Health & Food Articles
Differently wired brains
What is neurodiversity? Understanding what is going on for people – especially children – is the only way to inform strategies and systems to help them cope with life, writes Mary Allan.
Creating on-farm fertility
Chaos Springs at Waihi run regular workshops about soil health, composting, and on-farm fertility. Jenny Lux reports on a recent workshop.
Spring into Kōanga!
Spring into Kōanga is a seasonal celebration on Waiheke Island. It’s one of the Kai for Community projects that focus on reconnecting with true seasonal celebrations and the stories and traditions around growing, harvesting and sharing food in the Waiheke community.
Steamed eggplant with spicy sauce drizzle
This is an extremely simple dish that’s packed full of flavour. It’s great to cook during peak eggplant (aubergine) season in the garden. There's a homemade chilli oil recipe here too!
When Micromanaging is Good
Microbes are a big name in organic agriculture – in fact, they are the reason for everything. I’m not exaggerating here: the first life forms thought to have existed were – you guessed it – of such tiny proportions that you and I would have thought nothing of them. Story and photos by Paige Murray.
Asparagus & Lemon Walnut Crumble
The asparagus season is short, so make use of the season with a nutrient-laden crumble you can whip up in 10 minutes.
Fat Hen & Cashew Cheese Tart
A commonly foraged vegetable throughout the world, fat hen is a good source of protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A and trace elements, making this vegan tart — which uses both the seeds and leaves of the plant — highly nutritious.
Leek and Potato Stew
A simple, flavour-packed stew utilising spring veg and pantry staples – serves four. Recipe and photos by Tess Lenart
Shai Magic
Raglan organic grower, compost maker, gardening educator and permaculture landscape designer Shai Brod shares his compost-making and spring gardening tips with Mynda Mansfield.
Kūmara and white bean soup
This seasonal soup serves 6, is quick and easy to make, and very nourishing fare on a cold winter’s day. All the ingredients are easily sourced from an organic shop near you. By Christine Dann.
The Wild and Wonderful World of Perennial Brassicas
Fancy growing a hardy vegetable that will provide nutritious food for a few years? Several members of the brassica (cabbage) family grow as perennials, not setting seed for years. By Peta Hudson and Philippa Jamieson.
Winter Jobs for Blueberries in the Home Garden
There are many blueberry varieties available to the home gardener. Large and small, sweet and sour and everything else in between. They can be notoriously difficult to grow. So if you have some blueberry plants, here are a few winter jobs to help your plants to thrive. By Andy Jeffs.
Shelf life – or human life?
There is a new system of industrial food manufacturing that produces edible substances that are not food, but rather food products containing novel, synthetic molecules never found in nature. These ever-increasing laboratory-engineered chemistry experiments are designed to simulate food.
Neurotoxic Pesticide in our Food
Recently the Safe Food Campaign presented an oral petition to the government’s Petitions Select Committee, asking for the urgent reassessment and ban of the insecticide chlorpyrifos, due to its harmful effects, particularly on babies and young children.
Facts About Flour – The Grist On Wheat Flour
Traditionally, wheat was a protein and vitamin-packed staple chiefly used for
grinding into flour and making bread. Theresa Sjöquist investigates how it is
grown and processed in New Zealand today and details its composition and
effects on our health.
Miner’s Lettuce – Claytonia Perfoliata
It is prolific, grows just about anywhere with minimal care, and self-seeds for the following season. Anna-Marie Barnes describes an easy-care plant that provides fresh greens all winter long.
Cooking with oil – which one is good for you?
Trans or saturated, polyunsaturated, or monosaturated? What’s the difference between cold-pressed and virgin, light and refined? Paula Sharp smooths out the choices of what is best for our bodies in terms of oils and fats.
To GE or not to GE?
We are at a critical point in decision-making about releasing genetically engineered organisms into New Zealand's environment. Philippa Jamieson outlines some of the potential risks and benefits of our options in a comprehensive flowchart.
Live2Give: Focusing on foundations, making good ethics a viable business
Two Manawatū couples with a big vision made hard choices, distilling their operation down to its essence. Rachel Rose talks to the owners of Live2Give about how their business has grown, diversified, adapted, and prioritised, all the while keeping the culture of doing it for good.