Meatless Monday Recipe- Shitake Mushroom Soup

Another recipe from Claire Furman, Kentlands Whole Foods.

The inspiration for this soup was the shiitake mushroom.

The flavor components of the aromatic roots and  the sweetness of the mirin complement the earthiness of the shiitake mushroom.

I served this to our customers at Whole Foods Market in Gaithersburg a couple of Friday’s ago, but it is perfect for Meatless Monday.

SHIITAKE MUSHROOM SOUP

serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 quart 365 low sodium vegetable broth *

1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger

1 Tbsp. freshly grated garlic

2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallots

4 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps

1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)

1 Tbsp. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

2 cups packed spinach leaves, washed, dried and coarsely chopped

3/4 – 1 cup diced daikon radish

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (green parts only)

Place ginger, garlic, shallots and 1 cup of the vegetable broth in a 3-4 qt. stock pot.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.

Add the mushrooms, mirin, remainder of stock and Bragg’s Aminos and simmer for about 8 minutes.

Add the chopped spinach and diced daikon radish and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with the sliced scallion greens.

*You may want to add an additional 1-2 cups water.

This soup is delicious as a first course.  Add cooked soba noodles to make a heartier dish.

Water Conservationists Take on Watts Branch Stream

Annita Seckinger, Watts Branch founder

March 22, 2013

Gaithersburg, Md

Intro by: Alex Stavitsky-Zeineddin

By: Annita Seckinger, founder of Watts Branch watershed group

This continues the series introducing the different watershed groups in Montgomery County, Md that are working on improving the quality of the local waterways.

“Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime
and our children’s lifetime.   The health of our waters is
the principal measure of how we live on the land.”
                                                                 ~  Luna Leopold

I have been in love with the water every since I was a kid. According to my mom, it was impossible for me to walk by so much as a puddle without jumping in.

Last year I attended a water conference in Silver Spring, Md.  I found out that Watts Branch, the watershed in which I live, had no champion. All the watersheds around had organizations to look out for them, but not poor Watts.  So, with a lot of help from Paul Hlavinka of the Muddy Branch Alliance, Watts Branch Watershed Alliance was born.

The Watts Branch watershed is a 22 square mile area located in southern Montgomery County, Md that originates in Rockville, It is roughly bounded by Travilah Road, River Road and Falls Road down to the Potomac. Its waters flow from its headwaters in the City of Rockville to the Potomac River, and from there, the Chesapeake Bay.

Watts Branch Watershed Alliance is a brand new organization (our web-site will be launching soon), created to clean, protect and care for this wonderful watershed. It should be noted however, that Watts Branch was not always an uncared-for little stream. From 1953 to 1999, Luna Leopold, a leading U.S. geomorphologist and hydrologist, and the son of Aldo Leopold, maintained a continuous record of its physical changes. He chose this river and its small basin because it had been the spot where, years earlier, he had taken his children on picnics. Leopold wrote that over time, suburban growth resulted in a basin filled with “muddy trash heaps” and “the little stream … littered with bricks, concrete, trash, plastic bottles, and old tires.”

Fortunately over the last few years, Watts Branch water quality has improved some due to the attention of concerned individuals, but it still has a very long way to go.

Help keep this stream and it surrounding areas clean and safe. Not only would it be great for children to be able to play in the streams that run though our parks and back yards again (remember?), but because, as mentioned above, all these smaller waterways flow to the Potomac and then eventually in to the Bay. Find your watershed. Volunteer. Help your friends and family protect your watershed. In doing so, you help save the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay as a source of clean food and recreation for generations to come.

Annita Seckinger

President, Watts Branch Watershed Alliance

https://www.facebook.com/WattsBranchWatershedAlliance

http://www.muddybranch.org/

Why a Watershed Leader Became Active in Water Quality Issues

Paul Hlavinka, Muddy Branch Alliance

March 16, 2013

Gaithersburg, Md

Intro: Alex Stavitsky-Zeineddin

By: Paul Hlavinka

This is the second post in a series about the local Montgomery County Md. watershed groups that highlights those who are active participants in improving water quality in this county.

I became interested in the natural world as a young child.  I really don’t remember when.  I think it was always an intense interest.  I was fortunate to be able to enjoy days along the Goose River, in North Dakota, where we could bike on paths, find frogs, watch birds, and just generally explore and enjoy this world.  Moving to Maryland and raising a family here brought back these memories.

I wanted my family to also value nature.  There is no better way to connect with nature than through connections to local waters.  My girls both enjoyed hiking and exploring along the Muddy Branch.  They also felt a natural connection with this world.  We really have valued the park areas that have been left along the stream.

