Red Chile Hummus

2013-05-24 14:27:23

A simple, easily adapted hummus, adapted easily for heat and flavor, with homemade tahini.

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Prep Time

1 hr 5 min

Cook Time

50 min

Total Time

1 hr 55 min

Prep Time

1 hr 5 min

Cook Time

50 min

Total Time

1 hr 55 min

Ingredients

1/2 cup organic sesame seeds

2 tbsp organic olive oil

2 tbsp water

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 large organic white onions

2 cups organic soaked & boiled garbanzos (or equivalent canned)

1/2–1 cup garbanzo liquid

3–5 Erda garlic cloves (or more, to taste)

1 tsp red chile (or more, to taste)

olive oil, fresh ground salt and pepper (garnish to taste)

Prep

If using dry garbanzos, soak overnight, and boil on medium-high heat for about an hour.

Dice the onions as you like; they’ll be blended later, to don’t give it too much effort.

Fry on low heat for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Deglaze, if that’s your style.

The Tahini

While the onions are cooking, place sesame seeds in your food processor and blend until smooth. If you have a small bowl, use this.

Add salt and oil, blend again.

While blending, add water slowly. Use only what you need to get a smooth consistency. (But don’t worry if you go too far; it’ll be added to everything else below.)

The Hummus

If you’re using one bowl, congratulations, you can skip this step! If you have a large bowl, scrape the Tahini into it.

Add garbanzos, garlic, onions, and chile. Blend.

While blending, add a small stream of garbanzo liquid to thin into a consistency that won’t break your dipping utensil.

Taste; add more garlic, salt, chile or oil to taste.

Scrape the bowl clean, serve with plenty of water.

Notes

Organics are all optional, of course.

The great thing about hummus is that you can add quantities it as you go. Just make sure you start with less than you think you might like, and add to taste.

Prep time will be considerably shorter if you start with canned garbanzos, but I recommend boiling your own to be sure of the ingredients.

Finest red chile going is from these folks in Chimayó. Well worth the trip.

Adding fresh-squeezed limes can really draw out the chile.

By Adam Rubinstein

Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Adapted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Erda Gardens and Learning Center http://www.erdagardens.org/

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Cilantro Pesto

2013-05-23 16:12:13

A delicious twist on a traditional cilantro pesto.

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Ingredients

2 cups fresh organic cilantro

3 large bulbs fresh garlic

2/3 cup organic almonds

1/4 cup organic olive oil

2 tbs organic toasted sesame oil

2 tbs lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh-ground pepper

1-2 Serrano peppers (optional)

Instructions

Remove stems from the cilantro.

Combine all solids in a food processor. Add oils while blending.

You may have to stop blending to scrape pesto back into the blade path.

Notes

Of course, organic is optional, but it does improve the flavor impressively.

For added kick, add 1-2 Serrano peppers.

By Adam Rubinstein

Adapted from Real Simple Recipes

Adapted from Real Simple Recipes

Erda Gardens and Learning Center http://www.erdagardens.org/

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Cream of Lovage Soup

2013-05-20 16:22:34

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

40 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

40 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 bulb green garlic, incl white stem, chopped

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

6 small potatoes, diced

pepper

leaves from 2 tall stalks lovage

1 cups half & half

Instructions

Melt butter. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Remove from heat and stir in flour.

Slowly stir in broth. Return to heat and bring to a boil.

Add potatoes and pepper, simmer for 30 minutes.

Add lovage leaves, simmer 10 minutes.

Puree with immersion blender or in blender in small batches.

Return to pan and add half & half.

Garnish with a few lovage leaves.

By Joan Sanford

Erda Gardens and Learning Center http://www.erdagardens.org/

The post Cream of Lovage Soup appeared first on Erda Gardens and Learning Center.

Spring Shallot and Spinach Scramble

2013-05-20 16:38:04

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Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil

2-3 young shallot bulbs (chopped)

3 cups brown rice (cooked)

4 farm-fresh eggs

1/2 lb spinach (stemmed and chopped; any green will do)

2 tbs Bragg’s, Tamari or Soy Sauce

Instructions

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat (your author prefers a cast-iron skillet) and add shallots to hot oil. Sauté until translucent, about 2-3min.

