alternative legacy recipescelebration of garden delights

food / architecture crossoverby Laura Ve

by Laura Ve ©August 2010, Bergen

Master Diploma Project from Bergen School of Architectureyouralternativelegacy.blogspot.com

urbandevelopmentbergen.blogspot.com

hegreneset

bergen sentrum

INDEX

PLANNING / EDUCATION / ACTION p. 6

WORLD BIO-CAPACITY & ECOSYSTEM SERVICES p. 8

WHAT IS THE FOOTPRINT ABOUT? p. 11

SHORT TRAVELED FOOD and why this is important p. 12

ARTISAN AGRICULTURE & AGRARIAN ECONOMY art of food-craft p. 14

INTRODUCING THE FOOD CYCLE - the cycle of life p. 19

PREPARATIONS FOR THE PRODUCTIVE SEASON p. 20

COMPOST p. 23

NETTLE p. 25

NETTLE WATER p. 27

CLOVER p. 29

SEEDING & PLANTING fascination over growing things p. 32

ALTERNATIVE LEGACY RECIPES - celebration of garden delights p. 34-137

blue dot : hundred mile diet outline of Bergen (160 km)

I live hereBergen,Norway

PLANNING / EDUCATION / ACTION

UTOPIA= “good place” or “no place”(greek; eu=good, ou=no)

SITOPIA = foodplace(greek; sitos=food + topos,place)

SUSTAINBILITY = the capacity to endure, remaining diverse and productive over time(lat.; sustinere; tenere=“to hold”, sus=“up”)

How can we make personal changes and changes in our communities and cities to live “easier green” lives in the future?

We are big spenders of oil, a resource it took millions of years to “make”, and a really dirty busi-ness, once it is let out of its dark caves. There is an enormous amount of oil involved in almost everything we eat and drink; about ten calories of fossil fuels are used to produce one calorie of food, and approximately half of ev-erything produced in the western countries today is thrown away; due to trade regulations, not because its unusable or to old.The diet we hold in western cities is challenging to supply within sustainable limits; most people enjoy a meat based diet. Production of meat is very space consuming as the process requires ten times more calories than crops produced for human consummation directly.

We have built a system on a terminal resource, making us very vulnerable.

We need to adopt new behavioral ethics, and it is effective to do this within a renewed eco-nomic system. “The throwaway economy will be replaced by a comprehensive reuse / recycle economy.” ( Lester R. Brown, Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, 1995)

The 21st century will be characterized by big changes in style of life, at least the way we know it in the west. Governments sign treaties and make regulations on how to lower our green gas emissions. We will maybe not go short on oil and gas during the first 50 years, but regulations on emissions will make it difficult to continue the way we have done the last 50. But as the focus on green gas emissions so far has been driven by the existing economical system; lacking a value-system for ecosystem-services, there is now a careful and slow shift at-tempting to value nature-services before / beside the value given in the financial market. Market-value given to resources like the amazon forest reserves, besides the value of f.ex rainforest wood. Financial losses discussed before turning wetlands into farmland or real-estate. These matters are important all the way down to the choice of clover fields covering the floors of our public landscapes before monotone grass-fields, encouraging wasps, bees and other insects

to contribute with pollination in their search for food. (No man made technology can replace the pollination that is done by eager bees in search for honey on a summer day). It puts nature-services and bio-capacity into perspective.

From the ecological point of view the aspects of nature services matters more for the future rather than (only) green gas emissions effect on climate change. Biodiversity over and under the sea surface is the eco-systems supporting our way of life.Valuation of productive land and how we decide to manage these resources have great impact on future generations quality of life.The background for the study leading to this book is the city of Bergen, a small city of challeng-ing topography. Only small contiguous areas are good for urban settlement, surrounded and divided by several mountains forming what is known as “Bergens buene”. Only 3,5% of the 465,68 km2 area of Bergen Municipality today is productive land, and still the Municipality of Bergen and neighboring Municipalities continue to re-regulate productive land into areas of real estate and business / industry zones.

The ecological footprint of the average Norwegian was, according to the Living Planet Report, 6,8 gha (global hectares) in 2008. Relative to available bio-capacity and the existing population of the planet, the ideal ecological footprint is 1,8 gha.Mobility, food, shelter, goods and services are the main issues regarding the everyday-choices we make (or not), to lower our individual eco-footprint.Densification, Urban Agriculture and Urban Planning with Nature are key aspects in planning to make these choices easier.Visualization of the processes involved “from field to fork” can be important tools to raise aware-ness to how food shapes our cities and how we deal with this need, in the most sustainable way.

“The role of humans in the environmentis to understand how it functions,and to promote its continued functioning.Since man is just one species amongthe great diversity of species in nature,he cannot hope to intervene andto exploit this diversity withoutjeopardising the mechanismsof interaction among the many formsof life on the planet.”

(Gilles Clément, Environ(ne)ment, 2006)

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WORLD BIO - CAPACITY & ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Wild species and natural ecosystems are under pressure across all biomes and regions of the world. The direct, anthropogenic threats to biodiversity are often grouped under five headings::: habitat loss, fragmentation or change, especially due to agriculture:: over exploitation of species, especially due to fishing and hunting:: pollution:: the spread of invasive species or genes:: climate change(Livingplanet report)

ECOSYSTEM SERVICESHumanity depends on healthy ecosystems, they support or improve our quality of life, and without them, the Earth would be uninhabitable. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) describes four categories of ecosystem services, starting with the most fundamental::: supporting services such as nutrient cycling:: soil formation and primary production provisioning services such as the production of food, freshwater, materials or fuel:: regulating services including climate and flood regulation, water purification, pollination and pest control:: cultural (including aesthetic, spiritual, educational and recreational) services.

The MA reported that biodiversity loss contributes to food and energy insecurity, increased vul-nerability to natural disasters such as floods or tropical storms, poorer health, reduced availability and quality of water, and the erosion of cultural heritage.Most supporting, regulating and cultural ecosystem services are not bought and sold com-mercially, so have no market value. Their decline sends no warning signal to the local or global economy. Markets lead to decisions about resource use that maximize benefits to individual producers and consumers, but often undermine the biodiversity and ecosystem services on which the production and consumption ultimately depend. The value of biodiversity to human well-being, while not readily quantifiable in monetary terms, could be the difference between a planet that can support its human population and one which cannot.

In a globally interdependent economy, people increasingly use ecological capacity from afar. When China imports wood from Tanzania, or Europe imports beef from cattle raised on Brazilian soy, these countries are relying on biocapacity outside of their borders to provide the resources being consumed by their population.Biocapacity is not evenly distributed around the world. The eight countries with the most bioca-pacity – the United States, Brazil, Russia, China, Canada, India, Argentina and Australia – con-tain 50 per cent of the total world biocapacity. Three of the eight countries with the largest bioca-pacity – the United States, China and India – are ecological debtors, with their national footprints

exceeding their own biocapacity. The other five countries,(Canada) are creditors. Ecological debtor countries face increasing risk from a growing dependence on the biological capacity of others, while countries with ecological reserves can view their biological wealth as an asset that provides an important competitive advantage in an uncertain world. (Livingplanet report)

With the consumption level of the average Norwegian, equivalent to 6,8 gha (global hectares) in 2009 we would need about 4,5 planets to sustain our lifestyle, relative to the number of people inhabiting the planet now. Increasing local bio-capasity, managing organic waste, re-use of goods and resources, local food production and accessibility for pedestrians will start the change and raise awareness around this.

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PLANET BIO - CAPACITYINDIVIDUAL CONSUMPTION

IDEAL FOOTPRINT VS. ACTUAL FOOTPRINT OF NORWEGIANS

Thursday, June 10, 2010

WHAT IS THE FOOTPRINT ABOUT?

