a.growing.girl

making do makes awesome

2011-09-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

i love cooking. and i love trying new things. but i hate making umpteen trips to the store—and try as i might, i never seem to be able to get it all in one fail swoop.

so what happens? this leads to:
a lot of riffing on recipes.
and a lot of trips to the store.
a lot of ingredient-specific schemes.

sunday night, was an extremely rare occasion where i cooked an entire amazing meal without having to leave my house for a single ingredient. three cheers!

what did i concoct?

using two frightingly large zuchinni's that i let get away from me, and some whithering green onions, i whipped these zuchinni fritters out.
tomato salad: finally hot enough, we are awash in tomatoes and a smattering of basil. basil, tomatoes, stale bread? check!
two weeks ago at the market i bought green beans. last week, potatoes. scrounge up the last of my garden arugula and plain yogurt, and the green bean potato salad was in business.
thank goodness for some awesome cut-and-come-again kale, and having my own chickens: this kale slaw was awesome. [i forewent the anchovies, for the sake of convenience and my vegetarian friends.]
and then, meatloaf. this is the best recipe i've ever used meatloaf.

Summer Days

2011-06-29T10:33:00.000-07:00


chamomile suntea, try it and love it (.23 c. chamomile blossoms + 4 c. water + sunshine)

sunny afternoons outdoors on a beat up porch

arugula pesto

2011-06-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

things warmed up and i slowed down.
i.e.—the front yard isn't where it needs to be ("needs" as in, ready for me to plant peppers there).

so, in a panic of where i would be planting all my pepper seedlings, i decided to harvest my swath of first-crop arugula. and what do you do with that much arugula? make pesto.

i washed it all in my handy roasting pan, arugula has the tendency to be gritty-dirty.

and then i threw it in my food processor with some cloves of garlic, olive oil and some toasted pumpkin seeds. i love it. it's shockingly green and nice and spicy. i've been using it to dress up grain salads but have some plans for pasta with arugula pesto and maybe a spinach-arugula pesto lasagna.

rhubarb every way

2011-06-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

i spent the evening working my way through ten pounds of rhubarb.

i had put it out there that i was looking for some and was fortunate enough to find someone with an enormous plant and absolutely no fondness for rhubarb at all. i probably picked up 20 lbs of it. for free.

tonight i worked my way through savory picked rhubarb and carmelized rhubarb jam.

i also prepped four pounds to make a rhubarb jam recipe from the Blue Chair Jam Cookbook and started a jar of rhubarb infused vodka.

ten pounds to go. any suggestions? i was contemplating a fruit butter or perhaps some sweet-pickled rhubarb. or both. and then some. rhubarb jelly? rubeena? so many possibilities!

this week is for rhubarb alone (and then i'll do a batch of strawberry rhubarb undoubtedly.)

i'll play catch up soon and get some recipes posted. until then, this putterress is exhausted.

happy bunnies

2011-06-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

the bunnies seem to like their new digs. tucked under the maple tree in back, they seem to have the right mix of sunshine, shade and privacy. i've been throwing weeds and bolted salad greens in for them to snack on. happy bunnies, happy neighbors, happy garden.

pickled asparagus

2011-06-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

i love pickling. compared to making jam, it's a breeze. i can do it with only a few hours on hand and since you pack each jar separately, i can make as much or as little as i have supplies for.

(i didn't chop the asparagus for pickling)

spring's first foray into canning was pickling asparagus: cheap, in season and impressive looking.

i've found that the large roasting pan that i have is perfect for washing large amounts of things. i used it for my first arugula harvest and its come in handy for the asparagus as well.

over two weekends i did two batches of asparagus. i'll do one smaller batch this weekend.
for all of them, i used a simple brine: water, white vinegar and salt in a 1/1/1 ratio.

finished product!

3 cups of water
3 cups of vinegar
3 tablespoons of canning salt

for the first batch, i used in each jar:

1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 clove of garlic
1 dried chili pepper

for the second batch:

1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon dill seeds
1 clove of garlic
1 dried chili pepper

all in all it was pretty simple.

blanch and ice-water bath asparagus, that has been trimmed to fit the jars. (I used the tall 12 oz. ones.)
bring bring to a simmer.
pack jars with herbs and then asparagus, tightly.
pour hot brine to 1/2" mark.
cap and place in hot water bath.
process for 10 minutes at a boil.
remove and place on counter to cool.

chicken drama

2011-05-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

last week—after a long, long day—at three in the morning, rupert began growling and shaking in my bed. in my daze i patted him and told him to go back to sleep. moments later, the puppy starts barking.

then i became vaguely aware of the horrified chicken screams outside.

and out i go! rupert and i to save the day!
except for one small chicken.

so we lost a chicken.
i am thinking to a raccoon. whatever it was was tree-able. the other chickens were scattered and hiding in their yard. i spent an hour rounding them up, finding a light, and generally battening down the hatches.

rupert was impressively helpful. he never harms the chickens, he helps round them up and was very very concerned about the backyard intruder. a good dog is a real treat some days.

its been a good spring.

2011-05-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

i am a little late in planting but the slow cold start to things makes me less guilty. if i have the energy, i'll get the tomatoes and melons, corn, beans and squash in tomorrow.

the fava beans are blooming, i don't think i have the space to keep them until they fruit out sadly. but it definitely makes me want to plant them this winter. my raspberries are looking awesome.

this is the first year the chickens and bunnies have been successfully contained. which has to mean good things. i'm getting ready to lock the girls up so that i can try to grow them some 'pasture'.

i seem to be nothing but platitudes

2011-05-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

while the progress on my front yard hasn't been what i had hoped for, in my avoidance of that dastardly task i have accomplished a great many other things.

needing to test my tiller skills, i tilled the side garden by the patio. while it was all fresh and new, i decided to plant an herb garden. sage, rosemary, thyme, dill, and some chives dug up from another part of the yard. sprinkled some red california poppies—if it all comes up it will be ah-mazing.
today i tilled in the middle front vegetable bed and planted the entire thing: sunflowers, (tendersweet, purple haze) carrots, chinese cabbage, (cylindrica, golden) beets, italian lettuce and fennel. i hope the weather rewards me.

other wonderful news in the gardensphere

the tomatoes and peppers have been successfully hardened off and i think i will plant them this weekend. the favas have done nearly nothing and i expect that they won't—so i think i will just till them in.
the arugula, radishes and mizuna are making some headway. (it only got warm just this weekend.)
the front window box is looking nice, ants killed my chinese cabbage and broccoli but the salad greens, purple cabbage and (california?) poppy seeds are all coming up lovely.
the melons, zukes, cukes and squash are all started. zinnias too!

