Boston Flora

Month: October 2011

  • Saturday, October 22, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Introduction to Shiitake Mushroom Growing

    This Berkshire Botanical Garden program, co-sponsored with Berkshire Grown, is a practical hands-on workshop on the natural, forest cultivation of shiitake mushrooms. This introductory workshop to be held Saturday, October 22 from 10 – 3, aims to teach participants about log-based sustainable shiitake mushroom cultivation, harvesting, and marketing. Through the hands-on workshop and pictorial “visits” to actual shiitake farms in the Northeast, participants will learn about tree species selection and sustainability, spawn types, inoculations, predictable fruiting, and enterprise management. The workshop is both for homeowners and aspiring mushroom farmers. Participants will practice inoculating and will take home logs to cultivate throughout the season.

    Allen Matthews has been the Farm Enterprise Program coordinator at the University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture since 2002. In this role he has worked with a wide range of diversified farms across Vermont in on-farm research projects, marketing value-added products and in farm business planning. Past SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) research projects have included developing sustainable indicators for dairy farms and developing forest-grown shiitakes as a farm and forest enterprise.  All materials will be provided, and participants are asked to dress for outdoors and to bring a bagged lunch.  $65 for BBG members, $75 for non-members.  Register at www.berkshirebotanical.org.

  • Thursday, October 13, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Clean Start and Clean Food

    KitchenWares, 215 Newbury Street in Boston, is pleased to have local New England cookbook author Terry Walters back on Thursday, October 13, from 4 – 6, for a second book signing / cooking demo based on her popular books – Clean Start and Clean Food. For this event, Terry will focus her cooking demo on our CSA seasonal produce from Sweet Georgia P’s. Mark Knoblauch writes: “Walters advocates a fully vegan regimen as key to good health. For her, clean food means less processed food, more whole grains, no dairy products, and certainly no meat, but she insists that food offer plenty of appealing, assertive flavors if it is to satisfy consumers. She believes in the healthy virtues of thorough chewing, disciplined eating, and balanced living. These recipes will not surprise those comfortable in a tofu and brown-rice environment, but she contributes some useful new ideas for such dishes as Caesar salad and surprisingly rich chocolate desserts. Some of Walters’ ingredients may be difficult to obtain outside big-city organic markets, but in this age of Internet shopping, online sources are always an option. In a unique approach to book production, each of the four seasons into which the cookbook is divided appears on a different color of paper stock.”

  • Thursday, October 20, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Holiday Gifts from the Garden and the Heart

    Not every gift has to be purchased from a store. You can create beautiful things from your garden. In conjunction with the Wellesley Free Library’s ‘Wellesley Reads Together’ Program, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society presents an evening of demonstrations on creating holiday gifts on Thursday, October 20, from 7 – 8:30. The event will feature instructions and samples. Please note the event will be held at the Wellesley Free Library. For more information, visit www.masshort.org.

  • Monday, October 17, 7:00 pm – Making Tomato Sauce

    Presented by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and the Wellesley Free Library’s ‘Wellesley Reads Together’ Program, Suzanne Goldenson, owner of the Heirloom Tomato Sauce Company, will give a cooking demonstration on how to make and preserve tomato sauce from the garden. The event will be held in the Education Building at Elm Bank, beginning at 7 pm on Monday, October 17. For more information, visit www.masshort.org.

  • Tuesday, October 18, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Wild Edibles

    The American Institute of Wine and Food, with Newbury College, 129 Fisher Avenue in Brookline, will host a program on Tuesday, October 18, from 6:30 – 8:30 featuring one of the Garden Club of the Back Bay’s favorite speakers. Russ Cohen, professional environmentalist and wild food enthusiast, will be giving a talk, with slides, called “Wild Edibles I Have Known (and Eaten)”. He will also be selling his cookbooks, the proceeds of which go to one of the organizations that he supports. Sometime during the evening, snacks made from the recipes in his book will be passed. These will be prepared by Guida Ponte, a chef at Verrill Farm in Concord, assisted by some of the Newbury culinary students. The cost is $25, and the event will take place in Mitton Hall. You may purchase tickets by sending a check made out to AIWF Boston, c/o Jerry Dreher, 1284 Beacon Street, #701, Brookline, MA 02446, or on line at http://www.aiwf.org/boston/chapter_calendar/event.html?calendarevent_id=3266&date=2011-10-18&.

