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Olá from Fonte de Baixo.

We hope you have all had an enjoyable summer and taking time to sit back and relax a bit. For us it has been the absolute opposite, with early starts and late finishes to try and get as much work done in the time we have available before Autumn begins to take hold.

At this time of the year there are always jobs to be done in the garden and orchard and Fonte de Baixo has been neglected for several years so cutting back, pruning and felling trees has been a priority on this front. We have taken down over forty small, medium and large pine trees from the top of the land to make way for new fruit trees and a less prickly canopy to shade the mediation and eating area. During one of our cutting and clearing sorties we came across the source of the Qunita's name our own natural spring hence the name Fonte de Baixo (spring of the Baixo or local area) Even though there has been little rain since April the spring is full and rapidly replenishes when the water is used. Together with our water mine and two cisterns we will have ample water for irrigation. A project for next month will be to take down one of the old cisterns and rebuild it in schist (stone) as I discovered a leak which is more difficult to repair than to rebuild. As you can see from the above picture the natural spring has a lot of surface algae. If any of you know of an effective way of getting rid of it or stopping it form in the first place without using horrible chemicals we would love to hear form you.

This month we have a number of exciting new projects to get under way. Next spring we want to get started on the first of our schist - straw bale and adobe buildings for retreat visitors to stay. The first will be situated on the higher terrace amongst the olive grove and with views across the valley towards the village of Escalos do Melo

Ayurveda

Is your attitude to life the same all year round? Looking back, have you noticed that your physical and emotional needs are different in the middle of winter than on a hot summer day?

In summer the fire element is predominant. The sun's rays pour down on the earth. Wherever there is fire there is also transformation. In our mind it shows itself in enthusiasm. We get fired up about things. We give our all and everything. We live it up!

This process is mirrored in nature. It is rich and full. Looking at fruit laden trees this time of the year you can watch them give away all the fruit of their work freely without regret. Then they will withdraw their sap down into the roots to gather strength for the next spring.

In a way we do the same. We live fully in the summer and spend everything (especially our savings). As the cold winds start blowing we draw our attention more inwards and take stock of our lives to find new ideas and seeds for the future which is exciting but also unsettling. This is the time of the autumn equinox, when Libra (the scales) rules the sky. The air and ether elements become stronger in the autumn. They wake up everything within us which is light and mobile.

As it gets colder outside we naturally slow down. Our instinct would be to just stay close to the fire and hibernate in our dens all through the winter as some of our animal friends do. It takes endurance to get through the winter. We have to make an effort to get up every morning and get motivated. The dominant elements of water and earth slow us down. They promote growth, strength and healing in the body. We are containing our energy.

With the increasing light and warmth in the spring we release the stored energy of the heart accumulated in winter. We feel the need to clear our lives of excess clutter, clean our houses and detox our bodies to create space and clarity.

Ayurveda builds an awareness of living in harmony with the seasons. Its main aim is create a balance of the 5 elements earth, water, air, fire and ether to prevent dis-ease. We all have one or two dominant elements in our constitution, which -at different times of the year- can get out of hand.
In the October newsletter I will write more about how the body - rather than the mind - is affected by the seasons and how we can create a balance through the food we eat.

Ahimsa-Kitchen

August has been a bumper harvest with lots of salad vegetables, French and runner beans, potatoes, courgettes and marrows. This month's recipes use a lot of this abundance which we hope you will enjoy.

Leak & Potato Soup

(Alho-porro e batata sopa)
Serves 4

There are endless delectable variations on leek and potato soup. But sometimes less is more, and this strictly vegetable version finished with a twirl of crisply fried leek, is far from austere. Chopping the vegetables finely lets them cook faster, so the soup tastes fresh.

Ingredients for the soup:
50g unsalted butter
500g leeks, white parts mostly, sliced
3 sticks celery, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
120ml dry white wine
1 bay leaf and 2 sprigs of thyme
Bunch of parsley
4 tbsp crème fraiche

For the garnish:
200g leeks, white part only
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt

Method:

For the soup, melt the butter in a large, heavy pot on a low heat. Add the leeks, celery, fennel and a pinch of salt, then sweat the vegetables, stirring from time to time, for about 10 minutes without letting them to colour. Add the garlic and potatoes and sweat for a couple of minutes more.

Add the wine, 1.5 litres of cold water, the bay leaf, thyme, parsley and a generous grinding of black pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes).