Add cooked brown rice and heat thoroughly, 1-2 min.

Push rice and shallots to edges of pan and crack eggs into the middle.

Scramble the eggs in the middle of the pan until mostly cooked, 3-4 min.

Stir rice and shallot mixture in with eggs and throw the greens on top. Sprinkle with Bragg’s and cover. Turn heat off and let sit until greens are steamed, 2-3 min.

Serve with crusty bread and coffee as part of a hearty farm breakfast!

Erda Gardens and Learning Center http://www.erdagardens.org/

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Water Wise Gardening

Saturday, May 4th | 9:00 am–12:30 pm
Gutierrez-Hubble House | 6029 Isleta SW (3 mi. south of Rio Bravo)
FREE | Registration: Online or through Colleen – (505) 314-0398, calangan@bernco.gov

We live in a desert! Find out how to conserve water in your thirsty garden. Hosted by Amanda Bramble of the Ampersand Sustainable Learning Center, a Permaculture project based outside of Cerillos. Participants will learn low-technology and DIY solutions to address the sustainable use of our most precious resource. Amanda specializes in Sustainable Habitat Site Analysis and will speak to completed projects such as grey water and rainwater harvesting.

First CSA Distros!

Wednesday, May 8th: University and Blake

Saturday, May 11th: Downtown Saturday Market

Composting Intensive

Saturday, May 18th | 9:00 am–12:30 pm
Gutierrez-Hubble House | 6029 Isleta SW (3 mi. south of Rio Bravo)
FREE | Registration: Online or through Colleen – (505) 314-0398, calangan@bernco.gov

Come with your compost conundrums! Our expert, John Zarola from the Bernalillo County Master Composters will be on hand to give you the answers to your toughest compost questions. Participants will leave with information on both “hot” and “cold” composting methods as well as lists of what to add and what to avoid adding too much of in your compost. Leave with all the tools you need to compost effectively.

Erda Work Party

Sunday, May 19th | 8:00 am–12:00 pm | Potluck lunch 12:00 pm–1:00 pm
Erda Gardens Main Location | 1305 Blake SW

Each month we gather to work in the garden. Join like minded folks, learn about local agriculture and lend a hand to a community build farm. We provide gloves, tools and water, please bring sun protection. Always family-friendly.

Bonus Event: Rainwater Guru Brad Lancaster!

Friday, June 7 | 6:00 pm–8:00 pm
Garcia Honda Auditorium, UNM

Brad Lancaster comes to Albuquerque for a free lecture and book signing. Brad’s presentation, Integrated Water Harvesting to Turn Drains Into Sponges and Water Scarcity Into Water Abundance, will be followed by a reception and book signing. Refreshments provided by La Montanita C0-op. Funding provided by UNM Office of the Vice President for Research.

Download the event poster.

The post May Events appeared first on Erda Gardens and Learning Center.

At the center of Biodynamics is the Stella Natura calendar. This year, it advises us to be wary of “Spring Fever” and to hold true to “devotion [becoming] the force of sacrifice.” I try to meditate on this idea as we devote several hours to transplant spring seedlings into the ground. In two weeks the greenhouse will release thousands of starts: lettuce, kale, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy and strands of onions, thin as hair. Each bed needs mulch to retain water, and shade cloth to prevent frost and damage, and to keep those tender leaves safe under the sun. The cloth also acts as a barrier from the lovely but ravenous cabbage moth, who would be too happy to lay her eggs on any available brassica, and leave her hungry caterpillar kin to munch and carve hallways into the heads of our sweet cabbage crop.

