Barbara Simoes

I gave a tour a few weeks ago to my "Pollinator Pathways" group.   During the winter, we decide on a book to read and we get together every few weeks to discuss the chapters assigned.  We've read Braiding Sweetgrass, Nature's Best Hope, The Light Eaters, and Wilding.  We've become good friends through our gatherings and we even get together for a "Three Sisters" dinner in November--Thank you Robin W-K.

In the warmer months, we tour each other's gardens and have some speaker events.  It's a nice low-key group. I signed up to have my tour just two weeks ago. I have an acre, but there are so many edible and medicinal plants it's pretty amazing, even to me.  I wanted things to be blooming (and they were) and I wanted it early enough that I wouldn't have too much time to worry about weeding and tidying.  

Often, when I'm in the front food forest, people will stop and chat; there is a sidewalk that is well-used.  One thing leads to another and I'll offer them a tour.  They are always excited to see the property and are always blown away by the fact that it is only an acre and the fact that I take care of it all by myself!  That's the beauty of perennial plants, though.  They pretty much take care of themselves.  I can prune in late winter, I leave the leaves in the beds, the animals do the fertilizing and I do the harvesting--with a little help from them!

I always have nuts around: pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.  I also have (fresh) fruit or canned or frozen. I have been unsuccessful growing goji berries, but I LOVE them dried.  I discovered that I can mix some with cashews and unsweetened coconut flakes and even cocoa nibs.  This can be dangerous because it tastes so good that I eat beyond my hunger!

Cheese is a quick snack as are seaweed packs. I usually have a batch of yogurt around; sometimes I'll mix thawed fruit and sweetener into a whole quart at a time, although I find that this makes it "too convenient!"  I sometimes will settle for a cup of tea if I'm feeling disciplined.  

I always cook in bulk. I will make a batch of oatmeal that will last me the week.  Into it, I'll add coconut, almond slivers, cinnamon, monkfruit sweetener, chia and pumpkin seeds, raisins...whatever.  I discovered that having this cold is like having rice pudding.  I can add in milk or almond milk if I want and usually do when having it in the morning.  

This time of year, it's all about the asparagus.  I have a Revere frying pan that I put the stalks in and steam.  It holds about four large servings...again, leftovers. This morning's breakfast was poached eggs on a bed of asparagus!  Another discovery: eaten cold, asparagus is even sweeter, reminiscent of corn, so a few stalks make a good snack, too.

Don't get discouraged if there isn't a flush right away.  First the mycelium needs to get established.  Here, I get two flushes, one in spring and one in late summer/fall.  They can be hard to see at first, especially with the leaf camouflage! I'm betting you won't have the spring crop, but the fall one should be bountiful.  I also want to say that they don't necessarily stay where you put the spawn because the mycelium runs underground, it can end up wherever it darn well pleases!

I haven't done this either!  I don't know that you have to use a huge amount of water or boil it for very long.  Probably, I would do it like I do asparagus; just cover, bring to boil and continue a simmer for about three minutes and then drain and (with asparagus) I then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and so it doesn't get all wrinkly.  It still is very hot, so I don't have to worry that it will be cold when served.
I personally don't seem to have  enough to be badly affected by oxalates, but then again, I've heard that kidney stones are no fun, so it might be good for me to be proactive!

I thought that cooking gets rid of the oxalic acid.  Better to cook things like sorrel than to eat them raw. Just used AI to ask, for what that's worth.  Here is what it said:
Cooking significantly reduces the oxalic acid in rhubarb stalks, but it does not make rhubarb leaves safe to eat. While cooking can reduce the total oxalate content of the edible stalks by roughly 50% to 75%, the leaves contain such extreme concentrations (roughly 10 times more than the stalks) that no amount of cooking can render them edible.

Cooking Stalks vs. Leaves: Stalks (Petioles): These are naturally lower in oxalates and are considered safe for most people, especially when cooked. Boiling them and discarding the water is the most effective way to lower oxalate levels by leaching.Leaves: Cooking does not break down oxalic acid; it only moves it. Even if you boil the leaves, the remaining oxalate levels are high enough to cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or even kidney damage.

Effective Reduction Methods for Rhubarb Stalks: Boiling and Discarding Water: This can reduce total oxalates by nearly half. However, popular methods like making compotes or jams (where the liquid is kept) retain the full oxalate content.

Adding Dairy: Cooking or serving rhubarb with calcium-rich foods like milk, custard, or cream is highly effective. The calcium binds to the soluble oxalates in the gut, forming insoluble crystals that pass through your body without being absorbed into your bloodstream.

Peeling: Since the highest concentration of oxalates in the stalk is often in the skin, peeling can further reduce the total load.
Soaking: Soaking cut stalks in water for 24–48 hours before cooking can help dissolve some of the water-soluble acid.

