As you know, winter arrived with a bang this year which included a total eclipse of the moon in the wee hours of the AM. I am lucky enough to have the SB up at wee hours so he woke me when the time was right for me to see the most in the shortest amount of time. And I didn't even have to get out of bed. THAT is my idea of stargazing. The only disappointment about the arrival of winter was that it had felt for at least a month or so like it already was winter. The Season of Smartwool started a while back. I rejoice now if we get above 40 during the day.
So in the spirit of embracing the uncomfortable and demoralizing things you cannot change, I will make a list (for SHG) about the things that I really love about winter. It will be short but heart felt.
1. I can use the back porch as an auxiliary freezer.
2. I get to wear my favorite winter hat.
3. Give me a minute, I'm thinkin' I'm thinkin'......
4. No mosquitoes.
5. Time for indoor work (at least in theory). (I have made a few stabs at a garden apron for myself made from a linen dress that was falling apart. So far so good)
I hope you have planned a lovely holiday with family and friends and lots of time for the things that make you happy. Here at the Future Urban Farm, we will fill our days much as we always do with planning.
Happy vacation to those of you lucky enough to have it.
Friday, December 24, 2010
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.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Season
We have crossed from the Season of Frost to the Season of Smartwool. And seeing as my smartwool is still languishing in a trunk somewhere I am officially and seasonally appropriately freezing my ass off. Big leaky house + temps only in the 30s during the day x one week = supercranky.
I think the last several nights have done in the last of the veggies. Except I hope the rest of the carrots are OK. I have pictures of the last harvest, but the SB has to send them to me as he downloaded them. I will post. We will see if anything recuperates come springtime.
The last few nights I have fallen asleep planning my spring/summer vegetable beds. Last night the last thing I remember was trying to decide if I needed one or two kinds of marigolds.
I was at an office party last week and started talking veggie gardens with another woman. The rest of the group began to drain away as we went on and on about how therapeutic gardening is, how rewarding, the triumph and heart break, the back breaking work, the absurd and slightly embarrassing joy of the perfect pumpkin, etc, etc. Eventually we changed topics and other people decided they could be around us once again. (I can't blame them, I would have done the same if others started talking sports or prime time TV.)
These instances are how I know that I am totally and completely obsessed. I have become one of THOSE people. (woot!)
I got my first gardening catalog in the mail today. I am marking pages, veggies, varieties, etc. This will go on through January. By then I have pretty much marked everything and I have to start over, which is fine - I am pretty easily entertained. SESE has a great planting guide in the catalog and posted on the main website as a pdf. Invaluable if you live in Virginia.
I just read about sorrel here, which reminded me that I want some of that too. Along with rhubarb and horseradish.
I think the last several nights have done in the last of the veggies. Except I hope the rest of the carrots are OK. I have pictures of the last harvest, but the SB has to send them to me as he downloaded them. I will post. We will see if anything recuperates come springtime.
The last few nights I have fallen asleep planning my spring/summer vegetable beds. Last night the last thing I remember was trying to decide if I needed one or two kinds of marigolds.
I was at an office party last week and started talking veggie gardens with another woman. The rest of the group began to drain away as we went on and on about how therapeutic gardening is, how rewarding, the triumph and heart break, the back breaking work, the absurd and slightly embarrassing joy of the perfect pumpkin, etc, etc. Eventually we changed topics and other people decided they could be around us once again. (I can't blame them, I would have done the same if others started talking sports or prime time TV.)
These instances are how I know that I am totally and completely obsessed. I have become one of THOSE people. (woot!)
I got my first gardening catalog in the mail today. I am marking pages, veggies, varieties, etc. This will go on through January. By then I have pretty much marked everything and I have to start over, which is fine - I am pretty easily entertained. SESE has a great planting guide in the catalog and posted on the main website as a pdf. Invaluable if you live in Virginia.
I just read about sorrel here, which reminded me that I want some of that too. Along with rhubarb and horseradish.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thither and Yon
I have been over here. Doin' stuff.
A quick Saturday AM post. In the garden still some carrots, kale, arugula, parsley and lots of cabbage. Hopefully cabbage goes lactic this weekend.
Ducks are good, though they have essentially stopped laying. Slackers.
Planning for the spring garden. The goat barn/pen. The out buildings and a possible greenhouse in the not too near future.
Got some greenhouse plastic to do some early cropping in the garden. Can't wait to order seeds though I need nothing. Except carrots. And long beans. And corn. And spinach.
We are considering moving our asparagus to dryer locations as it has yet to produce for us (in 10 years). Must be the high water table there. I am on the look out for some perennial veg to add to the landscape, anyone have extra rhubarb or horseradish?
A quick Saturday AM post. In the garden still some carrots, kale, arugula, parsley and lots of cabbage. Hopefully cabbage goes lactic this weekend.
Ducks are good, though they have essentially stopped laying. Slackers.
Planning for the spring garden. The goat barn/pen. The out buildings and a possible greenhouse in the not too near future.
Got some greenhouse plastic to do some early cropping in the garden. Can't wait to order seeds though I need nothing. Except carrots. And long beans. And corn. And spinach.
We are considering moving our asparagus to dryer locations as it has yet to produce for us (in 10 years). Must be the high water table there. I am on the look out for some perennial veg to add to the landscape, anyone have extra rhubarb or horseradish?
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.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
As Expected
Ok, so I am not the new hot blog in Turkey. I can accept that.
Planted the garlic this weekend. We did some other transplanting in the yard and garden. I made bread. And finally effing finished the green tomatoes. The bowl of peppers remains on the counter. I must have frozen gallons of hot peppers this year. I guess my next bit thing will be chili.
The time change has kicked my butt.
Planted the garlic this weekend. We did some other transplanting in the yard and garden. I made bread. And finally effing finished the green tomatoes. The bowl of peppers remains on the counter. I must have frozen gallons of hot peppers this year. I guess my next bit thing will be chili.
The time change has kicked my butt.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
OK Fess Up
I don't know about you, but I like to look at my blog stats. I mean, I know YOU can't look at MY blog stats, but maybe you can monitor your own. In the last week, I have apparently become very popular (I mean this in a relative way) and let's just say a large percentage of my page views have come from the Netherlands, Japan and Turkey. The SB, being the raging optimist that he is, says that it is probably drone computers trying to hack into something. Actually, I AM a raging optimist and I can't really figure out any other reason why I might be getting page views from around the world. Of course, I would be flattered if the folks in the Netherlands, Japan and Turkey wanted to pop in and peruse my garden hints, check in on the ducks and live vicariously through me living vicariously through other bloggers. But somehow, I doubt that is what is happening.
So, if you are reading, and you are outside the US of A, please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Of course, if you are IN the US of A, you are welcome to comment as well. We love us some comments at the old urban farm.
In other news, we continue to close in on some kind of architectural solution to the problem of housing two tiny goats on 1.49 acres. At this rate, we should be good to go for spring. 2014.
So, if you are reading, and you are outside the US of A, please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Of course, if you are IN the US of A, you are welcome to comment as well. We love us some comments at the old urban farm.
In other news, we continue to close in on some kind of architectural solution to the problem of housing two tiny goats on 1.49 acres. At this rate, we should be good to go for spring. 2014.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)