will i successfully grow peas this year? (pretty iffy).

very very very excited for this season. this is going to be a good one.

they're alive

2011-04-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

yesteday i spent some time puttering with the plants. i'm not sure if it was smart or just neurotic—but i moved the seedlings around by size, which allowed me to put the lid back on one of the trays to help nurture the little guys some more.

it also provided an opportunity to take stock of what was doing well and what wasn't. to my pleasure, the tomatoes are all looking good. if i keep on top of it, this could be my first year to grow tomatoes from seed. (last year i massacred all of my little friends through neglect.)

the peppers were also looking good, and the rosa bianca eggplant. a handful of things died and did not come back, so in the restructuring i did a quick replant in hopes of more peppers and more herbs. for good measure, i planted another tray heavily with thyme, cabbage and lettuce.

so i have three trays going and in a few weeks i'll start my cucumbers, melons and zuchinni. this april has been unseasonably cold and with the rate that squash and melons grow, i think it would be tempting fate to try and plant them now. soon, soon.

spring flowers

2011-04-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

bought spring flowers for the house today. tulips and daffodils. simple, colorful. so cheery.

spring has sprung, in my basement

2011-04-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

despite my best attempts to neglect them, the seedlings are surviving.

after killing all my peppers, its now part of my morning routine to go downstairs and water everything. this weekend i will likely plant another round of things and move some things around—its difficult to maintain trays half tall and green, half newly planted.

those especially impressive sprouts at the bottom are four o'clocks and down the way are several starts of bunny tails grass. here's hoping for an especially productive project weekend coming up.

chickies, becoming little women

2011-04-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

they have cute little chicken-like tails and are developing nice coloring.
i initially named them mitzi, bunny, muffin and lala. but maybe i should take a louise may alcott route?

spring chicks

2011-03-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

bought four chicks this year: two golden sex links, one black sex link and a new hampshire red. these days i just went for female, available and steady layers. i'll be rehoming some of the older hens soon.

they are now living in the rabbit hutch, you can see them leaping and poking about from the kitchen window. it's nice to have chicks that aren't in the house, stinking up the place.

this is the year

2011-03-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

i've had a red-letter weekend of productivity sprung from aimlessness. who knew?

friday i put together another tray of seedling cups and filled them with flowers and herbs. i won't start another tray until it is time to kick off the squash, melons and cucumbers.

i'm hardening off (if not abandoning) the cabbage—i'd like to plant it in the front yard and my plans for that just aren't quite yet together. but it is still alive and it's the melissa cabbage, which i have had a crush on for some time. so i would like to follow through on it and my few onion sprouts. think positively.

saturday i threw down a row of arugula and another of mizuna, with a handful of red candle radishes in between. no sooner had i raked it over then we were gifted some luscious rain from the sky. my timing has been spectacular this season so far and i have to admit i've been feeling very fortunate.

i think this could be a red-letter year, if i just don't get carried away.

a new spring

2011-03-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

today i planted my tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and some herbs. mingus helped.

trying to plant and tend more thoughtfully, carefully—successfully.

using a potmaker given to me by a friend. i was intimidated by it, but its easy. i think i'll sit down tonight and build another tray out so that i can start more herbs and some flowers. contemplating peas.

queen putteress

2011-02-24T10:01:00.001-08:00

i wish i could explain the pull kitchen projects have for me.
(i wish i could follow through on ingesting all that i make!)

since the beginning of the year i have already made: preserved lemons, limoncello, grenadine, apple vodka, vanilla extract, blood orange vodka, bacon vodka, lentil sprouts, yogurt and kombucha.

in this last week i've had the urge to make ginger lime pickles, blood orange marmalade, more preserved lemons, mustard and homemade deodorant.

i'm such a nut.
oh, that reminds me. i also want to make "larabars"...with nuts.

i wonder which three projects i'll tackle this weekend.

small updates from a small suburban farmstead

2011-02-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

saturday: started my first batch of seeds: onions and brassicas, and a little spinach for good measure.
sunday: the chicken passed away, i was content in knowing i did what i could and she was warm and calm. i am contemplating new chickens this summer, but a little tired of the additional work.

sick chicken

2011-02-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

well, she lived through the night...
not sure what that means.

one of the buffs appears to have egg yolk peritonitis. (how do i know? first hand.)
i noticed it after coming home from vacation. so i soaked her in a warm bath, cleaned her, oiled her up and snuggled her into a towel under a heat lamp.

i have been giving her a watery cornmeal mash with lots of garlic in it.

last night i thought i might wake to a dead chicken.
but this morning she was looking a little better. so we shall see.

don't really know what kind of outcome to expect. at least she is warm and calm.

Dark Days #5: Blueberry bread

2011-01-18T21:40:00.000-08:00

last night i whipped up some blueberry bread mini-loaves.

i used bob's red mill flour, homemade yogurt and butter, and blueberries that i picked this summer with friends. beyond the soda, salt and sugar, it was all local.

in these dreary winter months, a friend at work and i decided to swap lunch/breakfast duties. one of us makes up some lunch food and the other breakfast, enough for us to enjoy it a couple or three times that week. i am liking the idea so far.

this week tigress in a pickle mentioned dark days and how a lot of pantry eating comes of it. and that might just be one of the things i love about it, the reminder to eat all the delicious things i have been stockpiling like a little squirrel. you look the challenge in the eye and then your mind starts to poke around your shelves until you suddenly have something amazing to eat—that didn't require a trip to the store.

