The Road to the Farm

Over the Weekend

2012-01-30T11:52:00.001-05:00

I'm easing into Monday of what promises to be a busy week. I spent most of Saturday in the kitchen. Using up veggie scraps to make stock, turning oranges, sugar, butter and eggs into orange cardamom curd (which I cooked for too long. I am tempted to make another batch to get it right, but I might try lemon or another citrus curd instead). I used the extra egg whites from the curd to make meringues.

This morning I have sourdough rising on the counter, orders to send at the post office, and plans to make some napkin sets today. Maybe this evening I'll have a chance to finally start my sweater.

So far I've turned several of the skeins of lichen colored lark yarn into balls ready to knit. I wish I had gotten this project going a month or two ago, but maybe I can finish this before winter loosens it's grasp.

What have you been making lately?

This Week

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Not so much the studio, other parts of the house.

Last week it was time for another overhaul of our living space. I love eliminating clutter and finding ways to use our space differently so that it feels new and refreshed. I've realized that I need to do this three or four times a year. I did some repurposing of things, as well as spaces, and turned an old bulletin board into a chalkboard (with several coats of chalkboard paint).

I think I mentioned before that I love pinterest because it seems so full of hope and inspiration. So many people have dream home or dream apartment boards. I love that everyone dreams about the perfect, amazing space they want to create and I also love the challenge of making due with what we have in our apartment and making it work for us. It will never have the look of a gorgeous home decor photo, but these little changes can make such a big difference especially when it is dismal and gray outside.

I watched this short film from this must be the place and it reminded me of how much I hope for that someday place that we will be able to dig into and really make our own.

Happy Friday!

The Challenge and Delight

2012-01-25T12:26:00.001-05:00

When it comes to cooking and eating, Ray and I have very different approaches. He likes to eat out when he's not at home and eat what I cook when he is. When he occasionally makes food he tries to perfect his favorites like mac and cheese and french toast topped with a maple berry compote. Also, he brews beer which I appreciate because it is good beer and it is homemade.

I secretly hope that Ray will be impressed when I tell him that I made ketchup to go with our oven fried potatoes for dinner or bake my weekly loaf of sourdough bread. Since I love the challenge and delight of making something that is ubiquitously store bought I do it often. Ray is used to it and barely notices, except to note that it doesn't taste quite the same as the version that comes in a box, a bottle, or a jar. I know I'm a little crazy for making so many things from scratch, but it's what I like to do.

I try to persuade Ray to take a homemade lunch a couple of times each week. When he mentioned his favorite sandwich at a local shop: avocado, cheese, sprouts, mayo... I started plotting. I started seeds sprouting, baked two loaves of ciabatta bread and at the last minute whipped up a batch of mayo. It didn't take much for me to latch on to the creative opportunities of this point of intersection in our divergent tastes and interests. I cook to satisfy myself, but it means even more to be able to share my love of creating good food with my husband.

Homemade Mayonnaise
Admittedly, I fear mayonnaise and usually stay away from it, but the idea of making it myself was still intriguing. I recently read Ratio by Michael Ruhlman in which he explains the simple ratios for making many common recipes. Mayonnaise is one that he explains and though it took some furious whisking, it turned out perfectly. Making the transformation from eggs and oil to the white wiggly spread was amazing and all of that whisking was a good way to warm up on a cold evening. If you have any interest in mayonnaise at all, you should try it. This recipe makes about a cup. I'll explain it in paragraph form like I would if I were telling you in person how easy it is.

Grab a medium to large mixing bowl that will rest on the counter while you whisk and pour. Put one egg yolk, two teaspoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and one teaspoon water into the bowl. Measure 8 ounces of vegetable oil (I used grapeseed) into a liquid measuring cup. This recipe takes only a few minutes, but I tried to concentrate and whisk really hard because it is possible that the mayonnaise can break and become a runny sauce instead of a thick spread.

Start by whisking the egg, lemon juice, salt and water together in the bowl. Pour in a few drops of oil and whisk it all together. Add a few more drops and begin whisking continuously. While whisking, slowly pour in the rest of the oil in a very thin stream. It should begin to thicken as you add the oil. Keep whisking until all the oil is added and the mayonnaise is thick enough to cling to the whisk.

If the mixture is pourable then it has broken, but don't fear. Michael Ruhlman suggests pouring the mixture into the measuring cup, cleaning out the bowl and added a teaspoon of water. Gradually pour the mixture into the bowl with the water and whisk as you did before until it emulsifies.

Glorious Transformation

2012-01-23T14:25:00.000-05:00

On a chilly winter's evening, get a cutting board and stand near your stove. Cut the stem and root end off two or three medium sized yellow onions. Slice them in half from stem to root and peel off the skin. Cut each hemisphere of onion into thin strips along its latitudes. Warm a skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat. Pour in a glug of olive oil and add the pile of sliced onions. They are pungent, crisp and pale in color. They make your eyes sting and cry. This temporary torture is the unfortunate price, but you will be rewarded soon. As they begin their quiet sizzle, stir the onions every few minutes to distribute the heat and cook evenly. They will begin to change color, at first a hint of golden then darker. The goal is not to brown them, but to let them melt and become their better selves.

Add some salt, stir when you think of it, and then go about your business as though nothing truly magical was happening on your stove. The onions will let go of their stiff pretense and start to relax, becoming soft and flexible. Stir. Ignore. Stir again. After 15 or 20 minutes they will have changed color entirely, but don't stop too soon. They need to stay on the heat to realize their true potential. This warm weather vacation will turn them a deep golden brown and bring out all of their sweetness. Keep stirring and checking them until they have become the color of caramel and are soft, limp and unrecognizable as the vegetable you chopped minutes ago.

Now enjoy. Use them to top pizza, focaccia, stir them into risotto, use for soups, add to sandwiches (grilled cheese, anyone?), toss into salads. I have a jarful the fridge to ensure that I can enjoy their flavor as often as possible. It is a glorious transformation.

This Week In the Studio

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Washing, ironing and cutting fabric. I made and shipped this custom order. Then I cut more fabric and matched it with other fabric for more placemats.

I love working with these beautiful fabrics and it is quite fun to choose which ones to put together.

After many placemats in the past year, I am happy to finally be very proficient at making them and I love the way they are turning out. It is gratifying to know that my work improves and that I actually have some skill at sewing.

I've been very slow at getting new items in the shop, but I plan to make that happen next week. Happy Friday!

Delight in Sharing

2012-01-18T10:01:00.001-05:00

Since my subscription to the New Yorker ran out last month, I happily have more time to read books. It is a great magazine, but I decided to forgo witty cartoons and fascinating articles about people I'd never heard of because it took up all of my reading time. The pleasure of getting lost in a book one of life's greatest luxuries.

I intend to read lots this year and to keep my imagination and my bedside table full, I've been rekindling my relationship with the library. I love that I can take home a pile of books on diverse topics and ideas. In my excitement I sometimes get a little greedy and bring home 3 or 4 or 5, but as long as I return them three weeks later, they are mine to read, or not. I've been browsing the cookbook selections as a way to try new recipes and learn about techniques. I only have them for a short time so I know that they won't languish on the shelf, neglected, as some of my cookbooks tend to be.

I am delighted by this giant communal bookshelf. I don't always find the exact books I was looking for, but I always leave with something to read and a sense of excitement. Free books! As many as I can read! (also dvds! museum passes!) The only drawback is that often find myself with squeaky shoes as I walk through the quite rooms. I know that some communities have tool libraries, but I wish we had more communal resources and ways to find delight in sharing.

P.S. As I wrote that last sentence I realized that the internet is course it is an incredibly vast resource which is very much powered by sharing information. A library in its own way. I was reminded of this because many sites are blacked out today to raise awareness of SOPA and PIPA. I did not write this post in any way because of these acts and I'm not really qualified to talk about them, but I definitely support our ability to share resources and information through as many ways as possible.

Coming Together

2012-01-16T12:53:00.000-05:00

Years ago, I lived in an old farmhouse with three other women. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen of that house, even once spent an afternoon scrubbing the floor that was layered with grime from previous inhabitants. When I wasn't in the kitchen or swimming in the lake or sitting on the porch where we often grilled on summer evenings, I worked in the market garden of the farm. Most mornings I would walk or ride my bike past the woods and fields and cows, enjoying the ever changing views of the mountains, far across the lake.

I lived a simple life there working hard all day, dreaming of which vegetables I would cook for dinner and spending a lot of my evenings and weekends making food. I baked bread and made baba ganoush from the excess eggplants in the garden. Living on this farm I became acutely aware and deeply appreciative of knowing where each ingredient in a meal came from. When my housemates were around we would all contribute to cooking our meals. We also worked together on more involved cooking projects like making ravioli and canning jam. I often remember that when something turned our really well or was especially beautiful Jessica would suggest taking a picture of it. I'm sure I took a few pictures of our food and I have lots of pictures of the garden, but this was before food blogs were abundant and before I had an inkling of the beauty and challenge that I could discover in trying to capture what was on my plate.

Since starting this blog I have often thought of Jessica's long ago suggestion to capture our edibles on film (I didn't have a digital camera at the time). Back then I brushed off the idea, but in the past few years I have taken many pictures in my kitchen. It has been a very slow process of learning little bits here and there but barely making a dent in my knowledge of photography. I often feel more rooted in the process than in being able to come up with a perfectly presented final product.

Like the disparate ingredients of a salad coming together in a transcendant bite, my past experiences marinate and mix to bring me to where I am today. Taking a moment to look back reminds me to I appreciate that where I have come from is just as important as where I will someday end up.

Raw Kale Salad with Parmesan Date Dressing

Adapted from Cook this Now by Melissa Clark

Citrus and dates transform the hearty kale into a lighter tasting winter salad. The orginal recipe uses anchovies but I used parmesan instead. The kale benefits from some marinating so you can make the salad a few hours ahead of eating. It keeps well for a few days. I used a mix of lacinato (also called tuscan or dinosaur) and red russian kale.

6 large medjool dates, pitted

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (or 6 anchovie fillets, finely chopped)

3 garlic cloves, minced

Zest of 2 oranges

Zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

2 bunches of lacinato kale, washed and dried

Sea salt, to taste

Chop the dates very fine and mash them into a paste. In a small bowl, mix the dates with the parmesan (or anchovies) garlic, orange and lemon zest. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar.

Remove the stems of the kale by ripping the leaf part off. Thinly slice the ripped leaves and place them in a salad bowl. Toss in the dressing and add salt to taste.

This Week in the Studio

2012-01-13T08:40:00.003-05:00

Aprons, dishcloths, and cloth napkins are all constant use in my kitchen. Well, I admit that I don't wear an apron as often as I should, but for big projects or days with lots of cooking I certainly put one on. These kitchen textiles are essential to the workings of my kitchen for keeping things somewhat neat and also for their aesthetic appeal. I love that an apron is something that becomes part of your kitchen, the routines you have, the meals you make and maybe it holds memories or perhaps it is just a useful scrap of cloth.

Objects can hold memories, connections and meaning beyond their useful or decorative purpose. Its not that we need objects to give our lives meaning or make them richer. Rather, as we use the tools and vessels that surround us we enrich them with our own meaning. I think of my sister when I pull out the green dishtowel she brought me from France. When I use our two burner griddle, I remember that my aunt and uncle gave it to us as a wedding gift. I have a favorite wooden spoon and spatula. I know that the best things in life aren't things, but I appreciate that certain objects can be more than just tools.

I realize that I don't always think about who makes these objects or where they came from before they landed in my utensil drawer. I do care and I do try choose carefully what I buy and who makes it, but that can be a real challenge. I listened to this amazing podcast earlier this week and was reminded that there is always more to the story of where things come from and it is worth knowing.

I finished three half aprons this week which will be in the shop very soon. In the next few weeks I'd like to take more photos of my process to show a bit more of what goes into the things I make.

Find the Place of Contentment

2012-01-09T15:27:00.003-05:00

I worry a lot about being productive, even though I don’t know what that means or why it is important. There are days when baking a loaf of bread is my greatest accomplishment. Sometimes the most I do is make sure strangers are comfortably fed and each table is taken care of. On those days at the restaurant, I don’t question my accomplishments because I know that I did my job as best I could and for that I will be paid. On the bread baking days, though, I wonder if there should be more. I wrestle with the challenging of doing what I enjoy, wanting to make a living with my creative skills, and hoping to share my knowledge and interests meaningfully with others.

I am filled with questions. Are we here to be productive and make the world shinier and better? Or is it enough to do the best with what you have and be satisfied with that? There are days when I am clearly aware of how short our time is here and how it all becomes dust and fossils in the end. The things we want, the experiences we have, even the love we shared will eventually be forgotten. In light of this, what does it mean to be productive? I am trying to get at the tiny seed at the center of this fruit, I don’t know exactly what it holds or why I need to understand. Perhaps there are no answers but I long to find the place of contentment where this doesn't matter so much.

I have a BA with a major in studio art but since college I’ve been making most of my money in minor management positions at restaurants that care about serving good food and knowing where that food comes from. I can stand behind this work, but I’ve always been sure to have other things going. Work that really means something to me, like growing food at a community garden, volunteering at an after school program, and more recently sewing and blogging. I am a firm believer that your job or source of income does not have to be who you are or what matters most to you. For me, it has been a means of support so that I can do the things I really care about. On the other hand, my creative pursuits allow me to justify a day job that doesn't feed my soul.

The constant forward motion of modern life, from school moving toward achievement and college pushing toward career and the milestones we think we must reach, doesn't always leave space for fully appreciating what we have right now. My interest in making food from scratch, stitching together cloth and spending hours planting and harvesting allows me to slow down, look around, and make much of my life by hand. I realize that I don't always accept this as enough but instead wish that I could do and be more.

I don’t consider myself a minimalist, but I try to proceed with caution when it comes to material needs and wants. The hardest part is is the less material side of living simply. The simplicity of knowing that what you do each day is enough. It is important to try and to learn and to grow, but I hope there is a sweet spot where contentment can be found. I imagine the balance that trees seem to achieve. They root deeply into one place, but they are constantly stretching their branches in different directions, changing as the seasons do.

This Week in the Studio

2012-01-06T09:51:00.003-05:00

I've been hoping that this month I will be able to take some time to play with new ideas and processes. This week I have been doing a bit of fabric collaging. Really it is just more applique and sewing, but these informal sketches feel like drawing, sewing and collage all in one.

I've been inspired by the beautiful, sweet and juicy citrus that I've been eating in the past few weeks. When I am not making something useful,

I love and struggle with the flow of creativity that sends me in many directions. I feel like I need to focus on making certain things and not go too far in different directions but I am inspired to make more of these sketches. I'd like to make some that are more finished, too. But there is a tension, a back and forth struggle, between making for the sake of making and feeling the need and desire to earn income from my creative endeavors.

I don't think that all creative interests should be turned into jobs or businesses but here I am with an online shop and a wish to share what I make in some way. I put a lot of time and passion into my work for Seedling Design and would like it to be more than a time consuming hobby. I hope that this year will give me a chance to really see what I can do with this. This blog is a good place for me to explore and try to articulate and improve my creative processes. Sometimes it seems disjointed and messy when I wish it could be perfect and polished, but thanks for coming along for the ride!

White Bean Spread and Rosemary Focaccia

2012-01-05T10:49:00.000-05:00

Sustenance. Food that nourishes our body, work that nourishes our souls. Conversations and friendships that help us grow, spaces and places that fill our need for beauty, wonder and delight.

On dark winter days, I seek out warmth and light wherever I can. At my sunny kitchen table, in a seat next to the radiator. Piling on layers and heading out for a walk or huddling under a down comforter late in the day. As a great aficionado of coziness, I am prone to dinners in our warm kitchen and cooking at home as often as I can. That doesn't mean that I will turn down an evening out.

On the first day of 2012, Ray and I left the house in the dark of evening, bundled against the wind and harmlessly fluttering flakes of snow, to meet friends for dinner. The place we ended up was spacious but glowing with warm candlelight. The exposed brick walls and golden brown wood floors and tables exuded a toasty feeling. We relaxed into our chairs and ordered from the simple menu. Wine arrived in small juice sized glasses. The white bean dip that we ordered as a starter was silky but substantial, warm with hints of lemon. It didn't take long for me to want to recreate it at home.

Our rental kitchen rarely comes close to the glowing atmosphere of a comfortable restaurant. I try to ignore the dusty corners and dishes in the sink and come back to the feeling of arrival. We are here at the table, we will be taken care of, we will be fed. To find this sense of well being and sustenance, I planned a few hours ahead. Beans soaked in a cast iron pot while focaccia dough rose in a ceramic bowl on the counter. I cooked the beans in the pre-heating oven and then pureed them into a velvety spread while the bread baked into a golden sheet of chewy springy dough.

A simple meal for a cold winter evening, bringing warmth home in so many ways.

This is the ideal lazy Sunday meal, which soaks, cooks, and rises while you are enjoying other things. There is very little active cooking time but requires some planning ahead.

Creamy White Bean Spread
There is very little hands on work with this recipe, most of time is soaking and cooking the beans. If you prefer to use canned beans, warm them up a little bit first. This spread is quite fine when cold, but best when warm. I used great northern beans, but I suspect that cannellini beans would be very good (here's a little bit about the differences)

1 cup dry white beans
1 small head of garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little for drizzling
salt and pepper

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot (a dutch oven works well for cooking them, but any pot will do) and cover with a few inches of water. Leave the beans to soak for 4 hours or more.

About an hour before you want to eat, place the beans and their water in an oven-proof pot (make sure there at least two inches of water covering the beans). Turn the oven to 400 and put the pot, covered, in the oven. Meanwhile, take the head of garlic and cut off the stem so that the very top of each clove is removed. Peel off most of the outer skin, but leave the skin around each clove intact. Put the head of garlic in a small oven proof dish and drizzle some olive oil to cover the top. Roast the garlic in the oven for about 20 minutes or until each clove is very soft (they will be burning hot, so poke them with a fork to check them). Let the garlic cool.

After one hour, check the beans. They should be completely soft, but not falling apart. Carefully remove the pot from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

Spoon the beans into the bowl of a food processor. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of each clove and add to the beans. Pour in the lemon juice and olive oil. Puree for several minutes until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add some of the cooking liquid from the beans to thin it to a smooth, spreadable consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve while warm.

Makes about 2 cups.

Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Adapted from the Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
This dough can rise for nearly as long as the beans are soaking. If you can't leave the dough rising for four hours, let it rise in the refrigerator overnight and take it out an hour or two before shaping the dough. As always, you can use just all purpose flour, but I like the added texture and flavor that comes from the whole wheat. I used my stand mixer to mix this, but I think it would work fine to stir by hand.

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/8 teaspoon yeast (active dry or instant)
2 cups minus two tablespoons room temperature water
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt for sprinkling on top

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl) place the flours and yeast. With the paddle attachment running on low speed, combine the flour and yeast. Keep the mixer running and slowly pour in the water. Mix until the dough comes together and then increase the speed to medium. Mix until the dough becomes smooth and shiny, about 15-20 minutes. If stirring by hand, stir until the dough is smooth and shiny, ideally for 15 to 20 minutes (the stirring helps develop the gluten). Add sugar and salt and mix well to incorporate.

Oil a bowl or container with olive oil and pour the dough into it. Cover so that it is airtight and let rise for about 4 hours, or at least until it has doubled. About an hour before you are ready to bake the dough (around the time you put the beans in the oven) coat a sheet pan with olive oil (parchment paper may also be helpful to keep the bread from sticking while it bakes). Pour the dough onto the baking sheet and gently stretch it until it covers the pan. Let the dough rise for about an hour.

If you are cooking the beans then the oven is already preheating for the bread. If you haven't turned the oven on, preheat to 475' while the dough is in its final rise. Place a rack on the lowest level in the oven and put your baking stone (if using) on the rack while preheating.

When the oven is ready and the dough has risen for an hour, drizzle a table spoon of olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle on the rosemary and salt.

Bake the bread for 12 to 14 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and drizzle on more olive oil if desired. Cut or rip into smaller pieces and serve immediately.

Quick Caramelized Onions
For topping the white bean spread or the focaccia

1 medium red or yellow onion
olive oil
salt

Slice the onion into thin strips. Heat a skillet or saucepan over low heat and add a small amount of olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the onions. Cook over low heat, stirring every so often and making sure they don't burn. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the onions darken to a rich brown. Add salt, if desired.

The Sense of Possibility

2012-01-02T19:31:00.003-05:00

Although there is no tangible difference between December 31 and January 1, I appreciate the division we have created between the boisterous, decadent celebrations of the year's end and the chance for a fresh start when the calendar changes. We can make a clean slate any day, but the new year is when I think of all the things I want to do better in the next 366 days.

