The Government info we are getting pretty deluged with is British govt info – as I’m in Britain. There has been quite a lot of publicity in the media re wasted food – both by households and others.

You might like to read the British website:

http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

1. Plant something: nope

2. Harvest something: thyme, oregano, green beans, chamomile, anise hyssop

3. Preserve something: herbs and blueberries (in the freezer and in jam)

4. Waste not: Still working my way through the last of last year’s frozen veggies & meat. Double checking my homeschooling books & supplies prior to an upcoming road trip which will include a visits to a few fabulous used book shops.

5. Want not/Prep: Learning about herbal remedies and cheese making – planning on starting both next month.

6. Build Community Food Systems: More garden chat with friends & neighbors, offered to be a canning resource for a friend of a friend.

7. Eat the Food: If it’s coming out of the garden, it’s going in our bellies – green beans, herbs, garlic, lettuce, potatoes and blueberries (and even more blueberries)

Plant something: not last week, but if the cool spell that is predicted materializes, I might be able to plant some fall crops this week. Instead, I weeded the patches that most needed it and mowed the lawn, for the first time in over 2 weeks.

Harvest something: collards, kale, cabbage, onion topsets, purslane, lambsquarters, calendula and nasturtium blossoms, basil, bronze fennel, shiitake mushrooms. My DH went on a mushroom foray at a local conservation area and found chanterelles, an edible mushroom.

Preserve something: calendula blossoms, by drying.

Reduce waste: the usual efforts. So many weeds ought to make some great compost! Plus made muffins in the sun oven.

Prep/storage: noticed the chocolate chip supply is running low, so ordered a 25 lb bag of organic Fair Trade dark chocolate chips from our food co-op. Also ordered a 5 lb box of organic raisins. These plus sunflower seeds (already on hand) make a great trail mix, high energy and shelf stable, good for emergencies.

Build community food systems: well, we’re helping to keep our food co-op in business by ordering so much food … in case you’re curious, the 25 lb bag of chocolate chips will cost us almost $200. But it’s worth it And we might be able to sell some of the chips to some of the other members, thereby decreasing the up-front cost.

Eat the food: My DH included the purslane and lambsquarters in a stir-fry along with some of the garden greens, then added miso for flavoring. But the slightly acidic quality of the purslane didn’t meld well with the flavor of the miso. I don’t recommend others try that (we need to share what doesn’t work as well as what does). His concoction including collards and fresh shiitake mushrooms, along with white beans (purchased) and some gelatinous stock from a previously-cooked ham, was much more successful, in fact, quite good. He made it as a stew. He (my DH is the household cook) also cooked the chanterelles and included them in our morning egg dish – the eggs are local, purchased from our food co-op. Delicious!

Harvest something: We finally get to start eating our hen eggs again. The de-worming process completed a few weeks ago, and all the chemicals should have run their course. Now to go and find the eggs… the girls are hiding them again. Free-ranging chickens, such fun!

Preserve something: Again, sorta… ordered a 30-quart pressure canner. Once it comes in, my first project will be to cook and can chicken broth. Then perhaps some home-made sauerkraut.

Reduce waste: Continuing to set aside cardboard, paper, glass & plastic for recycling. Saving glass juice containers and lids to use for upcoming kombucha brewing project. Will be using damaged kiddie pools (geese and dogs are hard on them) for additional raised vegetable beds – cut holes in bottom for drainage and use for lettuces.

Preparation & Storage: Am making room in a closet for additional storage shelves. Buying soy milk by the case now. Also purchased a trailer for the car, so we have more room for animals & household goods if we have to leave the property due to encroaching wildfires or other such emergencies. Recently used the trailer to haul eight bales of bedding hay for the animals.

Build Community Food Systems: As soon as I can get the girls all to start laying in the coop again, will sell eggs once more to the local co-op. Am awaiting news from the local CSA with regards to their plans for a Fall/Winter farm-goods subscription.

Eat the Food: Eating our own eggs and the CSA produce.

Harvest Something:
Raspberries, peas, lettuce and a few bush beans. Also our first two heads of garlic…we’ll leave the rest a little longer.

Preserve Something:
Froze raspberries made two batches of raspberry and one batch of cranberry cordial.

Waste Not:
Used yogurt and cheese whey for pancakes. Michael found an over-the-toilet cabinet on Freecycle and refurbished it for our upstairs bathroom, freeing up a small (trash-picked) cabinet in the upstairs hall for front porch storage, which moved the mission-style low bookcase (also trash-picked) to a place of honor in the living room.

Want Not:
Lots of lists

Build Community Food Systems:
Bought eggs, meat and greens from the local farm. Talked with a friend about seed-saving.

Eat the Food:
raspberry-rhubarb cobbler, rasp-blueberry cobbler and blueberry crisp. so good! Fresh salads. Sourdough pancakes (made with whey from cheese and yogurt making) Home-made yogurt with fresh berries and a drizzle of local honey. Local grass-fed steaks on the grill served over a bed of wilted home-grown greens. Mizuna, garlic and cheese fritatta.

Hope your summer is filled with lightening bugs, light and laughter!