HARVESTER Spring Aviv 57832022 GROWING. LEARNING. NOSHING. CONNECTING.
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IN OUR ZINE About Us 04 Intro 03 05 About Adamama Seasonal Growing 07 Hello Spring 08 Farewelling the Winter 10 Classic Kraut Recipe How to plan a garden 12 Soil Celebrating Chaggim in Nature 18 Rosh Ha'Shana 21 Root to Stem Recipe 22 Yom Kippur 23 Succot 24 Use It All Recipe What's On 26 Adamama Events 25 Etrog Ideas 15 What to plant
Adamama (Mother Earth): A blend of two words that represent who we are. Adamah derives from the Hebrew noun meaning "the ground" or "earth" and Mama derives from the English noun meaning
AdamamaMother.isaShalom program and supported by the JCA. Adamama has a partnership with Randwick Council and runs Adamama at The Randwick Sustainability Hub.
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The Harvester is a resource for people who love Adamama, find joy in growing and have a connection to Jewish culture. Over four issues each year, we will celebrate the Jewish connection to the land, seasonal urban farming, food, festivals and our amazing people.
INTRO
We are Australia’s first Jewish Urban Farm, founded in 2019. Inspired by the JOFEE (Jewish Outdoor, Food, Farming and Environmental Education) movement in the US which aims to connect Jewish people to our ancestral roots and bring us closer to nature and our identity. We were gifted a plot at White City to start our journey and after 3 years we are running our project out of the Randwick Sustainability Hub. Through education and cultural experiences, we aim to be the intersection of community, sustainability and Jewish identity. Throughout the last couple of years, we have been building a program which includes; volunteer gardening, sustainability workshops, fermentation courses, playgroups, school holiday camps, school excursions, SuccahFest, The Jewish Food & Farm Festival, The Adamama Bee Club and our brand new boutique pickle brand and club, Adamama Pickle.
05 ALL ABOUT ADAMAMA
Adamama Urban Farm at White City Cultivating soul and soil is what we’re all about. Growing food, eating food, sharing culture in and out of the pickle jar, we want a greener more sustainable Jewish community and world. A place where we can connect to our past and history as an agricultural people.
Food and culture grows here 06
The leaves of the pomegranate are starting to return, the buzz of the bees calmly fill the soundwaves, the scent of lavender and mown grass moves through the air and the antihistamine spray is permanently lodged in my left nostril…It’s SPRING TIME! A time of growth and transformation in our little corner of the globe as it starts to open its eyes and let the sun in on our beautiful gardens.
HELLO SPRING
Onetraditions.ofthe first commandments the Jewish people were given was L’ovdah Ul’Shomrah (to work and protect the land). It is a responsibility I believe we all should share and one that I take very seriously. As the famous saying goes, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow” and as we leave the quiet and peacefulness of winter we leap into the chaos of spring, the season of hope. It is a season of planning, growth, warmth and renewal which is why it has always made sense to me that it is the season in Australia where we celebrate Rosh Ha’Shanah, Yom Kippur, Succot and Simchat Torah. The days of change and transformation, from one year to the next, re-scrolling the scrolls to the beginning and starting again, much like a veggie garden getting ready for a bumper harvest!
