Through collective gardening, we promote urban agriculture and raise public awareness of the issues concerning food security. Action Communiterre provides many activities throughout the season like workshops on organic growing, civic engagement, seed-saving, balcony gardening, nutrition, medicinal plants, and many more. These gardens create the setting in which community ties are developed and active citizenship is encouraged, by providing everyone with hands-on learning opportunities to produce and consume healthy organic foods in a dynamic and enriching group setting.

By becoming a member for $5 a year or 5 hours of volunteer work, gardeners gather once or twice a week to learn, work together, and eventually share the harvest. Produce is shared amongst the gardeners and a sizable portion of it is redistributed through the NDG Food Depot, community organizations and social services in the neighborhood. In 2008 the Victory Garden Network produced 1881 kg of organic fruits and vegetables, of which 1/3 was shared with community partners like the NDG Food Depot.

To help kids big and small understand the connection between the food we eat and where it comes from, we’re building a living classroom!

Projet Communiserre will be a state-of-the-art greenhouse that will serve as a model for energy efficiency and environmentally sound function built on the roof of l’École des enfants du monde in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG).
The greenhouse, the first of its kind in Montreal, will provide an unparalleled opportunity to promote sustainable urban agriculture in a spectacular and unique environment. The production of edible plants and flowers in the greenhouse will be used as a tool to enrich students’ learning of art, math, science and other subjects.

Kids who get hands-on experience understand the art and science of how food gets to the table, will be better prepared as citizens to respond to the present realities of rising fuel costs, land and water shortages, and the need to reduce agricultural-related pollution that is affecting food production and distribution worldwide.

Not only are Action Communiterre's activities taking place inside the garden, they are also blooming outside as well. The Intergenerational Meals Project extends the learning to the kitchen and involves different age groups.

The project brings seniors and teens together through the preparation and sharing of a meal. Participating in this activity is a win-win situation for both age groups: the meals help to break isolation, foster a sense of community, allow the participants to learn new culinary and communication skills and provide a healthy meal.

The Lunch Box Workshops: Cooking and nutrition activities for children and families

Action Communiterre has become the fiduciary of the Lunch Box Project. We are proud to be able to contribute to the achievements of the coordinator Merissa Nudelman and her team!

The Lunch Box Workshops are part of a project led by the Comité Action 6-12 since 2003, aimed at the education of healthy eating and food security for the families of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Within the framework of this project, students in elementary and highschool, as well as families in the neighbourhood may participate in the educational cooking workshops which are free thanks to the community centres of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

Lunch Box organizes 4 principle activities:

1. Extracurricular cooking workshops for children in 4th and 5th grade
Children learn how to prepare a simple lunch, nutritional and inspired by different tastes of the world. They can then take home the final product and bring it to school for lunch the next day.

2. Extracurricular cooking workshops for highschool students
The students of St. Luc's Highschool learn healthy eating habits by participating in group cooking workshops. (Notably, offered to students enrolled in specialized courses and for newly arrived children.)

3. Family cultural cooking workshops
Families prepare and enjoy meals from around the world. The workshops are co-animated by an invited guest from the cultural community.

4. Summer picnics for families
Families collectively prepare a picnic full of fruits and vegetables. The picnics take place in different parks and community gardens around NDG.

To celebrate our cultural differences, the Lunch Box Workshops will select recipes from all over the world, allowing students to discover different foods and cultures.

For Further information, please contact the program coordinator, Merissa Nudelman at 514.967.6374 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Les Enfants du Monde School – Public consultation bears fruit

In 2007, thanks to the support of The Foundation of Greater Montreal, Action Communiterre led a project to find out what the neighbours, staff and families of the school community envision for the grounds adjacent to Les Enfants du Monde School. With this input, a landscape plan was developed to create a park. Students and teachers of the school, community members and politicians, have all had a hand in realizing this vision, planting this urban oasis of native trees, a diverse organic garden and a heritage orchard. We intend to create an open-air theatre and install a community message board. We value the support Principal Diane Tardif and the School Commissioner, Marie-Josée Mastromonaco. The site is truly a work in progress…

The seed and seedling catalogue for 2011 is out!