Ecological Footprints can be calculated for individuals, groups of people (such as a nation), and activities (such as manufacturing a product).The Ecological Footprint of a person is calculated by considering all of the biological materials consumed and all of the biological wastes generated by that person in a given year. All these materials and wastes are then individually trans-lated into an equivalent number of global hectares.To accomplish this, the amount of material consumed by that person (tonnes per year) is divided by the yield of the specific land or sea area (annual tonnes per hectare) from which it was harvested, or where its waste material was absorbed. The number of hectares that result from this calculation are then converted to global hectares using yield and equivalence factors. The sum of the global hectares needed to support the resource consumption and waste generation of the person is that person’s Ecological Footprint.The Ecological Footprint of a group of people, such as a city or a nation, is sim-ply the sum of the Ecological Footprint of all the residents of that city or nation. It is also possible to construct an Ecological Footprint of production for a city or nation, which instead sums the Ecological Footprint of all resources extracted and wastes generated within the borders of the city or nation.The Ecological Footprint of an activity, such as producing a good (an airplane) or service (providing insurance) in the human economy, is calculated by summing the Ecological Footprint of all of the material consumed and waste generated during that activity. When calculating the Footprint of a business or an organiza-tion, the activities to be included within the boundaries of that organization must be clearly defined.

See also;footprintnetwork.org

Posted by laura at 10:39 PM 0 commentsLabels: # food, # footprint basics, # goods, # mobility, # services, # shelter

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SHORT TRAVELED FOODand why this is important

Small-scale processed, locally manufactured and short-trav-elled food areimportant to the environmentally conscious as it relies on and support local economy and businesses. Supporting local food-businesses shifts our food system from a global set of production and economy more dependent on oil as energy source, and a system that consumes a lot more oil. The so called hundred mile diet, or low carbon diet as it is also called, minimizes the emissions released from the production, packaging, processing, transport, preparation and waste of food.Major tenets of a low carbon diet include eating less indus-trial meat and dairy, eating less industrially produced food in general, eating food grown locally and seasonally, eating less processed and packaged foods and reducing waste from food by proper portion size, recycling or composting.*1

Transport of food across great distances of land or sea in high speed refrigerated ships or airplanes is a contributor to carbon dioxide emissions in the food industry. Some studies have argued that growing food only accounts for 21% of the energy required for many food products. Transportation (14%), processing (16%), packaging (7%), food retailing (4%), restau-rants and caterers (7%) and home refrigeration and preparation (32%) account for the rest. *2

Locavore describes a person attempting to eat a diet consist-ing of foods harvested from within a 100-mile radius.

*1 (Randy Hall, “Low Carbon Diet’ Aims to Take Bite Out of Global Warming,” Cybercast News Service, April 18, 2007)

*2 (Danielle Murray, “Oil and Food: A Rising Security Challenge,” Earth Policy Institute, May 9, 2005)

blue dot : hundred mile diet outline of Bergen (160 km)

Bergen

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ARTISAN AGRICULTURE& AGRARIAN ECONOMYart of food-craft

Food, and the processes involved is essential to start dealing with when we at-tempt to develop more resilient and sustainable communities.The amount of food produced is not the main issue, it is about re-introducing important aspects of eating, and increasing the value of the actions involved. Visualizing the processes, influences the habits we take regarding consumption of food. It raises awareness and can change our relationship to our environ-ment. Introducing the processes of the food-cycle (soil improvement, seeding, planting, harvesting, processing, consume and waste management) locally, can show us the impact of our choices on our surroundings. With an Artisan ap-proach to Urban Agriculture (refers to the hand craft of making food products), education and skills become important.

Conventional agriculture does not integrate easily into the urban fabric. It is space consuming, requires large machinery and heavy spraying of fertilizers and pesticides is “normal”. Risking dust and chemicals to drift into residential areas is a concern and therefore conventional agriculture becomes incompatible with modern city-living.In the urban landscape of Bergen, stuck between mountain walls, the Artisan Model can work better as it is more flexible and adaptable. Artisans employ creative thinking and manual dexterity to their produce.

When it comes to building communities upon an artisan economy, one can assume that the food produced is of good quality and worth celebrating, simply because of the knowledge, skills and concern put into the effort of making it.

Key elements relating to an artisan agrarian economy are; # low toxicity farming; agro-ecological farming practices with a minimum of toxic pesticides and fertilizers. # high value products; for urban markets comes from smaller parcels. A com-munity will focus on high value products. # vertically integrated economy; the focus of artisan agriculture is on finished food products. The local community benefit from transforming the raw foodstuff

into final products.# integrated infrastructure; water, waste-water, energy and solid-waste management systems offer opportunities to both integrate with urban infrastruc-ture and turn waste into shared resources. ( Composting food waste for soil improvement, treating urban runoff in ponds using it for irrigation (water source), using waste urban heat for green houses.# diverse education; the urban farmers education, or training of skills, covers agro-ecological farming practices and possible a range of small-business man-agement strategies (to supportvertically integrated business opportunities).# economic diversity; mixing agriculture with processing, retail, restaurants, agro-tourism and education, greater economic diversity is achieved in the com-munity, and offers new opportunities for the inhabitants.

Skills and knowledge are of high value; appealing and inspiring.

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‘From field to fork’, means making food visible in all its processes. In future city planning this is the important tool. Glassed galleries on buildings, green houses on roofs and conservatories in the gardens extends the productive season, and saves energy in the built fabric creating an extra climatic buffer zone, spe-cially important in a city like Bergen with a lot of wind and short summer sea-son. Children at school seeding and planting in the school gardens and green houses will educate the youngest members of the society to become skilled and experienced urban farmers. Grocery stores, cafes and restaurants in the streets offer local products in their product range. Production fields for the new

urban agrarian businesses and urban farmers, to supply restaurants, grocery stores, kindergartens, schools, canteens, institutions etc. Organic waste com-posted and used directly in the vegetable gardens and in the fields making them productive without fertilizers. Clover covering the fields resting until next season, attracting insects and possibly give basis for production of honey. Festivals cel-ebrating the seasons and local food. Farmers markets showing and selling the local products, sharing their knowledge of the products. People enjoying their own produce in their backyards with the neighbors.

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soil improvem

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consumption celebration waste-m

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introducing the food cyclethe cycle of life

Visualization of the processes involved around our need for food can increase our knowledge and awareness around its origin and the destination of the waste products. We have grown a global economy depending on huge amounts of oil, and we are currently in a position to neglect the recourses lost by throwing away the waste products, be it organic waste or excess food.

Using planning, regulations and education as tools we can little by little facilitate, encourage and show each other how to get more out of the local resources just lying there in front of us, spe-cially in a mild humid climate like in the city of Bergen, on the west coast of Norway.

Explaining the steps of the cycle;

soil improvement, organically, means f.ex charging the soil with nutrients using compost from organic waste, nutrient made from nettle leafs and by using clover, and other cover crops, to let the fields rest in between productive seasons. seeding; is the start of the productive season. Schools, kindergartens and private galleries and conservatories can be effective producers in this stage of the cycle. Either for own use or for sales. planting; in larger fields, agro-parks, vegetable gardens or in the conservatories and galleries; giving the seedlings good environment and enough space to grow into crops. harvesting; for direct use or when the time is right harvesting of the planted fields, the forest gardens, the forest, in the mountain or at sea. In surroundings like Bergen the opportunities are endless from early summer to late autumn.processing;the harvested raw is made into delicate products.consumption; sales of raw and processed local food-stuff in grocery stores, farmers markets, cafes and restaurants. And of course the food used directly from your private vegetable garden, gallery and conservatory.celebration; of the local products and produce with festivals, farmers markets or simply dinner parties with your family or neighbors.waste management; urban organic waste managed locally in small scale facilities. Compost makes excellent organic nutrient. Kept at a small scale the emission of the green gas methane is much less than in large facilities.

