Fall has arrived, so I think it’s fitting to do an update on my wonderful vegetable garden experiment and the harvest this year. The garden was an experiment in simplicity. I wanted to plant and maintain in a Thoreau style – letting nature fend for itself. With the occasional watering and a couple times weeding, I would say this was achieved with incredible results.

I went away when my daughter was here in August and we had a bit of a dry spell. My room mates did not water the garden and yet the quantity of yield did not diminish, though the plant quality did. The Beefsteak tomatoes turned yellow, but this could have been because of the soil. I will plant tomatoes in a different area next year. The fruit still did well.

Here’s what I planted at the beginning of the season:

1. 8 Beefsteak Tomato Plants
2. 4 Plum Tomato Plants
3. 4 Zucchini Plants (actually 7 but one was a cluster)
4. About 16 Swiss Chard
5. 8 Leaf Lettuce
6. 4 Beets
7. 1 Fennel
8. Dill, Cilantro, Basil and Mint
9. Chives, Onions and other lettuce
10. 4 Marigolds

Here’s the fruit harvest. I lost count of the tomato plants but made 4 batches of sauce and ate many fresh fruit from July to the present. I’m still eating. The total estimate is well over 350 tomatoes.

The zucchini was great early on and I even got a few monster ZUCH when we went away but later in the season the raccoons and animals seemed to get them. I probably picked about 50 of them with most of them before mid-August. The lettuce grew twice for me and some of the swiss chard got me 4 pickings. Needless to say I had a variety of meals with them.

The herbs did fine, though when I went away the basil seeded, so I did not get it for as long as I thought. The chives are still thriving in various places over the garden. The beets and fennel have not been harvested yet but I’m expecting a couple of nice meals from them.

The grand total was about $30-40 worth of plants. Some of the lettuce was seeds. Next year I may try more seeds. I would estimate that it would have cost me over $500 to buy all the vegetables and sauces that I made, so it was worth it. Very fruitful and actually lots of fun. The cut off will provide a nice quality for the compost next year.

I encourage all of you to try a garden. If you have an apartment, try a little potted tray with a few herbs and a small tomato plant. The results are worth it and the harvest was delicious. I will be eating my sauce well into the winter and was able to share fresh vegetables with many family and friends. The simple power of a garden helps create a natural green way of living that I’m quite content with.

This simple pear crisp recipe is a sweet delight of pears with a crunchy topping. Delicious. The recipe is an end to the perfect meal. Perhaps my favorite desert when done with apples instead.

Ingredients:

1. fresh pears
2. raisins (optional)
3. lemon
4. cinnamon
5. nutmeg
6. ginger optional (powder or fresh)
7. butter
8. flour (I stay away from flour made with wheat) – this time I used spelt flour
9. brown sugar

Tools:

1. pearing knife
2. baking dish (I used glass and pyrex)
3. mixing bowl
4. bakers pastry blender (or a fork)

Prepare the topping first, so it is ready to put on top of the pears. The butter, sugar and flour are done in proportions to how much topping you want and how many dishes you have. The nice thing is you can make as thick or thin a topping as you want. It’s really sweet, so less is better for a pear crisp. With an apple crisp you can use more.

Your butter should be soft (ish). Use 1 part butter, 2 parts sugar, 3 parts flour. I just eyeball the butter, but you could measure 1/2 cup of butter to 2 cups of sugar and 3 cups of flour to make a nice crisp topping. Experiment a couple times and you will figure out how you like it. Blend the butter into the mixture until it is small pieces about the size of a finger nail.

Cut as many pears as needed to layer the dish (about 2/3 full). Sprinkle the nutmeg & cinnamon to the desired taste. You can add fresh ginger in small pieces and raisins or currants will go nicely too. All the spices are optional as the pears on their own will be fine. Squeeze a little bit of lemon onto the pears.

Add the topping. Put as much or as little as you want on top of the pears. This is sweet, so be careful not to put too much. You can pack it down a little bit to get a really crisp topping. Now you are ready to cook. Add the topping to the pears. For best results, I pack it down with my hands.

Turn the oven on to about 375 degrees and set the timer for 40 minutes. This is really hot when it comes out of the oven, so if you are dying to taste it, have it with a little bit of vanilla ice cream to keep from burning your mouth. It reheats very well but is also pleasant served cold. Total prep time is about 15 minutes.