My name is Mitch and I am the Director of Adamama. I am so excited to share with you all this resource for spring with musings from the garden, growing tips, recipes and Jewish wisdom. There is a special intersection between food, farming and culture and it is in the middle of those concentric circles that the basis of this Zine was formed. If they say we are what we eat, then it is upon us to figure out who we are by first understanding the food we eat. Every matza ball has a story from grain to shmaltz, every pickle a lesson to teach us about soil and every Shabbat dinner holds the secrets of the farmer and ancient
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For one thing to begin another must end so it is with great sadness we say goodbye to the winter that was. I am a fan of winter for many reasons, one of which being that my fashion goes up another level and I get to wear my favourite Melbourne Demons beanie everyday. I also love the serenity. Things grow slower and there is less urgency on the Wecrops.are lucky in Sydney's temperate climate that the winters aren’t so harsh and a lot of crops still grow. Cabbage and beets are an absolute must in any Jewish garden setup, I always find myself with an abundance of both when it comes time to the end of winter. A life of abundance is the goal whether it be with friends, love, happiness or crops. But what to do with all this abundance that the winter months have provided? Ferment it all! Or make borscht, those are your only 2 Tooptions!mefermenting is a naturally occurring phenomenon, harnessed by humans for necessity and a lost art in newer generations. A response to the lack of refrigeration and the desire not to waste, fermented foods can take the humble cucumber, doomed to rot within a week, and with a bit of salty magic, it will continue its life for months and months. Most of us have memories of grandparents and parents making pickles and kraut but do not know how to do it ourselves. Thanks to the work of legends like Sandor Katz these foods are making a revival into modern homes and practices, it’s retro.
Hear from Sandor Katz at our Jewish Food & Farm Festival!
"Ourimperfection"liesperfectioninour
Sandor Katz THE WINTER
FAREWELLING wej i s h food & farmf e s t i lav SHOPS . FOOD STALLS.GROW.DEMOS. 27NOVEMBER 08
onion
So what do we do at Adamama with all our left over cabbage from the winter? Chop it, salt it, squeeze it, jar it, love it. Mmm... could this be Sauerkraut's new marketing tagline?
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Kraut was first invented in China as the builders of the great wall needed easy and storable nutrients while working. It made its way to Russia where Jews were known to have moved it further west into the eastern parts of Europe where it was eventually made famous in Germany. While fermentation is not only a Jewish thing, it does hold the stories and customs of Eastern European culture. In the shtetl days it was an added bonus to be able to add some flavour and nutrition to an otherwise simple potato and black bread meal. Jewish Ashkenazi ancestry and our traditions have spread throughout the world and become synonymous with Jewish culture. This is especially true in American Jewishdeli cuisine where the sour dill pickle and sauerkraut on a Reuben sandwich is a staple. A lacto-fermented love story between a Jew and a deli, jarred in the brine of time, getting better with age. Pickling is a look into our past and the taste of cultures gone by and an insight into a more sustainable future. your 3 month Receivesubscription.auniquekosherfermenteachmonth.
Adamama Pickles
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CLASSIC KRAUT 10
De-core and slice cabbage (to the size you want your sauerkraut) into a bowl
CLASSIC KRAUT RECIPE
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The MakingThe
Evenly mix in your salt and move around the bowl While you don’t need to let it sit, if you have the time this will make it easier to squeeze out the juice
- 1 kg cabbage - 1 tsp peppercorn - 2 tsp carraway seed - 25g salt
The
Add the spices Pack it into your washed Makejar sure to keep all cabbage submergedcompactedtightlyandunder the Leavebrine 3ish cm of head space between the brine and the top of the jar Put the lid on and store out of fridge away from direct sunlight
Start squeezing and kneading your cabbage until you start to see that yummy Jews, I mean juice come out Prepping Ingredients
The Burping Burp (open and close the lid) every day or two After day 4 taste the kraut and if you want it to ferment for longer then leave it where it is Once it is at your desired state place it in the fridge and it will keep for months and months!
HOW TO PLAN A GARDEN (OF EDEN)
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Adamama's soil. A whole community of life! The simple answer is soil. Now let’s dig a little deeper. I always say that gardeners and farmers don’t grow plants in a garden, we grow the soil and the soil takes care of the rest. Whenever people tell me they are starting a new garden the first question is always, what’s your soil plan? The solution to so many growing problems is healthy soil. It is the beginning and the end of every plant. They rely on the nutrients to grow, feed back into it through their roots and then eventually decompose back to its original source, feeding the soil for future plants. Healthy soil makes healthy plants and healthy plants make healthy soil! Healthy soil even helps with pests as most bugs and critters don’t eat healthy plants; they prefer to eat unhealthy ones.
MicroorganismsWormsCrumblyDark these billions of little wonders may not be visible, but they work hard breaking down matter!
