The Thanksgiving Aftermath

I suppose a post about Thanksgiving and the season's abundance would have been appropriate but unfortunately, it didn't happen. We were blessed though and bought two turkeys from two different local farms: a heritage bird from Rumbleway and a traditional white from Sunny Hill. We enjoyed a feast at my parents' house surrounded by family and children. There was stuffing, squash, potatoes, brussels sprouts, bread and cranberry sauce. You can really hit a home run on Thanksgiving and do it completely local. That is the point, right? A feast that celebrated the harvest.

For the meals following Thanksgiving we have enjoyed: Creamed Turkey over Biscuits, Turkey Pot Pie and tonight was Turkey Soup.

If you had turkey meat left on the bird, just pulled it off and put it in a container. Most recipes call for 1-3 c. of chopped, cooked turkey meat. Don't throw out the carcass either. Simply break it apart and simmer in a large pot of water for about 4 hours. You can throw in any odds and ends vegetables or greens. After four hours strain the liquid from the parts and you will have an abundance of stock. You can use it to make soup or freeze it in 1-2 c. portions for use later.


Left over Turkey Soup
4 c. stock
2 c. of water
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 c. peas (frozen)
~ 1 c. Noodles, Rice or Potatoes
1 c. Turkey, chopped

Saute the onions and carrots in 2 T of butter over medium-high heat until the onions are soft. Add everything but the turkey and cook 10-20 minutes depending on the starch you chose. Add the turkey in the last 5 mins. You can spice with 1t salt and 1/4 t of fresh ground pepper or whatever other seasonings you enjoy.

This is a very kid friendly soup since there aren't a lot of ingredients and they recognize just about everything.

Eggs, Turkeys and More Oh My!

I found a new place to buy eggs if you are in the Harford Community College area. There is a farm at the intersection of Thomas Run Road and Pennington.
From Havre de Grace, take Rt 22 like you are heading to Harford Community College (or the Bel Air area) and take a right on Thomas Run Road. Take a left on Pennington and then a left on Thomas Run Road. You will see a large farm on the left and a small sign that says, 'Eggs'. The eggs are in a white refrigerator. Just leave $2 per dozen in the coffee can inside the refrigerator if there is not an attendant. From google maps it looks like the address is 2346 Thomas Run Road. Here is a map link map


The message below is from Sunny Hill Farm. If you haven't ordered your Thanksgiving Turkey yet, the big day is just a week away!

We have farm fresh Thanksgiving Turkeys for Sale. We have 25 free roaming, all natural birds 12-25 lbs left for pre-order. Also, we'll have fresh baked pies, breads and cinnamon rolls available for the holiday. It's always best to place an order by calling 410-382-0856. Our produce stand will be open till the day before Thanksgiving with lots of great produce including fresh cut broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potatoes, kale, collard greens and more!

The day after Thanksgiving we'll open our Christmas shop in the "BIG" greenhouse offering FRESH CUT, LOCAL CHRISTMAS TREES & HAND MADE WREATHS plus we'll continue to have in season produce, eggs, cheese, baked goods, soy candles and gifts.

We are now accepting new members for our CSA/Co-op for next season. As a member you get a basket of in-season fruit and veggies each week for 20 weeks along with eggs, cheese, preserves, fresh baked bread and cookies! See the "services page" of our website to find out how you can save $25 off of the membership fee.

Fresh Milk from Kilby Cream

I am currently accepting orders for a weekly milk delivery from Kilby Cream. This pick up will start next week (11/17/10). Orders must be in this weekend. If you have questions or would like to place an order, please email me at nettieann@gmail.com I will take the first 10 people to sign up.

Kilby's milk is pasturized and free from antibiotics and hormones. It comes in glass containers 1 qt and 1/2 gallon size in plain and chocolate. They have skim, 2%, whole and creamline. If you are already buying organic from the grocery store, this option is less expensive and better for the environment.

Cabbage Recipes

Cabbage is abundant now and for certain recipes freezing it will give you options all winter long. Check out this website of cabbage recipes for great cabbage soup ideas http://www.cheriestihler.com/recipes/soups.html. I usually chop the cabbage, then freeze in bags. You can grab out what you need in a pinch.

Tonight we are having this Minute Minestrone recipe from the website above. I make modifications to what veggies and beans I have on hand.

Minute Minestrone

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
2 small zucchini, diced
2 cups cabbage, shredded
2 cups chicken broth
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can cannelloni beans, drained
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.

Saute garlic, onion, carrot and zucchini until tender.

Add cabbage and continue cooking until cabbage is tender.

Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes.

REAL Food

This thought came to me last night while talking to my sister and my son's Godfather. The topic was the freshly roasted pumpkin seeds that we were eating. Earlier in the day, the children, my husband and I had carved pumpkins and saved the seeds to roast and enjoy. My sister noted that she thought pumpkin seeds had iron in them. They do in fact have iron (12% of your daily recommended value if you eat a cup of them) You can see more about the value of pumpkin seeds at this site.

But the thought that crossed my mind was that REAL food is REALLY good for you. If you choose to eat fresh, whole foods: things like seeds, fresh fruits and veggies, fresh meats, etc, then these foods have everything you need and usually not too much or too little either. You will read on processed foods' boxes that they contain Vitamin C! Folate! Iron! Omega 3! But is is truly very easy to get these same vitamins, minerals and oils if you eat an Orange or Strawberries; whole grains; red meat, pumpkin seeds or raisins; fresh fish or walnuts. Just think how tastey these REAL foods are, how REALLY good for you they are and how you are not likely to overdose on calories, sugar or other additives if you choose the tall glass of milk over the calcium fortified Scooby Snacks.

Pumpkin Picking in the Dark!

SUNNY HILL FARM has FREE FALL FUN for the Little Ones this weekend. Free Hayrides, hay maze & corn maze. Saturday & Sunday we'll have a petting zoo 11a-1p. Hayride Happy Hour is Saturday from 5:30-7:30 pm. Bring a flashlight!
Life is expensive... play for FREE!

You can ride to our pick your own pumpkin field for pumpkins.

Get a great lunch here or pack your own picnic.

Crisp, local Apples on sale this weekend, by the 1/2 bu., 1/2 peck or quart. Amazing taste and crispness.

2128 Whiteford Road, Whiteford, MD. sunnyhillfarmmd.com
410-3820-0856

Kilby Cream Milk Delivery Survey

Kilby Cream is offering a survey regarding milk delivery. Please go here to respond: Survey

Pumpkin Season

I am reveling in the abundance of pumpkins. Our family has been on two hayrides so far with a third scheduled for the near future at Sunny Hill. They are having happy hour hayrides at the farm. How fun!

The pumpkin quinoa from my last post turned out great and I ate it for breakfast with maple syrup and pecans several days. It made me feel good to start my day in such a healthy, tasty way!

The pumpkin recipe of the day is black bean soup. I wanted a simple pumpkin black bean soup recipe so I started with this one on EatingWell.com then I, of course, made modifications since the recipe didn't actually call for pumpkin. I followed the basic recipe adding about 2 c. of fresh cooked pumpkin along with the beans. I served it with plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream and we had fresh muffins, corn tortillas and salsa, too. Of the children that tried it, they loved it. One rebelled and wouldn't taste the soup at all. Always one in the bunch!

Cooking up the pumpkins that you get from the farm is VERY easy. I know I say that a lot. What I do is set the oven to a warm temperature (350), poke holes in my pumpkin, set the pumpkin on a baking sheet or roasting pan with edges and put the sheet and the pumpkin in the oven. I cook it 'til done. Depending on the pumpkin it may start wilting or looking wrinkly. It'll take about an hour depending on the size of the pumpkin. You want the flesh to fall away from the skin and be very tender.

We received two small pumpkins in our CSA basket from Sunny Hill a couple of weeks back. The interesting thing was that they were nearly impossible to poke holes in. The skin was very hard. When I cooked them the skin remained hard like a shell and it was difficult to tell if the pumpkin was done. But, I cooked it for an hour and took it out, cracked it open and inside was the creamiest, most tender pumpkin flesh I have ever had. THANKS, Jean & Mel!!

Cucumber Soup and Pumpkin Quinoa

I found these fantastic timely recipes online and prepared them as well as salmon (sustainable caught of course!) for a yummy warm fall day dinner.


Cucumber Soup

Pumpkin Quinoa

If you are looking for something to do these days check out the MANY pumpkin picking options you have available in Harford County. Here is a short list below:

Brad's Produce (Rt 136) provides a fantastic experience where you can ride a wagon/tractor literally over a river and through the woods to a huge pumpkin patch to pick out an already cut off the vine pumpkin. They also have a wide variety of pumpkin kinds in their store.

