4.25.2013

Small Beginings



After what seems like the longest winter in history, spring is finally here. What a relief, and what a joy! It seems that our Wisconsin climate has become prone to wild fluctuations - one year it's so hot and dry that nothing will grow, the next it's too cold and wet.... let's just hope that after this late start we can pull together a decent growing season.

I'm reading Barbara Kingsolver's new novel, Flight Behavior. She is a delightful writer, and one of my favorites. This book tackles the subject of global climate change in a unique way that I've found very insightful and also very scary. What's in store for us in the years to come? Supporting a local food economy and gaining the skills to grow and preserve my family's food seem more important than ever. 



Here's a small step toward that goal. Newly planted seed beds! Most of the early spring planting is done, and I'm beginning to think the seeds might even come up.


A row of Spinach and a row of Kale (Lacinato and Red Russian). This weekend I'll add a row of lettuce and hopefully in a few weeks we'll have baby greens to make salad. I've also seeded radishes, peas, and cilantro. Nothing has broken ground, but hopefully this weekend we'll see some small beginnings.

We started broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, and parsley indoors in March. Most of it is under lights in the basement, waiting for summer weather. The broccoli is hardening off in the patio and will be planted this weekend.


Have I mentioned that we got new chickens? The old flock went to a new home in order to lessen my load of responsibilities when the baby came. These girls are a year old, already laying. They are two Light Sussex, a Sussex/Rhode Island Red cross, and a Blue Marans. Pretty girls, and so nice to have eggs again!



 Strawberries just beginning to make themselves known. We have yet to get a decent crop from this planting - here's hoping this year is our year. How hungry I am for sun warmed, sweet, soft, fresh picked berries!



and then there's this little guy - a seed that was planted over a year ago, and growing at an unbelievable rate. How I'll be able to handle my gardening tasks this summer with him tagging along is still a mystery.


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4.08.2013

Blank Canvas


The snow is finally gone! After what seems to be the longest winter in my life, spring is finally here. A wonderful drenching rain came this morning to wash away some of the winter filth, and then around noon the sun came out and the temperature rose to a whopping 62 degrees. Heaven! The baby, the dog and I took a long walk and I swear the grass was greener when we got home than it was when we left.

The garden is muddy, but other than that it's ready to go. Oh, the possibilities! We have seeds started in the basement, and it's just about time to get some the cool weather veggies in the ground. We'll have this home garden, plus our plot at the McCormick Community Gardens, and possibly another community garden on Atwood. I've been on the waiting list for a few years now and I have a feeling this year will be our year.

Three gardens, a full time job, and a 6 month old baby. Can she do it? Time will tell. This time of year anything seems possible.
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4.02.2013

Spinach Salad with Blood Oranges, Strawberries, and Pepitos



Spring has been exceptionally slow in coming this year. The daylight has increased, but the temperatures have still been colder than normal, and there's still snow cover in a lot of areas... Frustrating to say the least, especially for a new mother ready to show her baby the wonders of nature! At least the local spinach is here, though! This is grown in hoop-houses by my friends at Westridge Organic Produce, and wow is it good! So flavorful and alive - it makes you realize just how un-fresh many of our "fresh" vegetables are all winter.

There was an Easter potluck planned at my Aunt's house last Sunday, so I decided to counteract some of the candy, cupcakes, and other sweets with a springtime spinach salad.




Yes, I know that strawberry season is a long way off. The California season is starting up, but these beauts are from farther parts than that even: Mexico. I have nothing against Mexican produce, organic strawberries go so very well with spinach, and these are really nice right now, so I went for it. Really, a lot of the Mexican produce production happens almost as near to us as California, so why discriminate? 




Pepitos, also known by their more boring name: pumpkin seeds. I was debating putting bacon in this salad. I didn't, but I compromised by toasting these in the bacon grease left in the pan from our Easter breakfast bacon. Delish. I'll have to remember that trick next Halloween! I bought these raw and unsalted and added salt to the pan as they were toasting. Thanks to my friend Max for the pumpkin seed idea - they worked out great!



The last ingredient was a bunch of these beautiful blood oranges. The longer I've known blood oranges, the more I've grown to love them. These are not anything like the safe, sweet, predictable navels. Blood oranges have a burst of tart, fresh, flavor that can knock your socks off - not to mention the beauty of their amazing color. I just love them. They are past peak season now, but as one of the late maturing citrus fruits, they still belong in my spring salad.



The finished product. I dressed it with a simple balsamic (olive oil, blood orange juice, balsamic vinegar, basil, black pepper, and salt). Yum. 


Here's a simple recipe. No quantities - in this kind of salad, everything should be to taste.

Dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Juice of a few Blood Oranges
Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Dried Basil (or fresh is you have it!)
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Salt

Combine everything in a jar with a tight lid. Shake well just before using.