"Every paragraph here will end with compost. If 42 is the answer to the universe, life and everything, then compost is the garden equivalent."
SOIL
Brown Layer Dry leaves Green Layer Kitchen and fruit waste Brown Layer Garden soil, compostbought
One man's waste is another man's treasure. The loot in question is compost. From the waste of a garden or kitchen we can create life in the soil. From the Jewish value of Ba’al Tashchit, “do not destroy”, we aspire for a zero-waste approach to a sustainable life. Give composting a go! Reduce waste and re-use it in your garden. > pH 7.5 -8.5 3
“The stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone.” Psalms 118:22
A transformative dance between yuck and yum, nitrogen and carbon, microbes and oxygen.
JUST RIGHT
SandFertisiliservs.Clay Compost SOIL
13 CausesoxidationWeatheringFertilizersAcidicHighrainfallrainofaciditypH<5.5 pH
Acidic soil Alkaline soil PH Scale
Soil can simply be put on a scale from sand to clay. Middle is best for veggie gardens. Nice and fluffy so the roots can move through it. You want it to stick together when you squeeze it but also break apart when you play with it.
Contrary to popular belief the food scraps in the compost bin are not compost, they are…food scraps. Over time mixed with carbon, moisture and oxygen it becomes compost thanks to the help of those billions and trillions of micro-organisms.
For the general home gardener, a nice balanced soil between 5.5 and 7.5 is best with 7 being neutral. Generally speaking, potting mix is balanced nicely and is great for most things you want to grow compost.or Sometimes your soil may need extra nutrients, like nitrogen. Instead of achieving this with fertilisers, try a natural option. Some plants are also known to be ‘nitrogen fixers’, the best ones are legumes. Sprinkle legume seeds in an empty bed and let them grow over winter. Chop them down into the soil for spring, a widely used method for soil regenerationandhealth.
Creator: Levini Msimbira
At the beginning of every season, you should sprinkle a layer of compost on top of your garden bed and start planting.
ofCausesHighWeatheringDrought7.5concentrationofalkalinityHCO
Compost adds texture to a sandy soil, helping it retain water and hold nutrients. It also breaks down heavy clay soil, fluffing it up so roots can grow and water can pass. Compost gives a nice balance of pH to your soil, acts as a mulch to suppress weeds and most importantly, feeds the soil and fertilises it.
SAND CLAY
"When I was born into this world, I found many beautiful trees planted by those who came before me. Just as my ancestors planted trees for me, I am planting trees for my children and grandchildren."
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- Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Taanit 23a Honi and the Carob Tree
There is nothing quite like going through a seed catalogue and picking out what you want to grow this season. Like a kid in a candy store, your eyes getting bigger at the potential to grow heirloom Blondkopfchen tomatoes (even though you have no idea what it is).
I chose what I plant, I like to think about the upcoming Chaggim. In order to enjoy the bounty of spring crops for the Aussie spring festivals we need to begin planning in autumn. So too in spring; when we sow our garden beds, we consider what crops we will have in summer and the festival of light, Channukah.
FRUIT,VEGGIES&HERBS
SPRING CROPS
Spring TomatoesEggplantCucumberCapsicumLeekPumpkinZucchinionion ThymeCatnipCorianderMarjoramMintDillSweetParsleybasil
“I recommend Eden Seeds and The Digger club for organic seeds”
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Spring is a great time to be planting deconstructed latkes, also known as potatoes. The versatile king of starch, together with the onion are a must have in any Jewish garden as they will be harvested in time for Channukah. Plant now and this year you’ll be making your own fresh latkes. Add those sweet onions to take your latke game up a Anothernotch. staple of the festival of light is those irresistible Sufganyot. Spring is the time to get your strawberries in the ground so you will have an abundance for your jam in December.
WHATTOPLANT
First rule of picking what to grow is, grow food you want to eat. There is little point in growing capsicums if you can’t imagine them in a delicious end of spring shakshuka. Part of the joy of growing food is to enjoy the end Theproduct.second rule is planting a diverse range of crops can help with pests, disease, soil and Whenevergrowth.
