DIG IN

The latest articles from Chelsea Green and our authors: offering tips and techniques about how you can bring our books to life in your kitchen, backyard, or community.

Sourdough-Starting-One-and-Maintaining-It

Sourdough: Starting One and Maintaining It

Sourdough is a simple wild ferment made from nothing but flour and water. You can start a batch today, use it in a few days, and keep it alive and bubbling … well …  forever. If you have the patience, enjoy the flavor of sourdough, and can commit to feeding your quiet new “pet” frequently,…

Read More

Not in His Image: Where It All Began

Since its initial release to wide acclaim in 2006, Not in His Image has transformed the lives of readers around the world by presenting the living presence of the Wisdom Goddess as never before revealed, illustrating that the truth of an impactful Gnostic message cannot be hidden or destroyed. The following is an excerpt from Not in…

Read More
dried apples

Dried Apples: Two Ways to Enjoy All Year Long

Autumn is undeniably apple season, but how do you take your apples after you can’t get them straight from the tree? Instead of buying mealy apples from your grocery store, try drying your fresh apples and enjoying them later! The following is an excerpt from Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning by The Gardeners & Farmers of…

Read More
basket of vegetables

Presenting the Four-Season Harvest

For most gardeners, a typical season begins with planting in the spring and ends with a big harvest in the fall – one that the frugal home-gardener hopes lasts through until spring sprouts again. And if it doesn’t, well, then it’s off to the store to pick up whatever measly, unfresh produce is available. But…

Read More
farmland with hay

Who Are We as Farmers?

Recently, farmers have been making the headlines because of the hardships they’re facing to sustain their farms. With larger, corporate farms running smaller, privately-owned farms out of business, it seems like many farmers are fighting an uphill battle. But, despite the small amount of money, long hours, and constant threats from the “big guys” farmers…

Read More

Bottoms Up! All-Natural Sports Drink (Plus a Recovery Tincture!)

When exercising for extended periods of time, we lose large amounts of electrolytes. Instead of picking up a sports drink from the store, you can use Jill Stansbury’s recipe for an Electrolyte Drink to keep you going without the processed chemicals and sugars. And if you’re feeling sore after all that work, try her tincture…

Read More
chocolate cake

Unbelievably Delicious Sauerkraut Chocolate Cake

Finding a recipe that produces a flavorful cake without having to compromise the texture is difficult, but this recipe delivers on both flavor AND texture. The unlikely combination of chocolate and sauerkraut yields an absolutely delicious and moist chocolate cake, perfect for your next craving! The following is an excerpt from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys…

Read More

Fermentation Sensation: Turmeric Mead

Fermented honey, or mead, is widely thought to be the first intentional ferment. Honey is rarely fermented alone, although it can be. Typically, meads include botanical enhancements. Mead is a perfect way to share the flavors, aromas, and other powers of plants. Meads are also enriched by the additional yeasts and often complementary nutrients that…

Read More

Kick Your Kimchi Up a Notch!

If you’ve been looking to spice up your kimchi game, this is it. Sandor Ellix Katz, author of Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys and award-winning book The Art of Fermentation, is here with a new spin of the classic kimchi recipe. The following is an excerpt from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys by Sandor Ellix Katz. It…

Read More
apples on a tree

How Do You Like Them Apples?

Autumn is the perfect time to enjoy apple-focused food & drinks and reflect on this staple of the American diet. Here are some Chelsea Green books that embrace the biodiversity of apples in all forms! The New Cider Maker’s Handbook by Claude Jolicoeur To make the very best cider—whether for yourself, your family, and friends…

Read More

Take a Tea Break to De-Stress This Winter!

Life can be stressful! Sometimes there’s just no avoiding it. Luckily, taking a moment to brew and enjoy a cup of tea can actually help quite a bit– especially if you’re brewing a cup of Jill Stansbury’s Tea for Stress-Related Muscle Tension. So next time you’re feeling stressed, take a break and brew some tea.…

Read More
apple orchard

Wild Apples, Real Cider, and the Complicated Art of Making a Living

“Loving apples or cider is not a prerequisite for loving this book. All that is needed is the willingness to follow a vibrant narrative voice driven by the pursuit of dreams.”—Alice Feiring Andy Brennan owns Aaron Burr Cider in New York’s Catskills region.  Since its founding in 2011, Aaron Burr Cider has become well known…

