World Ark Magazine - March/April 2009 - (Page 9) harvest: rhubarb With the first warm winds of spring come the first harvests, those hardy green sprigs breaking through the thawing soil. If you live in cooler climes, rhubarb is a terrific harbinger of the changing season. It loves a brisk spring and is a tangy palate cleanser after the heavier starches of winter. A recent report from the Stockholm International Water Institute estimates that as much as 50 percent of our food supply is wasted, as they put it, “from field to fork.” Inefficiencies in production and distribution add up to substantial losses. And wasted food, they point out, equals wasted water, as food production is “the largest human use of water.” Fight food waste on your end with simple strategies: rhubarb pie 4 to 5 cups rhubarb, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 6 stalks) a generous pinch of grated lemon rind 1 cups sugar ¼ cup flour a pinch of salt two pie crusts, either storebought or homemade Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients (except crusts). line ungreased 9-inch pie pan with one crust. Fill pie with rhubarb mixture. cover with top crust. Pinch edges and slash to allow steam and juice to escape. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes to brown the crust. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. w w w. h e i f e r. o r g waste not Plan meals so that leftovers can be transformed into the next night’s meal Buy in bulk only if the food is unlikely to go bad over time Make less than you think you’ll need, not more Clean out the fridge and cupboards regularly to avoid buying more than you need When all else fails, give your food back to the earth— turn your scraps into compost green thumb Before your yard bursts into bloom, take time to tackle some of the less glamorous tasks of gardening: pruning, weeding, mulching and planting. perennial bushes, especially roses and anything that blooms early, should be trimmed of last year’s growth to make way for new. pull the weeds invading your garden now, before they really dig in. give your flower beds a round of fertilizer and a thin layer of mulch. plant pansies and any trees or shrubs you want to add to the garden; wait to plant more delicate flowers and vegetables until the warmer months of late spring. march/apri l 2009 | worl d ar k 9 http://www.heifer.org
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