SilverbeetRocketCarrotsOkraWatermelonTurmericGingerPassionfruit
SPRING
Planting a diverse range of plants is a must in any garden. It helps control pests, build soil health, and generally looks prettier. Companion Planting Trees 16 Companion planting via www.handyman.net.au/quick-guide-companion-planting
Beepartofacommunity Haveyoualwayswantedtokeepbeesathomebutdidn’tknowwheretostart?Getintouchwithustoseehowyoucanlearntheskillsandgettheequipmentyouneedtostartyoursweetjourney. mitch@shalom.edu.auEmailtojointheBeeClub 17
The original intent of Judaism was for it to be a land-based culture in Israel, so it makes sense that in our little southern home some things don’t quite match up. All except the upcoming months with Rosh Ha’Shana, Yom Kippur, Succot and Simchat Torah. It makes total sense to me that the renewal of the Jewish calendar coincides with spring.
NATURE CHAGGIMDATES: ROSH HA'SHANA 18
Holidays start on sundown on the previous day
CHAGGIMCELEBRATINGIN Rosh Ha'Shana Yom SimchatSheminiSukkotKippurAtzeretTorah 26 - 27 September 5 181710October-16OctoberOctoberOctober
New Year, new growing season, new life. It just makes sense that the new year starts in Asspring.weprepare for Rosh Ha’Shana and the chaggim that follow, it is a time to contemplate our actions in the past year. At Adamama, our environmental footprint is always present in our mind and embedded into the path journeyed to build our Hub, grow in our home, and celebrate our Jewish culture. Here are a few tips to help you start thinking about Rosh Ha’Shana in a sustainable way.
HONEYPRODUCERS
The bees awaken from their hibernation and are sent out into the world to keep it ecologically moving. Bees and Rosh Ha’Shana are intrinsically linked to the concept of a sweet new year as we consume a ridiculous amount of honey. I like to think of keeping bees as a type of shepherding. We have some pretty famous shepherds in our history, Moses, Jacob, Isaac, King David to name a few. To hold a space for bees in your home is a mitzvah for your local ecology and a chance to always have a sweet new year with the Alwaysharvest.wanted to keep bees at home but didn’t know where to start? Get in touch with us to see how you can learn the skills and get the equipment you need to start your sweet journey.
SWEETANDLOCAL RedfernRawHoney RoseberyHoney TheUrbanBeehive SnivesHives TwoCreeksHoney Double Bay Organic Food Markets –CambridgeThursday Markets - Entertainment Quarter Fox Studios Wednesday and Saturday Sydney Sustainable Markets – Darlinghurst KingsSaturdayCross Organic Food Market – Kings Cross CarriageworksSaturdayFarmers’ Market – Eveleigh NorthsideSaturday Produce Market – North Sydney StSaturdayIvesShowground – St Ives Saturday Turramurra Fresh Produce & Gourmet Market – Turramurra Wednesday The Beaches Market - Warriewood Friday Organic Food Markets – Pittwater Sunday Sydney Growers Markets – Flemington: Friday, Saturday and Sunday – head there Marrickvilleearly Organic Food Market – SundaysWest/InnerNorth:EastmorningsWest: GROWERSMARKETS
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THEBEESKNEES
LOCAL
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While it’s tempting to cater like a ‘Jewish Mama’, creating abundant feasts, consider how much will be eaten. Attempt to prepare only the amount of food your friends and family can eat in an effort to eliminate food waste. The first step is having a plan and approaching your meal plan as if the rubbish bin doesn’t exist. With a little extra thought, everything can be used. Here are just some of the ways you can use every part of your food for your Chaggim and every day.
ATSTARTERSCONVERSATIONYOURTABLE WATERWISE
WASTENOTWANTNOT
On Rosh Ha’Shana we perform Tashlich by walking to a flowing body of water, reciting prayers, reflecting upon our sins, and symbolically casting away those sins by throwing bread into the water. In the weeks before Rosh Ha’Shana visit your local green areas and waterways and collect ten pieces of litter, stray plastics, and the ubiquitous water bottles on the ground.
