Building the Forest Floor
by Birgitt Evans Think about the last time you walked in a forest. There was a carpet of leaves, the newly fallen lying atop decomposing layers of leaf litter, the smell of dampness, perhaps some mushrooms poking up ready to send their spores out into the woods. And if you lifted the layers of leaves...Continue reading→
Results from ABG Tomato Poll
by Marla Koss Thank you to the thirty-one Alamedans who answered our February Tomato Poll in the ABG Newsletter! This is not the first time we’ve put out a tomato poll. Back in 2016 we printed out a slip of paper that was placed on each seat in our meeting room at Rhythmix Cultural Works,...Continue reading→
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
by Vicki Scott It’s winter in California, which means it’s time for citrus! While many plants in our Bay Area gardens are sleeping, these magical trees are bursting with fruit, their branches heavy with bright yellow, orange, and green juiciness, just begging to be picked. Whenever I have extra lemons, I love making this deliciously...Continue reading→
Beans & Greens
By Joyce Peters Beans & Greens is a healthy, wintry dish that features greens at their peak sweetness and tenderness. 8 ounces of dried white beans or chickpeas 1 medium onion, peeled 1 bay leaf 1 clove Salt & black pepper to taste 1 bunch (about 1 ½ lbs.) greens – kale, collards, broccoli raab,...Continue reading→
Free Seed Libraries Open Soon with an Answer to Uncertain Times
by Birgitt Evans As we enter 2025, in the midst of a polycrisis, it is unclear if the price of groceries will go up or go down in the coming months. Facing uncertainty, it is easy to become overwhelmed. However, there are positive steps we can all take to help ourselves and our neighbors. Here...Continue reading→
Quiz on Tomatoes!
By Marla Koss Every year ABG offers various tomato starts at its Spring Plant Sale. The past three years we’ve sold them at our booth at ARPD’s fabulous Spring Shindig out at Alameda Point (this year, held on Saturday April 19th – mark your calendars!). Since we have yet to sow our tomato seeds, we...Continue reading→
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables
by Joyce Peters Roasting brings out the best in vegetables. High dry heat caramelizes the vegetables to give them sweetness and intensify flavor. This dish is a great company dish that can be prepared ahead by cutting all the vegetables except the potatoes. When you are ready to cook, add the potatoes and seasonings per...Continue reading→
Seasonal Tips on Pest Management
With the rain beginning, both the calendar and a step outside indicate that autumn is here and winter is not far behind. Pest management strategies need to change with the season, so here are some seasonal tips on pest control in the colder, wetter months. Ants If ants can’t find food outdoors they may try...Continue reading→
Quiz: Is It a Berry or Not?
By Marla Koss - November, 2024 Remember when you first learned that the tomato was a fruit, not a vegetable and you were confused? Well, it’s even more confusing than that. It’s not just a fruit, botanists classify it as a berry. Which sounds almost as daft as my five-year-old self believing that the tomato...Continue reading→
Tips for Waste Free Holidays
by Maricelle Cardenas, StopWaste In preparation for the big food gatherings coming up, we’ve asked StopWaste, the agency in Alameda County focused on reducing our county waste stream, to tell us about ways to minimize food waste over the winter holidays and throughout the year. The holidays often provide the chance to spend time with...Continue reading→