6 minute read
PANDEMIC LESSONS LEARNED: Sustainable eating + living
ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY SHARON GURNEY
As I am sure has been the case for many of us, this pandemic has not only resulted in much self-isolation, but also self-reflection, self-discovery and in some cases, a desire for self-sufficiency and even food security.
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Take-out food delivery wasn’t an option at my Granite Lake cottage, where I spent as much of the past year and a half as I could. With COVID-19 public health restrictions making grocery shopping challenging for most of that time, I began to wonder… how am I going to eat sustainably and healthy in a more isolated environment?
Healthy sustainable food
My first new food venture was into the world of sourdough bread making. Everyone seemed to be doing it, so much so that finding flour became a challenge. Although I love to cook, baking was never my forte. I soon learned that making delicious sourdough bread was a great way to reduce trips to the grocery store, and another reason to get outside and work off the bread calories. The Fall 2020 issue of Area News featured a great stepby-step sourdough breadmaking recipe (as a member, you can see it online).
Sourdough success was a surprising pandemic accomplishment.
But you can’t eat healthy and live on bread alone. Thanks to the knowledge I gained from the sprout guru, Doug Evans (sproutman.com /pages/sprouting-101), and a Canadian seed supplier, I became enthralled with the wonderful world of jar and container sprouting. Who knew you could grow delicious and extraordinarily nutritious food in only a few days with some seeds, a sealer jar, and water!
Sprouts are delicious on salads, sandwiches, or as a super nutritious side.
Make your greens go further—cut off the bottoms, put them in water and they start growing again.
Another way to make your greens go further is to cut off the bottom of your green onions, celery stalk, bok choy, romaine lettuce, and put them in water and voila, they start growing again. You can plant your onions and celery once they root to increase your harvest. Free homegrown healthy food! Growing my own garden seedlings over the spring resulted in a thriving container garden—fresh greens and herbs right outside the door from spring to fall.
Next, came foraging for chanterelle and lobster mushrooms, and of course, picking wild berries, but ensuring to leave plenty for the wildlife. This past spring, I harvested my sea of yellow dandelion flowers, turning them into a delicious syrup for blueberry pancakes (see also Bob Stewart’s dandelion jelly recipe on page 60). Fortunately, my prolific concord grape vine provided enough berries to sustain me in jam through the winter.
Naturally grown concord grapes are a great jam staple
I also discovered how to make delicious spicy kimchi by fermenting the vegetables in my fridge in need of preservation. Kimchi is a versatile Korean dish that is often made with cabbage, garlic, ginger, and hot peppers, but other veggies can be added. Super easy to make, and once fermented, it is alive with healthy probiotic bacteria. Check out YouTube for some easy-to-follow instructions.
Less waste, more compost
I was able to significantly reduce my wet garbage waste by feeding all my vegetable scraps to my red wriggler worms. These voracious worms not only take care of your vegetable waste, but they also produce both a natural fertilizer and an effective pesticide.
Studies have also shown that home composting can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which would otherwise occur if this waste made it into landfill. Bonus—fewer trips to the dump, and free rich fertilizer to help you grow more nutritious vegetables in the year ahead! Check out the Green Action Centre website to see how to get started with your own vermicomposting at greenactioncentre.ca/ module/composting-2/vermicomposting.
Reflection and self-discovery
Many people I know were also fortunate to find similar silver linings through this pandemic. It gave many of us (at least those not homeschooling children) time to learn and explore new interests that we never had time for in our busy pre-pandemic lives.
Area News editor, Leanne Fournier shared that her greenhouse and large garden were bright spots during the long dark days of isolation at her remote home on the Winnipeg River. “Having that purpose every day, beginning in mid-March, when I was starting my seedlings and all through the summer tending the garden, has definitely been a balm for the loneliness and anxiety of the pandemic,” she said. “If I couldn’t see and care for my family in other provinces, at least I could pamper my seedlings and plants, creating a healthier, sustainable food supply and dramatically reducing our carbon footprint, packaging waste and garbage.”
Jake Boutwell, of the Harvest Kenora Collective, a local group concerned about the global industrial food system and its impacts on people and the planet, reports that interest in its volunteer-run Home Run Gardens in Keewatin has increased during the pandemic. “There is a growing awareness around how our food gets to our plate, and more and more people want to feel connected to their food and their community by sharing the experience of growing food.”
There is definitely something mood-boosting about growing your own food, whether it be in a jar through the winter, on your deck in the summer, or productive use of available land.
Dandelions can be harvested and turned into a delicious syrup or jelly.
My pandemic lifestyle gave me the time to dive into the fascinating world of nutritional science. Much to my surprise, I have transitioned into a plant-centered diet. Some people make this choice for health, ethical and/ or sustainability reasons. I think I was influenced by the science of all three of these factors.
I have never felt better both mentally and physically. Best of all, I have learned that I can make choices to tread a little lighter on this earth.
HOW TO GROW SPROUTS IN A SEALER JAR
You can grow delicious and extraordinarily nutritious food in only a few days with some seeds, a sealer jar and water.
Although each type of sprouting seed may require different growing protocols, most follow these simple instructions. You will need (1) sprouting seeds from a seed supplier; (2) a 2-quart sprouting jar with a screen lid or make you own using a sealer jar and nylon window screen cut to fit under the sealer ring; and (3) water (Brita water reduces the chlorine levels, which can affect germination rates).
Follow these simple steps
1. Place 1-3 tsp of seeds in sealer jar.
2. Partially fill the jar with water, swirl to rinse the seeds well. Drain rinse water through the screen lid.
3. Add enough water to cover the seeds in the jar. Soak seeds according to the instructions on the seed package – generally 2-8 hrs depending on the seed.
4. Drain seeds and invert container on an angle. I use a dish drying rack. Cover the jars with a tea towel to block out the light.
5. Gently rinse and drain seeds twice a day, keeping jars covered until the seeds are well sprouted—generally 3-10 days, depending on the seed type. Once the seeds are well geminated, uncover the jars to allow the natural light (not direct sunlight) to further green-up the sprouts.
6. Place your sprouts on a paper towel to dry thoroughly before storing in the fridge.
7. Enjoy your sprouts on salads, sandwiches, or as a super nutritious side to almost any meal.
Once you have mastered jar sprouting, you may want to try growing microgreens in containers with or without a rooting medium. I’ve had great success growing sunflower sprouts in leftover clamshell lettuce containers. Microgreens take longer to grow than sprouts—but are equally nutritious and delicious. Again, lots of instructional YouTube videos are available.
Sprouts properly dried and stored keep well in the refrigerator.
