It’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the right time of year to cook up a brew of solar tea. Remember, your kettle is one of the biggest energy vampire gadgets you’ve probably got, so change the way you make your tea this summer? You’ve heard of slow food, this is slow tea.

Step 1: You’ll need a big jar or wide mouthed bottle.

Step 2: You can make teas with all sorts of herbs, whatever you have on hand. I used 4 rooibos teabags and 2 springs of fresh mint. Bung them into the jar and fill with cool filtered or tap water.

Step 3: Place the jar in full sun and leave for as many hours as you can wait.

Step 4: Strain and drink warm, or chill for iced tea. Sweeten with honey if desired.

Piper and I have been sowing seeds for winter vegetables this afternoon. It’s fun to do with children of any age when outside is stormy and wet, and inside is a much nicer prospect. Northern hemisphere folks sow summer veg for a school holiday activity.

Learning to grow vegetables is a valuable and important life skill.

10 Easy Steps

1. Find something in your recycling that will make a suitable plant pot. Suggestions: bottom half of plastic milk bottles, yoghurt pots, bottom half of egg cartons.

2. Fill the receptacles with compost. Get organic compost from your local nursery/garden centre or use sifted homemade compost.

3. Plant seeds. Suggested for winter: Swiss chard, spinach, some lettuces, some carrots, onions, peas.

4. Water.

5. Admire.

6. Put in a sunny window.

7. Water daily or when dry.

8. Wait.

9. Harvest.

10. Eat.

Spinach seedlings, cos growing your own is as green as it gets.

Mark Berger put into words a couple of weeks ago something that I’ve been thinking since being back in South Africa, and that is that South African’s appear to be suffering under “a massive countrywide inferiority complex.” One particular area that I’ve noticed this, and one that Mark didn’t include in his blog post, is in South African products vs. imported products. There is a conception here that imported equals better than local.

Inclined as I am to buy local (I like to keep my carbon footprint as small and neat as possible), this idea that buying imported goods (including food) is somehow better (and a whole lot more expensive too, usually) is just preposterous.

If we want to buy local and eat local, it’s super easy here compared to trying to do the same in England, for example. We are spoilt for choice in Cape Town, a veritable locavore’s paradise. So why are we still buying Kerrygold cheese and butter from Ireland, strawberry juice and calamari from China, New Zealand lamb, prawns from India and Woolies snoek from, wait for it, New Zealand??? There’s no rhyme or reason to this silliness when we have beautiful local (and in many cases free range or organic) meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and dairy products right on our doorsteps.

One way to take charge of the food that you eat is to grow your own, but the truth is that not everyone has the spare time or inclination to do that. There are alternatives. If you live in Cape Town you could join the Slow Food Cape Town CSA (before 30th June 2009). Or order an organic veg box from Abalimi Bezekhaya.

Wondering what a CSA is?

Slow Food Cape Town CSA Winter ‘09 – in a nutshell

A weekly bag containing six vegetables supplied by organic small farmers Erick and Eric
Two jars of surprise preserves made by a community project will be included over the course of the CSA
Farm visits organised to meet the farmers and see the farms
Additional resources include weekly email updates and recipes, and a blog
Collect your bag after 1pm on Tuesdays at: Jaqui Daya Good Food Store in Newlands, Millstone Farm Stall in Pinelands or Deer Park Café in Vredehoek
Runs for eight weeks, from 30 June through 18 August
Costs R462 in total: this must be paid in advance

Some local supermarkets stock a wealth of really local South African produce. This morning at the SuperSpar in Rosmead Avenue, Kenilworth I bought cheese from George, cream from Durbanville and stone ground flour from Heidelberg. It’s worth frequenting supermarkets who bother stocking really local stuff, and you will need to make the effort to look at labels and seek out the food from closest by. It’s an effort worth making in my opinion, not only to lower your carbon footprint, but also to support local producers and ensure food security in your neck of the woods.

Other ways to reduce your consumer carbon footprint is to buy South African household appliances (DEFY), South African made clothing (Woolies stocks some or Mnandi Textiles in Station Road, Observatory to name just two), locally made furniture (one example I can think of is Right (the bloke’s name) at the Montebello Design Centre in Newlands Avenue), and for gifts and treats there’s Montebello again, Neighbourhood Goods Market (at the Biscuit Mill in Woodstock) and the Craft Markets at Kirstenbosch and Rondebosch.

