Kefir is a popular drink across Eastern and Northern Europe. It was consumed in Russia and Central Asian countries for centuries but is now becoming popular in Japan, the United States and Europe. Production of traditional kefir requires a starter community of kefir grains which are added to the liquid one wishes to ferment. Traditional kefir is fermented at ambient …

The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years to the Chinese, Greek and Romans. Many cultures use flowers in their traditional cooking — think of squash blossoms in Italian food and rose petals in Indian food. Adding flowers to your food can be a nice way to add color, flavor and a little whimsy. Some are spicy, and …

Crudités are traditional French appetizers consisting of sliced or whole raw vegetables which are dipped in a sauce. Crudités often include celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, and asparagus spears. There are so many different sauces to relish with vegetable sticks! Hummus is a popular traditional dip in many countries and is well known …

These appetizing vegan recipes could make your holiday feast more savoury, more vivid, more interesting, and more varied! Try something new and surprise your family and friends! Enjoy your meal and have a delightful celebration! Celeriac and Parsnip Rosti with Cumberland Sauce Sin-free Squash and Pepper Stacks Leek and Cauliflower Soup with Lemongrass and Coconut Milk Courgette Christmas Candles Beetroot and Caraway …

Herb spiral is a clever gardening idea. Attractive and functional at the same time! A spiral-shaped garden accommodates plants that need a variety of growing conditions thanks to its multiple levels. Here are some benefits of herb spiral: Can be built at a little cost Suits for limited amount of space in the garden Creates micro-climates on different levels of the …

Running seems to require a greater amount of high-level thinking than most of us might imagine. The sport seems to change how the brain works in surprising ways, according to a new report. The study, published this month in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, found that the brains of competitive distance runners had different connections in areas known to aid in sophisticated …

Advice to make your compost making a success. Autumn leaves These can be added to your compost heap but the best use of them is to make leafmould. Stuff wet leaves into black plastic sacks (loosely tied), or an open wire mesh container. The resulting leafmould is ready to use after a year or two. Grass mowings Mix well with …

Growing Beautiful Food: A Gardener’s Guide to Cultivating Extraordinary Vegetables and Fruit Hardcover – March 31, 2015 Author Matthew Benson writes that beauty inspires behavior, and he believes that we can and will eat better, be healthier, and live more sustainably when we grow food that’s visually enticing. Growing Beautiful Food is both inspiration and instruction, with detailed growing advice …

BFC is seeking submissions of hand-made postcards to exhibit at the Postcard Festival in Basel in October 2017. Anybody can participate! The card format is 105×148 mm but you are free to choose the subject and techniques. Only new designs which have not been previously exhibited or sold elsewhere, will qualify. We are looking for participants to submit cards with …

The Arche Noah Seed Bank is one of Europe’s biggest private collections of cultivated plants, maintaining over 6,000 varieties of rare vegetables and grains – many of them are not found anywhere else. Hundreds of members of Arche Noah act as private “seed savers” by cultivating endangered varieties in their home gardens and taking permanent care of them. They provide …