  • Thursday, October 27, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Wood Decay Fungi Common to Urban Living Trees in the Northeast

    NOTE: THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED.  WE WILL PUBLISH INFORMATION ON RESCHEDULING WHEN ANNOUNCED.  In this Arnold Arboretum workshop on Thursday, October 27, Chris Luley of Urban Forestry LLC in Rochester, New York will introduce Wood Decay Fungi Common to Urban Trees, their identifying characteristics and decay pathways, and methods and equipment available to test for decay. He will also present the results of a recent research study on visual assessment, sounding, and Resistograph testing for decay in urban trees. This program will take place in the Weld Hill classroom beginning at 9 am with some demonstrations in the landscape. Morning coffee is included; please bring your lunch. Register at www.arboretum.harvard.edu. Fee $90 Arboretum or ELA member, $120 nonmember.  Offered with the Ecological Landscaping Association. Photo of Schizophyllum commune by Carla Wick.

  • Thursday, October 27, 6:00 pm – The Emergent Forest of New England

    New England is a naturally forested landscape and has been for thousands of years. On Thursday, October 27, beginning at 6 pm, Peter Del Tredici, botanist and senior research scientist at the Arnold Arboretum, will present an overview of the recent history of the forests of southern New England as impacted by natural disasters, shifting land-use patterns (urbanization and suburban sprawl), introduced pests and pathogens, invasive species, acid rain, and climate change. He will speculate on how the “emergent” forests that develop in response to these factors will differ from those that dominated New England in the past. Free and open to the public, Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street. Cosponsored with the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Part of the Challenges and Choices lecture series.  For more information, visit www.hmnh.harvard.edu.

  • Sunday, October 16, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Harvestfest in Hayes Park

    The Friends of Hayes Park invite you to Harvestfest in Hayes Park on Sunday, October 16, from 2 pm – 4 pm.  There will be painting and refreshments.  Hayes Park is located on the corner of West Canton Street and Warren Avenue in the South End.  Everyone is welcome.

  • Through October 23 – Artists in the Arboretum 2011

    In conjunction with Jamaica Plain Open Studios, The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is proud to present a juried exhibition of works inspired by the collections and landscape of the Arnold Arboretum, featuring the work of Susan Johnson Bergin, Kurtis Brown, Alexander Budnitz, Jennifer Burnham, Deb Coolidge, John Diehl, Bob Evans, Susan CB Hampton, Susan Hardy Brown, Betsey Henkels, Alexander Korman, John Maciejowski, John Merrill, Candice Amber Milionis, John Nunziato, Maggie Redfern, William H. Scully, Rebecca Skinner, Regina Valluzzi (her painting seen below),  Maureen Vezina and Christine Wirth.  The show is on view through October 23 in the Hunnewell Building lecture hall at 125 Arborway.  For more information, visit www.arboretum.harvard.edu, or call 617-384-5209.

  • Thursday, October 27, 6:00 pm – 4th Annual Sustainable “Farm to Fork” Chef Dinner

    The Trustees of Reservations invite all who are interested to attend The Inn at Castle Hill’s 4th Annual sustainable “Farm to Fork” Chef Dinners, the first of which is being held on October 27th on The Crane Estate in Ipswich, located at 280 Argilla Road. Connection with local foods is a simple but important theme for this year’s series, in which top area Chefs will create a unique blending of the freshest local produce and meats from Appleton Farms.The Pre-fixe Four-Course dinners will be prepared by some of the top chefs in the region who have generously donated their time for this sustainable event series.

    The Thursday dinners will begin with an open bar and the first course of hors d’oeuvre served fireside in the Tavern located next to The Inn at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate at 6 PM, followed by a three-course meal with paired wines served at The Inn at Castle Hill. The event, including tips and taxes, is $125 per person, and features Marco Suarez (below), Executive Chef at Jamaica Plain’s newest neighborhood spot, Canary Square. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Proceeds will go to the ongoing preservation of The Crane Estate.

    Suarez is a member of Mayor Menino’s Urban Agriculture Working Group, which serves as an advisory board to the city on green and sustainable practices. Suarez’ background in urban agriculture plays a significant role in the sourcing and purveying of ingredients and greatly influences his culinary creations. His expertise on sustainability ties in with eco-conscious practices of Canary Square.Suarez began his culinary career washing dishes at a local restaurant in his hometown, Greenwich, Connecticut. After high school, he went on to train at the Culinary Institute of America. At the young age of 25, Suarez earned the top spot at Eastern Standard Kitchen in Kenmore Square. Most recently, Suarez was the Executive Chef at Bon Savor in Jamaica Plain. For reservations and questions, please call The Inn at 978-412-2555. Trustees of Reservations members are being offered a special $99 stay at the Inn on the night of the dinner, subject to availability. Visit www.theinnatcastlehill.com for room details, or to become a TTOR member.