Read More
wood-fired oven

How to Get the Most Out of Your Wood-Fired Oven

What could be better than an oven you can build yourself, that allows you to cook an array of delicious foods outside, and can help restore the individual and communal resiliency we’ve lost in recent decades? Follow these tips to learn how to make and maintain your own wood-fired oven! The following is an excerpt…

Read More
rewilding

Rewilding: Restoration by Letting Go

When it comes to revitalizing the environment, sometimes the best thing we can do is take a step back and let rewilding work its magic. Time and distance often feel like inaction on our part, but removing ourselves from the land is the one action we can take that allows nature the time and space…

Read More

Bugs: The Unsung Heroes

Bugs should be revered for all the vital roles they play in keeping our home inhabitable. Unfortunately, there is a stigma that comes with every bug. Though, without the creepy crawlies, we would be lost and so would nature. Here are a few obscure and iconic bugs that play key roles in nature. The following…

Read More
bowl of kimchi

Foods for a Healthy Bacterial Flora

The food you eat has a direct impact on your gut and overall health. Eating sugary foods feeds the bad bacteria in our mouths that eventually lead to health problems down the road. Probiotic foods are the key to taking care of the important good bacteria in our mouths and intestines. The following is an…

Read More

Okra With a Twist: Crispy, Dry-Fried Okra

Wood-fired oven are not just for baking bread and pizza! If you utilize the full heat-cycle, as Richard Miscovich details in From the Wood-Fired Oven, you can make a wide range of tasty eats during just one firing—from roasting meats and vegetables to drying herbs. With live-fire roasting, this recipe for Dry-Fried Okra comes out…

Read More

Fake Meat is not a Miracle Food: Impossible Food

Nicolette Hahn Niman on the Fallacy of fake meat, as know as “Clean Meat,” and the Importance of Regenerative Farming The following is an excerpt from Defending Beef by Nicolette Hahn Niman. It originally appeared on Lit Hub. It has been adapted for the web. Faux Meats Silicon Valley-backed “clean meat” is now everywhere. Our…

Read More

Koji for a Touch of Sweetness: Koji Sorbet

The possibilities with koji are endless; cheese, condiments, bread, the list goes on! Let’s not forget about that sweet tooth. It might seem crazy, but koji sorbet is sweet and tangy, making a perfect treat for a warm summer’s evening. If you’ve mastered the simple homemade koji recipe, put your koji to work in this delicious,…

Read More
hemp

Hemp History 101

The historical prominence of hemp can be seen in dozens of American towns that still bear its name, including Hempfield, PA, Hemphill, KY, Hempstead, NY, Hempfork, VA, and more. How did humanity’s longest utilized plant, that has more than 25,000 uses and so many towns named after it, end up nearly extinct in the U.S.?…

Read More

Defending Bovines, Butter, and Beef

Beef and dairy products have received a fair amount of backlash within the last decade or so. We have been told that beef is a big proponent in the increase of obesity and other chronic diet-related diseases, as well as dramatic environmental damage. However, more and more people are speaking out that this is not…

Read More
lemon bars

Luscious Lemons: Classic Lemon Bar Recipe

Everyone loves homemade lemon squares and these refreshing sweet and lightly tart lemon squares are the best. With a buttery crust that is sturdy but tender enough to bite through and a thick and luscious filling with a balance of sweetness and tangy lemon brightness, you can’t beat this recipe. The following is an excerpt…

Read More
rain garden

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring, the Rain Garden is Growing

With temperatures rising and the summer heat in full swing, your plants and crops need as much water as they can possibly get. What better way to do that than building your own rain garden? A rain garden will absorb rainwater run-off and use this water to then help grow the plants planted in the…

Read More

The Magic of Exploring the Outdoors After Dark: Q&A with Chris Salisbury

Chris Salisbury’s newest book Wild Nights Out has just been released and encourages us to venture out into the unknown of the night. Wild Nights Out is the go-to guide for exploring the outdoors after dark. It boosts the resilience and self-confidence of children and adults, and instills a lifelong love of having fun in…

Read More
variety of produce

The Fresh Food Farmacy

Health care is one of the most talked about topics with availability and expenses constantly under scrutiny. Insulin prices have skyrocketed and those who need it are barely able to or cannot afford the life-saving medicine. There are other systems in place that have a new take on health care which prioritizes eating fresh and…

Read More