A Bushel of What?

Orange You Glad.

2011-12-12T13:13:00.000-05:00

I attended a fun event last week at my local Whole Foods. I, along with two other local bloggers, Nikki Gardner of Art & Lemons and Mary Nelen of The Valley Locavore received a special tour of the store, with stops in each department to chat with the knowledgeable, friendly staff and sample some special "budget-savvy", holiday-party perfect snacks and beverages. We even received a tutorial in the floral department on creating inexpensive centerpieces for a festive table and had some fun rolling our own truffles. Of particular note was the non-alcoholic punch made with satsuma oranges, 12NtM Blanc (a sparkling beverage with a citrus-ginger blend of flavors), grapefruit, and "smacked rosemary". To get the most out of your fresh herbs when using to flavor beverages, in this case rosemary, take the rosemary, bunch it in your palm and then take your other hand and smack it a few times before adding it to the punch. Those little love taps release the fragrance and oils of the herb. Who knew?! Oh, and you know what else? The Hadley Whole Foods has their own blog, written by Sarah Kanabay. I'll be visiting it often for new ideas, for sure. Thanks, Sarah and the Whole Foods Team!!

After leaving the Whole Foods event, I got to thinking about my December cooking to-do list; I had just finished making and canning our apple butter that we give out as gifts for the holidays. Still on the list are my biscotti and cranberry-orange marmalade that accompany the apple butter in little gift baskets we send to our family members. (Have you been good this year? If so, I'll post those recipes, soon.) I wanted to add something new to the package this year and I got to thinking about what I could make that was budget-savvy. The next morning, as I was peeling an orange for my son, I knew what I had to do; Candied Orange Peels. We had just received a box of tangerines and oranges from my father-in-law. My son has found a new food obsession, requesting at least two oranges a day. And what better way to use the whole fruit than to eat the orange and then save the peels for candies? I collected and stored the peels, pith in tact, in airtight containers for about a week, until I had enough to make a large batch of candies. I removed the skin of the orange by first slicing the top and bottom off of the orange and then cutting the pith and peel away from the flesh in large pieces. When I was ready to candy the oranges, I cut the white pith from the orange peel, which helps to cut back on the bitterness of the peel.

Candied Orange Peel

You'll Need:

2 cups orange peels, white pith removed and sliced in 1/4" wide strips

1 large pot with boiling water

1 medium sauce pan

3 cups water

4 cups sugar

wax paper

Boil a large pot of water. Add the prepared orange peels and boil for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse peels, and then drain water again. Combine 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cooked and rinsed peels and simmer for 10 minutes, or just until the peels begin to appear translucent. Turn off heat and remove peels from the syrup* with a slotted spoon.

Place 1 cup of sugar in a separate bowl. Toss peels in sugar. Lay out coated peels on wax paper and allow to dry for 24 hours, or until sugar is set and peels seem solid. Store in an airtight container.

*After I removed the orange peels from the syrup, I realized that I could use the orange-infused syrup at a later date, probably in a cocktail of some sort. I poured the mixture into glass jars and I'm storing them in my fridge for later use.

Potato Leek Soup

2011-10-18T09:51:00.005-04:00

My new kitchen is lovely. My camera is broken and my iphone photos aren't doing any justice to the space, so I've borrowed some images from So Happy Home. I can tell you that a visually clean, organized, monochromatic work space is exactly what I needed after the "uniqueness" of the old kitchen. We're slowly moving everything back in, but we're being judicious with what returns and what gets packed away for a spring yard sale. We're cooking as much as we can; I've already managed to start a fire in my oven (everything and everyone is fine) AND give myself a burn on my arm that will probably produce a scar I'll have for the rest of my life. I know you're reading this and thinking I'm being careless but I like to think it means I'm bad-ass in the kitchen. Or something like that.

Old Kitchen

New Kitchen

Anyway, we're doing a lot of cooking and it's really, really fun. I'll hopefully be sharing new and adapted recipes with you on a more regular basis and I'm going to start with a tasty soup recipe that aligns perfectly with what you might find in your Northeast farm shares this time of year. i love this soup because it is not like traditional creamy potato leek soups. It's stew-like in it's broth-to-vegetable ratio, has no dairy, and is perfect for a warming lunch after yard work or for a late dinner paired with cheddar melted on toast. This soup can be made extra delicious by the addition of some homemade baked croutons by cubing some hearty bread (I used Bakery Normand's Bergsteigerbrot bread), tossing with olive oil and grated romano, and baking at 350degrees until toasted.

Hearty Potato Leek Soup
serves 6
You'll need:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 large leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, washed, and sliced crosswise
2 large carrots, scrubbed, halved lengthwise, and sliced crosswise
1 tsp kosher salt
4 cups scrubbed and roughly-cubed yukon gold potatoes (approx 2 lbs)
5 cups chicken stock (or substitute vegetable stock)
2 tsp freshly chopped sage
2 tsp freshly chopped thyme
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium soup pot (a 3 1/2 qt pot is perfect), heat the olive oil and butter. Add the leeks, carrots, and salt. Stir frequently, watching for the vegetables to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, sage and thyme. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Add extra salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Recipe inspired by "Rustic Leek and Potato Soup" from Barbara Kafka's book, Vegetable Love

How I Get My Kid to Ingest Zucchini and Other Tricks

2011-08-09T22:10:00.002-04:00

Wow. Things are getting pretty stressful here at Chez Kutcher. We've had a few days of our plumber no-showing to a job that was supposed to be done last Wednesday, unforeseen expenses that are really pushing our limits (and buttons), and an all-around "GET ME OUTTA HERE" cabin fever feeling, even though we spent a lovely weekend at my family's home in PA.

Let's talk about something exciting and stress-free, like feeding toddlers. That's not stressful at all. Ha.

Jacob is a really good eater; He's generally not picky, he likes lots of flavor and he has a man-sized appetite. On occasion he refuses one food or another for reasons I will never know. I do my best to feed him home-made, well-planned meals that incorporate a wide range of colors and flavors. Jacob usually accepts and enjoys what he's served and if not, he clearly lets me know it by hurling it across the room. Thank God for the dog.

There are a few items, however, that I've been unsuccessful in getting him to eat. Zucchini and summer squash are currently on top of my "How can I get this in my son's stomach" list. I mean, we're talking about the staple CSA summer crop, here! I have ample supply and it's only fair that the whole family pitches in to consume it. Jacob turns his nose up at grilled zucchini, baked zucchini coated with panko, sauteed zucchini with butter and salt, etc. I have, however, found a way into that little tummy: Pancakes and Mac and Cheese!! Grown-up food disguised as kid food! Huzzah! I am victorious!

Raspberry-Zucchini Pancakes
This recipe is an adaption of a pancake recipe from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. In preparation for our kitchen remodel, I made multiple batches of these pancakes and froze them to be toasted and enjoyed at a later date.

You'll need:

1 egg

3/4 c. yogurt

1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon honey*

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

a few handfuls of raspberries**

Heat up your griddle or a large fry pan and make sure you have a little butter or non-stick item of your choice handy to add to the griddle or pan before you add the pancake batter.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg, yogurt, butter and honey until just blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt, then add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just blended. Add the zucchini and berries and gently combine.

Do I have to explain how to cook the pancake? I'm thinking no. Go make yourself some breakfast, already!

*It's not recommended that you give your child honey prior to 12 months of age, so try molasses or just skip it.

**Blueberries, peaches, strawberries or bananas would also be yummy.

Veggie Mac and Cheese
I make this mac and cheese with whatever bits of cheese I have in the fridge; Sometimes it comes out "serve to guests" amazing and sometimes it comes out just plain good. Explore different cheese combinations to find one that is perfect for you.