I've read many wonderful year end/new year posts and now I'm not quite sure what I want to say about this time. I like setting goals and dreaming of new routines and accomplishments. I like the feeling that things are going to change slightly, because I want them to. Because I want to waste a lot less, listen to music more, learn more about food and cooking, and make leisure time more of a priority I am making a list in early January to keep in mind all year. I welcome this annual chance to look back thoughtfully and refocus on what's to come.

I spent a lot of the first day of 2012 serving people brunch, so the second day of the year seemed more like the start of something (slightly) new. I went to the crowded grocery store and brought provisions home to our sunny kitchen. The sky was a bright winter blue and the sun glints coldly off the ice on the sidewalks and roads. The weather was finally gotten cold enough to enjoy a cozy afternoon making granola and squash soup. Nothing new about that, but I still revel in the sense of possibility and dream about what is to come.

2011-12-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Almost all of the baking is done, gifts are sent or wrapped, and I'm spending more time reading, knitting, and sitting in an armchair. I hope that you are finding lots of twinkling lights on these dark nights and plenty of warmth, too. I am giving myself the last week of the year to relax and do very little work, so I'll see you soon after January first. I'll miss all those year end round ups, but here are two that I enjoyed.

Wishing you the happiest of celebrations, whatever they may be!

Hung by the Chimney with Care

2011-12-21T08:40:00.001-05:00

My sewing project this week was our Christmas stockings. I used scrap fabric and really enjoyed the process of sewing the various pieces together into an imperfectly shaped stocking. I had planned to do a red and a green but I found so many snowy, wintery blues that I ended up with these.

I hand stitched lines across the stockings to give them some texture and a more carefully finished look. The hand quilting took a while, but it is something I enjoy doing and I love the way it looks and feels. They will only be used once a year and don't need to have a perfect and practical shape. This gave me the freedom to just sew and I am very happy with the results.

We have two non-working fireplaces in our apartment so there are plenty of places to hang them. We'll see how they work this year, but I hope we will enjoy them for years to come.

The Preparations are Ongoing

2011-12-19T11:27:00.000-05:00

In late December is it hard not to be overwhelmed by the many recipes for holiday sweets. So far I have made the treats which went in the packages that I shipped to my family on Friday. I plan to make some cookies this week and maybe a cake for Christmas, but it will just be the two of us so I'm trying not to go overboard. For me, the preparations are one of the most enjoyable parts of the holidays. For many years I have helped my mom prepare for an almost yearly Christmas party which requires baking cookies, spicing walnuts, assembling lasagna, filling and decorating chocolate rolls (you may know them as buche de noel, but it's chocolate roll to us).

Aside from this one event, in my fthe rest of the preparations are ongoing. Since my siblings all have other families to celebrate with, Christmas often lasts for a week. This keeps the kitchen warm and full until the end of the year as we make a few more chocolate covered pretzels or the chocolate roll for our family dinner. I think of this time not as one that is busy and stressful, but as one that is cozy and full of time shared with loved ones in the kitchen, playing board games after dinner, or crowding around the television to watch a Christmas movie.

Obviously things have changed over the years and now my siblings are scattered far and wide. Still, Jess sent me a message the other day when she was making toffee and Natalie and I compare plans for holiday baking when we talk on the phone. It's harder when everyone has their own families and lives, but I hope there will be future holiday preparations together.

You may have your holiday baking planned out or you may be done with it. I'm adding other recipe to the long list of possibilities in case you have some time and some friends and family around. Chocolate and peppermint might be my favorite Christmas flavors, so here you have a simplified truffle of chocolate peppermint ganache covered by a layer of semi-sweet chocolate.

There's no need to have these ready for by Christmas day. I recommend making these on one of those cozy afternoons before or after the big day, perhaps with friends or siblings who enjoy spending time with you in the kitchen. That's what I would do.

P.S. To my family members: you don't have to make these. I'll leave it at that.

Chocolate Peppermint Bon Bons
I wasn't sure what to call these, but bon bons sound good. I used bittersweet chocolate for the center and semisweet for the outside. You could use milk chocolate or even white chocolate in place of either of these. I was hoping to find reusable chocolate molds, but I used small fluted paper cups that I found at my local kitchen store.

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces chocolate chips of your choice (I used bitter-sweet)
3 teaspoons peppermint extract
20 ounces chocolate chips of your choice (I used semi-sweet)
60-70 one inch fluted paper cups (or mold of your choice)
candy canes broken into bits, optional

Bring the heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat. Place 8 ounces of the chocolate you are using for the center in a small bowl. Pour in the heated cream. Let sit for a minute. Stir to combine the cream with the melted chocolate. Add peppermint extract and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool, stirring every so often. When this ganache is ready it will be much stiffer, but still stir-able.

Place the 20 ounces of chocolate you are using for the outside of the bon bons in a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a simmering pot of water. Stir the chocolate until it is melted.

On a baking sheet or plate, place the fluted paper cups. Fill each cup about 1/3 full with the plain melted chocolate. Let the chocolate cool for a minute or two. Next, add the ganache either scooping into the center of the chocolate layer by the teaspoonful, or piping in with a pastry bag. When each cup has a ganache center, fill the cup up with the plain chocolate. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes if you wish.

Let the chocolates cool completely and keep in an airtight container. Refrigerate if storing for several days. Makes 60-70 bon bons.

This Week in the Studio

2011-12-16T14:14:00.001-05:00

I've been making messes. My focus has been on the making and not the messes which is why they linger and why, as soon as I finish this post, I'll be cleaning. First, I made very simple, not perfectly finished, drawstring bags for wrapping.

Then, I used fabric scraps, mod podge, and card stock to make cards to include in packages and to send to people instead of packages. I love collage and don't do it enough. It is fun to work on projects without expectations and to just make things because I enjoy it. I was hoping to make fancy labels for the jars and treats that I am sending, but my good intentions faded as time became shorter. Maybe next year I will get to them before I make everything else and run out of steam.

The boxes I am sending are all packed up. I had a moment of gifting doubt when I was figuring out what would go in each, thinking that maybe the things I was including weren't good enough since I was trying to keep it really simple this year. As I put everything in the boxes and wrote the cards I remembered that packages are as fun to send as receive, especially when they include homemade treats.

Now I just have some cleaning to do, cards to write, and one more Christmas project to make which I hope to show you next week. Happy weekend!

Two Bean Chili

2011-12-13T21:59:00.001-05:00

All summer I dreamed of making this chili. Well, not this chili exactly or any chili actually. But as I was canning and freezing as many vegetables as I could get my hands on, this was what I was waiting for. Remember all those posts I wrote about preserving food this summer? And how during those hot sweaty evenings, humid from the air outside and the large pot of boiling water on the stove, I would think about how my hard work would pay off during the bleak months of winter?

Well, hello winter. Although I wasn't snowed in and the temperature was actually above freezing on Sunday, I was determined to make a pot of what seemed like an ideal hearty winter meal. It would be even better on a day that was frozen with snow and wind, when leaving the house seems like a terrible idea and staying inside near a bubbling pot of chili is the right place to be. I had nearly all the ingredients in my pantry or freezer. Tomatoes, tomato paste, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and jalapenos were all canned, frozen, or stored from the farm and farmers markets. I usually have dry beans in a jar in the cupboard. The only think I had to buy was the chili powder and since I was at the store, I picked up some cilantro and cheddar cheese for garnishing.

Of course even in a blizzard I probably could make it to the store, which is a block away, but happily my time in the kitchen this summer is providing for us now. In 2011 and I could get by without working for anything but dollars to buy my beans, tomatoes and chili powder. Instead I chose to put in all that time preserving because it is work that is more satisfying to me than swiping my debit card and carrying the groceries home.

When filling jars and our freezer this summer, I didn't anticipate finding a recipe that used so many of the things we already had preserved. I flipped open to this very chili in Cook This Now, Melissa Clark's newest book. I made her cornbread for Thanksgiving and I love reading her beautifully written recipes notes that give a bit more insight into the origins, taste, and place of each one. In describing her three meat chili, Melissa Clark mentions that she tries her best to avoid meat-less chili. I felt bad going against the author's taste, but I adapted her recipe to make a chili with beans instead of meat.

The recipe makes a lot of very hearty chili. I know that you are probably busy planning holiday meals and activities and the thought of a day with nothing to do but cook chili and stay warm inside is far away. Save this one for January (when you can dream of the summer preserving you will do for next year's chili making). Or make a pot of chili now for all of the times in the next few weeks that you won't have time to cook so you can feed your family and friends when they stop in for some holiday cheer.

Two Bean Chili
Adapted from Three Meat Chili in Cook This Now by Melissa Clark
You can use a variety of beans, I just happened to have black and red beans, so I made two bean chili. You can, as always, adjust the spiciness to taste by adding more or less jalapenos and chili powder.

2 cups dried beans (I used black and red, but you could use kidney, pinto or others)
3 teaspoons salt
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
1 to 2 jalapenos
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 quart jars (or 2 28-ounce cans) of whole or crushed tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons chili powder

Cook the beans: place the beans in a dutch oven or other oven-proof pot with a lid. Cover the beans with plenty of water add 1 teaspoon of salt. Put the lid on the pot and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour. After an hour, check the beans to see if they are completely soft (but not mushy). If they are not fully cooked, add more water if needed and continue cooking until they are soft. OR cook the beans using your preferred method. When the beans are cooked, drain them.

Seed and dice the bell peppers. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Seed and finely chop the jalapenos. Place your soup pot over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the paste turns golden brown. Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic and jalapenos. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the chili powder, stir and cook for about a minute. Pour in the tomatoes, beans and the rest of the salt. Add 1-2 cups of water for your desired thickness. Let the soup simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Serve with a side of brown rice or cornbread and the garnishes of your choice such as chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, chopped scallions, sour cream or grated cheddar cheese. Serves 4-6 heartily.

A Cup of Tea

2011-12-12T12:56:00.002-05:00

I thought a cup of tea might be just the thing to let us pause and appreciate something small and ordinary. To write about tea, I must tell you about my mom, the tea drinker and tea pot collector. There are many things that she has taught or given to me that I could write about here but her love of tea and teapots must start this post today. Most meals and snacks at her expansive dining room table end with a pot of tea, usually spiced with cinnamon, never caffeinated. When all the chairs around the table are filled, an assortment of vessels, from delicate flowered teacups to mugs both rustic and mass produced, are pulled from the cupboard for the crowds around the table. There are usually two teapots making the rounds to keep each cup warm and full.

The everyday teapots on the are simple, sturdy and in frequent use. The rest of the collection looks down from a high shelf that extends all the way around the kitchen. I suspect that if she used a different one for each pot of tea, she could get through several months without having to use the same one twice (you should try it, Mom!). Flowered teapots, teapots shaped like chickens, rabbits, old fashioned sewing machines, houses, snowmen, a dragon, and teapots with polkadots, intricate designs, and bold colors.

Though I come from a serious tea drinking household, I'm not a proper tea drinker. I have two or three teapots and even a matching tea set, but I usually make tea one mug at a time. Most of the tea I drink isn't even technically tea. Much to my mother's dismay, I tend to leave the teabag or strainer in the cup while I drink it. Even if I don't pay attention to tea drinking etiquette I have come to really enjoy a warm cup when my apartment is chilly or my throat needs soothing. I don't always pause to just savor a relaxing cup of tea, but it makes a nice companion on many winter days.

I love loose leaf tea which I put in a strainer, avoiding the paper that comes from individually wrapped bags. Peppermint is one of my favorites, right now I am using dried leaves from the plant that was on my porch but I also buy it in bulk at the co-op. I try to drink nettle tea regularly as well. I learned about it from a brief class on herbs for health. It tastes green and grassy, but drinking it is good for overall health.

When I have a sore throat or feel a cold coming on I put some lemon juice, honey, and about a teaspoon of fresh chopped ginger into my mug and fill it with hot water. The honey dissolves and the ginger infuses the water with its spice. I find it very soothing for my throat and I like to think it helps to keep colds away.

I hope you can find a few minutes to enjoy a cup of tea or another small pleasure during this busy and chilly season.

This Week in the Studio

2011-12-09T12:39:00.000-05:00

I've sold quite a few napkin sets so I decided to make a few more along the same free form stitching lines that I used on the bags I showed you last week. I found some of my favorite bright colors in a lovely soft cotton. I've gotten a lot of feedback that people prefer darker colored napkins so they don't look too messy while in use, so I've been trying to keep that in mind when choosing colors.

With these stitched sets, each napkin has the same basic design. Because I sew them "free hand" each leaf or vine comes out slightly different. When it comes to patterns, I am always most intrigued by the ones that don't repeat themselves perfectly. Floor tiles, quilts, weaving, patterns in nature -- the ones that vary slightly capture my attention more as I try to make sense of the pattern that varies too far out of the way. This is how I see the leaves and vines on these napkins. A repeated pattern that is not perfectly the same every time. It also reminds me of heirlooms made before mass production that often have small details that are not quite the way you expect them to be.

These were my last big project for the shop for this year. Now I need to focus on making Christmas gifts, getting packages together, and having more time to do what I please. I definitely would like to make more napkins sets like this, if they are well received, but I am looking forward to devoting more time to enjoy the holiday season and relaxing a bit in the next few weeks.

What have you been working on? I hope you are enjoying the season!

Giving

2011-12-07T10:13:00.000-05:00

An abundance of gift guides are popping up all over blogs and websites. When it comes to giving, the main guidance I would like to share is that, ideally, giving will be fun and part of the joy of the season. Our holiday celebrations this year will continue to be small and low key, but I plan to thoroughly enjoy the preparations. This week I am finishing up some custom orders and a few other things for the shop, but by Friday I hope to be in Christmas making mode.

Just as writing a letter is a way to spend time with someone from afar, a handmade gift is imbued with the love and joy that I want to give. Making or finding the gift is half the fun, giving it and experiencing the way that it is received is equally gratifying. I'll will miss out on most of this second half of giving, but I am still looking forward to putting together packages and cards for friends and family next week. I'll include a homemade treat, some jars of preserves and maybe a few other little things, but I don't want it to be too complicated because then it won't be fun.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the focus on buying and giving that comes this time of year, but I truly enjoy making, finding, and giving gifts. I'm trying to do things that I really want to do and that are manageable and I'm letting go of the rest so that I don't feel too busy and rushed. The enjoyment should be part of the gift.

Last year I listed some ideas for a handmade holiday. Food in Jars has a roundup of homemade gift ideas. The Kitchn has another list of homemade gifts. If you have had enough of making (or aren't into making it yourself) there are so many amazing handmade gifts you can find. I also love giving experiences -- one year I gave my little sister a dress pattern with the promise of going to pick out fabric and make the dress together.

I hope everyone can find the sweet spot between doing everything and enjoying everything that needs to be done. I'll be sharing more of my holiday preparations and projects in the next couple weeks. I'd love to hear about yours, too!

Recently (some things I've been enjoying)

2011-12-04T20:07:00.001-05:00

I've been listening to the Goat Rodeo sessions a lot. You can hear this beautiful music here.

I just read Unbroken, a compelling and fascinating book which I highly recommend.

I made this apple cake, in attempt to make a dent in all the fruit we have. It only used two apples, but it is a really good any time of day or week cake.

Speaking of fruit, we got our first clementines of the season in our fruit share last week. The sweet citrus was a taste I didn't know I had missed. So good!

I would like to hang this print and this one in my kitchen.

I'm finally making progress knitting the hat I started two years ago. I'm glad to get back into knitting, it so relaxing and yet productive. Next, I need a new scarf, then I hope to be onto a sweater...

I saw Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time last week (it's available to watch instantly on netflix). I can't believe I'd never seen it before. My favorite scenes were when they were in the library surrounded by the drawers of card catalogs and when they were talking to the man at Tiffany's about Cracker Jack prizes.

I started a Pinterest account which seems to be the perfect answer for where to stash good ideas that I find online. I haven't had a chance to explore it deeply, but it is fun to see so many ideas in one place.

New bags will be in the shop today!

This Week in the Studio

2011-12-02T16:00:00.001-05:00

Since I've finally been knitting more, I wanted a nice bag to keep my knitting and some knitting supplies in. I made myself a large rectangular tote with a small interior pocket and a big double pocket with some decorative stitching on the outside. It works well for knitting, but it is also a great tote for other purposes. I went out on a limb thinking that I'm not the only one who has a use for this bag and made four more for the shop.

I can't decide what to call this bag or exactly what it is for. I've used it for knitting, to carry my stuff to yoga (I like a deep tote bag for storing my mat on the walk to class), and it is also handy when you need to grab your stuff and go.

I love the way stitching looks on the outside of fabric. Whether it is abstract or a more recognizable design, it is fun to do. I think I would like to do more with lines and designs of stitching.

~~I haven't had a chance to get them in the shop yet~~, You can see them here but I wanted to share a sneak peek. Happy Friday!

Pumpkin Spice Rolls

2011-11-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

November tastes of cinnamon and spices, hearty roots baked creamy, soup full of leeks. In my mind, November is the color of fallen oak leaves while December is the deep green of a hemlock bough. The autumnal spiced cakes and breads, the rustic pies of November will soon give way to chocolate and peppermint, delicately crunchy cookies and the flavors of Christmas. I still have six butternut, one spaghetti and a few acorn squash in my cupboard and I'll be eating squash well into next year. But in December, my focus turns away from fall recipes to make room for the season of sparkly lights, hot cocoa, and plates of cookies.

If I'm to hold true to these seasonal prejudices, then today is not too late to share one more squash flavored recipe. While I get caught up in recipes and meals that are seasonally appropriate, I really like the idea of recipes that show up once or twice a year for a certain, special occasion. In our household, which consists of me and Ray, we don't yet have many traditions but I wouldn't mind making these pumpkin spice rolls into one. They could easily be part of any old breakfast, but I want them to be a special treat.

I dreamed up this combination after I made a pumpkin cake to take to our friends' house. I made too much cream cheese frosting and had left over baked squash as well. I haven't iced a cinnamon roll since I was just tall enough to reach the toaster oven and pull out the Pillsbury version, but somehow I decided that was how the icing should be used. Not for those perfectly round rolls that popped out of the can with their plastic cup of icing, but for rolls filled with pumpkin and flavored with pumpkin spice.

Pumpkin Spice Rolls
I adapted this recipe to make these rolls. The dough has pumpkin in it and instead of cinnamon, I made a blend of pumpkin pie spices to fill the roll. You do not have to make this recipe all at once. I have included various stages when you can refrigerate the dough and use it later.

1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup pumpkin or squash puree
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups (7 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup (5 ounces) white flour

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Place the water and yeast in a medium bowl and let stand for a few minutes to dissolve. Whisk in the sugar, salt, pumpkin, yogurt, egg and melted butter. Add the flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, using your hands to knead it when it is to thick to stir. Knead the dough until it is smooth and all the flour is incorporated. It will be sticky and somewhat soft. Let the dough rise, covered, in the bowl for about an hour. At this point you can cover the bowl so it is airtight and leave it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

When you are ready to assemble the rolls, butter the bottom of a 9-inch round pan. Spread the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Doing this on parchment, plastic wrap or a silpat will make it much easier to roll the dough up. The dough should be spread or rolled into a rectangle about 9 by 12 inches. Spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough. Mix the sugar and spices together and sprinkle that evenly over the buttered surface. Begin rolling up the dough at the long edge, using the parchment (or whatever you have) underneath to help roll the dough into a long rolled up log. Pinch the open end of the roll to the rest of the log. Carefully cut the log into 7-10 equal slices and place each slice spiral up in the round pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Now you can cover the rolls and refrigerate them overnight, or continue baking.

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes or until they are lightly browned on the edges. They will feel solid on top, but slightly soft underneath and a fork poked in them will come out clean. Let them cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then remove and frost, if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar1 to 2 tablespoons milk, if needed, to make the frosting spreadable

Combine the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat them together until they are light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating well. Add the milk a little at a time until the frosting is spreadable.

Relaxed and Productive

2011-11-28T15:17:00.001-05:00

I've decided that Monday is the new Sunday. Which explains why this post is appearing late in the day and not first thing Monday morning as I would have liked. I am generally a first thing Monday morning type of person. I like to be prompt and organized. I usually have a very long to do list at the start of the week and on Monday I feel a great deal of pressure to get it all done. I almost always work at my restaurant job on Saturdays, and often on Sundays too. On these weekend days I ignore my list, but I still go to work. When I am working at home, the first day of the week becomes a struggle between my need to be productive, my wish to accomplish everything, and the difficulty in starting the week off running.

I always have high hopes for Monday morning, but I think it's time to lower my expectations. I'm okay with easing into the week and taking more time today to get organized and start projects, but maybe I won't get very far. I'm not the greatest at finding this balance but as I think about the added holiday projects on my list I want to make sure to enjoy the process. What are you doing to find balance in this busy time of year?