Dark Days #4: Baked eggs and polenta

2011-01-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

i love simple, delicious, dishes.

monday night i made up some polenta in the oven. 1 c. polenta (Bob's Red Mill, sourced from Pendleton), 1 qt. water and a dash of salt in a casserole pan and baked it for an hour at 350. after an hour, i stirred in a tablespoon of homemade butter and cooked a little longer. (i pulled the idea from this nytimes article.)

voila! polenta.

tonight i dressed it up a little for the full meal effect.

a scoop of polenta, a dollop of (homemade) tomato jam and carmelized onion jam each—and topped with a backyard fresh egg. 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven and >boom< dinner.

the tomato jam added that extra note that kept this from feeling dull and the onion jam added a nice richness. bacon would be a good addition, as would cheese. but i didn't have local options on hand and i have to say this was quite tasty as it was.

forward and back

2011-01-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

i am a few days into january and i haven't done a lick of what i said i will do. but i am not letting that drag me down, its been a crazy couple of weeks: people moving in and out, and just some good old time off for play.

now we are settling in with new housemates, new chaos, new spaces.
(the seed catalogs are arriving but i am just not ready yet to attack the garden.)

there is a lot of work to be done.
but that aside i have some upcoming goals.

vanilla extract
infused vodka
bacon bourbon
preserved lemons
kimchee (started it last night!)
spiced beer jelly
infused vinegar

learn to knit
these handbags
recipe box adapted from this idea
more napkins

i am excited about these and i know they are within my abilities.

in november i slowly started building a momentum that is carrying me into the new year. first week of january i am happy to be able to look back and see my list full of crossed off items: my first napkin project completed, yogurt successfully made, a homemade christmas, a full larder and a lot of yoga behind me.

here's to the first season of 2011.

Dark Days #3: Unexpectedly local

2011-01-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

around eleven today i thought i would like to eat something amazing today.
it is a thought i often have when i am bored or restless at work, and hungry.

no less than ninety minutes later, here i am lunching on four-cheese ravioli made by our local italian delicatessan doused in a pea-shoot pesto my roommate created using organic microgreens a good friend grew. to round it out i made up a little sunflower and pea shoot salad and am taking the last sips of a bottle of Cougar Crest Anniversary Cuvee.

it is indeed pretty amazing.
bonus? this may be the most green i've eaten in weeks. a happy girl indeed.

present packaging

2010-12-22T23:30:00.000-08:00

this is the second year i've done a homemade christmas.
this year i decided to use magazine clippings as jar toppers.
(and in some instances fabric scraps from my napkin endeavor.)

all my favorite scraps right here

i found it great fun. to play with the textures, colors and scenery cut down to a small scale. it added a bit of playfulness and in most instances the paper toppers would come off with the screw top. it was inexpensive and entertained me. truly, i do this for pleasure...

magazine clippings

using green cardstock and an every day printer, i made up simple labels.
i cut them out and tied them with rainbow twine i bought at the craft store.

this year on each label i tried to include ideas for the treat. a cheese it might taste good with, a style of meal—roasted meats, stir-fry. the concept came up while doing my white elephant gift and i think its a good one. i truly hope that people use what i gave them and it will make me sad to hear they did not.

like a mother hen i would almost rather they give them back.
but let's not digress into negativity.

i enjoyed how colorful my workstation became as i made progress.

and with most of it behind me, i can snuggle in and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

Dark Days #2: Refreshing solstic breakfast

2010-12-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

this morning i was up at 5 am and out the door to a Winter Solstice celebration put on by a friend—108 Sun Salutations to clear out the cobwebs of negativity and move into the new year revitalized.

it was oh so heavenly.

i came home feeling so lovely and calm and bright.
and i thought, today is an 'only good stuff' day.

so today i nourished my body with homemade yogurt and granola with frozen raspberries.

the yogurt i made yesterday—in fact i pulled it from its incubation right before i left for yoga. the milk is from a dairy in touchet, which is only 15 minutes away and i used a starter my parents gave me. after all my intimidation, making yogurt was incredibly easy and i am so happy to have had a successful first go of it.

the raspberries came from my grandmother's backyard and we're frozen for future deliciousness.

the granola i made up specifically for dark days: bob's red mill oats (closest to local), homemade fruit butter and honey, and a smattering of spices (nutmeg, cinnamon). i used this recipe as an approximation (i left out the fruit and nuts, although i have a source for local walnuts for next time):

Fruit Butter Granola

5 cups rolled oats 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 
¾ tsp. salt 
¾ cup brown sugar 
¾ cup fruit butter (blueberry, pear)
¼ cup maple syrup  (honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins) 
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, fruit butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven, stir in dried cranberries and almonds. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Happy Winter Solstice to Everyone! The days will only get longer now!

holy crap. it's almost that time.

2010-12-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

seed starting time.
i'm a little excited.

of course, i have a lot of work ahead of me in my basement before i can really get set up.
baby steps. baby steps.

homemade christmas

2010-12-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

i've been a flurry of homemade gift activity.

i think part of it is that i fret that a jar, or two, of something handmade won't please my family. i think my friends will appreciate it, but my family—well i've known them since the age of rampant materialistic gift-giving so i haven't quite gotten it out of my mind that that is what they want.

so thursday night i put on some music and whipped up some:

this weekend i'll have a few more items i want to make, as well as coming up with recipes and labels for the items i am giving away. i have a busy weekend of holiday social parties so i am not sure how i will fit it all in. its hard to want to do two such different activities at the same time.

if i had thought ahead of time, i would have kept track of everything i've spent. but given that i have enough items to gift dozens (yes, multiple!) of friends and family, i think i am still ahead of the game.

nefarious squash

2010-12-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

pyrex never looked so evil

the canning continues

2010-12-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

this friday i spent the night in canning.
pickled beets, apple pie filling and pears in a light syrup.

it took me awhile to settle on a recipe for the pickled beets. the majority of the ones i came across featured cinnamon, nutmeg or uncomfortable amounts of sugar.

here is the one that i chose, found here:

3 lbs peeled, cooked beets cut into 1/4 inch slices

3 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

2 teaspoons dill seed

2 teaspoons peppercorns

1 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon salt

3 bay leaves

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

2 cups water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 onion, sliced thinly (about 3/4 cup)

Place all of the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Prep your jars. Pack the beets into the warm jars and ladle the pickling solution over them. Leave a 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a water bath for 30 minutes.

the pie filling recipe i pulled from here.

on the other side of this experience (pie filling), i will say that i think it is more work than is worthwhile. christmas gifts for picky family members was my specific purpose and in that i was successful, but i wouldn't do this in the future. canned apples in syrup are far simpler and can be put to the same purposes.

the pears were simple and looked like such beauties in my blue bowl.

