|
|
|
May 20th, 2012
11:29 am - chive pesto
This is a great pesto to make use of extra chives from the garden, or if you buy a bunch of chives at a market for a specific recipe and the recipe calls for 2T...isn't that how it always goes? For the recipe, I just googled "chive pesto" and got the basic idea before I set to work in the kitchen. The pesto is not as smooth as basil pesto, but still so good and versatile! I think it would also be pretty to add in some chive flowers (which are completely edible) on the dish itself, if the chives in your garden have already flowered.
If you have a mortar and pestle, this is the time to use it.
Chive Pesto
-large handful of chives
-pine nuts, enough to uncomfortably fit into the palm of your hand
-2 cloves garlic, peeled
-olive oil
-parm cheese, preferably that you shred yourself so its fresh
-salt
-fresh cracked pepper
Add raw pine nuts dry pan on medium low heat. Stir once they start to brown, and brown until dark but not burnt. Set aside to cool a bit. (If you are using dry roasted pine nuts, you could brown them more, or just use as is.)
Shred parm cheese and put in bowl.
Chop chives up as small as you can, then put in food processor, if you have one, with olive oil, enough to make a thin paste. If not, just stir into chives. (I tried using the mortar at first with the chives but it didn't work well, so I don't recommend trying that!) Put in bowl with cheese and stir.
Use the mortar and pestle to crush up the pine nuts, then add the garlic and crush that too. I crushed the nuts until they had a texture that I liked, but not to smitherines. I wanted to still be able to see a few pine nuts. Add to bowl with other ingredients and stir. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. If you still feel like it is missing something, try adding a squeeze of lemon juice.
I thought this was delicious just on some cooked wheat berries (which take forever to cook, btw), but it would also be fantastic on eggs on an english muffin. One day I just ate it as an after work snack, alternating bread with pesto with bread on hummus.
Yum!
I hope you are having a lovely weekend. N and I took Asa to the Seacoast yesterday and it was just what the doctor ordered.
|
April 29th, 2012
01:09 pm
I've been doing a bunch of cooking lately. Kind of like usual, but I feel like half my weekend is spent in the kitchen, mostly happily of course.
Now that we don't have unlimited bread due to N no longer working at a bakery, I make our own bread, buying it only in a pinch. I use a recipe from the classic book Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book. It is an everyday Oatmeal bread that makes two loaves...one for now and one for the freezer. It makes great sandwich. Fresh bread never lasts long and sometimes we end up giving the last bit to the squirrels, but I feel like the squirrels and I sort of have a deal, so it's ok. (You stay out of my garden, I give you snacks.) Does anyone want me to share the recipe? (ETA: See comments for recipe) It is cheap to make, and just takes time, mostly rising time.
Now, let me tell you the best sandwich ever to make with this bread. Grilled cheese with mustard, very thinly sliced red onion and very thinly sliced firm apple. Oh, so good! Just make sure to put the mustard on the side of the bread with the onions, because I think mustard right on the apples would be gross.
The garden is just starting to come alive, and it is that time of year when I fret about my growing tomatoes, and when I should plant them in the garden. Still some very cold nights and chance of frost, but the tomatoes are starting to show signs of flowering and are ready for the big boy bed outside in the harsh reality, away from the safety of T5 lights and controlled food and water. I can hold off another week, maybe two, but that is about it. I try to tell my enthusiastic gardening friends that while it might be only 33 or 30 at night, and yes, you can cover your heat loving plants, heat loving plants like heat, sun, lots of sun, and consistent temps over 70, not just the lack of frost. Planting too early leaves the seedlings you have been carefully tending for two months more open to disease and such if you plant too early. Windy spring days can do some damage, and so can a late spring hail. Take my word for it! They will not be happy, and you may cry. Through the years I've learned to plant later and still have enjoyed plenty of harvest. But I suppose this is a lesson that can only be learned the hard way.