My curiousity about the health of this stream increased over the last 10 years.  We sail on the Chesapeake Bay and are aware of the environmental issues this area has experienced.  We observed first hand the large dead zones that are found there.  I realized that in order to try make a difference for the Bay, we need to act locally.  We started the Muddy Branch Alliance in 2010 with a number of other folks who were also interested in doing something about water quality.

I have since learned a lot about the stream and about the people who live near it.  I am inspired when I hear from friends and neighbors about their concerns and their willingness to do something about it.

Ultimately we all are part of the problem, and therefore can all be part of the solution.  Consider what you do in your own back yard and how it impacts runoff. Consider what you can do to reduce these impacts.  Help pickup trash when you see it so that it won’t wash down and end up in the stream.  There are many common sense things like this we all can do to make a difference.

I hope you feel this connection with your local stream and do what you can to make a difference.

Maryland Senate Committee Votes Down Fracking Moratorium

Sebastian Rowland
Contributor

March 9, 2013

Annapolis, Md

By: Sebastian Rowland

The Maryland State Senate Education Health and Environmental Affairs committee voted 6-5 this past Thursday to not advance the “Maryland Hydraulic Fracturing Moratorium and Right to know act of 2013.”  This vote means that the moratorium will not become a law.

In June 2011, Governor Martin O’Malley issued an executive order requiring the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDEP) and the Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources to study the impacts of fracking and placed a moratorium on the practice until the studies were completed. The order anticipated that the studies would be finished by August 2014.

The de facto moratorium forbids MDEP and Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources from approving permits for hydraulic fracturing before completing a suite of studies, and added a public health risk assessment to the required studies.

After completion of the studies, MDEP would also have to implement regulations to protect the environment and public health before issuing fracturing permits.

Although the moratorium will not become state law, the committee’s decision will not diminish the requirements of the Executive Order.  O’Malley’s Executive Order will remain in place until August 2014.

Hydraulic fracturing is a fossil fuel extraction technique in which deep holes are drilled vertically and then into horizontal branches. These branches are flooded with chemicals to fracture rocks containing oil and natural gas.

Environmentalists decry the practice because it contributes to climate change, can contaminate ground water, and consumes large quantities of fresh water.

At this stage, no fracking permits have been issued in Maryland. Some oil and gas companies, including Samson Resources, have bought leases for mineral rights in Western Maryland, but have allowed these leases to expire.

The industry has shown interest in developing wells in Garrett and Allegany counties in Maryland, which overlay the Marcellus shale, which is responsible for Pennsylvania’s fracking boon.

Representatives from local environmental and health groups are for the moratorium. These groups include Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), Trout Unlimited, Maryland Nurses Association, League of Women Voters, Maryland Environmental Health Network, as well as Marylanders from Western Maryland.

These groups are concerned that without the moratorium, the state of Maryland could face lawsuits from the industry.  They are also think that the the moratorium may end in 2014 without a complete report on the possible health impacts.

Mike Tidwell, director of CCAN, citing a previous lawsuit by Dominion Energy company, said  that, “Unless you have  a statute in place, not an executive order, then we’re not really sure what the outcome could be in court.” He, as well other environmentalists, are concerned that the moratorium may end preemptively if the studies are not completed by August 2014.

Representatives from the Maryland Farm Bureau, Chevron, and the American Natural Gas Association, as well as some Garret County farmers, argued that legalizing the moratorium was unnecessary.

A spokesman for the Maryland Petroleum Council, Drew Cobb, explained that industry interest in Maryland was too low to merit a moratorium. “The bill sends the wrong message to the business community,” argued Garrett County Commissioner James Raley. “If anyone can do it right, Maryland can do it right,” he concluded.

78% of Marylander voters showed support for the health and safety impact studies in a February 2013 survey conducted by Annapolis-based Opinionworks. The survey was commissioned by  CCAN, which has been organizing the Maryland community to support the moratorium and studies.

CCAN is holding a rally March 13 in Annapolis, Md to protest the decision to halt the moratorium on fracking.

Maryland is not the only state to face this issue- New York state is also considering whether to continue its moratorium on fracking. The NY state senate recently approved a bill to extend the moratorium until 2015.

The Executive Order will remain in place until August 2014 and the Senate anticipates facing the bill next year. Also, the health and environmental impact studies are underway, with $1.5 million in funding from Governor O’Malley.

A River Keeper Says,“To Know the Water is to be on the Water.”

Ann Smith, President of Seneca Creek Watershed Partners

Friday, March 1, 2013

Montgomery County, Md

By: Ann Smith

Part of a Series on Montgomery County, Md’s Watershed Groups.

