Do you butterfly with probiotics? How about a dairy free, fizzy mangolassi that is probiotic?

What the heck is a probiotic "butterfly"?

It's when you mix milk kefir and water kefir soda and get a bubbly effervescent milk concoction. It's absolutely refreshing, and when was the last time you wanted to chug a fermented milk beverage on a 90 degree day?

First and foremost, DON'T use that store bought crap. DO use the homemade kind. It really is that much better for you, without the additives and will cost you the price of milk and the price of sugar.

What is so special about my rendition of this recipe is it is a combination of things I know, do and have read other places. Here I will tell you how to make my version of a "Mango Kefir Smoothie" found in Emma's book below. Here I'm making a coconut milk kefir mango lassi butterfly! Yagghhhhh- what you say?! ...Well, 4 to be exact.

Emma Christensen has a fantastic new book called True Brews: How to Craft Fermented Cider, Beer, Wine, Sake, Soda, Mead, Kefir, and Kombucha at Home. Her blog can be found here:

http://emmaelizabethchristensen.blogspot.com/2012/06/true-brews-cover.html

Inside she has a simple recipe for making milk kefir and water kefir. I have been doing this for a while so I bought the book because of its other contents. I have already started making her "Sparkling Raspberry Kefir Wine"' which is a new venture, but sort of what I already am experimenting at home in my science-kitchen lab. I have to comment that the book is beautiful and is very nice to have as a hardcover instead of my usual kindle version.

Mango coconut kefir lassi butterfly:

1 can of coconut milk kefir (pre-make this with a tablespoon of milk kefir grains and a ferment directly in the coconut milk (this is the larger , normal sized can.. But do not ferment in the can. Ferment the traditional way in a glass jar... minimal or no additives please!)

Approximately 24 ounces of water kefir soda (pre-make this however you prefer, with a second ferment and fizz. I used mango juice kefir I already had in the fridge. It was a heavy ferment, hardly sweet and smells quite yeasty.) this doesn't matter exactly how much. It's more about how you like it. Thicker or thinner consistency.

2 very ripe mangos

A couple of cubes of ice (optional)

A sprig of mint (optional)

A bit of raw honey (if you really like sweet)

You will also need a few of glasses, a blender, and a spatula.

* I actually did this in two batches. I used half the coconut milk and did the recipe with the other half within a few days. The fermented coconut milk will keep well in the fridge until another hot summer day arrives when you need refreshing. This becomes about 1 mango per cup of coconut milk kefir.

1. Peel the mango's, chop and plop in the blender

2. Pour in your coconut kefir milk and raw honey if you choose. I tried it with and without. I think it's sweet enough, but if you want the raw honey benefits for a hangover then feel free.

3. Blend it up!

4. Pour it out evenly into 4 glasses (or use half the recipe for 2 at a time) and spatula all the good remaining bits into the glasses. It should be pretty thick and nasty looking, almost like baby food. But, just wait It will get better!

5. Pour about 6 ounces of 2nd fermented water kefir soda into each glass and swirl it in with a spoon or spatula.This creates a fizzy, heavenly reaction in the kefir world called the "butterfly".

6. I like to throw a couple of ice cubes in and a spring of mint on top because I like to be fancy.

7. Share with a friend on a fantastically hot and humid day. Ohh so refreshing!

Indoor sprouting and mushroom logs year round

One of the interesting things I learned while living in Berlin, is that I really missed fresh, locally grown veggies in the winter. Having a real winter there was quite a shock from my Southern California, American...you can get tomatoes year round.

Sprouting is one of the easies things you can do to grow your own greens in any living arangment where you have indirect light. Mason jar sprouting is low maintenance. 

They also say that sprouts contain 300 % more nutrients that the full grown plant because of the unique qualities of germination.

rawtherapy.blogspot.com was kind enough to post this image of a typical mason jar sprouting. 

All you need is one clean mason jar, viable sprouting seeds, and some sort of fine mesh and rubber band. Put some sprouts in the jar and soak for 3-4 hours for quicker germination. Drain the sprouts in the sink and rinse with fresh water. Drain the sprouts again, and lean on a 45 degree angle. I find my dish drying rack works great. 

Most types of sprouts prefer a morning rinse and an evening rinse. In 3-4 days you will have yummy sprouts. Let them dry and store in the fridge.

Some wonderful spouts can be found at thesproutpeople.com

I love their raw peanuts to sprout as well as their spicy mustard, cress, and radish blend.

They also sell sprouting trays and various other types of sprouting kits. My problem I have had with the trays, is the air circulation is limited and I have had hot and humid sprouts...which equals mold. You need some air circulation or the ability for them to dry out a bit during the day. I have also used a dip sprouting tray in Germany, which was great for gelatinous seeds like cress and alfalfa. These can be sprouted in a mason jar, but my Irish friends told me their moms used to sprout thee on a moist paper towel, and this seems to be the easiest low tech way.

Sunflower sprouts are also really easy to sprout at home, but because of their high nutrient demand, they do prefer a small amount of dirt. I use a propagator tray, but even a small plate with a lip to hold the dirt and water will work. It needs to be watered like a house plant, get it wet and let it dry...repeat. Do not kill it with too much water or you can get mold or bugs.p

Now onto the mushrooms!

