Beyond Pesto Through EVERGREEN's community garden programs,

Spotlight on basil local citizens are coming together to grow their own food,
“Fresh, fragrant and full of vitamins.” According to Rebekka Hutton, socialize and learn about urban gardening.
Evergreen’s garden co-ordinator, basil is one of the most versatile herbs
you can grow easily at home. A classic, Genovese basil is the broad-leaved
kind commonly found in Italian dishes. “But think beyond pesto,” says
Hutton. “Basil comes in many varieties you may not have heard about.”

Purple basil (see Mark’s recipe on page 2) is a warm and colourful

addition to salads. Thai or Holy basil is slightly more spicy with smaller
leaves, and is commonly used in South-East Asia. Cinnamon basil and
lemon basil have a curious, refreshing twist that works great in tea. All
forms of basil brighten sauces, stir fries and salads. “Experiment,” says
Hutton. “You’ll be surprised by what works.”

Growing several types of basil will enrich your cuisine as well as your garden.

Seeding Healthy Communities

“Having diversity in the garden attracts different pollinators, strengthens your crop,
maintains the seed bank and adds visual interest” says Hutton. “You can’t lose!”

SEASONAL GARDEN TIPS ISSUE ONE 2008–2009

Spring Summer Fall Winter

Plant a variety of heirloom
and native plants. Renew
your garden: plant nitrogen
fixers (beans), cover crops
(winter rye) and green manure
(buckwheat) to feed and
protect the soil.
Water gently and deeply (2.5
cm) once or twice a week to
minimize soil erosion and
encourage plants to grow
deeper root systems. Harvest
crops continually to encourage
your plants to produce more.
Gardener Profile: Charlyn Ellis
Spread compost to keep Mulch to minimize weeds and In May 2008, Charlyn Ellis took a new job co-ordinating the York Cross Cultural Woman and Girls’ Space, a club for
nutrients in your garden. protect against winter winds. women that had a plot at Emmett Avenue Community Garden. As she explored urban agriculture she also deepened her
Save seeds from your best Tend worms for nutrient-rich connections to her Caribbean culture. In fact, she now considers herself a “garden griot” after the West
plants. Improve soil with worm castings. Rest, read, African storytellers who keep the most important traditions alive by remembering and sharing.
locally made or harvested and plan for next spring!
In her garden plot Charlyn planted beans, lettuce, okra and beets. "I ate delicious meals from
amendments like worm
the garden every week and brought such fragrant herbs home on the bus that people
castings, compost.
stared," she laughs. As her garden grew, so did her connection to other gardeners.

