Projects: Herb drying and Worm composting

Here's what my latest two projects are looking like so far!
Drying herbs Malawi style: put 'em in a basket, let heat/sun do its work.

I decided to flex my village food preservation muscles and make my own dried basil and cilantro using a decorative basket (from Zambia - way smaller than the functional baskets we used in Malawi, but easier to carry on the plane!). What better time to dry herbs indoors than after lunch, when the oven's still hot? Better still, these herbs would have gone to waste -- they were past their prime, but can still make some good spices to add to pho, lasagna, or a burrito.

Still fresh, soaking up that oven heat

Final product - crumbly, fragrant herbs! We're keeping those for yummy food in the future


Update: Second batch! This one with American technology: drying herbs in the closet. To be continued...

Composting with Red Wigglers: Air, water, food, and darkness. It's easy to do! And surprisingly NOT stinky.

We used an old rubbermaid and prepared it by punching some airholes with a hot screwdriver. We used an extra top to make a tray to catch water drippings and encourage good drainage -- that's insurance against bad smells. The worms live in a bedding of dry leaves -- foraged from a pile outside our apartment -- and eat nitrogenous (leafy/vegetable) wastes from the kitchen. So far the worms aren't very populous so they eat slowly. It's hard to wait for them to start having hungry baby worms! So that means we have extra food around for them, which stays outside in the near-freezing weather. That has its own benefit -- fruit fly eggs don't survive, so the compost stays clean!

The rubbermaid that doubles as a worm house is beneath my desk.

Peeking inside - lots of moisture on the lid! Leaves cover the top - no worms here. The worms live beneath, where it's dark.

I found one! Actually, this looks like two or three shiny, healthy, red wigglers. Hard to tell what they're eating, but soon it will be fluffy, nutrient-rich humus. Digging in their with your hands, there's not really much of a smell. Lots of slimy things, though.

More worm food

Ma-prizey! Ginger that was on its way out has sprouted inside the worm house. Now it's transformed into something we can plant in the spring.