Dark Days #1: Local Tacos

2010-12-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

the forces of the universe combined in such a way that some delicious steak tacos were the result.

free range skirt steak marinated over night and grilled, sauteed winter sweet onions, homemade salsa and shredded local cabbage, all served up on corn tortillas made in the town ten minutes away.

enjoyed with a friend, it was the perfect foundation for an epic night of dancing and debauchery.

it made me happy to no end to remember the corn tortillas. i see some delicious dark days breakfast tacos or huevos rancheros in my future.

personal meditation

2010-12-12T13:13:00.000-08:00

i would like to be someone who walks her dog every morning and makes a french press of coffee after wards. who cooks from scratch effortlessly and writes letters regularly. i want to always have a book and a project and an interesting article to bring up that isn’t depressing.

i want to be someone who runs errands on bicycle and shops at farmer’s markets. i want to be someone who uses expensive make-up, homemade soap and all natural detergent. i want to clean with vinegar and murphy’s soap. i would like to always have a nice bottle of wine on hand and never have more than two drinks when i am out.

i would like to be someone who watches movies instead of television and listens to music while i cook. i’d like to have open shelves, nice kitchen ware and wooden spoons. i want to be someone who eats vegetables voraciously, who makes my own yogurt and buys fresh baked bread every week.

i would like to be someone who spends nice days taking photographs and has cloth napkins. i would like to be someone who practices yoga every day and can run five miles easily.

i would like to travel to new york every year and take road trips in the summer. i would like to be someone who wears rings, necklaces, vintage clothing and playful shoes.

all about meat

2010-12-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

tuesday i ordered some meat from our local free-range, organic ...meat farm? with a 'first-time customer' discount of twenty dollars off a fifty dollar purchase, i thought, stock up!

no sooner is the meat in the freezer than i get an email about their 72-hour sale. so here i am on thursday with six more pounds of ground beef and two skirt steaks.

so far i've imagined "dark days" meatloaf, carbonara, stuffed pork chops with homemade applesauce and roast beef sandwiches. i think i should create a meal road-map, give me something to look forward to.

there is something nice about not eating a lot of meat. for under sixty dollars, i have probably procured enough meat to sustain me for the winter months. its always been a hope of mine to eat meat infrequently but of superb quality. i think this winter season will be a time to push myself to do just that.

i have definitely hit my 'store up for the winter' stride. need to pick up some oats on the way home and then call it quits for a few weeks. the shopping, not the cooking. that is just getting started.

dark days shopping list

2010-12-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

okay. dark days challenge is underway and i need to get my rear in gear.
this will be my second year and i am looking forward to doing things a little differently. i'm excited to pick up local pasta from cugini's, make my own yogurt and find local grains. added bonus? cooking for one, i think i'll have a little more flexibility

i have a bushel of beets, butternut squash up to my ears, a consistent source of eggs and a variety of canned salsas, sauces and jams. today i started thinking about what else? and then all the best things came to mind: meat! cheese! pasta!

tonight i'll stop by the local co-op and look at their selection of bluebird grains. i'd like to have some whole grains for grain salads or pilafs, as well as some flour to make my own starter. i have an order at Thundering Hooves for a roast, ground beef, pork chops and bacon ends—it should last me awhile.

in other preparation-related news, i am working on connecting with Schreiber & Sons farm which is outside yakima. they typically have local lentils, chickpeas and dried beans which would be an awesome score.

as for cheese and milk. it looks like Organic Valley has three farms within 150 miles of Walla Walla, and i will wind my way out to the Monteillet Formagerie before the end of their season and snag a few treats.

mmm. all this talk makes me hungry.
get excited! i hope to cook my first meal tomorrow night!
can't wait to make the kitchen fill with the smells of roast.

white elephant in a can

2010-12-06T10:23:00.000-08:00


a typewriter provided a simple solution to labels


fabric scraps for the final touch

i agreed to help a friend put together some of my homemade gifts for her company white elephant exchange. it tickled me pink to put something together so fantastic from items around the house: fabric scraps from my napkin project, paper left over from last years christmas gifts.

to pull it all together i broke things down into themes, added simple suggestions for each item and typed them up:

SWEET
SAGE PEAR BUTTER: PAIR WITH BLUE CHEESE OR CRUSTY HEARTY BREAD
BLUEBERRY BUTTER: PERFECT FOR BREAKFAST ON BISCUITS OR TOAST
LAVENDER SUGAR: LAVENDER LEMONADE, USE IN MUFFIN RECIPES

SPICY
CURRIED ZEBRA RELISH: DELICIOUS WITH GRILLED CHEESE, SAUSAGE
PLUM CHUTNEY: CONDIMENT FOR ROASTED MEATS, TRIPLE CREAM CHEESES
FRESH CURRY SPICE: ADD TO A STIR-FRYS, LENTILS AND SOUPS

STRONG
CRANBERRY CLOVE COCKTAIL MIXER: WINTER CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS
CLEMENTINE BROWN SUGAR COCKTAIL MIXER: SPICE UP OLD FASHIONEDS
NUTMEG INFUSED SIMPLE SYRUP: GREAT IN COFFEE, RUM COCKTAILS

it was a fun project for the weekend and i can't wait to hear how it was all received.

stocking up

2010-12-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

thursday as i set out for the farm stands, it began to sleet, snow and slush. go figure. i remain undaunted and was handsomely rewarded: braeburn apples, bosc pears, cider, beautiful bountiful cabbage and a big ol' bag of beets.

i did a little snoopy dance to find so much local produce clear into december.
i am all set to hole up and cook my weekend away.

winter recipes

2010-11-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

i did more than just watch the birds over the holiday break.

Roasted Parsnip Soup

2 pound(s) (small) parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
2/3 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 stalk(s) celery, cut into small pieces
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 quart(s) vegetable broth

Toss the parsnips in olive oil and salt, and Roast in the oven at 350 degrees F. Shake the pan or occasionally to turn them, until tender and easily pierced with a fork — about 60 minutes.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook until translucent and softened — about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsnips, bay leaf, and broth, and increase the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, partially cover the pot and simmer until the parsnips fall apart easily — about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Puree the mixture in a blender, in 2-cup batches, until smooth. Return the soup to the pot over low heat and stir occasionally until warmed through. You can use milk or water to thin it out. Soup may be cooled and stored refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Garlic Mashed Parsnip Potatoes
Boil peeled and chopped parsnips and potatoes (3 parsnips for every two potatoes) with 3 cloves of garlic until tender. Drain. Mash with 2 tbsps of butter and 1/4 tsp of salt.

Pumpkin Butter
3 ½ cups fresh pumpkin purée*
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepot and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat to low and, stirring often, simmer until thickened and glossy, about 10 minutes if using canned pumpkin and 20 minutes if using fresh. Cool to room temperature. Store in airtight containers (see note) in the refrigerator.

