If Life Hands You Apples...

...make applesauce! At least that's our philosophy at Project Grow, and the upcoming class will show folks just how to do that.

Join us Saturday, November 7th at the Leslie Science Center and learn how to make a batch of two of this tasty treat to savor through the winter months. Good for you, and satisfying to whip together, applesauce is one of those simple pleasures that is about as simple to make. Come join the fun and your taste buds will thank you for the sweet, fruity treat come January!

Need more inspiration? Check out this terrific article linking apples and taste of place AND that includes a delicious sounding recipe for (you guessed it!) applesauce!

Let's Make Applesauce!

Saturday, November 7th

10am - 11:30am

Leslie Science Center

Reveling in the Season's Bounty

As tomato season approaches, we thought this article from Grist about what to do with the season's bounty worth checking out.

And if you'd like to taste more than a few different varieties of heirloom tomatoes join us for our Eighth (can you believe it's EIGHT?) Annual Tomato Tasting. Bring your tastebuds out for an morning of exercise and fun!

Eighth Annual Tomato Tasting Extravaganza

Saturday, August 22nd

9am - 12pm

Ann Arbor Farmer's Market

For more information on the event or to find out how to get your tomatoes in the mix just drop us a note or call 734-996-3169.

Preserving Garden Bounty

Rightly so, the Organic Gardening e-newsletter recently ran a great series of articles on harvesting and preserving foods from the garden. Covering everything from when to harvest, to canning, to freezing, this issue offers some great ideas that should not be missed.

Local food preservation resources include:

Preserving Traditions - A local group that gets together to can, make pies (that alone should get you out the door, for heaven's sake!), and figure out ways to keep the harvest while having fun.

Eat Close to Home - Emily has a great series of posts about preserving food that offer practical solutions and ideas that are also fun and innovative. Here's a list of the posts tagged with food preservation, but her whole blog is worth a gander. (BTW, she also heads up Preserving Traditions, mentioned above.)

Ann Arbor Home Canning Group - A group, existing both electronically and literally, in Ann Arbor to learn and talk about home canning and food preservation. The page also includes a good list of resources along with interesting conversation.

Good reads include:

The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest by Carol W. Costenbader

Storey Publishing, 1997.

Recipes for drying, freezing, and canning with simple diagrams and easy to follow instructions.

Preserving Summer's Bounty: A Quick and Easy Guide to Freezing, Canning, Drying and Preserving What You Grow edited by Susan McClure, 1998. Rodale Press.

Step-by-step instructions for preserving fruits, herbs, and vegetables in a variety of ways. Another great book for beginners.

The Big "But" about Basil

Basil is really coming on now, and most gardeners find they have more than enough to go around, especially if it is planted in companionship with tomatoes and eggplants. It effectively repels the bad guys, and gives the gardener something good to eat.

But, like zucchini, it can be a bit overwhelming to harvest, eat, process, and store. Organic Gardening offers some good tips on preserving basil - from drying to freezing - and this pesto recipe is an easy one. (The pesto can also be frozen in ice cube trays, popped out and bagged for single shots later in the year.) And remember, pesto and dried basil make great gifts!!