You'll Need:

1/2 lb short pasta (like rigatoni, ziti, fusilli, elbows) cooked to al-dente, drained, and rinsed with cold water

1/2 medium-sized zucchini, washed and shredded

3 carrots, washed and shredded (leave on the skins to keep in the extra nutrients)

1 small scallion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup shredded or cubed cheese, such as cheddar, muenster, american, colby

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons Ricotta

2 teaspoons parmigianno regianno (or some sort of grated cheese with a little bite)

a little pinch of some chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary or basil

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Add in the shredded cheeses and stir until they're melted. Toss in the herbs, and then the flour, which aids as a thickener. Take the saucepan off of the heat, add in the pasta and veggies and toss to combine. Stir in the ricotta and grated cheese. Let sit to cool and for the flavors to meld.

And, as a bonus:

Pureed Spinach and Peas (YUM!)

You'll Need:

Frozen spinach

Frozen peas

Water

A few leaves of Basil or Mint, or a bit of dill, optional

I have no measurements for this because it's usually a last-minute thing I make and basically I just dump some of each into a small saucepan with a few tablespoons of water. I try for a spinach to pea ratio of about 2:1. Cover the saucepan and stick it on the stove over low heat for about 10 minutes until the veggies are warm. Puree in a food processor or whatever you use to blend your baby food. If you're feeling adventurous, go ahead and add a dash of herbs.

If you're looking for a way to get dark greens into the tummy of a little one, the above recipe has been working for us since Jacob started eating solids. We started feeding it to him along with other pureed baby foods and he still loves it right off a spoon. I've also found it's a perfect "spread" on turkey and cheese sandwiches (think of it as the lettuce and tomato of his sandwich) and as a kind of pesto mixed with ricotta in pasta. In fact, make some of this and toss it in the above mac and cheese recipe to amp up the veggies.

Kitchen's Last Stand

2011-08-03T10:29:00.001-04:00

The time has finally come to update our kitchen.

We've been without our broke-down, mashed-up, eclectic kitchen for officially two days, but we've not been able to use it for almost a week; The water, gas, and electricity have been off since last Thursday. The whole project is slated to take approximately six weeks. Gulp. If you'd have asked me last week how I thought I'd be faring right now, I'd say I was sure to lose my mind. On Sunday evening, I thought about how stupid we were for doing this in the heat of the summer and with a 15 month old running around...and how we really should have done this BEFORE we had our first child. Oops. I imagine it was sort of like that moment that many people have just prior to walking down the altar to be married; A cold-feet sort of moment where you have to make the fight or flight choice.

I'm happy to say that so far I'm doing okay! Our old kitchen has been put out of it's misery. We're sequestered to our living room where our interim kitchen resides next to the television and consists of a microwave, toaster oven, and a fridge. The grill outside will be owning it's keep this summer (and so will the local restaurants, I'm sure). Our utility sink in our basement is also getting a workout as the "dish washer"...well, I'm the one getting the actual workout.

Since we still have our farm share pick up, David and I have decided that the best way to handle this little situation is to set up a weekly menu so we know exactly what to cook each night. I've also reinstated my dry-erase board fridge and freezer lists, so we know exactly what's around for the eatin'. Our goal is NOT to cave in and go out to dinner every night. This is bad for our wallets and I'm not thrilled about subjecting our little dude to restaurant food every night. We're trying to tie each meal in to the next and prep/grill multiple meals at once in order to minimize prep and clean up. For example, Monday was grilled teryiaki chicken, japanese eggplant and okra, and wild rice. Have you ever used SoyVay? No? You're missing out. And the eggplant/okra/teryiaki combination is strangely delicious. We marinate the chopped veggies and then saute or wok them. So good.

We also grilled almost every veggie in the fridge (sweet onion, green pepper, fennel, summer squash, zucchini) and we roasted a big eggplant and our beets in aluminum foil so we could use it all in meals throughout the rest of the week. Last night we enjoyed salt and pepper grilled shrimp with cold grilled veggies and leftover wild rice that I warmed up with some grated pecorino romano. I concocted a bizarre-yet-refreshing dish of chopped roasted beets, sliced oranges, roasted fennel and cherry tomatoes with crumbled blue cheese. And this evening, we plan on making quesadillas with the leftover grilled veggies and chicken from Monday evening. On Thursday, we're eating a big salad and probably some slices of pizza we've frozen for quick dinner options. I wish I had taken photographs of some of the above dishes, but I couldn't find my camera. And I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing, so recipes are kind of out of the question. But perhaps I just gave you some ideas to test out on your own!

Hey, can we reminisce a moment? I feel like I should give you a little background of our kitchen and the impetus for finally deciding to remodel. C'mon, it'll be fun!

The first room we saw when our agent showed us this house was the kitchen. I nearly impaled myself on the triangular portion of the bizarrely shaped island that greeted us when we crossed the threshold from the mudroom to the kitchen while taking it all in; The yellow walls with the cream tile backsplash behind the stove that was finished with brown grout. The matching tile counter on either side of the stove that was finished with white grout. The fridge that jutted in front of a window, making it impossible to fully open the door and one of the vegetable drawers at the bottom of the fridge. The wonky shaped island with a brick-red laminate counter top. The other two cabinet runs topped with a blue-grey laminate counter top, neither of which were ever actually adhered to the cabinets they were sitting on. The white laminate and wood cabinets that were probably very chic in the 80's, but not so chic now. Then there was the beige speckled linoleum floors that have actually never really gotten clean, despite our best scrubbing attempts. And, after we bought the house, we discovered that the cabinet doors open in all different directions. I'm sure it was to keep everyone on their toes. (I cannot tell you how many times I've pulled as hard as I could to open a cabinet, only to realize I'm yanking on the wrong side.)

I believe the first thing out of my mouth was "Oh, yeah. This is gonna have to go." Five years later, after the faucet has come loose for the 10th or so time, after the island has become wobbly and the linoleum is chipping, I'm making good on my word. I'm going to miss this kitchen, though! In the words of Tim Gunn we've 'made it work'; I made some pretty sweet cafe curtains that actually tied the whole mess together into a quirky, retro, crazy vibe. Dave made a radiator cover that doubled as both a warm seat and a great spot to dry dishes. My pyrex bowls looked surprisingly cute in there. And when I managed to wash all the dishes in the sink and clean everything up, the kitchen looks kind of pulled together.

See? I told you that would be fun. I thought I might be able to show off some photos of the old kitchen but (not) surprisingly, I couldn't find any that really gave you a full view.

Our plans for our new kitchen are substantially more monochromatic than the current design. We're keeping it simple and classic with a few vintage 20's touches as a nod to our home's history and some 50's touches for some fun. I'll be sure to post some pics when it starts coming together, but if you're interested, you can also follow the project on our kitchen designer's blog, So Happy Home . Click on the pics for a little narration.

Turning Over A New (Lettuce) Leaf?

2011-06-30T22:26:00.006-04:00

This afternoon, I sat in front of the open fridge after picking up our CSA share crying and mumbling something about being a terrible mother. I'm pretty sure it stemmed from not being able to fit all the veggies in the fridge; Clearly these two things are connected. Lately, I've been struggling to keep up with life's demands. In addition to raising my now 14-month old, I'm running a new business. Add the usual housekeeping and garden-tending and the kitchen remodeling that we're gearing up to have done next month, and I'm just about ready to wave the white flag.

This morning (prior to the above breakdown), I set out with a goal of accomplishing three tasks during my time at home. These three tasks were simple: stake the tomato plants, bake a batch of cookies, write a blog post. By the time my son went down for his morning nap, the three tasks had multiplied to ten tasks. Organize the desk! Clean the kitchen! Laundry! Weed the garden! Bring the jar of pennies that have been sitting around for the past year to get counted at the grocery store! And I wanted to complete this in the two precious hours that my son was asleep. I completely overloaded myself and stressed myself out before noon.

