The SB has done it again... solved a problem that seriously needed solving. And I was too in the middle of trying to plow through to step back and see that there might be another way. He is a big picture guy. Mostly, that is probably a good thing.
Without further ado.... Do you live in a place where there are paw paws? We are, we even have a small grove in the backyard. This is helpful as it tells you when the wild paw paws are ripe so that you can go and collect them. The only problem with having a lot of paw paws is that you have to separate the seed from the flesh and skin. It is super duper tedious as there is a LOT of seed in a paw paw. A couple weeks ago, we were drowning in paw paws. Something seriously needed to be done with them or all the collecting work would be down the tubes. In the old style, the processing of the paw paws we had would have taken HOURS and resulted in cramped hands and grouching. But the SB did a little experimentation. Here is the process that saves your sanity.
1. Peel the fruit with a veggie peeler or older fruits by hand
2. Cut the fruit/seed into large ice cube sized chunks
3. Put them in the food processor with the plastic dough blade (not the sharp one)
4. Process briefly until the flesh is saucy and the seeds are seperate
5. Run it all through some mesh or just pick the seeds out by hand.
This is not entirely without some tedium, but it is MILLIONS of times better than the other options I have tried.
We froze about 10-12 cups of paw paw mash. We'll be using it in breads and ice cream. Yum.
You can thank the SB.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Serves me right
Last night I was having one of those days. One of those days where I don't really feel like cooking anything. One of those days where it really seems like WAY too much trouble to turn on the stove. It would be so much easier to get in the car and drive to our neighborhood bar and get some nachos. And beer. And we wouldn't have to do the dishes or anything. And we could see one of our favorite bar tenders. We would probably end up with beer to take home and stay out too late and not get anything done. But really, the cooking was just not speaking to me. Despite having lots of fabu things around to cook.
So I started hemming and hawing. Then the SB mentioned lentils. I love lentils. Especially in the cool weather. I was inspired..... we had eggplant from the garden. We had smoked sausages from Edward's. We had garden peppers, garlic, parsley and onions and a bit of home made chicken stock. And some cooked fingerling potatoes. And that was sort of all she wrote with a squeeze of lemon on top. The onions were a pain in the butt because all that are left of this year's haul are the tiny ones. But we did it. We made a super yummy fall dinner and thawed some rolls from the freezer and added butter and it was delish. So much better than anything you could pay for and in large part homegrown.
So I started hemming and hawing. Then the SB mentioned lentils. I love lentils. Especially in the cool weather. I was inspired..... we had eggplant from the garden. We had smoked sausages from Edward's. We had garden peppers, garlic, parsley and onions and a bit of home made chicken stock. And some cooked fingerling potatoes. And that was sort of all she wrote with a squeeze of lemon on top. The onions were a pain in the butt because all that are left of this year's haul are the tiny ones. But we did it. We made a super yummy fall dinner and thawed some rolls from the freezer and added butter and it was delish. So much better than anything you could pay for and in large part homegrown.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
"Tis the season...
Tonight was a summer supper. After doing some yard work and playing around with the goats, I harvested some fingerling potatoes, parsley, cukes, basil and summer squash from the garden.
For dinner we had: boiled fingerling potatoes (flavored only with a little salt in the cooking water). Squash sauteed with Urban Farm parsley, garlic and onions, some smoked salmon sent by the SB's sister (who rocks), and a salad of tomatoes, cukes, basil, goat cheese and kalmata olives. Oh, and garnished with chard stem pickles (because I didn't have capers for the salmon). Simple fast and oh so fresh. THIS is what I like about summer.
I have decided not to horde the potatoes this year.... I am harvesting early and often. Before tonight, I made some fabu potato salad. My goal is to use them all up by the end of November, since they don't really store any longer than that. In past, we have just ended up with WAY too many seed potatoes.... With the summer squash, I am trying to pick it early. I mean, really, there is only so much summer squash you can eat right.
Last evening we had a large black snake in the duck house (again). This time he was in the process of eating one of the eggs. Imagine being disturbed while you are about 1/3 of the way through getting your mouth around a watermelon, and you will have a good idea of the state we found him in. Being lovers of a good meal, we left the snake to do what it would with the egg. At that point we were dubious of the outcome. When we returned from our own dinner, we found that the snake had not only gotten down the egg he was working on, but went on to a second as well.
Just shows me why I need to be a little quicker on the draw with the egg collecting.
For dinner we had: boiled fingerling potatoes (flavored only with a little salt in the cooking water). Squash sauteed with Urban Farm parsley, garlic and onions, some smoked salmon sent by the SB's sister (who rocks), and a salad of tomatoes, cukes, basil, goat cheese and kalmata olives. Oh, and garnished with chard stem pickles (because I didn't have capers for the salmon). Simple fast and oh so fresh. THIS is what I like about summer.
I have decided not to horde the potatoes this year.... I am harvesting early and often. Before tonight, I made some fabu potato salad. My goal is to use them all up by the end of November, since they don't really store any longer than that. In past, we have just ended up with WAY too many seed potatoes.... With the summer squash, I am trying to pick it early. I mean, really, there is only so much summer squash you can eat right.
