wood-fired cob oven

Ali and her hand-built cob wood-fired oven...

Though it technically wasn't an  Earth Day party, it seemed fitting that we were invited to celebrate our friends' new wood-fired oven this weekend since most of this oven is made from earthy materials: clay, sand, straw, and water. This type of building is named cob, and you can even build houses out of it! Here is wiki's definition of cob:
"Cob, cobb or clom (in Wales) is a building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth, similar to adobe. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity,^[2] and inexpensive. It can be used to create artistic, sculptural forms and has been revived in recent years by the natural building and sustainabilitymovements."


It may be inexpensive, but it is labor intensive. A finished cob project (even one of this size) is cause for a celebration... and even more so if it makes pizza! 

All the guests brought toppings to put on the pizza. Among all the wonderful items: fresh spinach, lamb and pepperoni from two friends' farms, tomato sauce and pesto from last years harvest...

Our friends cute home. It has a living roof. 

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 Happy Earth Day! (and thank you to my friends for allowing me to share their beautiful home!)