The thing is, you can't really force a plant, unless you have a greenhouse. I've had years where I have planted peas weeks apart, and the ones I planted too early didn't come up until they damn well felt like it (which is when the conditions are right) and the ones planted later came up and caught up with the earlier planted ones. Planting too early can lead to rot, or the seeds will just sit there until they are ready, leaving them more likely to be gobbled up by hungry birds or being washed away by spring rains. I remember just two years ago, covering my tomatoes during a mid-May hail storm with any containers I could find. All I could do was stand in the doorway and watch it happen and hope for the best. I would say there was about a 60% survival rate. Thank goodness for Lowes and local nurseries at times like those.
But there are so many early things to enjoy in your garden without risking catastrophic gardening events! Perennial herbs pop up and you have chives, which can be added to salads or whipped into butter or folded into scrambled eggs. Oregano comes alive early and can be added to sauces. Mint peeps between the mulch and you can take a handful to work to crush in your palm and add to your water glass. Kale and greens can be planted out and you can watch them thrive in the cool temps. Peas shoots can be harvested, or just cheer them on as they climb up whatever structure they can find nearby. Tangy sorrel can be added to quiche, stir fries, or soups, or used as a tangy salad or sandwich green. Sour pink rhubarb can be harvested and made into all sorts of things.
Last weekend I was on the search for savory dishes that use rhubarb. They were a bit harder to find than the standard pies and muffins and crisps, which, of course, also have their place . I ended up trying this recipe, and it was lovely! A light dinner, tart and spicy at the same time. The only thing I did differently was use my standard pizza dough recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook. Don't skip the fresh basil on top...it really adds something to the pizza. I just trimmed a bit from my growing basil under the lights! The side salad is fresh sorrel, a simple oil/vinegar dressing with chives.
What is on your spring menu?
|
March 24th, 2012
08:02 pm - Compost Screener
Last night while I was out on a GNO, N was at home building me a compost screener. What a guy! I've been wanting one for a long time!
It is a bit heavy, but with one person holding it on each end, it works awesome! What beautiful compost it makes. No more big chunks of compost sitting on top of the soil with visible egg shells!
The stuff I had was still a little on the wet side, but I was too excited to not try it out.
Fits right on top of the wheelbarrow
This used to be our food scraps and leaves!
Organic Gardening Instructions Vol 58 Number 5 Page 18
The dark, earthy smelling compost really shows off the color of the bright green spring sorrel.
Right now our other compost experiment is to see how fast we can get oak leaves to break down. Some had been chopped up and were in a barrel for awhile, and when I dumped them into a pile, they were already getting warm and starting to break down. I added some large sized oak leaves and then sprinkled on about two gallons of water with fish/kelp emulsion. In a week or so, if I can wait that long, I'll turn them. Another week later, turn again, etc.
N raked up a very large pile of oak leaves and watered with the same fish/kelp emulsion, then covered with a tarp. I imagine he'll do the same turning method.
There is something really amazing about turning compost and seeing it turn from buckets of food scraps to sweet smelling soil. It just doesn't get old for us gardener types.
|
March 12th, 2012
07:56 pm
Here is a glimpse of what's been going on.
Someone turned one-ish.
I've been spinning.
Crate project is slowly coming along.
Seed Swap a big success.
My attempts at a perfect mama/puppy picture still unsuccessful.
|
February 25th, 2012
12:18 pm - Saturday Update
I have been on the search for cupcakes that didn't have any sugar in them, but using only maple syrup as a sweetener. I found this recipe, and the cupcakes were delicious! I did use the optional walnuts, and the cakes were more muffin-y, so they were great for breakfast or dessert. Use dark, thick grade B maple syrup for best results! I didn't have vegetable shortening, so instead I just used one tablespoon of coconut oil. You could probably use any oil or skip it altogether.
For the frosting, I improvised. Instead of using 4 cups of confectioner's sugar, which would make the frosting way too sweet, I took about one cup of dark brown sugar and put it in the food processor for awhile and shook it around while the blade whizzed around. (This appeared to be safer than it sounds.) This made a really nice and flavorful frosting but you do have to put it in the fridge. Just go slow with adding the sugar and stop when you have reached the desired sweetness.
I am making these again...soon!