We are truly spoilt for choice, so these are just a few options. If you feel there’s something that should be mentioned here that isn’t, please leave a comment.

I’ve just signed up for the Winter CSA, thanks to Pia’s regular prompting.

Our vegetable garden is coming along nicely, we should have Swiss chard and spinach to eat in about a month or so.

It’s vegetarian recipe day here at EcoStreet because eating less meat is better for our planet. Today I’m sharing with you a recipe that I improvised after eating something similar at Millstone Cafe at the Oude Molen Eco Village. I’m not 100% sure what goes into their version of this, but here’s what goes into mine. It’s delicious.

Butternut, spinach and feta quiche

1 butternut, cut into cubes
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 big handfuls of spinach (I used a red veined variety)
250ml cream
3 eggs
200g feta cheese, crumbled
salt & black pepper
1 quiche crust (I vary these, often making non-wheat varieties because we have a few wheat-intolerances in the family)

Roast honey and olive oil drizzled butternut in the oven (190′C) for 20-30 mins until tender and slightly browning at the edges (keep an eye on it). In the meantime, make your quiche crust and put the spinach into it. Add the roasted butternut chunks and sprinkle the feta over everything.

Beat 3 eggs with the cream, season with salt and pepper and pour over the rest of the quiche ingredients.

Pop it in the oven at 180′C for around 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and take it out as soon as it’s looking golden. Let it stand for 20 minutes or so before cutting and serving. Even better the next day.

Down here in the Southern Hemisphere the shortest day of the year less than a week away, and we’re counting down to planting season. Just this past weekend in the rain, my lovely husband was chopping a great chunk out of the lawn so that I can start planting fruit and vegetables in our new garden (I’m starting planting now because winter crops rock and I have Swiss chard and spinach germinated and almost ready to be planted out). I have sowed peas that will be ready for harvesting in around 3 months time, and will be sowing carrots and onions over the next week.

But enough about my garden for now, I want to tell you about this this countdown.

It turns out that Jason Hartman (you know, the one who won South African Idol) is a bit of a gardening fundi (who knew?), and he and a couple of other guys called Scott Colin Cundill and Brendan Greene (they’re the admins of the Facebook group for Countdown to Planting Season so I’m assuming here) have got this project going where they are asking South Africans (both in their capacities as businesses and individuals) to plant at least one organic vegetable on the 22nd of September 2009 (Spring Equinox).

At the time of blogging this, they already have over 7000 individual and 131 businesses who have signed up to plant something on the day. Some of the businesses have committed to pretty big planting projects (some of those with land will be planting big food gardens), and others are providing seeds or seedlings to their employees for them to plant at home.

Here’s a bit of blurb about it from their Facebook page:

If ever the people of this country needed something to unite us all, this is it.

We are in a period of darkness. Economic darkness, emotional darkness, social darkness. Water systems are failing, we are running out of power, the food we eat is shocking and there is never enough money. As Phil Collins wrote: “There’s too many people, making too many problems. And not much love to go round.” And all the decision makers do is fight about what the next step should be.

Well, there is one solution that they ALL agree on. In fact, this is probably the only solution that:

• All doctors agree is good for your health
• All psychologists agree brings relief to anxiety
• All politicians agree is a boost for the economy
• All teachers is agree is enlightening for our children
• All religions agree will help you feel closer to God
• All environmentalists agree is the first step to saving the planet

The 22nd of September is the Spring Equinox. On this day, we request that a million South Africans plant an organic vegetable. Just one, that’s all. If you’re a veteran, then it should be easy for you. If you know nothing about how to do this, then we’ll teach you when you register on the website.

Okay, I’m not so sure about the doom and gloom “time of darkness” stuff, but I do think it’s a project worth jumping into with both gumboots. So sign up here and here and get something planted on the 22nd September, you may even find (if you haven’t done this before) that food gardening is your new favourite hobby.

Thanks to Pia for the heads up!

CAPE TOWN – Here’s something really worthwhile to do on Tuesday’s public holiday. I’m going because I like to make a contribution to keeping places that I enjoy in good nick, and because I want to teach my children that being a member of a community is a give and take process.