This evening, after returning from five hours at the studio (I am the proud co-owner/teacher of Renew Pilates) I realized I just might be able to get those initial three tasks completed before I went to bed. At 8pm, as I started the cookies, David and I reviewed the day. I was so frustrated from feeling frustrated. I am rarely able to accomplish the tasks I need to do on a daily basis, but I have to find time to accomplish some of the tasks that I want to do, like baking cookies. I said to my husband "You know, deep down, all I REALLY want to be is Miss Suzy Homemaker". He laughed that 'yeah, okay' laugh, and I laughed, too. All I REALLY want to be?! All I REALLY want to be is, in no particular order: 1. The best Mama possible, 2. A fierce, fair and successful entrepreneur, 3. An amazing wife, 3. A seriously fabulous teacher, 4. Well rested, 5. Miss Suzy Homemaker, 6. A karaoke superstar.

Writing this post is my third task for this evening. It's high time I started writing again, so here I go. I've got a ton of veggies that don't even fit in my fridge right now, which means I'm bound to have a good recipe or funny story to share.

I'm going to leave you with this image of my little man at the farm yesterday. We picked a bouquet of flowers together and then I let him enjoy the dirt a bit. Right after I took this picture I realized he was sitting on top of an erupted ant hill. I had a near heart-attack, but he was completely unfazed.

And now, this little Miss Suzy Homemaker can go to sleep satisfied that she's accomplished her three tasks for the day.

Pssst....Have garlic scapes and fresh green beans? Saute them together in some olive oil until they're bright green and sprinkle them with some kosher salt. You won't be sorry!

Summer Kale Salad

2011-06-10T17:59:00.000-04:00

Let me preface this post by saying you might find the following salad recipe unusual. I had been trying to think up a quick kale recipe that I could make when the weather was hot. I wanted something more interesting than kale with lemon and olive oil, or kale and beans, or kale and sausage (although, I do recommend my Kale and Spicy Italian Sausage recipe for when the weather is cool or rainy) and I wanted my kale cold.

Yes. I wanted to eat my kale chilled and crispy. I decided to start with blanched kale. Because I think kale tastes somewhat sweet when blanched, I tried to think up something that would be crunchy and tart to add to the dish. I also wanted to add a creamy, salty flavor that smoothed out the sweet and tart, but still added a little oomph. Ready for the big reveal?

Here goes: Kale, Pickled Red Onions, and Feta.

You may be scrunching up your nose right now, but hear me out and give this recipe a try. Actually, you get three recipes in one post, because David and I had a bit of a pickled onion cook-off on Sunday morning and although both of our recipes were tasty, he won the challenge. His onions were less spiced and pared better with the feta and the kale. My onions turned out more relish-like, which I imagine would be delicious on roasted pork loin, or a hot dog, or something. I'm actually pretty excited about this and I plan on using my new onion relish in the near future on a sandwich. I will also revisit this recipe when onion season is upon us, as I'd be interested to use multiple types of onions in this recipe.

Summer Kale Salad

You'll need:

12 stems of kale, trimmed from the ribs, and coarsely chopped)

1/2 cup pickled red onions, coarsely chopped

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

2 lemon wedges

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add the kale and return to a boil for 2 minutes. Immediately remove the kale and submerge into a large bowl of ice water and let sit until kale is completely cooled. Use a salad spinner or drying method of your choice to dry the leaves. Place in a bowl large enough to toss the kale with the other ingredients. Add the onions and feta to the kale and squeeze the lemon wedges over the ingredients. Toss to combine, allowing the feta to break up and coat the kale. Allow salad to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

This salad's best the day it's made. I plan on enjoying it next time with some grilled chicken.

Dave's Sweet-Sour Pickled Red Onions

You'll need:

2 cups of white vinegar

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup of sugar

a pinch of kosher salt

1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorn

5 all spice berries

1 lb of onions, trimmed, peeled and cut into thin wedges

1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

Bring the first 6 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan to form a brine. While wating for the brine to heat up, place the garlic in the bottom of a large mason jar and then pack the onions on top of the garlic. Once the brine boils, turn off the heat and pour the mixture into the jar with the onions and garlic. Tighten the lid on the jar and let sit until the onions have cooled. Refrigerated, this will keep for a few weeks.

Runner-Up Red Onion Relish

You'll need:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

1 cup water

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cinnamon stick

5 all spice berries

1 bay leaf

a pinch of salt

5 whole black peppercorns

1 lb red onions, trimmed, peeled, halved, and then sliced very thinly to form half-moon slivers.

In a small saucepan, bring everything except the onions to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the onions. Cover the pot and let rest for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and pour the onions and brine into a mason jar for storage. Let the jar cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator, where the relish will keep for a few weeks.

Apple and Crystallized Ginger Crisp

2010-10-11T21:37:00.002-04:00

It's just about the middle of October and I've made apple crisp at least three times this season. It's a great dessert to prepare a few hours ahead and then pop into the oven while you sit down and enjoy dinner with some guests; By the time you've finished your meal and cleared the table, the aroma of apples and spices fill the kitchen and the crisp is almost ready to serve. Delicious.

I'm a firm believer in extra crisp with my apples, so I've made sure this recipe isn't lacking in that department. It also utilizes crystallized ginger which provides an extra little bite. If you don't like ginger, or don't happen to have any on hand, just omit it and enjoy the cinnamon-sweet, buttery crunch the traditional way.

Apple and Crystallized Ginger Crisp
serves 6

a mixture of 6-8 apples, or enough to fill a 9x9 casserole dish. (I've been using Macintosh, Cortland, and Granny Smiths)
a large wedge of lemon
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
8 Tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1Tbsp cinnamon (or more, if desired)
ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350degrees.

Peel, core and very coarsely chop apples, and add to dish. Squeeze lemon over apples. Sprinkle with a little ground nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the cold butter and ginger, then cut in with a pastry blender or two knives, until the mixture is crumbly. Spoon over apples, making sure to distribute evenly. (We wouldn't want someone to get less crumbs, would we?)

Bake 45 minutes, or until apples are bubbling and crisp is browned. Let sit 10 minutes and if desired, serve with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

P.S.
I feel a little bad that this is the only photo I have to coincide with this recipe, but we ate the evidence before I remembered to take a few photos...

Slow-Cooked Chicken Tagine

2010-09-25T17:15:00.003-04:00

These past five months for me have flown by in a whirlwind of physical and psychological healing and growth (well, shrinkage, if I take into account losing that baby weight!) It's been wonderful and difficult and stressful, yet also the sweetest and most beautiful part of my life so far. Caring for a little human is so much harder than I imagined! I've discovered that I need way more patience than I am hard-wired to give. I've realized that my control-freak tendencies are stronger than I had anticipated. I've realized that I don't have enough time in the day to do the things that I really want to do that constantly makes me stressed and angry because I feel that if it doesn't get done RIGHT NOW, life will probably stop altogether and I'll be stuck with this mess of a kitchen/bathroom/living room/back yard/insert-a-space-of-your-choice-here FOREVER. It's enough to drive a person (my husband) crazy.

I've also realized that little things like smiles and giggles make everyone happier and even after five months of sleepless nights, a big smile in the morning from someone you love (and who loves you right back, even after you felt like screaming at them to JUST STOP CRYING ALREADY) makes you feel just a little more human. And that smile or giggle or squeal gives you enough energy to make it through another day (and maybe, just maybe, THIS will be the night when you all sleep soundly.)

Since my baby was born, my limited time and energy has forced me to step away from my vegetable and flower gardening. Not that I was very fantastic at either, but I loved the work of weeding, planting, watering and pruning, and then the satisfaction of watching the seeds sprout into gorgeous plants and vines and flowers. And now, after almost two whole seasons passing me by, I look out at my overgrown flowerbeds, my half-planted, weed-filled, sun-burnt vegetable gardens and I see:
Snapdragons and cosmos that re-seeded themselves from last year.
Tall sunflowers that towered over my head.
Zinnias and marigolds that were planted in lieu of veggies, and an enormous amount of flowers from the rudbeckia plants (that I don't even like and threaten to yank out of the garden each year, but they made me smile so maybe they've bought themselves another chance!)

