Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Tue, 22 Feb at 11:34pm.

I am a sucker for cardamom. I know that's what tempted me to try a preserved lemon recipe again. What are preserved lemons? They're just lemons quartered and packed with salt and a mix of spices, commonly used in Moroccan and Indian cuisines. The pickling softens the skin, which you slice up and add to tagines or bean dishes, after scooping out and discarding the fruit.

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Wed, 16 Feb at 11:23am.

Urban foraging can be a lot easier with a toddler along for the ride. You might think a 2 year old would be more trouble than help in gathering fruit, but that's only if you don't calculate the cuteness factor.

Blog entry by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Thu, 10 Feb at 7:32am.

Friends are pressing apples for cider this weekend, and I was served a slice of birthday apple pie last night, so apples must be in season. No one in my Homesteading Circle has an apple tree, but several of us have very particular taste memories of apple butter, and we wanted to try making some. We decided to turn to the Bay Area Homestead Hookup to help us make it happen.

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Wed, 9 Feb at 10:56am.

Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) were new to me. I'd made the acquaintance of elderflowers in the form of some divine mixed drinks, but I had no idea what to expect of the berry.

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Wed, 9 Feb at 10:54am.

I'm on a quest. 

I want to forage and eat at least one thing every week for a year. I live in the flatlands of Oakland – so yes, there's a lot of concrete here. But there's also an amazing amount of fruit, wild greens, artichokes, nuts and cacti. It's just a perspective change to have it pop out at you. 

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Wed, 9 Feb at 10:51am.

I love foraging invasive species.

Blog entry by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Wed, 9 Feb at 10:49am.

I've recently joined a Homesteading Circle, and I'm still on a high about it.

For our first meeting, we picked a plum tree clean, ending up with huge bowls and buckets full of plums that we converted into plum chutney.

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Thu, 3 Feb at 2:10pm.

Last week, I pulled the bag of dried mushrooms out of the pantry and opened it, trying to figure out a way to use such a large quantity of candy caps.

Article by Jess Watson.
Last updated at Thu, 27 Jan at 9:15am.

You're probably thinking, “I didn't know we had olive groves in Oakland.” 

And we don't ... per se. But the trees are everywhere. Once you can recognize their distinctive gray-green silhouette, it's just a slight shift in awareness to start to see them everywhere you go. 

Blog entry by Susan Mernit.
Last updated at Thu, 23 Dec at 8:11am.

OMG! I thought my holiday shopping was done till I clicked over to the Pop Up General Store blog and started reading. The goodies being sold from 5-7 tonight right over on Martin Luther King way seem irresistable, as in who could resist them?

Article by CB Smith-Dahl.
Last updated at Sun, 28 Nov at 9:45pm.

Photos by CB Smith-Dahl.

Blog entry by Susan Mernit.
Last updated at Wed, 22 Sep at 5:38am.

For the past few months, members of the Oakland Local team have been working with some of the food justice/food access organizations around the city, particularly in East Oakland, to help them improve their skills in understanding what is news and in using social media to get the word out about issues, events and programs. 

Blog entry by Oakland Food Poli....
Last updated at Tue, 21 Sep at 6:14am.

With all of the natural and man-made disasters, our dependence on imports and multinational corporations for food has some serious downsides.  Not only is it more expensive, it’s bad for local and regional economies, the environment and our health.

Blog entry by Meg Bertoni.
Last updated at Tue, 16 Mar at 8:43am.

Straight from the Society for Agriculture and Food Ecology:

Switch to mobile site