This week was spring-like and sunny...just lovely! Here are some recent pictures of Miss Asa when we were playing outside the other day. She is next to impossible to get to stay still, so I had to get some shots after tiring her out a little. She is a goofy dog, and much more talk-y than Kodha was. She tells you what she likes and does not like, and is very demanding of your time if you don't give her a good enough walk! She is a very confident girl and is a total nuisance to the cat. She likes her chest scratched, chasing anything that moves, and is tolerant of two-legged dancing. Next month is probably when her first birthday is, so N and I have to select a date for her officially unofficial birth date!
Last, the Seed Swap is over and it was a complete success! 17 participants and no flakers. What a difference that makes as an organizer! I am so thrilled with the variety of seeds that we have gathered. This big pile is my share. There are tomatoes of all kinds, chard, columbine flowers, sunflowers, popcorn, winter squash, peppers that resemble a certain male body part, and all sorts of other unusual and useful things, from burdock root to green beans!
Today is insanely windy. I haven't run in a few days because I needed a day of rest, and then yesterday I met up with some ladies after work and it was pouring all night, so I didn't run. I'm really hoping the wind dies down so I can get out there. If not, indoor biking it is.
Merry Weekend everyone!
|
January 29th, 2012
03:07 pm
One thing I started to work on this weekend is my part of the Seed Swap I'm organizing. It is really a lot of fun to make the tiny packets, label them, and fill them with interesting seeds! The swappers are starting to send in their stuff, so it is great to see what everyone chose to include!
On the weekends I try to make at least one new recipe. Yesterday I made a strata, which I had never even tasted before. It is basically bread and egg with cheese and other tasty things added in. The one I made had fontina cheese, kale, garlic and some chopped up vegetarian canadian bacon that was marked down to $1. (love that!) It puffs up and is quite delightful and filling without leaving you feeling stuffed and gross.
I used the recipe from Gale Gand's Brunch, a cookbook I got for Christmas. I cut the recipe in half because this didn't seem like a good dish to reheat, but I had some this morning and it actually reheated just fine. Here are the basics. Please note, you have to let this recipe chill for at least four hours, so plan ahead (unlike me, who then cursed the recipe and had a snack).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fontina and Kale Strata for Two (with leftovers)
*About 3 cups bread, cut into cubes. Slightly stale or a hearty bread is idea, crusts on
*5 eggs
*2 cups milk (it seems like a lot)
*salt and pepper
*1 c. shredded fontina cheese
*a few handfuls of kale, clean and cut up
*5 cloves minced garlic
*1/2 c regular or vegetarian candian bacon, cut into thin slices
Butter baking dish. I used a deep 1 3/4 quart casserole dish. Put in bread cubes.
Mix eggs and milk together. Pour over bread.
Add cheese, kale, garlic and bacon. Put in a little salt and pepper, but go easy on salt since the bacon contains a lot. Carefully fold into the mixture. I didn't cook the kale first because I hate extra steps, so folding it in was a little tricky since it is bulky, but it worked! You can always cook the kale first and squeeze out any excess water.
Cover and chill for at least 4 hours. This would a great dish to make the night before and serve for brunch, of course!
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Bake uncovered for about 40-50 minutes or until golden brown on top. Tent with foil if the top looks like it is browning too fast. The strata should not be hard, but should not wiggle too much, either. Think quiche. (I think mine took closer to 50 minutes to bake since I didn't cook the kale first.)
Let cool for 5 minutes then spoon into a bowl. Yummy!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I love this recipe because you can buy so many of the ingredients local if you choose to. What I don't like about a lot of vegetarian cookbooks and health food cookbooks is that you often have to buy totally ingredients that you will never use again, and are expensive and difficult to find. I really prefer recipes where you already have 90% of the ingredients, and if you are missing a few, it is because you ran out of butter or some such thing, not that you need to track down a half a teaspoon of goji berries or something.
Enjoy!
|
January 21st, 2012
02:58 pm
Today has flown by! Slept in until 6:45, but stayed in bed drinking coffee and reading for another hour. Love that.