Jen, I'm relieved to read about your choice.  Daylight would be able to penetrate the cloth and therefore, I think, be ineffective.  I sew a lot, and so I compost the scraps of cotton and all-natural fabrics.  They break down incredibly fast.  My "tree" garden was done back in 2019, and the chips are still there, so I don't know that you'll have to do too much each year.  The garden out back where I have hazelnuts, mulberry, etc., also is doing well.  It is where I have mushrooms, and because of that, this is where I dump my leaves every fall, which helps to keep a good "mulch" going.  I do have creeping charlie that comes in from the top, but that's actually kind of fun to pull...sort of like a loose thread, and being it is such a low grower, I'm not too diligent about its removal.   I'm waiting for some tree trimming to happen in the neighborhood so that I can chase down another load of chips!  After spreading a truckload by hand, I swear that I'll never get more...but, of course, I do!

I guess it would depend on the cardboard used.  What I pick up has no printing, tape or staples, nor is it shiny.  I've tried it both ways.  I had more than a foot--closer to two feet of chips alone and weeds came through with a vengeance.  Where I'd laid cardboard and then chips or leaves--weed free.  I also have mushrooms planted in most of those areas, which are amazing "cleaners".  After reading Mycelium Running by Paul Stammetts, I gained a whole new appreciation for fungus! There was one guy who went on a tear on YouTube trying to prove that cardboard was the devil incarnate, but his work has been debunked and most scientists say that it is fine to use.  Most inks are soy-based, but as I said, mine is print-free.

Anne Miller wrote:Wood chips, leaves, straw are better alternatives to cardboard.

Remember the rule:  6' to 12 " so light cannot penetrate.

I asked the plumber about it.  He didn't seem to think that metal was a good solution.  He suggested that I just run the cold water while draining something like that.  That will require that I remember to do that because it is so ingrained in me not to waste water. You would think that plastic would not be "code" in a kitchen where dealing with boiling water is  a constant!  

R Scott wrote:Canning and pasta water are extremely bad for modern plumbing!  You can still get metal drain pipes but they will cost you. Might be worth it for a canning kitchen.

I LOVE this!  What a great idea.  It might be a good starting point for a chicken house as well.  I wonder if you live in a place with snow and was also wondering if the poly panels could be turned 90 degrees so that water and snow would slide off easier.  I'm visualizing cement blocks around the perimeter into which the frame could fit, raising it enough so that the door would be a good fit.  I have zero carpentry skills, so I don't really know, but this is a remarkable idea...Now to figure out where I could put one! It is so roomy!  Thank you for sharing it.

Looks like I'm late to the party, but I will second the idea of pull out shelves for lower cupboards.  I also love big drawers instead of some lower cupboards.  

A very simple thing that I got for an apartment that I used to live in was a hanging pot rack.  I put all my most used pots there and it was a pleasure to get them and use them.  They didn't get dirty hanging because they were always in use.  I loved it so much that I brought that idea into the house I now live in.  

When I was designing the kitchen, The peninsula was going to be a few inches shorter than the length of it on the back cupboard side, which I was thrilled about.  Between the extra freezer (topped with a butcher block as a great cutting board) and the stove, I had about three inches to play with.  This is the perfect spot to tuck my step stool.  Being I've "shrunk" to 4'11", I use that stool on a daily basis!  

I also have replaced a lot of appliances with an air fryer.  I no longer need a toaster, a toaster oven and mostly, I don't really use my large oven.  I've baked an entire chicken, many pies and other decent sized pans of food in the air fryer.  

I keep a stool in the kitchen, which I pull out when I'm kneading bread.  The height is much more suited to that activity than my counter top.  I use the largest size stainless steel bowl to both mix up the dough and then knead it in. It spins nicely on the top of the stool and I can push down on the dough rather than having to keep my arms elevated.  Much more comfortable!

I also use the stool when I cleaning fruits and vegetables.  I open the cupboards below the sink, and that way, I can pull up close to the task at hand.  The "floor" of the cupboards act as a footrest and my knees can fit under and into the cupboards.  Strawberries can take more than an hour of prep, so it's nice to settle in and be comfortable.

As a friend always says, I'm a master stasher!  Beside the refrigerator and up against a wall, there is some space.  In the late fall, when it's time to take out the screens, this is where I tuck them.  They are out of sight, but easily accessible with the change of seasons.  On one of the first warm days of spring, I can easily take them right outside and dry brush them to get the dust and cobwebs off.  If needed, I can wash them and then hose them down and leave them to dry.

Here's another tip that I learned the hard way.  I discovered that my sink was leaking after having it repaired less than two years ago by a professional plumber (who's business rate was $175 and hour...standard in these parts; supply and demand, I guess.) Anyway, the new plumber I called asked if I canned.  "Yes," I replied.  He told me that by pouring a huge pot of near boiling water down the sink, it had warped the PVC piping they all now use.  I showed it to me.  Sure enough...He said that I could let it sit and cool for a bit longer or just run cold water as I'm pouring out the canning water.  Hope this helps someone!