Our Thanksgiving day was very relaxed, but we balanced that with cooking (which was also relaxed and productive as you can see above). On the way back from our morning walk, while pie crust chilled, I envisioned with the salad we would eat. It combines good fall ingredients into a warm salad that is hearty but not heavy, a nice contrast to many Thanksgiving dishes. Since squash, cranberries and walnuts are all still in season, I wanted to share this recipe which is good on a holiday or any day.

Winter Squash, Cranberry, Walnut and Arugula Salad
The sweetness of the squash (I used butternut) and the maple mustard vinaigrette balance the tartness of the cranberries nicely. I normally like my salads lightly dressed, but I like this one a bit more heavily coated. We had mac and cheese for our meal, so I didn't add cheese to this salad but some crumbled goat cheese or grated parmesan would work very nicely in it.

2 cups of peeled and cubed winter squash
1 cup whole cranberries
cumin and cinnamon
salt and pepper
1 cup walnuts
2-3 cups arugula

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Place the squash in a pot, cover with water and simmer until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the squash. Bring a cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil or butter and add the squash. Cook, stirring occasionally until the squash cubes begin to brown. Add a small sprinkle of cumin and cinnamon as well as salt and pepper. Pour in the cranberries and continue cooking until the cranberries are hot and some of them have lost their round shape. Pour the cooked squash and cranberries into the bowl you want to serve them in. Roughly chop the walnuts and toast them in the pan same pan. When they are toasted, add them to the bowl. Toss in the arugula.

Mix the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and maple syrup, whisking to emulsify. Toss the amount of dressing you would like with the rest of the salad. Serves 2-4, depending on whether it is a main dish or a side.

Thankful

2011-11-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

I have a lot to be thankful for. I try to remember this and keep gratitude nearby, but I know that there are lots of times when it is easier to be frustrated or discouraged than to remember how very lucky I am. Perhaps it isn't luck, but somehow I've wound up with an amazing husband, a loving and supportive family, the chance to do lots of creative work even if it's not yet how I make my living.

I give thanks for the small, but important, things like the down comforter that keeps me warm every night and the things that seem insignificant but that really matter (to me), like all the food we have stored for the rest of the winter. There are cold snowy days that let me be cozy inside, cups of tea, good books and blogs to read, rediscovering knitting and the chance to take more yoga classes. It is crazy how many good things I have in my life and somehow even the challenging things usually turn out okay.

I'm so thankful that there are some of you out there who want to read this, and for the opportunity that this blog has given me to learn more about writing, photography, and the online world. None of this is directly related to that delicious slice of pizza, although I am immensely thankful to have discovered the combination of winter squash, goat cheese, caramelized onions and balsamic reduction that it is made up of.

I know that you are probably thinking more about turkey and pie than pizza and you might just be eating left overs all weekend. But if you happen to be with family or friends for a few days and you are the type (like me) who likes to share lots of time in the kitchen with loved ones (or cook for them), maybe some homemade pizza is in order.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Winter Squash, Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Pizza
I make this one a lot in the fall and winter. It has similar elements to the beet pizza I told you about a while back. I guess I just love the combination of a sweet vegetable with tangy goat cheese and chewy mozzarella.You can use any kind of winter squash (except spaghetti) even leftover mashed squash from you Thanksgiving feast. Here is the basic idea, you can adjust everything as you like

Pizza dough
1 small onion
balsamic vinegar
1 cup pureed winter squash (bake the squash and mash it or run it through a food mill so it is spreadable)
chevre style goat cheese
shredded mozzarella
chopped rosemary (optional)

For the caramelized onions: cut off the each end of the onion, cut the onion in half and thinly slice each half. Place a saute pan (I use a small cast iron pan) over low heat. Add a splash of olive oil and the onions. Cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally so that they slowly brown but don't burn.

For the balsamic reduction: pour 1-2 cups balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan (the reduction keeps well and is a nice addition to salads, pizzas, risotto and a variety of meat dishes so you can even reduce a whole bottle at a time). Bring the vinegar to a gentle simmer and continue simmering until it has s syrupy consistency. If it gets too hot it may burn or reduce too much so that it is not pourable. When it is syrupy, remove from heat. I store it in a jar in the fridge for months, it is more pourable at room temperature.

Put it all together: Preheat the oven to 450'. If you are using a pizza stone, you'll want the oven to be hot for at least 30 minutes or more to get the stone nice and hot. For pizza on a pan it is not as crucial, but a good hot oven is ideal for pizza.

Shape your pizza dough as desired. Spread the squash on top of the dough, like you would a sauce. Crumble the goat cheese and spread it out across the pizza. Sprinkle on mozzarella. Distribute the caramelized onions around the pizza. Sprinkle on the rosemary if desired. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and a bit bubbly and the crust is crisp (or however you like it). Remove from the oven and drizzle a garnish of balsamic reduction on top. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

This Week in the Studio

2011-11-22T17:18:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week, I made a few sets of vegetable ornaments. I made a bunch two years ago for a holiday sale and thought it might be fun to make a few this year. They're just like the veggies on my aprons and bags, but they are two-sided.

I normally try not to think about Christmas until it is December. This year, though, I have started thinking about Christmas quite a bit earlier than usual. I've realized that time goes by so fast and it is more fun to have plenty of time to prepare for and enjoy the Christmas season. Thanksgiving deserves plenty of celebrating, I'm not trying to rush things. I am just happy to be in this season of holidays and looking forward to more preparations and celebrations.

Two year ago we had a Christmas branch. Last year we hung our ornaments on the mantle piece of the (non-working) fireplace in our apartment. I'm not sure what we'll do this year. These ornaments don't have to be for a specific holiday, they are good for any festive time when you want a few more veggies in your life :)

I know that a lot of people call today black Friday, but I like the idea of plaid Friday. Have a good weekend!

Spiced Cranberry Sauce

2011-11-21T15:14:00.001-05:00

We had our first snow this weekend. Already it has turned gray and slushy, but the thin blanket of white on branches and roof tops feels festive. It seems like everyone is busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. If you are, I hope it is a pleasant list of plans and tasks without too much worrying or hurrying. For me, Thanksgiving has usually been pretty laid back, though the only time I've come close to cooking a turkey was when I brought one home after helping to harvest* them at Shelburne Farms.

When I was young we had big family Thanksgivings at my grandparents, the kids always had their own table away from the grown ups and Baskin Robbins ice cream turkeys for dessert. There was the year that we ran out of mashed potatoes before everyone had gotten food and the year after that at my Aunt's house when we were shocked that there were no mashed potatoes at all. But most of my Thanksgivings have been low key, cooking with family. Enjoying the company, the meal, a leisurely stroll and a board game with first or second helpings of pie.

This year Ray and I are again far from our families so it will be an even more laid back day of cooking and eating. Ray is making mac and cheese and I'll make some vegetable dishes. It can be hard to choose what to make and what to leave out. Even though we could eat all of these good foods any other meal of the year, it's hard not to want them all on the Thanksgiving table. My step-father always suggests we have creamed onions even though no one else really likes them. Ray requires the can of cranberry sauce served still intact. There are the traditional dishes and those that might become tradition. This year we couldn't decide on apple or pumpkin so we will each make a pie and remember that that the day is about abundance and leftovers.

I made a spiced cranberry sauce which will never be shaped like a can, but it actually tastes like tart cranberries and sweet spices. I've been wanted a little cranberry sauce to add to my plate next to sweeter autumn dinners. It starts with whole cranberries and some sugar or honey and goes from there.

Spiced Cranberry Sauce
I made two versions of this and liked them both, so there are options in this recipe. I think the basic formula for this is to add some sweetener, some spices and maybe some citrus zest. If you don't have whole spices, you can use ground spices but you might want to adjust the amounts to taste. You could use orange zest or even lime zest instead of the lemon. I hope this gives you the basic idea.

2 cups cranberries
water
1/4 cup honey or brown sugar (add more or less to your taste)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon zest or chopped crystallized ginger

Place cranberries, a splash of water, and honey or sugar in a pot over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick. Put the cloves, cardamom, and allspice in a tea ball or tie them up in cheese cloth and them in the pot to infuse the cranberries with their flavor. Add the nutmeg. Bring the berries to a simmer and let cook for about ten minutes or until most of the cranberries are cooked, but some are still whole. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest or ginger. Let the spices infuse a few minutes more. Remove the whole spices and cinnamon stick. Serve at room temperature.

*I didn't want to say slaughter in the middle of my first paragraph about thanksgiving, but that's what we did.

This Week in the Studio

2011-11-18T10:37:00.000-05:00

This week I did a quick project for our house. Using a piece of gray linen that I originally thought might become a skirt, I hemmed a simple tablecloth. I love the neutral, but beautiful, gray that compliments and contrasts the bright colors of our dishes.

I was going to write up a more specific tutorial, but this is an incredibly easy project. I find it handy to use an iron to fold over the raw edge of the fabric and then fold it over and iron it again so there is no longer a raw edge. Then sew the folded edge. I sewed around with orange thread three times so there are three uneven and meandering lines of stitching. It isn't noticeable from the top of the table, but I love the look of lines of stitching.

You can pretty much hem any piece of fabric to make a tablecloth. This one fits our table when only one leaf is open (which is how it is usually set up for just the two of us) and that works just fine. We don't use tablecloths often, but I am looking forward to using this for holiday meals or every day dinners. It's really nothing fancy, but it's fun to set a festive table mostly using what we've already got and makes our dinner table feel a little more special. Have you done anything lately to make your home more festive?

P.S. I am so happy to finally have lots of aprons in the Seedling Design shop! And you can now follow seedling design on twitter.

Chocolate Beet Cake

2011-11-15T18:18:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking about a chocolate beet cake for at least several weeks. The first, and only time, I tried such a cake was the first time I celebrated Ray's birthday with him. I took him to a wonderful restaurant in Portland called Caiola's (if have a chance, you should go!). It was our first fancy dinner together. I remember the food quite clearly because of the amazing flavors we tried that night. For a starter, we had a parmesan cake with figs that we still reminisce about from time to time. I don't remember what Ray had for dessert, but I had to try the chocolate beet cake. The server described it as a moist chocolate cake, which sounded good, but I ordered it because of the beets.

If you've read even a few of my posts you know that vegetables are important to me. I eat them as often as I can and they find their way into my sewing, too. Ray, on the other hand, could take them or leave them and usually he would prefer to leave them. It's sort of awkward since I love to grow, cook with, and write about vegetables all the time, but he puts up with my cooking and sometimes even enjoys it.

I realize that I have a habit of putting vegetables into cakes. It's not that I can't get enough and have to eat them with my sweets, too, I just find these cakes intriguing and delicious. A chocolate cake doesn't need an added vegetable, but I just had to try one with beets. We don't think twice about adding squash to a cake or muffin, but this other sweet, durable, homely but lovely vegetable doesn't make it into desserts very often. I'm sure the beet will never replace the pumpkin as the official vegetable of Thanksgiving, but it deserves a chance to be part of dessert.

Chocolate Beet Cake
The cake has a subtle red color from the beets and is moist and very chocolatey. I adapted a chocolate cake recipe from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Book and on the day of baking saw that David Lebovitz had posted this recipe which I took a few hints from as well. In my ideal world I would have made goat cheese ice cream to go with it, but instead I whisked up some creme fraiche whipped cream which complemented it very well.

2-3 medium sized beets, leaves and stems removed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
5 ounces (1 1/4 cups) whole wheat pastry flour
1.5 ounces (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
7 ounces (one cup) sugar

Butter a nine inch round pan and dust it with cocoa powder to cover the buttered surface.

Scrub the beets clean and place them in a pot with enough water to cover them. Heat them on high until the water boils then simmer until they can be easily pierced with a fork (or you can roast them in to oven). When they are cooked, place them in a bowl of cold water until they are cool enough to touch and slip off the skins. Puree them in a food processor until they are in tiny pieces but not quite smooth and measure out 1 cup of beet puree.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in a double boiler or in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. When the chocolate is nearly melted, cut the butter into small pieces and stir it into the chocolate until both are totally melted. Let cool for a few minutes.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks and beet puree into the melted chocolate and butter. Beat the whites until the are stiff and beat in the sugar. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg whites and stir gently to combine. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350'. Let cool and serve with creme fraiche whipped cream if you would like.

Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup creme fraiche
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Whip the cream until it is nearly stiff. Stir in the creme fraiche and maple syrup. Spoon on top of, or beside, a piece of the cake.

Fermenting

2011-11-11T15:07:00.001-05:00

Fermentation involves creating the right environment for living organisms to transform ordinary vegetables or grains into something that is alive and more nutritious. These living organisms are already there ready to make this transformation, they just need the right ingredients and environment to thrive. It is easy to facilitate this change from an ordinary vegetable to a fermented one. With its unique flavor and softer texture, a fermented vegetable is easier for us to digest and beneficial to our health.

Last year I made Red Sauerkraut. I made a batch of it this fall, too, but I think I left it on the counter a little too long. I've got apple cider vinegar in process and just moved the pickled daikon from the counter to the fridge. Oddly, daikon was one of the first fermented foods that I ate regularly when I used to buy it from a natural foods store. We had a lot of these giant radishes growing at the farm and I didn't know what else to do with them so I made fermented pickles. Once the daikon was ready, I cut up some carrots which are now fermenting in a jar with ginger and, of course, salt. I admit that I love the process of fermenting, but frequently forget to eat the results. I am trying to add a little side of fermented vegetables to a meal every day.

It may be a bit of stretch, but fermentation reminds me that it just takes the right ingredients or environment to change something for the better. As I have more time to work on projects and dream even more vividly of making my living creatively, I often struggle to find a balance between pushing myself to work hard and knowing when to let go. I know that it takes work to achieve big goals but I'd like to think that we've all got what it takes to live our dreams. We just need to find the right ingredients, environment, and process to get there.

Pickled Daikon
Pickling the daikon makes for a mild flavored slightly crunch radish. I don't use daikon a lot otherwise, but I enjoy the way it tastes when fermented. Fermenting also helps vegetables to last longer and can be kept in the fridge for a few months. I always think it is amazing the way the salt draws enough water from the vegetable to create a brine. If your daikon is less fresh, you might need to add a little more water and salt to cover it. Sometimes a bit of white mold may bloom on the surface during the fermenting process. This doesn't usually happen when fermenting in glass jars, but if it does, just scrape it off. If you have no interest in daikon or don't know where you can get it, I've included a recipe for fermented carrots and ginger below.

1 pound daikon radish
1 teaspoon salt

Slice the daikon into thin rounds and place in a bowl. Add the salt and mix well. Pack the daikon into a clean wide mouth quart jar, pressing down on it to force the water out. Once the daikon is solidly packed in the jar fill a clean half pint jar with water and screw the lid on tightly. The small jar should fit in the opening of the quart jar and rest on top of the daikon to keep it under water (see photos above). Use cheese cloth and a rubber band to let air in but keep flies out. For the first 24 hours, check it frequently and continue pressing on the daikon to push the water out. If water has not covered the daikon within a day add enough water and a little salt to cover the vegetable.

Keep the jar somewhere out of the way, but where you won't forget about it. Depending on the temperature, it will take about a week to ferment. Check it frequently, smelling or tasting it until it has reached the tangy taste that you like. When it is ready, store in an airtight jar in the fridge.

Fermented Carrots with Ginger
Adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

2 cups of carrots, sliced into thin rounds
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt

Mix the ingredients together and follow the process above for packing into a jar and fermenting.

This Week in the Studio

2011-11-10T10:39:00.001-05:00

It has been a while since I've shared anything that I've been doing with Seedling Design. I have been reluctant to post here too often about this creative business venture because this blog started out about food and personal projects. When I am not writing or cooking, though, I am often sewing new things for Seedling. I've thought about starting a separate blog but all of these things are part of what I do so I like keeping it all here. At this point I am unable to choose my passion for food over my love of creating with fabric or vice versa. While I wish this could be a simple and very focused blog, this space is a reflection of the things I care about and it is going to be imperfect just like me.

Anyway, I've decided to do a weekly update on what I've been working on in the studio. When I say studio, it's really our project room that houses our desk, my sewing stuff, Ray's bike stuff and his kegerator (he brews a lot of beer!). Also not a perfectly focused and designed space, but such is life.

This week I finished several napkin sets. I find that I am drawn to similar colors -- greens, blues, orange. I have yet to discover whether people really want napkins in these colors, but I have been selling them throughout the summer. I'm excited to have more available before the upcoming holidays. I think they would be lovely for a hostess gift or on a Thanksgiving table.

I also managed to start and finish two new aprons in one day. I love combining colors and patterns and figuring out the design of the applique. I don't have many aprons in my shop right now because I'm not able to photograph them by myself. I either need a model or someone else to take the pictures which I hope to take care of very soon.

This weekend I will be at the Handmade Arts from the Heart which promised to have a lot of beautiful handmade things and is also a benefit for the school. I love making these aprons, especially when they become a final product. I am looking forward to meeting people who also enjoy them and will use them and make them their own.

Apple Fritters

2011-11-08T09:42:00.003-05:00

I mentioned last week that fall flavors might be lacking here, but I've made up for that in my kitchen and I'll be making up for that here, too. I'm loving the combinations, colors, and contrasts of sweet squash with apple and ginger and bright green roasted broccoli. The heartier starchy vegetables alongside a crunchy slaw and a little salad with the last of our greens. The way the crunch of an apple can be cooked into something so soft. We might get snow tomorrow so I am content to spend more time inside with the many warm flavors there are to explore.

These fritters were inspired by a recipe for leek fritters in Plenty that I made a couple of weeks ago. I though they might be good with sweet fruit and spices. They are light and fluffy but have a slightly crispy outside. I used buckwheat flour for a change which I think pairs well with the apple and cinnamon. They are perfect topped with plain yogurt and a bit of maple syrup if you wish.

Apple Fritters
I like the way coconut oil gives the fritters a slightly crispy outside, but you could also cook them in butter.

3-4 small apples (for about 2 cups of grated apple)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg white
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
Coconut oil for cooking

Grate the apples with the peels on. Place the grated apple and any juice in a bowl and mix with the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a separate small bowl. Whisk the egg white until it has stiff peaks. Gently stir the egg white into the grated apple and spices. Whisk together the egg and the buttermilk and combine with the flour. Pour this batter and the melted butter into the apples and stir to blend completely.

Heat a skillet to medium and add a tablespoon of coconut oil. When the oil has melted, scoop a quarter cup of batter into the skillet. Cook for about two minutes and then flip. The top should be golden brown. Cook on the other side for two to three minutes or until the fritter is cooked through. Makes about 6 fritters.

An Hour to Do What You Love

2011-11-04T11:43:00.001-04:00

As I was thinking about this slaw and how and what to write about it, I realized that leaving you with a slaw for the weekend isn't very fun. This slaw goes very well with other fall flavors and makes a refreshing side to go with the heartier autumn dishes. Still, a slaw seems a bit stern and serious for the start of the weekend.

But, as I was thinking about how it would be better to leave you with a cake or something rich and savory, I remembered that we get a little extra time this weekend. At least, those of us in the United States and that observe day light savings get back the hour that we lost last spring. A whole hour to eat slaw or cake, rake leaves or run through them, find the sun or read a book under a blanket.

When this lost hour returns, I am reminded of the fall that I spent two months living in a tent in the Oregon woods. There was a straw bale house, too, and about 12 of us learning about many aspects of sustainable living, taking turns cooking meals, feeding chickens, milking goats, walking in the forest, and living in community. Somehow we had the right mix of people and circumstance to create the magical weeks that we shared.

On the weekend that daylight savings ended, a few of us traveled to Crater Lake. I remember the washed out blues, greens and sandy colors of the landscape. So many fir trees and and the turquoise water of the lake framed by the steep sides of the crater. We hiked, took pictures, cooked oatmeal on our rocket stove and stared at the clear, starry sky. In my memory they were simple and perfectly beautiful days. With few time constraints, we didn't bother changing the clock in the car when we started the drive home on Sunday. It wasn't until after we had stopped for lunch that we decided to use that extra hour. We reset the clock and despite the time we spent, the digital numbers showed that we hadn't stopped at all.

I treasure days with no agenda, with spontaneous adventures, with unplanned meanderings that are somehow perfect. Many weekends of my life have faded from memory, but this particularly one in Oregon is like a photo I keep tucked in my wallet and pull out to warm my heart. I always remember those close friends, the freedom we had to explore and the looseness of time on that weekend. Whether or not you set your clocks back, I hope you can find an extra hour to spend doing what you love.

Kohrabi and Apple Slaw
This is a simple slaw that makes a crunchy, sweet and earthy side dish. The recipe makes enough to serve two to three people. If you have more kohlrabi and apples it is very easy to increase.

