of information to take in and now that Spring is officially here, I am looking forward to putting some of the ideas presented at the conference into practice. 

UPDATE: I just received an e-mail that I won the "guess how many eggs" in this container" contest put on by Pete and Gerry's organic free range eggs. A year's supply of eggs, thanks Pete and Gerry's for supporting this event! 

National Ag Day

How did I miss it? Today was National Ag Day. National Ag has been in place since 1973 to bring awareness of the vital role that agriculture plays in our society. Although often overlooked and underappreciated in today's society, none of us could survive without farms and the products that they produce. From the cereal or orange juice that you have in the morning, to the glass of wine or beer that you might have at the end of the day, everything we eat or drink is as a result of agriculture. And agriculture provides not just the food that we eat, but it supplies the materials for the clothes that we wear, and sometimes the fuel that powers our vehicles. We all should be thankful, not just today, but every day for the resources and benefits that farmers provide for ourselves, our community, and the world.

I am looking forward to this weekend and attending the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of New Hampshire's annual winter conference. It's always a fun event and a great opportunity to learn more about what is happening locally in the field of organic agriculture. I plan to share more about the workshops and speakers after I attend.

Sweet Potatoes with Wild Rice and Tomato Sauce

This recipe was adapted from the Ultimate Vegan Cookbook. It is very easy to put together.

Ingredients:

1 cup wild rice
1 sweet potato 
1 small can crushed tomatoes
1 Tablespoon miso paste
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed basil

Cook wild rice.
Steam sweet potato in microwave. Place in a covered bowl with a small amount of water and cook on high until soft. Cool slightly before slicing.

Make sauce by combining the remaining ingredients and simmering on the stove for about 15 minutes. Serve sauce over potatoes and rice and service with a salad or your favorite green vegetable.