*Now, when I made the puree, I drained it as per the instructions at local kitchen. So when I put everything together, it didn't look like anything that would 'boil'. Several times I added some of the pumpkin juice that I had drained off and if you don't have that handy, I would go for apple juice or cider. In the end I cooked it until it was nice and glossy and I liked the flavor (I added pinches of nutmeg, cloves and ginger).

winter birds

2010-11-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

spent much of the long, wintery, weekend sitting at my kitchen table watching the birds. juncos, chickadees and finches: house, cassin and yellow.

it was a delightful way to spend the snowy days.

smells like thanksgiving

2010-11-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

a variety of impediments did their job and prevented me from canning.

but as a small triumph, i discovered that the Cinderella pumpkin from last year was still good. so i did successfully turn out ten+ cups of pumpkin puree, so pumpkin butter (and so much more) is in my near future.

more impressively, i successfully harvested my celery and parsnips—only a few hours before it began snowing. so i may not have beets to pickle and apples to sauce, but i do have parsnips to roast and celery to saute in butter and turn into some delicious cream of celery soup.

we have a snowy, cold week ahead of us and i'm glad to have a reason to hole up in a toasty kitchen.

(but believe you me, there are apples and pears in my future.)

canning: the final push

2010-11-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

this fall i focused on small batches, unusual recipes and kept an eye towards the holiday season. even still, i found myself with a plethora of beautiful jars—so much so that i moved a bookshelf into my laundry room to hold them all.

its been a few weeks since i satisfyingly heard my last ping ring out from the kitchen. i thought i was done. so imagine my surprise when those thoughts started creeping back into my head this week.

so i have made a short list of my final canning to-dos.

pickled beets
pumpkin butter
pears in light syrup
nutmeg infused simple syrup
chili infused oils
(more) applesauce
apple pie filing
(more) onion jam
stock
kimchi
sauerkraut

...er, that was supposed to be a short list.

but it grew even as i typed it.

this weekend i am going to hit the farm stands and see what i can scrounge together. from there i will decide what i will attack this weekend and what will be for another day.

i'll make sure to report back.

back from a long hiatus

2010-11-17T18:04:00.000-08:00

i've been on the fence about this blog.
but i've decided to continue. you know what cinched it? the dark days challenge.

last year i rocked out about half of the required meals.
so i've even been on the fence about the challenge.

but i can't pass up a good challenge, so i am in.
i mean i can't pass up my heritage right? see exhibit a, b and c.

of course, neither u-pick or farmer's markets exist here at this temperature.
(but there just may be some farm stands open, and i will find out friday afternoon.)

dark days meal #1 is due december first, two weeks from now.
in the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for a post or two—or five, about canning.

fall weekends

2010-09-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

spent a weekend canning.

the entire endeavor becomes meditative when you have an entire day to dedicate it (or two.) it becomes cycles of chopping, simmering, boiling, pouring and timing. much of it could be done from the comfort of my couch, lazy dramas playing out on the television and fall scenes playing out the front door.

the applesauce came out pink, which tickles me likewise. the plums smelled heavenly as they simmered, and i think i can rest easy that i have put my green tomatoes to good use. my cabinet is filled with beautiful jars.

it was a weekend well spent.

early fall sunset

2010-09-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

an ambitious fall

2010-09-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

perhaps i just do better in fall. but, perhaps i just can't remember last summer.
either way, i feel infinitely more in tune with september. i have five quarts of tomato sauce in the freezer, four quarts of frozen corn, four jars of pickles and seven jars of salsa.

and i'm not done yet—!

starting on monday and continuing through the week i have plans to make:

applesauce
curried green tomatoes
canned tomatillo salsa
pickled jalapenos
pickled red onions
nectarine jam (or jelly?)
whole tomatoes
(possibly) more salsa or ketchup?
infused liquors (pear, hot pepper, other)

roasting a chicken on monday too. looking forward to it.

somehow the whole allure of canning—rooted to the kitchen, doing as much as you can before things go bad, looking towards the colder months on the horizon—resonates with me.

pickled peppers [insert joke here]

2010-09-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

after reading a post at Food in Jars about pickled peppers, i was inspired to turn these:

into these—!

i think they look absolutely beautiful in my kitchen.

saturday in the kitchen

2010-08-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

harvest monday: late august

2010-08-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

in addition to these beautiful tomatoes, i have eggplant of all shapes and colors and my cucumbers are experiencing a renaissance. peppers are also coming on, not the jungle i'd hoped for but peppers still.

the fall garden

2010-08-23T19:00:00.001-07:00

reading heavy petal, i remembered—fall garden!

thus far i have chard, spinach, radishes, broccoli and carrots in the ground.

it feels good. i'm looking at fall as my second chance.

next up? more greens. mizuna, mache, stir-fry. mustard. arugula.

then i'm thinking turnips, fava beans, onions, raab and cabbage. oh, and peas!

i've never done well with fall gardening before but after my half-assed summer i have a desire to succeed. and my watering timer puts me ahead of the game. (really, i swear you should get yourself one.)

in the not-too-distant past i had good luck with fall. feeling lucky.

summer pinks

2010-08-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

hibiscus

stormy summer sky

farmer's market: week fifteen

2010-08-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

this week i spent 17 dollars.

a dozen ears of corn: $5
watermelon: $2
fresh hummus: $5
a baguette: $3.50
smoked salt: $1.50

almost all entirely consumed last night with friends.
perfect.

the brave little basil that could

2010-08-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

i feel incredibly fortunate that this little bush basil decided to live.

it's the only basil i have.

next year, bush basil all the way baby. i love how nice and little it is, and bushy.

small successes

2010-08-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

despite my malaise, one thing is thriving.

pepper plant, cucumber, potato vine, oh my!

the front window box. this year i spent the money to set up timed soaker watering. the shallow box has been difficult to keep hydrated without leaking into my basement. now the hoses run for 10 minutes at 8am and 8pm (avoiding the hottest parts of the day, for conservation) and the box is thriving.

cucumber and eggplant love

the box has two cucumber plants, a sweet potato vine, a sedum (that's buried in greens), calendula, marigolds, three eggplant plants and a lovely bush basil.

three baby cucumbers on their way

its nice to have something beautiful to look at when i walk in and out of the house each day.

first tomatoes of the season

2010-08-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

i think these are the purple chinese ones, i'll have to look up the name

not the summer i intended

2010-08-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

this year was something of a disaster. lack of forward momentum (plus) grand plans (equals) frustration, disappointment, and weeds. just to name a few.

i think next year i will be simpler. smaller.

