Sweet Pea and Banana

Mad Food/Mad Love

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:08:36 -0400

Though we haven’t been eating as much as Michael Phelps eats for breakfast (check out this article detailing his daily morning meal), my best teachers (mom and auntie janie) and I have been cooking up some crazy Maine storms.

roasted fish a la brown’s trading in portland, maine. yummers.

janie grew all this. and she is a cute lady.

some things never change. xoxoxoxoxo.

i am away. and where i am, though it’s been sunny the...

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:27:45 -0400

i am away. and where i am, though it’s been sunny the whole time i’ve been here, it has apparently rained most of the summer. the weather has caused a mass mushroom sprouting across the lawn, let alone the whole state. this article talks about how all the wild mushroom foraging that is so trendy now can like actually make you die and stuff. careful with the shrooms!

Friends of Friends of Friends...

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:51:13 -0400

It seems that there is always someone who knows someone from somewhere doing something cool. Last night my friend Aaron told me about his friend who started Sky Vegetables , an online resource for all things rooftop gardening. He recently won a $10,000 grant to start a rooftop garden on the top of a supermarket somewhere…incredible idea.

Front Lawns Are Wack

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:52:48 -0400

Yesterday my man and I were discussing edible landscapes—beautiful landscaping that can be eaten. Like the idea of trading your overly fertilized shiny green lawn for super gorgeous and edible kale. The folks over at Edible Estates know a thing or two about this—converting front lawn spaces from Austin to Baltimore into glorious edible, well, estates. Check this out. It’s one home on a quiet street that now has a ridiculous garden for a front lawn. Sure beats miracle grow sticks and wierdness.

if you are in san fran (or honestly it is worth the trip) attend...

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:40:00 -0400

if you are in san fran (or honestly it is worth the trip) attend slow food nation on labor day! basically one of the most important events of this year, and of this time.

It Was the Most Beautiful Thing I've Ever Seen...

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:51:00 -0400

I actually don’t have much experience farming or gardening in the US. Not in our American,anything-is-readily-available-including-organic-seed-starter-mix-and-biodiesel-converter kits-for-your-tractor stylee. In fact, most of my experience has been in the developing world where there isn’t really shit available. And the stuff that is available usually is shit—such as highly toxic chemicals that are banned here. In Jamaica, I learned about diseases that never over-winter, (ie never go away), how amazing the sun’s heat can be, and above all, the incredibly innovative farming practices that come about when there is absolutely no easy (or store bought) way out. This kind of methodology, born of out function but just as beautiful to behold, was best exemplified on a trip I took to the West African country of Mali with my mother and fellow agricultress/best friend. In Dogon country, the arid, vastly rural center of the country, there is hardly any water to drink, let alone irrigate crops. But as we drove into the depths of Dogon, we could see these amazing shocks of green emerging from the hot desert clay—almost like some sort of technicolor, patchwork mirage.

These green squares were carefully planted with onions—a cash crop in Mali—and planted right beside a winding creek. These onions were the creek’s fertile banks, and only made so by the constant watering by women who carried water from the creek and distributed it across the onions in hollowed-out gourds. We gasped. And many would exclaim amazing. But to the women of the Dogon, this was just the way it was. And is.

damian marley’s “one loaf of bread.” all...

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:40:47 -0400

damian marley’s “one loaf of bread.” all footage taken in haiti.

This is a bunch of BS. Pictured here, the leaders of the G8 and...

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:18:24 -0400

This is a bunch of BS. Pictured here, the leaders of the G8 and their spouses toasting the start of the meeting to discuss the FOOD CRISIS and WORLD HUNGER. Click here to view their menu which included caviar, milk fed lamb, and hairy crab. It just ain’t right. These people need to be eating a simple seasonal buffet, move on, and get to talkin about the biggest crisis in our world today. Not eating what was called the “G8 Fantasy Dessert.” Ugh.

Food. Water. Shelter.