FOODFORTHOUGHT Rabbi Shimon said: "If three have eaten at one table and have spoken over it words of Torah, it is as if they had eaten from the table of God, for it is written" (Ezekiel 41:22). Make this New Year a time for reflection and thought not only around Rosh Ha'Shana-themed topics but also find ways to connect teachings of the Torah to contemporary issues.
MOVEMENT
ROOTTOSTEM
Theshmitayear,whatcanwelearnfromit?Whatcanourfamilydotoreducefoodwastethiscomingyear?WhatpartofyourlifeneedsaShofarwake-upcallthisyear?
Remove PourisvegetableContinuesproutscauliflowervegetablesmonths.bagpreparingfromtops/bottoms/skins/stemstheanyvegetablesyouareandplacetheminainthefreezer-forupto6Avoidbitterlikebroccoli,andbrusselsaddingtothescrapsbaguntilbagfullcontentsintopotandfill
¾ of the pot with water or until the scraps float Bring water to a boil and then let it simmer for at least 30 Strainminutesand keep stock Refrigerate stock 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months
TOSTEMRECIPE
Keep the carrot stems for garnish TzimmesVeg Scrap Stock
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ROOT
Use your beloved recipe Keep the carrot peel on, they're full of nutrients and lowers your waste Use all the sweet veggies that you might have in your fridge
Blanch 2 bunches beet greens Drain well, and coarsely chop Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan. Stir in 2 cloves of minced garlic and red pepper flakes to taste Cook and stir until fragrant Stir in the chopped greens until coated, then season with salt and pepper. Cook just until greens are hot, 1 to 2 Addminutesleft over roast beets and other vegetables Stems Salad Root to stem cooking is all in the mindset. Bunches of radishes, carrots, turnips, beets, celery and fennel are often sold with the greens still attached. Toss them raw into salads, sauté them, make them into kimchi, garnish your soups and roast vegetables and add them to pesto. So, if you’re planning your family tzimmes recipe or soup, keep those carrot tops and celery leaves.
"Give chimichurri sauce made from carrot tops a go! Trust me!"
As we become more aware and the urgency more real for issues like global climate change, water scarcity and food insecurity – to name just a few – there is a growing realization that we must care for the earth as a means of selfpreservation. The time for environmental action begins with a spiritual connection to nature. Thus, we must do Teshuva in our relationship to nature.
This Yom Kippur, when atoning it may be worthwhile thinking about our relationship with the environment. Imagine the earth as a person we have wronged, and Yom Kippur is a chance to put plans in place to make amends for the past. We are “shomrei adamah” (guardians of the earth) whilst spring begins to blossom, we are given the best opportunity to rectify wrongs, start living more sustainably and work and guard our world.
YOM KIPPUR
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Covering over our bad actions from the previous year
With2.1. the right care, love and attention, the actions that we plant from the previous year will hopefully grow into nurturing fruits and plants. What can you grow at home? Sprouting seeds is a fun and easy way for children to be involved. Encourage them to make sure the seeds have soil, light and water. Watch them sprout and grow.
Planting seeds beneath the soil Yom Kippur means the “day of covering over.”
This Succot while we sit outside in nature with our families and friends lets continue our journey from Tashlich to Teshuvah and be in awe of the worlds natural beauty and work towards changing our ways for the sake of the future.
The Etrog, Willow, Lulav and Myrtle represent the beauty and bounty of the land of Israel’s harvest. These represent the desert, mountains, lowland and river regions and as we shake them, we pray for rain for our next harvest season. Rain in the physical sense but also the spiritual so that even the thirstiest among us should have enough. What is going tosustain you for the next youryourWhatyear?willsustaincommunityandenvironment?
