Not Quite What I was Aiming For

But I think it still counts as progress. My husband was home for dinner yesterday and it was still light out when we finished. So, we took a tour of the side yard where the garden will live some day. Unfortunately he nixed any grand ideas I had for actually beginning that garden this year. But all is not lost.

Along the fence line around the side yard the previous owner had a flower garden. It had been taken over with weeds during the housing transition, most of which we have pulled out.  There are still some plants here and there – three Rose of Sharons and some others we can’t identify. My husband said he would move one of the Rose of Sharons and tasked me to clear the corner where we want the compost. That means I have to identify those things and figure out what to do with them.

In the meantime, there is plenty of space to plant some veggies, where we have cleared the weeds out. So, I have every intention of doing just that this weekend. Now, I just have to decide what to plant.

It’s Time, It’s Time!

Actually, here in Texas, I’m already behind the curve. But I’m just itching to get out there and start digging and planting. So, since I got to go to the library by myself today, I browsed through the gardening books. It’s looking like this will be a “me, myself, and I” project – well, me & the kid – so I felt I needed some help. I’ve never done the from scratch part. Right now, where the garden will be, is lawn, grass. Yeah, I don’t know what to do with that. My husband always does that part. But, since he’s completely consumed with work and March is over this week, I have to get in there and figure out how to get started. I found a nice stack of books that look like they will be helpful.

The one I started looking at this evening is absolutely hilarious. I am literally laughing out loud while I read. It’s The 20 Minute Vegetable Gardener (Gourmet Gardening for the Rest of Us) by Tom Christopher & Marty Asher. Check out the “Pledge of Allegiance” (minus the explanations):

1. The 20-minute gardener makes every minute count by growing high-impact crops.
2. The 20-minute fruit and vegetable gardener gauges success not by the size of the crop but by the amount of pleasure it delivers.
3. The 20-minute fruit or vegetable must offer a significant improvement over the store-bought alternative.
4. Twenty-minute gardeners don’t fight Nature (they know who will win that battle).
5. Twenty-minute gardeners plant in rows only when planning to harvest by tractor.
6. Twenty-minute gardeners nurture their dirt.
7. Twenty-minute gardeners don’t weed. . . they never let weeds into their gardens.
8. The 20-minute gardener never applies anything to his garden that he would be afraid to get on his hands.
9. The 20-minute gardener can do this because she rarely has to confront bugs.
10. The 20-minute gardener recognizes that the hose is his most important gardening tool, and so wields it with the care it deserves.
11. Mellow gardeners grow better-tasting vegetables.

I can’t wait (rubbing hands together in anticipation).

Here’s a list of the other books I checked out that look helpful, but I haven’t begun to read yet:

• Dirt Cheap Gardening – Hundreds of Ways to Save Money in Your Gardenby Rhonda Massingham Hart
• Texas Gardening – Vegetablesby Dr. Sam Cotner
• Gardening with Children by Beth Richardson
• The Budget Gardener – Twice the Garden for Half the Priceby Maureen Gilmer
• An Illustrated Guide to Organic Gardening – How to Garden in Harmony with Nature by the Editors of Sunset Books

One should be able to find similar books in the local library, if not these. Definately look for the 20-minute gardener. That looks to be a fun read, and tremendously helpful to little ‘ol me. While I’m on the subject, I picked up another wonderful book from Paperback Swap on Herb Gardening: Herbal Remedy Gardens – 38 Plans for Your Health & Well-Being by Dorie Byers. So many ideas and so little time (not to mention budget). None-the-less, I hope to be able to report some progress this time next week. Happy digging in your little plot of the world!

A Little Reminder

Many have said that when you set a new course for yourself that requires major changes it is important to make a list of your reasons for setting the course in the first place. Then, when you find yourself feeling discouraged or losing your motivation, you can review the list and thus re-energize your cause. I suppose I should follow this advice as I find myself losing motivation at times, or getting discouraged at how difficult it can be to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But, alas, that rejuvenating reminder usually comes along in one form or other. Tonight, I am reminded why I purchase pasture-raised, all grass, all the time, beef: USDA Orders Nation’s Largest Beef Recall. Although much of the meat has already been consumed, I hope this raises the awareness of the general public of the issues regarding factory farming.

Happy New Year!

Here we are well into the first day of 2008. I have my black-eyed peas cooking on the stove. Yup, I remembered this year. But as I looked back at the recipe I posted this time last year, I realized I have two different recipes for Hoppin’ John. The one I’m making as I type came from an old Southern Living cook book (1981). I’m going to post the recipe as it appears in the book. But I did not use the quick-soak method the recipe suggests. I soaked the black-eyed peas the NT way, 12-24 hours with 2 tbsp whey added to the water. Without further ado:

• 2 cups dried black-eyed peas
• 1/2 lb ham
• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup uncooked regular rice (I use brown rice)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I used 1/2 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp oregano)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sort and wash peas; place in a heavy saucepan. Cover with water, and bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let soak 1 hour; drain.

Combine ham and 2 quarts water in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add peas; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes or until black-eyed peas are done.

Remove ham; cut into small pieces. Stir ham into pea mixture. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

One other thing I did differently than the recipe above: I sauteed the onion and celery in the 2 tsp. butter until just tender, then added that mixture to the peas after their 45 minute simmer. I used a couple of ham shank pieces for the ham, so will have to remove the bones when everything is done. And, the brown rice will likely require 10-15 minutes longer than the 30 minutes allotted in the recipe.