Sunny Hill (Whiteford Rd) is having a happy hour from 5:30-7:30 on Saturdays, tractor rides, hay maze, food, etc. You can pumpkin pick in the dark :-)

Hopkins Farm is just on 155 and has a nice selection they are open 10-6 daily

Lohrs Orchard is on Snake Lane. LOTS of great pumpkins and the best fresh cider around plus many vegetables to choose from.

Harmans is on 22 between 155 and HCC and they also have a pyo option, veggies, eggs, cheese, etc.

Tortilla Soup (minus the chicken!)

Tonight's dinner was one of those, 'well what do I have on hand' kind of meals. I pulled out frozen blueberry corn muffins and sauted apples in butter on the stove that we picked up at Lohrs Orchard earlier today. But the main dish with a soup I made with the inspiration of Tortilla Soup in my mind.

Saute 1 c. onion, chopped (1 medium), 1 green pepper, chopped and 2 cloves of garlic, pressed.
Add 2 small chopped carrots, 2 t cumin and 4 chopped okra. I added red potatoes too but I won't do that again, not the flavor I was looking for.
Add 2 c. of chicken or vegetable stock, 2 c. diced canned tomatoes (I had some on hand from canning recently), 1 t salt, 1/2 black pepper. Simmer for 10 min.
Add 1/4 c. TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein), 1/2 c. corn and 1 small fresh chopped tomato. Cook a min or two longer. Remove from heat
Add 1/2 c. plain yogurt.
Serve with crushed tortilla chips sprinkled over top.

Okra and Cabbage

When I think of okra the first thing that comes to mind is deep fried okra and while this is very tasty, it is not the healthiest dish in the kitchen. Besides the fact that I rarely have enough oil around to deep fry anything. If you are looking for okra check out EatingWell.com and search for okra. You will find a variety of easy, quick dishes for this late summer veggies. EatingWell.com Okra Recipes I personally am going to try the Louisiana Catfish with Okra and Corn.

Also, be sure to save one head of cabbage, go pick one up if you have to. Cabbage is just coming into season now as are many of the late summer/early winter veggies. Take your cabbage, pull of the outer layers of leaves and then slice or chop. Place this in a freezer bag in the freezer then use about a cup at a time in the winter in soups. Cabbage adds a wonderful rich flavor to soup that even non-cabbage lovers will enjoy. My family's favorite recipe that involves cabbage is a minute minestrone. Wonderful for the winter months. I will post it once the weather turns cold.

Beef, it's what's for dinner

Every year we buy a 1/4 of a cow. It is shared with others and we get just the cuts we want. I portion the meat to last the year eating about 1 beef meal a week. I've seen the cows that have come into our home. They are grass fed, well cared for and free of unnecessary antibiotics and hormones. The meat is much leaner than what you would find at the grocery store and much more flavorful.

I have had many comments to the effect of how could you go and see the poor animal you are going to eat?! I see this a different way. I try and honor my food enough to care that it is humanely treated. I know that the animals I eat have had good lives up to the point where they became my dinner. None were mistreated. None suffered. It isn't as hard as you would think when you consider the alternative. Imagine that the meat you purchase at the store was raised and lived a good portion of it's life sick and bloated from eating corn. A meal that it is not accustomed to eating. It lived wallowing in it's own feces, knee deep. These animals are surrounded by bugs and disease and must be fed antibiotics for yours and their own safety. They are fed hormones so that they will grow more quickly and sometimes the effect is that their own bodies cannot hold the weight. Their limbs break under the weight of their own bodies. That is not humane and I would prefer not to eat an animal that has suffered in this way. I do not want to support this kind of farming.

If you want to continue to eat meat but do not want to support inhumane treatment of animals, consider purchasing your food from a local farm that you can see the animals, ask questions on what treatments they received and ask what types of diets they ingested. Sunny Hill Farm in Whiteford, MD has beef available for sale now. See below for their advertisement:


Sunny Hill Farm has their own farm raised beef for sale. 1/2's & 1/4's available in Oct, Nov. & Dec. Order now for the best tasting grass-fed beef with no hormones, steroids or antibiotics. Enjoy a wide variety of steaks, roasts, & lean ground beef. The price is $2.99/lb., USDA Inspected, vacuum sealed & picked up at the farm.(You can make payments until delivery, Sunny Hill also takes MasterCard & Visa)

Sunny Hill also has farm raised fresh turkeys for sale for Thanksgiving. Place orders now! Sunny Hill Website.

A brief hiatus

Just a quick note. I am a little busy with my business right now Sappari Solutions and will not be posting regularly for a couple of weeks. I will be back in time to can salsa and make apples into apple sauce. Let me know if there is anything you would like to hear about and I will squirrel the ideas anyway until I am writing again.

Sausage Kale Rice Soup

I know I said I was not going to post. But if I don't write this soup down I will forget and it turned out really great. I was looking for a different way to use the kale that we had received so here it is:

Sausage Kale Rice Soup

1/2 c. of dry Lunberg Farms CountryWild Rice, cooked ahead (2:1 water ratio)
1 large onion (about one c.) chopped
1 green pepper chopped
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 lb bulk pork sausage
2 c. chicken stock
4 c. water
4 c. chopped fresh kale

1 - cook the rice 1 c. water per 1/2 c. dry rice. 45 min.
2 - in a large pot saute onion and pepper. Add Kale. Cook til softened, set aside in bowl
3 - in same pot, cook sausage, add garlic.
4 - return veggies to pot, add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Add rice. Cook til heated through.

Enjoy!

A brief hietus

Just a quick note. I am a little busy with my business right now Sappari Solutions and will not be posting regularly for a couple of weeks. I will be back in time to can salsa and make apples into apple sauce. Let me know if there is anything you would like to hear about and I will squirrel the ideas anyway until I am writing again.

Summer Pasta Salad

Here is a way to use many items in your CSA basket at once:

Nettie's Summer Pasta Salad

1. cook 1/2 lb of pasta - macaroni, shells or other small noodle. Drain
2. Meanwhile saute in this order:
1 large chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped red pepper
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 c. chopped squash - zuchini, summer or a combination
1 c. chopped eggplant
2 chopped tomatoes (about 2 c.)
1 can or 1.5 c. black beans, drained
the greens from one bunch of beets (about 1 c.), rinsed and chopped
.25 c. chopped fresh basil

Remove from heat, add .5 to 1 c. shredded cheese: cheddar, pepper jack or other flavorful cheese.

Toss veggies with pasta serve warm or cold.

Cucumbers

This week my fridge drawer was bursting with cucumbers. For whatever reason they seem to be multiplying in the fridge when the door is closed and the lights are down. So, this week has been a cucumber eating week. We have had Tziki Sauce with fried cucumbers and eggplants; cucumber slices and cucumber salad. Other favorites include cucumber slices in a big pitcher of water (it looks lovely for a party) and cucumber soup (nice and refreshing on a hot summer day). You can always try pickling them and storing in the fridge or canning the pickles. So many options but the best part is that cucumbers are ripe right when you need them, the dog days of summer. A cool neatly packaged gift.

If you are looking for recipes on the above items, just ask!

Milk

We have been so blessed to have fresh milk produced and processed within 20 minutes of our home. Kilby Cream Farm began selling their own milk this past May. It comes in glass bottles, which you can return, and is sold in quarts and half gallons. It is delicious. The last batch I picked up was milked and processed the day before. Can you say that about your milk? The price is great, too. Organic milk in the store runs $6 a gallon or more and may still be from large factory type farms. Kilby's milk is $3 a half gallon and you know where it is coming from. Their ice cream is great, too and I believe goes from cow to cone in two days.

Maryland is a state, like most, that does not allow the sale of unpasteurized milk. I do not promote the drinking of raw milk. I do not think that it is safe. There is a great article that my sister, Amy, sent to me explaining why drinking unpasteurized milk is not a good idea. You can find that article here. But, I DO believe we should be allowed to buy raw milk. It really is no different than buying raw meat. The government trusts us enough to buy meat, cook it and serve it to our families. So, why is milk any different? We could buy raw milk bring it to the set temperature and then let it cool in our own homes. Why is this important or even an issue? Because, it would allow farms to sell THEIR milk directly to the consumer. Right now, unless the farm, like Kilby, has their own pasteurization facility they typically send the milk to a processing plant and the milk is homogenized with milk from other dairies. There is an added cost both environmental (milk being trucked all over) and monetary (transportation and processing) and in the end the farmer gets less for his/her product and we pay more. Raw milk is available in Pennsylvania and I hope that in the near future Marylanders would have this option available, too.

