There has always been a convergence of roads into the Aldgate area from the east of England, and with new development, poor air quality will be increased.
It is therefore up to the developers and park designers to mitigate the pollution levels as much as possible, so a forest within the public realm seems the most appropriate way forward.
It is hoped that in future east London puts out a message which offers us residents a fair and better solution than the one originally devised for The Bishopsgate Goodsyard development.
After all it has taken us five years of persuasion to obtain a better solution!
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In the lush paddy fields of Indonesia, where the lifeblood of rice demands vast quantities of water, farmers have ingeniously turned this necessity into a thriving ecosystem. They didn't just cultivate rice, they cultivated fish too.
Imagine fish darting through the fields, not as accidental visitors but as deliberate residents. Farmers introduced them in large numbers, releasing them into the water where rice plants sway in the breeze. It wasn't just a symbiotic relationship; it was a game-changer.
Rice Fish Culture emerged as a brilliant solution. Here's how it worked: First, the fish became natural pest controllers, gobbling up insects, algae, and pests that would otherwise ravage the rice crop. As they fed, they inadvertently pruned the plants, promoting healthier growth.
But that's not all. Their waste, rich in nutrients, became a natural fertilizer, enriching the soil without the need for synthetic additives. And as the fish thrived, so did the farmers, who could harvest them for food or profit.
The result? Land productivity soared by a staggering 20%, surpassing conventional limits. Fields teemed not just with rice but also with bountiful fish stocks, a testament to human ingenuity blending with nature's cycles.
From National Geographic Nature
When you鈥檙e growing vegetables, you rarely want your plants to get sick. We put a lot of work into making sure they don鈥檛.
So, it鈥檚 usually an upsetting surprise to find that something you are growing has picked up a disease.
Except when you鈥檙e growing corn. There鈥檚 one plant pathogen you might want to come your way.
When you think of the perfect summer produce, what comes to mind? Is it slicing into a beautiful heirloom tomato, eating yet another slice of deep red watermelon? For many people, it鈥檚 an ear of corn dripping with butter, salt and pepper.
It鈥檚 a bit of a shock when you head to the garden to pick sweet corn for dinner and notice an ear that鈥檚 abnormally fat, almost bursting out of the husk. Pulling back the husk reveals a greyish mass of lumpy things growing where your perfect rows of yellow kernels should be.
All thoughts of perfectly buttered sweet corn evaporate as you try to figure out what this alien thing is.
What you鈥檙e holding in your hand, if you haven鈥檛 flung it to the far-reaching corners of your garden out of disgust, is an ear of corn infected with the pathogenic fungus Ustilago Maydis.
The spores spread on the wind or when water carrying spores is splashed on the corn. The spores enter the corn through wounds caused by insect damage or via the silk at the top of the ear. Once inside, they act like a cancer, causing rapid cell growth within the plant. Galls form, eventually filling with spores before they burst, releasing the spores into the air to infect more plants or to winter over in the soil and do it all over again next year.
The galls can show up anywhere on the plant, such as the stalk and leaves. However, it鈥檚 most common for them to appear on the ear of corn itself. In the end, it鈥檚 probably not what you were hoping for when you planted corn earlier in the season.
The reaction to this discovery is going to be very different amongst gardeners. You may jump up and down with glee and yell, 鈥淧ut the hamburgers in the freezer. We鈥檙e having huitlacoche tacos tonight!鈥�
That鈥檚 because you know you鈥檝e hit the jackpot, and the winds have blessed you with a culinary delicacy, Mexican truffles.
Corn smut, or huitlacoche (pronounced weet-luh-ko-chay), has long been a staple in Mexico, where it鈥檚 harvested and used as a non-meat protein in many dishes. You can even find canned huitlacoche in a well-stocked Latin goods store. But like most things, fresh is best.
Look for ears with growth within the first couple of weeks of development. The galls should be a soft grey or blue in colour and firm with a slight give. Think of the perfect plum. It should still have the shape of an enlarged kernel of corn.
If you pick them when they鈥檙e too small and hard, they will be bitter. You don鈥檛 want to use any of the mushrooms that have burst or have spores inside them when you open them, and you should avoid those that have gone soft. You shouldn鈥檛 be able to tear the skin by rubbing it. If you can, it鈥檚 too far gone.
Huitlacoche is soft and slightly chewy, like most mushrooms. It has an earthy-mushroom flavour, but it鈥檚 slightly sweeter, bringing in the flavour of the corn it鈥檚 growing on.
As far as mushrooms go, they have a strong flavour, much like black truffle, that can easily overpower a dish. So, it鈥檚 best to mix it with other ingredients where it can really shine.
On 27 August 2024 抖音大瓜 had a very positive meeting about Organic Waste Recycling.