Despite my inability to provide everything I possibly could to my gardens, and even though they are far from perfect, the plants soldiered on in their messy, overgrown, weedy garden plots and lived quite happily. And even though they've had to endure way too much sun and hot weather and lack of rain and shady days, they still manage to look lovely. They still smile every day and wave in the breeze, carefree and unapologetic and loving life. I've learned from my garden and from my baby that it's okay to let go a little. It's necessary to have patience. And it's important to give and receive smiles and giggles whenever possible, and perhaps to be a bit more unapologetic. It is what it is, right?

I think using a slow-cooker is like planting seeds in a garden and just letting them go. No trimming, watering, or weeding. No need to stress. No need to worry about perfection. I wish I had come up with a whole bunch of slow-cooker recipes before my little baby arrived. I'd have thrown everything in and it would have been one less thing to worry about! Since I think fall is a perfect time to bring out the slow-cooker, I'd like to share the following recipe. I've adapted it from the Chicken Tagine recipe in this month's Nutrition Action Newsletter . This recipe is perfect for end-of summer CSA veggies, as it incorporates peppers, zucchini, carrots and tomatoes, among other ingredients! It's warming and spicy and delicious. I plan on relying on my slow-cooker all fall and winter long to help me stress less and enjoy more!

Slow-Cooked Chicken Tagine

Serves: 6-8

While this recipe does not actually utilize a traditional tagine pot, the meat is slowly simmered in a combination of vegetables, chicken stock, and spices.

you'll need:

a 6-qt slow cooker (crock pot)

a shallow frying pan

2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 carrots, chopped

1 medium zucchini (or a zucchini/summer squash combination), chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 sweet red pepper, chopped

8 tomatoes, diced (approx. 8 cups)

1 cup chopped, dried apricots

1 can pitted green olives, halved

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

for spice mixture:

2 tsp tumeric

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

Place all vegetables except tomatoes, apricots and olives in your crock pot. Heat olive oil in frying pan and pan-fry chicken, approx 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer chicken and layer over vegetables, then layer the tomatoes, apricots, and olives over the chicken.

Combine spice mixture in a small bowl and then sprinkle over chicken and veggies in crock pot.

Pour water and chicken broth into the frying pan and stir to scrape the chicken pieces from the pan. Pour mixture into the crock pot. Cover and set to Low for 6 hours.

This dish is best if left overnight and then reheated, but will certainly be tasty if you cannot wait that long! Serve in a bowl over couscous or quinoa for a hearty, warming, perfect cool-weather meal.

I'm going, are you???

2010-08-11T08:18:00.000-04:00

Ok, ok. It's been a while since my last post about ANYTHING. Here's a little re-cap of what's been going on, CSA/garden/tips/adventure-wise...NOTHING. My garden is a catastrophe. I feel like I just barely make it to the CSA each week and all we do is grill, grill, grill veggies. It's been just too hot to cook anything inside, so we eat our veggies raw or grilled all nice and simple-like. Quite delicious, actually, but I digress. This post is not about how lame I've been all summer, but how cool I'm going to be in September because I'll be attending

THE FOOD BANK OF WESTERN MA MUSIC EVENT!!!

(sponsored by Strides Human Performance Institue)

The event, which includes music by Appalachian Still and with special guest Janet Ryan and Straight Up! is being held on September 11,2010 at 4pm, 411 Russell Road, Sunderland MA.

Tickets to the event are being sold at Strides Human Performance Institute, 39 Carlon Drive, Northampton MA and you can call 413-586-5000.

Proceeds go to the Food Bank of Western MA, which aims to help those in need of food assistance throughout Western Massachusetts.

You may choose your donation level when purchasing a ticket, but the minimum donation is $5.

What does $5 get you??
Music, as noted above. Food (b.y.o.b.). And most importantly, the knowledge that you're helping to provide healthy meals within your community and throughout Western MA.

Israeli Couscous with Beets, Garlic Scapes, and Orange

2010-07-07T20:15:00.013-04:00

We just returned from a lovely week on Nantucket. I cannot say it was relaxing in the pre-baby sense, but it was a great adventure filled with lots of beach-lounging, quality time with one of our favorite couples, and plenty of food. The husbands decided the best way to celebrate our week on the island, and to put us all in the appropriate Summer Mood, would be to to choose two burgers from the Cheese and Burger Society and "bookend" our trip with burger-tastic meals. Grilling = Summer, so I couldn't have agreed with their idea more, but after chowing on two ridiculously huge burgers in six days, I'm beefed out. In case you're wondering, Night One's burger was The Gypsy (#9), and Night Six's burger was supposed to be The Casanova (#1), but the men ended up concocting a burger of their own after surveying what was left in the fridge from our week's stay.

The end result? Beef burger, grilled, with sliced dill pickles under melted American cheese, topped with bacon, sauteed red onions, lettuce, tomato, bbq sauce and ranch dressing, all on a delicious grilled bun. Based on the photo that David took (see photo on right), he thinks it should be called The Quasimoto. Heart attack on a plate? Sure, why not.

When we weren't clogging our arteries, we grilled healthier meals, trolled the island for lobster rolls (my best find was a fancy-shmansy lobster salad on grilled challah from The Straight Wharf, and indulged in a delicious dinner AND breakfast (not consecutive meals, in case you were wondering) at Black-Eyed Susan's. For our snacks/lunches at the beach, we stopped in at Bartletts Farm.

The inspiration for my recipe comes from an Israeli Couscous, Beet and Shallot salad that my friend picked up while shopping at the Bartletts Market. I never actually got a chance to try the salad, but the beets-and-couscous combination stuck in my head. Upon returning home I decided to give my take on the salad a go. It's quite tasty and perfect for these ridiculously hot days. It's also NOT 10,000 calories like those burgers we ate last week, which is a very good thing.

Israeli Couscous with Beets, Garlic Scapes, and Oranges

Serves 6-8

You'll Need:

3 garlic scapes, thinly sliced

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup Israeli couscous

2 cups water

2 medium beets, boiled, skins removed

1 navel orange, peeled and sliced into bite-sized chunks*

1 lemon wedge (a healthy slice!)

1 tbsp of freshly chopped flat leaf parsely

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 2 more scapes, sliced super thin, like scallions (or, just some scallions)

In a saucier pan, heat olive oil and saute garlic scapes approx. 3 minutes, or until they are fragrant and start to soften. Add couscous, stirring frequently so that the couscous gains a toasted golden color, approx. 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil, then turn heat to low, cover with lid and let the couscous simmer until it soaks up the water and the couscous is tender.

(A little side note: If I were in the mood for a warm bowl of couscous, I'd stop right here. I'd put a some in a bowl, sprinkle with some freshly shaved parm and pepper, and I'd enjoy the subtle flavor of the garlic scapes.)

Remove the couscous from heat and transfer to a bowl. Once the couscous has reached room temperature (or go ahead and stick it in the fridge for a bit), add the beets, orange, and parsley. Squeeze the lemon wedge over the salad, and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper, as needed.

Marvel in how the beets turn the couscous a lovely magenta, and how that color is complimented by the orange pieces. Ahh, how I love those colors together!

*I hate, hate, hate removing the skins and piths from oranges, but it's better in salads when done so. I find that using a knife to cut away the peel also removes much of the outer skins, allowing the juices of the orange to meld better in the salad.

If I had the time...

2010-06-24T11:35:00.002-04:00

I'd take my mushroom and garlic scape pesto recipe, and I'd make fresh ravioli. I'd then cook them and toss them with my garlic scape pesto and serve them over a bed of sauteed spinach. Just sayin'.

Kale Chips...Really?

2010-06-13T19:20:00.000-04:00

My sister and I made kale chips this weekend and we were not impressed. We did a little online research and came up with what we thought was a fool-proof recipe: kale, dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and fresh parmigiano-reggiano. We placed the dressed kale on cookie sheets and baked them at 350 degrees. We took them out after 13 minutes (we'd planned 15 minutes' baking time) and we had crispy, paper-thin kale. We each took a nice piece, popped it in our mouth and were shocked by the crunchiness. Kale chips, if nothing else, are fun to crunch. We each ate quite a few chips, but both agreed that the only reason we kept eating them was because they were salty. Not a very good reason, in my opinion. They looked like seaweed and, besides the salt, tasted like charred vegetables. We threw the rest of the chips out.