Biodynamic Planting

Once the greenhouse is empty of our spring crops, we return from the Rio Valley Greenhouse with 600 tomato, pepper and eggplant starts. Each comes in a “plug,” about the size of my pinkie, and must join our homemade Erda potting mix. The picnic table piles high with little pots—30 varieties, each clearly marked, as April brings them to us for planting. Fortunately, our two regular Wednesday volunteers stop by, Pete and Mick, and with our new intern, Steven, we quickly find our planting rhythm. We chat and KUNM offers another Freeform afternoon soundtrack. The time passes quickly. Somewhere in the task, I lose myself and realize I am meditating. This must be the selfless dedication to which the calendar refers. It must be, because after 10 hours, we are all exhausted but not depleted.

The next morning, I rise early to check on the new arrivals in the greenhouse. I offer them a meditation for the one I received the day before. Farmer Jimmy decides they need boost and we stir and apply a  Biodynamic Preparation called barrel compost.

The Same, from Outside

It is not always easy for me to describe Biodynamics to a roving reporter. Most of what I know is in its practice. But through magic, Ian Kertsetter from UNM’s Sustainability Studies Program turned our two-hour conversation over shoveling manure  into a poetic, informative and accessible blog post.

Meanwhile, Antonio Sanchez from the Daily Lobo also contacted us for an article on the farm last week. It takes a more personal approach, interviewing me, Steven and Core Group member Kevin. “Growing Community” was published Thursday, accompanied by some great photos from Lobo photographer Mark Grace.

One last Work Party at the Orchard

For months a group of committed volunteers have gathered every Wednesday, chainsaws at the ready, clearing dead wood and hauling out predatory elms. In another context, we love elms, but these have been slowly choking the 50-year-old apple and pear trees. Over 100 viable trees and four months later, the first phase of our restoration is complete.

We’ve drawn up and fleshed out a multi-year plan, incorporating Permaculture design, to increase biodiversity and resiliency. As we wrap our work at this site for the season, we turn to the first CSA harvest, and we have one task left: to ready the trees for a hot summer. We are renting a chipper to transform tree branches into mulch that will shade the roots and assist the trees in retaining water. Other jobs will include spreading said mulch and bagging applewood chips to sell at Saturday market. Saturday and Sunday we will be working from 8:00 am–12:00 pm, at 3011 Barcelona, followed by a lunch for all our hard-working volunteers. Please bring a dish to share!

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Eggs from Rainbow Ranch will be available at the Blake location, starting the morning of Tuesday, April 16. These are fresh, and ethically harvested from free-roaming, organic-fed hens. Also available: goose eggs!

Prices:

$4 for 12
$5.75 for 18
Goose eggs: $3 for 4

Eggs are in the fridge. Please make payment when you pick up.

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to all the volunteers who helped with César Chavez Day of Service Learning!

With the help of La Plazita Gardens and Bernalillo County Open Space, we brought over 350 youth from local schools onto our Sanchez Farm site for a fun-filled day of hands-on learning! A special shout out to Jessica, Maya, Mick and Pete for making our stations run smoothly and going the extra mile to help our farmers, Moon, Jimmy and April facilitate.

And speaking of volunteers,

our greenhouse is bursting at the seems with baby lettuce, kale, collards, cabbage, broccoli and more! We also have 500 pounds of seed potatoes that need to go in the ground. Wow! We can use any help that you can offer. Even a few hours in the garden can be a huge help! Please call the farm phone (505) 610-1538 to find out the when and where as we have many different plots we are cultivating.

Next Erda Gardens Work Party:
Sunday, April 14th | 9:00 am–12:oo pm, potluck lunch at 12:00 noon

We will have a variety of activities including planting, prepping beds and making packets of saved seed. All ages and abilities are welcome!

Orchard Restoration

In more exciting spring news, after many weeks of hard work, we have completed the first phase of Orchard Restoration. Just in time for the spring bloom. We will have a two day Work Party, Saturday and Sunday April 27th and 28th, to chip all the wood we removed from the Orchard and place the mulch back on the trees and other dry or bare spots on the land. We will also have an apple wood chip-bagging workstation to sell at market—fun for the whole family and an opportunity for you to come see this historic property. Please see our calendar for more information.

Hope to see you on the farm!

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