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preparations for the produc-tive season :

soil improvement,waste management& seeding

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compost

Compost is composed of organic materials derived from plant and animal matter that has been decomposed largely through aerobic decomposition. The process of composting is simple and practiced by individuals in their homes, farmers on their land, and industrially by industries and cities. With the proper mixture of water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, microorganisms are allowed to break down organic matter to pro-duce compost. Microorganisms are absolutely necessary for the composting process and without them, organic matter in your compost heap cannot undergo the composting pro-cess. There are five types of microorganisms found in active compost:Bacteria- The most common of all the micro-organisms found in compost.Actinomycetes- Necessary for breaking down paper products such as newspaper, bark, etc.Fungi- Molds and yeast help break down materials that bacteria cannot especially lignin in woody material.Protozoa- Help consume bacteria and fungi, balancing out the composting cycle.Rotifers- Rotifers also help break down organ-ics in the compost and also ingest bacteria and fungi.In additions earth worms not only ingest partly composted material but also continually re-create aeration and drainage tunnels as they move through the compost.Compost can be rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and

compost

agriculture. The compost itself is beneficial for the land in many ways, including as a soil conditioner, a fertilizer, addition of vital humus or humid acids, and as a natural pesticide for soil. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost)

Effort made through winter to compost your organic waste will pay off when spring comes and you can work this nutritious new soil into your vegetable gardens, the conservatory plant beds and the pots for your herbs.Mixing compost into the soil is a smart way to boost plant health and, while you can buy the stuff, making your own compost is beneficial to you, your plants and the environment at large. At the same time it helps your garden, it also helps your environment by reducing the amount of organic material that literally goes to waste (and becomes waste) in your local land-fill. Composting can reduce yard waste that needs to be hauled to the dump by anywhere from 50 to 75%.Composting can destroy pathogens or unwanted seeds. Unwanted living plants (or weeds) can be destroyed by covering with mulch/compost.The “microbial pesticides” in compost may include thermophiles and mesophiles, how-ever certain composting detritivores such as black soldier fly larvae and redworms, also reduce many pathogens. Thermophilic (high-temperature) composting is well known to destroy many seeds and nearly all types of pathogens. High-temperature composting is also desirable due to the quicker process and therefore less attraction of rats etc.

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nettleurtica dioica

Nettle is the common name for between 30-45 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmo-politan though mainly temperate distribution. They are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annual and a few are shrubby.The most prominent member of the genus is the stinging nettle Urtica dioica, native to Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America.The nettle is a great plant of the garden as it can be made into fertilizer with little effort.Simply gather (approx a bag of) plants in a bucket (remember gloves), add water, leave it to ferment for 14 days in the sun, and its ready to use. Mix it with water 1:10.Herbal medicine traditionally uses the entire herb in the preparation of the remedy, and the whole plant is collected just before the flower-ing season, the herb has seen a lot of use and developed a lengthy reputation in popular folk medicine around the world - the main use being as a specific herbal remedy for the treat-ment of asthma in patients. The traditional uses of the nettle are almost legendary and have been known down the centuries, it is reported anecdotally that the Roman soldiers, facing the inhospitable-weather and climate of occupied Britain, used the irritation induced by nettle leaves to keep their legs warmed in winter. Culinary recipes have also seen the use of the tender tops of young and first growth nettles, these parts of the herb are especially palatable or so it is said when cooked well. There are numbers of

culinary recipes which utilize the nettle as the main course - these include pudding made from nettle and the technique to develop a unique beer from the nettle.Culinary uses of the herb are many, the nettle leaves can be used dried to make tea, or the young nettle shoots are very edible, these are often cooked to make delicious herbal dishes. Moreover, their content of important com-pounds is high and the shoots may approxi-mately provide the same amounts of carotene - or the pro-vitamin A and the vitamin C as vegetables like the spinach or other similar greens normally used in dishes.As an edible plant, nettles can be considered very high in nutrition value, and the species also have high content of many important vitamins and essential minerals, especially im-portant ones such as iron, essential minerals such as silica and the essential mineral potas-sium. This high mineral and vitamin content may be one reason for the traditional use of the nettle for centuries to make very nourishing tonics for the treatment of physical weakness and debilitation, as an aid to the process of convalescence and in the treatment of symp-toms connected with anemia. The detoxifica-tion of the body is another important property of the nettles and through their stimulating action on the functioning of the bladder and the kidneys, the nettles helps in cleansing the body of all accumulated toxins and in the rapid removal of metabolic waste.

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nettle waterorganic plant nutrition

Making organic, and free, plant nutrient is the most simple thing.

Gather some nettle in a bucket,fill it with waterand leave it out in the sun to fermentfor about 14 days.

Before using it in the vegetable gardenor in the flower bedsit must be mixed with water : 10 to 1

It might be necessary to stir the mixture everyday for a few minutes to add oxygen to the process.The oxygen will feed bacteria that will break down the nettle, and that is important in the process.

Nettle water contains microorganisms that seems to boost the health and growth of the plants, apparently making them more resistant somehow.

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clovertrifolium (pratense, repens)

Clover (Trifolium), or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. They are small annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial herbaceous plants. The leaves are trifoliate (rarely 5- or 7-foliate), with stipules adnate to the leaf-stalk, and heads or dense spikes of small red, purple, white, or yellow flowers. The “shamrock” of popular iconography (guinness) is sometimes considered to be young clover. The scientific name derives from the Latin tres, “three”, and folium, “leaf”. Several species are extensively cultivated as fodder plants. The most widely cultivated clovers are white clover Trifolium repens and red clover Trifolium pratense. Clover, either sown alone or in mix-ture with ryegrass, has for a long time formed a staple crop for soiling, for several reasons: it grows freely, shooting up again after repeated mowings; it produces an abundant crop; it is palatable to and nutritious for livestock; it grows in a great range of soils and climates; and it is appropriate for either pasturage or green composting. In many areas, particularly on acidic soil, clover is short-lived because of a combination of insect pests, diseases and nutrient balance; this is known as “clover sick-ness”. When crop rotations are managed so that clover does not recur at intervals shorter than eight years, it grows with much of its pristine vigour.

Clover sickness in more recent times may also be linked to pollinator decline; clovers are most efficiently pollinated by bumblebees, which have declined as a result of agricultural intensification. Honeybees can also pollinate clover, and beekeepers are often in heavy demand from farmers with clover pastures. Farmers reap the benefits of increased reseeding that occurs with increased bee activity, which means that future clover yields remain abundant. Beekeepers benefit from the clover bloom as clover is one of the main nectar sources for honeybees.Clovers are a valuable survival food, as they are high in protein, widespread, and abun-dant. They are not easy to digest raw, but this can be easily fixed by juicing them or boiling them for 5–10 minutes. Dried flower heads and seedpods can also be ground up into a nutritious flour and mixed with other foods. Dried flower heads can also be steeped in hot water for a healthy, tasty tea.Cover crops maintain and improve soil health. as they prevent soil erosion and increase organic matter, improve microbiotic activity, soil structure, and water infiltration rates. Cover crops also aid in nutrient cycling, reduce soil temperature fluctuations, provide habitat for beneficial insects, and suppress weedpopulations. The biomass produced from growing a cover crop can be disced into the soil, increasing the organic matter content. This biomass is often referred to as green ma-nure. Clover is a great cover crop plant used for soil improvement as it provides a large amount of nectar flowers for honey produc-tion.

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seeding & plantingfascination over growing things

Seeding is the start up of the growing season.If you have a conservatory or green house you are lucky, but the kitchen counter with a window will work good too.

It´s good to get hold of trays for seeding, like the ones they receive the plants in at plant stores.They normally throw them away when they are empty so it is normally not a problem to get hold of them.