The new law on food waste recycling comes into effect in 2025 and all local authorities will be required to have a scheme in place for food waste recycling.
There is to be no more landfill, therefore the waste must be dealt with locally or through an anaerobic system.
We have written previously about this alternative system, whereby all pathogens and gasses are eradicated under the aerobic system, with the local community being in charge of the whole operation.
As a result, a group came together to look into the idea of the aerobic system as it will negate carbon emissions and provide cost savings for the local authority, with the possibility of providing an income for the community that allows the aerobic system to succeed.
We shall all be compelled by law to be involved in such schemes, so if a local community runs such a scheme, they will not only be complying with the new law, but also building a stronger community network.
Those attending the meeting agreed to proceed to the next stage by having a group to implement the objective and provide a stronger community, less carbon emissions, as well as receiving a rich nutrient soil from the food waste discarded. We would urge all like-minded thinking people to take part in this new adventure.
Much has been written about The London Highline (The Great Eastern Parks Route) but it is important that we know about the many gardens, parks and waterways that we are all able to enjoy, whatever the weather.
Reaching out to The RSPB at Purfleet is just one more step. Geoff Juden (ELGS Chairman) with another supporter of The London Highline, investigated if there was a walk/cycle way through to The RSPB at Purfleet which is at one of the starting points of the route.
The RSPB at Purfleet (Rainham Marshes) indicated that they would prefer not to be connected to a walk/cycle way. It was found, however, that there is a walk/cycleway along The River Thames already providing a proven route to The River Roding.
Our intention was to go further and found one obstacle which we hope to succumb, The Dagenham Dock. However, we are sure this matter can be resolved.
Walking from The London Highline in Bishopsgate to The RSPB bird Sanctuary could indeed be near in the future. A walk from The Isle of Grain to Woolwich has already been discovered, so it is up to us to find one North from Essex to Central London.
Artichokes are a vegetable with the appearance of a flower, consumed for thousands of years as a medicine and versatile food, from artichips to pizza, dips, sauces and stir-fries.
Artichoke extract contains many properties that can help lower cholesterol, protect your liver and fight against such diseases and disorders as Alzheimer鈥檚, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure and indigestion, to name a few.
Folate in artichokes protects against neural damage in unborn babies, luteolin helps reduce the risk of inflammation and cancer, while antimicrobial, antifungal and antiallergic agents, including inulin, improve gut health.
Historians believe that North African Moors began cultivating artichokes around 800 AD. The Saracens, another Arab group, may have introduced artichokes to Italy, and the Arabic word al-qarshuf, which means thistle, may have evolved into the Italian word articocco and eventually the English word artichoke.
The Dutch introduced artichokes to England in 1530, where they grew in Henry VIII's garden at Newhall. From the mid-17th century, artichoke hearts were a luxury ingredient in European courts, and some claimed they had aphrodisiac properties.
You've probably tasted artichokes and enjoyed them in soups and on pizza for their zesty, unique flavour. But you may not be aware there are artichoke supplements, which are helpful as a powerful probiotic and antioxidant.
The artichoke, native to the western and central Mediterranean and North Africa, has a long history that includes domestication, introduction to other regions, and culinary uses.
The methods for cooking artichokes vary, and every one of them has an impressive presentation, whether they're stuffed, steamed, roasted or baked.
Depending on the way you want to serve them, you may want to cook them first or not, but use under cold water to remove the invisible film produced as the vegetable grows.
Use a sharp knife to top and tail, or slice the stem off, straight if you want them to sit up, as well as the top inch of the leaves so the layers of petals are exposed.
If you want, you can use sharp kitchen shears to cut off the thorns on the outside of the lower leaves, although they do soften with cooking. However, if you cook them, cool them completely before refrigeration.
Here are more tips when cooking artichokes:
Steamed - Steaming artichokes, in a double boiler is one of the best ways to retain the most nutrients as they're lost to the water if you boil them. Boil water in the bottom pan and allow them to steam, covered, for about 30 minutes if they're small and 45 to 60 minutes for the jumbo variety. Check to see if cooked with a sharp knife inserted through the base, like you would a baked potato.
Roasted or baked - Break off the tough outer leaves and, after cutting an inch off the top, spread the petals apart and drizzle on a little coconut oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt. Next, place them on a safe baking dish into an oven that鈥檚 preheated to 425o F (220o C). Again, the size determines the baking time, with the smallest ones baking at around 45 minutes and the jumbos for an hour and 15 minutes.
Raw - To use artichokes raw, cut the top inch off the petals, then use a spoon to carefully scoop out the fuzzy choke without removing the artichoke heart. What's left is a pretty bowl-shaped vegetable, ready for stuffing or adding a dip.
