Fall Virtual Socials
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The Silver Spring Timebank continued its Virtual Social series this Fall with two terrific socials -- one on growing garlic and the other on preventing food waste.
"Love Garlic? Grow Your Own!"
In October, Silver Spring Timebank member Tony Sarmiento, a.k.a. the Garlic Guru, hosted a virtual chat about the benefits and the how-to's of backyard garlic growing.
He shared his "Top Ten Reasons for Growing Garlic in Your Backyard":
10. You plant garlic during the cool weather in the fall [and harvest it in July when you can still plant more summer and fall crops].
9. No pesky small seeds to handle.
8. You can grow gourmet varieties you won’t find in your grocery store.
7. It’s a great way to learn about gardening.
6. Frost or snow won’t kill garlic.
5. You can avoid eating garlic that might be older, with less flavor and be less healthy for you.
4. Only a few bugs eat garlic.
3. Deer don’t eat garlic.
2. You can harvest your own garlic greens or scapes in the spring.
1. Growing garlic (like gardening) is addictive!
Tony explained that there are only two varieties of garlic: Hardneck and Softneck, though there are 10 types (or cultivars). Only hardneck garlic produces scapes which are edible spiral flower stalks. It's important to remove the scapes in order to grow larger garlic bulbs. The bonus is that scapes are delicious -- sauteed, pickled, cooked in an omelette, or served atop a salad. Garlic grown at home has a more intense flavor than store-bought and can taste sweeter and more pungent.
Garlic is a fairly simple crop to grow; however, producing the largest, best-tasting garlic requires the right growing conditions, soil preparation, harvesting techniques, and storage methods. Tony shared in detail everything a backyard gardener needs to know in order to produce the most luscious garlic bulbs. And the "Garlic Guru" ought to know! He has produced blue-ribbon-winning garlic at the County and State Fairs.
Thank you, Tony, for all the wonderful information!
"Preventing Food Waste: Thanksgiving and Beyond"
In November's virtual social, Silver Spring Timebank member Tanya DeKona shared ideas for how to implement thoughtful food practices that will help us waste less food, make the most of our food budget, and reduce our negative environmental impact.
Tanya facilitated the group discussion, adding all kinds of tips to help us reduce food waste, such as:
*Keep a running inventory on the refrigerator and freezer of what's inside, so nothing is forgotten and found after it's no longer usable.
*Use websites and apps that help you scale recipes up or down -- or help you come up with recipes to make with the ingredients already in your pantries and refrigerators, especially the ones that are at risk of going bad soon.
*When hosting a dinner or potluck with an abundance or over-abundance of food (such as Thanksgiving), provide -- or invite attendees to bring -- multiple small containers they can use to pack up serving size portions of all the dishes to take home.
*When buying grains, beans, or nuts, buy only as much as you need for a short period of time -- from bulk bins at stores like the co-op (Takoma Park/Silver Spring Co-op).
*Make strategic use of your steamer for foods that have dried out and your toaster oven for foods that have lost their crispiness.
Tanya asked the group, "In your kitchens, what is most often wasted because it has gone bad?"
"Lettuce!" was the group response. Tanya was prepared for this and whipped out some looseleaf lettuce and the items needed to store it properly for maximum longevity. Managing moisture and airflow are the keys to being able to use your entire head of lettuce.
A big thank you to Tanya for sharing her knowledge!
Both Tanya DeKona and Tony Sarmiento earned Timebank hours for preparing for and hosting the socials this Fall. There are so many ways that timebank members can support the timebank and earn hours while doing so, including helping with events, writing articles (such as this one), helping with the timebank website and newsletter, and helping new members learn about the hOurworld timebanking platform and arrange their first exchanges. Please write to silverspringtimebank@gmail.com to discuss how you may support the timebank with your time, knowledge, and talents.