It´s a good thing to label the different rows with what you have seeded so you don´t loose control of what goes where when you are to plant them out, according to needs etc.

The seed bags normally explains well what the seeds like and need to grow into good products. Just read the instructions and follow them and it should be trouble free.

Remember to keep the seeded soil from getting dry, and it should hold temperature above 18 ºC.

If you have access to a green house or you have a glassed balcony where the temperature don´t drop too much at night (you can always move the pots inside at night), you can extend the growing season by a month (or two) getting a head start from growing outside.

It is also an alternative to make low greenhouses, cloches, out-side, simply four walls and an old window on top. The walls can be isolated and if you start a warm compost in the bottom of it the temperature will hold above 20 - 25 ºC, perfect for seeding.

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alternative legacy recipescelebration of garden delights

mentha(arvensis, × piperita, gentilis etc)

Mentha (and mint, from Greek míntha), is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae (Mint Family). The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs natu-rally. Many other hybrids as well as numerous cultivars are known in cultivation. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America.Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively peren-nial, rarely annual, herbs. They have wide-spreading underground rhizomes, and erect, square, branched stems. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrate margin. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow. The flowers are white to purple.While the species that make up the Mentha genus are widely distributed and can be found in many environments, most Mentha grow best in wet environments and moist soils. Mints will grow 10–120 cm tall and can spread over an indeterminate area. Due to their tendency to spread unchecked, mints are considered invasive.All mints prefer, and thrive in, cool, moist spots in partial shade. In general, mints tolerate a wide range of conditions, and can also be grown in full sun.They are fast growing, extending their reach

along surfaces through a network of runners. Due to their speedy growth, one plant of each desired mint, along with a little care, will provide more than enough mint for home use. Some mint species are more invasive than others. Even with the less invasive mints, care should be taken when mixing any mint with any other plants, lest the mint take over. To control mints in an open environment, mints should be planted in deep, bottomless con-tainers sunk in the ground, or planted above ground in tubs and barrels.The most common and popular mints for cultivation are peppermint (Mentha × piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), and apple mint (Mentha suaveolens).Mints are supposed to make good compan-ion plants, repelling pest insects and attracting beneficial ones.Harvesting of mint leaves can be done at any time. Fresh mint leaves should be used immediately or stored up to a couple of days in plastic bags within a refrigerator. Optionally, mint can be frozen in ice cube trays. Dried mint leaves should be stored in an airtight container placed in a cool, dark, dry area. The leaf, fresh or dried, is the culinary source of mint. Fresh mint is usually preferred over dried mint when storage of the mint is not a prob-lem. The leaves have a pleasant warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste. Mint leaves are used in teas, beverages, jel-lies, syrups, candies, and ice creams.

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ginger mintmentha gentilis

Comes from a cross between corn mint and spearmint, and has the strong smell of the latter. It is a perennial herb, growing to a height of 1-2 ft and producing smallish light green leaves. In the variegated form bright yellow stripes run through the leaves.

Ginger mint produces small, pale purple flowers which bloom along the main stern, rather than at the end of the stalk like other mints. It is also known as slender mint and Scotch mint. Like all mints, ginger mint can get out of control so try growing it in either in a pot or a container sunk into the ground to prevent the roots spreading too far.In the fourteenth century mint was used for whit-ening the teeth.Mice dislike the smell of either fresh or dried mint, so they will not touch any food where mint is scattered.

Very good for hot pots, stews and soups!

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pepper mintmentha x piperita

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita, (also known as M. balsamea Willd) is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata). It is found wild occasionally with its parent species. Peppermint typically occurs in moist habitats, including stream sides and drainage ditches. Being a hybrid, it is usually sterile, producing no seeds and reproducing only vegetatively, spreading by its rhizomes. If placed, it can grow almost anywhere.

Peppermint has a long tradition of medicinal use, with archaeological evidence placing its use at least as far back as ten thousand years ago. Peppermint has a high menthol content, and is often used as tea and for flavouring ice cream, confectionery, chewing gum, and toothpaste. The oil also contains menthone and menthyl esters, particularly menthyl acetate. It is the oldest and most popular flavour of mint-fla-voured confectionery. Peppermint can also be found in some shampoos and soaps, which give the hair a minty scent and produce a cooling sensation on the skin. In 2007, Italian investigators reported that 75% of the patients in their study who took pepper-mint oil capsules for four weeks had a major reduction in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS

symptoms, compared with just 38% of those who took a placebo.

Peppermint flowers are large nectar produc-ers and honey bees as well as other nectar harvesting organisms forage them heavily. A mild, pleasant varietal honey can be produced if there is a sufficient area of plants.

Peppermint oil is used by commercial pesti-cide applicators, in the EcoSmart Technolo-gies line of products, as a natural insecticide.Peppermint generally thrives in moist, shaded locations, and expands quickly by under-ground stolons. It is often grown in containers to restrict rapid spreading. It grows best with a good supply of water, and is often planted in areas with part-sun to shade.The leaves and flowering tops are used, they are collected as soon as the flowers begin to open and then are carefully dried. The wild form of the plant is less suitable for this purpose, with cultivated plants having been selected for more and better oil content.

The plant is also easy to spread by putting stalks of the plant into water. They will grow roots in a few days and then you can plant them in new pots, or where you want them...

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shallotallium oschaninii, a. ascalonicum

The term shallot is used to describe two different Allium species of plant which are perennials. The French gray challot or griselle, which has been considered to be the “true shallot” by many, is Allium oschaninii, a species that grows wild from Central to Southwest Asia. Other varieties of shallot are Allium cepa var. aggregatum (multiplier onions), also known as A. ascalonicum.Like garlic, shallots are formed in clusters of offsets with a head composed of multiple cloves. Their skin color can vary from golden brown to gray to rose red, and their off-white flesh is usually tinged with green or magenta. Shallots are much favored by chefs because of their firm texture and sweet, aromatic, yet pungent, flavor.The shallot is a relative of the onion, and tastes a bit like an onion, but has a sweeter, milder fla-vour. They can be stored for at least 6 months.The shallots are high in vitamin A, vitamin B6, manganese, vitamin C, folate and potassium.

43

parsley - curly leaf & flat leafpetroselinum crispum, p. neapolitanum

Nutritional value per 100 g , rawEnergy 151 kJ (36 kcal)Carbohydrates 6.3 gSugars 0.9 gDietary fiber 3.3 gFat 0.8 gProtein 3.0 gThiamine (Vit. B1) 0.1 mg Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.2 mg Niacin (Vit. B3) 1.3 mgPantothenic acid (B5) 0.4 mgVitamin B6 0.1 mgFolate (Vit. B9) 152 μgVitamin C 133.0 mgVitamin K 1640.0 μgCalcium 138.0 mgIron 6.2 mgMagnesium 50.0 mgPhosphorus 58.0 mgPotassium 554 mgZinc 1.1 mg

Parsley is widely used as a companion plant in gardens. Like many other members of the carrot family (umbellifers), it attracts predatory insects, including wasps and predatory flies to gardens, which then tend to protect plants nearby. In cold climates, parsley is biennial, not bloom-ing until its second year. It offers protection even in its first year as the strong scent of the parsley leaves appear to mingle with the tomato scent and confuse the search paradigms of the tomato moth.

45

green beansphaseolus vulgaris

Is also known as French beans, Runner beans, string beans and snap beans.

Nutritional value per 100 g, raw green beansEnergy 129 kJ (31 kcal)Carbohydrates 7.1 gDietary fibre 3.6 gFat 0.1 gProtein 1.8 gVitamin C 16 mgIron 1 mgPotassium 200 mg

Over 130 varieties of snap bean are known. Varieties specialized for use as green beans, selected for the succulence and flavor of their pods, are the ones usually grown in the home vegetable garden, and many varieties exist. Pod color can be green, golden, purple, red, or streaked. Shapes range from thin “fillet” types to wide “romano” types and more common types in between. French Haricots verts (green beans) are bred for flavorful pods.Green beans are found in two major groups, bush beans and pole beans.