Beets & Kale

Ever since I started getting my CSA basket three years ago we have tried more new vegetables and eaten more vegetables in general. What a big difference in mine and my family's health! The first year though receiving things like unshelled peas, kale, bok choy, beets and lots of squash required that I find a bunch of new recipes and fast! I just didn't know what to do with everything that was coming in my basket.

Recently I have been fielding a lot of questions on how to cook kale and beets. I am going to give two quick and easy recipes here. The broscht recipe will come in the fall so stay tuned!

Sauteed Greens

This recipe works for any leafy green veggie (spinach, kale or even BEET greens). Cut the greens from the stem (or the vegetable) if they are still attached. Wash but do not dry the leaves. You will need to cut or tear the spine off of the kale leaves before cooking. If you would like, chop the greens into rough pieces about 2-3" square (do not mince!!!). Heat 1 Tablespooon of oil (olive if you would like) in a skillet. Add greens and season as you wish. I usually put in salt, garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. For the tender greens leave the pan uncovered and toss the leaves a couple times while cooking. Cook for only 2-3 minutes until the green just start to wilt. For the kale you will want to through a lid on the skillet, if you don't have a big enough lid, use a cookie sheet. Again cook for only 3 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.

The beet greens are great in pasta salads or served with the cooked beets.
The kale is wonderful along side other strong flavored meats: grilled steak or ham.

Boiled Beets

I grew up loving beets so I have never understood the aversion people have to them. Then again I also loved brussel sprouts and lima beans as a kid. I think what is familiar is good so if you have never tried these vegetables as a child your aversion may just lie in their unfamiliarity.

Beets are very simple to prepare but they take a while to steam. I will often cook them the night before (while I am cooking my other dinner) so they are ready when I need them. First cut of the greens (set aside to saute those as above). Wash the beets. The water and your hands will likely turn pink! Then place in a pan, cover with water and a tight lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 1.5-2 hours. They are done when they are tender like a potato and the skins slip off easily. Let cool before peeling. I will often slice and store in the fridge so that I can enjoy them with future meals. They are delicious with butter and salt.

Preserving Kale

Kale is a wonderfully nutritious food. I feel virtuous just thinking about eating it. But, if you have had enough already save some now to saute in the winter or throw into soups.

I spent few minutes this morning blanching two bags of kale that we received in our basket from our CSA at Sunny Hill Farm. It was simple, here is what I did:

1 - wash the kale
2 - tear off the rib and rip into smaller pieces
3 - boil about 1-2 inches of water in a large pot
4 - add the kale, you can stuff it in the pot and put on a lid
5 - cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring once.
6 - cool in an ice water bath
7 - remove and drain, I squeezed the water out
8 - freeze in a single layer on a cookie tray for at least 30 min.
9 - place in freezer bags.

Because you froze it in a single layer you can pull out just what you need later. This took less than 30 min (aside from the freezing part).

Seasonal

I was reminded today in a conversation with my sister that there is a time and a place for food. She has been reading a book, Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide, Revised and Updated Edition, and was pleasantly surprised when the final chapter reiterated and reinforced the concepts that I have been reading about, viewing, talking about and pondering these last many months. The first is that food is seasonal and should be eaten, as much as possible, in the season that it is grown. I leave room for preserving the food in the season it is grown. Second, food should be derived first from local sources in order to better serve our environment and communities. Third, certain types of foods should be eaten at certain times. For instance, ice tea is a summer drink and hot tea is a winter drink. We should eat more in the winter and less in the summer and largely our own bodies will guide these desires.

I find it facinating that, as a culture, we have come to ignor the thousands of years of food culture that has developed before this time. Througout the centuries culture and food rules came to exist because of what made the most sense from a health, environmental, community, practical and financial standpoint. Even if the cultures that were developing these rules never explicitly sat down and wrote them out (although some did) with a focus on the above topics. For instance, beef is best consumed in the winter months. A cow is ready at this time to be slautered the kind of nourishment it provides is well suited to giving us what we need to sustain through the winter. Chicken on the other hand is best consumed in the summer. It is ready for slauter in the spring and summer months. It is lighter and easier to digest in the hot summer months when heavy foods are less appealing. Root vegetables are available in the fall and keep well over the winter. They tend to be heartier and higher in calories in a time when food is harder to come by. Fresh, tender vegetables are available in the summer when food is plentiful the caloric value is less and it spoils faster. Think about the food traditions that you know of that follow a seasonal pattern.

Now, think about the homongenized choices you were presented with the last time you ate out to a meal. We have come to expect every kind of food available at any time any where. I belive that this was never meant to be the case.

But, while we have beets, corn and peaches in abundance it is good to eat and be merry. For dinner tonight we had grilled chicken (from Rumbleway Farm), steamed corn on the cob (from Hopkins Farm), beets and beet greens (from Sunny Hill) and sliced peaches. The butter was from Trickling Springs and our milk was from Kilby Creamery.

Zucchini Bread

Zuchinni is a wonderful vegetable that even though it is abundant when in season can easily be added to recipes without changing the flavor.

This recipe can also be made into muffins by dividing the batter into muffin cups and shortening the baking time. It was originally based on a recipe from AllRecipes.com however I have made many modifications.

Makes 2 8" loaves

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 8x4" pans.
2. Sift Together

2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. each of salt, baking powder, baking soda
1 T cinnamon

3. In another bowl beat

3 eggs
1/2 c. oil (I used canola)
1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 T vanilla

4. Add dry to wet and stir until well combined.
5. Add 2-3 c. of shredded zuchinni (I used a food processor to shred) AND 1 c. raisins. Combine well
6. pour into pans and bake 40-60 min.

You could add cranberries or nuts or other dried fruits if you desire. If you do not have applesauce you can substitute oil. If you do not have 3 eggs you can substitute bananas for some of them. You could probably even reduce the sugar more.

I usually leave one out to eat and freeze the other loaf for the winter.

Movie Review: Killer at Large

I cannot recall what tipped me off to watching this movie, Killer at Large but a few weeks ago I requested it from our library and brought it home to watch. As with many of the books and movies that I am researching now the themes are similar as is most of the information but each one has a different perspective and a few new tidbits to share. 30 Days - Season 1 was no exception and I was pleased to find more information to digest and incorporate into my new food view.

One of the most striking topics for me was that diet and exercise, although worthy to pursue, are either not enough or more often too difficult to achieve in our culture. I have a hard time blaming anyone but the individual for their health when we are all responsible for ourselves but I can see the truth in the argument that for most people it is impossible to eat the right amounts of the right foods and get the right amount of exercise when our culture will just now allow it.

In our home we make a big effort to avoid mainstream tv for the kids, limit their exposure to processed and fast foods and get outside to exercise for several hours a day. But in spite of these efforts the children are still exposed and we as adults often make poor choices ourselves. It is hard to exercise 30 min a day when I am caring for the children, running my business, cleaning the house, cooking food, spending time with my husband, helping with the local pool and that is just a short list. It would be so much easier to use prepared foods with a schedule like that and to get anything at all done sitting the kids in front of the tv is a VERY tempting option. But when they are watching tv (if it is pbs) they are not exercising or playing. If they watch mainstream tv they are exposed to all sorts of sugary or bad for you foods and tons of toys. If I feed the family prepared foods these foods are rarely low sugar, low salt or low fat and they are also rarely prepared in environmentally friendly ways. If I do not make a concerted effort, we do not go outside especially on very hot days like we have been experiencing. It is hard to do all the right things, all the time. Bad food and bad choices are everywhere.

The two big trips we planned this summer were more evidence that keeping healthy is a very hard thing to do. After our first trip we learned that we had to pretty much pack our food options and do a lot of research ahead of time to find family friendly healthy restaurants. We also learned that we had to stop every 2-3 hours to play and run. We found interesting parks along the way. But the planning was critical and getting up and going without it meant unpleasantness for everyone (not to mention the effects of greasy, icky fast food).

So, check out the movie, Killer at Large. See if it inspires to you to do more about the obesity epidemic that we are facing in this country.

Kale

If you are looking for great recipes with Kale start here EatingWell.com. In this week's basket from Sunny Hill we received kale, lettuce, green beans, blueberries, cucumbers, zucchini and summer squash. I went blueberry picking today with the kids to Spring Valley Farm in Conowingo. The peaches were ripe, too and I made their first purchase of pick your own peaches of the season. I'll be busy with blueberry pie and jam. I will freeze many of them to have later for oatmeal, muffins, dumplings and pancakes. They are a staple food in our house.