and automated.
if there is anything that i learned this year, is that an automated watering system is my savior.

maybe i will do an entire raised bed with flowers for cutting. zinnias. sunflowers.
fewer tomatoes, fewer eggplant. more greens. more beans.

while the guilt still nags at me, i am feeling a little better about it. things are growing, even with my minimal input. sometimes you just need to admit defeat and do what you can with what you have. there are tomatoes and eggs and cucumbers. smile and take a nap.

local meal: summer style

2010-08-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

last night i chopped up some sweet onions and sauteed them, threw in a clove of garlic i picked up downtown and opened up one of my jars of tomatoes from the farm last year.

fresh rosemary and sage from my mother's were on hand, all together the house smelled wonderful.

when it was looking nice and saucy i chopped up a yellow squash from the market and sliced up a few of these babies from a friend's garden.

on farfalle pasta, the result was delicious. one of the more savory, delicious, local meals that i've eaten all summer. what can i say—it's been a lazy, slow, strange summer, and my standards are low.

quiet night indoors

2010-08-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

today i made fresh herb sun tea.
mint and cucumber, lemon balm and strawberry.

now i am enjoying a fresh cocktail with blackberries and st. germain.
reading Ready Made. it's an amazing magazine and i highly recommend it.

harvest monday: first week of august

2010-08-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

where are the tomatoes!?
they mock me. abundant yet unripe.

tonight i am revamping my watering schedule.

i pulled big bunches of baby carrots out of the ground: nantes and purple haze. going to do up a big batch of carrot sticks for all day snacking. the cucumbers are abundant and i have five from the garden now.

eggplant are doing well too: three fingerlings, two long japanese and one classic style.

looking forward to planting fall crops to prolong the season. brassicas and arugula to be sure, maybe some peas and probably another round of beans, see if i can get anything before the cold.

oh yes, and fava beans. mmm.
photos to come later tonight.

farmer's market: week fourteen

2010-08-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

what week is it? i missed two.
it made it especially lovely to be there this saturday.

strawberries $2
nectarines $6
chiogga beets, mint, green onions $4
lettuce blend $3
3 cucumbers, tomatillos and hungarian peppers $4
red onions $2
yellow squash $2

total: $22.00

tonight i'll be baking up some beet chips and making up a couple of salads to last me the week. july was a rough month for me and i wasn't as good as i could have been about eating what i bought. august is a new month and i am re-doubling my efforts. exciting times in the kitchen ahead!

a small moment

2010-07-28T19:08:00.001-07:00

today i spent a few moments in the garden.
had wanted to spend more, but the muggy warmth was unappealing.

tomatoes aren't ripe yet but i did score a veritable bounty.
three cucumbers, fistful of small carrots, two eggplant, two peppers and a small bowl of green beans.

it was a nice feeling. hopefully it will rain tonight and the air will clear a little.

jubilee lake

2010-07-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

early morning on the lake

very tempting

found this on the tree at our campsite

soft sunlight and grass

woke up with the sun on friday. it was so refreshing to be in the cool mountain air, the sound of birds and the silence of a campground full of sleeping people. walked around the campground, watched the mist skitter across the lake and basked in the warmth of the sun.

an invigorating experience everywhere i turned.

mountains, here i come

2010-07-22T09:22:00.001-07:00

unexpected camping trip has me super excited.
outdoors! stars! adventure! fresh air!

haven't been to Wallowa Lake in years. very excited.
what an excellent reward for a productive week.

you get what you give?

2010-07-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

the tomatoes are as tall as i am, so last night i went through and clipped a few of their tips.

there are some ribbed and striped tomatoes coming through, now they just need to proliferate and ripen. the season feels even later than it may be, or perhaps the plants will not perform as well as they have before.

how disappointing. but what do i expect with this my sub par effort?

some peppers are coming through as well.
tonight i think i'll weed them well and apply some fertilizer to help boost production.

this summer has seemed like a rough one for a lot of people.
weather, life, what unfortunate timing for it to all go awry.

fresh bean deliciousness

2010-07-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

today i picked my first beans and found a baby cucumber that is growing.
still working on the motivation to do anything more productive in the garden.

hip cat to counter

2010-07-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

mingus

one hip dog

2010-07-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

interesting reads for the day

2010-07-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

from the New York Times

i love the High Line park. i saw it in february though, i bet in summer it is one hundred times better (and more crowded.) i think it would be awesome if the trend caught on in other cities. cities need more green!

from the blogs

this weekend kicks off a considerable amount of on-my-own-time, which i am hoping to use to get myself going on several projects—including fruit butters, garden catch-up and finishing my cloth napkins.

the world seems to be pointing me in the Go For It! direction.

merry half-birthday to me

2010-07-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

this morning while puttering around in the yard i saw them—beans!
somehow that promise of delicious french fillet beans is telling me that i need to get my rear in gear. i'd be just in time for fall planting—my fall garden could surpass my summer one?

this summer has been one characterized by apathy.
the smallest upsets have just decimated my productivity.

tonight i am (hopefully) picking blueberries, so tomorrow: garden time.

life in the country

2010-07-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

farmer's market: week eleven

2010-07-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

a quite day at the market.

peaches: $6
#potatoes: 3
bunch of beets: 1.00
sunflowers: $5

total: 15—!

spent the other $5 on salt from the salumerie downtown.

and excellent use of twenty dollars.

the early summer

2010-07-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

as summer has slowly decided to grace us with her presence the garden is improving. now with some extra time on my hands, i am hoping to do my half and catch up on much needed work.

i finally set up a regular watering system for the front flower box and everything is responding accordingly.

cucumber flowers already!

the black raspberries are continuing to produce

deliciousness

and i have baby tomatoes on the grow as well

so all in all, things are looking up.

farmers market: week ten

2010-07-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

an excellent morning to go to the market early and pick up my sundries.

pea shoot microgreens: $6 for a flat
# of potatoes: $3
# of fava beans: #1.50
small orange bouquet: $2
cucumbers: 2 for $1
zuchinni: 2 for $1
5# sweet onions: $4

total: 18.50

later in the season that i expected but i was especially excited to see fava beans and pea shoots this week. perhaps this slow summer season is a good thing in that its bringing summer and spring crops closer together.

harvesting: last week of june

2010-06-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

!!!

my black raspberries are ripening!
saturday evening i stood in the backyard with a good friend and her silly children picking everything we could find and consuming it immediately.