Bush beans are short plants, growing to ap-proximately two feet in height, without requiring supports. They generally reach maturity and produce all of their fruit in a relatively short period of time, then cease to produce. Growing beans can give you more than one crop of bush beans in a season.

47

peapisum sativum

Nutritional value per 100 g, raw peaEnergy 339 kJ (81 kcal)Carbohydrates 14.5 gSugars 5.7 gDietary fiber 5.1 gFat 0.4 gProtein 5.4 gVitamin A equiv. 38 μg- beta-carotene 449 μg- lutein and zeaxanthin 2593 μgThiamine (Vit. B1) 0.3 mgRiboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.1 mgNiacin (Vit. B3) 2.1 mgPantothenic acid (B5) 0.1 mgVitamin B6 0.2 mgFolate (Vit. B9) 65 μgVitamin C 40.0 mgCalcium 25.0 mgIron 1.5 mgMagnesium 33.0 mgPhosphorus 108 mgPotassium 244 mgZinc 1.2 mg

Really healthy in other words.Don´t wait for the fruits, go for the shoots!!!Peas can be sown until quite late in summer and you will have a late august - september crop.

49

squash - cucurbitaceaec. moschata, c. pepo, c. mixta

Nutritional value per 100 g (summer squash)Energy 69 kJ (16 kcal)Carbohydrates 3.4 gDietary fiber 1.1 gFat 0.2 gProtein 1.2 gWater 95 gRiboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.14 mgVitamin C 17 mgPotassium 262 mg

Squashes generally refer to four species of the genus Cucurbita native to Mexico and Central America. These species include C. maxima (hubbard squash, buttercup squash, some varieties of prize pumpkins, such as Big Max), C. mixta (cushaw squash), C. moschata (butternut squash), and C. pepo (most pumpkins, acorn squash, summer squash, zucchini). Squash can be loosely grouped into summer squash or winter squash, depending on whether they are harvested as immature vegetables (summer squash) or mature vegetables (autumn squash or winter squash). Gourds are from the same family as squashes. Well known types of squash include the pumpkin and zucchini. Giant squash are derived from Cucurbita maxima and are routinely grown to weights nearing those of giant pumpkins.Squash can be the most beautiful addition to your garden or greenhouse as the flower is truly amazing.

51

4

lovage -’love herb’levisticum officinale

In Germany and Holland, one of the common names of Lovage is Maggikraut (German) or Maggiplant (Dutch) because the plant’s taste is reminiscent of Maggi soup seasoning. In many other European languages the word for lovage derives from Latin ligusticus (meaning “of Liguria”, as the herb used to grow heartily in the Liguria region of northwest Italy), through its alteration levisticum.Lovage is considered a “magic bullet” compan-ion plant; much as borage helps protect almost all plants from pests, so lovage is thought to improve the health of almost all plants.The leafs of the lovage are great in soups, stews and fish stock, or any other soup / sauce basis. Anything you would use celery in is great with lovage.The fruit of the lovage plant can be used as a spice, and the root of lovage, which contains a heavy, volatile oil, is used as a mild aquaretic.Lovage tea can be applied to wounds as an antiseptic, or drunk to stimulate digestion. In the UK, Lovage cordial was traditionally mixed with brandy in the ratio of 2:1 as a winter drink. Lovage is second only to capers in its quercetin content ( wikipedia).The lovage plant grows easily (like weeds) and becomes quite large in the garden, 90-270cm,so plant it in a corner where it can unfold. And don´t be shy when harvesting it.

57

lovage on oilspicing up the winter

Preserving lovage in oil, either to freeze or to keep in the fridge, is an excellent way to get a taste of summer during autumn and winter.Lovage is really nice in soups, on meat, on oven-baked potatoes and fish.

Clean a good bouquet of lovage and leave it to dry slightly,

before mixing it with canola oilin a bowl (if you use a hand blender)or in your food processor.

Blend just a little till you get a nice green pesto, too much will kill the herbs.

Pour it into small jars (sterilized in boiled water) to keep in the fridge,or you can use ice-cube boardsand put them in the freezer.

This process can continue now and then through summer as the lovage-bush grows back.

59

mangold - ’bright yellow’beta vulgaris l. Mangelwurzel or mangold wurzel, is a root vegetable of the family Chenopodiaceae, ge-nus Beta (the beets). Its large white, yellow or orange-yellow swollen roots were developed in the 1700s for feeding livestock.

The 1840 book “The Practice of Cookery” includes a recipe for a beer made with mangel wurzel.

The mangold holds approximately the same nutritional values as the beetroot, see next page.

The leafes of mangold is used like spinach while the stem is used like asparagus.

It is also quite decorative in the vegetable garden with its green curly leafs

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beetrootbeta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. vulgaris

Nutritional value per 100 g cookedEnergy 180 kJ (43 kcal)Carbohydrates 9.96 gSugars 7.96 gDietary fiber 2.0 gFat 0.18 gProtein 1.68 gVitamin A equiv. 2 μgThiamine (Vit. B1) 0.031 mgRiboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.027 mgNiacin (Vit. B3) 0.331 mgPantothenic acid (B5) 0.145 mgVitamin B6 0.067 mgFolate (Vit. B9) 80 μgVitamin C 3.6 mgCalcium 16 mgIron 0.79 mgMagnesium 23 mgPhosphorus 38 mgPotassium 305 mgSodium 77 mgZinc 0.35 mg

The usually deep-red roots of beetroot are eaten boiled either as a cooked vegetable, or cold as a salad after cooking and adding oil and vinegar, or raw and shredded, either alone or combined with any salad vegetable.The green leafy portion of the beet is also edible. It is most commonly served boiled or steamed in which case it has a taste and texture similar that of spinach.

63

beetroot ketchup

Originally ketchup came from China and was made on fermented fish. Today its sourish tasted rearly is brought out from fermentation, more commonly vin-egar or other acidic flavours is used.Beetroot ketchup is excellent with grilled meat, burgers, fish and sausages.

1/2 kg beet roots1 handful raisins1 dl water1/2 lemons finely grated peel1/2 lemons juice3 tbl sp virgin olive oil1 tea sp grated fresh ginger

dash of cinnamondash of cardamomdash of clovesdash of allspiceapple vinegarsalt & freshly ground peppercayenne pepper

Soak the raisins in the water for about an hour. Pre heat the oven to 175 ºC. Bake the beets whole in the oven on a bed of salt for about 60 minutes, or until they are soft(er). Scrub off the peel with a kitchen towel or similar.Mix beets with raisins and water in a blender, and add spices, vinegar, lemon and olive oil. Let the blender run until the mix has become a nice and smooth blend.If you like you can sift the mixture through a sieve to get it thicker.Add pepper, vinegar and salt after taste.

65

rhubarbrheum rhabarbarum, r. x hybridum

Nutritional value per 100 g rawEnergy 88 kJ (21 kcal)Carbohydrates 4.54 gSugars 1.1 gDietary fibre 1.8 gFat 0.2 gProtein 0.9 gWater 93.61 gFolate (Vit. B9) 7 μgVitamin C 8 mgVitamin E 0.27 mgVitamin K 29.3 μgCalcium 86 mgIron 0.22 mgPotassium 288 mgSodium 4 mgZinc 0.1 mg

A number of varieties of rhubarb have been domesticated both as medicinal plants and for human consumption. While the leaves are toxic, the stalks are used in pies, jams, juice and other foods for their tart flavor.