1 medium sized kohlrabi
1 medium sized apple
lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
a pinch of salt

Peel off the tough outer skin of the kohlrabi and the skin of the apple. Slice both into thin matchstick size pieces. You can actually cut them into any shape you want, but it is best if all the pieces are about the same size. Toss the sliced apple with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning

Combine the olive oil, mustard, honey, cider vinegar and salt with a whisk. Toss with sliced apple and kohlrabi.

Sweet or Savory

2011-11-01T17:26:00.000-04:00

Do you like your winter squash sweet or savory? I find myself debating the best way to use all the squash in my cupboards. Soup, with risotto, on pizza , roasted or in a cake, a pie, cookies, muffins, and pancakes. Butternuts, buttercups, and pie pumpkins (the small sweet ones, not the big ones we carve for Halloween) could used either way, though I think the acorns, carnivals and delicatas are better for dinner than dessert. Fortunately I have enough squash to try many recipes.

It's already the first of November and we've barely had any fall flavors here. First I was too busy with summer, though I brought you apples and the apple sauce a couple of weeks ago. Come to think of it, I did make a ginger pear cake and we've been eating plenty of roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts and potatoes with garlic. But some things have been seriously lacking: the spices that are so irresistible when the temperature drops and the leaves fall, too. The burnt sienna hue of sprinkled cinnamon (yes, I get my colors from crayola), the spicy scent of ginger, the familiar warmth of nutmeg, the dark hint of cloves. Combined, these make something like pumpkin pie spice and, I suspect, are responsible for a lot of what we think of as pumpkin flavor. These spices are lovely, but even better with some of that squash. I love the way the orange flesh compliments the spices and the vegetable taste contrasts subtly with all the sweetness.

We had some friends over for a cozy autumn dinner this weekend and I wanted to serve something pumpkin for dessert. I didn't want to do the traditional pie, I don't have room in the freezer to make pumpkin ice cream and I was looking for something I could easily make gluten free. I don't think I've ever made a Martha Stewart recipe in my life, but when I googled pumpkin desserts her website appeared and opened up a vast array of autumn dessert recipes which all looked perfectly delicious. I settled on one that combined chocolate and pumpkin with complementary spices. I think I'll use the filling recipe for future pies. I didn't get to take a photo of the tart after slicing, it disappeared too quickly.

Pumpkin Chocolate Tart
Adapted from Martha Stewart

This tart is really not hard to make and can be made a day or two before you plan to serve it. For the crust, you can use all purpose white flour, whole wheat pastry flour or an all purpose gluten free flour mix. If you are using wheat flour you will need to treat the dough more gently so it doesn't become tough.

You can use canned pumpkin, but baking a pie pumpkin or a butternut squash is quite easy. Just cut the squash in half the long way and scoop out the seeds (roast them, too). Bake the squash for about 45 minutes at 350 until it is soft enough to stab easily with a fork. Once the squash has cooled, scoop the flesh out of the skin, discard the skin and use the squash.

One more note: this recipe is for a 10-inch tart. I only have an eight inch tart pan. I baked the extra filling in a separate dish and it was very tasty. The eight inch tart is big enough to serve up to eight people.

For the Crust:
1 cup flour (all purpose, whole wheat pastry or an all purpose gluten free blend)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 ounces (1 cup/ 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large egg
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and drop it into the dry ingredients. Use an electric mixer on slow speed to mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs or small peas. Add the egg and mix until the ingredients come together to form a ball of dough. Gently press the dough into the tart pan to form the crust. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350. Before baking the tart shell, prick the bottom with a fork. Bake for about 15 minutes. While the tart is baking, chop the chocolate into small pieces. When the shell is firm, remove it from the oven and spread the chopped chocolate onto the hot tart shell. If the chocolate doesn't melt quickly, place the tart shell back into the oven for less than a minute. When the chocolate is melted, spread it over the baked shell. Let the shell cool while you make the filling.

For the filling:
15 ounces pureed pumpkin or squash
3/4 cup brown sugar
8 ounces creme fraiche (so easy to make at home)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 ounces semi sweet chocolate

Place pumpkin, sugar, creme fraiche, eggs, spices and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. For an extra smooth and lovely filling, pour the mixture into a fine mesh sieve and gently stir it until only the very pulpy parts of the pumpkin are left in the sieve. Pour the filling into the mostly-cooled tart shell and bake for about 40 minutes or until the filling is set. Let the tart cool for at least 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate and drizzle it on top of the tart in whatever pattern or abstract design you like. Refrigerate to firm the filling and chocolate on top. This will keep, tightly wrapped for a day or two before serving.

Coziness

2011-10-27T15:19:00.001-04:00

I had time this week to do some fall cleaning. Unlike spring cleaning, which is all about opening things up to let in new air and light, fall cleaning is about making a space to settle into. I organized our closets and made some needed changes in our the apartment. I'll be spending more time here each week and I want our home to be comfortable and cozy. It's amazing how little things (like moving the recycling bin out of the kitchen, or bringing a colorful quilt out of the closet) bring newness to the space.

I realized sometime this year how important coziness is to me. Unfortunately I think the word itself evokes silly decorative pillows and oppressively scented candles when what I actually want is more like wool sweaters, down quilts, and loving hugs. Of course, there is more to it than just physical warmth and comfort. I've recently come across a concept of coziness in some European countries, called hygge in Denmark and gemutlichkeit in Germany. I love that this idea of creating a warm space for the spirit is something that other cultures value highly. There is no equivalent term in English, but I think we all understand the feeling. It's not just about being warm or having a comfortable spot to sit. It's the idea of quality time with people you care about, making new connections, sharing meals and intimate conversation.

I definitely hope to find and create a lot of this coziness as we head into winter. As I filled all those jars this summer, I was thinking about the bread I would bake and the friends who would join us to share some cozy meals. I also hope to find time to knit (maybe a sweater? or pillows?), drink homemade chai, practice my fiddle, and take more walks. How are you creating coziness this time of year?

Preserving 2011

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've finally finished my canning projects for this year's growing season. The nights have gotten much colder and it won't be long before the days stay cold, too. I won't have a woodstove to huddle near this winter, but there is a lot of warmth stored in all of these jars. This week is my last working at the farm and I keep thinking to myself, Wasn't it just hot and sunny August? Wasn't I just picking pounds and pounds of beans? Then I remember the frost that came in early September, the shorter days, bringing in all the squash, digging the last of the potatoes, picking all the peppers before they froze. The months fly by every year, but I am glad to have been part of this growing season. My memory of the days is blurred, but being out in the field let me measure the passage of time by the growth of leaves and fruit and the tilting of our hemisphere toward and away from the sun.

I have mentioned before that my canning and preserving was also a blur, but the filling of jars was another way to mark summer's fruition. We have already emptied a few, even though I tend to want to make these stores last as long as possible. This year, with an abundance of full jars I am determined to let go of this miserly tendency. I stored up all this food so we could continue enjoying the abundance of summer and I resolve to eat and share it as often as possible.

As I was rearranging the cupboards last week, I had to laugh at myself. All this food stored up, when I live a block from a food co-op, generally just cook for the two of us, and know that Ray would rather eat out for every meal than rely solely on our full homemade pantry. But whether or not we get totally snowed in all winter, we'll eat well and I'll enjoy knowing that so much of my labor has gone into feeding us.

Last year I posted a list of what I had preserved and it was very useful for me to look back at, so I figured I would do it again. Aside from all the tomatoes, my canning seems to be fruit preserves and jam heavy. Fortunately I also filled the freezer with vegetables and some fruit. I also brought home 20 (plus) pounds of winter squash, 20 pounds of potatoes and lots of onions and garlic from the farm. And I canned: 15 quarts whole tomatoes, 21 pints salsa, 9 pints dilly beans, 2 pints pickled beets, 3 pints beet chutney, 2 pints Asian plum sauce, 3 half pints plum jam, 5 half pints tomato jam, 5 pints pears, 4 half pints raspberry preserves, 4 half pints raspberry jam, 4 half pints rhubarb jam, 5 half pints apricot rosemary jam, 8 half pints peach butter, 4 half pints cherry and black pepper preserves, and finally 5 quarts of apple sauce.

Last of the Garden

2011-10-21T09:21:00.002-04:00

My container garden is nearly done for the year. The temperatures at night have regularly been in the 30s, so I decided to harvest my herbs and dry them. After I cut them all, I realized that they might have done okay in pots inside. They still could, I suppose, but we don't have ideal light indoors for plants that need lots of it. I know I posted about drying herbs a while ago, but now I need good ideas for how to store the small quantities that I have dried. I have a few small jars, but the amounts of dried herbs might not fill a jar. I'd still like to be able to keep and use what I have. Any suggestions?

Apples to Sauce

2011-10-19T11:12:00.000-04:00

After traveling for eight days, seeing as many family and friends as possible, eating good meals, enjoying good company, relaxing, going to the theater and the aquarium, driving a lot and enjoying the last bits of summer weather, it took a few days to settle back into home. While getting back to everything that I need to do here, I decided it was time to gather apples and make some sauce.

I drove out to Sweetland Orchard to pick. Before I visited the trees, I sampled some of their apple varieties. I love that each one has its own flavor and texture, some are better for baking while others are perfect for eating as is. There is also the history of each type of apple which is often reflected in their names and the location where it was developed or grows best. Some of the varieties that I found commonly in Maine, like Macoun, aren't grown here. Honeycrisp is probably the Minnesota favorite, but I prefer white fleshed, sweet-tart apples like Cortlands.

I'm starting to sound like an apple nerd, and I hardly know anything about the many many types of apples. It just happens that apples are a good example of the subtle or great difference that often get overlooked in the produce aisle. With mass production and shipping of fruits and vegetables, most varieties are chosen because they survive during long distance travel and last well on the shelves. We forget about the differences which have been homogenized by large scale farming and loss of diversity. Heirloom fruits or vegetables have been grown in very specific regions or for flavors and textures that might be different than their close relatives. You might never taste the best tomato or peach grown elsewhere because they don't ship well, but you might be able to find the best tomato or watermelon that grows in your region.

Apples remind me of these subtle differences. Although they all have the same delicious crunch and juiciness, a fall apple is not just an apple. It's a Haralson, a Regent, a Macintosh, a Fireside, a Connell Red. One is sweeter, some are better for baking, one stores for longer. Of course, when I make apple sauce they all go together in one pot. But each one adds something different and they all come together for a more flavorful sauce.

Apple Sauce
I know you probably don't need a recipe for this, but I thought I would include it anyway. I usually can some sauce in quart jars for good winter eating. I cook the apples whole and use a food mill to puree them and remove cores, skin and seeds. If you don't have a food mill, remove the cores before cooking and remove the skins before you cook them if you want a smoother sauce.

apples
a splash of water or apple cider
optional: cinnamon
sugar or honey

In a large heavy bottomed pot, put a little bit of water or cider. Place this on the stove over medium-high heat. Cut the apples into quarters and throw them into the pot as you go. Stir every few minutes to keep the apples on the bottom from burning. Once you have added all of your apples, bring the pot to a simmer. Continue simmering the apples until they are all completely softened and you can't see any quarters of apples. Different varieties will require more or less time to break down. Once all of the apples are soft and cooked, place the food mill over a large bowl and fill it with the hot apples. Run the apples through the food mill until they are all pureed into sauce.

Now you can add cinnamon or other spices to the apple sauce. I never add sugar to my sauce, but you can sweeten the sauce at this time. The sauce will keep, refrigerated, for several days.

If you want to can the apple sauce, return the pureed sauce to the stove. For every quart of sauce you have, stir in a tablespoon of bottled lemon juice. Prepare your canning pot and quart jars. Ladle the hot apple sauce into the jars, remove air bubbles, wipe rims and cover with lids. Process for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath. For more information the canning process, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Traveling

2011-10-11T16:43:00.001-04:00

Ray and I are visiting family on the east coast and getting some much needed time away from work this week. I hope you are finding time to catch up with yourself and enjoy life these days. I'll be back with more next week.

A Bang of Bright Colors

2011-10-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

I love the way the world becomes more vibrant just before all the leaves are gone. Everything seems to end with a with a bang of bright colors. This may leave us unprepared for the bleak cold winter but I just try to soak it all in. I also wish I could keep save some of the unseasonably warm weather we had this week for when I need some heat and sun in January. What do you want to keep with you from this season?

Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, and Basil Frittata

2011-10-05T08:36:00.000-04:00

I'd like to introduce you to the frittata. Perhaps you two are already acquainted? We haven't known each other for long, but it's been my recent companion when I'm making dinner for myself. We also meet for the occasional breakfast or late lunch. Though we've seen each other a lot lately, there are so many possibilities that I'll never get bored. The frittata is more laid back than a quiche, lighter and less fussy, too. It takes minutes to make, which is ideal on the nights when you want something satisfying but you can barely be bothered to cook. It can go from rustic to sophisticated and makes for a rich but nutritious meal. I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with the recipe so you can try it yourself.

Red Pepper, Goat Cheese and Basil Frittata

I have an eight-inch cast iron skillet which fits this frittata perfectly. I eat some for dinner and finish the leftovers for breakfast. If you don't have a skillet this size, you could add more eggs or just end up with a thinner but larger version. I definitely recommend making this in a cast iron skillet to keep it from sticking. You can take the basic recipe and add any vegetables, cheeses or herbs that you like.

1 small red bell pepper

1 small onion

5 eggs

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup soft goat cheese

several leaves of fresh basil

Turn on the oven to 400'. Cut the pepper into thin slices and cut those slices in half if they are too long. Thinly slice the onion. Crack the eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and beat until frothy. Place your skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is warm, drop in the butter. After the butter melts, drop in the onions and saute until very lightly caramelized. Add the peppers and saute for a minute. Pour in the eggs. Gently make sure the vegetables are evenly distributed. Crumble the cheese over the top. Rip the basil leaves into smaller pieces and sprinkle on. Continue cooking the frittata on the stove until the sides are lightly browned and pull away slightly from the skillet (2-3 minutes). Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the frittata has puffed up and is completely cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Favorite Fall Recipes

2011-09-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

I just ate my first fall apple. Late in the apple season, I know, but there were lots of peaches in early September. It was a Cortland, one of my favorite kinds, with just enough tart to balance the sweet and juicy only the way a fall apple can be. I do keep eating apples well into the winter, but they just aren't the same as the crunchy red and green fruit that I eat as the sun warms the cool autumn air. The leaves have gone from deep green to golden and many are starting to fall.

Along with all of the nostalgia that comes with the new season, I've noticed that I return to favorite fall recipes. They aren't anything fancy, but they require ingredients that are best this time of year. There are a few recipes that I forget about until late September. I might only make them once or twice this season but somehow I always remember them right around this time. That's what I love about eating seasonally, the favorites that reappear when the ingredients are available.

Here are some of the fall recipes I love. Ginger pear upside-down cake. Tomatoes Filled with Rice. Acorn squash quesadillas (I like them with cranberry salsa) I'm sure there are more.... What are your favorite fall recipes?

Spaghetti Squash For Busy People

2011-09-28T08:35:00.001-04:00

It's been a busy few months, but I've probably mentioned that a few times, haven't I? Things are gradually slowing down. I can deal with lack of days off, being too tired, and not having time for spontaneity but I am realizing that being so busy is starting to take its toll.

I'm not here to complain, just to point out that when I have so little free time I feel like I am always trying to get somewhere that I just out of reach. I am the type of person who likes to do everything on my list before I can relax. I also happen to have several projects on top of my regular work schedule. All of this is making me too impatient. When I am waiting in line, I find myself unnecessarily frustrated at the slow person in front of me. Traffic is never fun, but lately I've been annoyed at all the red lights and impossible left turns that seem to keep me from every getting where I want to go. Now that I've noticed my impatience, I am trying to remember that waiting can be time for a little day dreaming, a moment of restfulness in the midst of another too full day.

When I'm in the kitchen, I don't feel the need to hurry. I may be hungry but cooking dinner never has to be rushed. Just having a few evenings a week at home to cook and then sit down at the table with Ray is a luxury these days. There have been nights when I've been too tired to think about cooking but usually planning and making dinner is an enjoyable priority. I listen to Marketplace, do the dishes, read my favorite blogs or write for this one while ingredients simmer or bake.

I am still having fun using the different vegetables I get from the farm. Last night I cooked spaghetti squash for the first time. I think it's strange that there is a squash whose flesh so resembles noodles. It makes me wonder which came first, spaghetti or spaghetti squash? Either way, I'm glad I tried it. The tangly strands of squash work well as a main dish with accompaniments and it isn't hard to find flavors that complement its not-too-sweet squashy flavor.

Easy Spaghetti Squash
Cooking the squash takes some time, but just throw it in the oven, set a timer, and do whatever else you need to do.

1 medium to large spaghetti squash
olive oil
one small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter (optional, but it adds a nice flavor)
6-8 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped
1/4 cup gruyere or parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place each half cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 30-60 minutes or until the squash can be easily poked with a fork. Or, cook it whole on a baking sheet -- you'll have to scoop out the seeds after it is cooked, but it only takes a second to get it in the oven. When it is done baking, let the squash cool until you can touch without burning yourself. Using a fork, scrap out the squash into spaghetti like strands.

In an oven-proof skillet heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until to begins to caramelize slightly. Add the garlic and butter if you are using it and continue cooking for another minute or two. Place the squash in the pan with the garlic and onions, sprinkle in the sage and stir everything so all of the ingredients are evenly combined. Stir in the cheese and continue cooking for 3-4 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place the skillet in the still hot oven and cook for 20 minutes more. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

A Pensive Autumn Mood

2011-09-22T11:59:00.001-04:00

After last week's frost, the autumn weather has been hanging around. Yesterday morning I stood under dark gray skies in a field of tawny golden dried grass (weeds gone to seed and then turned crisp and dry by the frost) and harvested the last of purple cabbages. Their color was so vibrant against the clouds which seem to intensify all of the hues of the day. While I cut each head of tightly connected leaves, I dreamed of our future farm, winters that will someday be warmed by a wood stove, and thought about the fullness of our cupboards even now.

As the season changes, I really can't help but join in the pensive mood that this time of year seems to bring. Working on a farm reinforces the sense of the cycle that happens each year. Planting seeds and seeing them through to harvest, filling and emptying jars, drawing inward, shutting windows, sleeping under heavier blankets as the cooler weather arrives and eventually throwing them off and opening things up to greet spring. I am reminded of past fall seasons and moments that happened under other dark autumn skies.

I also think about the season to come. Though it isn't necessary for me to stock up on food and warmth, I have been thinking about what else I should gather while this part of the world is still growing. Last week I said I was nearly done with canning, but 10 pounds of peaches that someone never picked up from the farm ended up in my kitchen last night. I had seen this recipe for peach butter here and here and I knew that was where they would go. I did not mind the warmth of the simmering peach butter or the pot of boiling water steaming up the kitchen windows.

All these preserves tucked away on the shelves are more than just pretty jars. It won't be long before I'll be opening them and using them as often as possible. The peach butter is a deep orange, the rusty color of a fall leaf, with a rich peachy flavor. Right away it begged to be spread on a buttery biscuit. So I whipped up a batch as quickly as possible and ate most of them right away, too. These are simple biscuits with a very buttery flavor. They are ideal for enjoying homemade jam or peach butter while gazing out the window in a pensive autumn mood.

Simple Buttermilk Biscuits
Adapted from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe
I usually prefer to mix doughs by hand rather than have to wash the bowl of the food processor, but these are so easy to mix in the food processor that I didn't mind washing it while they baked. You can, of course, mix them by hand.

2 cups (6 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter
2/3 cup cold buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400'. In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Process briefly to combine or, if mixing by hand, stir together in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into smaller pieces and add to the dry ingredients in the food processor. Pulse several times until the butter is broken up and the butter and flour are combined to resemble a coarse meal. Or cut the butter into the dry ingredients by hand until it resembles a coarse meal. With the food processor running, pour in the buttermilk and process just until the dough comes together. Or, by hand stir in the buttermilk until the dough comes together. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a circle about eight inches in diameter and about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the biscuits with a knife, a biscuit cutter, or a glass of the desired size. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the tops are light golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before eating.

Makes 8 to 10 medium sized biscuits.

Small Ways to Make a Difference

2011-09-19T09:18:00.001-04:00

Although I have been busy lately, I am thankful for the opportunities I have to do things that I love, to spend time with great people and to continue along on my path. I know that not everyone is so lucky, and safety, comfort, and normalcy can be taken away in an instant by forces way beyond their control. I'm not sure if it is because news and images from around the world are so quickly and readily available but sometimes it seems that there has been one tragedy after another -- from earthquakes to tornadoes, hurricanes and flooding that have interrupted or drastically changed people's lives.

Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am that I have remained safe from the harsh and indifferent forces of nature and even from much of the the cruelty of life. It can be hard to even comprehend what people near and far have had to go through. Because I have so much to be thankful for, I feel the importance of doing what I can to give back and perhaps make a very small difference in the face of something so big.

Last week El, from Fresh New England, wrote about Vermont and the devastation that hurricane Irene left to this small and beautiful state. El baked a beautiful Love Vermont fudge cake and asked others to do the same to show that we care about Vermont and other places that have been touched by disaster and tragedy. I really really wanted to bake, but this was a very busy week and I didn't have time to make something chocolatey and delicious. Fortunately, baking is not the only way we can help. El has created a page of other ways to show that we Love Vermont.

Although I have never seen some of the places affected by tragedy with my own eyes, I still wish I could help. Vermont, on the other hand, is a place that I know. Not all of it, but I will always fondly remember the time I spent as an apprentice in the market garden at Shelburne Farms. On the shores of Lake Champlain I got to know a part of beautiful green state, made some wonderful friends, and began my love of growing food and making everything from scratch. Now I think of my friends in Vermont and those places far away and hope that I can help in some small way.

In thinking about the challenges that people and the world face, I have come to believe that we all must find what truly brings us joy and in doing that, living that, we will make the world a better place. I have recently come across other projects that bloggers have created to make a difference where their passion lies such as this book and this website. Whether you choose to bake, share food with someone in need, volunteer, make a donation, there are so many ways to help and to bring more joy the the world.

The Rhythm of the Seasons

2011-09-15T15:31:00.000-04:00

I spent most of yesterday harvesting crops that wouldn't survive the freeze we got last night. We cut all the winter squash from their vines placed them in long piles and covered them so they could make it through the cold night. After working hard all summer, I've reached the point where it is okay to harvest the last of the tomatoes and cucumbers. While I'm not quite ready for months and months of cold weather, I'm not opposed to the slowing down that I hope will come with it.

I think my preserving is also winding down for the season, and that is a fine thing. This week I made some dilly beans, tomato jam, and a few more cans of whole tomatoes. This morning I visited a berry farm and picked raspberries to make jam.

In the chill of yesterday morning, I was thinking about how I wish I could soak up the sun's warmth while it is still around and save it for the cold days of winter. The closest I can come to that is all the jars of summer fruits and vegetables. I have made a great effort this year to stow away as much as I can in jars and it has been a lot of rewarding work. I love that this is part of the rhythm of the seasons and I am looking forward to this transition from a season of warmth and abundance to one that lets me slow down and find more time for things inside and inside myself.

What is the season like where you are? Are you ready for the transition that comes this time of year?

Saturday Farmers' Market

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

I spent Saturday morning at the Northeast Minneapolis Farmers' Market selling my wares. It was a beautiful morning to be at the market.

The piles of vegetables and buckets of flowers never cease to delight my eyes. Though I've seen them at so many markets before, I can't resist trying to capture these images again.

We've had gorgeous weather lately. This week started out hot and summery, but a cold front has come through and there is talk of frost on later in the week. After all the subtle changes that mark summer's slow leave-taking the frost is a harsh reminder that of course this season won't last. There will still be warm days and plenty to harvest even if the cold nips the summer vegetables away but not for too much longer. All the more reason to bask in what we've got, whether it is t-shirts and sandals or boots and a wool sweater.

While at the market, I couldn't resist picking up a large watermelon and another box of tomatoes some of which will become jam. What have you been doing to capture the end of summer or welcome fall?

The Taste of a Fresh Summer Peach

2011-09-09T14:50:00.003-04:00

I am enamored with fruits and vegetables. Hanging heavy from tree branches or bushes, ripening from green to red in the warm sun, piled in a bowl, chopped on a cutting board, or tucked away in a jar. This is before they even get to my plate.

Peaches, though -- peaches! Piled into a wooden bowl, ripening in the morning sunlight. Golden flesh covered in a softly blushing fuzzy skin. They are sweet and juicy and decadent like the long lasting, utilitarian apple could never be. I am happy to eat these peaches, even though they are a gorgeous still life which I don't want to disturb.

Luckily I have more. I received a box of 25 organic Colorado peaches last week. The farm where I work offers shares of other delicacies besides the vegetables we grow, so every other week I take home my fruit share in a box. The fruit is collected from organic farms all over the country. Often it is a selection of mixed fruit, but sometimes we get just one thing: blueberries, cherries, or, last week, peaches.

When you have fruit that is nearly perfect, it is a luxury to enjoy it in abundance. The peaches need no adornment, and I've eaten many just as they are. It is almost silly to tamper with them, but I couldn't resist adding a little cream and crust to these lovely fruits.

I baked these rustic, individual tarts with my favorite gallette dough and a hint of mascarpone.The crust is buttery, tender and flaky. I was inspired by this recipe to make mascarpone cheese and pair it with the peaches. The cheese is an easy way to transform cream into something even better. I was glad to learn another easy fresh cheese, which will come in handy this winter. While these tartlets are not an option year round, I will certainly be making mascarpone again, even when I can only remember the taste of a fresh summer peach.

Rustic Peach Tartlets
The crust is a gallete dough adapted from Deborah Madison.

For the crust:
2 cups (8 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) cold, unsalted butter
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and drop them into the flour. Using your hands, a fork, or a pastry blender cut the butter into smaller pieces and mix it with the flour until the whole thing resembles a coarse meal, with some pieces of butter pea-size or occasionally larger. Sprinkle the ice water on top, a tablespoon at a time, and toss the mixture to combine. When you can bring the dough together without loose flour, press it into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

For the filling:
1 cup mascarpone cheese (follow Ashley's recipe to make your own, it's fun and easy!)
2 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
3-4 ripe peaches

Preheat the oven to 350'

Mix the mascarpone, egg yolks (save the whites for brushing on the crust), vanilla and 2 tablespoons of sugar together until smooth.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Put 5 of the pieces back in the fridge. Take one piece, flatten it into a round disk and on a lightly floured non-stick surface (I use a silpat, but parchment works well, too) roll the dough until it is about 6-inches in diameter and roughly round. Slice one peach in half, and slice each half into thin wedges, about 8 per half. Spoon two tablespoons of the mascarpone filling onto the center of the rolled out dough. Arrange the peach slices so they overlap with each other and form a circle in the center of the dough (depending on the size of the peach, you'll use about half a peach per tart-let). There should be 1/2 inch to an inch of dough beyond the edge of the fruit.

Fold the edges of the dough over the peaches to create the edge of the tart. The folded sides will overlap. Gently press the dough together where it overlaps to contain the peaches and filling. Dip a pastry brush in the egg whites and coat the top of the crust. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar over the dough and peaches. Repeat this process for the rest of the dough. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Makes six individual sized rustic tarts.

A Little Adventure

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

It was a somewhat rainy weekend for camping, but perfect for taking a leisurely hike, having a picnic lunch and reading a new book in our cozy tent. Fortunately the rain let up so we could be mesmerized by a campfire, eat smores, and enjoy the company of good friends. I hope you enjoyed your weekend. I'll be back soon with a new recipe!

2011-09-02T08:50:00.001-04:00

We spent an evening at the Minnesota State Fair this week. It was a lovely summer night, perfect for riding our bikes over to the fairgrounds. Last year was the first time we went and we got to see the butter sculptures, animals, horse antics and feel overwhelmed by how many people were there.

This time it was slightly less crowded. We walked around, took in the sights and ate. No deep fried cookie dough, but we did have some corn on the cob, fried cheese curds and apple pie! This afternoon we're leaving to go camping for a couple of days. I'm loving the chance to enjoy more summer activities. I hope you get a chance, too!

Quinoa Chickpea and Summer Vegetable Salad

2011-08-31T07:00:00.004-04:00

I'm sitting in the kitchen as I write this. It's raining a little bit outside and I have the kitchen window closed, maybe for the first time this month. When I got home from working on the farm, I took a shower and it felt so good to warm up in the hot water, a simple pleasure and a great luxury. More zucchini baked goods are in the oven and I still have over-large squash left in the refrigerator drawer.

There are apples near the other kitchen window, which is open, and they smell like everything good about fall. They are from my co-worker's neighbor's tree, but I haven't touched them since she gave them to me a week ago. I've been wanting to take in more summer fruit before I start on apples. There is a round, dark green watermelon from the farm on the counter, also untouched. With todays' weather apples would be the choice, but I know there are still more watermelon days to come.

Despite my ramble, I came here to share a salad with you. Fall may be hinted at here and there, but I assure you there are still fresh, summer salads in your future. This one is just right for the time when it is too hot or you are too tired to make much of dinner. You can easily throw it together, but the bright red tomatoes and shiny green cucumbers are dressed up by the quinoa clinging like jewels to everything in the bowl.

This salad originally featured grilled sourdough bread. After trying that the first time, I decided to replace it with chickpeas for something more nutritious that wouldn't get soggy if we didn't eat it all right away. The thing I love about this salad is that it isn't dressed, but mixed with chopped herbs, garlic and a bit of oil and vinegar. All of the ingredients add their own flavors and blend well together. I can't take credit for it, the recipe comes from Plenty but here is my version.

Quinoa, Chickpea, and Summer Vegetable Salad
Adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

1/4 cup quinoa
4 ripe medium tomatoes
1-2 medium cucumbers, unpeeled
1 cup cooked (or canned) chickpeas
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped mint
2 tablespoons chopped parsely
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, crushed and minced
salt and pepper

Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil, add the quinoa and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or until the quinoa is tender. Rinse under cold water to cool.

Dice the tomatoes into 3/4 inch pieces. Cut the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and then slice across them at 1/4 inch intervals, to create many small pieces. Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, and red onion in a bowl. Add the cilantro, mint, parsley, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Toss all of the ingredients to combine. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Makes more than enough for 2 as a meal and plenty for 4 if you are serving it with other dishes.

Finally Something New

2011-08-29T07:09:00.000-04:00

It has been quite a while, but at long last I have added some new items to my shop. I made a bag for my friend Lora who is starting law school this fall and then I made a few more. I use my bag year round but it's always fun to think of a new bag (and pencils and books) in the fall whether you are starting school or not. In my mind it is still thoroughly summer, but the mornings are cooler and I think about sweaters, applesauce and the way the sunlight filters through the leaves in September.

I haven't had a lot of time to sew this summer, but here are the new bags that I recently finished and added to my shop.

In the little spare time I have had, I've been doing tons of preserving. Last weekend I canned 21 pints of salsa. This past week I sealed lots of whole tomatoes into jars, made tomato paste, froze corn and turned plums into jam and a Chinese-style sauce. I've also been reading and really enjoying Blood Bones and Butter and managed to get to the library recently for some more new books.

This has probably been my busiest summer ever, work-wise. Between my two jobs I've had very few days off so I am really looking forward to going camping for two days at the end of this week. I just got a new selection of beautiful fabric and hope to work on more bags, aprons and placemats soon!

More than Enough to Go Around

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

This is not a light and airy cake. You won't need to tip toe past the oven for fear it will fall while baking. A slice of it on your plate is not delicate and spongy, but that doesn't mean it should be passed by. What do you expect from a cake made with such a sturdy, practical and slightly clunky vegetable as the zucchini? True, there are plenty of perfect small squash with delicate, smooth skin. Whether or not they are the envy of their overgrown siblings, I'm not sure, but I certainly prefer the more utilitarian zucchinis. The ones that can be grilled, shredded, frozen and baked into cakes because there is more than enough to go around. A big, slightly awkward squash means that I should bake a chocolate zucchini cake soon.

I make it once every summer, but not much more often. I found the original recipe from a housemate's copy of the Horn of the Moon Cookbook, but I've carried around my adapted version, jotted on a pink piece of paper for several years now. The slip of paper was tucked into the pages of another cookbook and I lost it for a while, but it fluttered out sometime this spring.

This chocolate zucchini cake is dense, full of chocolate, and moist from the shredded squash. It is a sturdy cake, for carrying to a picnic, a camping trip or dividing into slices for filling lunch boxes. You can also cut it with the tender care that should not be reserved only for cakes of the light and airy sort. Place this slice, slightly warm, on a plate next to a cool smooth scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I won't even try to tell you that the zucchini makes it healthy, but I love that this is a seasonal chocolate cake that celebrates abundance!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
I know the original recipe came from the Horn of the Moon Cookbook (or maybe its sequel, Beyond the Moon), but this is my adapted version. I baked it in a 9-inch springform pan -- it is a fairly large cake so use a pan of the equivalent size or two smaller pans if you want to make a rich, dense layer cake.

3 cups whole wheat pastry flur
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup butter
1 cup honey
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini or summer squash
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa. In a separate bowl beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the honey and beat to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Slowly stir in half the dry ingredients. Pour in the milk and continue to stir slowly. After the milk is mixed in, add the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips (if you are using them.) Pour into buttered and floured pan and bake at 350' for one hour or until the middle of the cake feels solid and springs back when gently pressed. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it to cool until ready to eat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Summer Pizzas

2011-08-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Homemade pizza is always good. With summer's plethora of fresh ingredients it could not be better. It might not be the first thing you want to make on a warm summer evening, but on a rainy night you might not mind turning on the oven, or you could cook it on top of the grill.

I recently made two thrilling pizza discoveries. The first is probably common knowledge, but I accidentally found that after the dough has been refrigerated for a few days, it becomes a chewier crust, akin to what comes out of the wood fired oven at our favorite pizza place. My other recent find was the combination of beets and goat cheese. With sweet crunch of the thinly sliced root with the tangy cream of the cheese, the nearly perfect crust almost doesn't matter.

On a rainy night last week, with dough ready and waiting, I threw together these pizzas. I brushed the crust of one with balsamic vinaigrette and topped it with mozzarella, goat cheese and thinly sliced beets. The other I covered with slow roasted tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, I added fresh basil when it came out of the oven.

Make summer pizza! I made this crust recipe but used white whole wheat flour and refrigerated it for two days (it should be fine in the fridge for up to a week). The rest is up to you.

How to Make Your CSA Share Dissappear in 2 Hours or Less*

2011-08-17T07:00:00.003-04:00

You don't have to be a magician or host to hordes of hungry people. You don't even have to have a share of a CSA, but on Monday I came home from work with a pile of vegetables before I went to bed (early) they were nearly all gone. Well, not gone for good, just put to better use than they were just hanging out in the refrigerator. If you have produce piling up, or if you realize that last week's fennel is on top of fennel from the week before that, and you've got another fennel in your share this week, here are a few of the ways I make the most of this problem.

I arrive home at 5.30 or 6, hungry and toting a bag of produce. Cucumbers, onions, cauliflower, corn, basil, tomatoes, beans. I do my best to plan meals around what I get from the farm, but I have some of my share left over from last week and Ray will be gone most of this week, so I'd like to take care of it before I have any more vegetables languishing in the crisper. Don't even bother putting away this week's haul, just make dinner while devising a plan for lots of blanching, freezing and even a quick pickle.

Before you get to work, if you have the right ingredients, make these corn fritters. The sweet corn of summer is the absolute star of this meal, but the basil and cheese are perfect in their supporting roles. While I make the fritters, I steam the rest of the corn. We haven't gotten sick of corn yet, but whatever we don't eat for dinner will be cut off the cob and frozen. In the kitchen, I'm a pretty serious multi-tasker and as the corn and fritters cook, I cut cherry tomatoes, onions and cilantro. They are quickly tossed with lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper. I love salsa and the fresh variety is such a treat that I make it whenever the season permits.

By the way, when it comes to summer tomatoes, eat them fresh (alone or with anything else you please) until you are sick of them. If that time comes, please roast some of them slowly in the oven. When you savor their concentrated tomato flavor, you won't regret it. They take little effort and freeze beautifully.

After dinner, it's time to get serious. I started with a pound of green beans. Not a lot, but enough to tuck into the freezer for a winter dinner or two. While they blanch and cool, I cut up two heads of cauliflower. I love roasted cauliflower, but lately I've been distracted by the flashier summer vegetables. I don't want to keep it waiting any longer so I blanch the cauliflower and save it for stews and curries when the weather turns cool. If you are wondering about how to blanch and freeze vegetables, this website is very helpful.

Those three bulbs of fennel? Perfect for salads or slaws or for the fennel confit that I made, inspired by a recipe in Put Em Up, by Sherrie Brooks Vinton. The basil is whirred into a puree and another jar of pesto goes into the freezer. While the fennel finishes slowly cooking to a jam-ish consistency, I fill an empty quart jar with cucumbers, garlic and pickling spice. Hot water, vinegar, salt and sugar turn extra cucumbers into quick refrigerator pickles. All that's left are a couple of zucchini, onions and cucumbers looking lonely without the rest of the produce. They'll be used up soon enough.

You probably have your own tricks and techniques for making the most of summer vegetables. I hope you don't think me too crazy for sharing my kitchen whirlwind. I just want you to know that it doesn't take a lot of time to make sure you have some of the goodness of summer tucked away. I tend to do several preserving projects at once, but you could just as well do a few minutes here and there. Even if you make a feast and eat it all right away, I hope you can make time for this good food now.

*Doesn't include time for eating dinner, also doesn't include doing the dishes which your roommate, husband, girlfriend, partner or anyone else but you should take care of.

P.S. This post would be the perfect place for lots of photos. I love taking pictures of lovely food and lovely messes, but I was so busy getting it done that I didn't have a chance to get many pictures. And, though it is terribly sad, the earlier sunset makes good light in the evening harder to come by.

The Light

2011-08-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

I think it was Wednesday evening, I was in the kitchen and looked out the window. A golden light drenched the wild grape leaves climbing over my neighbor's fence. I went outside with the camera, partly to grasp that beautiful moment, partly because I've been learning more about how to use this light capturing tool and I wanted to practice. I was going to post one of the photos here and write about how in this busy busy summer, that moment of light reminded me not only to slow down, but to focus more on the here and now, no matter how busy I am.

Then, I temporarily forgot about the photos and reformatted the camera's memory card, deleting what I had tried to capture the day before. So, there you have it. That fleeting moment is gorgeously captured in my mind, though I don't have the photo to share with you here. I've noticed that the daylight is changing, we don't see sunlight until much later in the morning and it disappears earlier in the evening each day. Summer hasn't left yet, but it will slip by much faster than I want it to, or realize. I love having time to pause and linger over a meal, or a patch of sunlight. It doesn't happen enough, but I'm trying to remember to appreciate the various parts of the day.

Enjoy the light, wherever you are!

A World of Flavors

2011-08-09T07:00:00.002-04:00

Remember my little container garden? I have a few cucumbers, some not yet ripe cherry tomatoes, and herbs. I realized, better late than never, that the mint, sage, and rosemary should be cut back. I trimmed some of their leggy growth which has encouraged the plants to branch out and they seem healthier already.

My pots of herbs aren't flourishing as much as they would in a sunnier spot, but I want to make sure
to use them as much as I can. I have picked lots of basil leaves to I rip up and toss into salads. The green leaves blend in with the rest of the vegetables but a bite with basil is vibrant surprise. It only takes a few clay pots to grow a world of flavors. Though my selection this year isn't very exotic, I still have leaves and stems in several shapes, sizes, and textures. I toss them with abandon into all kinds of dishes for their individual influence on the meal.

Though using fresh herbs is a kitchen adventure, I am also drying some to use after the frost and lack of daylight rob me of my plants. I don't have enough to dry large amounts, but I don't use large quantities of dried herbs anyway. If you don't have a garden, but you buy fresh herbs to use for cooking, you can dry what is left over to use later.

I tied up some oregano and thyme which will help turn jars of tomatoes into sauce for pizza and pasta this winter. To dry them, I hang small bundles in a well-ventilated (but not breezy) area away from direct sunlight. If you have a large bunch of herbs you can put them in a paper bag and tie up the stems and the bag's opening. This will keep them dust free and catch any leaves that may fall as they dry. Once the herbs are totally dry, I crumble them into a clean empty spice jar.

I've been making and freezing basil pesto but I am intrigued by this recipe for sage pesto. My sage plant is still small, but if you have a lot of sage, here are 45 things to do with it. I have been wanting to try making more homemade sodas and these honey herb and cherry basil sodas would be a new way for me to use the herbs I have. I wish I had more time to use my herbs creatively, but at least I can admire them on my way in and out of our apartment.

How do you use fresh herbs?

Black Bean and Summer Vegetable Salad

2011-08-04T16:33:00.000-04:00

Making dinner in the summer can be so easy. Even if it's too hot to cook or I barely have time, I don't have to do much work when I have summer vegetables in the fridge. With my CSA share, I don't even have to think about which vegetables to use, I just have to decide the best ways to use what I've got.