this week i'll pull a few sweet onions too. the market no longer has any spring onions and i am missing them something terrible. i just love the little slivers of them in a salad.

things are starting to get exciting...

farmer's market: week nine

2010-06-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

it was a small haul this weekend, the fridge is still bursting from other weekends!

flat of strawberries: 10$
pound of peas, 2 kohlrabi: 5$
pointed cabbage, spinach, bouquet: 8$

total: 23$

bunnies in the night

2010-06-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

farmer's market cooking

2010-06-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

i've really been enjoying shopping at the farmer's market each week. i get excited about what's new and can watch the growing season progress first hand. as i poke along the vendors i think about what i might want to eat the coming week, what kinds of things i can create with the tasty morsels offered.

i thought i would share a sampling of what i've been whipping up

sunday i made potaotes gratin with some of my new potatoes, and snacked on strawberries for breakfast.

monday i made a stir-fry with snow peas, asparagus, and cipolinni onions. some garlic, ginger, lemon juice and soy sauce rounded it out and gave it a flavorful punch.

wednesday i tried roasted radishes and pasta with sauteed orach. (what is orach? learn here!) and whipped up a big batch of my new favorite arugula garlic scape pesto.

and today was the day for more rhubarb simple syrup for my rhubarb lemonade for the hot weekend that is ahead of us.

and tomorrow is saturday—and thus, market day!
i am especially excited for strawberries, cherries and more potatoes for a tasty sunday breakfast.

first day of spring, wait, summer

2010-06-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

this is a joke right? a not funny, drawn-out prank, right?
today is the first day of summer and its currently 57 degrees.

there is not a lot to say. the tomatoes are doing all right, the peppers and eggplant are still waiting for the heat. everything else is growing. if i had known it would be like this, i would have planted more peas!

the other batch of greens were laid to waste by the chickens again.
tomorrow should be a big gardening evening.

farmer's market: week eight

2010-06-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

its getting to the point where i'm surpassing $20/week and i can't keep track. but when it comes to eating fresh local vegetables, that's a good thing—right?

strawberries: 2 pints for $5
potatoes: 1# for $3
peas: $3
arugula: $2
salad greens: $3
orach: $3
broccoli: $1
radishes:$1
hummus: $5

total: $26

this week i have intentions on trying roasted radishes, stir fry with peas and broccoli and doing a large batch of the pesto i made last week (i love it that much.)

in other news, its the first week i haven't bought asparagus or onions. that last one was a mistake i think. but the asparagus—its just about time to give that a rest.

a delicious spring pesto

2010-06-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

i made the most delicious pesto last night.
with left over pasta and no desire for red sauce, i found what i could and threw it together.

a large handful of arugula scavenged from the yard
six or so garlic scapes
a small bundle of chives
a small chunk of parsley
handful of pine nuts
extra virgin olive oil.

threw everything into the food processor and pulsed until they were chopped up a fair amount. what came out was a brilliant green, spicy pesto that packed a lot of flavor in a little scoop. (turns out its delicious in scrambled eggs as well.)

new favorite recipe of the season.

a little bit here and there

2010-06-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

last night i finally got some zuchinni seeds in the ground. !!!

i planted four types (magda, gadzukes, yellow straight, verte et blanc) in my strawberry bed after some vicious weeding. i am hoping as the squash grow large they will dominate and make it inhospitable for the weedlings. i also threw some cosmos and calendula seeds in to add some color.

the temperature is finally picking up and all the warm-crops are benefiting. the cucumbers are finally making progress and the tomatoes look happier than ever. the cool season crops are all bolting, so i sowed another series of radishes and greens in an attempt to fake them out.

the little seedlings i inherited are struggling from my lack of attention. i threw a few artichokes in the ground simply because they didn't look like they could live much longer. my 'structure' is slowly coming apart as i just try to get.things.in.the.ground.

so my priorities are to rescue the seedlings and plant winter squash seeds.
secondary priorities are any remaining brassicas and dry beans. and weeding. lots of it.

farmer's market: week seven

2010-06-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

the season is upon us!
it is finally warming up and strawberries and cherries are making an appearance at the market. and along with them, a bevy of other vegetable delights. i have to admit, i went a little 'crazy'.

this saturday i scored:

asparagus $3
rhubarb 2 @ $2
cherries $3
broccoli $3
beets 2 @ $1.50
carrots $2
flowers $6
garlic scapes $2

total: 26$

spring sky

2010-06-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

garden work

2010-06-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

i came home ambitiously on Monday and went straight out into the garden.

over the weekend the chickens went apocalyptic on the salad greens, like frenzied sharks. oops. there goes the lettuce, spinach and salad mix. i must have been in a decent mood because i spent a moment in shock and awe and then shrugged it off—i guess when you already have a fridge full of spinach, bok choi, tatsoi, salad greens and arugula, you aren't too concerned about what's going on outdoors.

so i pulled out the lettuce, radishes and spinach. the black radishes performed incredibly poorly for me, no more for me thank you. i filled the bed with more salad, a row of Egyptian beets, five more eggplant, nine celery starts and a row of beans.

i tucked some spinach and celery among the cucumbers, some parsley among the tomatoes, and then quickly became overwhelmed by the chamomile and the anthill i disturbed by the other set of eggplant.

tonight the plan is to pull the chamomile and finish weeding the strawberries.

if i get that done and still have some energy i am going to drag out some compost and amend the upcoming squash bed and the flower box in the front. i think this year i'll try some random vegetables out front—everything i can't find room for elsewhere. could make a nice entry way.

everything is rolling along nicely.

mr. rupert

2010-06-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

rupert's gene simmons impression

harvesting: second week of june

2010-06-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

one thing i am not harvesting: salad. the chickens absolutely destroyed my salad greens!
but there is plenty of arugula and broccoli raab to make up for it. and a smattering of chard.

and i started picking some gooseberries off my gooseberry bush, although i think i may have picked them a little early—but i don't know how to tell since they are naturally tart.

its a very slow start to the season. rain, rain, rain.

can you spot the kitten?