67

I grew up here...pavelsvei, wergeland

hegreneset

bergen city

wergeland

freshwater trouton the barbie

jgkgfkhgfkgf

4

rhubarb paiwith raspberries and vanilla cream

Basically you make a simple pie dough;

100 g butter150 g flour1/2 ts salt1 1/4 dl water

Crumble the butter, salt and flour and add cold water (preferably in food processor). Save a third of the dough for a lid on the pie if desired. Roll it out the rest, slightly larger than the pie pan. Press the dough into the pan and prick the bot-tom with a fork and bake it on the lowest rack in the oven on 200 ° C for approx. 15 minutes.

Then you add vanilla cream into the pai crust and the desired berries or fruits (in this case rhubarb and raspberries) and leave it in the oven for another 30 minutes or so. Keep checking it when you approach 25 minutes.

This pie is excellent served with vanilla ice!

73

rhubarb juicewith hints of raspberries

Making rhubarb juice is quite effortless,and when you have done it once you will want to make juice of anything cause its so good!!!

Fill a pot with rhubarb and add enough water to cover the fruits.

Set to boil and add sugar,keep tasting until it´s sweet enough.

Add some raspberries, last years frozen is good for thisas this seasons raspberries willnot mature until the rhubarb season is ended...

Strain (most of) the fluid and poor it into sterilized, warmed bottles.

The mash left behind will make perfect jam to be filled into sterilized jam-jars.

75

rhubarb & raspberry jamsaving summer for a rainy day

Rhubarb jam can be made of the leftoversfrom the juice making,

or better even is to boil it less,and the flavours (and the nutrients)will stay more intact.

Wash, peal and cut the rhubarb into small piecesinto the pot,add just a little water

and some sugar(rhubarb is high in acid so quite a lot might be needed)

add raspberries (or strawberries or plums)to naturally sweeten the jam

cook for ten minutes after all fruit is softfor refrigerated jam,or longer for jam ment for long shelf storage(add jam thickener that contains preservative if you like and cook two minutes extra)

77

rhubarb romtopfnaughty flavor for winter dinner parties

Fresh rhubarb from the garden

picked no later than mid summer

some sugar

fill a clean bottle or large jar with

rhubarb chopped into suitable size

and some sugar

(amount depending on the sweetness you like)

cover it with with white neutral rum

leave for 4 weeks

before you start enjoying the fruity flavours

of your work

79

red currantribes rubrum

The Red currant is a member of the genus “Ri-bes” in the gooseberry family “Grossulariaceae”, native to parts of western Europe. While Ribes rubrum and R. nigrum are native to northern and eastern Europe, large berried cultivars of the redcurrant were first produced in Belgium and northern France in the 1600s. In modern times, numerous cultivars have been selected; some of these have escaped gardens and can be found in the wild across Europe.With maturity, the tart flavor of redcurrant fruit is slightly greater than its blackcurrant relative, but with approximate sweetness. The albino variant of redcurrant, often referred to as white currant, has the same tart flavor but with greater sweet-ness. Although frequently cultivated for jams and cooked preparations, much like the white currant, it is often served raw or as a simple accompaniment in salads, garnishes, or drinks when in season.Nutritional values 100g, raw red currantsEnergy 191.8 kJ (56 kcal)Protein 1.3 gTotal Fat 0.2 gSaturated Fat 0 gTotal Carbohydrate 7.9 gSugar 7.9gDietary fibre 3.5 gSodium 1.4 mgVitamin C 21 mgIron 1.2 mg

81

raspberryrubus idaeus, r. strigosus

Raspberries need ample sun and water for op-timal development. Two types of most commer-cially grown kinds of raspberry are available, the summer-bearing type that produces an abun-dance of fruit on second-year canes (floricanes) within a relatively short period in mid-summer, and double- or “ever”-bearing plants, which also bear some fruit on first-year canes (primocanes) in the late summer and fall, as well as the sum-mer crop on second-year canes. The flowers can be a major nectar source for honeybees and other pollinators. They are very vigorous and can be locally invasive. They propa-gate using basal shoots (also known as suck-ers); extended underground shoots that develop roots and individual plants. They can sucker new canes some distance from the main plant. For this reason, raspberries spread well, and can take over gardens if left unchecked.

The fruit is harvested when it comes off the torus/receptacle easily and has turned a deep color. This is when the fruits are ripest and sweetest. Excess fruit can be made into rasp-berry jam or frozen.

The leaves can be used fresh or dried in herbal and medicinal teas. They have an astringent flavour, and in herbal medicine are reputed to be effective in regulating menses.

83

strawberryFragaria ananassa

Strawberry cultivars vary remarkably in size, color, flavor, shape, degree of fertility, season of ripen-ing, liability to disease etc. Some vary in foliage, and some vary materially in the relative develop-ment of their sexual organs. In most cases the flowers appear hermaphroditic in structure, but function as either male or female. But firs of all the strawberry plants spread through runners, and they are easy to grow in numbers. For more berries next season.

But if you want more berries this season it is smart to cut the runners off so that the plant uses its energy on producing fruit instead of spreading.

Strawberries are best fresh fresh, in a smoothie or in uncooked jam (preserved in the freezer if you like to keep it through autumn and winter).

Or keep them in a jar of rum for a nice taste of summer through the winter!

85

strawberry romtopfwinters tasty summer memories

washed strawberries in a large jar 1 liter clear rum

some sugar for the nice liqueur taste

Pour the rum over the berries

in the jar

and add as much sugar

as you think you like

store for at least 4 weeks

before you taste it

rotopf can be refilled with berries

as they are ripe

This liqueur is also good used as

sauce on desserts,

Warm blackberries and raspberries

with ice cream and strawberry romtopf

for christmas maybe?

87

blueberryVaccinium myrtillus

Blueberriesis a perennial shrub that belongs to the dwarf heather family.Blueberries are 10-50 cm high. The green angled branches becomes brownish and woody when older. The leafs are elliptical shaped with jagged light green color that turns orange and red in fall before they fall off. In spring the bush is green with white to reddish jar shaped flow-ers. These develop into juicy berries with mostly blue-black, but also black berries and whitish blue berries. The different colors due to a thin layer of wax. Fruit flesh is purple. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of the growing season: fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude, so the height of the crop can vary from May to August depending upon these conditions.In Norway the wild “lowbush blueberries” is the most common, and in Bergen it grows all over the place.

Just get out there and start harvesting!

89

blueberry vodkasaving up for celebration

simple ;

fill bottle(s) or jar(s) with fresh blueberries

cover with pure vodka

wait

filter the berries out of the vodka

after a few days,

or leave them in

drink frozen,

or room tempered

Enjoy through winter,

if you like you can add

some brown sugar

to get a sweeter drink,

but if you like to keep it

for longer than one season

sieve of the berries

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blueberry jam

Mix berries and some sugar in a bowl.

Work it until you get a thick

consistency of the jam.

Keep it frozen until you

need it.

Perfect to use in smoothies

through the winter .

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coriandercoriandrum sativum

Nutritional value per 100 g leaves, rawEnergy 95 kJ (23 kcal)Carbohydrates 4 gDietary fiber 3 gFat 0.5 gProtein 2 gVitamin A equiv. 337 μgVitamin C 27 mg

Coriander must be one of the best spices you can grow in the garden.It doesn’t´t take much, like the basil you sprinkle the seeds on a bed of soil and cover with approx 1-2 cm soil on top.

In a weeks time they should start to show.

When they are finished blooming you can gather the seeds and use them the next season.

Seed pots of coriander with a week or two in between and you will have fresh good spice through the summer.

95

ruccolaeruca sativa

The ruccola leafs are shaped much like the dandelions. It is an annual plant growing 20–100 centimeters in height. The leaves are deeply pinnately lobed with four to ten small lateral lobes and a large ter-minal lobe. The flowers are 2–4 cm in diameter, yellow or pale white, the sepals are shed soon after the flower opens. The fruit is a siliqua (pod) 12–35 millimeters long with an apical beak, and containing several seeds (which are edible).