Last evening we had a large black snake in the duck house (again). This time he was in the process of eating one of the eggs. Imagine being disturbed while you are about 1/3 of the way through getting your mouth around a watermelon, and you will have a good idea of the state we found him in. Being lovers of a good meal, we left the snake to do what it would with the egg. At that point we were dubious of the outcome. When we returned from our own dinner, we found that the snake had not only gotten down the egg he was working on, but went on to a second as well.
Just shows me why I need to be a little quicker on the draw with the egg collecting.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Off
I took off from my real job Thursday and today to catch up on things around the Urban Farm. It feels like I have gotten a lot done, though there is no end in sight for the to do list.
This morning I transplanted chard, parsley and tomatillos into the garden and volunteer sunflowers into the orchard bed. The overcast skies and rain made it a perfect transplanting day. We are officially in greens season. Lots of spinach, mustard, chard, arugula and lettuce. We are tossing the mixed greens with hot pasta, vinaigrette, garlic, Parmesan, grated carrot and sunflower seeds. Yum.
We worked on the goat barn some. I made squash soup with what I think is pretty much the end of the winter squash. It isn't my favorite, but it'll do.
Because of the rain today, the ducks were foraging all over the place. Twice they were caught at the front of the house near the road. I ended up locking them up early as they seemed hell bent on trouble today. They complained LOUDLY.
I took the goats for a ramble around the yard while the SB headed out to an auction. The goats do like to walk. And they are exploring a lot more in the way of forage. They still prefer plastic and string to pretty much anything else except cedar bark. Ella loves English ivy and they both like privet. It is a good start. Unfortunately, they are also obsessed with the raspberries, so those may need to go back into the garden.
The big day off treat was to go back to bed at 8AM after feeding the animals and myself and having a cup of tea. It is much easier to wake up after caffeine, but it doesn't make getting out of bed any easier.
This morning I transplanted chard, parsley and tomatillos into the garden and volunteer sunflowers into the orchard bed. The overcast skies and rain made it a perfect transplanting day. We are officially in greens season. Lots of spinach, mustard, chard, arugula and lettuce. We are tossing the mixed greens with hot pasta, vinaigrette, garlic, Parmesan, grated carrot and sunflower seeds. Yum.
We worked on the goat barn some. I made squash soup with what I think is pretty much the end of the winter squash. It isn't my favorite, but it'll do.
Because of the rain today, the ducks were foraging all over the place. Twice they were caught at the front of the house near the road. I ended up locking them up early as they seemed hell bent on trouble today. They complained LOUDLY.
I took the goats for a ramble around the yard while the SB headed out to an auction. The goats do like to walk. And they are exploring a lot more in the way of forage. They still prefer plastic and string to pretty much anything else except cedar bark. Ella loves English ivy and they both like privet. It is a good start. Unfortunately, they are also obsessed with the raspberries, so those may need to go back into the garden.
The big day off treat was to go back to bed at 8AM after feeding the animals and myself and having a cup of tea. It is much easier to wake up after caffeine, but it doesn't make getting out of bed any easier.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Whirlwind
Wow, it has been a whirlwind week. New goats, family in town, lots of goat visitors, bare root plants in the mail (like 200 of them), etc. etc.
We officially have the most visited goats in the universe. I love that we can share the goat love. Plus, we want everyone to fall in love with them while they are little and cute, so if they get in trouble later, there are the good memories to fall back on.
I still haven't had a chance to look at the garden, but I think we have lots of spinach.
We got 100 hay scented fern for the back yard. Currently, 50 Piedmont Azaleas , which will likely go to 100, as that is what we ordered. Love bare root stuff as it is cheap and easy to plant. The window of opportunity is tight though to deal with them. I would be happy to sell you some lovely piedmont azaleas if you want some. Ordering 100 (smallest available quantity) from this place was at least as cheap if not cheaper than anything else I found. And we can use a lot of them....
Once again, Punk Domestics pulls out the awesome recipe . I can't wait until my rhubarb takes off.
We officially have the most visited goats in the universe. I love that we can share the goat love. Plus, we want everyone to fall in love with them while they are little and cute, so if they get in trouble later, there are the good memories to fall back on.
I still haven't had a chance to look at the garden, but I think we have lots of spinach.
We got 100 hay scented fern for the back yard. Currently, 50 Piedmont Azaleas , which will likely go to 100, as that is what we ordered. Love bare root stuff as it is cheap and easy to plant. The window of opportunity is tight though to deal with them. I would be happy to sell you some lovely piedmont azaleas if you want some. Ordering 100 (smallest available quantity) from this place was at least as cheap if not cheaper than anything else I found. And we can use a lot of them....
Once again, Punk Domestics pulls out the awesome recipe . I can't wait until my rhubarb takes off.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Must try
I don't have any idea what I would do with 5 cups of spicy chocolate sauce. Nope, can hardly think of a single thing to do with that. But I will make it anyway.
Once again from Punk Domestics. My "recipe" file is getting clogged with stuff from there....
Once again from Punk Domestics. My "recipe" file is getting clogged with stuff from there....
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Ah habba told.
I am stuffed up, snot filled and cranky. But no fever, so I am going to just try to lay low and rest. Even though I have a million things on the list. I think I will move "nap" up a few notches.