2010-06-08T08:24:00.001-07:00

milo's new favorite nap spot

farmer's market: week six

2010-06-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

in addition to the tasty juice we procure from Stone's Throw Farm each week, i came home with:

spring onions $2
asparagus $3
larzac $10 (cheese from the formagerie)
broccoli raab $2
purple tatsoi $1
baguette $4

total: 22.00

even better? an impromptu morel hunt scored us some sweet fungi to indulge in.

sunday we spent the day eating cheese and baguette in bed, got up long enough to make a delicious stir fry with fresh onions, asparagus, tatsoi and kohlrabi for dinner. an excellent indulgent sunday.

she's got a ticket to ride

2010-06-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

among my goals in june is to ride this beauty to work every day.
even better? since this photo its been tricked out with fenders and collapsible baskets, allowing me to afford for all possible situations. groceries, change of clothes and most importantly—lunch.

so two questions!

what are some good lunch ideas for commuters?
i.e. nothing that ends up soggy, nothing that needs a lot of pre-ingestion attention and super tasty.
any experiences with bento boxes or similar situations?
i've come across them and so far have found ones that are: not microwavable, not a tight seal or not practical. would love to find something cute and functional, but i can live with Tupperware too.

would love some input!

cold holiday weekends? no fair.

2010-06-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

the cold wet april weather that is holding us in her grasp now into june is starting to grate on me. it hasn't done much (if any) damage to the garden but it does prevent me from spending all my time out of doors, which is my favorite spring and summer activity.

saturday i barbecued for my family and a major overhaul of the patio area was required just to make sure we could all stay dry should the weather turn unexpectedly. the layout is nice, i'll probably keep it that way for awhile. i whipped up asparagus and salad from market purchases and grilled some chicken with a couple of tasty rubs i whipped together. i'll try to get the recipes posted later today.

sunday we were blessed with a sunny afternoon, just in time for the second barbecue we assembled at our place. no sooner did we all go home to nap than it began raining on patio set draped lovingly with old thrift-store sheets. talk about timing.

sunday we barbecued turkey and tofurkey sausage, whole ears of corn and pork kabobs. with a no-spend-meal goal in mind, i threw together some vegetarian chili (featuring local chickpeas, home-canned tomatoes, spring sweet onions and backyard herbs) and some corn bread. add salad and asparagus and we were a well-fed bunch.

even though all the other moments i didn't mention were rainy and chilly, it was still a decent holiday weekend.

pretty ladies

2010-05-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

ramona, margaret thatcher, abbey, rosa parks

farmer's market: week five

2010-05-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

week five was a total blow out because i did all my holiday event shopping at the market as well.

hummus ($5)
asparagus ($8—for four pounds)
salad greens ($6—for two bags)
green onions ($2)
baguette ($3)

wow. when i write it out like that, its not nearly as bad as i expected!
really only the asparagus blew out my budget, and these purchases helped feed some twenty people over two days and i still have left overs, so i think i am feeling pretty good.

next week i might splurge on some cheese. and then strawberry season is coming up—!

garden photos

2010-05-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

salad greens, radishes and spinach

fresh new bed, ready for eggplant and tomatillos

a sea of chamomile

(a blonde) a brunette and a redhead

2010-05-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

two of the new chickies

you may recall that i picked up five chicks on a whim a few weeks ago. well two of them fell prey to whatever snagged another three from my friend's yard. so these girls came over early. so far, so good.

interesting finds on my rss feeds

2010-05-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

pack of peppers

2010-05-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

last night i planted thirty-five peppers. with twenty still waiting for their rightful spot.

i remember carefully labeling them and always keeping an eye on how i flipped the container, so that i'd always know what was what. well—all bets are off now. plopping them into the ground i was even more excite to have no idea what was what.

they are all rather small and i planted them probably only six to eight inches from each other. as the summer progresses my chamomile jungle will be replaced with a pepper one.

farmer's market: week four

2010-05-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

we're on week four of my weekly market ventures and i thought i'd start posting about my weekly purchases.

at the end of last season i decided to strive to spend $20 each week at the market on the bulk of my groceries. i thought it would keep me eating fresh, local and seasonal—and help keep my grocery budget down. it was an idea that i followed through with moderate vigor. what i found was that you can buy a lot for $20 a week at the market, most weekends i made off with a bevy of veggies, flowers and a treat such as hummus, fresh bread or goat cheese.

i enjoyed it so much that this year i've decided that i want to make it a weekly endeavor.

this week i picked up:

spinach ($3)
asparagus ($2)
hummus ($5)
spring onions ($2)
broccoli raab ($2)
rhubarb ($2.25)
1/2 french press coffee downtown: ($3.50)

total: $19.75—!

it doesn't take much to create a well-rounded pantry of fresh vegetables.

this form of grocery shopping has helped me focus on what i have at home, what i need to use up and how quickly i go through each item (for instance, i can snack on hummus for as long as three weeks but i love the green onions in everything, so they've been a weekly purchase.) with my own salad greens and radishes coming into their own, i decided to put that money towards other items this week.

harvesting: third week of may

2010-05-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

today andrea at Heavy Petal posted the beginning of a new series: Now Harvesting.

i like the idea and i'm not going to steal it but i'll respond to it in the manner which blogs often work: by blogging it. it happily coincides with my first 'harvest' of any sort from the garden

so this week i have finally begun to harvest salad greens. the arugula is almost ready.

i've also pulled up two french breakfast radishes and dove in to my fresh chives, thyme, savory and rosemary. i predict next week will bring the addition of spinach!

right now is when i feel the pangs the hardest and regret my slow start the most. even still, i am enjoying fresh salad from the garden immensely. its hard to stay down with a fresh plate of homegrown veggies.

The Etiquette of Canning Jars via Food in Jars

2010-05-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

an excellent post at Food in Jars about canning. i heartily subscribe to the first rule—i have heard you should never loan anything unless you'd be okay never seeing it again.

and the second one, right oh!
i know there are people out there who aren't using my Christmas treats (achem, my mother). so read up and shape up!

more rain

2010-05-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

poor little guest-bunny clyde

wet hens

2010-05-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

lots and lots of rain today!

bunny love

2010-05-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

moses and cholo, together at last

grow baby grow!

2010-05-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

its nice to come home from a weekend away and find that everything has grown at least an inch.

i have recognizable arugula, spinach and heads of loose leaf lettuce now, the chamomile is about to bloom (tea!) the beets, carrots and parsnips have a decided presence. the tomatoes are perkier—green zebra and cherokee purple are already putting out flowers which is encouraging. tonight i plant peppers and eggplants and tomatillos.

portland was sunny and full of fun. the farmer's market was still void of fava beans so i'll have to hold out hope for our market here. sounds like the intensely frigid december did them no great benefit. but i did score some early season cucumbers, new potatoes and red cipollini onions—all of which i already have designs on.

glad for the break, glad to be home. what else can i say.
the next few weeks are going to be good ones.