No recipe today, but of course it’s about food nevertheless… We posted some pics about at-home balcony farming the other day – and I mentioned my total lack of gardener’s knowledge and competence, didn’t I ;-). Well, here comes a place where people know quite well what to do with seeds and crops: the urban ecological agriculture project and community farming place Prinzessinnengärten right in the middle of Berlin. As we like the urban gardening trend this much, it’s time to introduce one of its hot spots in Berlin. So, take a look around, if you like:
It’s unbelievable what the garden’s initiators (the non-profit organization “Nomadisch Grün”) have created out of a former municipal fallow – a bohemian-style place for everyone to learn, to plant, to harvest, and, not to forget, to have organic coffee & (gorgeous) cake or lunch or dinner. Didn’t test the latter so far, but there’s something elso to try soon: kale summer harvest. I mean, kale! Since my Mom and me have been to Vancouver last year, I had that idea of having kale salad in spring or summer which is absolutely popular over there.
I remember having a nice talk with those people at an organic shop and vegan restaurant on up and coming Commercial Drive about the health benefits of raw spring & summer kale (which had been sold by every greengrocer over there). But of course, I couldn’t find it back home for a very good reason: in Germany, kale is a heavy winter dish and usually not harvested and sold before the first frost. Claudia of Dinner um Acht had posted a funny story about the Kale-Verschwörung (which translates to kale conspiracy, post in German language) and about asking for kale on Munichs Viktualienmarkt in high summer season. Lucky me: now there’s Prinzessinnengärten, and there will be summer kale on our plates, soon – I can’t decide what to try first, Kaela’s Asian kaleslaw at local kitchen or Emily’s Kale salad with avocado caesar dressing at Five and Spice…
Here’s some short info in case you might want to visit the kale plants and anything else at Prinzessinnengärten: the garden and its café & restaurant is open all summer season with fixed community farming days on Thursdays and Saturdays. There are workshops offered for a range of topics from healing plants to recycling, and there’s even a flea market every two weeks. Check out the details and more background info at Prinzessinengärten‘s website.
We wish you a wonderful rest of summertime in your private or community gardens, whether rural or urban, whether in Berlin or anywhere else!
Food with a View 
Mal wieder wunderschöne Fotos von einem großartigen Ort!
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Danke Dir! Und wie schön, dass Du als Berlinerin die Prinzessinnengärten auch so magst.
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Summer Kale! Oh how I envy you. 😉 This Kale thing is still in my head and I won’t give up on it. Thanks for sharing this passion.
Claudia
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My pleasure, Claudia – and I hope you will find a place in Munich as well where, you get it!
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(Green) thumbs up!
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You name it!
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I wish I could keep plants alive long enough to have that kind of garden. My parents have such a green thumb that they grow everything from okra to spinach to blackberries to guavas. Unfortunately, I did not inherit that ability. 😦
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Unfortunately, I haven’t a green thumb either which I can see regarding my little balcony farm ;-). Your parent’s garden is surely wonderful – the fruits and vegetables you mention sound like a a wonderful Oriental-American-European cross-over.
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