What to do with fresh spinach

So, the spinach season is coming to an end and you have already had spinach & strawberry salad, spinach frittata, spinach quiche, cream of spinach soup and honestly at this point you are just spinach'ed out. Spinach is quick and easy to preserve by freezing and it is easier to add to your favorite dishes because it is already cooked at this point.

1 - Wash the spinach thoroughly!!! If you don't you are likely to have gritty spinach. Ask Big J about my spinach quiche last winter. It was crunchy :-)

2 - Place in a big pot. You can pack it in, it will cook down. Fill the pot with about an inch of water and put a lid on it.

3 - Bring the water to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. The spinach will wilt basically taking up about 1/3 of the space it occupied before. DO NOT OVER COOK!

4 - Remove from heat and drain the water off. Let it cool a bit and chop (if you would like, chopping does make it easier to use later).

5 - Place in freezer bags, about 1/2 pound each and freeze. I use a FoodSaver vacuum sealer and that keeps the food fresh for quite a long time.

This week's recipes have included:

1 - Eggs with spring onions, peppers, grape tomatoes and herb cheddar cheese
2 - Steaks, Hamburgers, Coleslaw, cherry pie (for father's day)
3 - Curried Vegetables over rice

Our veggies come again tomorrow. Feel free to ask for inspiration and recipes. I will post as soon as I can.

Sausage and Noodles with Garlic, Spinach Cream Sauce

I just concocted this tonight so I am not sure if someone else has made it before. I would make a few changes for next time but before I forgot I thought I ought to write down the recipe.

7 oz of drained, chopped, cooked spinach (we had some frozen from earlier in the spring)
1 lb ground pork
8 oz of noodles (I used macaroni)
2 c. of whole milk
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 t. Bouillon (I used better than bouillon, chicken)
1/2 T butter

1. Cook the noodles
2. melt the butter and saute the garlic for 1 min
3. Add the pork and cook, until browned
4. Add the ground pepper
5. Add the spinach, bouillon and milk
6. Bring to a low simmer and cook until slightly thickened
7. Add the noodles, stir to cover and serve

You can add salt and pepper to taste. Big J added garlic/chive cheddar to increase the flavor. I would suggest fresh, grated Parmesan cheese for next time.

We served it with steamed green beans. Yum!

Now it is time to clear the kitchen and make cherry jam from the sour cherries we picked at Lohr's Orchard on Wednesday.

Traveling South and What's in Season

We just returned from a trip to the south for a family reunion. We bagged up our weekly share of veggies, cheese and fruit and took it with us. But, I was happy to pick up a few local things while in the area: boiled peanuts, peaches, bbq chicken and pulled pork, coleslaw, etc. It is fun to try foods that regions are known for. I am not sure how locally produced they were but you know this trip was all about eating what was available, period.

I have been slowly working my way through the book, Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly. It has proven to be an interesting read and while I do not agree with everything that the author says and especially with how he says it. Mr. McWilliams does bring up some interesting points worth looking into. That will have to be a teaser for now until I can write my full review of the book.

Lastly, sour cherries are in season and available pick your own from Spring Valley Farm in Conowingo and Lohrs Orchard. Call or check the website for picking information. (Links in the right hand column of this page under favorite farms). Also, Spring Valley has some blueberries and will have a larger crop next week. Everything is very early this year so don't wait if you are thinking of checking if something is in season.

Just Food

For a while now I have been reading my way to a better understanding of our food system and how we can change it. I spotted the book Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly while in Barnes and Noble in March and added it to my 'To Read' list.

Just recently I was able to delve into this book. I was intrigued by the title but after reading the introduction I had a hard time deciding to continue. Was it going to be a waste of time to continue reading an author that seemed so bitter and had a chip on his shoulder about locavores for some reason I could not yet gather? It seemed to me he got his point across that those of us who are out there actually trying to make a change for the environment, our health, our families and our communities are wrong, misguided and completely unaware of some huge mistake that he perceived we were making. He took every chance possible to make jibes at the other books that discuss sustainable eating and seemed oblivious that the audience he was writing for was the same one he was ridiculing. A large part of me wanted to spend my time reading something more interesting that didn't involve being chastised by a self-proclaimed authority on everything anti-locavore. But, curiosity won out and I continued reading.

Now, on page 42, Mr. McWilliams has finally said SOMETHING worth hearing without the bitter undercurrent. I don't agree with how he has gotten to his point but I can understand why he thinks that being a locavore is not enough and is not realistic for everyone. I plan to keep reading to see what else he has to say, to see if he can offer any realistic alternatives to the current food system. He presumes that everyone understands what is currently going on and has already moved toward making choices that are better for their bodies and the environment. I hope he realizes that for most people, they are just not there yet.

Delicious Fritatta

Tonight's dinner incorporated many of the foods in my basket of goodies. I found this great Basic Broccoli Frittata on a website called ichef.com. I served it with a salad and toast. The kids had scrambled eggs, steamed broccoli and toast and were just as happy as the adults. Every plate was clean tonight!

Cherries at Wilsons!

I just got an email from Wilson's Farm Market that they picked their last 50 qt of strawberries and they have cherries available for purchase. Honestly, if I didn't have other obligations I would have already driven up there to buy some. I LOVE cherries.

I try and cool things off for the summer and do a bit less baking but this morning I made a batch of granola bars and last night's dinner was roast chicken. I love that I could stuff the chicken with onions from Sunny Hill, sage and oregano from my garden. Tonight's dinner will be much more summer heat friendly and will take advantage of the eggs, broccoli and lettuce that was in my basket from Sunny Hill this week.

Keep cool and enjoy!

First Day for CSA!

Today is a big day at my house. It is the first day that Sunny Hill will be delivering their produce to about twenty families that have chosen to pick up from my home. Jean has already sent out a welcome email and a list of what's inside the baskets. I cleaned out the garage to make room and now we just wait. Pick up is from 1pm-7pm if you are part of this co-op.

I have unfortunately been absent from blogging much lately. My attentions have been turned to the pool we are members of and now intimately involved with. I hope that this will change soon. I'd like to get back to sharing what is coming out of my kitchen (boy is it steamy in there!) I need to switch to more summer cooking with the weather as warm as it has been.

Here is the menu from this week:
Monday - cookout with the neighbors - we took Brocolli Slaw, Homemade Ice Cream and Steak. The steaks we picked up from Sunny Hill were so tender, my 9 month old could eat them!
Tuesday - Roast Chicken, potatoes and frozen green beans
Wednesday - Sausage with asparagus, onions and Italian Dressing served over noodles.
Thursday - Egg Burritos with beans and rice.
Friday - Steak with Broccoli, Bok Choy Stir Fry and rice.

Broccoli Slaw

I mostly pulled this recipe from a Broccoli Slaw bag but I have of course made modifications

You can use a bag of Broccoli Slaw (which is one pound) or you can make your own.
1 head of broccoli shredded
1 carrot shredded
1 c. red cabbage, shredded
Mix and add
1/2 c. cranberries
1 c. chopped pineapple (fresh or canned)
1/4 c. slivered or sliced almonds
Separately mix 1/4 c. mayonaise and 1/2 c. of salad dressing.
Toss dressing with salad and chill.

I love the flavor of Drew's Garlic Italian Dressing but it was not available the last time I was at the store. I used Brianna's Balsamic Vinegar dressing and that was tasty, too.

Broccoli Stir Fry

In my spring share at Brad's I received three head of Bok Choy. We just finished using it up. Thank goodness it kept! I threw this stir fry together last night.

Over high heat and 1 T. oil, stir fry
2-3 c. chopped bok choy
3 c. chopped broccoli

After 3-4 min add in
1 t. fresh ginger
1/2 c. chopped green onions

Toss for 1 min longer

Add in
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T Vinegar (any kind)
1/2 t garlic powder or 1 clove pressed fresh

Stir to combine. If the veggies are not done yet, add a lid and 1/4 c. water and reduce the heat. Cook 'til desired doneness.

Strawberry Picking and MORE Vegetables

I was giddy today. I ran to Broom's Bloom Dairy and Brad's Produce to pick up sausage, butter and vegetables for tonight's dinner. What did I find? Tomatoes! From Brad's! Wahoo! And they had broccoli, too. It was a jack pot. I also bought potatoes, spring onions, asparagus, spinach and lettuce. The share I had with Brad's for early spring ended two weeks ago and the share I have with Sunny Hill will start next week so we were in NEED of some fresh food.