Though improvising and tossing ingredients together is the way I most often make dinner, I am trying to remember to flip through the pages of a cookbook once in a while. I turn to cookbooks for meal ideas more often in winter when I have the time and the desire to turn on the stove. So many recipes are best, though, with good produce which needs to be used now. I've been looking at Plenty, Supernatural Cooking, and Local Flavors to make sure I don't miss the chance to make something really good when all of the ingredients are in season.

The recipe I have here today is something that I throw together regularly. It's one of our favorite summer salads which didn't come from a cookbook and hardly requires a recipe. I wanted to share it because it takes minutes to put together and can be used in so many ways. It's basically a mess of black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, corn and, to get a bit exotic, avocado and lime juice. Eat it as is, wrap it in a tortilla or a leaf of lettuce, or scoop it up with a chip.

What are your favorite summer meals?

Black Bean Salad
I guess this is a salad, but the first time I made it we ate it in taco shaped lettuce leaves with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. When I made it earlier this week, I needed a more substantial meal, so we had it with whole wheat tortillas. I think it is hard to go wrong with these ingredients, so use as much or as little of each as you like and toss in anything else you want.

2-3 ears of sweet corn
2 cups cooked black beans
1-2 tomatoes or 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper

Slice the kernels off the sweet corn cobs with a sharp knife (hold the cob upright with one hand and carefully slice the kernels off, moving the knife downwards. Doing this in a bowl keeps the kernels from going everywhere). Combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, avocado and lime juice in a bowl. Toss to distribute everything evenly. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Adjust flavors and vegetable amounts as desired.

Makes a large bowlful. Serves 2-3 as a meal, 4-6 as a side.

Preserving Summer

2011-08-02T07:00:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago, on one of the hottest days of July, I got out of work a little bit earlier than I had expected. At nine o'clock the sun was going down, but the air outside refused to cool off. The weather would not deter me -- even before I got home I had plans for the extra hours I had gained. The raspberries I had picked up at the farmers' market earlier in day couldn't wait, they had to be jam.

The kitchen was steamy even before I put my canning pot on to boil. Ray gladly kept to the slightly cooler parts of our apartment, but then I realized I didn't have quite enough sugar. As Ray went out to get some more, I sighed as I was reminded of how lucky I am to have my heat-averse husband indulge my obsession with preserving. I felt a little crazy to be boiling water and making sticky jam that night, but this summer I am doing my best to seize the moments that are available.

Summer can be so busy and there are always so many picnics, bike rides, sunsets, ice cream cones and recipes that I try to fit in as I am able. So too with canning and preserving projects. If my schedule allows I'll make a day of it, but usually I am pouring summer into jars for a few hours in the evening or an afternoon when there is time. I made cherry and black pepper preserves after work last Sunday. As I write, half pints of apricot rosemary jam are in their water bath. I like to think that the time I am taking now, in hours here and there, will mean cozy winter afternoons with plenty of full jars and no need to leave the house.

I can't quite explain my love of preserving. It goes beyond the logic of wanting to save the bounty of summer and gets intertwined with my need to be deeply connected to my food. Though I will give many of these jars away, I also suspect that my canning is a bit selfish and greedy. I want to snatch up the colors and flavors of summer and keep them long after the ground is frozen and branches are bare.

At its simplest, I am making fruits and vegetables last longer than they ever would in the field. But, I've realized that preserving connects to two things that I often come back to in life -- creating (and through creating, transforming) and potential. A perfect ripe tomato is an amazement and needs nothing more. Yet, combine it with peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro and spices and this salsa is something else entirely. A jar of tomatoes is more than just a full jar, it will be part of meals months after the fruit reached perfect ripeness. Tucking away these full jars is, for me, making the most of summer while knowing that some of this vibrant season will still be there in the months to come.

P.S. August 13th is Can-It-Forward Day. If anyone local wants to join my in my kitchen to learn about or practice canning, email me!

Don't Fear the Zucchini

2011-07-28T11:38:00.000-04:00

Are you enjoying your summer produce? Whether it comes from a farmers' market, a super market, a CSA share or your own back yard, I hope you are finding and enjoying the abundance of fruit and vegetables that are thriving this summer. At the farm we are harvesting a wide variety of crops, spending hours picking beans, choosing the best ears of corn to harvest, and finding plenty of summer squash.

Zucchini, yellow squash, patty pans, and other types of summer squash are growing abundantly. By mid-summer the plants are huge. Spiny stems up to my waist, leaves big enough to make a good rain hat. The yellow and black cucumber beetles buzz around and eat as much as they can, but they can no longer destroy the squash plants that have become a jungle of leaves and stems. One or two plants that seemed so little in the spring can produce more squash than a family might care to eat in a week. If you turn your back for too long you will have baseball bats where innocent green squash once grew.

Don't fear the zucchini*. After you have grilled it, sauteed it, baked it into bread and chocolate cake (what better excuse to make a chocolate cake than zucchini that needs to get used up?) you can hide it in your freezer for a while. Without a garden of my own, I don't have a zucchini problem, but I usually make a point of freezing a few before the season is over. Simply grate them up and freeze the grated squash in an airtight container. For very large over grown squash, I cut the flesh away from the very seedy middle, discard the seeds and grate up the flesh. If you have a food processor with a grater attachment that makes the process even faster.

You can use the grated zucchini for baking in the middle of winter, letting the heat of the oven remind you of the hot day in the garden or at the market, when you picked the zucchini that ended up in your freezer. I also use the grated squash to make savory pancakes. If you aren't sick of summer squash yet, I recommend you make these quick cakes while summer is still here so you can eat them topped with fresh salsa or the watermelon salad below.

*I am using zucchini and summer squash interchangeably. While there may be subtle differences in taste, I think most summer squash is pretty much the same and can be used for the same purposes.

Zucchini and or Summer Squash Pancakes
I make these with very simple ingredients, but there are endless possibilities. You could add some cheddar or feta cheese, herbs, or other grated veggies. I usually make the cakes big enough so that each person gets 2 or 3 for a meal, but you could also make them into bite sized appetizers. Be sure to drain the squash well, especially if it has been frozen.

2-3 medium summer squash (about 8 inches long) to yield about 4 cups grated
1 small onion, diced
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper

Grate the squash. Place it in a colander and gently press as much liquid out of it as you can. In a bowl, mix the squash with the onion, egg, and flour. Add salt and pepper.

Place a skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add clarified butter or coconut oil to grease the pan. Scoop about half a cup to a cup (depending on how many and how big you want the cakes to be) of the batter onto the pan. The batter shouldn't spread much and I have a large skillet, so I usually cook four cakes at a time. Cook for about three minutes, then flip. The cooked side should be golden brown. Cook for about three minutes on the other side, flip again if not done to your liking. Continue this process until all of the batter is make into cakes.

Makes about eight 3-inch cakes. Serve topped with fresh salsa, watermelon salad, lemongrass creme fraiche or other topping of your choice.

Watermelon Salad
Like all summer salads, this is a celebration of what is fresh and available. I made it one night with cucumbers and mint, and another time with basil. I'll give you the basics and you can go from there.

4-6 cups cubed watermelon
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced across
1 medium onion, diced
several leaves of basil or mint, torn into small pieces
1 cup crumbled feta
1-2 tablespoons lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Adjust ingredients and flavors as you desire.

Summer Festivities

2011-07-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

My brother, Stuart, and sister, Natalie were visiting for a few days last week. I took them to see some of the local sights.

We went swimming, grilled vegetables and polenta (so good when it gets nice and crispy), ate dinner outside, ate ice cream, played games, and I got to be a bit of tourist in the place where I live.

On Saturday we rented a couple of bikes for them from Nice Ride and pedaled to the Tour de Fat. They tried out all of the crazy bicycles in what amounted to a bicycle side show. It was really nice to have them here, even during the hot hot weather. I loved having a few days off to enjoy summer and spend time with my sibling visitors.

Last night Ray and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary. We tried grilling pizza for the first time. It did not come out perfectly, but it tasted really good. We ate on the steps outside our back door, enjoying the evening light and neighborhood sounds. While we ate the pizza, a cherry and blueberry crisp baked on the grill's residual heat. Ah, summer evenings! I'm soaking them in as much as I can before they disappear.

How have you been enjoying summer?

Imperfect, but Joyful

2011-07-21T08:56:00.000-04:00

Here's the thing: I love food. I love creating with food and making something out of scattered ingredients. I love taking inventory of what I have on hand and creating a delicious dinner. I love harvesting new onions and the smell of the soil mixed with their onion scent, mud dripping onto my shirt as I carry them out of the field. Picking basil while its heady scent fills the air, crunching into a cucumber seconds after it has been picked, and transforming milk into tart yogurt.

I love making and sharing food here. This creative process for me is very imperfect, but joyful. Challenging but nourishing in so many ways. Honestly, though I'm not sure what shape it will take, I've realized more and more that growing and creating food is what I hope to make my life's work.

You'll notice that my offering today is a little lopsided. The cardamom ginger ice cream was soft and spreadable when I sandwiched it between two ginger molasses cookies (also it was at least 90 outside and probably 80 in the kitchen, not to mention the humidity). They didn't freeze into the dreamy perfect ice cream sandwiches that I imagined when I thought of making them. They did make for just the right treat on another very hot evening, complete with sticky fingers and dripping ice cream here and there.

Sometimes, I wish I was a perfectionist. When it comes to creating I am never as focused on the perfect result as on the process, messy though it can be. I could hand you an ice cream sandwich and, most likely, you would appreciate the cool sweet gingery cream tucked between the chewy cookie layers. We would enjoy the summer evening and not even notice if it was lopsided or dripping a bit. When it comes to creating something edible, how it tastes is crucial but to taste it on this screen looks matter even more. I can always throw myself into creating without thinking twice, but my skills at executing (and photographing) the best of what I have made often fall short.

I have a strong desire to learn more about cooking and writing and photography (and sewing and farming) which I will work to fulfill. Still, for me, it is always about the process. This seems to take a meandering path, a winding road that doesn't go directly from one point to another and I can't always see what is around the next bend.

For now, we have cardamom ginger ice cream sandwich cookies. I had some frozen ginger molasses cookie dough that needed to be baked and decided that they should be paired with ice cream. I love ginger and a hint of cardamom, so I thought that would be the right match for the cookies. The recipe takes a bit of time, but a few of these in the freezer will make a heatwave a little more bearable.

Ginger Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies
This ginger molasses cookie is perfect for making these ice cream sandwiches (but you can use your favorite recipe, too). The ice cream does not need the cookies, it is great on its own (the cookies are too) but they both go well together. Although I love the simple smooth cardamom ginger ice cream, it would also be really good with some chopped crystallized ginger stirred in (maybe 1/4 cup?).

There are several steps in the process of making the ice cream and the cookies, but you can make and freeze the cookies one day and make the ice cream another day. I like to refrigerate my ice cream bases overnight so they freeze well in my ice cream mixer. Once you have mixed the ice cream, freeze it for a couple of hours but take it out and spread it on the cookies before it gets too hard. Freeze the ice cream sandwiches until the ice cream is solid and then enjoy!

Cardamom Ginger Ice Cream
I adapted this recipe from David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream recipe.

1 cup whole milk
1 pinch salt
3/4 cup sugar
3 cardamom pods
1-2 inch piece of ginger root
2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks

Heat the milk, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan. Grate the ginger root and add it and the cardamom pods to the milk. When the mixture is hot but not close to boiling, remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for one hour (if you are leaving it for longer than an hour, keep cold in the fridge). After the cardamom and ginger have infused the milk, strain out the cardamom pods and grated ginger.

Place a 2 quart bowl into a larger bowl that is filled with water and ice. Place a strainer on top of the bowl and pour in the cream. Whisk the egg yolks together. Rewarm the milk and pour a small amount into the egg yolks, whisking the yolks constantly. Add a little bit more of the milk and continue whisking the yolks. Pour the egg yolks into the saucepan of infused milk and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to keep the eggs from over cooking. When the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat and pour it through the strainer into the bowl of cream. Stir to combine and refrigerate it until you are ready to mix the ice cream according to the instructions on your ice cream maker.

Scapes

2011-07-19T07:37:00.000-04:00

Have you tried garlic scapes? They sprout out of the stem of hard-neck varieties of garlic curling into an illegible alphabet of stems. In the northern United States, garlic is planted in the fall and begins to sprout in the early spring. Sometime in June the scapes shoot up. Eventually this stem will blossom in the garlic's "flower" and produce tiny little bulblets of garlic. These can be planted and will grow into small garlic plants, but usually individual garlic cloves are planted to become next year's crop.

Back to these scapes. They are sweet and garlicky and easy to snap off the stem. Harvesting the scapes helps the garlic plant focus on growing a larger bulb instead of producing a flower. At the CSA where I work we spent a whole morning picking the scapes off the garlic plants. Since then, all of the members have been taking home handfuls of these twisted green stems each week. When the scapes are cooked, their flavor becomes less spicy but still pleasantly garlicky and sweeter than the flavor of a clove.

I recently picked up a copy of Put Em Up by Sherrie Brooks Vinton which is a fun and informative book about different preserving techniques and recipes. One of the sections that convinced me I needed the book was the chapter of recipes for ramps and scapes. I had more scapes than I could imagine using soon and was glad to try Sherrie's recipe for garlic scapes in oil. For me, preserving food is part obsession, part experiment. Each year I try new things that I haven't frozen, canned or fermented before.

Scapes are only available for a short part of the season which is a good reason to enjoy them while they last. If, however, you have more than enough and want to make them last even longer this recipe is a fast way to keep garlic scapes in the freezer to throw in future soups, stir fries, or scrambled eggs.

Garlic Scapes in Oil
Adapted from Put Em Up by Sherrie Brooks Vinton
If you are freezing the scapes, you can spoon the cooked into ice cube trays to create small blocks of frozen scapes (once they are frozen, transfer to an airtight container). I usually put the scapes into a large plastic freezer bag and flatten the scapes into a thin layer. It is easy to break off the amount that I need this way, too.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups finely chopped garlic scapes

Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the oil to the skillet and once the pan is hot, pour in the the scapes. Saute over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the scapes are cooked but not too soft. Remove from heat and let cool. Store in the fridge for a few days or freeze for several months.

Creative Process Interview with El from Fresh New England

2011-07-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

If you haven't seen the beautiful blog, Fresh New England, you need to go admire the lovely photos and amazing recipes. When I first contacted El about participating in my creative process series she was busy getting ready to launch Fresh Photography. Now that she has a bit more time to talk about her work, I am so happy to share the process and thoughts of another talented creative woman.

If you haven't seen it, don't forget to check out the rest of the series here. And thanks again, El, for sharing your thoughts!

First tell us a little bit about yourself and your creative pursuits. I’m the founder and creator of the website Fresh New England, the dessert blog Fresh and the owner and principal photographer at Fresh Photography. These outlets allow me to express my love and passion for New England’s local farms and food producers through cooking, baking and photographing food made with fresh, local ingredients. My photography also helps regional food businesses, chefs, farmers, restauranteurs and authors put their best foot forward and promote their work to the general public.

In terms of my background, I studied art and began baking in childhood and I’ve refined my skills through both formal and informal education as well as travel. In addition to these pursuits, I have several advanced degrees and have worked in the communication and business fields for many years. I’m fortunate because every aspect of my work, be it baking, photography, teaching or consulting informs the other and inspires me to take my skills to the next level. I love what I do - especially when it comes to making food taste sensational and look beautiful.

Tell us a little bit about your work space. What do you like about? What would you change about it if you could? Most of my food photography and styling is done in my home studio. Our house was built in 1865 and consequently the studio design is reflective of the Victorian era. The high ceilings, hardwood floors and marble fireplace make it a truly exceptional place to work and be inspired.

At minimum, my studio is a place for prop, equipment and chocolate storage. This is important because at any given time I can have 50 or more pounds of chocolate in the house. More importantly, however, the studio is where I write, work on my iMac, conduct lighting experiments, shoot and style food and edit photos. Unfortunately and all too frequently, it’s also where I eat my blog posts.

I love the space because it’s timeless and it’s elegant. I just feel good when I’m in it. It’s also close to the kitchen which is key when I need to create, style and then shoot a recipe.

It would be nice to have more natural light. But I suppose that’s more about changing the New England weather than changing my work space.

What motivates you to create? Art mostly. I spend a lot of time studying the masters and always find museums inspirational. I’m lucky living in New England because I can pretty much throw a stone
and hit a museum or gallery. What else? Often times the food itself is inspiring and evokes a feeling or memory that I want to capture with my camera. Food is very emotional for people, myself included, and it’s always interesting to trigger that emotion with a photograph.

What stalls or inhibits your creative process? Clutter and disorganization. Being neat and organized frees me up to concentrate on my art. It’s also important because food is pretty messy and the last thing I need is to get cake batter on my Nikon.

Can you talk about some things that you have learned from mistakes or failures? Of course. I’ve learned to embrace them. When I’m learning something new, I expect to make mistakes. Taking the time to learn something properly and from the ground up definitely reduces the likelihood of failure and that’s what I strive to do. But generally speaking, I don’t get upset about mistakes. No one is successful all the time. If you don’t fail, you’re not trying and you’re certainly not learning.

Do you ever have doubts about your creations or creative process? How do you keep them away? Typically, when I see people doubt their work, it’s because they’re comparing their work to the work of others. To me, that’s a waste of energy because everyone has a different skill set and everyone sees the world through a different lens.

If I see work I admire or a style I’d like to emulate I ask myself, “what skills would I have to learn in order to achieve that particular effect, result, etc.?” and then I set out to learn those skills. Taking the time to study, educate and discipline myself sets me free to reach my full potential both as an artist and a person. In the words of Epictetus, “First, say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” That’s pretty much it.

Kohlrabi and a Stir Fry Sauce

2011-07-14T09:08:00.000-04:00

Have you met kohlrabi? Not as photogenic as tomatoes, eggplants, even summer squash, it lies on the table looking a bit awkward and uncertain. Bringing one home might make you feel that way too. Stems and leaves stick out of the green orb that makes up most of this vegetable while you wonder what to do with it and even whether it came from this planet. Or, maybe, you already know that kohlrabi is a brassica, from the same family as broccoli, cabbage, kale, bok choi, radishes and arugula. It is amazing that such a variety of vegetables can grow from the tiny, dark brassica seeds that all look similar.

Don't fear -- an alien has not invaded your kitchen (I don't know why but these strange green vegetables -- they come in purple, too -- seem to me like something that might come from outer space). You will need a knife, however, to enjoy the crisp flesh that reminds me of the best flavors of broccoli and radishes combined. Cut it open, and slice off a piece. The outer skin is tough, but the inside is almost juicy. Although you may be tempted to ask what do I do with this thing? You have options.

Eaten right off the cutting board it's a snack. You can cut it as you like and add it to any salad, or feature it in this one. I used it in a stir fry, mixed with a few other brassica cousins. The crunchiness of the kohlrabi mellowed, but even in the mix I could still pick out the pale green slices.

Brassicas prefer cooler weather, so you may have already eaten your spring kohlrabi, or it might not appear at your farmers' market until the fall. This year is our first time with a CSA share which means that instead of picking out only the produce that we frequently eat, I get to try vegetables that I haven't spent much time with. This week I made a very green stir fry with garlic, broccoli, bok choi and kohlrabi. I mixed up a sauce to add some sweetness and spice to the vegetables and tofu that I served them with. I suspect it will go well with any vegetable/protein combo but especially with whichever seasonal vegetables you have in your kitchen.

Ginger Miso Stir Fry Sauce
You might remember miso from this dressing. It adds saltiness and depth of flavor to this sauce. I love the way the slight sweetness contrasts with the green vegetables, but you could use this on any sort of stir fry. The recipe makes about a half cup of sauce, which was just the right amount for the two-person stir fry I made. If you are stir-frying larger quantities, you can easily double the recipe.

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon miso
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Put all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine. Stir fry vegetables of your choice (and a protein if you wish, I used tofu) until just cooked. Turn off heat and pour in the sauce. Stir and toss to coat and flavor the stir fry.

Recently

2011-07-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't been doing much cooking, but we are finally grilling.

I have lots of veggies from the farm, but no recipes to share quite yet. Last night, with the help of the grill, we made a classic summer meal. I put lettuce, tomatoes, radishes and goat cheese in a salad. Watermelon, blueberries, grapes and mint in another salad. Some potatoes and the grilled vegetables made a feast of summer!

I haven't spent much time sewing recently, but I just finished two new aprons. I love the colors of the fabric and the veggies appliqued on it. I'll be at the HandmadeMN Summer Market in Saint Paul, MN this Saturday with these aprons and more.

I'm also working on a new bag for a friend. I might put a bird on it.

I've been short on time for working on projects, recently, but I will be back here soon with recipes and more to share.

