Planning Your Vegetable Garden
by Margie Siegal Not only is this the time for New Year’s resolutions, but a lot of us are looking to stretch that budget. If your New Year’s resolutions include putting in a vegetable garden, start planning now to harvest your first crop of snow peas ($7.00 a pound in the supermarket!) radishes, lettuce or...Continue reading→
Sauerkraut Making Class
ABG’s Sauerkraut Making Class WHEN: Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 10 – 11 AM WHERE: Mastick Senior Center, 1155 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda This fun, tasty class was all about making sauerkraut! We learned how to turn fresh cabbage into a crunchy, flavorful food that’s great for your body. Sauerkraut is packed with natural probiotics...Continue reading→
Chimichurri Sauce with Fresh Parsley
by Joyce Peters In the past parsley was an afterthought. A spring of French curly parsley was added as a garnish not a flavoring. Today Italian flat-leaf parsley is commonly used to season foods. According to Rachel Ray Magazine, flat-leaf parsley adds a boost of fresh flavor without overwhelming food, while curly parsley’s grassy flavor...Continue reading→
Growing Chard
Growing Chard Site Selection Plant your garden in a convenient location, where you can check it frequently. Choose an area near an abundant supply of water so you can water as needed easily. Vegetables do best if they receive full sunlight (at least 4 to 6 hours a day). Plant them in a well-exposed area...Continue reading→
Salad Days
by Joyce Peters Salads add variety and crunch to any meal. I did not grow up eating salads. I think that families whose roots are in countries where clean water is not readily available, don’t eat raw produce without hesitation. Luckily in the United States, the water is potable. Also, growing up on the East...Continue reading→
Keeping an Eye on the Future
Building a Community Garden at Jean Sweeney Open Space Park by Marla Koss Lap-swimmers glittering in the early morning light. The triumph of scores of little kids who’ve just learned proper breath control by blowing bubbles under water. There will be much to look forward to when the Aquatic Center at Jean Sweeney Open Space...Continue reading→
Resource Roundup – Gardening in August and September
by Linda Carloni It’s been a cool summer in June and July, and the dread ‘Fogust’ may continue the cool weather. But we may get some warmth in August, and we are pretty sure to have a warm September. Our tasks for the next two months include both celebrating the summer garden and beginning to...Continue reading→
Radishes – Not Just For Salads
by Joyce Peters Ideal for small gardens, radishes are an easy and quick vegetable to grow. Home gardeners can raise unique varieties besides the red little globes we find in most supermarkets. Radishes are root vegetables that are low in starch and a member of the cruciferous family. Like their cousins the cabbage and broccoli,...Continue reading→
Time to Make Sauerkraut
by Joyce Peters Cabbage is one of those overlooked nutrient powerhouses. The cabbage family, which includes arugula, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower and kale, is rich in folate, vitamins C, E, and K, and fiber. All are good sources of phytonutrients that help lower inflammation and reduce the risk of cancer. One way to include more...Continue reading→
Saving Your Seedlings with a DIY Greenhouse
by Margie Siegal The bird in the photos is a California Towhee. This robin-sized bird is common in the San Francisco Bay Area. It eats just about anything, but what it really likes is the seedlings you just planted. One year I lost half of my tomato starters to this #$%^& critter. One solution to...Continue reading→