Discard the herbs. Purée the soup and return to the pan. Stir in the crème fraîche and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm but do not boil again once the cream has been added.

For the crisply fried leek garnish, cut the leeks into 7cm lengths, and slice these into very fine matchsticks. Heat a quantity of oil at least 2cm deep in a heavy saucepan and when it is hot, fry the leek until it is golden and crisp - about half a minute. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Serve the soup very hot with a spoonful of the crisp leek on the top.



Outono Fazenda Guisado (autumn farmhouse stew)
Serves 6
This is hearty meal for those chilly days when you need something substantial. Cooked on our wood fired range this is a slow meal and eaten with fresh bread, rice or potatoes its filling too.

Ingredients:
200g dried haricot beans, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large butternut squash, about 800g
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
500g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cobs of corn
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

The Method:

Drain the soaked beans, put them in a pan of fresh water, bring to the boil and cook fast for 10 minutes. Drain and put the beans into fresh water, bring to the boil then simmer for a further 1 hour 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside. Alternatively you could use tinned beans but they tend not to hold their shape so well.

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and oregano and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

Cut the squash into quarters, and cut away and discard the seeds and fibre. Peel the flesh and cut into 2.5cm cubes. Add the squash, chillies and 125ml water to the onions, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and simmer again for 20 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tomatoes reduced to a sauce.

Pull away the husks and silk from the corn cobs, strip off the kernels with a strong, sharp knife, holding the cobs upright on a board and cutting downwards. Add the corn and drained beans to the stew and simmer gently for a further 5 minutes. Season and serve, sprinkled with the parsley

Pasteis de Vila Real

(Apple turnovers from Vila Real)
Makes 12 to 16 turnovers

This is famous recipe from the Trás Os Montes Province of Portugal. Vila Real, is one of the main inland northern cities and the birthplace of Diogo Cão, a distinguished sailor who in 1482 began his travels along the African coast and initiated the custom of marking these lands with stone monuments (padrões) testifying that the Portuguese had been there.

The pastry
225g plain white flour
1 medium sized egg
75g of unsalted butter
pinch of salt

The filling
110g granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1 large cooking apple, peeled and grated
60g ground almonds
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 thin slice fresh white bread

Method:

To prepare the pastry, mix the flour with the butter using the tips of your fingers. Then add the beaten egg, some cold water and the salt. Knead well; adding a dusting of flour if the pastry is too sticky. It should become very elastic and smooth. Form a ball and set the pastry aside in a cool place for an hour or so.

Meanwhile prepare the filling. In a pan bring the sugar to the boil with a little water to melt it, and make a thickish syrup (thread stage). Add the apple and almonds and mix well and boil until very thick. Cool and add the yolks, one by one, and the cinnamon. Bring to the heat again, stirring and allow to thicken. The mixture should be slightly wet. Finally add the breadcrumbs from the centre of the slice of bread and work everything together and set aside.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a thickness of 3mm and cut rounds about 7.5cm in diameter, using a pastry cutter. Share the filling between all the rounds ( about 2 teaspoonfuls each), fold in half, press the edges with the help of a fork and bake on a greased baking sheet in a moderately hot oven (200ºC) until golden. Sprinkle with sugar immediately after baking.

Sustainability Tip

One of the core values at Ahimsa is that we try as much as possible to live and work with nature. We are very conscious of our foot print, not only the energy we use but across everything we do. Ahimsa means to do no harm or at least to minimise our impact as much as we can. Below are some of the ideas that we are putting into practice and perhaps you could try some of them too?

Three starting points:

Permaculture's principles and techniques can guide the way we see things and what we do as we move into this post-oil descent phase. We can change the way we think and act as individuals much quicker than we can change the buildings of a town or change a field into a food forest. Here are three simple starting points to help guide positive change:

1. Keep in touch with nature

At a practical and spiritual level, we can only hope to live sustainably if our designs and choices are modelled on nature. Regularly spending time in a garden, forest, by a river or at the beach helps us understand the natural rhythm of life; which is our guide to sustainability. This is in contrast to much of modern life, where most of us are spending money seeking material answers to non-material needs.

2. Spend your money locally

When you spend money with a local business and on a local product or service, you keep that money cycling within your local economy. You may be paying a bit more in the short term, but the only sustainable way to meet your needs is from local sources, so support your local baker, bee-keeper, mechanic, builder and anyone else who meets your needs locally.