When I feel this way, I always want hot and spicy to loosen everything up. This morning I went straight for the chai. Here is the current recipe:
5-6 cardamom pods bruised
6-7 whole cloves
a pinch of cinnamon
20 red pepper flakes
4-5 fat slices of ginger
grating of fresh nutmeg
generous grind of black peppercorns
This all goes in a saucepan with 4 cups of water. It simmers for a while (like 5 minutes), and you can steep it too if you have to go out and feed the ducks or an errand or something. When you get back to it, heat it up to just about to simmer and add 4 level measuring teaspoons of tea (why do you think they call them teaspoons - duh). Let that sit at just under a simmer for a couple minutes. I use a mix of Earl Grey and Indian teas. After 2 minutes or so, add 1/2-3/4 cup of whole milk and about 4 t. sugar (or to taste). Let that sit a couple minutes and then strain it into a warm teapot. Steam your face with it before imbibing. Think that perhaps you may survive, but if you don't at least you will die caffeinated and warm.
When I feel this way, I always want hot and spicy to loosen everything up. This morning I went straight for the chai. Here is the current recipe:
5-6 cardamom pods bruised
6-7 whole cloves
a pinch of cinnamon
20 red pepper flakes
4-5 fat slices of ginger
grating of fresh nutmeg
generous grind of black peppercorns
This all goes in a saucepan with 4 cups of water. It simmers for a while (like 5 minutes), and you can steep it too if you have to go out and feed the ducks or an errand or something. When you get back to it, heat it up to just about to simmer and add 4 level measuring teaspoons of tea (why do you think they call them teaspoons - duh). Let that sit at just under a simmer for a couple minutes. I use a mix of Earl Grey and Indian teas. After 2 minutes or so, add 1/2-3/4 cup of whole milk and about 4 t. sugar (or to taste). Let that sit a couple minutes and then strain it into a warm teapot. Steam your face with it before imbibing. Think that perhaps you may survive, but if you don't at least you will die caffeinated and warm.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Check
I am not big on New Year's resolutions, but I do have some lists... In addition to the "get more exercise" and "stop eating so much bacon" on that list, there are a few other things.
I want to learn how to make those looped wool rugs. Not latch hooked rugs, but the real thing with strips of wool.
I want to make my own soap.
I want to make cheese from my own goat milk.
It goes on like this.... Some items very ambitious, others so do-able.
Today, I crossed one of the things off the list.... That was making my own laundry soap. I have no idea where I got this recipe, but it takes about 10 minutes to put together. Or less.
3 cups borax
2 cups baking soda
2 cups washing soda
1 small bar of castile soap, grated
Mix it all up and use a 1/8 cup per load.
I whipped it up this AM and ran 3 loads so far. Even the SB's outdoor work jeans came clean (at least as clean as they ever do).
The big bonus is that I won't have to have plastic containers kicking around. I hate those things, even if they are "recycle-able". Oddly, this is what drove me to start making my own yogurt as well. Though I do still sometimes buy yogurt if I lose my culture.
Nice to have one thing off the list as the bacon thing isn't going anywhere as of yet.
I want to learn how to make those looped wool rugs. Not latch hooked rugs, but the real thing with strips of wool.
I want to make my own soap.
I want to make cheese from my own goat milk.
It goes on like this.... Some items very ambitious, others so do-able.
Today, I crossed one of the things off the list.... That was making my own laundry soap. I have no idea where I got this recipe, but it takes about 10 minutes to put together. Or less.
3 cups borax
2 cups baking soda
2 cups washing soda
1 small bar of castile soap, grated
Mix it all up and use a 1/8 cup per load.
I whipped it up this AM and ran 3 loads so far. Even the SB's outdoor work jeans came clean (at least as clean as they ever do).
The big bonus is that I won't have to have plastic containers kicking around. I hate those things, even if they are "recycle-able". Oddly, this is what drove me to start making my own yogurt as well. Though I do still sometimes buy yogurt if I lose my culture.
Nice to have one thing off the list as the bacon thing isn't going anywhere as of yet.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Break
I think this is the longest break from work I have taken in years... Off a half day on the 22nd, back to work on the 3rd and only a half day in the office in between. Sheer freakin' bliss.
On the 28th I made cheese with my neighbor. She had The Cheese Kit. I had done this with the food crafting girls a while back, but since it was a while ago, it was like starting all over. Except that I also tried some cheddar. You inoculate the slightly warmed milk the night before with some yogurt or buttermilk and let it sit at room temp. By morning it was certainly thicker than regular milk. I walked it over to the neighbors as we were doing this in her fabulous kitchen. Then you add the rennet and let the milk sit for an hour. Which we did. Only we used my rennet which had apparently lost its kick. So the first 30 minutes nothing happened. We added new rennet and 60 minutes later we had a lovely curd - lesson learned, keep your rennet in the freezer. (We were doing other things along the way, making mozzarella, drinking tea and eating home made toast). The curds were cut into tiny squares, then stirred gently for 15 minutes while the whole thing was held between 90-100 degrees. The whey was drained off, and the curds were put into a clean cloth fitted into a clean tomato can with both ends cut out. I then took this home and placed one of the can ends on the top of the cheese which was on top of my cooling rack. On top of the can I put a smaller can (tuna, full and unopened) and and a couple of fat cookbooks (the Joy, and 1000 Chinese Recipes). We pressed it overnight on the counter and then wrapped it in fresh cloth and stuck it in the fridge where it will hang for a week or two until it forms a rind (which appears to be happening) then I am supposed to put cheese wax on it. But I will probably eat it instead.