You can save the topping in the fridge, which will save you for the next one. Enjoy. By the way if you take all the skin and core cuttings (minus the bad parts) and put them in a large quart pot full of water, you can make an excellent pear juice and tea. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about half an hour. Drain the juice into your container. Then add more water and this time blend it with a hand mixer and strain into a container for a nice pear tea. Waste not want not. Next year, I may make or find a fruit press of some kind.

On a lighter note and in contrast to the last couple posts Instant Gratification and Important Things in Life today I’m going to share with you the latest adventure and the value of pears.

Let me explain. On Saturday, I went volunteer pear picking with Not Far From The Tree an enjoyable and fruitful (sorry) couple hours. We picked a lot of pears and I came home with a nice portion to make a variety of simple recipes, which I will share with you next week along with some pictures.

In fact the picking involved a couple hours of travel (After we picked I drove the organizer to drop of the food for donation to the soup kitchen). On the way home, I dropped by some friends that I don’t see that often and was able to share some pears with them and family members that were visiting.

Then on Tuesday evening: the sorting, cleaning, peeling, cutting, cooking, canning, baking and clean up – the toll, 7 hours until 2:30am. Even though my hands were sore, I loved every minute of it. Oh, and I didn’t waste anything (except the energy to cook the pears). Even the remaining stems, cores and skins were used for my juice. Then I put them in the compost pile. They will continue to reap benefits next year as food for my vegetable garden. Pears, the gift that just keeps giving.

Here’s what I made – Pear Sauce, Pear Crisp, Pear Juice & “tea”, not to mention lots of fresh pears. I managed to share a few jars and some pears with various people. That alone made it worth my time. That was my instant gratification and it involved 12 hours of my time. The pears are fresh, the cooking is natural with no additions. The taste is sweet and that is the value of doing things the simple way. The pleasure of the process is often forgotten.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? For sure, I’m looking forward to going out for at least one and hopefully two apple picks with the group this season. The power of the pear was quite simply an experience in community and simplicity that amplifies my appetite for more. It wasn’t work. It wasn’t instant. It was fun and fulfilling.

Stay tuned for some great recipes in the coming weeks. With the summer & fall harvest I’ve also made Tasty Tomato Sauce, Chunky Chili, Cool Cucumber Soup,  Cheesy Zucchini Bread, Borscht (Beet Soup) and will be making a few things with fennel and apples. Since I cook from scratch and often in batches on a weekly basis, if you like the recipes and ask me for more I would love to add Simply Savory as an extra weekly posting.

Stick to a few simple guidelines, the ones you choose. It’s a problem to decipher all the literature and hype. A change in your consumption habits can drastically reduce impact on the planet. If you want a consumer guide to find safe, healthy, green products, use the Good Guide to get results. Better yet, avoid commercial products (there are exceptions like computers or fridges). A much gentler and sustainable way forward.

Here’s my 12 Step Program to choosing green products:

1. BUY USED – If you can find it used – buy it that way,
2. LOCAL -Buy it local, when purchasing online look for local options (you can target by area for eBay). Transport and freshness.
3. QUALITY OR HANDMADE – Is this a quality item that will last for a long time? Cheap, mass produced items usually last for a lot less time.
4. CAN I MAKE IT MYSELF
5. INGREDIENTS – Is it plastic or made from toxic material? Don’t buy chemicals, things with danger on the label – look for natural alternatives
6. PACKAGING – How much packaging is there and what is it made of?
7. SEAL OF APPROVAL – Products that have Green Seal, Fair Trade or Certified Organic (USDA) are safely green and ethical It could have energy star on it, but what about the process and company it was made by, how well does the item recycle
8. COMPANY TRACK RECORD – Is the company that made it ethical, green and socially conscious (careful on this one) plus revert to step one and choose the little guy!
9. COST TO MAINTAIN
10. MULTIPLE USE – Do I have another product or item that I could use in place of this?
11. COULD I SHARE IT – Think about how you buy it, not just what you buy.
12. DISPOSAL Is the item really green – what will it take to recycle it and how much will it cost to maintain it in terms of time, travel, shipping, parts, labour etc.? Can this item be recycled? This is the full circle, if you get it

Do some research – places like greenerchoices.org can give you a starting point and you can find products in the Good Guide listed above.Before you purchase something you may want to ask yourself the question – do I really need this and if so why? Then ask – how will this really change my life? This will be a starting point for a conscious choice in your habits. You could also borrow, rent or share the cost of a new product.