I have an inoculated shitake mushroom log which I had purchased last fall online. It find it to be reliable and not to difficult to maintain. These are a bit more complicated than the mushroom kits, however they are supposed to produce yummy us grooms for up to 4 years. The mushroom kits last only a few weeks, and go out with a bang. They produce many mushrooms, but it is basically a pile of dirt and crap with wood ships and you spray is bag and fungi grows. I find it lacks some charm. "Oh, what's that?"

"That is a big pile of shit in a plastic bag that I"m growing mushrooms in."

Yum.

The trick with the logs is to shock it every 2 weeks in non-chlorinated ice water. You let the log soak for about 24 hrs, and then remove it and prop it up in an area where the humidity isn't too low. There also needs to be some variation of light in the room BUT... Do not put your log in over 80 degree temperatures or in the direct sun. Logs can also be left outside in a shady spot and mother nature can take over.

I use a clear rubbermaid container to soak the log, but I also stand the log up in the container and prop it up and leave the top on for the first few days after it has soaked. This was our first set of shiitakes. You cut the, at the base and ideally keep them in an old st,e mushroom jar. It has breathing holes and maintains the proper humidity which makes the mushrooms last 3 times as long in the fridge.

I consistently get mushrooms every 4 weeks, however I attempted to move the log to my basement hoping it would be better for maintaining humidy. The problem is I have a dehumidifier going down there and it's just to dry for happy mushrooms. I ended up getting dried, yet full grown shiitakes, which made a wonderful base for a Japanese miso/ seaweed soup. It wasn't wasted, just out of my hands at that point. This time I'm going to leave it upstairs, near the kitchen and bathroom.

I also inoculated my own logs from a rescued section of a 200 year old Brooklyn oak tree which was downed during hurricane Sandy. When making your own mushroom log, one needs to know that there are many rules about how old the log can be, if it has any other signs of bugs or fungus, and what type of wood it is for the type of incoculated, wooden dowel plugs. This is all over the Internet.

I actually biked my logs back from below Prospect Park. The tree owner's thought I was crazy, but hey, it's just a couple of logs. I will not pay for a cab for them. Back at the house, I drilled and pounded about 30 plugs in each log p; sealing any holes, or damaged bark with cheese wax. I used an ugly yellow wax, but hey... it was on sale. What is great, is that I had ordered blue oyster mushroom plugs, which are hard to find on a log. This is going to be fantastic for all sort so mushroom dishes. I love fried oyster mushrooms and mushroom pasta.

When comparing my shitake log and my new oyster mushroom log, I saw the shitake log only had about 9 plugs. This is a low count for what they recommend when making your own log. My new log is going to kick my old logs ass! 

After the log makes all of its fungi for its lifetime, the log can be retired to the compost, firewood, or tuned into a mason bee house. The mushrooms need the sugars in the wood and a used log is no longer viable.

What did I learn? 

The new fungi log was fun to make and I was able to give it to a good friend of mine for her birthday present. Now all she has to do is water it every 2 weeks and wait 3 months to see if the spores have taken over and the log will fruit. :)

She loves me but hates me for making her wait, but it will be a wonderful gift after she romances it with the correct amount of water and light wooing.

Lacto fermented radishes and greens

I love me some radishes, but I think I can't keep up with how many I have ready in my garden. I like to eat the greens and I like fermenting, but mushy fermented greens in a mason jar doesn't sound good. I like some crunch in my ferments! What is nice about lacto fermenting, is it is very nutritious and probiotic.

After work projects need to be easy on the body and mind, so I chose a batch of almost over-ripe radishes with their greens, broccoli leaves, leftover cabbage from the fridge, and plenty of minced garlic and caraway seeds. This will make way for my new summer crops to be planted where the radishes once were. That on the other hand is another blog post topic.

1/2 gallon mason jar

Something to weight down the veggies in the brine- I used a Pom glass and a bowl

2/3 -1 tablespoon sea salt

(Optional) a dash of whey or some already lacto fermented leftover juice. I

 have had successful ferments without whey/ ferm juice, but it does help to keep a high ratio of good bacteria. This can be a variant due to temperatures and air circulation in the fermenting set-up

Minced garlic 2-4 cloves

Radishes, crunchy greens, and cabbage (or variations of what is lying around)
1-2 cups of non-chlorinated water

Wash and chop all the veggies into bite sized pieces and mince the garlic or use a garlic press. I find soaking the radishes and shaking them under water really helps release the dirt.

Dump 1 cup of the non-chlorinated water into the clean mason jar, and mix in 1/2 of the salt and caraway seeds, and the optional whey or ferm juice.

Start packing in all your chopped veggies and mash down with a wooden spoon. Top off the veggies with more non-chlorinated water to rise above the veggies and salt to taste. *Sometimes I like very salty ferments, such as beets where I can use it as the salt content on top of an Asian rice dish.