We went to dinner at our other neighbors house. Cold roast beef, roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding with hard sauce. Yum.
I went shopping with Cho to the new fabric store. All I could do was think that those lovely upholstery fabrics would look great in the garden pavilion. Or the goat barn.
I walked to the Tea House with my chummy and had a pot of tea.
I made goat stew from the Frugal Gourmet. I messed with the recipe.
I made no knead bread. And messed with the recipe (adding 1/2 cup oatmeal and a bit of wheat germ to tone down all the whiteness) and had success.
I got a comment on my blog from the MENews people regarding my dissing of the garden planner. I was corrected.
I moved heavy things.
I saw an owl fly through our backyard.
We worked on the garden pavilion and goat barn plans. We made a model of the goat barn in cardboard.
See how much fun I am when I don't work? Someone should buy me out so I can be a stay-at-home homesteader and blog about it.
On the 28th I made cheese with my neighbor. She had The Cheese Kit. I had done this with the food crafting girls a while back, but since it was a while ago, it was like starting all over. Except that I also tried some cheddar. You inoculate the slightly warmed milk the night before with some yogurt or buttermilk and let it sit at room temp. By morning it was certainly thicker than regular milk. I walked it over to the neighbors as we were doing this in her fabulous kitchen. Then you add the rennet and let the milk sit for an hour. Which we did. Only we used my rennet which had apparently lost its kick. So the first 30 minutes nothing happened. We added new rennet and 60 minutes later we had a lovely curd - lesson learned, keep your rennet in the freezer. (We were doing other things along the way, making mozzarella, drinking tea and eating home made toast). The curds were cut into tiny squares, then stirred gently for 15 minutes while the whole thing was held between 90-100 degrees. The whey was drained off, and the curds were put into a clean cloth fitted into a clean tomato can with both ends cut out. I then took this home and placed one of the can ends on the top of the cheese which was on top of my cooling rack. On top of the can I put a smaller can (tuna, full and unopened) and and a couple of fat cookbooks (the Joy, and 1000 Chinese Recipes). We pressed it overnight on the counter and then wrapped it in fresh cloth and stuck it in the fridge where it will hang for a week or two until it forms a rind (which appears to be happening) then I am supposed to put cheese wax on it. But I will probably eat it instead.
We went to dinner at our other neighbors house. Cold roast beef, roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding with hard sauce. Yum.
I went shopping with Cho to the new fabric store. All I could do was think that those lovely upholstery fabrics would look great in the garden pavilion. Or the goat barn.
I walked to the Tea House with my chummy and had a pot of tea.
I made goat stew from the Frugal Gourmet. I messed with the recipe.
I made no knead bread. And messed with the recipe (adding 1/2 cup oatmeal and a bit of wheat germ to tone down all the whiteness) and had success.
I got a comment on my blog from the MENews people regarding my dissing of the garden planner. I was corrected.
I moved heavy things.
I saw an owl fly through our backyard.
We worked on the garden pavilion and goat barn plans. We made a model of the goat barn in cardboard.
See how much fun I am when I don't work? Someone should buy me out so I can be a stay-at-home homesteader and blog about it.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Post Christmas Post
Now that the gifts have been delivered and opened, I can tell you what I have been working on...
Chai spice concentrate for tea (or coffee) from here. Modified, of course. I like my spices a little stronger than what I got from the original recipe, and a little spicier. What I miss from my own chai is the warm fragrant fresh ginger. I may continue to work with this and see if I can sneak that in without making it chunky/funky.... All in all, I think it was pretty successful. I'll be taking some to work for afternoon tea, since we don't have real milk there and I don't do caffeinated tea without some kind of milk. Non dairy creamer does not merit consideration.
Mocha hazelnut biscotti - from a modified recipe in Sweet Maria's Italian Cookie Tray. The straight up recipe is for chocolate biscotti, and it couldn't be easier. The nuts make it a little tricky as things tend to want to fall apart a little more, but... All worth it. I think this was a great success. The biscotti are crunchy, not too hard and not too sweet. Basically Sweet Maria's recipe with tiny bits of chocolate, finely ground coffee and bits of toasted hazelnut. Yum.
So here is my question, is it bad to put recipes from books on the blog? I don't know.... and I don't know why this has just occurred to me that it might not be all together on the up and up....Advice please!
Cranberry Apple Bread - this is my holiday standby. I make small loaves of this for neighbors and friends and lots for the house here. The recipe (Dutch apple bread with cranberries, I actually haven't messed with this much) is from A World of Breads which I love and am sure I have told you about before. It is from the time before "artisan" baking was what people talked about. It goes through about a million recipes for all kinds of yummy breads, including multiple recipes for cornbread, biscuits, etc. If you want to be an artisan bread baker, make them all and figure out what makes those recipes tick. You don't need pretty pictures for that - and you won't find no pretty pictures in that book. It is one of my most used cookbooks along with the Joy of Cooking.