What's the big deal with kale chips? What did we do wrong? Is there any nutritious value to eating practically burnt kale?

Please, if you eat and enjoy kale chips, tell me what we did wrong, because I just don't get it...

Chard and Quinoa Salad

2010-06-10T21:20:00.004-04:00

A week ago, I decided I'd like to make some Tebbouleh. We picked up a bunch of mint and flat leaf parsley from the grocery store, and my plan was to make enough salad to last me for the week as a side for dinner or as a snack during the day. Did that happen? No. It took me exactly eight days from when I purchased the herbs to actually have the time to make the salad. By that point, I had my greens from the farm in the fridge and I knew it was time to dive in to the stash. Luckily, the herbs were still fresh! My inspiration for this salad is a Tebbouleh recipe by Ina Garten that I found on Food Network.com. Instead of the traditional bulghur, I used quinoa. The addition of chard and carrots punched up the dish in color, crunch, and nutrition! The mint and parsley provide a refreshing flavor, and the tartness of the lemon is subtle and delicious. I recommend letting this dish sit for a day to allow the flavors to meld, but it won't be the end of the world if you eat it right away.

The next time I make this salad, I hope that the mint, parsley and other vegetables will come from either my own garden or the farm, and not the grocery store!

Chard and Quinoa Salad

You'll Need:

2 cups uncooked quinoa

3 cups water

2 lemons, juiced

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

3 tsp salt

1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cubed

3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 cups of chopped chard leaves, minus the stems

1 cup chopped fresh mint

1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 handful of chives, chopped

fresh ground black pepper

In medium saucepan, bring water and quinoa to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa absorbs all liquid. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir to combine and cover bowl. While preparing the rest of the ingredients, let the quinoa cool and absorb the flavors. Once the quinoa is at room temperature, add the remainder of the ingredients and combine. Season with pepper.

If possible, refrigerate over night.

And don't forget to put those chard stems to good use!

2010 CSA Season Has Begun!

2010-06-07T03:12:00.000-04:00

We walked with our new baby to the farm on Friday for the first share pick up of the season. I almost let David go by himself, as I was feeling pretty tired, but I'm so glad I tagged along. How could I not visit the farm during the first week? The farm looked beautiful with rows and rows of lush green plants growing all around and the first flowers of the season. I picked delicious strawberries and a handful of dill, and David collected our vegetables. Can you guess what our share consisted of this week? Greens! Kale, bok choy, chard, broccoli, red leaf lettuce and another head of lettuce for which I cannot recall the name. Bibb, perhaps? We also received 2 radishes. Yes, you read that correctly. Two. We are splitting our share with another couple again this year, and since I planted a whole bunch of radishes this spring, we forfeitted our half of radish share. I love the csa's radishes and I know we'll be allowed to take many more before long, so I didn't really feel like we missed out on anything this week.

What will I be doing with these tasty greens, you might be asking? Good question. I'm not really sure. I think for this first week, we will be enjoying them in simple recipes (read: I didn't get my act together and I am suffering from a lack of creativity and energy these days, so salads are looking pretty good right now). We used the chard, combined with thinly sliced yellow onions, in a last-minute quiche for brunch over the weekend. Here's my recipe from last year. And here's a simple, fresh, and easy salad recipe.

As for my personal little vegetable garden, there are snap peas and lots of radishes that are looking (and tasting) glorious. I've realized, however, that if I ever want enough peas to use as the main ingredient in a dish, I'm going to have to plant many, many more seeds. I can't complain, though, as nothing beats eating fresh snap peas right off the vine! The onions are thriving, cilantro that had gone to seed last year is popping up in places I'd never have guessed, my beets are looking great, and the tomato plants seem to be happy and healthy! This is all great news, as I've been neglectful towards the garden with my limited time and list of to do's getting longer by the day.

Ok, on to brainstorming and researching for recipe ideas...

How Does My Garden Grow?

2010-05-13T22:42:00.001-04:00

...Or rather, How doesn't it???

This is the third time in a month that I've sat down to write this post. My apologies for being such a slacker! I'm including all attempts at writing this, mostly for my own memories, and hopefully you'll enjoy it also. You see, I very recently had a baby, and my time has been consumed by all things newborn. I am amazed at how much energy it takes to care for such a small thing, and before I go any further, I want to thank our families for all their support and help during the past month. Thank you!

Written on April 12, 2010:
Phew, it has been a LONG time since my last post. Unacceptable, but truthfully, I've not had that much to write about. The end of the winter is usually a stale few months of glum for me, and I generally slack off on reading recipes, being creative, or doing any type of brainstorming. I guess I sort of hibernate. This winter's been a bit different, what with a baby in the belly and all, and I have been preoccupied with other to-do's (such as cleaning, preparing for baby, and eating ice cream). In March, however, I decided it was time to plan my garden and on April 1, I started prepping, weeding and planting. I've been out almost every day since then, planting seeds, planting pansies, watering, re-planting seeds that the birds thought I hid in the ground for them to find, weeding flower beds, watering some more, and other general garden tasks.

Last year was my first experience in using the square-foot gardening method, which you can read all about here, and I must say that prepping the beds for this growing season was effortless and enjoyable. I could barely reach into the center of the beds, as the huge belly has really been taking up extra space, but I think I prepped for less than an hour. I removed the grids from the top, added some compost, and turned over the beds. I re-strung the grids (and recruited David for when I got too tired), and planted my first seeds of the season...peas, of course! Even though I was technically about 2 or so weeks behind pea-planting schedule, I was still psyched. This is the first year I've been prepared early enough in the season to plant peas! In the past, it was easily the end of April before I realized I'd missed my window of opportunity. I also planted two lovely types of radishes and some beets. But enough about that, let's discuss how I began planning my vegetable garden...

Square foot gardening, like any gardening, takes some pre-planting planning, and, short of harvesting what I've planted, I think the planning process is at the top of my "fun list", as far as gardening is concerned (at the bottom, for example, is finding fat earthworms and those slimy-looking million-legged bugs with pincers on their tails in the dirt. Ick.) I begin my planning process as soon as my garden is cleaned out for the winter, but I let the thoughts marinate in my brain for a few months. Then, in March, I sit down with a book or two, a notebook that I keep updated with yearly garden notes (such as planting dates, actual plans of where I planted what veggie, what and where I purchased seeds/seedlings), and I officially plan out what I'm going to grow. This is a great way for me to stay organized, however, I lost my book from the past two years, so I had to start fresh. Frustrating, but I got over it.

I started my new 2010 plans with a list of what I wanted to have growing this year. Since we've signed up for our second season at Mountain View CSA, I knew there was basically no reason to plant certain veggies; We'll get plenty and I'll be busier than usual this season. No need to grow kale, chard, squash, and peppers. I also decided that while growing potatoes last year was awesome, it was not happening again this year. We just don't eat enough potatoes to keep up with any sort of harvest. After David's ridiculous purchase of two huge bags of potatoes this past fall (I think we ate maybe 10 potatoes total from both bags...and the rest is now compost), plus the potatoes I harvested from the garden, AND the sweet potatoes from the 100 lbs of veggies from our CSA that we picked up in November, I just don't trust our potato-consumption ability.

I decided to plant:
Peas
Radishes
Beets
Mixed Greens for late in the summer when we get less greens from the CSA
Onions
Tomatoes
Beans
a mess of herbs, because I like going out and picking what I need when I need it
and, of course, Tomatoes. Fingers crossed this year is better than last!

I figured this was a good start.

Normally, I'd be all ambitious and start my seeds indoors in egg cartons that I've saved, but this year I was made to promise that I'd take it easy and purchase seedlings or only start plants from seeds if they could be planted directly outside.

