The West Chicago Garden Club

What does a Bur have in common with NASA? A Kingfisher with a high-speed train? In this fascinating talk, Kim White will show you many examples of when science and technology looked to nature to solve complex problems. Animal ambassadors: Axolotl, Dart Frog, Crested Gecko and hedgehog will accompany. This talk has received rave reviews every time it has been presented.

Kim has had a lifelong interest in the natural world. She spent 19 years associated with Brookfield Zoo’s Education Department as both a volunteer and employee teaching school groups. She is a master naturalist, a co-steward for the DuPage County Forest Preserve, education coordinator for the DuPage Monarch Project and avid gardener for both food production and habitat creation. Her summers are spent growing milkweed for the Monarch butterflies she raises from eggs and releases.

Meeting Location: St Andrew Lutheran Church NE Corner of Prince Crossing & Geneva Road.

Meeting Time: 6:45PM Refreshments – 7:00PM Business Meeting – 7:15PM Program

Visit the St. Andrew Monarch Pollinator Garden before our September meeting.
Bruce Blake will be be available at the St. Andrews Monarch Garden in front of the church along Geneva Road before our September meeting 6:30-7:00 to answer questions while you view the Garden.

Our August speaker, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh, the creator and owner of Backyard Patch Herbs, an online purveyor of salt-free, gluten-free, preservative-free herb cooking and tea products. She began growing herbs in 1994 with a small kitchen garden. Currently, after 25 years, she has expanded to a 3⁄4 acre garden. Over the years she has learned much about herbs, their growing habits, uses and quirks. She began speaking in the 80s as a museum curator and director and moved to sharing herb information in the 90s including at the Morton Arboretum, Chicago Flower and Garden Show, online on the Backyard Patch Herbal Blog, and at local libraries and garden clubs in Chicagoland.

During her program, ‘Be an Herbal Gourmet,’ Marcy will demonstrate how, by adding even the most basic herbs to your culinary palette, you can make your cooking more interesting, delicious and enjoyable. Demonstrations will include how to create herb mixtures to replace salt in food, techniques for infusing vinegar, sugar, compound butter and herb paste. Techniques will be demonstrated. Discussion of herbs and samples will be included.

Adding herbs can enhance flavors and allow for more healthful cooking. It is easy to create herb mixtures to replace salt in food. This and other tips for using herbs to cook with everyday are included in this lecture. The discussion includes flavor families, what herbs to use with certain dishes, and how to create herbal vinegars, butters and other items which can add herb flavors to cooking when herbs themselves are not appropriate.

Meeting Location: St Andrew Lutheran Church NE Corner of Prince Crossing & Geneva Road.

Meeting Time: 6:45PM Refreshments – 7:00PM Business Meeting – 7:15PM Program

Our July meeting is a picnic for our members.  If you are a current member, check your email and newsletter for details.  If you are interested in joining our club, please come visit us at our August 25th meeting which will be open to all.  As usual, we will post here with details of future meetings.