Vegetable Still Life and Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-07-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

I've started bringing home my weekly share of produce from the farm. It is still early in the season and at this time of year the bag of newly harvested vegetables is a treasure chest of fresh tastes. New squash! peas! chard! garlic scapes! hardly need a recipe to make a meal. A quick saute or a few minutes on the grill and they can land on your plate ready to eat. I might toss them with whole wheat pasta or pile them onto polenta or quinoa. It's lovely in summer, when the days are long but so very full, that cooking can be so effortless. The vegetables speak for themselves and need little attention or adornment.

Some crops, like peas, last for only a few weeks and there is no chance for them to grow old. As the season goes on, though, other vegetables will lose their shiny new quality and I will start using them in more creative or complex recipes. Zucchini will be hardly worth admiring, let alone capturing in a still life, but the farm fresh variety will still have the advantage over any vegetable shipped to the grocery store. There are so many recipes that I ignore in the winter because they are far far better when the ingredients are in season locally. I will get to work on these soon, but for now I want to keep it very simple.

One of my favorite treatments for summer vegetables is a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. I learned how to make it from my friend Sarah when we were living in a little farmhouse as apprentices at Shelburne Farms. We had a gas grill on our porch and would grill veggies almost every night. It is my favorite marinade for mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini and nearly any vegetable that I would grill. It also happens to be my go to salad dressing. Salads are the other easiest way to enjoy vegetables (and fruit) and I could and will eat salad with every meal.

I usually just pour in the ingredients in rough amounts, shake, and taste, but I've included a more specific recipe below. You can, of course, adjust to your taste.

Before I leave you to a weekend of grilling, salad making, or however you choose to enjoy your summer days, I wanted to mention that I have a guest post up on Small Measure. I was honored that the wonderful blogger and author, Ashley English, let me write a post of ideas for homesteading (home making, home growing) when you don't have land or an actual homestead. Big thanks to Ashley for letting me share my ideas!

Happy Friday!

Balsamic Vinaigrette

3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons mustard
2 teaspoons minced garlic
pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined. Store in the refrigerator and shake well before each use. For marinating vegetables: pour generously over sliced vegetables and let marinate for 15-30 minutes. The vinaigrette recipe is easily doubled when you need larger quantities. For salads, pour the desired amount on the salad or on individual servings.

Blueberries for Pie Day

2011-07-05T07:00:00.003-04:00

Blueberries are summer. Tart but sweet juices bursting from their blue skins, a slight crunch of seeds. Wild blueberries are best. So tiny, they should be eaten by the handful. It takes more of them to make a pie, but it is worth it. One of the fields adjacent to my Dad's old new england farmhouse is full of their the low to the ground bushes. When I was young we would check the field for berries in July until there were enough to start filling containers. Sometimes they would end up in a batch of summer morning muffins, picked and tucked into batter before I came downstairs for breakfast.

At least once during the blueberry season, my Dad would declare that it was time to make a pie. It took a lot of picking to get enough. On trips out the the field, we would pick a cup full here, a bowl full there until, after a few days, there were enough berries to fill a shell of rolled out dough. Still warm from the oven, the pie was a treat, but it was even better after a night in the fridge. A cold slice of blueberry pie for breakfast was part of the ritual, too.

When I think of blueberries and summer, I also think of mornings in a rented lake house in western Maine. The smell of pine and a soft carpet of pine needles surrounding the house, making it easy to go barefoot. In the mornings I peer out the window, hoping to see the sun up to warm the lake and the dock where I will spend most of the day reading and dipping in the water. Sooner or later various family members gather in the kitchen for breakfast. When we first started vacationing there, it was my Mom, my step father and us five girls. Now there are husbands and children, too. Since we are always there in July, we make sure there are always pints and quarts of blueberries around. Brought from local farm stands, we eat them in pancakes, with yogurt or cereal, and by the handful.

At least once while we are there, we go for a hike before breakfast. Up a short trail through the woods frequented by mosquitos and patches of sun splashing through the trees. On the top of the very little mountain we scramble down the rock face to enjoy the view. There are scattered blueberry bushes clinging to what little soil they can find. Selfishly, we grab the few tiny fruits they make and greedily pop them in our mouths.

I'm not in Maine this summer. I have blueberries, though. They are the round, cultivated variety nearly the size of grapes with only a hint of tartness in their blueberry flavor. Still, they capture that summer flavor. We've been eating them in pancakes and muffins and in honor of summer and a pie party and thinking of my family far away enjoying wild blueberries and weeks at the lake I baked them into a pie.

I've often hoped for perfection when making pies, but I after making this pie, I realized that there is no need for a pie to be perfect. With butter, flour, sugar, fruit and some spices it is hard to go wrong. I know the crust can be frustrating and intimidating. My King Arthur Flour Cookbooks have long and detailed instructions for attaining crust perfection, but even if you have to scrape it off the counter, patch holes, or do a single crust instead of two, just fill it with fruit, bake and enjoy.

Blueberry Pie
A few notes: I increased the original crust recipe (adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking) because my crusts always come out too small. Fortunately I had plenty of crust. You can use all whole wheat flour, just make sure you chill the dough overnight. For the filling, I add a little flour to thicken it slightly, but I don't cornstarch or any other thickeners. The filling will be juicy with berries. I made this vanilla ice cream to go with it.

Crust - makes enough for a 9 inch double crust pie (or maybe more than enough if your better at crust than I am)
2 cups (7 ounces) unbleached white flour
1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 tablespoons (7.5 ounces) cold unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) orange juice
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) ice water (or more as needed)

Mix the flours, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour with knives, a fork, a pastry cutter or your fingers. Break up the butter and combine it with the flour until most of the butter is combined with the flour but there are some large pieces, too. It will be unevenly crumbly, resembling a coarse meal with larger chunks. Sprinkle in the orange juice and gently toss the dough to distribute the liquid evenly. Add the water a tablespoon at a time until the dough is wet enough to come together in a ball. Press the dough together to get any remaining flour. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days (ideally overnight!).

When you are ready to make the pie, roll out one half of the dough. I usually roll my dough on parchment or a silpat to keep it from sticking. I flip it over often and dust it with a bit of flour. Try to keep the dough fairly circular and roll it until it is a couple inches larger all around than your 9-inch pie pan. If the dough is stuck to the parchment when you are done rolling, just flip the dough stuck tot the parchment over onto the pie plate and center the circle of dough on the plate before you peel off the parchment. Add the filling. Roll out the second crust and place it on top of the filling. Tuck both layers of dough on top of the edge of the pie plate. If there is a lot more dough than you need around the edges, you can trim it, but leave enough to make a pretty edge around the plate. Press the two layers of dough together and form a nice edge with your fingers or a fork. Cut slits in the top of the pie to let out the steam.

Blue Berry Filling
8 cups Blueberries
zest and juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter

Mix the blueberries, lemon zest and juice, flour, sugar and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir gently so the blueberries don't get crushed and so that the sugar, flour, zest, juice and nutmeg are evenly distributed. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and place dots of the butter on top. Cover with the top crust and follow instructions above

Baking: Preheat the oven to 450' Bake the pie for 15 minutes, turn the oven down to 350' and bake for 15 more minutes. Let the pie cool for an hour or two before eating.

Strawberry Shortcake

2011-06-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

I'm sorry if strawberry shortcake is totally cliche, but it's one of the rituals of summer that I couldn't let slip by. When strawberries are in season they are dazzling jewels to be scooped up in handfuls. Never mind the red stains, we eat as many as we can. Strawberry shortcake is a must make dessert when the berries are in season, even if it seems old fashioned, perhaps a bit out of style. I have never claimed to be trendy, I wear what I like until it's worn through. I really only pull strawberry shortcake out of the closet once a year, so I think it will be making appearances for years to come.

I've never been a fan very biscuit-y shortcake. Years ago, I found a recipe for something that is sweeter, more like a scone. I had been indifferent to strawberry shortcake, but this recipe, from an old Simple Meals magazine (by the publishers of long gone Organic Style), changed that to, Yes Please! Soft but sturdy and a little sweet, this little cake is just the right thing to top with ripe red berries and whipped cream.

I know the dazzling red berries have distracted you and you've forgotten that last week I brought you a recipe for a cake topped with berries and cream. With berries only in season for a short time, can you complain?

No complaints here.

Strawberry Shortcake

For the Berries:
4 cups strawberries, rinsed, stems removed and sliced into thin rounds
4 tablespoons sugar (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Combine the berries with the sugar and balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or until the berries are very juicy.

For the cream:
2 cups heavy cream
3-4 tablespoons sugar

Whip the cream until it forms slightly stiff peaks. Mix in the sugar, adding more to taste if necessary.

For the cake:
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into small pieces. Mix with the flour and cut into smaller pieces using two knives, a pastry cutter or your fingers until the butter and flour form large crumbs. Pour in the buttermilk and gently mix until the butter and flour come together into a mass of dough. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375'. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Shape it into a circle about 1 inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 even pieces. Place each piece on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 30-35 minutes until they are golden brown. Let cool completely before serving topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Serves 8.

Summer Eating

2011-06-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

Summer has finally arrived in the form of food grown and picked nearby. I brought home the first share from the CSA where I work on Friday: swiss chard, bok choi, green onions and green garlic. On Sunday I decided that since I had a day off, I should go strawberry picking. A bit of a bus man's holiday, but I wasn't sure of another day when I would have time to gather up that juicy red bounty. I ended up picking 20 pounds of berries! Our freezer is stocked with strawberries to last the rest of the year, with plenty left over for eating now.

When it comes to food that is local and in season, I get pretty greedy. I'm often surprised that people don't snatch up as much of it as they can find, whether at a farmers' market, CSA share, or picking their own. The abundance that is available at a grocery store any time we need it means that we often forget about using and preserving as much as we can when its growing nearby. I've been thinking about, and obsessing over, this a lot lately. Eating locally and in season brings me such joy and preserving some of this goodness for the rest of this year is so satisfying.

I know that not everyone cares as deeply about this as I do, but I really hope that this summer I can share lots of ideas for cooking and preserving a variety of fresh vegetables. I am afraid I won't have time to delve as deeply into this as I would like, but I am determined to do as much as I can to share recipes for most of the vegetables that I bring home.

If you are ready to jump into cooking with as many foods as you can find at the farmers' market, I'd like to recommend the book Local Flavors, by Deborah Madison. It is a whirlwind tour of farmer's markets around the United States and a wealth of ideas for using the foods you will find there.

Here's to eating well and enjoying the abundance this summer!

Care in the Form of a Cake

2011-06-23T10:53:00.000-04:00

I don't bake cakes very often, but lately I've had a hankering for one. I was contemplating a big chocolate cake covered in chocolate ganache, but I was baking on the first day of summer and wishing for something a little lighter. I made a batch of very satisfying stuffed shells and with this filling main dish, I didn't want to go overboard. There are only two of us to eat whatever I make, so I appreciate baking something that we don't have to immediately ship off to our coworkers to keep us from eating "just one more piece."

Maybe that sounds a little stingy. I love sharing food, especially baked goods, but this time I wanted to keep it simple. I didn't have to search for long. There was a carton of buttermilk in the fridge, threatening to expire if it couldn't be part of a cake. I just needed a few other ingredients, no more than a bit of measuring, a quick mix and it was in the oven. Although I baked it on a cool, rainy day, I imagine this as the cake you might go to on a warm summer day when you have an abundance of berries to smother it in but not much time or energy for baking.

I love chocolate and certainly don't mind a rich dessert, but I don't need more than this one layer of cake paired with fruit and a bit of whipped cream to feel at home. Like our cloth dinner napkins, the clean but worn dishtowels folded in the drawer, and those empty glass jars gleaming on the pantry shelf this is an everyday sort of comfort. It's really nothing fancy, but adding this treat at the end of the meal was like a bit of extra love and care in the form of a cake.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake
I adapted this recipe from the one on epicurious which originated from Gourmet. That recipe has you drop raspberries into the batter, for a raspberry buttermilk cake. I'm sure that would work well, but since I didn't have berries, I decided this cake would takes its fruit in the form of preserves spooned on top. I used a jar of blueberry lime sauce I brought home from the food swap, but any berry or rhubarb preserve would work well, spooned onto individual slices and topped with barely sweetened whipped cream. I used a 9-inch springform pan, because it was easy to get the cake out of it, but you could use a cake pan, too.

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400'. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and 2/3 cup sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until smooth and completely combined. On a low speed, alternate adding half the flour and half the buttermilk until the batter is smooth. Don't beat it more than that. Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle lightly with the remaining sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cake is golden on top and the middle is springy to the touch. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely. Serve each slice topped with berries, berry sauce or preserves.

Making the Most of It

2011-06-21T11:27:00.000-04:00

In this season of busy days and weather that goes from 101 to 60 and rainy in a day or two, I am reminded of the importance of seizing the moment. While I could try to plan for the perfect picnic, an afternoon of reading in the shade of a tree, or an evening lingering in the light and warmth of a summer's day, this doesn't happen often. Over the weekend I remembered that these moments present themselves shyly, like a four leafed clover that can only been seen at a glance. They truly have to be seized and held onto for dear life. If you're not looking, you might miss them and if you're waiting for them to be perfect, they might not happen at all.

On a Friday evening that was pleasantly warm enough to enjoy sitting outside, I decided we didn't need a great restaurant patio, a grill of our own, or any sort of outdoor lawn furniture. We barely have a proper backyard and the grassy patches boast a parking lot and alley view, but the evening beckoned. All it took was two of our kitchen chairs, a bench that doubles as a tiny table, and a couple of sputtering beeswax candles. The pizza in the oven made the kitchen too hot to stay in, but we enjoyed the perfect evening outside. Perfect is, of course, what you make of it. A mosquito or two, a few sprinkles of rain wouldn't deter me from enjoying a cool drink and dinner on the lawn.

On Saturday, I found myself again making the best of a less than perfect situation. We were headed to an outdoor concert about 10 miles away and had planned to bicycle there. It was raining, but I set off with a change of clothes and a blanket stuffed in a huge waterproof messenger bag. At first I grumbled, but once I got going I was wet but not cold and traveling by bicycle usually makes me pretty happy. When I met Ray half way there, I was completely soaked but since the bike path was nearly empty we got to ride side by side catching up on the day so far. After a few hours, we were fairly dry and having a good time, along with thousands of other people, many stylishly clad in garbage bags and plastic rain ponchos. The rain didn't make things better, but we didn't let it keep us from enjoying the evening.

Today marks the official start of summer. It doesn't look like I'll see the sun today, but I'll still celebrate the solstice no matter how rainy. Reaching the longest day of the year is bittersweet. The days start getting shorter, but it reminds me that we still have so much of summer to enjoy. Don't let the gorgeous, fleeting, imperfect moments of summer pass you by.

Off to the Market

2011-06-16T11:55:00.000-04:00

I just finished some new bags. I'll have my tent set up with aprons, bags, placemats and more at the Northeast Minneapolis Farmers' Market on Saturday. I'm hoping for sunny skies and pleasant temperatures. I love farmers' markets, so it will be great to participate in one. There will be a cooking demonstration at the market on Saturday and I like to think that with all the veggies I sew, my work will be appealing to farmer's market shoppers. I'll be at the market once a month through September. If you're in the area, please stop by and say hello!

Recently in the Kitchen

2011-06-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,
I've been busy, working a lot and haven't had time to do much else. I can't say that I'll be less busy any time soon, but I'm doing my best to find time to cook more and do lots of preserving as the summer goes on. In the mean time, I hope you don't mind a quick round up of what I've had time for in the kitchen recently.

I made sourdough rolls and cultured butter for the Food Swap. After swapping, I came home with a few different jams, maple syrup, cookies, and pesto.

While the rolls were baking, I made a small batch of rhubarb jam, which just might taste like summer in a jar.

I harvested my window box greens and used them in a salad with strawberries and basil.

What have you been eating, swapping, preserving or harvesting? I'd love to hear about it!

Garden Update

2011-06-09T11:20:00.006-04:00

It may not look like much, but I love my little garden! I'm not quite sure if I can call it a garden, but the assorted containers on our back porch (which isn't quite a porch either) are doing well, despite not being in the full sun. I could move them to an area that gets more sun, but I selfishly love having them right outside my back door, even if they grow a little slower . I am surprised by how much fun I had planting them all and now watering them, moving them around and making sure they are doing okay.

I have basil, mint, parsley, dill, oregano, cilantro, rosemary, peas, a strawberry plant, arugula, lettuce, nasturtiums and calendula. There is a pot with two cucumber plants which I hope to trellis up the porch as it grows. I also have two hanging tomato plants. I'm not sure how well they will do, but I guess tomato plants in containers sometimes do better hanging than growing upwards. You can buy upside down tomato planters, but I decided to make them myself since I had some sturdy green canvas on hand. After I sewed them, I stuck the tomato plant in the bottom and filled them up with soil. They are pretty heavy and I'm a little nervous about strong winds, but I hope they will be sturdy enough.

It was amazing to see the tomato go from hanging upside down to growing up toward the sun in a matter of hours!

A few people have asked me about the best way to harvest basil. I wait until they are big enough and look for a spot where two new leaves are growing next to the stem. I pinch the stem off between the two new leaves which will grow and allow the plant to branch (I drew a diagram, I hope it helps). You can continue harvesting them this way as they grow. We celebrated our first basil harvest with accompanying tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

It's only Thursday, but I'm already looking forward to spending my spare time this weekend in the kitchen doing some baking, early season canning, and getting ready for a food swap! I hope you have a delicious weekend, too!

Shaved Asparagus Salad

2011-06-07T08:25:00.000-04:00

We're having a heat wave here in Minnesota. Today, as I weeded between the summer squash plants in 90 degree heat, I tried not to think about my own sweaty toil and let my mind wander to all the people who work hard to bring me the food I eat. It starts with the farmer, whose name I rarely know, planting seeds. Or the people who work for the farmer, tending and harvesting. Truthfully, I don't know exactly where it comes from most of the time, or who put their time and energy and sweat into the ingredients that I use to make my dinner. Cooking, creating a dish, eating and sharing food are such personal and every day acts that we rarely think about what happened before the lettuce, milk or beans arrived in the kitchen.

I've always been grateful when I know just where my food comes from, when I can say I grew this basil I made that bread. Although it's not always possible, there are many opportunities to meet and get to know the people nearby who make and grow our food. From the local bakery, to the farmer's market, to becoming a member of a CSA, you can find out more about where your food comes from by getting it straight from the source.

I picked up ingredients to make this salad at the farmer's market, where I came face to face with the growers and producers, or at least people very close to them. Asparagus is still piled high at many market tables and I wanted to try it in a new way. I usually oven roast the stalks, but peeling them into thin slivers is another way of using them and makes a flavorful base for a different sort of green salad.

Shaved Asparagus Salad
With this salad, the asparagus works as a base -- an alternative to greens that can be combined with a wide variety of flavors. I wanted to keep it simple with just a few vegetables, a bit of cheese and some nuts. It's nice to use seasonal ingredients, but I think you could pair the shaved asparagus with almost anything you would like in a salad.

One bunch of asparagus
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
4 radishes, thinly slices
1 1/2 ounces parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Using a sharp vegetable peeler, peel (or shave) each stalk of asparagus into thin ribbons. Grate, or shave off thin slices of the parmesan cheese. Place the asparagus in a bowl with the walnuts, radish slices, and cheese. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper. Makes plenty for 2 people.

Miso Ginger Salad Dressing

2011-06-03T08:12:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to post this recipe for a while. I discovered it, somehow, through NPR and I've been waiting to share it until we get closer to true salad season. By that, I mean the time of year when you can eat lettuce and other vegetables that haven't traveled thousands of miles to get to your kitchen. We're getting there, although the local salad fixings are still somewhat limited around here.

I have been trying some different dressings lately. I really enjoyed Ashely's creme fraiche vinaigrette. But I was especially pleased to find this recipe for a carrot, ginger, miso dressing. This dressing is a very close replica of the delicious ginger dressing that I have enjoyed several times at a Japanese restaurant. I've also been wanting to incorporate fermented soy bean paste (miso is really good for you) into more meals.

At the restaurant, this dressing was always a little mysterious, differently textured than a thin vinaigrette or a viscous creamy dressing, but it has an amazing flavor. It certainly dresses up a salad, the miso adds a saltiness, the ginger is a bit spicy and the carrot is another layer of vegetable. When your salad is made from freshly picked vegetables, you might not need anything additional flavors, but this dressing could transform a bunch of greens into a salad in no time.

Miso Ginger Salad Dressing
Adapted from this NPR recipe
Miso can be found in natural foods stores (and probably regular grocery stores, too) the lighter the color, the more mild the flavor. It keeps in the fridge for a long time, but don't be afraid to try it out! The recipe calls for white miso, but I had red miso, so that is what I used. I usually thin the dressing with some water to make it more pourable.