The ducks spent the holiday at work. I put them into the garden to hunt for anything that might be chillin' beneath the leaves for winter. They really take a long time to warm up to these tasks so I figured I had better keep them in condition for the upcoming spring thaw. I did a trial subscription to the Mother Earth News Garden Planner. I am not impressed. It doesn't allow you to modify for vertical gardening or mixed plantings (like lettuce beneath the okra). So I would say it might be good for folks who like to row plant, but for me, well, I am just a little more free form than all that. It would be nice to have actual plans from past gardens, but I think I can live without that. Gardens are something like theater, once it is gone it is gone and the memories are all you have, other than the friendships forged in the sharing of them.
The SB and I spent the day on the FUF thrashing through the design of our garden pavilion. It will be awesome if it comes to fruition. Rilly. In preparation for the pavilion we moved a tree/shrub (Carolina Silverbell) and planted some winter berry hollies, so in future, we hope to have us some of this.
I have more days off, Woot!, and hope to get lots of organizing, straightening and cleaning done around the house. Unfortunately, I am being distracted by the internets....
Chai spice concentrate for tea (or coffee) from here. Modified, of course. I like my spices a little stronger than what I got from the original recipe, and a little spicier. What I miss from my own chai is the warm fragrant fresh ginger. I may continue to work with this and see if I can sneak that in without making it chunky/funky.... All in all, I think it was pretty successful. I'll be taking some to work for afternoon tea, since we don't have real milk there and I don't do caffeinated tea without some kind of milk. Non dairy creamer does not merit consideration.
Mocha hazelnut biscotti - from a modified recipe in Sweet Maria's Italian Cookie Tray. The straight up recipe is for chocolate biscotti, and it couldn't be easier. The nuts make it a little tricky as things tend to want to fall apart a little more, but... All worth it. I think this was a great success. The biscotti are crunchy, not too hard and not too sweet. Basically Sweet Maria's recipe with tiny bits of chocolate, finely ground coffee and bits of toasted hazelnut. Yum.
So here is my question, is it bad to put recipes from books on the blog? I don't know.... and I don't know why this has just occurred to me that it might not be all together on the up and up....Advice please!
Cranberry Apple Bread - this is my holiday standby. I make small loaves of this for neighbors and friends and lots for the house here. The recipe (Dutch apple bread with cranberries, I actually haven't messed with this much) is from A World of Breads which I love and am sure I have told you about before. It is from the time before "artisan" baking was what people talked about. It goes through about a million recipes for all kinds of yummy breads, including multiple recipes for cornbread, biscuits, etc. If you want to be an artisan bread baker, make them all and figure out what makes those recipes tick. You don't need pretty pictures for that - and you won't find no pretty pictures in that book. It is one of my most used cookbooks along with the Joy of Cooking.
The ducks spent the holiday at work. I put them into the garden to hunt for anything that might be chillin' beneath the leaves for winter. They really take a long time to warm up to these tasks so I figured I had better keep them in condition for the upcoming spring thaw. I did a trial subscription to the Mother Earth News Garden Planner. I am not impressed. It doesn't allow you to modify for vertical gardening or mixed plantings (like lettuce beneath the okra). So I would say it might be good for folks who like to row plant, but for me, well, I am just a little more free form than all that. It would be nice to have actual plans from past gardens, but I think I can live without that. Gardens are something like theater, once it is gone it is gone and the memories are all you have, other than the friendships forged in the sharing of them.
The SB and I spent the day on the FUF thrashing through the design of our garden pavilion. It will be awesome if it comes to fruition. Rilly. In preparation for the pavilion we moved a tree/shrub (Carolina Silverbell) and planted some winter berry hollies, so in future, we hope to have us some of this.
I have more days off, Woot!, and hope to get lots of organizing, straightening and cleaning done around the house. Unfortunately, I am being distracted by the internets....
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Tea and garden dreaming
I found this recipe earlier this week. I have been tilting at windmills when it comes to chai. I have tried much and hadn't found anything I liked. The NYT recipe was obscenely simple. So of course I had to complicate it....
I knew the tea I was using (something from India brought to me by one of the residents I work with) wasn't going to produce a strong enough brew in the time given. So I used 5 t. tea to 4 (ish) cups water. I added 3 cardamom pods (crushed/chopped), 4 slices of fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, about 4 cloves and a few red pepper flakes and about 1 1/2 T. sugar. I added 3/4 c. milk cuz I like it milky. I actually simmered per the directions. Shocking. It turned out pretty well. I drank it all and now have a total caffeine buzz. The brew wasn't perfect, but definitely on the right track. It wasn't quite as rich as I would like. I think I will try simmering the spices first for a few minutes then adding the tea. I would like to avoid the over brewed tea bitterness but get more from the spices. A bit more milk might help as well.
And because currently, everything relates to the garden, I am thinking of growing some bergamot for my own tea flavoring, which could be a nice little addition. Renee's is also selling seed for hibiscus for tea, which could be great as well (and while you are there, check out some of the spectacular lavender varieties, not to mention some golden beets, a trio of melons, and other fancy stuff). I have many many plans for the coming year. If 30% of them come to fruition, it will be a bloody miracle.
One of them includes selling off my extra seedlings - probably cheap since I just need to pay for my habit.... I LOVE starting seeds and even with our big garden, I can start WAY more than I need in the basement. Shoot me an email if you want to be on the list for leftovers.