At Adamama, we are deeply intertwined with the harvest festival of Succot. During the time of Succot we are told to dwell in our impermanent Succah. In a garden we are constantly surrounded by impermanence. Even the tallest tree will one day fall for firewood or furniture. Every season we grow our crops and then say goodbye to them after they have served their purpose. When thinking about these ideas we are also challenged to consider the finite resources we consume daily. How much longer will we be using petrol for our cars? How much longer until we change our behaviour with single use plastic?
SUCCOT 1. Start a family tradition to keep past decorations and add one new reusable item 2. Create a hanging garland from beads, dehydrated citrus wheels, leaves on a big stick 3. Use old sheets or discarded items for your Succah walls SUSTAINABLESUCCOT 23
Simple yoghurt dough:
1 cup (250 g) Greek-style yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons dried herbs, such as oregano, mint or basil
silverbeet leaves
kale rocketleavesleaves
To assemble, spread 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture over half of each dough circle and scatter 2–3 teaspoons of the spiced onion mixture (if using) on top. Add ½ cup of the greens and herb mixture, then fold the dough over to make a semicircle. Pinch the edges to seal. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, pan-fry the pockets for 2–3 minutes each side, until golden brown. You can also brush each pocket with olive oil and grill them on the barbecue. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Kale, parsley, feta & chilli flakes Rocket, mint, haloumi and lemon zest or chopped preserved lemon rind Baby spinach, basil, mozzarella & parmesan Combinations we like:
½ small onion, very finely diced 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon ground cumin pinch freshly cracked black pepper
2½ cups (375 g) plain all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
Spiced onion (optional):
CORNERSMITHS
⅓ cup (10 g) finely chopped soft herbs: parsleydillmint 200g cheese: crumbledricotta feta grated haloumi grated mozzarella
CORNERSMITHS
RECIPE 24
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
⅔ cup (70 g) grated parmesan ½ teaspoon salt 100 ml olive oil lemon wedges, to serve Combine the greens and herbs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses and salt. If you want to take it up a notch, it’s worth the extra 5 minutes to make the spiced onion; simply combine the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. To make the yoghurt dough, combine the oil, vinegar and yoghurt in a bowl and mix well. Sift in the flour and bicarbinate of soda and mix with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients come together to form a dough. Tip out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes or until very smooth. Divide the dough into eight balls and place under a damp tea towel. Working with one ball of dough at a time, roll the dough into 15 cm circles.
USE IT ALL GREEN POCKETS
2 cups (100 g) very thinly sliced green leaves: english or baby spinach leaves
ETROG HAVDALAH
Slice and dry the etrog (air dry or low and slow in the oven is the way to go) then string the piece into a garland. BAM! Etrog decor for your 2023 Succah Keep the etrog on hand for your next Havdalah. Cover the peel with cloves, like you would an orange, and enjoy the beautiful Succot
ETROG JAM
Save and dry out your etrog seeds. Try planting them, maybe you will grow the best etrog in town for next year! Should we try this at the farm?
Bottlesmellup some sunshine and make your very own etrog jam. We love this recipe from kosher.com
" What can you do to awaken your child’s senses at this reflective and restorative time of year? The key is to start small and take it on as a family. Improve ourselves and the world one shorter shower at a time. " One of the very special customs is a daily ritual, using four different types of plants – the "Lulav" (Palm branch), "Etrog" (Citron), the "Hadas" (Myrtle), and the "Arava" (Willow). We gather these plants together, holding them in our hands, and make a blessing. Each of these plants represents a different type of person - some are very nice and smart and some very simple. This teaches us the need for togetherness and that no matter who we are, we are one people. Here are our favourite etrog ideas for after Succot.
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PLANT THE SEEDS
ETROG IDEAS
CREATE DRIED ETROG GARLANDS
TBC onion 26
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facebook.com/groups/adamamafarm/@adamamajnr@adamama_pickles@_adamama_mitch@27Thewww.adamama.com.auRandwickSustainabiltyHubMundaStreet,Randwick,2031Australiashalom.edu.auAdamama Email JoanneRebeccaMitchBurnie,WendyDolowitz,RebeccaSolomonsSolomonsCapalWords Design Editing