This morning N and I went to a nice lighting store to try to find something for our hallway and to look at ceiling fans. We found some cute lights that we ordered for the hall, but might completely scrap the ceiling fan idea, so I'm excited to see what we figure out instead. Yay, glad to be thinking about house projects again!
It snowed today, and after a hot chocolate I'm going to shovel the driveway. What a lovely morning, plus only a few inches fell. I spent a few hours this afternoon putting together the email for the seed swap and working on taxes! I love doing taxes when you are a homeowner who doesn't make a lot of money...woo hoo! Here is a picture of Asa, with her eyes closed, haha! She is difficult to photograph because she doesn't sit still! I'll just take what I can get.
It has been awhile since I've done a recipe post, so here you go. I made a variation of these (little turnovers) for our Library Holiday Party, but making a pie is even easier. I'm estimating on all amounts, since that is the way I cook.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spinach Pie
*Filo dough, about 10 sheets
*1/2 stick butter, melted
*1 package frozen spinach or 2 pounds fresh
*2 eggs
*1/2 pound feta cheese
*onion
*garlic
*nutmeg
*salt/pepper
Saute onion in a little butter. At the very end, add some chopped garlic. Add fresh spinach, or if you are using frozen, throw that in and cook until it it not frozen anymore, or until fresh is wilted. Take off stove and put in colander, set aside to cool slightly.
Butter or spray a square baking pan. Put down one layer of filo dough, going up the sides of the pan too, to create a crust. Brush on some melted butter. Be generous! Put down another of dough, the opposite way. If it rips, don't worry about it. Brush with butter. Repeat this process until there are 5 layers.
In a bowl, mix together eggs, some nutmeg (fresh if possible), salt and pepper. Crumble the feta into the mixture and stir up a bit.
Squeeze the spinach using your hands or a spoon in the colander to squeeze out excess water. It is ok if it still is wet, just not sopping. Add this mixture to the bowl with the feta/eggs. Stir until well mixed.
Spoon mixture onto filo dough and spread it around evenly.
Add five more dough/butter layers on top of the mixture, sealing it all in as best as you can. End with a layer of butter.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until nice and dark brown on top. Let cool 10 minutes. Good hot or cold!
----------------------------------------------------------------
I've still been running, but now it is impossible since the neighborhood streets and sidewalks are snowy with a layer of ice underneath. I won't run on the main roads because every person I see driving is talking on their cell phones, not paying attention. Very frustrating, but what can you do? Out of pure luck, the other day I scored a free stationary bike from the side of the road, so I'll just bike on days I can't run. I figure when I get sick of it or come summertime, I can always just put it back on the street as a freebie.
Happy weekend!
|
January 14th, 2012
06:36 pm - !! *** SEED SWAP *** !!
Let’s get excited for gardening season and do a SEED SWAP!
 How it Works: Each person puts together one mini packet of vegetable/flower/herb seeds for the number of participants. (IE: If there are 17 participants, you would do 16 packets, one for everyone but yourself. I will cap it at 20 participants.) By February 17, you will ship your packets to me, or get them to me if you live locally. Please include $5 to cover priority mail shipping if you do not live locally. I’ll use the little flat rate box. (If the $5 hinders you from joining, please contact me!) By February 23, I will sort the seed packets so you get one from everyone but yourself, and mail them back to you! You will be overjoyed and it will take away your winter blues.
What do include: Each packet can be different or the same! They can be saved seeds from your garden, seeds you bought, whatever. Please make sure they are viable seeds (Ie: Don’t use seeds that have been lying around for 15 years.) Please include the name of the seed and any special growing instructions on the packet. You can put them in small envelopes or make your own…however creative you are feeling. I would recommend a few seeds per packet, but use your judgment. You’ll want to include enough to make it worthwhile…ie: 1 bean seed is not enough, but 5 would be enough for a nice harvest! Two carrot seeds would be not enough, but 20 would be a fair amount! A few tomato seeds, however, would be sufficient. Please, no chemically treated seeds. These are usually a scary neon color. Unusual seeds encouraged! 