I knew the tea I was using (something from India brought to me by one of the residents I work with) wasn't going to produce a strong enough brew in the time given. So I used 5 t. tea to 4 (ish) cups water. I added 3 cardamom pods (crushed/chopped), 4 slices of fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, about 4 cloves and a few red pepper flakes and about 1 1/2 T. sugar. I added 3/4 c. milk cuz I like it milky. I actually simmered per the directions. Shocking. It turned out pretty well. I drank it all and now have a total caffeine buzz. The brew wasn't perfect, but definitely on the right track. It wasn't quite as rich as I would like. I think I will try simmering the spices first for a few minutes then adding the tea. I would like to avoid the over brewed tea bitterness but get more from the spices. A bit more milk might help as well.
And because currently, everything relates to the garden, I am thinking of growing some bergamot for my own tea flavoring, which could be a nice little addition. Renee's is also selling seed for hibiscus for tea, which could be great as well (and while you are there, check out some of the spectacular lavender varieties, not to mention some golden beets, a trio of melons, and other fancy stuff). I have many many plans for the coming year. If 30% of them come to fruition, it will be a bloody miracle.
One of them includes selling off my extra seedlings - probably cheap since I just need to pay for my habit.... I LOVE starting seeds and even with our big garden, I can start WAY more than I need in the basement. Shoot me an email if you want to be on the list for leftovers.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Gumbo
How is it that I have made it this far in my cooking career without ever making gumbo? Somehow it seems to have been so, but that all came to an end today. I found this recipe on the Internets and then, go figure, winged it. I decided on gumbo because of all the okra in the freezer. That stuff has got to go someplace and there is little that I think to put okra in... First of all, I used bacon fat since I had some. A couple tablespoons full and added a chopped onion, two ribs of celery, half a carrot, one roasted red pepper and a couple of small hot and sweet peppers. I sauteed those for a bit in the fat and waited until the juices evaporated and the veggies were relatively dry. Then I added a couple tablespoonfuls of flour and sauteed that for a while til it got a little brown. Then I started adding hot stock a little at a time. When it got kind of broth-y, I added a bay leaf, some cooked chicken and some sausage slices. Then some frozen summer tomatoes and then a potato because it was on the counter and otherwise in my way. Then I chopped up some of the okra from the freezer. Salt. Pepper. YUM. It is going to be super tasty over rice. I think that is its job.
I also made some bolognese. We are gonna do some good eatin' this week.
I also made some bolognese. We are gonna do some good eatin' this week.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Winner
I made a batch of Farm Girl Susan's No Sugar Green Tomato Relish last night. It was simple. No peeling, only rough chopping, and long simmering. She hits it with an immersion blender at the end, but I just used a potato masher for a chunkier sauce. I think I will add more heat though, even with the 4 jalapenos called for, the heat factor is only about at 3 of 10, though I should probably taste it again after an overnight sit before I make my final determination.
I put it in bags to freeze since I was too disorganized to get the canning together last night. Heading down to make another batch now. It will be a good stand in for tomatillo salsa. And with more pepper and cilantro added would be chimichuri-ish and fabulous with grilled meats. This is such a boon with all the green tomatoes!
I put it in bags to freeze since I was too disorganized to get the canning together last night. Heading down to make another batch now. It will be a good stand in for tomatillo salsa. And with more pepper and cilantro added would be chimichuri-ish and fabulous with grilled meats. This is such a boon with all the green tomatoes!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Birds
This morning is spectacularly gorgeous. Bright and clear with a definite bite of cold. There are birds everywhere out there. I don't just mean the ducks who are splashing happily in the creek and exploring the property next door. Song birds are everywhere. They are flying around with purpose, but somehow also seem excitable. I am speculating that they are all doing errands for the imminent trip south for winter.
I am sure we had frost in the swale last night where the garden is. Good thing I harvested the peppers and what was left of the basil. Everything else out there can stand a nip of frost. I also brought in the green tomatoes. It was a remarkable harvest. Mostly for being so completely unexpected. It must be close to 2 gallons of peppers and at least that of tomatoes mostly green but some ripe-ish and some that will probably turn red with some stern words and warm sunlight. I am planning at least one and likely two batches of Farm Girl Susan's No Sugar Green Tomato Relish. I'll let you know how it goes. I may even end up canning some of it as the freezer is absurdly full.
This week I made my chicken tomatillo crock pot thing, and a big batch of beef stew. I have been craving warm sloppy stew-ish type things these days. Soon, it will be chicken soup. One of my favorite things on earth. When the real cold hits, I put the chicken on in the morning with all the stock bits that I have put in the freezer during the week, onion ends, parsley stems, etc. and cook the chicken until just done. I pull that out and let it cool. Then the I pick the chicken an throw the bones, skin, etc back in the stock and continue to add veggie bits as I go about whatever other cooking I am doing during the day. Then the stock gets strained and I throw in some fresh veggies (onion/carrot/celery) depending on the stock flavors, and maybe a few potato bits. Toss the dark meat back in, season with salt and pepper and ladle over wide egg noodles. The SB prefers the tiny thin noodles but he is often out voted on this.
I may even start some bread this weekend. Having the oven on would take the chill off. Too early for heat.
