School Gardens Bridge the Gap Between School and Community
Alameda Sun – Wednesday, November 23, 2022 by Kristen Smeal, Co-President of Alameda Backyard Growers During World War I, school gardens materialized as an effort to utilize idle land on urban and suburban school properties. Food was grown at schools for local community food security, to increase nutritional awareness, and to increase youth civic engagement....Continue reading→
Apple Cake
Contributed by Linda Carloni This recipe is adapted from the version handed down to me from my late mother-in-law, Lillian Carloni. Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine in large bowl and beat until creamy (hand mixer is good): ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup white sugar 3 eggs Add to egg mixture and beat until...Continue reading→
Halupki Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Contributed by Kristen Smeal This (plant based) recipe is adapted from the one my grandmother used to make, which she called “pigs in a blanket,” a Pennsylvania coal-country adaptation of a traditional Eastern European food, Halupki. They are commonly served around the holidays, at weddings, and at the county fair. Ingredients: 1 pound plant-based ground...Continue reading→
Hastbullar (Quick Buns)
Contributed by Birgitt Evans Makes 12 – 15 buns This recipe comes from “Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break” by Anna Brones & Johanna Kindvall. The English have ‘tea time’ and we Swedes have our “Fika” (pronounced “fee-ka”) which is coffee plus a sweet treat and time to pause, often with friends, and...Continue reading→
Greens, Polenta and Cheese
Contributed by Margie Siegal (for 1 person, double or triple as needed) This is an inexpensive but tasty dinner or lunch, especially if you grow your own. Kale, chard and mustard greens grow year round in our climate, and are some of the easiest vegetables to grow. Kale is often badly mistreated. People insist on...Continue reading→
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Contributed by Marla Koss (Adapted from Marion Cunningham’s WILLIE’S CRISP recipe from her long-ago San Francisco Chronicle column) Fruit Filling: 5 to 6 cups apples, peeled, in medium-sized chunks or slices 12-oz. package fresh or frozen cranberries 1 to 1 ½ cups sugar, depending on tartness of apples 4 tbsp. flour 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon...Continue reading→
Thank You ASTI Garden Club Students!
A big shout out and thank you to Alameda Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) Garden Club students who organized picking apples from the orchard on their campus. They donated 100 lbs of delicious fruit that was delivered to the Alameda Food Bank. ABG appreciates the dedication of these students to helping to create a better...Continue reading→
Autumn Resource Roundup
by Linda Carloni, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member Now that it’s autumn, gardening changes, but in our area it doesn’t end. Here’s a guide to resources from ABG and other excellent sources for some autumn gardening tasks: planting and cultivating fall and winter crops; improving your soil with cover crops and other techniques; and...Continue reading→
Cool Season – Time to Start Planting
by Linda Carloni Tomatoes, peppers, green beans, zucchini – all well-known and glorious fruits of the summer garden. But while enjoying the bounty, it’s also time to give some thought to the fall and winter garden. Sometimes summer gardening takes all my garden energy and I take a break. But when I can summon myself...Continue reading→
Aphids in Summer
Alameda Sun, Thursday, August 11, 2022 by Linda Carloni, Alameda Backyard Growers It’s a lovely warm summer day. The kale plants in the garden have looked lush and productive, ready for salads and sautés. The broccoli and chives have been doing well too. But suddenly — aphids! Aphids are small insects that have soft, pear-shaped...Continue reading→