Now, on to the strawberries. I took the children and my sister and we made our way to Harman's on Rt 22 for strawberry picking yesterday. There was a bit of a break in the on and off rain that we've been having and I was hoping the strawberries had gotten enough sun to be ready. There were a lot of rotten ones and the flavor wasn't quite as sweet as usual but we came home with about 14 pounds of berries anyway and it only took about an hour. I am planning to pick again on Thursday at Sunny Hill.

Aside from little M eating her bucket full on the drive home we did manage to bring home enough berries for 2 batches of freezer jam, 1 pie and two cookie sheets full to freeze. Aside from the pie, the jam and frozen berries took about an hour to prepare. I make freezer jam following the recipe in the box of lower sugar pectin. It does not use artificial sweeteners but does use less sugar than regular jams and jellies. Freezer jam requires no special equipment and is quick to make. Be sure to follow the instructions VERY carefully. This is not the time to be creative.

Freezing the berries is also an easy way to preserve them. Wash, hull and drain any water off of the berries. I lined two cookie sheets with parchment paper then arranged the berries in a single layer on the sheets. Freeze for 24 hours and put into freezer bags or vacuum bags.

Other fun things to make: strawberry short cake, homemade Jello with strawberry chunks, strawberry oatmeal, strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing, strawberry yogurt, strawberry ice cream, the list goes on and on. Or, just eat them 'til you pop!

Palak Paneer

I decided to try making Palak Paneer to use up all that cheese. Palak Paneer is an Indian dish made with Spinach and Cheese. I love spinach recipes. The more I eat spinach, the more I love it. The dishes are always so rich and homey. I found the recipe for Palak Paneer on the blog TooManyChefs.net and the dish was absolutely delicious. The only one in the house who didn't readily eat it was little J. Baby E is getting all sorts of wonderful foods to try and loving all of them. I know it is unlikely but I do hope she continues to eat and try new things as she grows.

Due to the weather, we have not gone strawberry picking yet and a busy schedule is going to keep me from going this weekend but I do hope to get out soon while the crop is still good and pick a bunch. I'll have to post the recipe for my mother's strawberry pie. Nothing beats it even if we do disagree over the pastry crust recipe :-)

Paneer

Today I made cheese. I read about making cheese in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.) and that was the first time that the thought crossed my mind that making cheese was a doable thing and not a magical process that happens somewhere beyond the grocery store shelves.

In the beginning of April, after reading the same book above, my dad made paneer and then mozarella. I was jealous and inspired. Cheese was food that I wanted to check off my list of things I had tried to make at least once. Now, with Dad paving the way (and finding the recipe!) I had the motivation I needed.

Paneer is a simple Indian cheese. In fact the whole process took me just over an hour and most of that time was in heating the milk and then letting it drain. The flavor of this cheese comes from the food that it is added to although you could add your own spices. I added salt this time. We had the cheese fresh over spinach and strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing and a side of corn muffins. It is easy to find recipes for paneer but basically what I did was

1 - bring one gallon of fresh milk (whole, organic from Brooms Bloom) to 185 F and held it there for 10 min stirring occasionally.
2 - add 1/4-1/2 c. white vinegar to curdle the milk (it will separate into whey and white curds)
3 - Added 1 t salt (more or less to taste)
4 - poured the curdled milk into a cheese bag set over a strainer and let set for 1 hour

That's it! I have a lot of cheese from that one gallon. Next time I will make a smaller batch. Baby E loves it and we will have to make an Indian dish or two to use it up.

Pick Your Own Strawberries

Strawberries are a fun and easy pick your own fruit. This year I am planning to take the kids and pick at least twice. I am planning to make several batches of freezer jam and then just freeze a bunch more to have for the winter. Around here, the cost is $1.40-1.50 a lb. The pick your own website below has great locations, recipes and information. Be sure to check it out! Also, bring your own container. A flat box works best so that you do not crush the berries.

You can find information about pick your own food at this website PickYourOwn.org but if you live in Harford County here are some great local choices. Be sure to call ahead for times and weather info the day you go.

Sunny Hill Farm (Maybe CSA Members Only)
410-382-0856
Starting next week
$1.50

Lohrs Orchard
410-836-2783
Monday(May 17) 6pm-8:30pm - call ahead for additional times
$1.40

Brads Produce
410-734-Grow
8am-6pm daily
$1.50

Harman's Farm
(410) 734-7400
10am-5:45pm daily
$1.40 lb

Mother's Day Tea

Every year for the past 4 years I have provided a Mother's Day Tea for myself and the other local moms in my family. It started as a way to honor my mother, grandmother and sister but this year I wanted to add to the day all that I have been learning about food over the past several months. So, with that in mind I set out to create a local, seasonal menu to share. There were a handful of exceptions to my rule but for the most part the meal was a success from a sustainability standpoint. Here is what I served:

An assortment of teas with lemon slices, cream and demerara sugar
Finger sandwiches on wheat bread - chicken salad, egg salad, cucumber mint and peanut butter and jelly (for the kids!)
Apricot Sage Scones with butter & clotted cream
Cream of Spinach Soup (from the book Dishing Up Maryland: 150 Recipes from the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake Bay)
Lemon Squares (Made by Mom, yum!)
Rhubarb Bread
Fruit and Vegetable Tray - strawberries, asparagus, radishes, carrots, banana and celery

It was not a day for eating lightly but the food was rich and delicious. If you want any of the recipes, just ask.

I love the days leading up to the tea when I gather the ingredients and bake, bake, bake. It is so rewarding to plan and prepare this meal; to bring all the flavors together in such a tasty way. I love going out to my garden to cut the fresh herbs for the scones, soup and sandwiches. It is a great opportunity to celebrate fresh foods and to slow down and enjoy the process of each step including slowing down to eat and enjoy.

A day in the life of a local food junkie

This morning I got up, added water to the pot of chicken parts from the chicken we ate the night before, a handful of veggies (spring onions, carrot, cabbage, celery) and a bit of seasoning and started the pot boiling to make stock. The kids had boxed cereal for breakfast. It is one habit I seem unable to change. I had oatmeal, still not local but a bit less processed. I also boiled a few eggs and put my husband's lunch together. The time was 6:45 am when Big J walked out the door and I sat down to eat my own food. Buying locally and eating less processed foods is a what we do. I make bits of food in the in between moments. The stock finished before lunch and it is sitting in the fridge waiting to be decanted into containers for the freezer. We visit farms, plant seeds outside, go for walks and try to avoid the tv.

Just before ten, after E had her morning nap and the rest of us were dressed, we headed out to return books to the library and stop at Brad's Produce for our weekly share. Driving up I was thrilled to see the sign that strawberries had arrived on the spring time scene. The children were excited, too, and keeping their hands out of the strawberry baskets while I procured rhubarb and more spinach was nearly impossible. We dug into the bright, sweet berries on the drive back home stopping to share a few with a neighbor and spread the word that, 'Strawberries are here!' In the next 1-2 weeks they will be available at Brad's Produce for pick your own.

I am planning this year to pick enough to freeze some whole and make several batches of strawberry freezer jam. I guess it is time to install those pantry cabinets so we have room for the jars and other supplies as well as the food once it is preserved. I also plan to make at least one strawberry pie, the way my mom makes it with a glaze, not cooked; strawberry short cake and a big batch of strawberry ice cream. It is so fun to revel in food and to just enjoy the taste, texture and abundance that each season brings.

We ate lunch outside after swinging and looking for frogs in the backyard and then I was finally able finish the book, The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food. I can't say it was my favorite book. The author, Ben Hewitt, had some interesting points to make. The descriptions of the main players in the town of Hardwick were endearing but I found the text to be redundant. I was looking for a, 'how to create a local food system' and what I got was a bit less. The article Building a Healthy Food System in Rural America in the July/August issue of Eating Well Magazine offered about the same amount of information in a fraction text. It is worth reading.

Now on to other tasks of the day which I hope will include a stop up to Sunny Hill farm for dill and a few other plants and eggs.

Meals for the Week

Meals for the Week:
Monday: Steak on the grill, sauted asparagus, brown rice
Tuesday: TexMex Egg Casserole, wilted spinach with toasted sunflower seeds, fresh bread
Wednesday: Roast Chicken
Thursday: Italian Sausage with asparagus and onions over noodles
Friday: Spinach Salad, cheese and muffins
Saturday: Baked flounder, potato oven fries, green beans (from frozen)
Sunday: Mother's Day Tea

This will be the third week of our early spring CSA with Brad's produce, we are stopping up to Sunny Hill later in the week to pick up flowers, eggs and cheese and over to Broom's Bloom for milk. Looks like another trip to Millers Natural Market in Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania is in order too. Cooking seasonally is getting easier the more that I do it. I am jotting down the items that I have been buying from the store that I could be having at home: sphaghetti sauce, frozen vegatables, etc. This year I hope to preserve a lot more of what we eat. We will be installing cabinets in the basement soon to hold jars and other pantry items soon. I can see a benefit in grocery store shopping in that you do not need to find the space in your own home to put up all this food.