3. Use less fossil fuel

Your level of fossil fuel use is a measure of the environmental destruction you are causing. Petrol, gas, oil, and electricity derived from these sources is very powerful, attractive, seductive stuff. But the use of those fuels, directly in cars, homes and businesses and indirectly in most of the food and goods we buy, is very destructive and polluting. It's better to run out of oil slowly, giving time for transition, than to burn it up quickly. It's also a good idea to practice using less fossil fuel, as it always gives us a better environment, even if we don't run out.

A different way of seeing the world

"Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

Permaculture is a different way of seeing the world. When you think of a garden you may see roses, fruit trees or vegetables - or you may see a complex interacting ecology. When you think of a house you may see an opportunity for saving (or wasting) resources. When you consider more than six billion people on a finite planet you can see a population disaster or a great source for creativity.

If we think about these 6 billion people as one million towns each with 6,000 people that seems a lot more manageable to me. Imagine our cities as a group of 'towns' of around 5,000 to 10,000 people where most of the needs of that 'town' are met by the people of that 'town'. When people get their food and other needs from local sustainable sources they are part of the sustainable solution we need…and don't forget our existing towns and villages can already meet many of their needs

Permaculture is a different way of approaching all aspects of life. It's an approach guided by principles, yet it is practical in its application. This is a challenging way of thinking, but one that is badly needed if we are to manage the planet in a way that allows us and our children to survive, and allow the rest of nature to survive as well.

Smart design

Whenever we need to do something, anything, we can do it in a way that creates more or less benefits and creates more or fewer problems. How do we choose to create more benefits? For example, we need light in our living spaces. We can design and build houses that let in plenty of natural light without letting in too much summer heat or losing too much heat in the winter. We can choose to get up at daybreak and go to bed soon after dark instead of getting up about 3 hours after daybreak and going to bed around midnight.

We will need some additional light. If we choose a low-energy globe we save energy (good for the environment) and we save money (good for us) over the lifetime of the globe. But we need to reduce the amount of electricity we need to levels that can be generated from local sun, wind and water sources.

Everywhere we must focus on understanding what the problem is, and be imaginative about what we can do about the problem - and it can be done at a personal and household scale.

Demand-side management

At a larger scale, a power generation company can either choose to build a new power station, or can have people reduce their demand. There is a huge cost to building a new power station. There is a small but significant cost to buying a low energy globe. A few progressive power companies around the world have brought these two factors together and given their customers low energy globes (and/or sold them other low energy appliances at low cost). By doing this, the power company has avoided the cost of building a new power station - a huge financial and environmental cost.

Building the light globe factory takes perhaps 1% of the energy involved in building the new power station. This is an example of 'demand side management', known about since the 1980s, but not often a strategy by water or power supply companies, unless things get desperate - they are worried that they will end up selling less water, electricity or gas.

So solve one problem and solve others at the same time. Thinking and designing in this way is a big challenge and one that needs an understanding of what the real problems are.

The Bees

The bees have been working hard, bring in the honey. We have now removed all the honey supers off the hive for extraction which we hope to start next weekend. We will let you know how much we get from the first year's harvest. In the meantime we start preparing the hive for the colder months by giving them a Varroa treatment to reduce viral infection rates which at the moment are very low, I'm pleased to report. Feeding will take place in about 10 days to ensure the bees have enough stores to see them through the winter months. To protect the hives from larger predators such as mice, woodpeckers, bee-eaters, badgers, foxes and boars we will stake and wire-mesh the hives for added protection.

Rosemary Honey Hair Conditioner

As the summer sun now begins to fade many of us will have really noticed how the sun has dried out our hair and made it very brittle. Bruni has woven her magic and come up with this wonderful hair conditioner that is really cheap to make and works a treat too. You will need:

120ml of honey
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 drops essential oil of rosemary

Method:
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly in a plastic or glass bottle. I found the easiest way was to treat them like a fancy cocktail and give them a good shake. Apply a small amount at a time to slightly dampened hair before washing. Massage the scalp and work the mixture through the hair. Cover with a warm towel and leave for 30 minutes while you have a relaxing bath. Shampoo lightly and rinse with cool water.


If you want to add anything to our newsletter, events, workshops, things or services for sale or trade, please don't hesitate to send them through and we are happy to add them to future newsletters.

From Projeto-Ahimsa and Fonte de Baixo -