Its been an unseasonably cold Spring here in Colorado with late frosts that killed most of the buds for flowers on trees and bushes. Now that the mid-May date has past, we are free to plant what we will. My garden is now filled to the brim with heirloom tomatoes, various varieties of hot peppers, a medley of greens and several varieties of squashes.

Along with the annuals, the perennials have all popped up and I am almost ready to make some rhubarb/strawberry tarts and use some raspberries. This urban gardener can’t wait for the scapes from my garlic crop to ripen either! Happy sowing.

If I send a nice note and ask pretty please, I am hoping that said neighbor will allow a harvesting of this purple prize!

Here is the 411 on the super berry:

Black elderberry has been used medicinally for hundreds of years. Sambucus nigra may be an effective treatment for H1N1 flu. A 1995 study found: “A complete cure was achieved within 2 to 3 days in nearly 90% of the SAM-treated group and within at least 6 days in the placebo group. No satisfactory medication to cure influenza type A and B is available. Considering the efficacy of the extract in vitro on all strains of influenza virus tested, the clinical results, its low cost, and absence of side-effects, this preparation could offer a possibility for safe treatment for influenza A and B.” A small study published in 2004 showed that 93% of flu patients given elderberry extract were completely symptom-free within two days; those taking a placebo recovered in about six days. A 2009 study found that the H1N1 inhibition activities of the elderberry flavonoids compare favorably to the known anti-influenza activities of Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Amantadine. A 2004 study found that symptoms of influenza A and B virus infections were relieved on average 4 days earlier and use of rescue medication was significantly less in those receiving elderberry extract compared with placebo. The study stated, “Elderberry extract seems to offer an efficient, safe and cost-effective treatment for influenza.

Keep you all posted with what I make out of them if they like my sweet note. I am thinking elderberry syrup!

The abundant cherry tree in front is exploding with bowls and bowls of scrumptious sour cherries. Besides freezing many for supreme cherry pies, I am going to do this and this with them! Happy 4th!

The Way We See The World has created a line of edible cups that add life to parties and events and serve as a more sustainable alternative to disposable cups. The cups are flavored to complement the drink being served, can be nibbled on while drinking, and any leftover remnants can be composted. This project explored new and unexpected uses for agar seaweed type gelatin.

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Cucina Urbana in Bankers Hill San Diego has just as inspiring farmhouse decor as fresh delicious cuisine. Their modern country style design is a bit rustic a bit vintage and a little recycled Bohemian.  Lovely chandeliers adorn the ceilings, reclaimed wood, murals and chalkboards liven the walls while country table cloths and burlap upholstery enhance the tables.

The food at Cucina Urbana is largely locally raised on farms around the San Diego metro area with seasonal fare determining menu changes. Thing to try: house infused alcoholic drinks, imaginative & scrumptious salads and gourmet desserts.

“People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change, the world’s leading authority on global warming has told The Observer Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which last year earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Prize, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further. His comments are the most controversial advice yet provided by the panel on how individuals can help tackle global warning.

Pachauri, who was re-elected the panel’s chairman for a second six-year term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems – including habitat destruction – associated with rearing cattle and other animals. It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport, he said.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century. ‘In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity,’ said Pachauri. ‘Give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there,’ said the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian.

However, he also stressed other changes in lifestyle would help to combat climate change. ‘That’s what I want to emphasise: we really have to bring about reductions in every sector of the economy. ‘Pachauri can expect some vociferous responses from the food industry to his advice, though last night he was given unexpected support by Masterchef presenter and restaurateur John Torode, who is about to publish a new book, John Torode’s Beef. ‘I have a little bit and enjoy it,’ said Torode. ‘Too much for any person becomes gluttony. But there’s a bigger issue here: where [the meat] comes from. If we all bought British and stopped buying imported food we’d save a huge amount of carbon emissions.’

Tomorrow, Pachauri will speak at an event hosted by animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming, which has calculated that if the average UK household halved meat consumption that would cut emissions more than if car use was cut in half. The group has called for governments to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60 per cent by 2020. Campaigners have also pointed out the health benefits of eating less meat. The average person in the UK eats 50g of protein from meat a day, equivalent to a chicken breast and a lamb chop – a relatively low level for rich nations but 25-50 per cent more than World Heath Organisation guidelines.

Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, who will also speak at tomorrow’s event in London, said government could help educate people about the benefits of eating less meat, but it should not ‘regulate’. ‘Eating less meat would help, there’s no question about that, but there are other things,’ Watson said. However, Chris Lamb, head of marketing for pig industry group BPEX, said the meat industry had been unfairly targeted and was working hard to find out which activities had the biggest environmental impact and reduce those. Some ideas were contradictory, he said – for example, one solution to emissions from livestock was to keep them indoors, but this would damage animal welfare. ‘Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simplistic solutions being proposed,’ he said.

Last year a major report into the environmental impact of meat eating by the Food Climate Research Network at Surrey University claimed livestock generated 8 per cent of UK emissions – but eating some meat was good for the planet because some habitats benefited from grazing. It also said vegetarian diets that included lots of milk, butter and cheese would probably not noticeably reduce emissions because dairy cows are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released through flatulence.” (Juliette Jowit, www.guardian.co.uk)
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