Restarts & Wood Avens
Here we fucking go!
Welcome weeds and wanderers to the first-ever Scrap Kitchen Newsletter. This has been a long time coming and I am so glad you chose to sign up and support. It really means the world to me.
You may be wondering why in the hell I chose to start this newsletter mid-month (on the day of one of my best friends birth, no less). It’s pretty simple, last Friday (the 12th) was the Lunar New Year. I have actually joked with several friends that I’m giving myself not one, but three New Years in 2021. Just in case it needs a little recalibration, a little restart. Last Friday was the second of them, the third will be the astrological new year in mid-March, by then I hope we won't need another refresh, but it's good to have a backup plan
Staying in the mystical sphere, the tarot card for the week is the Queen of Cups, who sits on a throne of introspection, her emotions at play below the surface. This week ask yourself: What has been bubbling up? What do you need to sit with? To make time for? How can you honour your emotions without being lost in the swell of them?
Speaking of making time for things, February is towards the tail-end of when you can harvest Wood Avens. An amazing substitute for cloves, and a pretty distinctive plant, so you don’t have to worry about picking the wrong thing. They grow mostly in shaded forest areas but I actually found a whole bunch of these growing right in my garden. I used them this Christmas time to season a fruitcake. When foraging remember to never take more than you need, always leaving more than enough for not only the next few people but also for the plants to keep going. I would suggest picking only one plant, luckily each bit of it is edible. The roots, when washed thoroughly can be dried low-and-slow in the oven then ground to create a powder (they can also be directly added to vodka and steeped for several months), the leaves are great in stir-frys, salads, or as soup garnishes.
Garden wise, those with outdoor space will be gearing up to growing their seeds. At this time I suggest starting some peppers and aubergine if you have a little space. If you don’t have outdoor space, but do have a little time on your hands, try the Fermentation Method of sprouting tomato seeds.
Seeds contain all the nutrients baby plants need to grow, which builds up as the plant puts energy into the seeds. This means they are also protected by the plant so they don’t sprout too early or late. The fermentation method gets around this. By breaking down the protective juices that coat the tomato seeds, you basically replicate what happens when an animal eats a tomato and the seeds pass through them. While this method is the best I’ve found, don’t be afraid to experiment, seeds straight from the tomato into a pot on my windowsill gave me a whole harvest of cherry tomatoes last year. They just took a little while longer to get going. Let me know what you are trying (tag me in your pics on Instagram @xan6ua).
It’s generally suggested to sprout your seeds 6-8 weeks before the last frost date, here in London that’s early May, but I always feel like my tomatoes need a bit more growing time. As for the tomatoes you choose, I popped into my local organic shop and picked up a couple of varieties to test. I am also experimenting with those from the £1-a-bowl guy across the road. Since I’m probably leaving the country my seed sprouting has to be kept to a minimum, but having too many plants is the best problem to have…
The thing to remember when sprouting from scraps is that while you might like the flavour of what you are trying to sprout, the plant you grow won’t necessarily be the same. However, here is where tomato is the perfect scrap starter. Since it is self-pollinated, you are much more likely to get a true to type tomato from it. ]
Another thing to note when sourcing seeds from the shop is to try to buy organic. Lots of large retailers spray their produce with growth inhibitors, heat treat seeds such as beans/lentils, or breed them to be sterile (e.g. seedless grapes), this can make reproducing them pretty difficult. Produce is often bred for greenhouse conditions and with little care for crossing species, meaning it really is a bit like a lucky dip, but it’s still always worth a try. Over the years I have managed to grow corn, tomatoes, garlic, lentils and many others from groceries-gone-bad experiments.
Experiments aside you can also get seeds that are adapted to your area from local seed banks such as Seed Co-operative, London Freedom Seed Bank and Seed Savers Exchange. Remember to shop independent when purchasing seeds since you help preserve diversity, local business and get to stick it to the massive multinational seed corporations.
Now we’ve talked seeds sprouts let's turn to another kind. Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and winter's hardy roots are all in season. Why not try Bing Bang Boom Sprouts, Buffalo Cauliflower or Crisps made from Root Vegetable Scraps. On the fruit side of things, Blood Oranges are on their way, changing colour as a reaction to the cold and needing a frost to bring out their full red flavour. If you are interested, you can read more about anthocyanin, the compound that produces this blood-red hue not only in oranges but also in flowers. These oranges and any others you have laying around can be used for the base of an absolutely stunning cake, while their rinds are easily saved for citrus scrap vinegar. I’m also pretty obsessed with the idea of a Blood Orange Margarita. If any of these have inspired you please send me your pictures, I would love to see what you make.
I couldn't sign off without taking a step back. As was wisely said by The Growing Culture “Local food movements cannot be an escape. Running away from the global forces of injustice by isolating ourselves and reproducing the same injustice on a smaller scale, but in a way that feels more comfortable, can hardly be called resistance.” Their whole article on why local food movements won't save the world is so very prescient. We can’t just potter around in our kitchen, save some scraps from the bin and call ourselves activists. Not when the largest protest in history, where farmers are being bullied yet again by colonialist forces and their own government, is ongoing. Not when the UK government is plowing through ancient woodland for a train line that may never get built. Not when massive corporations sue rural farmers for growing a certain type of potato while four firms control over 60% of the world's seeds. Saving your scraps is just the beginning.
This can seem a little daunting though. And a lot to take on with one small newsletter. But this is the driving force behind Scrap Kitchen. To give people the tools, the information and the background to make conscious, restorative choices. What I am trying to teach people, week on week, is how to personally reconnect with your local environment; to see yourself intertwined and to begin the work towards healing relationships both local and global. But I want to stress that we can't carry our prejudices and unchecked privileges into this space. We, white people especially, need to be in a constant state of reeducation, not just restoration. With that in mind here is a brilliant panel discussion from Shado about Environmental Racism and Why Black Lives Matter in the Climate Movement.
This newsletter is also not a one-way conversation, not just me shouting into the void. I don’t have all the answers and I certainly won't claim to, but if I can bring a little imagination or inspiration to food justice and climate adaptation then great. If I can highlight those who know a whole lot more than me, even better. Speaking of, this week I’m listening to an amazing interview with Seedkeeper Rowen White about Reseeding the Food System for Emergence Mag.
Anyway, I’m going to shut up now. But thank all of you for taking the time to read this, I hope you have learnt something new and if you haven’t, give me a shout and tell me where I went wrong. Also if you leave a review I will love you forever.
Talk to you next Monday
Stay Scrappy,
M
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I did not know about the growth inhibitor thing!! Is that why people say that food has got less nutritious over the decades? Loved this issue, v excited to put some tips into action.