Skip to May 4,2010:
I'm finishing this post! Here's what's happened since April 12:
I had a baby. My prenatally induced cleaning frenzies, organizational craziness, and all of my plans, plans, plans have been tossed out the proverbial window. I am now cultivating relationships and nourishing a sweet little baby. And it's taking up ALL of my time and my gardens are suffering. Birds and squirrels have dined on seeds that I planted, and dig daily in my once-neat garden beds. I have cilantro growing in the boxes that are also home to my onions, and I think I missed the opportunity to pull out my first bunch of french breakfast radishes.

Luckily, just prior to giving birth, I managed to mulch and weed all of my flower beds, plant some early annuals, and marvel at some beautiful tulips and daffodils that had blossomed.

Skip to May 14, 2010:
This is IT! I am finishing this darned post. Last week I made the decision, with the help of my Mother-in-Law, to grow flowers in the open squares of my garden. She planted seeds in the garden for me as I looked on and 'directed'. I also decided to grow multiple items in the same squares, as really, this square foot thing is cool but why can't I mess with the neatness and spice things up a bit? I left the rogue cilantro plants with the onions. Onions and cilantro can cohabitate this year. I'm growing more radishes where the tomatoes will live once the weather warms enough to guarantee the plants won't die, and in those same squares, I'm growing the lettuce mix. When the radishes are gone and I plant the tomatoes behind the lettuces, I am hoping the tomato plants will provide enough shade to the lettuce to let them thrive throughout the summer. We will see...it's all an experiment! I don't know what I'll do in the squares that now house the other radishes and beets, but I think I'll be flying by the seat of my pants this summer. I can no longer organize or control much of anything at this point, so I might as well just enjoy the ride!

Follow-Up:The Red Dinner

2010-02-15T21:31:00.005-05:00

After a bit of discussion over what our Red Dinner 2010 should consist of (Rack of lamb with a fruit glaze? Salmon and citrus salsa? Red Quinoa?), David and I agreed that we really wanted a simple dinner, and that we really wanted to make lobster. We figured we only think about making lobster once a year, so why not just go with it? Lobsters for every Red Dinner from here on out? Seriously, life could be worse, right?

So, we made lobsters, simply boiled, and served with some melted butter. They were accompanied by curried-couscous with dried cranberries, a recipe by Ina Garten of The Barefoot Contessa. The recipe makes enough for leftovers, which we used this evening and added some pan-sauteed chicken, mushrooms, and wilted baby spinach. Check out the couscous recipe here. We also made a red leaf lettuce, pignoli, and goat cheese salad, which I topped with an easy-to-make homemade raspberry vinaigrette. I placed a healthy spoonful of my raspberry-lime jam into a jar with a lid, added a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, closed the jar and shook it up (I eyeballed this, so you'll want to taste the combo until you find a sweet-tart vinaigrette). As a beverage, David suggested a lovely Martinelli sparkling cider with berries, but I preferred the classic Shirley Temple. Dessert was homemade chocolate-covered strawberries, some dipped in coconut, some just in semi-sweet chocolate.

All in all, it was a delicious dinner! Nothing overly ambitious or exotic, save for our once-a-year lobster purchase, but completely lovely (and filled with love...awwwww).

The Red Dinner

2010-02-12T08:29:00.004-05:00

We're not really into Valentine's Day. On occasion, we'll buy gifts for each other, but it's not a yearly 'must do' and we don't go out to fancy dinners, either; It's just too cliche for us. Don't get us wrong, however! We DO like to celebrate the fact that we are lucky to have found one another. A few years ago, David had the brilliant and romantic (at least I think so) idea to make a special Valentine's Day meal. The Red Dinner is a yearly occurrence, usually made sometime during the month of February, but not necessarily on the "big day". David conceives a menu of red-colored foods, starting with cocktails and ending with a tasty dessert. While I do not recall each year's menu, I've been served things like: delicious red wines, lobster with drawn butter, red potato salad, tomato, basil and mozzarella, rack of lamb, chocolate covered strawberries, and pound cake with raspberries, blackberries, and fresh whipped cream. I'm usually involved in the cooking process, since we enjoy cooking together but David designs the menu and does the shopping. We both think it's an exceptionally sweet way to celebrate the fact that we love being together, without feeling like we've been sucked into the Hallmark-ness of the day.

Dave's been tossing around a few ideas for this year's Red Dinner, which I think we actually might make on Valentine's Day. He's mentioned trying to use pomegranates in the meal, red velvet cake for dessert, and he's trying to come up with a special non-alcoholic red cocktail besides a shirley temple (since he makes me one of these a few times a week at this point!).

I wonder, what will The Red Dinner of 2010 consist of??

I'll keep you posted , but in the meantime, what would your Red Dinner menu look like?

A Little Secret

2010-02-01T07:30:00.003-05:00

I just finished reading the Ribollita Recipe on 101 Cookbooks, that was posted in early January of this year. The author, Heidi Swanson, writes about opening her freezer, looking in, and wincing at what sees; 'a frosted landscape', 'petrified bags of cheese'...you get the picture. She had no idea what was in there. I, too, winced at her discoveries because I remember having a freezer that once looked like that, and it dawned on me that perhaps I should share a little secret of my own. (For the record, Ms. Swanson goes on to write about how, from the tundra of frozen darkness, she manages to pull all the ingredients for a Ribollita, which I find impressive.)

Over the summer, I freaked out because I couldn't find anything when I opened the refrigerator door. I decided to make a change in the way I dealt with the organization of my food. No, I didn't get a bigger fridge, and I didn't pull out all the jars and organize alphabetically (ok, I may have thought about this once or twice, but really, that's going over the edge). I took myself to the store and purchased 4 dry-erase boards. I made sure to purchase boards that had magnets, so that they could live on the fridge. I took these boards home, opened my fridge, and took inventory of all the fresh veggies that were currently residing there. I then placed the dry-erase board on the refrigerator door, so that I could "see" what was available in the fridge. Then, I tackled the freezer. I pulled everything out, tossed the stuff that was really old, and wrote whatever was left in the freezer down on another dry-erase board. I made sure to label any containers, bags, or wrapped items clearly before I placed them back in the freezer, and I placed the second dry-erase board on the freezer door. I did the same thing with the freezer in my basement, and I kept one board empty for writing down grocery lists or recipe ideas.

When I say this project was cathartic, I'm not exaggerating. I immediately felt calm and collected, and...organized. I also felt like I was going to save a ton of electricity, because I'd never really need to open the fridge or freezer door to see what I had. All I'd need to do is scan the boards, decide on what I wanted, open the door and grab my choices, and then cross whatever I just selected off of the list. By the way, the crossing off is key. We learned this lesson more than once after assuming there was chicken in the freezer, going grocery shopping, and then coming home to make a chicken dish, only to remember we had used the chicken a few nights before and we'd forgotten to erase it off the board.

Now, I know you might be thinking that I've gone over the top with listing what I have in my fridge/freezer. And you're right. I've since softened my obsessive grip on the fridge inventory, but I've actually upped the freezer organization, so that everything is grouped similarly, and I've divided my downstairs lists into a "Prepared Foods" board and a "Loose Ingredients" board. Are you rolling your eyes? Go ahead...I challenge you to try and list everything you've got in your freezer right now.

And in case you're hoping for a visual, here's one of my freezer lists:

I've been using this method of freezer organization for over six months and it's really working quite well. I always know what I've got on hand and I can come up with a meal in a moment's notice. I never see David standing in front of the open freezer with a blank stare on his face, and subsequently, I am no longer called into the kitchen to help him find the so-and-so. If it's on the list, it's in there, and he knows it.

If this sounds like it might make a difference in your life, here's how to get this project done:

Go to the store and purchase a few small dry-erase boards.

Put aside an hour of your time.

Empty out your freezer (I like to do one shelf at a time, so that I don't have a bunch of stuff defrosting while I take the time to write everything down)

Discard the old stuff.