IF this hasn’t confused you, the next article will introduce you the the concept of green washing and why you should be careful about what you buy. Many people think that the choices they make are green because the media has convinced them they are green products. It’s not just the product but rather the whole picture.

Since I’m on the topic of gardening this spring, I’ve decided to continue the theme with the up and coming season of fruit picking. Community fruit picking is an old idea that has been revisited in recent years. In Toronto, a new not-for-profit group, Not Far From the Tree has emerged. With so many fruit bearing plants in Toronto, in 2008 the first full season of picking was completed with 3003 pounds of fruit picked.

I’ve decided to volunteer this year and have spoken with Laura Reinsborough the project coordinator. So popular is the program that they have successfully received more volunteers then they have fruit to pick. If you are interested in volunteering – they need Gleaners, a fancy way to say Lead Pickers that help other volunteers get involved. You can contact Laura at laura@notfarfromthetree.org for further information. They are also looking for homes that would like assistance with picking.

So what is the program and why did it capture my attention? If you didn’t visit the link above, here’s a quick recap. The program started in order to capture the abundance of fruit in Toronto gardens and keep it from going to waste. Volunteers help pick the fruit and it gets divided 3 ways between the home owner, volunteers and community organizations. They also pick flowers and fruit from Spadina House. This prevents the fruit from being wasted, assists homeowners that have a difficult time picking and gives back to the community and volunteers working with the program.

A very special act of green, sharing and bringing a community together while reducing waste and increasing awareness. Does your city have a similar program? Are they interested in starting one up? Post a comment on the website and let me know about the programs that exist in your neck of the woods. After all word of mouth is a wonderful thing.

Garden after Planting

My initial thoughts when deciding on vegetables was to pick items that I love to eat and then I moved into the healthy choice vegatables to maximize my return. But as I sat and thought about it (and humbled myself to my 83 year old landlord, who has been planting his whole life), I realized that it was about planting a vegetable garden that will grow with the biggest bounty. It is also important to figure out how to utilize the space effectively. I can buy vegetables fresh at the markets that are plentiful and inexpensive.

I decided to pick a few of my favorites. For me, I love zuchinni and tomotoes, so I had to have lots of them in place. I have 12 beefsteak, 8 cherry and 4 plum tomoto plants. Zuchinni is hearty so I should get plenty out of my 7 plants. Since the garden is next to a fence, I planted snow peas, so they can weave up the fence.

Herbs for Cooking

I then planted 5 rows about 4 feet wide of lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, beets and similar items. I threw in some experiments with strawberries, gladiolas (flowers are delicious and edible) and then added some herbs including cillantro, basil, parsley, fennel, dill and mint. Chives and onions also exist around the parameter of the garden. These ward off slugs and insects.

Reduce Waste with Compost

We also used a mulch from the compost we make. This compost is rich and we know it is good from the quality of food we eat that goes into it. Almost everything in our house gets recycled and composting is one fo the best ways to reduce garbage to almost nothing, about one small bag every two weeks. Reducing consumption is another way…buy less, buy with less packaging, bring your own bags, buy fresh produce (and forget about putting them in a plastic bag or bring your own). Some simple steps.

So what are the benefits of planting a vegetable garden?

Well, apart from the obvious of getting fresh vegetables here’s the true value of a veggie garden:

1. The food is fresh and you know the source is chemical free
2. The quality of the food – straight from the garden to your mouth
3. The distance the food travels – distance to travel is almost nil, except for travel to get plants
4. Investment offers good return – $50 worth of plants should save 4 to 10 times the cost ($2-500)
5. Constant care is not necessary, some weeding and watering every few days if the weather is dry will only take a few hours of time.
6. Time spent per week is less than a couple hours and the fresh air and exercise is good for you
7. Veggies can be jarred, frozen and made into sauces, preserves and various goodies to last the winter and act as gifts
8. Gardening is about growth and the personal growth from the success is very rewarding

Those are just some of the many benefits. I’m sure with a bit of effort we can find a lot more. I encourage you to comment with some of the benefits of planting a vegetable garden can offer and let me know about your success. I will post some pictures as the garden grows and at season end discuss the harvest and successes of this years project. It may be June but it’s not too late to start a garden….go, go, before it’s too late. You will thank me later.