Photo credit: Millstone Cafe website

We enjoy spending time at the Millstone Cafe and Farmstall at Oude Molen where you can get the best breads, quiches and pizza in town, as well as such delicacies as chocolate beetroot cake. And while you enjoy your cake and sip on a creamy cappucino, the kids get to play in this terrific tree-house .

Photo credit: Millstone Cafe website

Or in this little playhouse.

The place has a very homely feel to it, the staff are warm and friendly and it’s a great place for families or for kids parties. There are even pony rides next door. Millstone Cafe and Farmstall is open from 9-5, Tuesday to Sunday.

Pia of Mother City Living paid Oude Molen Eco Village a visit a few months ago, read about it and see her photographs here.

Reggie of Grains of Sand reports that Oude Molen Eco Village is under threat by developers, which is another good reason to support Tuesday’s clean up and the Oude Molen businesses.

Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make life so, right in the middle of it we die, lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce. – Natalie Goldberg

It took me a while, but I finally get what our US brothers and sisters are always going on about with the apple sauce thing. Yum yum! Here’s a recipe that I picked up from the back of a pack of South African Granny Smith apples from Fruit & Veg City, it’s good.

Spicy Apple Sauce

500g Granny Smith apples
40ml water
1ml ground allspice
2ml ground ginger
1ml ground cinnamon
sugar to taste, if required

Peel, core and chop apples. Place the apple pieces in a saucepan with the water and simmer, covered, until they are soft and pulpy, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the spices and sugar, if using, and mash through lightly with a fork. Turn sauce into a bowl and serve, or bottle for later.

Most South Africans only know apple sauce as baby food, or something that you eat with roast pork, and that wouldn’t be very vegetarian, so how about trying this out with some plain yoghurt for breakfast, or have it on its own as a delicious snack.

Perhaps some of our US readers can suggest other things to do with apple sauce. I’ve heard you can wrestle in it!

Photo credit: djfrantic

We started the tour at the BP service station on Rosmead Avenue where we were met by Rob Small, a friendly and enthusiastic man who works tirelessly to bring in funds for Abalimi, as well as running regular Tuesday morning tours of the gardens in a bid to win over more supporters to the project. Rob overflows with passion for the Abalimi project and what it is doing for people in Cape Town’s townships. His enthusiasm is infectious and seeps into everything he says.

Fezeka community garden stands at the foot of a huge pylon

Rob lead the way into Gugulethu and Fezeka, where he explained how 40% of the residents of Cape Town’s informal settlements are unemployed, and where there’s poverty, there is also hunger. The core business of Abalimi is to combat poverty by growing food sustainably (and organically) both at home and in community gardens, and to further green the township areas by planting water wise indigenous trees in the schools and streets of the area. Rob explained that when the Abalimi project started 15 years ago, their aim was to help people achieve subsistence from their growing activities. These days they have surpassed that and are aiming at providing a livelihood for those who before had a hard time even feeding themselves.

We were shown around Fezeka Garden and met some of the mama’s who run the place. There are very few men involved in growing community gardens on the Cape Flats, the majority of the farmers are women.

Mama Maggie transporting manure to her crops with a wheelbarrow

We were able to take photographs of the gardens and ask Rob questions about how Abalimi facilitates the creation of these food gardens. He explained that Abalimi “subsidises” the farmers to the tune of R150 per farmer per month (that’s around US $15 a month) by providing training, manure and set-up and maintenance of an irrigation system for each garden. This figure is much, much lower than the subsidies provided by government to commercial farmers. Abalimi also helps the farmers gain access to council land and negotiates on their behalf to obtain access to water, for example.

From Fezeka we moved on to the Harvest of Hope packing shed in Phillipi. Harvest of Hope is the marketing and selling arm of Abalimi. They collect the vegetables from the farmers once a week and take them back to the packing shed to wash and prepare for delivery. The vegetables make up weekly organic vegetable boxes that are distributed via some of Cape Town’s southern suburbs schools. (It is possible to buy a Harvest of Hope veg box even if you don’t have children at one of the selected schools, see below for more details).

I was blown away by the amazing fresh smell as we walked into the packing shed. It was a beautiful experience.

These vegetables are picked in the morning and delivered in the afternoon. You won't find fresher.

Exquisite care is taken to present the vegetables beautifully.