Label what you're keeping, and write it down on the dry-erase board, along with the quantity you have (i.e. Ground Turkey, white meat, 1lb)

Put the food away.

Place the board on your freezer.

Stand back, put your hands on your hips, cock your head to one side, and smile as you admire your organizational skills.

Each time you remove an item from the freezer, erase it, or change the quantity to reflect what you've used. Each time you place a new item in the freezer, add it to your list.

Now, if only I can get motivated to organize my closet this way...

Northampton Winter Fare Farmer's Market: The Review

2010-01-14T21:57:00.001-05:00

I made it to the first annual Northampton Winter Fare Farmer's Market this past weekend. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to get to there until close to the end of the event, and almost all of the goodies had already been purchased. I saw the empty bins of breads, the picked-over root vegetables, completely empty crates that held greens, milks, lovely and soft sheep skins, pickles, and other tasty morsels. I was kicking myself for not having gotten over to the market as soon as it opened, but even at 1pm when I arrived and everything was exhausted, the market was still bustling. We returned home with a large container of Maple Syrup from Sunrise Farms in Colrain, MA, and Dutch Gold cheese from Chase Hill Farm in Warwick, MA. Delicious!!

Had I been organized, I'd have brought a few jars of jam to barter. The bartering room was small, but smelled of pickled goods as soon as we walked in. There were jams, pickles, and I think even dried beans that I saw out of the corner of my eye.

I'm looking forward to next year's event, and hope it proves to be even better (and I swear I'll get there first thing!)

If you missed the Northampton Winter Fare, fret not...There is a Winter Farmer's Market at the Greenfield High School on February 6, 2010 from 10am-2pm.

A Bushel of...Meat?!

2010-01-12T14:45:00.000-05:00

So, we decided to test out the meat CSA that the Austin Brothers farm offers (I mentioned it in the Summer Wind Down post.) We went halvsies with our friends who share our veggie CSA with us, and we chose the 20lbs of meat per month option...that means 10lbs per couple, per month...the meat will always be a combination of pork and beef, but we'll never know what cuts of meat to expect. This is daunting for me, because I'm not really a meat-cooking expert. I generally like good cuts of meat prepared simply, (or prepared fancy but made for me by someone else!), so this is going to be a challenge. The good part is that all the meat comes freezer sealed and frozen, so there's no handling of icky raw meatiness, and I don't have to use it all at once.

Here's what was in our first 10lb package:

pork chops
top round
beef stew
ground beef
chuck roast
short ribs
beef shank
sweet italian sausage

So far, we've only eaten the pork chops, which Dave quick-marinated in Teriaki sauce, and I pan-fried, so they were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I served them with sauteed onions and homemade cheese pierogi that the women of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Easthampton, MA make each year. I buy a bunch and then freeze them for the year. (I'm not Polish or Catholic, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the tastiness of pierogi, right?) I also made a quick apple-cardamom preserve that I'm working on, but that's not quite ready for it's debut yet. Regardless, everything was delicious.

Throughout the late fall and winter months, don't be shocked if I'm posting meatier recipes. Our veggie CSA ends this month, which means posts will have to take a slight turn in direction to the carnivorous side...but it's not like I won't also be eating grains and veggies all winter.

On a side note, anyone know where I can get free-range eggs for not a million dollars a dozen? And chicken??? I'd love to find a way to purchase my poultry from a local farm...

Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup

2010-01-11T16:46:00.005-05:00

We love butternut squash. I've tried multiple butternut squash soup recipes, some sweet, some spicy, and this version is my favorite. I've been making this version for a while, and it is a soup that David requests every year as soon as butternut squash is abundant, and I make it at least twice a season.

While we're on the subject of favorites, I thought I'd take a moment to extol the virtues of my immersion blender. I've only ever had one immersion blender in my lifetime, and we've only been together for about 4 years, but I'm deeply in love with it, and I will never give it up. I received the empire-red KitchenAid immersion blender (which matches my equally fabulous 5Plus-quart Professional KitchenAid mixer) as a Christmas gift from my parents. It is the gift that keeps on giving! Prior to being united with this fabulous piece of equipment, I blended my soups in my cheap blender; I always ended up making a mess, and my soup was never as consistently smooth as I'd prefer. It was a challenge moving hot soup into the blender, and a pain to divide the soup and blend in batches. I dirtied the initial pot I cooked the soup in, the blender, another separate pot or bowl that I dumped the pureed batches into, a ladle, a spatula, and most of the counter space I was working on (and sometimes, I had to wipe up the floor, because I'm a total slob).

Now that I have my immersion blender, I am positive that I will never live without one again. I dirty ONE POT and just the blending attachment (which handily snaps off for washing). The variable speed options are perfect for starting out the blending process nice and slow, and then cranking it up to speed things along. This makes for WAY less mess, and I'm all for less cleaning.

This Christmas, I purchased the black KitchenAid immersion blender for my Mom. I hope she loves it as much as I love mine!*

Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup

This recipe serves 4-6 with plenty of leftovers.

You'll Need:

Olive oil

4lbs butternut squash, quartered and seeded

6 cloves garlic, peeled (or less if you want a more subtle flavor)

2-3 cups chicken broth ( I like Pacific Natural Goods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth)

1/2 cup milk (optional)

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of herbs de Provence, or rosemary and sage.

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven t o 375degrees. Place squash, cut side down, in a large glass baking dish (or two) coated with olive oil. Place garlic cloves under the hollow area of the seeded squash, so as not to burn the garlic. Pierce the skins of the squash with a fork.

Bake until squash is tender, skin is wrinkled, and the edges of the squash start looking caramelized, approximately 1 hour. Remove pan from oven and let squash and garlic cool completely.

Once cool, remove skin from squash with a knife, discarding as little flesh as possible. Place squash flesh and garlic in a medium pot. Add 2 cups of chicken broth, a pinch each of nutmeg and herbs, and puree with an immersion blender until soup is smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender and work with the broth, squash and garlic in batches and then transfer the blended soup to your pot.

Heat soup on low burner and add 1/2 cup of milk (optional), stirring to combine. Allow soup to heat through, stirring occasionally. Adjust soup to your taste, adding more broth to thin, or more herbs. However, the flavor of the garlic and squash should prevail!

It's up to you how smooth and thick you like your soup. I prefer this soup to be almost uniformly smooth and on the thicker side, but not so thick that it reminds me of baby food. If I don't have milk in the fridge, I skip it altogether. Let your soup heat up completely prior to adjusting your flavors with herbs and the salt and pepper, as the flavors need time to meld in the pot...and speaking from experience, you can over season this soup. Be patient, and taste often!

*All this positive feedback on the KitchenAid blender is purely my own opinion. I was not contacted by KitchenAid to provide any feedback on their equipment. I just love this immersion blender and I wanted to share.

Winter Warmth Granola

2010-01-04T08:05:00.008-05:00

Every winter I make lots of this granola. The smell of baking granola makes my home feel warm and toasty, and eating fresh, homemade granola makes me feel so much more healthy than eating any store bought brand! I eat it for breakfast, snacks, or even dessert, either combined with plain yogurt or milk, or extra fresh fruit. I've even been known to warm the milk and cereal up for an in-between version of cereal and oatmeal.

This granola is flavorful, slightly sweet, and very nutty. While I've indicated that the orange zest is optional, the combination of vanilla, orange, honey, and cinnamon flavors really makes this granola special.

I've given this granola out as gifts for the holidays, packaged in small brown paper bags, and it's always been well received. I think it would also be a great host gift for a weekend stay with friends.

Enjoy!

Winter Warmth Granola

You'll Need:

1 cup each of pecans, almonds, and sunflower seeds

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (make sure they are not quick oats)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup honey

2Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cinnamon

zest of 1 orange, optional

2 cups dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Combine nuts, seeds, and oats in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, combine maple syrup, honey, oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon and orange zest, and microwave for 1 minute, or just long enough to melt the honey. Stir to combine.