In our previous issue I talked about decluttering your office. Today I will talk about communication and media. For some of you these media are the tool for your livelihood (I am a perfect example) but the rules of simplifying can be applied – eliminate, group and organize. Rinse and repeat. The world is quite busy now and we fill our lives with email, RSS subscriptions, social media (like Facebook), cellphones, iPhones, text messaging, forums, Skype, land phones, video conferencing, chat…this list goes on and on. Each of these tools can simplify our lives, but also add a great deal of time to our schedule thus offsetting their value. The world was simple before these inventions and certainly quieter. These tools can be costly too, so if you can reduce a few gadgets you can save a lot of money. Choose which conveniences are important or that you deem necessary.

Phones - the first step here is determining how many phones and communication devices you really need. Take a look at how much you are paying and this may give you the little push to eliminate a device or two. I finally eliminated my landline and use a cellphone for messages (I try to rarely talk on it unless it is the weekend or after 7pm). Set a schedule for when you make your calls therefore keeping it simple. I use Skype Out for all phone calls and can reach 48 countries to landlines and computers for just $9.95 a month. All that’s needed is an internet connection, which I deem as mandatory for obvious reasons. My grand total for phones is $40 a month. Don’t text from your phone, use the computer for free. If you need a Blackberry or special device, see if you can improve your package and monitor the usage. Roll all of your devices into one and don’t go for all the extra packages. In the end you won’t use them all and someone else will get rich off of you.

Email - There are three simple ways to eliminate email frustration. Use an open source email management client like Zoho and forward all of your emails to one account. That way when you check your emails they are all in one place. Once set up it becomes an easy solution, is free and a huge timesaver. The next thing to do is determine the times of day that you will pick up your email, usually 2-3 times is appropriate. Delete all the junk files and quickly scan the ones that interest you. If you can reduce this to once a day, you will save hours every month. The final trick is to respond immediately to any emails that require action. This means you only touch the email once and have eliminated the time it takes to read it again. Try to eliminate or unsubscribe from all unecessary lists.

Snail Mail – Apply the same rules as email. Touch the mail once and deal with it. Respond or pay bills immediately if possible. The next trick for mail is to eliminate your junk mail.

Media - The true purpose of social media is to make connections. If it is an activity that is simply fun for you, consider using it during your personal or fun time and avoid it during work. If it is a work tool, treat it like email and schedule a time and time limit for use. This will maintain a routine that you can build productivity into.

Don’t forget to follow my twitter profile and follow my feed to get my postings in your reader or email.

Go Local, Go to the Market

Each community is unique and offers something that cannot be found anywhere else. This makes us special, attracts tourist and people from the local community to taste and feel our local Toronto community. It makes us feel like we belong and have something different to offer the world. If the stores, products, organizations and people are local they truly have a vested interest in you and your community. This passion is something that only a local partisan can offer. It provides quality and protects those icons you are used to seeing. Think about the outcry when a local business shuts down.

But there is more…not only is there a sense of community, but there are traditions and traditional cuisines that simply vanish if we globalize too much. Remember the butter tart. Try to find one now, it’s often very hard. Sometimes those things we used to have disappear completely, just like wildlife, land and safe environments.

Think of Cheers – everyone knows your name. Doesn’t that feel good. It’s true, but that money stays in your community. It circulates in many ways and reduces other impacts that we pretend are not in our control. Things like pollution. But there’s more than the carbon impact from a huge reduction in transport, distribution and packaging. Our Toronto community becomes less congested. That local walk keeps us healthy and in touch. The local owners and people in Toronto are more likely to support local charities and keep the pulse of our local Toronto community alive. Those local owners and future owners are also the one that create thriving economy, competition, innovation and therefore choice, giving us something to be proud of. They are the heartbeat…and we all know that we need to keep the heart ticking. Let’s keep Toronto ticking.

So apart from the reduced transport and obvious carbon impact, think about the distinct environment. Once it is gone it is gone forever. Global land loss is huge – all in the name of progress. It can’t be returned. The economy of purchasing something seems cheaper but in the long run because it isn’t sustainable the costs will be paid for in the future. Those fresh foods if we can’t grow them ourselves, may not be so easy to obtain down the road. Fresh food is something that gives us the vitamins and macrobiotic that our bodies require. Wildlife eats certain foods at certain times of year because they require it…we should take the hint.

So before you buy something take a look at the label and think of the impact. Vote with your dollars not your pocket book. The payoff will save you in the future. Toronto needs you. Our communities need you. The world needs you. Be local, not loco.