How to get your hands on a Harvest of Hope organic veg box

You’ll either need to have a child in one of the following southern suburb Cape Town schools (Herschel, Micklefield, Springfield, WPPS, Greenfield, Oakhurst, Rondebosch), be a student at UCT, or you can collect from The Green House at the Montebello Design Centre in Newlands.

Either way, contact Harvest of Hope at harvestofhope@abalimi.org.za or call them on 021-371 1653 to place your order.

A medium veg box (for a family of 4) is R95 a week and a small veg box (for 2) is R65 a week at time of publishing this post. I think you’ll agree that this is wonderful value compared to some other veg box schemes available locally, and you’ll be getting your vegetables the very same day that they are picked, with all their vitamins and goodness intact.

Other ways to get involved with this awesome project

Donate: Any amount, big or small, will be welcomed by Abalimi Bezekhaya for the continuation of this project. Information on how to make a donation is found here, on the Abalimi website.

Volunteer: Volunteers are welcomed with open arms at Abalimi. You can help in a community garden, or at the packing shed, or by doing deliveries to schools. You choose how you would like to be involved. If you are interested, I would recommend going on one of Rob’s tours to get an idea of how it all works and to meet some of the farmers before deciding how you would like to volunteer your time.

Take a tour: Rob Small runs tours of the project every Tuesday morning, by appointment. Please contact him for more info at info@abalimi.org.za

There’s something particularly special about the Cape Town Green Map launch that I wanted to share with you. It’s probably the lowest carbon launch of all the Green Maps, and I’m quoting from the launch invitation to illustrate why/how:

The venue is “your laptop, PC or iPhone so there are no travel costs or [additional] carbon footprint. The dres code is “optional – but locally designed garb from hemp/bamboo/organic cotton is encouraged”. There are no speakers – “an untold saving on hot air and CO2 emissions”.

In addition there are “no printed invitations (save on ink/chemicals, paper/trees), no printed media packs (save on ink/chemicals, paper/trees and packaging), no travel to the venue (save on CO2 emissions, time and roadwork frustration), no food or beverages (save on packaging, waste, energy and food miles) and no speakers, official openings, ‘live’ performers (save on CO2 emissions, uncomfortable silences and the effort to look impressed)”.

Isn’t that cool? And in this very wet weather I’m extra-specially glad not to be going anywhere!

Here’s a bit more about Cape Town Green Map for Capetonians who are interested in giving it a test-drive:

Cape Town Green Map is updated by interested green Capetonians, making it a direct, democratic communication of local knowledge and action. You can find community gardens, craft centres, recycling drop-offs, areas of natural beauty, shops and markets that sell green and organic products, restaurants and bars who serve organic food and drinks and more. If you know about somewhere green that’s not on the map, you can suggest it to the mapmakers, or become a mapmaker yourself.

More great green news for Cape Town is that in October A&C Maps, who print “Not the official guide to Cape Town”, the “Pink Map” and the “Food Map” will be bringing out a printed version of the Cape Town Green Map. Look out for it!

A big thanks to Open Green Map, the City of Cape Town, urban sprout and A&C Maps for this great tool.

*Read Treehugger’s great article about why maps are such a good tool for helping us go green.

“What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.” – AA Milne

Mashed potato is my absolute number one comfort food. It really sticks to your ribs, makes you feel full and warm and is perfect for cold winter days. I like my mash with butter melting in a pool on top, or drowned in gravy (vegetarian or otherwise). Unfortunately potatoes don’t count as one of the 5 portions of vegetables that we’re meant to be eating every day for the sake of our health, but there is a way round that.

Make your mash the way you like it, skin-off or skin-on, with milk and butter or with olive oil, lumpy or smooth. Then try one of these delicious variations to get at least one of your five-a-day into the mix.

Broccoli Mash
Steam or boil and mash some broccoli (with some butter if you like) and swirl that into your mashed potato.

Carrot Mash
Steam or boil and mash some carrots and mix into your mashed potato with a dollop of wholegrain mustard.

Mixed Root-veg Mash
A combination of any root vegetables that you can get your hands on, including (but not limited to) sweet potato, swede (rutabaga), parsnip or carrot. Roast, steam or boil and mash these with your potatoes for a delicious mash.

Pink Mash
Boil and puree some beetroot and add to your mashed potato.

Any of the above is also great with a sprinkling of pecorino or parmesan cheese.

More delicious vegetarian food next week. Stay tuned.

Photo credit: rachel is coconut&lime