Pour warm syrup mixture over the dry ingredients and combine, coating the oats, nuts, and seeds. Gently transfer to a metal, shallow-rimmed baking pan, and distribute evenly. Bake granola mixture for 20 minutes, undisturbed. With a wooden spoon or spatula, gently turn over the granola mixture so that it cooks evenly. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes, or just until the nuts and oats take on a deep golden, toasted color.

While granola is toasting, cut open a brown paper grocery bag, lying it out on a flat surface. You will cool the granola on this once you remove it from the oven.

After granola is golden and toasted, remove the pan from the oven and gently pour the granola out on to the paper bag. The nuts and oats will feel soft, but don't worry. As soon as they cool, they will become very crunchy. With the granola still warm, add the dried blueberries to the mixture and toss granola and blueberries to combine. Be careful, as the granola will still be hot!

Let granola cool completely before storing in an airtight container. The granola should stay fresh for at least 2 weeks.

Northampton Winter Fare Farmer's Market

2010-01-03T21:00:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to give you a head's up that the Northampton Winter Fare Farmer's Market will be this Saturday, January 9th, 2010, at the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, in Northampton, MA, 10am-2pm.

The Winter Fare is sponsored by the Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, www.cisa.org. There will be local farms selling goods, workshops to attend, a soup cafe, and a Barter Market, where attendees can bring excess home-canned goods to trade.

Interested? I am!

Take a look here for more information.

100 lbs Heavier!

2009-12-04T07:22:00.002-05:00

I am officially 100lbs heavier...ok, not really, but our 100 lbs of veggies pick up was last Tuesday.

Here's a list of our loot:

25 pounds of carrots (washed and bagged)
25 pounds of sweet potatoes (bagged)
25 pounds mixed roots (celeriac, beets, parsnips, rutabaga, radish, turnip)
5 butternut squash
3 storage cabbage
8 pounds onions
12 garlic heads
6 stalks brussels sprouts
Kale
Broccoli

Sweet, right? David and I picked up our veggies and the following day took off for our Thanksgivings (Yes. We have two every year...First Night and Second Night, each in a different state with a different side of the family. It's awesome for me, because Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday.) Thanks to Mountain View Farm for providing us with storage tips for the above veggies. I'm sharing them here, because they are straight-forward instructions.

Winter/Thanksgiving Share Food Storage and Preservation Tips:
(By Mountain View Farm)

Carrots: For short term storage, refrigerate carrots in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Undamaged carrots can last 4 weeks or longer when properly refrigerated. Carrots can also be packed in a barrel or large tupperware with moist sand and kept in a cool but not freezing location. Carrots can also be frozen: blanch for 3 minutes, then rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and pack into airtight containers such as ziplock freezer bags.

Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes should ideally be stored at about 55 degrees. Try to choose a spot that is dark, dry and cool. It helps to periodically go through your sweet potatoes and remove any that are showing signs of rotting so others will not spoil.

Butternut Squash: Like sweet potatoes, butternut squash should be stored in a dark, dry cool spot. Butternut will keep fine at room temperature for at least a month and more likely longer. Remember that bruised or damaged squash will deteriorate more quickly.

Beets: Beets can be stored in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. Beets can also be frozen: cover with cold, salted water and boil for 30 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Slide of skin and cut off root and crown. Slice or dice and place in freezer bags. Winter beets can also be stored for 4-6 months at about 32 degrees.

Celeriac: Do not wash celeriac before storing. Celeriac can be stored in a plastic bag in the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator for several weeks. For longer term storage, celeriac can also be stored well in a dark spot that maintains a temperature of about 32 degrees.

Parsnips: For short term storage, place unwashed parsnips in a plastic bag in the fridge. For longer term storage, parsnips can be packed in a barrel in moist sand and kept in a very cool but not freezing location. Parsnips can also be frozen. Blanch 1 inch chunks for 2-3 minutes and then run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and pack into airtight containers before freezing.

Rutabaga: Rutabaga will store at room temperature for about 1 week. You can also refrigerate rutabaga in plastic bag for 4 weeks or more. For longer term storage, rutabaga can be packed into moist sand and kept in a cool but not freezing location.

Brussels sprouts: For short term storage, refrigerate unwashed sprouts in a plastic bag. Brussels sprouts are best when used fresh, and should retain their color and nutritional value for about 1 week in the fridge. To freeze brussels sprouts, peel outer leaves and soak for 30 minutes in cold, salted water. Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each to hasten and even the cooking process. Scald for 4-5 minutes from the time they are plunged into boiling water. Drain and pack into freezer bags.

Onions: Onions that have been cured for storage will last for several months in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place. Warm temperatures and moisture will cause onions to sprout. Chopped raw onions may be placed in freezer bags and frozen although they will lack texture.

Garlic: Like onions, garlic stores well in a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated place for several months. Warm temperatures will cause garlic to sprout.

We found that the most difficult decision regarding storage was where in our house to store. We have no garage. Our basement never seems to get colder than 64 degrees, regardless of the season. Our attic, however, is very temperamental. In the summer, it's sweltering and we have to run a fan in reverse to force the hot air outside. When you go up there, it's hard to breathe. In the winter, it's so cold that you can see your breath. We decided that the best storage space would actually be the enclosed porch on our second floor. Not the closest to the kitchen, and certainly not my room of choice. I'd eventually like to finish the porch and make a nice little reading nook out there, but as of right now, the porch is really only livable for 2 seasons each year. In the winter and early spring, this space is quite chilly, and this is where our new food storage containers will reside. The cold-weather temperature stays between 50-55 degrees out there, and we plan on combating any sunlight by draping the bins with a blanket to keep them snuggled in the dark.

David and I thought we'd have planned out where the veggies would live well before they found a home with us. I thought briefly of digging big holes in our backyard and sinking trash cans filled with sand or straw and storing them there, but that just felt like too much work. Of course, the day of pick up, we were still discussing where and how we'd store the vegetables. Plenty of blanching and freezing will need to happen, but we're beginning to run out of freezer space! I'm curious to see if I can store veggies in sand over the winter, so I'm going to try out that method also.

I wonder, do you store veggies over the winter months? What's your preferred storage method?

Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Gratin

2009-11-27T10:32:00.008-05:00

Happy day before after Thanksgiving! (Oops. This should have been posted two days ago...)

If you have some extra potatoes and sweet potatoes lying around and you're looking for a new side to go with your left-over turkey, this could be it!

These potatoes were a perfect accompaniment to the Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon Marinade. Sweet, savory, creamy and comforting. I based my recipe off of this butternut squash and potato gratin recipe from the New York Times, and adapted it to what I already had in the house.

This gratin recipe could really be adapted to include other veggies, such as cauliflower, or any other sturdy vegetable that bakes well and pairs well with cheese. You can always take the advice of a good friend of mine, who has said to me more than once, 'What vegetable DOESN'T go well with cheese?!' I've yet to come up with an answer...

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Gratin

You'll Need:

extra virign olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 1/4 lbs each of sweet potatoes and yukon golds, scrubbed, peeled and cut into approx. 1/4" thick slices

1 tsp herbs de provence (or an equal mix of dried herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, sage)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 generous cup of grated Gruyere cheese, tightly packed

2 1/2 cups low-fat milk

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 375degrees. (When I made this with the chicken, I kept the oven at 350degrees. This worked perfectly, but my cooking time was almost a full 1/2 hour longer.)

Lightly oil a gratin or casserole dish. There should be even layers of potoates, not a single layer, so make sure not to use a dish that is too large. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, garlic, herbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper, a 1/2 cup of the cheese and a healthy sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes evenly in the oiled dish. Pour milk evenly through potatoes and bake, uncovered for approx. 1 hour. The potatoes will float to the surface, so make sure to open the oven every 20 minutes or so to press the potatoes gently down. This will help prevent any overflow. After 1 hour, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the potatoes and bake 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let rest 10 before serving.

NOTE: This can be made ahead of time and reheated closer to your meal time. This dish is also easy to reheat if there are leftovers.