While Toronto excels in many aspects of making a green livable city there are still areas that need improvement. To breakdown all the aspects of Toronto and of a green community, website, program or business would be a formidable task. Instead one vision behind simply stephen is to focus on grassroots business and groups, neighbourhoods, programs, events and initiatives that aren’t bogged down with rules, regulations, policies and guidelines. A community should flow easily and access shouldn’t be complicated and bureaucratic!

Toronto Downtown

Toronto is perhaps the community of all communities. Situated on the north shore of Lake Ontario and the capital for the Canadian province of the same name (Ontario) it is the 5th largest metropolitan area in North America with a population of over 5.5 million but unlike our American counterparts and in comparison to other Canadian cities it boasts a low crime rate per capita.

Toronto consistently ranks as one of the worlds most livable cities. Considered one of the world’s top economic centers rich in education, business, banking, tourism, communication, software, transportation, medicine, media and sports.  It spans 43km along the lake shore and 21km north but the communities close by are all closely knit.

Perhaps it’s most recognized for the CN Tower, which for 30 years was the worlds largest freestanding tower. The terrain is diverse with lakes, rivers, ravines, parks, gardens, islands, beaches, spits, harbours and trails. Toronto has a moderate climate with warm, humid summers and long cold winters but truly has 4 distinct seasons.

Toronto is perhaps the greenest community in the world!

Okay, that’s a pretty bold statement but here’s why. Green is a very diverse word and being a rich diverse community is a classic example of being green. At present almost 50% of the population was born outside of Canada and within a decade it will reach a strong majority. Over 45%  of the city are a visible minority with this surpassing 50% in a matter of years. These populations come from almost every country in the world, making us truly a little United Nations. There is a community center for almost all of these countries.

But let’s take it one step further and look at the neighbourhoods. Toronto is made up of 6 regions East York, Etobicoke, North York, Old Toronto, Scarborough and York. Within each of these regions lie areas, some old, some new, some developed, some commercial, some historical, some parkland, some gardens, well you get the point. There is old Toronto and then old suburbs, then new suburbs. Each area also has different neighbourhoods that blend into each other with an overlap that is sometimes not even noticed.

The downtown Chinatown, one of at least 3 Chinatown’s in the greater area, blends into Kensington Market and reaches into the Art, University, Hospital and Business parts of town. The outer suburbs have huge developments, parks, buildings and community halls to service the growing populations. Literally hundreds of neighbourhoods have a different feel, food, sound, site and sense to them.

The Toronto community is active in arts, volunteer, philantrophy, culture, nature, conservation, events, and activities to provide community feeling. There are Jazz Festivals, community solutions for a specific culture or cause. Gardens, large dedicated park space and ravines with green walks and tours.

A large transportation system that has growing pains is complemented by extended bike paths, bicycle networks, car sharing, linked railway routes and multiple airports. Local markets promote community grown food and on top of the permanent markets at Kensington and St. Lawrence, farmers markets with organic and local foods are being promoted throughout the city.

One interesting program is Not Far From The Tree, where you can be involved in picking fruit from someones house and sharing it. There are green hotels, tourist attractions and grassroots programs for visitors and residents alike. If you want something you can find it in a Toronto community somewhere. Share your community and how you think it’s green. Learn about the benefits of local living and community support.

To learn more keep visiting or tell me what you want to hear about…simply stephen wants to share.

Lilypad Flower

Green is a broad term that means so many things to different people. There is a common misconception that relates it to the political left-wing, such as the green party or the environment. Here is a list of green values, it’s very close to mine. Note that the green party is one of very few political parties that is truly global – that has to tell you something about the importance and common attributes we all have.

While there is certainly a portion of the population that leans this way, there are other aspects of being green. Most people indirectly make conscious green choices. Most of us have a little or a lot of green in our blood. So what does green involve? The following 7 key areas contribute to making life green:

1. Conservation of the eco-system and all things that support life (NATURE)
2. Responsible economy, saving & reduced consumption (SUSTAINABLE)
3. Support for your local communities (COMMUNITY)
4. Respect of culture, freedom of choice, diversity & acceptance (RESPECT)
5. Peaceful, passive resolve for all conflict and humanitarian issues (HUMANITY)
6. Contribution to the betterment of something one cares about (CHARITY)
7. Healthy lifestyle and living environment (HEALTH)

There is overlap and most people in the world care about all aspects in some respect. There are varying degrees and beliefs when it comes to integration of the above principles but what is important is that the end result is a kinder, cleaner, safer, better world. Something we all want.