Amida Kitchen

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Comment by Zee-Zee on April 18, 2009 at 8:07pm

Veganism in respoce to Franco Acquaro's comment

For a few years I was only "vegan at home", as thought it would be too difficult when outside my home. When I finally made the shift to being fully vegan I found it easier than I thought it was going to be.

For the first year I decided to write in a little note book any time I was not vegan. Not to beat myself up but to see if there were any patterns and particularly challenging situations. At the end of the first year there was only one entry in my little note book!

How hard being vegan would be for you depends on your lifestyle, what sort of friends you have and whether you have any cravings for dairy containing foods for example milk chocolate. What do you think would be the most difficult about going fully vegan?

Comment by Mervyn Carter on April 18, 2009 at 10:04am

Thanks to Franco Acquaro for your thoughts on veganism, and Greetings, Friend

Veganism has so many benefits, to health, ethics and the environment, I strongly feel it's the truly skillful way to feed oneself. As a rough figure, veganism creates about one third of the resource use of vegetarianism - one fifth that of meat-eating - a bigger reduction than one might think

Of course, you aren't compelled to go to 100% vegan straight away - few people do that. How about making one vegan meal per week to start ? Choose a weekend and spend time creating something that's really tasty, nourishing, beautiful - something that you can really enjoy. Perhaps drop one non-vegan item from your food stocks, something that you are not so attached to. Build up to Vegan Weekends, then move on as your skills and enjoyment of vegan cuisine blossoms. Slowly work your way towards the target of mainly vegan food, and don't feel you've got to beat yourself up if eat a slice of non-vegan cake once in a while

It doesn't matter so much how high up the mountain you are. It matters more whether you're climbing, or falling !

Bon appetite !

Mervyn Carter
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Veganism means never having to explain to an animal why your
lunch is more important than its life
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Comment by Joan McCann on April 18, 2009 at 8:38am

Many thanks for your advice Ray, it's really helpful. I like your idea of planting 1 for us and 2 for them and looks like I might be able to grow more vegetables than I thought. I have tried growing vegetables in containers but think they grow so much better in the ground.

Comment by Franco Acquaro on April 18, 2009 at 6:56am

Aloha!

I have been a vegetarian for most of the last 15 years. I have been seriously considering Veganism. It seems appropriate in so many ways...ethically, nutritionally, ecologically, etc. Yet, I find it a daunting prospect and I am finding resistance within myself to committing to it. Would others care to share their feelings, experiences on the matter....

Comment by Ray Brown on April 15, 2009 at 7:34pm

Sorry to hear about th slug problem.

I too have battles with slugs but have various ways that I try to outwit them. The things I know they like I always plant out 1 for us and 2 for them. This seems to work sometimes though I've never had any thanks from them! I also move plants around each year so that I don't get a concentration of slugs in one plot.

There are various vegetables they don't seem to go for in my garden that I can recomend to you. Runner beans, pea beans, dwarf french beans, garlic, all the root crops, potatoes, artichoke (especially Jerusalem), onions, and the easiest one to grow yet so abundant and tasty, courgettes. They do like lettuce but aren't great fans of Lola Rosa and only take a little of this.

I also have a greenhouse and can easily keep up the defences there, (just go out at night occaisionally, say hello and then remove them out of the greenhouse - and put them somewhere else away from ones favourite beds of course! - in my case I have a field next to my garden so I put them there).

You can plant the spinach directly into the ground. I plant about this time of the year normally so you should be alright in London now. Drill a furrow with the hoe, throw in the seed, I don't worry about how many as they are so accomodating. They won't need thinning out either when they come up. Make sure they are watered at first but again they are good in drought as well as flood. And the best of luck to you. Let me know how it goes. By the way they are sometimes go by the name of leaf beet.

Metta,

Ray

Comment by Joan McCann on April 15, 2009 at 4:41pm

I really like growing vegetables but have not had a great deal of success in my garden (apart from swiss chard & broad beans) as there are so many slugs & snails. Thanks for your advice Ray that perpetual spinach isn't much affected by slugs or birds, can I sow the seeds directly into the ground now or is it best to start them off in pots indoors?

Comment by Robert Sadler on April 14, 2009 at 2:38pm

Let's eat !
It is about time to get a garden of some sort growing here in the mountains.
Perhaps I will have better luck this year ...

Comment by Ray Brown on April 13, 2009 at 10:27am

I grow a range of vegetables in our garden usually enough to keep my wife and I in certain varieties for a few months. The greatest success I had this last year was the perpetual spinach which we kept picking throughout winter and has now blossomed again this spring. It is very healthy, very easy to grow, will keep us in greens for most of the year, very quick to cook (2 mins in a steamer), tastes good, and not much affected by slugs and birds. I don't think you can ask much more of a crop can you especially as I haven't got to sow it again this year, just give it a little feed!

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