Bringing things to life

Spring is unfolding everywhere. Summer is on the way and the weather is warming up (more often that it is cooling off!) Yippee!

Tomorrow the Havre de Grace Farmer's Market opens from 9am-12pm on Pennington Avenue. It is not as big as the Bel Air market but still a great place to go! Check it out.

Also, I drove by Harman's Farm on Rt 22 in Churchville and saw that it's sign was hung out, "OPEN."

So, there are LOTS of options for getting fresh food locally. I love food! From now until January we will be rolling in produce and all I have to say is, "Bring it on!"

Blog Misc

I have fixed the issue with comments. Now, anyone can comment even if they are not specifically following the blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts and get a dialogue going.

Roast Chicken

On Saturday evening we roasted the chicken that we brought home from Rumbleway. Big J and I agreed that it was very juicy and flavorful. We have leftovers that need to be frozen from that meal and just this morning I used the carcass and a handful of veggies to make stock. It is already frozen and waiting for the next soup night. Having your own stock on hand is a great money saver and ensures that they base of your soups is not too salty or riddled with MSG. This is what I did:

Place chicken parts (bones, skin, etc) in a pot and cover with cold water.
Toss in a chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley. I had spring onion tops and celery tops frozen from the fall. I didn't have carrot this time so I added a bit of frozen cabbage from the fall as well.
Add 1/4 t of pepper and 1/2 t salt
Cover, bring to a boil, remove lid and simmer uncovered for 4 hours.
The amount of water will be reduced by about half. You will need to turn the temp down if the pot starts to boil and add water if it gets too low.
After 4 hours, remove from heat, let cool and strain into freezer containers.
I got about 4 c. You dilute as necessary for whatever recipes you are cooking up.

I also picked up the book Dishing Up Maryland: 150 Recipes from the Alleghenies to the Chesapeake Bay. It features many of the farms that I frequent and lots of great recipes organized by season. Also included are stories about local farms, farmers and restaurants. A great addition to your cookbook library if you are looking for something new.

Menu Planning

Here's what's on the menu for this week:

Monday: Spanish Tortilla (eggs) and a mesclun salad
Tuesday: Black bean burgers, roast asparagus
Wednesday: Homemade Pizza with very veggie sauce, cheese, fresh sausage
Thursday: Curried Goat (need to find a recipe)
Friday: Spaghetti with meat sauce
Saturday: Chicken...TBA
Sunday: Probably Leftovers

Supersize Me

So, I am a bit behind the times. I heard about the movie Super Size Me when it came out and even listened to radio commentary about the documentary at the time. This morning, we watched the movie. Little J wanted to watch the movie about McD's. We decided it wouldn't harm anything if he saw it.

Had you shown me this film a year ago, I may have been surprised by some of the information. But now, several months into this journey in food that I have embarked upon with movies, books, tv shows and field trips; I found that the documentary simply supported all of the information I have been gathering elsewhere. It is worth the watch if you think that eating fast food with any regularity is at all ok. My opinion though is that the fast food industry is not responsible for whether or not we eat their unhealthy food. I do not agree with the oppressive marketing tactics, the pervasiveness of the brands or the abundance of locations. But the biggest problem I have with fast food (and other highly processed foods) is that they are truly not safe for human consumption: parts of the animal that were never meant to be eaten, washing meat in ammonia, adding chemicals not found in nature to make the food look, smell and feel like edible stuff. I have a problem with this because most people would not question that something being sold at a restaurant under the name 'food' is actually edible. We assume that food is food. We were outraged at the Chinese putting melamine in their food and pet food products but honestly we are not doing any better.

Strangely, in all the thinking that I have been doing about food lately I do not believe that the government should play a huge role in changing what is going on. Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms in the book, The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, basically says that the changes that need to be made will come about by people making informed choices. I agree. However, there are a handful of places where I believe government intervention is necessary, they are as follows:

1. We should not subsidize cheap crops: we are enabling the large factory farm corporations to control our food supply and enslave the few farmers we have left.

2. Certain food additives (that are not actually food!) should be illegal: chemical washes, ammonia, antibiotics, hormones, pesticides and petroleum fertilizers are a few. Maybe this would stop the factory farms, they just could not work without these additives.

It is strange to me that other industrialized, highly educated, advanced societies that are like the United States in so many other ways, are actually more advanced than us with regard to the two items above. Why is the United States so behind? What is it going to take to change?

Chicken and a Spring Share

Today and every other Friday after 3pm, Rumbleway Farm will have chickens available. They are fresh on the weekend and frozen in between pick up days. Rumbleway Farm is a grass farm and certified organic. If you are looking for sustainable agriculture, this is it. Visiting the farm is a lot of fun as the animals are just wondering around. There is a farm store that is open year 'round. Check it out!

Yesterday, we picked up our first early spring share with Brad's Produce. In it we got eggs, flowers, asparagus, spinach, radishes, spring onions and mesclun. I put the asparagus, radishes and spring onions to use in this Asparagus & Radish Salad from Eating Well. I thought the taste was fresh and light. My husband thought it tasted like grass. To each his own! EatingWell.com has lots of great seasonal recipes. Just type the ingredient in the search box that you are trying to use and viola! There is also a bi-monthly magazine that you can subscribe to (we do!)

Blog Misc

If you are just starting to follow this blog here is a little info. There is a link on the blog page that allows you to subscribe by email. You will receive blog posts once daily between 7-9am. If you want to add comments be sure to click the link to 'follow this blog' and you will be able to comment on the posts you read. If you reply to the blog emails that are sent, your comments will not be posted. Be sure to come directly to the blog page to post your comments.

Cheers!

A good day in my world of food

Today I picked up the bookThe Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food from the library. I have had it on reserve for a while now and have just been waiting anxiously for it to arrive. Now all I want to do is dig right in and devour all it has to offer! Food books have become a bit of an obsession. I am empowering myself with information. In every book, I have found something. Some thought to latch on to that just makes this whole process of knowing more about the food that I eat more real.

"You and I don't get to sprawl across the sofa masticating pork rinds and watching American Idol unless someone else is growing the food.
As long as the corporations keep their end of the bargain, it's a pretty sweet deal, presuming one overlooks the pallid, depleted nature of the foodstuffs they're providing. But it's becoming increasingly obvious that they won't be able to hold up their end of the bargain forever or, if recent events are any indication, even for much longer. This leaves us facing a rather daunting truth: The fact is that we need to rethink our entire food-supply chain for reasons of economic security, health security, and even social security. We need to reinvent how we grow and distribute food; we need to re-scale and decentralize." - Ben Hewitt, The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food

I am on page 23 now and will keep you posted as I go along. Another book on my shelf right now is Alice Waters and Chez Panisse but I have not had the opportunity to jump into that one yet.

Dinner tonight? Ziti noodles with tomato sauce from Brad's Produce, homemade meatballs with meat from Sunny Hill Farm, a garden salad with bibb lettuce from the Bel Air Farmer's market. Oh and I made another batch of granola bars. Dig in!

Hamburgers in Paradise

Last night's dinner was the quintessential hamburger. I was looking for a simple burger recipe and I found it here Basic Grilled Burgers The recipe calls for ground beef, salt and pepper. The instructions for cooking them are simple and create absolutely delicious burgers. I topped mine with mayo, ketchup and mustard. The beef was from Sunny Hill Farm (pastured) and shined through. Along with the burgers we had over fries cut into sticks (like "real" french fries) tossed with olive oil and salt and roasted in the oven for 10-15 min on 400. Carrot sticks, cole slaw or salad would be a great side vegetable to this easy, done in twenty minutes meal.

For those of you bargain shoppers out there, Weis (in Havre de Grace) currently has Stonyfield Farm Organic individual yogurt cups 10 for $6. Might not be local but it is second best at a great price.

Asparagus Soup

I love pureed vegetable soups. My kids tend to eat them more readily than chunkier counterparts and they can be made with just about any vegetable in any season. We had asparagus soup last night, blueberry muffins and local cheese. The biggest fan was E, she had not yet tried asparagus but gobbled up the biggest bowl of all the children.