1 medium sized carrot, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons white miso
Water, optional

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add small amounts of water to thin the dressing to the desired consistency. Keeps, refrigerated for several days.

Getting Ready for Summer

2011-06-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

Happy June! We had a day of real summer warmth earlier this week, followed by a seriously windy day. It was a relentless wind that blew across the fields and whipped up anything that was light enough to catch. I was planting corn at the farm (where I spend 3 of my working days each week) and the intense wind did not make crawling along the rows any more enjoyable. Dreaming of ears of delicious sweet corn which will be appearing later this summer did help, slightly.

I feel like I haven't had as much time as I would like, lately, to work on recipes and projects to post here. I'm still trying to find a balance between my two jobs and the work I want to do for Seedling Design, for this space and for myself. Now that we are on the edge of summer I am also thinking about picnics, grilling, eating lots of good fresh food, riding my bike more and enjoying warm days outside.

I realized that many of the things I make are ideal for summer: placemats for picnics, bags to take to outdoor markets, and aprons which are great year round, but of course I am looking forward to baking summer pies, grilling veggies and lots of canning. Even so, I'll probably be doing less sewing in the next few months. Instead, I'll be spending a few Saturdays outside at fairs and farmer's markets with all of these summery wares for sale and taking time to work on some other projects.

What are your summer plans?

A Day Off

2011-05-30T21:29:00.000-04:00

Today was an unexpected day off for me. It started with pancakes.

I did a bit of work, but decided that in honor of an unplanned day, Ray and I decided we should stop working and go on an adventure.

We walked by a river in a lush green park (with tons of other people out enjoying the day, too).

We hopped in this little buggy and took a ride around. It was a silly, but perfect for our spontaneous outing.

The weather was very summery and I couldn't resist making a batch of strawberry creme fraiche sherbet.

Now I am going to spend the rest of the evening not working. I hope you had a nice start to your week, too!

Why Not?

2011-05-27T09:06:00.000-04:00

I was reading this blog post when I came across this question which, for some reason, really resonated with me. I have spent ages thinking about what I really want to do, and trying to pinpoint exactly what it is. I have spent years doing what made sense at the time, knowing that eventually I would be able to do something that I really wanted to do and cared about even more. Since we've moved, I've been in a bit of a limbo -- needing to make and save money by working a job that is convenient but not gratifying, but trying hard to spend time creating something worthwhile.

There have been many times in the past several months when I've felt like I've been working really hard but not getting anywhere. I know it takes time to find success in a creative venture. But still I wonder, am I doing what I really love? There are so many questions in my mind -- does doing what I love mean that is how I earn a living? How can I earn a living doing what I love? What exactly is it that I love and want to do?

Its good to ask these questions, to rethink things and get a better idea of where I will go from here. I will keep pondering, but mostly I wanted to share this question with you. Are you doing what you love? Yes? No? Why Not?

Green Garlic and Arugula Pesto

2011-05-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

When you work all day outside, pulling and hoeing weeds, and you come home with a bunch of green garlic, freshly picked, still caked in soil and you are so hungry and have been wracking your brain all day to think of what to make for dinner, well here is what you do.

You wash off the green garlic, take one of the stems, cut off the roots and discard. Chop the rest of the green garlic, all the way up the green part, into one inch pieces.* Drop them into the bowl of the food processor. Put a pot of water on to boil and take a package of whole wheat pasta out of the cupboard.

Dinner will be ready soon, just a few more things you have to do. Take some sunflower seeds (about 1/4 cup) and toast them until they are golden brown. Drop these into the food processor with the chopped green garlic. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, some grated parmesan and enough fresh arugula to nearly fill the food processor. Top with a squeeze of lemon and the let the machine whir. As it pulverizes the leaves, shoots and seeds, pour in enough olive oil to create a soft paste -- a pesto.

When the water is boiling, add enough pasta for you and anyone else who will be sharing your meal. When the pasta is cooked, drain out most of the water, but leave enough to turn the pesto into a sauce that will cling to the strands of pasta. Mix as much of the pesto as you wish with the pasta and the bit of cooking water.

Before you dig into this simple pasta with green green garlic and arugula pesto, remember this is a different pesto than you might be used to. It is a bit spicy, a bit bitter, and very green. Don't expect it to taste like the basil pesto that will be to die for during the height of summer. This one lively and unexpected like spring and the first taste of something grown in the soil nearby.

*green garlic is young garlic, pulled before it makes a bulb in the ground, or the new shoots that have grown up from a bulb of garlic that stayed for another year in the ground. It looks a bit like a large scallion or a leek, but it tastes like garlic, just a little less strong. I suspect lots of farms in the northern part of the USA have it this time of year, but if you can't find it you can use regular garlic.

Johnstock 2011

2011-05-23T11:42:00.000-04:00

I spent most of Saturday and Sunday in a parking lot on Johnson Street in Northeast Minneapolis. This particular parking lot is adjacent to shops and restaurants that make up the Johnson Street Merchants Association and sponsor the yearly neighborhood festival, Johnstock. There were about 15 other vendors selling their handmade wares including, Threaded Basil, Foxy Squirrel, Mary Foster Creative, and other people making unique and fun items!

On Saturday, we set up in the pouring rain and sat through a few more showers and downpours (my tent only leaked a little bit). Between the bouts of rain, people with umbrellas would wander through. In the afternoon it cleared up and I finally warmed up and dried off. A lot more people came out for the nice weather and to listen to the local bands playing, but I was impressed that whenever it wasn't raining really hard a fair number of people were out browsing the selection of jewelry, t-shirts, kid's clothes, cat toys, eco friendly garden bling and everything else that was for sale.

Sunday seemed like it would be a nicer day, but after a warm and almost sunny set up, a very heavy downpour passed through. Still a lot of people who had been browsing the day before came back to browse some more and buy something take home. It seemed like it was almost going to clear up but about an hour before the event was over, it started to rain again. Many of us had had enough and the severe storm warnings that might include hail and or a tornado pushed us all to pack up quickly and get home and dry.

It could have been a better weekend to be selling things outside, but it was nice to meet other crafters, see what people were making and selling, and to experience a bit of another neighborhood and community.

2011-05-20T15:29:00.000-04:00

I had planned to write more today, but I've been busy getting ready for this weekend at Johnstock. I have my 10x10 tent, but I'm crossing my fingers that the weather will not be rainy as predicted. I'll be back next week to let you know how it goes. Have a lovely weekend!

Spring Work

2011-05-18T08:41:00.000-04:00

It's a busy time of year and between various jobs and trying to get things together for an upcoming fair this weekend, I haven't had time for much else. But, though I am very tired when I get home from working on the farm, I do appreciate the feeling of doing physical work all day. It makes it harder to get other things done, but the days are long this time of year and I get to relish the lingering daylight while I cook dinner and do some work in the evening.

I have been enjoying my little porch garden with the back door open and breezes wandering through the screen. I've got a good variety of herbs and I look forward to when I can step out the door and cut a few leaves or stalks to add to our meal. The peas are also up and getting ready to climb. If you are interested in more ideas for your own container garden, I wrote this article about how to get started.

I haven't been doing as much sewing as usual, since I am spending more time at the farm. But I am looking forward to the fair this weekend and have a few more things to finish up (I hope) later this week.

Abundant and in Season

2011-05-16T08:26:00.000-04:00

We hit up the Saint Paul farmer's market on Saturday and despite the cold and rain the stalls were splashed with the bright greens of seedlings ready for planting, bunches of thin stalked asparagus, loaves of bread, cartons of eggs. It was good to see lots of other shoppers reaching eagerly for the first goods of spring. I couldn't help but grab multiple bunches of rhubarb, the red stalks of a vegetable that is so often made sweet.

As I considered what to do with my rhubarb, I was reminded of one of the tenets of eating locally. Eat lots of what is in season, enjoy it to the utmost because once it is gone you won't see it until next season. I'm rereading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver which chronicles her family's year of eating locally and it reminds me of the beauty of savoring and relishing what we have now for, in this northern climate, it won't last long. This also helps me to feel a little less greedy when I can't help but grab several bunches of whatever is abundant and new.

We had friends over for brunch on Sunday and I made short work of the rhubarb. I boiled and strained it into a sweet rhubarb syrup which can be mixed with seltzer for a not too sweet rhubarb soda. It also goes quite nicely mixed with some champagne.

I was going to make this rhubarb compote, but instead used it in a big crumb coffee cake. I'm still thinking about some other ways to use rhubarb, I'll have to go to the market and get some more while it lasts. What have you been enjoying that is abundant and in season?

Sowing Seeds

2011-05-11T08:03:00.000-04:00

All of the planting and seed sowing I have done recently has gotten me thinking a lot about the seeds we plant all the time and the things we choose to nurture. This started when I was writing my most recent newsletter, talking a little bit about the CSA model and the similarity between planting and nurturing seeds and the way we use our dollars to support things we care about.

There are so many areas where we can choose to plant seeds -- ideas, daily practices, projects. When the seed of an idea comes to you, do you open your mind to let in the sunshine and rain necessary to make this idea grow and come to life? I know I have so many things that I would like to see flourish in my daily life, but sometimes it is hard to find the resources I need to make these little seeds take root. I still struggle to make my yoga practice a habit and not an occasional stretching. I have a list of other things I would like to make more room and time for so they can grow.

Then there are those crazy, impractical ideas that I can't remember where they come from, a wild seed blown in by the wind. The ones that don't seem like they should survive, but they keep growing, at least in the idea stage. Sometimes these rogue ideas reach me when I need them most, other times I wonder if I should even consider making them a reality.

It takes more than just a seed to bear fruit. That is the miraculous starting point, but these little things won't grow without the proper care and attention. I wonder what kinds of seeds, literal or figurative, you have been sowing lately? What ideas have you nurtured and grown?

2011-05-09T09:32:00.000-04:00

Spring has sprung, finally. I've been doing my best to enjoy the recent beautiful day and slacking off a bit on other things I should be working on. I hope you have found spring or it has found you and that you are enjoying the sprouting, blossoming, shining, growing and warming!

Creme Fraiche and Sweet Potatoes

2011-05-06T10:13:00.000-04:00

When I was cleaning and getting ready for spring a few weeks ago I needed to freshen up my routines and recipes in the kitchen, too. First I added a couple of new made from scratch staples: butter and also creme fraiche, which can become cultured butter or be enjoyed for its creamy texture and sour, cultured flavor.

I also bought a new cookbook, Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. The recipes are all vegetarian, loosely categorized by ingredient. The photographs make everything look irresistible and I've had fun to trying some new flavors and ways of using vegetables. The recipe for sweet potato wedges with lemongrass creme fraiche made use of one of my new ingredients in a way I hadn't tried before. Although roasting sweet potatoes seems more of a wintery practice, these wedges would work well at a spring picnic or as part of a cook out along side whatever you are grilling. Local, spring produce is still a little ways off here, so I don't mind cooking up a batch of root vegetables, especially when they are accompanied by dipping sauce of cultured cream, lemon grass, citrus and ginger which tastes like the sweet surprise of spring.

Making creme fraiche could not be easier. If you're hesitant to try making yogurt or cheese, here is a homemade dairy product that is fool proof and does all the work for you. Simply pour a cup of best quality heavy cream into a clean glass jar and add a quarter cup of cultured buttermilk. Stir, cover, and let sit for 12 to 48 hours until the cream is much thicker and has separated slightly (there will be a thin watery liquid as well as the thick cream). That's all there is to it. Now you can make it into cultured butter, strawberry creme fraiche sherbet (can't wait til strawberries are in season here!), use it in place of sour cream, or make this flavorful dipping sauce.

Sweet Potato Wedges with Lemongrass Creme Fraiche
Adapted from Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi
The recipe makes a lot of sauce and since we had some left over, I used it in place of sour cream with some bean and cheese quesadillas. I think it would be good on other kinds of vegetables, too.

For the Sweet Potatoes:
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
Olive Oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 fresh jalapeno (or red chile) finely diced (feel free to adjust the amount to your taste)

Preheat the oven to 400'. Wash the potatoes and cut into wedges. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Brush the paper lightly with olive oil. Place the wedges on the parchment, brush them lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with the coriander and salt. Roast for about 25 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly (or serve at room temperature, they are good this way, too).

For the dipping sauce:
1/2 lemongrass stalk
3/4 cup creme fraiche
grated zest and juice of two limes
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon salt

Using the part of the stalk closer to the root (so it hasn't dried out), chop the lemongrass very finely. Whisk all of the ingredients together. When you are ready to serve, place the sweet potato wedges on a serving dish and sprinkle the cilantro and jalapeno on top. Serve with the sauce on the side.

Serves about 4 people.

Simple Hand Salve

2011-05-04T08:23:00.000-04:00

Planting seeds, digging in the soil, scrubbing surfaces and getting ready for spring is an exciting chance to nurture new life. But all this work can take its toll on your hardworking hands. After a day on the farm my hands are dry and rough. I made a very simple hand salve which quickly refreshes and rejuvenates my worn fingers.

It is easy to mix up and made with ingredients that you can use in the kitchen, too. The salve doesn't soak in quickly like a lotion, but it's not greasy and it is a great cure for dry skin. I use almond oil that is found with the other cooking oils in the store, it works really well as a moisturizing body oil and it is less expensive than the almond oil in the body care section.

Homemade Hand Salve
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon grated beeswax
1 tablespoon almond oil
A few drops of your favorite essential (optional)

In a double boiler, or a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, place all of the ingredients. When the are all melted, stir them together to combine completely. Pour into a shallow, wide mouth jar or other container for easy use. Let cool completely. Rub a small amount into your hands until absorbed. Use as often as you like.

P.S. The new aprons are up in my shop.

Full of Possibilities

2011-05-02T08:26:00.000-04:00

I am always amazed by seeds. That these tiny, dry, sometimes strangely shaped bits can, with soil, water, and sunlight become the plants that feed and sustain us. Each seed is the potential for life and it is incredible to think of them in the dark cool earth doing what they do best, fulfilling their destiny to grow. Seeds are full of possibilities. The garden that will be, the flavors, meals, and sustenance that will be made from these minute beginnings. Each one becomes something so much bigger.

I started planting my porch container garden this weekend. I have great hopes for the pots and boxes now filled with soil and seeds, but I'm not sure how it will all turn out. The spot, right outside our back door is south facing so it should get enough sun, but a lot of that light may be blocked by a tree whose leaves will soon make even more shade. We do have a sort of yard in the back of our building and, since everything is in containers, I can always move them to a sunnier spot if I need to.

I have planted some herb seedlings, parsley, sage, and thyme. The basil seedlings are potted up, but I am keeping them inside until the weather gets warmer, probably later in May they will join the garden on the porch. I also planted seeds. I planted one window box with peas which are an early season crop, good in cool weather. I haven't grown them in a window box before, so I'm not sure how they'll do, but if they grow they way they are supposed to, I plan to trellis them up the the edge of the porch. The other box is planted with arugula and lettuce, which also grow well in cool weather.

I'm not trying to grow all of my food in these containers, just focused on planting things that make good snacks right off the plant or, like herbs and greens, are great as small additions to meals or salads. I am especially hoping the herbs do well because it is so nice to have fresh herbs available whenever I need them.

I'll be sharing more about my little garden here as things sprout and grow. I'd love to share ideas and tips, but this is somewhat new for me, too. I came across this urban/container gardening blog that seems like a great resource for those of us who are growing in very small spaces.

Have you planted anything yet?

Something New

2011-04-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

This photo is the best I could do while being both model and photographer, but I have been making some new aprons, from organic cotton canvas and linen. I bought the fabric without really knowing what I would do with it. I thought probably bags or aprons and then I came up with a different version of the aprons I've been making.

Sometimes I wish I could plot the evolution of my ideas. I am often pleasantly surprised with what I come up with. I find that I can't really push myself to make something new that I haven't done before, it just kind of comes when the time is right. It is best when my ideas and what I can actually make are in alignment, which is what (luckily) happened here.

I am really pleased with these new aprons, I love the soft fabric, the colors, and the contrasting kitchen tools appliqued on the pockets. I hope other people like will like them, too. I just finished the first batch, but they will be for sale in the shop next week!

Exploring on Two Wheels

2011-04-27T09:17:00.000-04:00

Spring has been slow to arrive, but we had a gorgeous day on Sunday which was perfect for a bike ride. The air was slightly cool but the sun was bright and I warmed up as I was pedaling. In the winter I am much less eager to travel by bicycle but once I go for my first ride of the spring I remember how much I love it.

We rode west through St Paul across the river into Minneapolis where we had a chance to explore the mid town greenway. I had heard of the greenway but didn't really even know what it was until we got on the trail. I love following a trail when I'm not exactly sure where it will go or what I will encounter. We zipped past some art installations, over a bridge just for people on foot or on a bicycle, and rode to the edge of the lakes which are also ringed with paths for walking and pedaling. I love bicycling because it is fast enough that you can explore easily but slow enough to take in the scenery.

Although I don't think that is necessary to have separate bike path to get where you want to go, it can be pretty fun especially when you can pedal along without worrying about traffic. There were plenty of other cyclists out, though, which made for great people on bicycles watching. We passed by community gardens, a bike shop on the greenway, and lots of different styles and types of bikes.

I guess it was the gift of gorgeous weather but the ride felt a bit magical -- discovering new places not far from where we live, seeing other people out, enjoying the feeling of traveling that way. Did you know that pedaling a bicycle is the most efficient way for a human to travel?

I came across these gorgeous bicycles that are grown and built in San Francisco. Such a cool idea! Sometimes I think about designing some bicycle bags. I would eventually like to try, but there are already some pretty nice ones out there.

What is your favorite way to travel and explore?

Bringing Dreams to Life

2011-04-26T16:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I spent all day in the sun planting rows and rows of onions, chard and beets. Today I am making homemade mozzarella and sewing aprons. I'll spend a few more days at the farm this week and also a few nights waiting tables. Ray and I are both working a lot these days and I find it hard not to dream about someday when we won't have to work as much, when we'll have more money saved, when we can have more adventures. I think about making a living from Seedling Design, I secretly hope to write a book someday, I dream about when we are settled in somewhere with land of our own and most evenings we'll eat dinner together.

I think it is important to dream, but sometimes you have to open your eyes to everything you have right now. When we become too focused on bringing our dreams to life, we miss the life we have created that already contains so much of our dreams.

Some days, I am trying so hard get to where I want to be, running as fast as I can but getting nowhere. Then I remember that all we have is right here, right now. And when I open my eyes to the things in front of me, I can see that I really am living my dream. Maybe I don't have land of my own where I can plant a garden, but I get to be outside working hard on a farm a few days a week. I have to spend a few evenings a week waiting tables, but I still get to enjoy making food from scratch as often as I can. I'm not making a living from Seedling Design, but I spend time every week making new things and learning about what it takes to build a business by hand.

I know there is a difference between the myriad day dreams that pop up while we are working at something else and the big dreams that we are bound to try our hardest to achieve. It is incredibly important to work toward what you hope for. I don't want to forget my dreams but I don't want to loose sight of what is right in front of me. I'm keeping my eyes open, even while I dream.

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T06:00:00.002-04:00

As I said in my newsletter earlier this week, I think it is crucial to make every day Earth Day, but I also think it is important to celebrate occasions when they come along. In the spirit of caring for the earth and making each day vibrantly green, I'm sharing some links that I have found interesting and inspiring and I have a little gift for you at the end of this post, too.

I think handmade and homemade is one of the best ways to support local farmers, connect with your food and reduce waste. I mentioned making homemade butter last week. All it takes is some good quality cream (maybe you have a local farm you can support). It is so easy to make and such a treat!

I recently found Earth911, a site which helps you find where and what you can recycle near where you live. Also, if you are looking to recycle e-waste (old computers, cell phone, etc) it is really important to bring them to a reputable recycler, one that is not going to send e-waste overseas where people break down the computers (often by burning the entire thing) to extract precious metals and copper. E-stewards provides information on certified e-waste recyclers who make sure that the e-waste is recycled in an environmentally, socially, and globally responsible way.

Speaking of recycling, on her blog, Zero Wast Home, Bea talks about how it is most important to refuse first.

Simple living is another, important way to care for ourselves, our communities, and the earth. I read this a while ago, but can definitely use the reminder.

If you are inspired to plan a garden, there are so many good seed companies to choose from. This shop, run by a Laura Watt in Toronto, sells seeds geared toward the home gardener and she incorporates environmentally friendly practices in all aspects of her business.

I have new market bags in my shop! The latest batch is made from organic cotton canvas. The colors are beautiful and the bags are sturdy. As with everything I made, they are designed to make it easy and fun for you to conserve resources and enjoy being green! In honor of making every day Earth Day I am giving you a coupon for 10% off anything in my shop today. Just use the coupon code earthday when you check out.