Photo: Lizi Beth/Flickr

Donna Kirk

THE LOCAL DISH

A crazy kind of spring fever
Okay, spring is here. You work, you go home, you pace your room. Something is stirring. You head to the outdoor market where you spend time staring at the fresh green lettuce, chard and orange bell peppers. You wander to the park to gaze longingly at the flowers. You lay on the grass and feel it between your fingers. At work, you’re distracted. You can’t explain what you feel. Is it the urge to…plant something? If so, Boston’s Food Project offers the chance to plan a trip, leaving the office for the day with co-workers, to do just that. Food from their farms are sent to hunger relief programs, local CSAs and farmers markets. If you need help convincing management, remind them The Food Project specializes in team building and morale, and that you’ll bring fresh lemonade with frozen strawberries to cool beaded brows.

Herbs waiting to be adopted
Do you just LOVE to walk through a humid, verdant greenhouse filled with dazzling colors and far-out textures, even if all you seek are little pots of fresh herbs or a six pack of tomatoes to grow on your windowsill or balcony? One of Boston’s own nurseries, Mahoney’s, offers not only that sensusal experience but advice as well on how to grow your own fresh herbs or vegetables in small spaces. I personally recommend a wee lemon thyme for a sunny windowsill or Rubin Red basil (new for me this year). Fresh fish and mozzarella, look out!

Cultural Samplings
In the kitchen of Hostelling International Boston, guests from diverse backgrounds come together to prepare meals, sharing stories of travels, heritage and food traditions. With recipes revealed and adventures shared, the idea was born for HI-Boston’s new program Cultural Kitchen, which brings youths together for cooking classes to discover culture and ways to reconcile differences. HI-Boston’s Associate Director of Development and Community Relations told Public Radio Kitchen: “By design, HI properties are organized so that guests from all over the world can mingle and get to know each other – and this interaction always feels strongest in the hostel kitchen, where guests spend time side by side as they cook a little bite to eat and share.” This summer Cultural Kitchen will be hosting a fundraising event called “Taste of the World” on June 1oth in the Back Bay, an evening of festivities, networking, prizes and food sampling from Boston’s finest international restaurants. For tickets and more information on live music and a silent auction, see the event site.
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A NATIONAL TREASURE

Sweet Machines
Allison, a full time mom and crafting expert of the blog House of Hepworths, has written about how she found a tall, old, ornate, red gumball machine for $24.99 at Goodwill. Made of solid metal on a claw foot pedestal, she began to take it apart to clean it and found $8.99 worth of coins inside! After washing it out completely (read and view her journey through the old machine here), she filled it up with Jelly Bellys for her family. This really got me thinking…maybe I could have a gumball machine at my home? To track one down seems easy enough. But, with so much candy lying in wait, I wonder if they offer sugar free gumballs that are still tasty?

Ah, who am I kidding?