CUCUMBER

Djahane Salehabadi's Persian Cucumber Dip

This is a great recipe to cool you down n a hot summer day. The dip makes a great appetizer or snack. Just serve with some bread.

1 long or two small cucumbers diced

1/2 cup raisins

3 cups whole yoghurt

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

2 tpsp chopped fresh dill

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp chopped walnuts

salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything in a bowl and let cool for at least one hour. Garnish with some dry or fresh mint and some rose petals if you have them.

Nush-e jan (that's enjoy in Farsi)

Source: AC's Cook For Victory 2003

BEETS

Ligia's Borscht with Loveage*

This one is a two for one recipe featuring Victory Garden Network favorites beets and lovage.

2 onions

2 potatoes

2 beets

lemon

lovage

dill

salt to taste

2 tbsp of olive oil

Fry sliced onions with a bit of olive oil in a pot. Add diced potatoes and beets when onions become translucent.  Pour 1.5 L of water into pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 min. Remove from heat and add the juice of 1 lemon. Add some chopped lovage and dill to taste.

*Lovage is a celery smelling perennial that grows very big, especially in the Cantaloup garden. Its dark green leaves, seeds and stalks can all be used.

Source: AC's Cook For Victory 2003

TOMATOES

Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo (literally "Rooster's Beak") can be used as you would other Mexican salsas or Indian chutneys. Because less liquid, can also be used as a main ingredient in tacos, fajitas, & burritos. Goes nicely with tortilla chips or the "Oaxaca Tacos" recipe in this calendar. The chiles traditionally used are red and beak-like, thus the name "Rooster's Beak." Also said that the heat from the chile makes your tongue feel rooster-pecked.

8 Roma tomatoes, cored, coarsely chopped

1/2 red onion, finely diced

4 tsps minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

1 jalapeño pepper, split, seeds removed & minced

Juice of 2 limes

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp chopped cilantro (about 12 big sprigs)

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Add cilantro before serving.

Makes 3 cups.

Source: Café Flora, Seattle; Scott Glascock (co-owner), Cathy Geier (executive chef)

Pesto Sauce (serves 4)

• 3 medium garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, walnuts, almonds or peanuts
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves (optional)
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste

1.     Peel and mince garlic

2.     If desired, toast nut in skillet over medium heat until golden.

3.     Place all ingredients except cheese in work bowl of food processor; process until smooth. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary to ensure even mixing.

4.     Transfer mixture to small bowl. Add cheese and salt to taste.

Pesto can be covered with plastic wrap or a thin film of oil (will keep the top of the pesto sauce from turning dark) and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

By the way, this is interesting:

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is native to India, Africa and Asia and has been cultivated for culinary and religious purposes since the ancient civilization of Babylon. It was said to have been found growing around Christ's tomb after the resurrection (bacileus is Greek for "King") and Greek Orthodox churches set pots of Greek basil (O.basilicum var minimum) below the altar and use the herb to prepare holy water. In India, Holy or tulsi basil (O. sanctum) is a sacred herb grown by most Hindu homes and around temples for its protective influence. In Italy, basil is a love charm - if a man gives a sprig of basil to a woman, she will fall in love with him forever. The Romans believed that one could not grow a good basil crop unless one cursed and swore while planting it. This has led to the French expression "semer le basilic" or "sowing the basil" to describe "raving".

Kale and Potato Soup

Recipe Serves: 6

4 potatoes; medium
2 tb Vegetable oil
8 c Water
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
2 lb Kale; fresh
1/2 lb Garlic sausage, cooked and sliced (optional)

Peel and chop potatoes. Combine with Vegetable oil and water. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes and reserve liquid. Mash potatoes through a sieve and return to Potato liquid. Add salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Wash kale discarding all tough leaves and cut into shreds. Add to potatoes and cook for 25 minutes. Add sausage. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.

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