Here is recipe I used from gourmet magazine:

cream of asparagus soup (creme d'asperges) Gourmet | March 2001

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 50 min

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients
2 lb green asparagus
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 to 6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
preparation
Cut tips from 12 asparagus

1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.

Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While soup simmers, saute reserved asparagus tips until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.

Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

Cooks' note:
• Soup keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days. If making ahead, add last tablespoon butter and lemon juice after reheating.

Spinach Frittata and Potato Salad

I love when I can pull together a mostly local, seasonal meal and tonight was the night. There were a few ingredients that did not come from Harford County but they were the exception. Tonight we had Spinach Frittata and Potato Salad. The Spinach Frittata recipe came from simplyrecipes.com. Even though the kids didn't devour every last bite, they also did not turn their noses up at it. The eggs were from Andy's Eggs (purchased at Broom's Bloom), milk from Brooms Bloom and the peas from Brads last year and frozen.

In addition I whipped up the spring potato salad recipe that is found in the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life [ANIMAL VEGETABLE MIRACLE] and also online at animalvegetablemiracle.com. It included potatoes and peas from Brad's Produce and mint from my own garden. The flavors in both were fresh and the meal was simple and satisfying. Another night of hunger avoided thanks to good food and the time and resources necessary to put it on the table. Amen!

Bread

I made my way over to Brad's Produce today. It was opening day and I ran over there just so that I could see what they had and to pick up asparagus and potatoes. I lucked out, Brad's also carries a wide assortment of canned goods, many of which are their own produce. I picked up a jar of tomato sauce to have on hand. I am scheduled to receive Brad's early spring CSA that starts next Thursday. It is the first time they are doing one and I am excited to be in on the early bounty.

But, the main topic I wanted to talk about tonight is bread. Fresh, homemade bread. There really is nothing in the world that compares to bread right out of the oven. It fills the whole house with homey smells that make you feel warm and secure. My husband and I can plow through a loaf in an evening. Sometimes we adorn it with butter, jellies or peanut butter. Sometimes we just eat it. Either way, it is adsolutely, heal your soul delicious. The next day, it is still good but...

Right before M was born I got in the habit of making bread on Sundays. I would make two loaves that we would have for the week. I got out of the habit when my stove went up but then revived the habit at intervals since then. Bread does not take long to make if you count only the work invested. However, it does take time to sit, rise and bake. I usually start in the morning on a day that I know I am not going anywhere for a few hours. Sundays work great and even when I don't get the whole process done before church, Big J can take the finished loaves out when they are brown and crusty.

I am not bread expert but I did find a neat website that describes bread making and has video clips to follow. I make loaves for sandwiches and toast, pizza dough, rolls and pepperoni rolls. There are a number of books out there or you can search the web for just the right recipe. The trick with bread is that you have to know the signs: when is it done rising? how does does elastic, smooth dough feel? what is the "hollow" sound that bakers describe when they knock on a finished loaf? Learning these things is all in the doing. You can start with a bread machine or you can complete the whole process start to finish by hand.

The recipe below is the recipe that I use from AllRecipes.com. I have made MANY variations. Read the reviews (posted on the link above) and pick and choose which changes make sense to you. Here are some of mine: half the honey and/or use sugar; use 4 c. of bread flour and 1 c. of wheat in the first step; add 1/4 c. wheat gluten and 1/4 c. sunflower seeds at step 2; substitute some of the wheat flour with oat, rye or other types of flour; use mostly bread flour. Some of my loaves came out too crumbly when I added too much oat flour and other times my bread did not rise quickly in the cold house. Bread is not an exact science kind of food. You will certainly enjoy eating the mistakes though!



* 3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
* 1/3 cup honey
* 5 cups bread flour
* 3 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

2. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

3. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely

Appreciation

As I scrape the remains of another meal into the compost bin, I have a greater appreciation and reverence for the food that I make myself. There is a stronger desire to savor the flavors and make it last longer than items I purchase pre-made or from the restaurant. Even if making the food costs a fraction of the price to buy store bought, I somehow find myself valuing the home made version more possibly because of the time investment, possibly because of the connection that I now have with that food.

I am particularly attached to the bread that I bake on Sundays. In is not difficult to make and the time investment for three loaves is about 30 minutes of work time plus babysitting (rising and baking). I often find myself thinking that I will keep some bread on hand to share with neighbors and friends in need but I just have such a hard time parting with it.

In spite of my stinginess, I think that slowing down to appreciate the food is a valuable exercise. Too often, I see food being devoured as though it will always be bountiful. But now, I cringe at the wasted food on my children's plates. Aside from the affront to my own cooking ability that I need to just plain get over; I can better see the value and cost of what is wasted in money, time, the life of an animal and the love imbued being thrown out.

Spring bounty

The Bel Air Farmer's Market on Saturday was a success and I was able to come home with lettuce, green onions, cookies, potatoes and asparagus. Yum! I cooked some of the potatoes and the asparagus last night with steak on the grill. An easy local meal. I sauteed the asparagus in olive oil and garlic for a quick, simple way to serve the stalks. I will whip up cream of asparagus soup later in the week. I don't know if you can preserve asparagus by freezing or canning but the thought of squishy asparagus is not appetizing so I will just enjoy it while it is here.

Brad's Produce opens this week (April 14) with the following hours:
Daily Hours:
Mon - Sat 8am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Sunny Hill is already open 10-6 and the Farmer's Market will be going again on Saturday.

It's Time

Tomorrow, the Bel Air Farmer's Market opens for the season. You can find out more at this website BelAirFarmersMarket.com. So check it out! We'll be there perusing the chickens, plants and whatever fresh fruits and veggies we can find (asparagus, anyone?).

We stopped in to Wilson's Farm Market today and picked up ice cream from Keyes Creamery and a handful of fresh baked cookies. Yum!

Yesterday's meal great for the spring season and a staple in our house. Broccoli, Sausage and Shells I purchased the sausage from Broom's Bloom and the remaining ingredients I had on hand. I served the sausage dish with TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein) instead of sausage for my sister, who is vegetarian. Along with the main course, I also served a spinach salad with mango (not local), chopped pecans, fresh homemade mozzarella (Thanks, Dad!) and homemade poppy seed dressing. It was truly gourmet! Typically, I use spinach, pecans and strawberries in the salad but I was feeling creative and used what I had on hand.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Where to get your grub

Spring is well upon us now and with all the warm weather we have been having the blossoms are out, plants are sprouting through the earth and fresh food is just around the corner. But, where are you supposed to find it? I can tell you about several farms local to Harford County, Maryland but if you are looking for something closer to your neck of the woods there are several websites to check out. The first place I look for farm information is localharvest.org. On this website you can search nationwide for farms in your area by the specific things you are looking for. The drawback is that not every farm is listed. This is the problem with all of the sites, none are comprehensive. If you are in Maryland you can also try MarylandsBest.net and in Harford County HarfordFarms.com. One more website to check out for additional information, links, recipes, etc is BelAirFarmersMarket.com.

There are other ways to find the local source for your foods. Just driving down the road you may catch a farm stand or sign. Try doing a Google search for local foods in your area. Check out your state and county department of agriculture. Talk to friends and see where they shop. Even Facebook has listings for local farming groups. Post your finds here and share what you have found. I have a list on the right hand side of this page for my favorite farms.

Carrot Soup

Tonight's dinner would have been perfect on a cold fall evening when the sun set early in the day and the air was damp. But I chose to serve it on the hottest day of the year, so far, revving up my oven in the near 90 temp and forcing us into the cool of the basement to eat. I chose carrot soup and corn bread with cheese and orange slices. What's that you say? Not a local, seasonal meal! You are correct. The carrots were organic but from California. I just desired this meal. It will be the last time I serve carrot soup until carrots are in season again. The upside is that tonight was another clean plate dinner with little J finishing his portion and asking for more cornbread, M eating at least some of the meal and gobbling up the oranges and E devouring the soup, signing "more" after some of the bites.

The cornbread is a staple in our house and the recipe comes from Fanny Farm. The edition I have of this cookbook is from 1940. Thankfully my edition is new enough to have oven temperatures. This is my 'go to' cookbook for all basic food recipes. Here is the cornbread recipe with my own modifications:

Mix 3/4 c. corn meal, 1/2 c. white flour, 1/2 c. whole wheat flour, 1/3 c. sugar, 1 T baking powder, 3/4 t salt. In a separate bowl beat with a wisk: 1 c. milk, 1 egg, 2 T fat (oil, butter, etc). Pour liquid into flour mixture and mix. Bake in shallow buttered pan (I use 8x8 glass dish) in a hot oven (425) for 20 min.