Salad
Raw Pumpkin Seeds
Bacon Grease from a Pastured Hog (or Olive Oil or any other oil you like)
Salt
Fresh Organic Baby Spinach
Organic Blood Oranges, segmented and cut into 1" pieces plus one orange cut into slices for garnish
Organic Strawberries, cut into quarters or 1/8ths plus a few cut into halves for garnish
Blood Orange Balsamic Dressing 

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a skillet over medium heat with the bacon grease or oil. Stir often, until the seeds are nicely browned. Add salt to taste. Wait until just before serving and then mix everything together. Toss well, then garnish the top with slices of blood orange and strawberry halves.


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3.26.2013

Beautiful Broth


I really don't understand how anyone can cook a roast chicken and then just throw away the carcass. Chicken stock is divine, easy to do, healthful, and it makes your house smell amazing on a cold early spring day. What's not to love?


This stock was particularly beautiful. Leek tops, celery leaves, carrots, and of course the carcass of the roast chicken we enjoyed the night before. Cover it all with water and simmer for at least a few hours.




If you plan to make soup, it's important to pick any remaining meat off the bones before you begin. If you leave it on and boil it with the stock, it will get tough and overcooked and not good for much.




After a few hours, here's what we have. Not quite as pretty, but boy did it smell amazing!




The last step is to skim any foam off the top and strain out the solids. The light in this picture is a little weird, but you can see what a beautiful color it is, with a nice layer of yellow fat at the top.... you can tell this was a pastured chicken (local of course)! It's is an incredibly nutritious liquid, and will make a rich, satisfying soup. 

I always make enough to make one batch of soup and extra to freeze. That gives me at least three meals out of one chicken - good for the pocketbook, and a really nice way to fully utilize the animal.



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3.10.2013

White Tea




One thing about breastfeeding is that it makes you hungry and thirsty pretty much all the time. I've never been a very good water-drinker, especially this time of year when the chill in the air makes any cold liquid unappealing. I've been craving hot drinks of all kinds, and this has become my pre-bedtime ritual.

When I say "white tea", I don't meant the caffeinated beverage that's derived from the tea plant. That kind of white tea has become somewhat trendy these days. No, this is a favorite beverages from my childhood, no caffeine, no actual tea involved at all. An old lady friend used to make it for us kids, and we'd drink it with her and her husband when they had the more adult version - black tea. My memories are vague, but I believe Edie (that was her name) came from somewhere on the East Coast. Her family, I remember, came from the Isle of Man - I used to be so intrigued by her stories of the land where cats have no tails...... 

Anyway, white tea. I've learned since that it's also sometimes called "Cambric Tea," named after the white fabric. It's the simplest thing - 1/4 milk, 3/4 hot water, and a spoonful of honey. I know it doesn't sound too exciting, it's not really, but it is just the thing to warm you up before going to bed on a cold winter night.




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2.02.2013

My New Life



I remember being really annoyed when a food blogger that I used to follow had a baby and seemed to forget about food for a while and fill her blog with baby pictures and updates. What a fool I was!

Not only has having a baby made me forget all about blogging almost completely, but my hang up with Good Food, too, has fallen by the wayside. Even when I do remember that I'm supposed to be a kind or sort of "foodie," it's only for brief moments - certainly not long enough to make a decent meal. I am now in awe that the other blogger continued as much as she did; and that she had even a few food related posts in those first few months.

Let me backup for a second: Leo was born December 13, making him 7 weeks and 2 days old today. I won't go into to it too much, but he is a pretty wonderful little thing - when he's not screaming.

Though I kept up pretty well with my local, "good food" regime while I was pregnant, everything has gone out the window in the last two months. It didn't help that I had to have an unexpected cesarian section - just getting out of the house to buy groceries became a huge endeavor, not to mention finding the time and energy to make something creative.

My breakfasts and lunches have been quick bites grabbed in those peaceful and unplanned moments while the baby is sleeping. Apples and peanut-butter, leftover Chinese takeout, almond butter and honey sandwiches.... the things that sustain but do not excite. Dinner has been quickly planned and executed by Stanley or myself. Rarely has it been culinarily interesting. Often it has been take-out.

I've recently started using the baby carier quite a bit, and that makes things a little easier, although cooking isn't quite the same with a whimpering infant strapped to your front.

In short, food has become much more about just getting quick calories and some nutrition into my body and less about "voting with my fork". Breastfeeding, it turns out, burns significantly more calories than pregnancy. I was never so hungry during those 9 months of pregnancy as I am now.

I go back to work in less than a week. The nature of my job means that I will automatically be more in tune with what's going on in the seasonal produce world. Grocery shopping will get a lot easier. There will be less time to cook, but hopefully as the baby and I continue to adjust to each other, we can come up with some routines that allow for cooking time.

I'm not sure if anyone still reads this, but I'll try to update out progress as I can. This new phase of life is incredibly challenging in so many ways, food being a big one.
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