I am sure we had frost in the swale last night where the garden is. Good thing I harvested the peppers and what was left of the basil. Everything else out there can stand a nip of frost. I also brought in the green tomatoes. It was a remarkable harvest. Mostly for being so completely unexpected. It must be close to 2 gallons of peppers and at least that of tomatoes mostly green but some ripe-ish and some that will probably turn red with some stern words and warm sunlight. I am planning at least one and likely two batches of Farm Girl Susan's No Sugar Green Tomato Relish. I'll let you know how it goes. I may even end up canning some of it as the freezer is absurdly full.
This week I made my chicken tomatillo crock pot thing, and a big batch of beef stew. I have been craving warm sloppy stew-ish type things these days. Soon, it will be chicken soup. One of my favorite things on earth. When the real cold hits, I put the chicken on in the morning with all the stock bits that I have put in the freezer during the week, onion ends, parsley stems, etc. and cook the chicken until just done. I pull that out and let it cool. Then the I pick the chicken an throw the bones, skin, etc back in the stock and continue to add veggie bits as I go about whatever other cooking I am doing during the day. Then the stock gets strained and I throw in some fresh veggies (onion/carrot/celery) depending on the stock flavors, and maybe a few potato bits. Toss the dark meat back in, season with salt and pepper and ladle over wide egg noodles. The SB prefers the tiny thin noodles but he is often out voted on this.
I may even start some bread this weekend. Having the oven on would take the chill off. Too early for heat.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Kitchen time
The SB headed out to do some work this afternoon, so I spent the alone time cleaning out the fridge and making one hell of a mess in the kitchen. There was much that needed catching up on. But now, we have a nice clean fridge and LOTs of yummies for the coming week.
Cold corn soup. Refreshing and super simple.
Coleslaw, no real recipe, just the quarter head of cabbage, a little grated onion, a grated carrot and some sour cream, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper. Mmm.
Chicken salad (actually made this AM before the SB headed out).
Beets, from the garden and simmered until done.
Fruit salad with all the bits of stuff that needed using up. Cantaloupe, watermelon and mango.
Yogurt.
Tomatillo salsa. Tomatillos, pickled pepper, a little onion, garlic and cilantro, salt and pepper. Whirred in the cuisinart. It is gonna be hot. Those pickled peppers from last summer are pretty fire-y.
With all that cooking I had to turn the AC on for a while. It is pretty stinkin' hot out there. The cat, came in panting and laid in front of the fan. I feel fortunate that the ducks don't know about that option.
Then I cleaned everything up. Then I had a nap.
Unfortunately the SB took the camera with him. No photos. I know you are surprised.
Cold corn soup. Refreshing and super simple.
Coleslaw, no real recipe, just the quarter head of cabbage, a little grated onion, a grated carrot and some sour cream, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper. Mmm.
Chicken salad (actually made this AM before the SB headed out).
Beets, from the garden and simmered until done.
Fruit salad with all the bits of stuff that needed using up. Cantaloupe, watermelon and mango.
Yogurt.
Tomatillo salsa. Tomatillos, pickled pepper, a little onion, garlic and cilantro, salt and pepper. Whirred in the cuisinart. It is gonna be hot. Those pickled peppers from last summer are pretty fire-y.
With all that cooking I had to turn the AC on for a while. It is pretty stinkin' hot out there. The cat, came in panting and laid in front of the fan. I feel fortunate that the ducks don't know about that option.
Then I cleaned everything up. Then I had a nap.
Unfortunately the SB took the camera with him. No photos. I know you are surprised.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
First Summer Supper
We are blessed with wintered over greens.... lots of spinach and mache. Tonight, I made one of our favorite summer quick suppers.
While a pot of water for pasta heats, combine olive oil (I added a bit of truffle oil too since I had it) and a crushed clove of garlic. Add salt and pepper and grate a carrot into the mix. Add some vinegar, I combine red wine, a splash of raspberry and just a teeny bit of balsamic. Roughly chop some salad greens. I also added some asparagus that I steamed over the pasta water briefly. Boil the pasta and toss with the mixture. Throw on some grated parm and some toasted pine nuts. The greens will wilt and the whole dish will be only slightly warm. Perfect for a summer day. Fresh and very veggie. I am thinking about adding a poached duck egg to this, but haven't tried it yet.
While a pot of water for pasta heats, combine olive oil (I added a bit of truffle oil too since I had it) and a crushed clove of garlic. Add salt and pepper and grate a carrot into the mix. Add some vinegar, I combine red wine, a splash of raspberry and just a teeny bit of balsamic. Roughly chop some salad greens. I also added some asparagus that I steamed over the pasta water briefly. Boil the pasta and toss with the mixture. Throw on some grated parm and some toasted pine nuts. The greens will wilt and the whole dish will be only slightly warm. Perfect for a summer day. Fresh and very veggie. I am thinking about adding a poached duck egg to this, but haven't tried it yet.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Yummilicious
I harvested a bunch of kale today that was threatening to bolt. I *hate* being held hostage by the garden, but I suppose it is what we must agree to. Sort of like having children..... I will be making notes as to the varieties that do well wintering over and those that are less obliging. Ditto the chard.
I sauteed some of the kale with some of our leeks that made it through the winter and some garlic (not our own) and I am thinking a quiche later this week might be in order since we are currently getting 9 (count 'em N.I.N.E.) eggs a day. Some of the kale I just cooked on its own. I am betting it ends up in pasta by week's end.