Evergreen facilitates community food gardens at three sites across Toronto: Fort York, Emmett Avenue and Miziwe
Biik, thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s generous support of our Seeding Healthy Communities program.
“ Through food you can learn a lot about other cultures,"
she says. “Like how Italians cook stuffed squash flowers.
“You can also learn about yourself,” she adds. A fellow gardener, also from”
For more information on our community gardening program, please contact Rebekka Hutton, Project Manager, Jamaica, surprised Charlyn by showing her how to grow leafy callaloo, also
Community Development: rhutton@evergreen.ca, 416-596-1495 x244 known as amaranth. Charlyn knew callaloo from her mother’s cooking, but
was surprised to learn the plant could grow in Canada. She learned to grow
EVERGREEN is a not-for-profit organization that makes cities more livable. By deepening the connection between people and nature,
it the traditional way, by cultivating many plants for eating and keeping
and empowering Canadians to take a hands-on approach to their urban environments, Evergreen is improving the health
one for seed.
of our cities—now and for the future.
After attending an introductory workshop hosted by Evergreen, Charlyn
Generously supported by Program partners took home four red wiggler worms to start a compost. Her worms thrived on
regular feasts of blended kitchen scraps. “Everyone knew about my worms,”
Miziwe
she says. “I took pictures of them and wrote about them. I made compost tea
Biik
to nourish my house plants—I even helped rescue a friend’s suffering plants.”
Charlyn feels that gardening has helped her tap into an important part of her family
evergreen.ca history. “My mother, Ruby, would make plant food by grinding eggshells into the soil.
National Office 355 Adelaide St W, 5th Flr, Toronto, ON, Canada M5V 1S2 Tel 416-596-1495 Fax 416-596-1443
She’d also name each houseplant. She loved them.” With one productive season under
Toll free in Canada 1-888-426-3138 | info@evergreen.ca her belt, Charlyn is looking ahead to next year. “I’m planning for spinach, chard, kale, yellow
tomatoes and more callaloo,“ she says. “I can’t wait.”
To make a donation please call 1-888-426-3138
Donations are tax deductible. Charitable Registration Number: BN 131815763 RR0001
 MARK'S ZUCCHINI TOMATO TART WITH PURPLE BASIL
Pastry Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 tbsp. ice water
Preheat oven to 400oF (200oC).
Filling Ingredients
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 zucchini sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
2 tsp. chopped fresh garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
13 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
2 tsp. chopped purple basil,
plus a few whole leaves for garnish
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
1/2 lemon, juice and finely grated zest
3/4 cup 18% cream
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
GARDEN UPDATES
The Emmett Avenue
Community Garden
is the only community space for food-growing
in the Weston-Mount Dennis neighborhood.
Located in Eglinton Flats Park at the corner
of Emmett Avenue and Jane Street, it has 21
plots with approximately 1,600 square feet
of growing space. The garden was started
in 2006 and at the peak of the season,
gardeners take home 5 to 10 pounds of food
each week. That’s enough to supplement a
week of dinners!
Best served in late summer, with ingredients fresh from the garden.
Pastry Directions
Sift the two flours and salt together into a mixing
bowl. Add the butter and cut into the flour with pastry
cutter or two knives. Sprinkle in enough water to
bring together. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic and
chill for 30 minutes. Place pastry on a lightly floured
surface and roll to 1/8-inch thickness.
Fit into a 9-inch pie pan, and flute the edges with
fingers or fork. Keep chilled until ready to use. Line
the tart shell with foil and weigh down with dried
beans. Bake for 20 minutes, remove foil and beans
and bake until lightly golden brown, approximately
five minutes. Remove tart shell from oven and set
aside until ready to fill.
Reduce oven temperature to 350oF (180oC).
Filling Directions
Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add
zucchini and sauté until slightly softened, about 3
minutes. Add garlic and thyme, stirring to combine.
The Fort York
Community Garden
is located at Bathurst Street and Fleet
Street, at Historic Fort York, a heritage and
tourist site. The garden space encompasses
1,200 square feet with more than 35,
4-ft.-by-8-ft. raised garden beds that
are used as individual, community group
and communal plots. In 2008 we spent
823 hours building, planting, nurturing,
growing, and celebrating in the garden.
Turn heat to medium-high and continue to sauté until
juices have evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove from
heat and stir in chopped basil. Season with salt and
pepper and set aside.
Beat egg and egg yolk with cream, lemon zest and
juice until uniform. Season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese evenly over the
pre-baked tart shell. Pour half the egg mixture over
the feta cheese. Add zucchini mixture in an even layer.
Pour remaining egg mixture into the tart shell, making
sure not to overfill. Arrange the sliced tomatoes cut-
side up over the top of the tart.
Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake in the lower
third of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until set and
lightly golden brown.
Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with a few
purple basil leaves.
Created in 2008 by Mark D'Aguilar,
Fort York Community Gardener
The Community
Garden at Miziwe Biik
is the only garden of its kind in Toronto.
Located on the grounds of Miziwe Biik
Aboriginal Employment and Training
on Gerrard Street across the street from
Allen Gardens. At 560 square feet in
size, it contains native herbs and sweet
grass. The site also offers raised beds and
composting. This garden provides a unique
opportunity to learn about both heritage
and health in an urban setting.