The ruccola salad is good simply as a salad together with some herbs and tomatoes,but you can also make ruccola pesto, see the basil recipe...

97

tomatoessolanum lycopersicum

Nutritional value per 100 g red tomatoes rawEnergy 75 kJ (18 kcal)Carbohydrates 4 gSugars 2.6 gDietary fiber 1 gFat 0.2 gProtein 1 gWater 95 gVitamin C 13 mg

Tomatoes are good with everything and the home grown are particularly good as they are allowed to mature on the plant, making them sweeter. Raw in salad or on bread, cooked into sauce or in stews and pots. Or simply try it as jam.

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lettuce

Nutritional value per 100 gEnergy 55 kJ (13 kcal)Carbohydrates 2.2 gDietary fibre 1.1 gFat 0.2 gProtein 1.4 gWater 96 gVitamin A equiv. 166 μg Folate (Vit. B9) 73 μg Vitamin C 4 mg Vitamin K 24 μg Iron 1.2 mg

Lettuce is grown commercially world-wide. It requires light, sandy, humus-rich, moist soil. Dry conditions can cause the plants to go to seed (known as bolting). It is normally grown by early and late sowing in sunny positions, or summer crops in shade. Ideally, lettuce plants require a rich, humous-laden soil that will hold moisture in the summer.Sow spring lettuce seeds into a sunny site outdoors if you live in a mild area. It may not be necessary to give glass protection (cloche).The possibility of failure increases the more the ground becomes poorly drained or over exposed - spring lettuce is hardest to get right.

103

spinachSpinacia oleracea

an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaran-thaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant (rarely biennial), which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions. Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled.

Nutritional value per 100 g rawEnergy 97 kJ (23 kcal)Carbohydrates 3.6 gSugars 0.4 gDietary fiber 2.2 gFat 0.4 gProtein 2.2 gVitamin A equiv. 469 μgVitamin A 9400 IU- beta-carotene 5626 μg- lutein and zeaxanthin 12198 μgFolate (Vit. B9) 194 μg Vitamin C 28 mg Vitamin E 2 mgVitamin K 483 μg Calcium 99 mg Iron 2.7 mg

Spinach is so good in pie, pasta, with meat, with chicken, in salads. This nutritious vegetable is like the potato; anything goes!

105

basilocimum basilicum

A tender low-growing herb. Basil is a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in the Southeast Asian cuisines of Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The plant tastes some-what like anise, with a strong, pungent, sweet smell.It is easy to grow; sprinkle seeds on a bed of soil, in a suited pot. Cover with 1 cm soil, and keep it in the window with a clear plastic cover until it shoots.

There are many varieties of basil. That which is used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil, lemon basil and holy basil, which are used in Asia. Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. It is generally added at the last moment, as cook-ing quickly destroys the flavour. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in closed box in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavour, and what little flavour remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavour, like hay.

The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are “Genovese”, “Purple Ruffles”, “Mammoth”, “Cinnamon”, “Lemon”, “Globe”,

basil

and “African Blue”. The Chinese also use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups (traditional Chinese pinyin). Basil (most

commonly Thai Basil) is commonly steeped in cream or milk to create an interesting flavor in ice cream or chocolates (such as truffles).

Basil is sometimes used with fresh fruit and in fruit jams and sauces—in particular with straw-berries, but also raspberries or dark-colored plums. When soaked in water the seeds of several basil varieties become gelatinous, and are used in Asian drinks and desserts such as falooda or Sherbet. They are used for their medicinal properties in Ayurveda, the tradi-tional medicinal system of India and Siddha medicine, a traditional Tamil system of medi-cine. They are also used as popular drinks in Southeast Asia.

The “italian” basil is best used fresh in salads or tomato sauces, as pesto:

Olive oil, basil leafs, salt and roasted almonds or pine nuts carefully blended (not too much!) into a thick paste.

107

fennelfoeniculum vulgare

Nutritional value per 100 g raw fennel bulbEnergy 130 kJ (31 kcal)Carbohydrates 7.29 gDietary fiber 3.1 gFat 0.20 gProtein 1.24 gThiamine (Vit. B1) 0.01 mgRiboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.032 mgNiacin (Vit. B3) 0.64 mgPantothenic acid (B5) 0.232 mgVitamin B6 0.047 mgFolate (Vit. B9) 27 μgVitamin C 12 mgCalcium 49 mgIron 0.73 mgMagnesium 17 mgPhosphorus 50 mgPotassium 414 mgZinc 0.20 mgManganese 0.191 mg

Fennel is best enjoyed slightly blanched in oil in a pan with salt and pepper on it.It is also an excellent ingredient in wok and tomato sauces for pasta.Anis / liquorice like taste.

109

potato - trollsolanum tuberosum

Nutritional value per 100 g raw, with peelEnergy 321 kJ (77 kcal)Carbohydrates 19 gStarch 15 gDietary fiber 2.2 gFat 0.1 gProtein 2 gWater 75 gThiamine (Vit. B1) 0.08 mgRiboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.03 mgNiacin (Vit. B3) 1.1 mgVitamin B6 0.25 mgVitamin C 20 mgCalcium 12 mgIron 1.8 mgMagnesium 23 mgPhosphorus 57 mgPotassium 421 mgSodium 6 mg

It is important to shift the field for potato crops every year, as the soil easily pick up viruses that the potato plant is not resistant to. The troll potato is one of the late types of potato, which means if you wait until may setting them you will have fresh potatoes in late august - beginning of september.It needs to be left out in light to grow sprouts for about 14 days before you set them.Potatoes needs to be covered regularly to pre-vent them from growing green. Green potatoes are poisonous, especially to young children.

111

urban farmers at work in the potatoe field

115

pumpkin - cucurbitaceaec. pepo, c. mixta, c. maxima

Nutritional value per 100 g raw pumpkinEnergy 56 kJ (13 kcal)Carbohydrates 6.5 gSugars 1.36 gDietary fiber 0.5 gFat 0.1 gsaturated 0.05 gmonounsaturated 0.01 gpolyunsaturated 0.01 gProtein 1.0 gVitamin A equiv. 369 μg- beta-carotene 3100 μgThiamine (Vit. B1) 0.05 mgRiboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.110 mgNiacin (Vit. B3) 0.6 mgPantothenic acid (B5) 0.298 mgVitamin B6 0.061 mgFolate (Vit. B9) 16 μgVitamin C 9 mgVitamin E 1.06 mgCalcium 21 mgIron 0.8 mgMagnesium 12 mgPhosphorus 44 mgPotassium 340 mgSodium 1 mgZinc 0.32 mg

117

plumsPrunus domestica

Nutritional value per 100 g

Energy 192 kJ (46 kcal)Carbohydrates 11.4 gSugars 9.9 gDietary fibre 1.4 gFat 0.28 gProtein 0.70 gVitamin A 345 IUVitamin C 9.5 mgPhosphorus 16 mgPotassium 157 mg

When it flowers in the early spring, a plum tree will be covered in blossom, and in a good year approximately 50% of the flowers will be pol-linated and become plums.If the weather is too dry the plums will not de-velop past a certain stage, but will fall from the tree while still tiny green buds, and if it is unsea-sonably wet or if the plums are not harvested as soon as they are ripe, the fruit may develop a fungal condition called brown rot. Brown rot is not toxic, and very small affected areas can be cut out of the fruit, but unless the rot is caught immediately the fruit will no longer be edible.

119

plum jamwinters best all rounder

1 kg plums 1 ½ cup water 500 g sugar

The amount of water depends on the plums. Firm plums need much water, while soft plums need just a little. Slice the plums in two and remove the stone (optional). Boil the plums and water and let it boil until the plums are cooked through and it looks a little like a mash; 8-10 min. Add sugar and stir well. Give the jam a new boil, so all the sugar dissolves. Pour the jam into sterilized glasses - fill as full as possible, to minimize air under the lid. Do not let it overflow.Let the jam cool and store it in a dark and cool place.