Early in my long weekend I made some really lovely stock. I bought two bags of chicken bones from the butcher and made a huge pot of stock, which I then reduced. It sits in my fridge, all jellied and delicious and like kitchen gold. It will be the basis of soup and sauce for as long as I can stretch it out. Really, you cannot go wrong with good stock.
Tonight after processing the kale, I made dinner. I took a bit of bacon and chopped it up finely and cooked it in a large frying pan, then added some of our leeks that made it through the winter and some purchased garlic. Then I added a few cups of finely chopped Brussels sprouts salvaged from last winters plants (I know nothing of the culture of Brussel sprouts, but hope to learn more). I added some of the stock and let things simmer while a pot of pasta cooked. I kept adding stock until the pasta was just about done and then added a dollop of cream from my farm milk (which rocks). This sauce was tossed with pasta and sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and some black pepper. Absurdly simple. Ridiculously delicious. Definitely one of the recipes for Bistro Night. Have I told you about Bistro Night? No? Remind me.....
The SB, not a Brussels sprouts fan previously, was ensnared by my devious bacon cream sauce plot. But truly, there really was no chance of failure, he was but putty in my hands.....
I sauteed some of the kale with some of our leeks that made it through the winter and some garlic (not our own) and I am thinking a quiche later this week might be in order since we are currently getting 9 (count 'em N.I.N.E.) eggs a day. Some of the kale I just cooked on its own. I am betting it ends up in pasta by week's end.
Early in my long weekend I made some really lovely stock. I bought two bags of chicken bones from the butcher and made a huge pot of stock, which I then reduced. It sits in my fridge, all jellied and delicious and like kitchen gold. It will be the basis of soup and sauce for as long as I can stretch it out. Really, you cannot go wrong with good stock.
Tonight after processing the kale, I made dinner. I took a bit of bacon and chopped it up finely and cooked it in a large frying pan, then added some of our leeks that made it through the winter and some purchased garlic. Then I added a few cups of finely chopped Brussels sprouts salvaged from last winters plants (I know nothing of the culture of Brussel sprouts, but hope to learn more). I added some of the stock and let things simmer while a pot of pasta cooked. I kept adding stock until the pasta was just about done and then added a dollop of cream from my farm milk (which rocks). This sauce was tossed with pasta and sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and some black pepper. Absurdly simple. Ridiculously delicious. Definitely one of the recipes for Bistro Night. Have I told you about Bistro Night? No? Remind me.....
The SB, not a Brussels sprouts fan previously, was ensnared by my devious bacon cream sauce plot. But truly, there really was no chance of failure, he was but putty in my hands.....
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
If wishes were ducks.....
Still wishing and hoping the duck better. My efforts seem to have come to a standstill however. I am administering antibiotics twice daily and the duck is strong and getting pretty fast for a one legged duck. She still won't put weight on her foot and the foot is non responsive. The SB has been trying some therapy, but no dice. I have put out another call to my friend. Crikey.
We had squash and cream over pasta with leeks from the garden and cured pork that we made. Fresh sage and a little garlic and we were good to go.
I am dead tired. I forgot that in the lighter months we don't come in until dark. Which means we just finished dinner. Bed time.
We had squash and cream over pasta with leeks from the garden and cured pork that we made. Fresh sage and a little garlic and we were good to go.
I am dead tired. I forgot that in the lighter months we don't come in until dark. Which means we just finished dinner. Bed time.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Missed me, didn't you?
Because some other people didn't post pictures, I decided to post a couple from last Sunday's dumpling wrapping party. Which rocked. I had the lucky chance to get a dumpling tutorial in advance. SHG got one via the internets. We all shared what little we knew and dove in for some culinary adventure....
Some of the first dumplings... Different shapes. We all had different fillings, chicken, shrimp, beef, tofu....
By the end we had many dumplings. We divvied up the goods so we all have some of each variety. In between, we ate salad, sesame noodles and dumplings and wine. We desserted on chocolate and more wine. And birthday biscuits. We also has some smashing mead, but that was earlier... as an appetizer. And which I am thinking about in the event that we get honey this year....
This is leftover beef dumpling filling after being fried in a pan and then having vermicelli and an egg poured over it. Fried up good like a frittata. It was the SB's dinner.
And speaking of the SB, I now have his laptop set up as my new computer, changing out the old iMac for this newer version. I hope that, once I figure out the new set up, things will be considerably faster, so that I can more easily post pictures.
And below, a gratuitous duck picture. Because I can.
That is Gloria in the front - brown with the spots on her chest. She is my favorite.
Some of the first dumplings... Different shapes. We all had different fillings, chicken, shrimp, beef, tofu....
By the end we had many dumplings. We divvied up the goods so we all have some of each variety. In between, we ate salad, sesame noodles and dumplings and wine. We desserted on chocolate and more wine. And birthday biscuits. We also has some smashing mead, but that was earlier... as an appetizer. And which I am thinking about in the event that we get honey this year....
This is leftover beef dumpling filling after being fried in a pan and then having vermicelli and an egg poured over it. Fried up good like a frittata. It was the SB's dinner.And speaking of the SB, I now have his laptop set up as my new computer, changing out the old iMac for this newer version. I hope that, once I figure out the new set up, things will be considerably faster, so that I can more easily post pictures.
And below, a gratuitous duck picture. Because I can.
That is Gloria in the front - brown with the spots on her chest. She is my favorite.
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