How do I participate? EMAIL me at misshawklet at gmail dot com by JANUARY 20 to let me know you are interested. Please include your name and mailing address. I will email the group on January 21 to let you know how many participants there are. Please, no flakes. If you can’t follow through, please do not sign up to participate. It is really annoying. Feel free to share this post! If anything is not clear, let me know!
|
January 8th, 2012
05:48 pm - About Running
This is a very me me me post, so read at your own risk!
Some of you know that I started running around mid November. The reason was because Asa needed more exercise. Two walks a day didn't cut it, and I wanted peace in the evenings, so running would tire her out nicely. I didn't really intend for it to be more than that.
So one day I laced up some old hand me down sneakers and ran with her. A few days later we ran again. My cotton clothes were weighing me down, so I went out and bought something more appropriate to run it, that would wick the sweat from my body. We ran again.
It was hard. It was hard to keep moving when my body said STOP, THIS IS NOT FUN! It was hard to keep hold of her leash, a phone, then what do you do with the poop bag?! It was hard because she wanted to run super fast, but she also wanted to stop and sniff.
It still is hard.
During Christmas break I sprained my ankle (just while plain old walking the dog, btw), so there was no running for a few days. Eventually, I went out by myself to run to test the ankle. Running without the dog was a totally different experience. It was less frustrating, but I felt guilty to leave her at home.
Nate bought me a special watch for christmas which has a gps, tracks your distance, mileage, all sorts of other fun things. You plug it into the computer and it downloads your workout with all sorts of fun stats.
I've read two books on beginning running and today I bought a running journal. Asa still comes on runs at least once a week, but on the shorter runs, and I just take her on longer walks on off days. Nate picks up the slack of walking her in the evening on weekdays that I run. On weekends we take Asa on hikes together, which wipes her out for the rest of the day.
Sometimes I walk a little, and that is totally ok, btw. I'm sure most of you have heard about Couch to 5K, which is a run/walk beginning runner's program. The method that works for me is that if I can push my mind, I can convince my legs to go a little longer than I thought. I say to myself "Ok, I'll just get to that street, then I can stop." Then, "Ok, to that sign up there, then I can take a break." Then, "Well, there is 'only' a mile until I get home, I might as well just get home!" You have to know when to say when to avoid injury, but it really is mind over matter.
I never, ever thought I would run. I've always thought runners were nutso. It looked painful and not fun. I'm thin, but have never been athletic or coordinated. And while in the moment, running is not always a good time, I feel so PROUD when I'm done. Between running, and walking to/from work, and dog walks, and doing some "cross training" on non-running days with my weights to build muscle so I can go faster and be stronger, I'm feeling pretty dang good. And I don't have to step foot inside of a gym, which is key.
And oh, now I can touch my toes. Your flexibility improves!
I have good days and bad days and days where I don't want to run, but I'm pretty thrilled to have stuck it out this far. I'm slow. I would not win a race, and that's ok. For me it's a challenge between me and myself. Today I was out for 3.7 miles. This is my personal record so far. I walked for about 1 minute after one mile of running, but just pushed it the rest of the way. In gym class, I could never run the dreaded mile!
My goal this year is to run three times and week, and to run in a 5K (3.1 miles). I've never played a team sport so the thought of running with others is fear inducing. I don't have a particular goal in mind as far as how far or fast I'd like to run. I don't think that is very important right now, though I'd love to run consistent miles under 10 minutes! So there you have it.
Here are the books I've read, in case you are interested, and also a link to the running journal I'm using.
|
December 22nd, 2011
10:54 am - Merry Merry!
What is your holiday menu? I think I’ve finally decided. I really, REALLY wanted to make homemade ravioli with lots of different fillings and sauces, but I think I might save that idea for New Year’s Eve. Instead, I’ve decided that this will be the Christmas Day menu. *Homemade seitan wellington with spinach sauce *Riced potatoes and sweet potatoes with herby butter *braised carrots with sage (from the garden) *apple/cranberry sauce For dessert, I’m not sure, but I’m thinking a vanilla pudding pie (since I have a package of pie filling that’s been staring me in the face for 2 months). Have a safe and blessed holiday, whatever and whenever you celebrate!
|
|
|