As for the soup, I found that recipe here on Easy-French-Food.com It is simple and delicious although the season really dictates that asparagus soup would be more appropriate. I will make that soon, I am sure and post the recipe as well.

Meatballs

My kids are picky eaters. I never thought bc (before children) that I would succumb to meatballs, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, pb&j on a daily basis. But, here I am five years into the parenting thing and my children eat pb&j almost daily. There were bags of meatballs and chicken nuggets from the big box store in the freezer until recently. The battle for what to feed the children is constant. On one hand, I want my kids to clean their plates. On the other hand, I want them to eat what I put on the table. Tonight was a blessing, I made sloppy joes and carrot sticks and to my great surprise little J ate it with a smile on his face. He always surprises me.

The bags of meatballs and chicken nuggets are gone. I would like to feed the wee ones what they want and crave but I don't want to feed them a lot of salt, spare meat parts, factory farmed animals and preservatives. The solution that I have is making my own. I can get pastured beef and poultry and the reminder of the ingredients is a short list. Tonight, I made two pounds of meatballs. The recipe was a simple one that I found online here All Recipes Meatballs. I replaced the turkey with the beef that I had in the freezer. I added minced onion. I didn't have Italian seasoned breadcrumbs but I did have bread crumbs so I just threw in a bit of spices and called it a day. They are done and cooling on the stove now. I will freeze them tonight and have them ready to pull out for lunch whenever they are called for.

As for the big what to feed the kids dilemma our family has solved it this way. Breakfast is a big meal that the kids tend to love with oatmeal, eggs, cereal and bacon being top on the list. Lunch is whatever the kids want, within reason. Dinner is whatever I am serving and we all eat the same. The kids actually do eat vegetables, maybe not as many as some children, but they do it them. It is a good feeling.

Thoughts

The foods that are widely available today provide the calories that may sustain us but these foods do not nourish us. I am finding that I am approaching food with an near religious devotion. There are so many philosophical, ethical, evironmental and other issues to consider before we even get to the taste and texture departments. I am reminded of the biblical concept that we are God's stewards of the earth. I need to look up this passage but I am sure to my bones that being a good steward does not involve excess and convenience to the detriment of those around us or our own bodies.

In the garden, my spinach, mesclun and onions are all sprouting. I hope that they continue!

Sunny Hill Farm is now open 10-6pm and is taking orders for 1/4 and 1/2 sides of beef. Brad's Produce opens April 14. Bring on the food!

Fresh

I was searching for what specific topic to post on tonight and it arrived in my facebook message box. The topic is, Fresh, a documentary on food. As you may know already there are several documentaries on food already exposing the ugly underbelly that seems to run our food systems these days. I have not actually watched this documentary, yet. However, there is a trailer on the website and what I took away from that brief screening was that Fresh is a hopeful movie about change. It seems to take up where Food, Inc left off and provide information about changes that are taking place and what we individually can do. If I can find 100 people here locally that would like to see this movie, we can set up a screening. Anyone interested?

Speaking of fresh, I have the gardening bug. Little J and I spent 5 minutes this afternoon putting spinach, mesclun and peas in the pots we have on the back porch. I also picked up purple basil and nasturtium seeds while I was out shopping. I know now that my best growing spots still only get part sun but I am hopeful. I'll move the pots around to find the best growing conditions. How about you? Can you plant $1 worth of seeds tomorrow?

Since this is a blog about cooking, it would not be right to miss and opportunity to share a few recipes. I mentioned beans in a recent post. I cook beans by the pound. It is a healthy and inexpensive way to have beans ready when you need them. In the morning, I soak the beans. This is an easy process you place the rinsed beans in a big pot with enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. Bring them to a boil for 2 minutes then turn off and let sit for several hours. When you are ready to cook them you drain them, place them in a pressure cooker (you could have used this for soaking, too) and cover with enough water to cover. Bring to pressure and cook according to your pressure cooker book usually 1-9 minutes depending on the beans. If I need the beans for a recipe that day I will separate that amount off and then freeze the rest in 2 c. batches. The pressure cooker I use is Presto 6-Quart Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker although you could also cook the beans the traditional way that takes many hours. I freeze many foods using a FoodSaver V2040 Vacuum-Packaging System that I received as a wedding present. The vacuum sealer keeps the foods fresher for much longer than just using zip lock bags.

Cooking Day

Today was a cooking day in spite of being busy. It rained, which kept us inside, but even still there were things to cook for dinner and snacks. It is time again to make granola bars but that will be on the list for tomorrow. Maybe in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast.

I made 2 qt of yogurt, 7 cups of garbanzo beans and a pot of soup (with some of the beans). All of these items required minimal input, time-wise, from me. Having the right tools helps but you can make them all with basic kitchen supplies. I have been fortunate enough to receive kitchen gadgets as gifts.

The first item, yogurt, is very simple to make. You can do it without a specific device to incubate the yogurt but having one takes the babysitting and guesswork out of the recipe. To make yogurt you bring the milk up to 180 degrees to sterilize it. Then cool it to 108-111 degrees, add yogurt culture (this can be powder or just plain yogurt from the grocery store that has live active cultures) and then keep the mixture at 108-111 for 4-8 hours. That's it! You can add sugar, vanilla, honey or other flavorings but I prefer to do that after the yogurt is made. That way I can feed it to the kids without making separate batches. This is the maker that I have Yogourmet Multi 2 qt but there are others out there. Some that make individual cups and others that have a 1-2 qt container. You can even make it in your oven or a thermos if you watch the temperature yourself. I also purchase the powdered starter to have on hand (Yogourmet Freeze Dried Yogurt Starter, 1 Ounce Boxes (Pack of 3)) Or, you could just use 8 oz of yogurt from the grocery store (or save your own!) Be prepared, homemade yogurt tastes totally different from the store kind. It is yummy and I can make organic whole milk yogurt for half the price of the store bought kind even with using local grass-fed milk.

We'll talk beans and soups another day. For now, I'll let you get your yogurt started.

Just Grow It

I would love to garden. I do love to garden. My attempts often fail but it doesn't stop me from dreaming every spring that this year will be the year I have a fabulously beautiful, or fabuluscious as I like to call it, garden and enough vegetables to maybe put one meal on the table from my own garden. This year I decided to leave the growing part to the farmers who seem to do it so much better than I can. But you know what? There are tomatoes sprouting in my dining room window sill, peppers, too. And just today I planted onion seeds in a used food try that I ate canolis out of last night.

I blame most of my inability to grow food on the lack of sunshine in my yard. Even my sunniest spots seem to be no better than partial sun. It is a challenge. But then I found the book Grow Great Grub in my library. The author, Gayla Trial, inspires you to use the space you've got, however minimal, and just make a go of it. So, I will try again, as I do every year in the hopeful spring. Ms. Trail also has a wonderfully informative website You Grow Girl if you are looking for an online community to support your gardening addiction.

I am already being drawn in: basil planted among the marigolds at the mailbox, tomatoes alongside the sedum in the backyard. Maybe this year I'll have enough produce for a pot of soup. One can dream, anyway.

Food Revolution

The tv show WAS very interesting. The interactions were obviously dramatized as they are on all of the reality shows. But, I love that someone is getting out there and trying to put a face on these food issues. It is sad when a classroom full of children does not know a fresh vegetable from a bottle of ketchup but that is our fault.

How did we get so distracted? When did we lose site of teaching our children the most basic lessons? This is food, this is how you gather it, prepare it and eat it. It goes along with all the other life lessons you teach your children: how to behave in society, care for your body, count, walk, love, etc. I see so many families that are so busy trying to earn a living that no one is teaching the life lessons. Food is just one more thing to take care of in a day and there is little connection if any to family, health, the environment, etc.

In the episode last night, I felt Jamie's pain and shock at the realization that the food served in that elementary school was prepared in such a way only spoons and fingers were necessary. I reminds me of two movies: WALL-E and Idiocracy. The second I don't recommend watching with children, parents or anyone else that might be offended by sheer vulgarity. But, in both movies food has been 'simplified' down to a meal in a cup. They even serve a cupcake in a cup in WALL-E. "That's silly," you say. "We aren't going to go down that road." But we are already there! Look at the commercials for Campbell's Soup at Hand, you microwave and drink. Food has become on the go and complete nutrition in neat packages. Businesses are even marketing it to our children with supplemental drinks like pediasure and super fortified juices. How about instead we just plain take a break to eat and teach our children to do the same. You know what, we might enjoy it :-)