Plum jam is great as dessert served slightly warm together with cake or ice-cream.And it´s also very nice in the cake!

Enjoy!

121

aronia - black chokeberryaronia arbutifolia, a. melanocarpa, a. prunifolia

Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry) has attracted scientific interest due to its deep purple, almost black pigmentation that arises from dense contents of phenolic phytochemi-cals, especially anthocyanins. Total anthocy-anin content in chokeberries is 1480 mg per 100 g of fresh berries, and proanthocyanidin concentration is 664 mg per 100 g. Both values are among the highest measured in plants to date.

The plant produces these pigments mainly in the skin of the berries to protect the pulp and seeds from constant exposure to ultraviolet ra-diation. By absorbing UV rays in the blue-pur-ple spectrum, pigments filter intense sunlight and thereby have a role assuring regeneration of the species. Brightly colorful pigmenta-tion also attracts birds and other animals to consume the fruit and disperse the seeds in their droppings.

Anthocyanins not only contribute toward chokeberry’s astringent property (that would deter pests and infections) but also give Aronia melanocarpa extraordinary antioxidant strength that combats oxidative stress in the fruit during photosynthesis.

A test tube measurement of antioxidant

strength, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity or ORAC, demonstrates chokeberry with one of the highest values yet recorded -- 16,062 micromoles of Trolox Eq. per 100 g[19] (see this ORAC reference for antioxidant scores for 277 common foods).

There is growing appreciation for consumers to increase their intake of antioxidant-rich plant foods from colorful sources like berries, tree or citrus fruits, vegetables, grains, and spices. Accordingly, a deep blue food source such as chokeberry yields anthocyanins in high concentrations per serving, indicating potential value as a functional food or nutraceutical.

Analysis of anthocyanins in chokeberries has identified the following individual chemicals (among hundreds known to exist in the plant kingdom): cyanidin-3-galactoside, epicatechin, caffeic acid, quercetin, delphinidin, petunidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and malvidin. All these are members of the flavonoid category of antioxidant phenolics.

123

aronia jamurban shreds produce

The aronia berries needs to cook for about 20 min. because of the thick shall. Like black currants.

500 g aronia berries2 dl water1 stick of cinnamon4,5 dl sugar2 ts pectin powder (certo)1/2 ts citric acid1 ts vanilla sugar0,5 dl cognac1/2 ts natriumbensoat

Rinse berries and place them in a pot with water and cinnamon stick. Let the berries cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Then add the sugar a little time. Stir the pectin powder and citric acid in a bit of jam and mix it in. Let the jam boil for 3-5 minutes. Remove the foam. Remove the pan from the plate and remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the vanilla sugar and brandy. Stir some of the natriumbensoat first in a bit of jam before it is mixed with the rest.Pour the jam into hot sterilized glasses.

125

chanterelleCantharellus cibarius

Cantharellus cibarius, commonly known as the chante-relle or golden chanterelle is probably the best known species of the genus Cantharellus, if not the entire family of Cantharellaceae. It is orange or yellow, meaty and funnel-shaped. On the lower surface, underneath the smooth cap, it has gill-like ridges that run almost all the way down its stipe, which tapers down seamlessly from the cap. It has a fruity smell, reminiscent of apricots and a mildly peppery taste (hence its German name, Pfifferling) and is considered an excellent food mush-room. Chanterelles are relatively high in vitamin C (0.4 mg/g fresh weight), very high in potassium (about 5%, dry weight), and among the richest sources of vitamin D known, with ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as high as 2500 IU/100 grams fresh weight. Scientific research has suggested that the golden chanterelle may have potent insecticidal properties that are harmless against humans and yet protects the mushroom body against insects and other potentially harmful organisms.The chanterelle is common in Norwegian woods and the growing sites are often considered treasured secret.

The chanterelle is best enjoyed fried in butter in a pan with salt and pepper, but cooked in cream to go with your fish, wild meat or simply used as a pasta sauce has simply no replacement.

127

freshwater trouton the barbie

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freshwater troutSalmo trutta

The freshwater trout, or Brown trout as it is also called, is quite common in small streams and lakes in Norway.

It is good fun trying to catch on a fly fishing rod, but better to catch with fish net if you are hungry.

Either you wrap it in foil and cook it on the barbie, or on the fire if you are camping, or fry it on the pan in butter, or simply poach it and serve it with potatoes and buttered leek.

It tastes fantastic!

131

scomber scombrusAtlantic mackerel

mackerelscomber scombrus

Nutritional value per 100 g rawEnergy 205 kcalFat 14 g saturated fat 3 gCholesterol 70 mgSodium 90 mgVitamin A 3 % *Calcium 1 %Vitamin C 1 %Iron 9 %*of daily values from 2000kcal daily diet

Atlantic mackerel is extremely high in vitamin B12. At-lantic mackerel is also very high in omega 3, containing nearly twice as much per unit weight as does salmon. Unlike King mackerel and Spanish mackerel, Northern Atlantic mackerel are very low in mercury.

Mackerel is an excellent source of Phosphatidylserine as it contains approximately 480 mg / 100 grams by weight. Phosphatidylserine is an important brain food that can have positive effects on ADHD and Alzheimer patients.

Best prepared on the barbecue with salt and pepper, served with potatoes and sour cream.

Fantastic!

133

oysterOstrea edulis

The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. Ostrea edulis is a species of oyster native to Europe and commonly known as the European flat oyster or Edible Oyster.The species naturally ranges along the western and southern coasts of Europe from Norway to Morocco and including most of the British Isles and the Mediterranean coast.The Ostrea edulis is the only oyster naturally growing on the coast of Norway. The species once dominated European oyster production but disease, pollution, and overfishing sharply reduced the harvest. Today Pacific oys-ters, Crassostrea gigas, account for more than 75 percent of Europe’s oyster production.O. edulis are prized for their unique tannic sea-water flavor, sometimes described as dry and metallic. The flavor is considered excellent for eating raw. In France the species has an AOC classification.

135

edible crabcancer pagurus

The edible crab is found in the North Sea, North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a robust crab of a reddish-brown color, having an oval carapace with a characteristic “pie crust” edge and black tips to the claws. Mature adults may have a carapace width of up to about 25 cm and weigh up to 3 kg.The edible crab is abundant throughout the northeast Atlantic as far as Norway in the north and northern Africa in the south, on mixed coarse grounds, mud and sand from shallow sub-littoral to about 100 m. Edible crabs are nocturnal, hiding buried in the substrate during the day. It normally eats benthic animals such as other crustaceans and mol-luscs.In fall, that is when the crab is potentially full of meat it is easily (and fun) to catch from boat.They come up to feed on barnacles at high wa-ter at night and then you can simply pick them with your hands or use a long garden tool.Head lights are required to spot their red backs in the water.Edible crabs are heavily exploited commercially throughout their range. It is illegal to catch crabs of too small a size, and at too shallow water.Best enjoyed after nocturnal hunt on the quay side.To prepare them bring a large pot to boil and put the crabs in while they are still alive. If they die they are poisonous.Boil for about 30 minutes and cool off.Best served pealed (obviously) on white bread, with mayonnaise and a lemon twist.

137

short traveled foodand why this is important

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the end...4

(y)our alternative legacy - MA

STER DIPLO

MA

PROJEC

T, BERGEN

SCHO

OL O

F ARCH

ITECTU

RE 2010 by Laura Ve

This has been a small introduction

to local food;the seeding, planting

and caretaking of the vegetable gardenand the harvest possibilities

within the 100-mile diet circle of Bergen city,

on the West Coast of Norway