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:33:00 -0400

We didn’t plan to go camping during a heat wave (or get a citation for playing acoustic guitar too loud while drinking ONE bottle of wine), but it worked out that way. Thankfully we were located literally on the banks of the Delaware, far enough up river so the water wasn’t creepy, and actually refreshing. My favorite thing about camping is…duh. The food. Food tastes better on the fire. And when you are sweaty and hungry after a long day of beebopping around the woods. Oftentimes, my fellow sister in camping and I have threatened to write a camping cookbook (basically a survey of the wonders of what happens when you put food combinations into tin foil and throw it in the coals.) At one point, we even thought of penning the book “How to Camp Like a Player,” at is seemed no hike was too far for us to schlep a cooler full of essentials such as champagne and fresh eggs, all in the name of good food, fireside. This past camping sojourn we were without said companion camper, but we made her amazing one-pot burritoes our last night on site. My only improvement on her genius recipe: foil roasting (of course) cherry tomatoes and garlic and throwing them in the cheesy, beany, ricey mix.

all necessary element taken care of: too much food piled on table, best tarp set-up ever, random axe.

some things are better burned.

despite the fact that i am some sort of “professional,” eric is the BEST camping pancake chef in all of the land.

here we are walking across towards the fast water which stole but a few flip flops.

above you will see the medusa-like tangle that is the garlic...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:35:00 -0400

above you will see the medusa-like tangle that is the garlic scape. an “exotic” and “new” vegetable (that is simply the stalk between a bulb of garlic and and its flower.) garlic scapes are so very tasty and tender (and so trendy now, too.) check out this article for more information on this wonderous vegetable. and here on how to prepare garlic scape pesto. novel. (photo courtesty of mariquita farm.)

Hostess(es) with the Mostess(es)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:20:28 -0400

This weekend I had the pleasure of dining at two backyard soirees hosted by two amazing ladies at two amazing homes. Sandy and Abby know how to make good food and make you feel comfortable while you are eating it. Below are some pics from my lucky little weekend…

the meal began with local littleneck clams sandy found at the...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:18:20 -0400

the meal began with local littleneck clams sandy found at the margate farmer’s market steamed with fresh herbs from her garden. and another secret ingredient. starts with b ends with u-tt-e-r. yummmm.

sandy, you are amazing. i would gladly eat one of your delicious...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:17:00 -0400

sandy, you are amazing. i would gladly eat one of your delicious meals behind a backdrop of drying beach towels any day…

…and her sons are way adorable too.

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:15:00 -0400

…and her sons are way adorable too.

me + onlooker watching an intense game of croquet where...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:12:00 -0400

me + onlooker watching an intense game of croquet where participants argued and sweat a lot. really.

i kept telling everyone i felt like i was in provence. honestly,...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:11:00 -0400

i kept telling everyone i felt like i was in provence. honestly, it wasn’t really that far off.

playas gotta play. lounging in some sort of designer lawn...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:09:33 -0400

playas gotta play. lounging in some sort of designer lawn chair.

my alien toes are only complete when adorned with painted...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:08:07 -0400

my alien toes are only complete when adorned with painted ladybugs and nestled in the grass.

Regime Change

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:26:00 -0400

Yesterday I listening to the radio while an Australian reporter called the 11 year dought suffered across Australia a “climatic regime change.” I thought this was an incredibly apt description. As global warming sets in, our own personal regimes really do need to change, not only to prevent further damage to our environment, but to adapt to the new ruling climatic forces. Humans by nature are at once highly adaptable and highly resisant to change. Take Australian farmers for instance, a recent study showed a good number of them are in denial of their new agricultural landscape formed by this breathtaking drought. Many of them are still waiting until their climate gets back to “normal.” Well, that is actually never going to happen. Climate change has caused this drought, and we gotta work with it, not deny it. Instead of investing soley in water-buying programs to help farmers effected by this prolific drought, the Australian government needs to invest in major education programs that teach farmers to produce different crops. Like rice should NOT be grown right now in Australia. It needs more water than any other crop in the world basically. Farming could be brilliantly reinvented if people were taught not to deny, but to adapt to what is now our climatic lot in life.

Today the most adorable blog, A Farm Fresh Wedding, posted a...

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:22:09 -0400

Today the most adorable blog, A Farm Fresh Wedding, posted a little shout out to Sweet Pea Nourishment. Thanks for the love! And for the inspiration. This blog is filled with totally steal-worthy ideas ranging from moss n’ mushroom table center pieces, to the amazing fabric pattern posted above. Hats off, for real.