It is a reasonable request to preserve watersheds.  A watershed  controls water flow from its source to its final destination.  It is a drainage slope.   From The Eastern part of the United States, water drains down towards sea level, the Atlantic Ocean.  In Maryland, water meets the Chesapeake Bay before it reaches the ocean.  The Chesapeake Bay receives fresh water from land, and salt water from the ocean.   The water is brackish, and creates an estuary with high levels of nutrients in the water.  http://www.chesapeakebay.net is a good site for finding current issues with the Chesapeake Bay.

I love to be by the water near my house. I take my cat Sebastian and my dog Cosita with me every week.  The water near my house is a creek in the woods.  It is a small tributary that connects to Middle Seneca Creek.

The trees have their bark removed around the edges, and the pipes from the neighborhood have created these excavation tunnels leading to the creek.  There is little undergrowth, and there are lots of fallen trees with no smaller trees growing to replace them.

I don’t know what a maintained creek should look like, but I know this one needs help.  I felt the need to learn more, so I contacted the Montgomery County DEP. Ana Arriaza is a watershed coordinator for Great Seneca Creek.  She sent me a study that was done in 1999 called Great Seneca Creek Watershed Study May 25, 2999 by Keith Van Ness. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dectmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/water/sub_greatseneca.asp 

I was invited to a stakeholders meeting for the Seneca Creek Watershed Partners by Meo Curtis.  The group is forming as the Western Watershed Alliance in Montgomery County. The creek consists of five large geographic areas: Upper Great Seneca Creek in Damascus, Middle Great Seneca Creek in Gaithersburg and Germantown, Little Seneca Creek and Ten Mile Creek in Clarksburg, Lower Seneca Creek in Western Potomac at Dawsonville, and Dry Seneca Creek in Poolesville.

Until recently, most of this part of the county was agricultural.  Ten Mile Creek is the cleanest water system within Seneca Creek.

Timing is important. Now is a good time to improve the watershed.  At the end of the last century, research showed that Maryland has done a great job moving the water out of neighborhoods and into the creeks.  I guess you could call them flood zones.  Currently everything flows into the flood zones.   We have a lot of impervious ground that adds to the flooding.  The water does move!  It takes everything with it; trash, nutrients, fish, rocks etc.., and now we have lots of fresh water creeks that bring the “stuff” down to the bay at a faster rate than ever before.

The new objective is to slow the runoff down, and let the water soak into the soil, where plant roots can take up the nutrients and take out pollutants.   As we connect to people within our watershed by practicing methods that slow the runoff, we are creating a culture around a template that already exists.  It is not political, or wealth driven, or driven by cars. We have been given instructions on how to revive the Chesapeake Bay via preserving our local water.  The movement is like a ripple on water.

At first, clean-ups emphasized the watersheds on the eastern shore, and then the Anacostia and Patuxent watersheds.  Great Seneca Creek is part of the Potomac Watershed.  The ripple has moved out and we now have to improve our watershed.

All the people in Maryland are working together to preserve water.   We use it every day!

As educators, accountants, scientists, kayakers, stream stewards and fisherman, we advocate for preserving Great Seneca Creek for future generations. Find your watershed on a county map, and sign up for the alliance near you.  Jack Cochran from the Isaac Walton League and Paul Hlavinka from Muddy Branch Alliance have started a shared calendar for Great Seneca Creek, Muddy Branch, and Watts Branch.  We share a similar logo with Little Falls Watershed.   Local events are posted on Calendars weekly.     Take a look.

http://senecacreekwatershedpartners.wildapricot.org 

http://www.muddybranchalliance.org  

www.lfwa.org

Ann Smith, President of Seneca Creek Watershed Partners

The ABC’s of Montgomery County’s Watersheds

Naomi Bloch

February 28, 2013

Potomac, Md

By: Naomi Bloch

Hello Friends,

After a few weeks away, I am happy to be back and excited to introduce you to our first-ever series of blog posts dealing with an important environmental topic right here in Montgomery County.

If you are anything like me, then you have heard the term “watershed” from time-to-time but have never been too clear on what exactly that means, right?

Well, I am honored to have met several local people who actually know quite a lot about our area watersheds.  These folks will be teaching us about their particular watersheds, why they are important to us all, and what particular challenges they are facing; along with what is being done to address these challenges.

Over the next few weeks, we are going to present these “front line” reports from each of our local watersheds activist leaders. These are the people who are  in the best position to inform us.

Courtesy of Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection

Our first-up guest blogger is, Ann Smith, Director of the Seneca Creek Watershed Partnership. I hope you will read our entire series on watersheds and find the information enlightening. Thanks, Ann!

I urge you to share these posts and  information with your family, friends and neighbors so that they, too can learn about watersheds, why they are important, and why we should care. Most of all, I hope that you are inspired to roll up your sleeves, get outside with your kids and neighbors, and  help make our local watersheds the best they can be.

Thank you,

Naomi