Weight down the veggies with a food safe plastic bag and a cup or another form of weight and make sure the brine fully covers the veggies. The Pom glass fits nicely but leaves a decent gap, so it's important to put a large cabbage leaf on top, or a food safe plastic to create a barrier. I use a freezer bag and then pour more brine on top to create a seal, or simply weight the bag with a cup and bowl.

Let the weighted ferment sit for a few days out on a counter top keeping as little air out of the jar as possible, but all the veggies stay submerged. This is really important for the success of the ferment. This is like aerobic and anaerobic composting, where different t bacterial are supported with or without the air circulation.

In 2-3 days, spoon out a bit and taste. If you would like more zing, and everything is tasting good so far...add another few days and repeat the process, making sure to pack the veggies back in! Fully submerged under the brine and big leaf/ plastic on top.

When the flavor is to your liking, cap the jar and keep it in the fridge and eat daily. This is good for a few months, until the veggies start to get mushy. Compost whatever doesn't get eaten and use the leftover juice to quick start a new batch.

Some ideas for lacto fermented veggies:

Kimchi with Korean dried peppers, garlic, and tiger with chopped kale or napa cabbage.

Matchstick cut sunchokes with garlic and raw pumpkin seeds

Beets and nothing else!

Carrots, apple, cabbage, caraway seeds, ginger and garlic

This is one of the sites I follow often as they ferment everything and have so many idea like fermented ketchup and salsa. Yum! 

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/lacto-fermented-radishes-recipe/

This addition of fermented foods will give you some fantastic probiotic boosts in your diet that will help with digestion and good gut flora.

Edible flowers and Wildflowers

As the spring finishes up, I hope some of you were able to go out there and enjoy all those lovely wild or edible flowers. I have come to learn the I really prefer wild flowers over traditionally appreciated flowers. I grow some interesting flowers, but some I go out and speak to every morning. They seem to return the favor with a plethora of colors and new blooms.

I grow California Poppies because I miss my southern California background. I have also started growing the elusive Green Wizard and Big Blue Sea Holly. Last year these flowers were pretty unsuccessful. I didn't understand when to plant them and what they needed, but all of these flowers prefer to be ignored and have less than ideal soil I am hoping to use these coneflowers as honey bee and butterfly attractors. Did I mention that these can be dried and used for showy flower arrangements? Sadly, the poppies only last a few days until another one comes out and they are very fussy on being cut or transplanted.

                  

As for edible flowers happening in my garden this year, I finally had some sage and lavender come out. Surprisingly, the sage was the show of the garden and the lavender was almost unnoticed next to it. If you haven't smelled or eaten these flowers then you must go out and do it next spring. There is a reason why the bee's are absolutely drunk on their smell and nectar.

Just at the right moment, my awesome, yet avid gardening neighbors had a BBQ and asked me to provide the salad. I provided it in my gigantic African, hand carved bowl which I do not get to use very often be sure of its sheer gigantic size. The salad greens were Heirloom butter lettuce, Red oak lettuce, radish greens and the radish itself, arugula and dandelion greens, and some chopped baby borage leaves, chives and mint. Yes, I grow all of this and it barely made a dent in my lettuce supply.

What a mix...I was thinking, crazy springtime fun in your mouth kind of salad. I topped that off with a bunch of culinary purple sage flowers, lemon thyme flowers and chive flowers. The neighbors added some fresh spinach. It was all I had hoped for, but I fear that maybe it was a bit s
cary for your general BBQ attendee. I mean, who brings salad to a BBQ anyways?!

Later that week a good friend of mine gave me some 
nasturtium flowers which she had purchased at the farmers market. I threw that into my boring work salads for the week and shared them with my co-workers. Yum! I am now planting Canary nasturtium vines so I can eat flowers whenever I want. These annuals are low maintenance and do all sorts of magical things in your garden.

I figure, why not make your flowers both attractive to pollinators, repel/ and or attract bugs away from you squash, and they taste like natures candy too?! Yes, I do have a plant problem. It's become obvious.

Don't even get me started on the vitamin contents and healing and preventative treatments that these flowers can have. I just read the other day that there is a study that believes that for men, eating pollen from flowers can reduce the chance of prostate cancer by 65%. Men, EAT THOSE FLOWERS TOO!

This is my first time...gardening that is

Nov 2011 me and my partner moved back from Berlin, Germany, to an apartment sandwiched between Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, and Bed-Stuy. We started a container garden (because there was no dirt) and a parking lot drain which flooded from the funeral home next door. We had our work cutout for us. This was a must after living in an amazing environment like Berlin. The people there enjoy every last bit of the outdoors when the weather permits, because their winters are so harsh and dreary. I had a basil plant going for a while in Germany. Fungus gnats killed it and the lack of sun, or so I thought. I'd always thought of myself as pretty unsuccessful aka... the black widow of plants. Everything seemed to die.

One of the most important things I learned since the death of my Basil, was is that I was killing my plants with LOVE.

Almost two years later I have gotten into permaculture, homesteading, and all things in between. All my friends ask me for herbal healing advice, health tips, and food ideas. They told me I need to start video blogging. I refuse...so instead I will write-blog.

You too can grow anything anywhere and take back your power of your health and in your home with what you eat and what you grow.