September 2007 Conversation- Mediterranean Cooking

Last night we experienced a feast for the senses. Erica gave us a lesson in low-impact, Mediterranean cooking. We started preparing foods at about 4, and were finally serving the meal around 7. We learned to make herb-stuffed eggs, sweet peppers with tuna, grilled eggplant and zucchini, swiss chard/spinach fillo quiche, tomato sauce with fresh herbs, a mixed green frittata, and for dessert, filled peaches. We learned to talk to our food, and to listen. When we asked to set a timer for the stuffed peaches, Erica responded: 'Don't worry - they will talk to me.' It's also important to know that we don't need to pity the tomatoes when we squeeze the juice from them - Erica assured us that they are fine. More pictures: September 2007 Conversation. Here are the recipes. Here's a sample of the evening:

Michigan State Recognition for Green Leadership

Four colleges and universities have received the 2007 Campus Sustainability Leadership Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

The winners, who were honored at the Greening of the Campus conference at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., were Michigan State University, East Lansing; Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt.; Green Mountain College, Poultney, Vt.; and Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Chandler, Ariz.

The awards recognize schools that have made substantial commitments to sustainability in governance and administration, operations, curriculum and research, campus culture and community outreach.

Michigan State received the award for four-year schools with more than 7,500 students. Among the university's efforts: Developing an expanded recycling center; incorporation of LEED design practices into campus construction standards; using design strategies for parking lots to reduce storm water run off and frequency of mowing; switching all farm equipment and university-owned diesel trucks on campus to bio-diesel fuel; adding 15 hybrid vehicles to the campus fleet; opening a full-time bike center; updating its campus plan to call for a coordinated bicycle system that includes convenient and appropriately sized storage facilities, bike lanes within roadways, and pathways where appropriate.

For the full story:

Green School and University

TerraCycle

Here's a great new company (about 2 years old) out of Trenton NJ founded by a couple of Princeton guys Terracycle. This is a plant fertilizer made entirely from composted garbage and, yes, worm poop. Even their packaging is recycled. They package the product in 20 oz pop bottles that are collected by groups (esp. schools) around the country. The spray tops are from other companies' leftovers as are the boxes they use for shipping and bottle collection. I'm going to go get some of their products and give them a try. Check out the site - it's great! --- Martha

I also found a great product at Ace Hardward for ridding me of those pesky Japanese beetles. This trap attracts the beetles with a scent and then they fall into the bag and can't get out. I've already caught around a hundred of them and this is not the height of the beetle season. I'll put another out next spring when they begin to hatch. NO PESTICIDES!!!