Whatever it is you may eat or do this New Year’s Day, I wish you a wonderful year. Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving Highlights

I thought I would post pictures of the dishes I mentioned here for Thanksgiving:

Everything turned out wonderful. My son was very proud of the pumpkin pie made from the pumpkins he grew (we have more pumpkin in the freezer for future use). I used the Pumpkin Pie recipe from Nourishing Traditions. The Green Bean Casserole was wonderful. I will definitely make that again. We’re finishing up the Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes tonight. From the turkey carcass, I made a wonderful soup that we will enjoy many more times. Most of all, we enjoyed good times with my in-laws and some new friends. I hope each of you enjoyed a special weekend with friends and family as well.

Uala Maoli

I found my recipe for Hawaiian Sweet Potato Casserole. I post it here in case anyone is searching for something a little different to complement their Thanksgiving dinner. It came from Hawaiian Cookbook by Roanna and Gene Schindler – given to me as a birthday gift from my sweet husband in 1991.

• 6 large sweet potatoes (2 1/2 pounds), parboiled and peeled OR 1 40 oz can
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 bananas, sliced
• 1 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 can (16oz) crushed pineapple
• 1 cup pineapple juice mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey

Slice sweet potatoes 1/2 inch thick. Grease a heatproof casserole dish with a little butter (or coconut oil). Arrange in alternate layers starting with the sweet potatoes dotted with butter and salt, then the bananas sprinkled with brown sugar, and then the crushed pineapple. End with the sweet potatoes or the crushed pineapple. Combine the pineapple & lemon juices and honey and pour over mixture. Bake in 350 F preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until browned on top. Serves 6-8.

Kamailio (alternate suggestions):

This I have not tried. “If you like the refreshing taste of ginger root, mince and add it to the pineapple juice. Or use orange juice in place of pineapple juice. . . The recipe can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen. Shorten baking time to 25 minutes. Reheat in oven at 300 F until hot.”

Pickled Okra

This was our last week here for Farmers Market. But, I did pick up some more okra so I could have another try at pickled okra. The first go round went pretty well. Although I was a little disappointed at first as the flavor was pretty weak. But now, two months later, they are pretty good – good enough I want to do it again. I could not find an NT recipe for lacto-fermented okra, so I had to improvise. I used the basic pickle (cucumber) recipe from Nourishing Traditions for the”brine” and searched around for pickled okra recipes to get an idea on the spices.

• About a pound of small okra
• 1 jalapeno – seeded & quartered lengthwise
• 2 cloves garlic peeled & halved
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 cup filtered water
• 4 tbsp whey

Wash the okra well and place in a quart-sized mason jar. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the okra, adding more water if necessary to cover the okra.The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

As I mentioned, it takes several weeks for these to really develop their flavor, so you have to be patient. And the flavor is not at all like the commercial variety, where the okra is pickled in vinegar. But once they have aged properly, they are very good – at least if you like okra. Now a bit from Sally Fallon on lacto-fermentation:

Lacto-fermentation is an artisanal craft that does not lend itself to industrialization. Results are not always predictable. For this reason, when the pickling process became industrialized, many changes were made that rendered the final product more uniform and more saleable but not necessarily more nutritious. Chief among these was the use of vinegar for the brine, resulting in a product that is more acidic and not necessarily beneficial when eaten in large quantities; and of subjecting the final product to pasteurization, thereby effectively killing all the lactic-acid-producing bacteria and robbing consumers of their beneficial effect on digestion.  Nourishing Traditions, p. 90.

Speaking of Thanksgiving . . .

IT’S NEXT WEEK!!!

This happens to me nearly every year. Somehow Thanksgiving manages to sneak up on me and before I know it I’m behind on inviting and planning the menu. Alas, we have gotten the inviting done. Although I’m always concerned that we might have missed someone.

So, now for the menu. Well, I’ve got the green bean casserole covered. And my son grew a couple of pumpkins in the backyard – pumpkin pie. I’ll likely use the recipe from Nourishing Traditions. I think my in-laws are bringing a turkey. Hey, we’re half way there. I think I’ll probably do something with sweet potatoes. I have a Hawaiian recipe I’ve used many times in the past. It calls for sweet potatoes, though, not yams. I wonder if I can find those? I wonder if I can find the recipe? Well, if I do, I’ll post it here.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving dinner?

Green Bean Casserole

Well, I’m not posting a recipe here. Instead, I’m directing folks to a real, from scratch, recipe I just found for that casserole everyone seems to love. This recipe uses real food. Doesn’t that look wonderful?

So, if green bean casserole is a must have for your Thanksgiving dinner, why not try this (instead of that standard french fried onion mushroom soup variety)?

A Glimmer of Hope?

On the One Hand . . .

. . . there’s more money in this farm bill for nutrition programs and, for the first time, about $2 billion to support “specialty crops” — farm-bill-speak for the kind of food people actually eat. . . There’s also money for the environment: an additional $4 billion in the Senate bill to protect wetlands and grasslands and reward farmers for environmental stewardship, and billions in the House bill for environmental cleanup. There’s an important provision in both bills that will make it easier for schools to buy food from local farmers. And there’s money to promote farmers’ markets and otherwise support the local food movement.

On the Other Hand . . .

But as important as these programs are, they are just programs — mere fleas on the elephant in the room. The name of that elephant is the commodity title, the all-important subsidy section of the bill. It dictates the rules of the entire food system. As long as the commodity title remains untouched, the way we eat will remain unchanged.

A Glimmer of Hope

What finally emerges from Congress depends on exactly who is paying closest attention next week on the Senate floor and then later in the conference committee. We know the American Farm Bureau will be on the case, defending the commodity title on behalf of those who benefit from it most: the biggest commodity farmers, the corporations who sell them chemicals and equipment and, most of all, the buyers of cheap agricultural commodities — companies like Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.

In the past that alliance could have passed a farm bill like this one without breaking a sweat. But the politics of food have changed, and probably for good. If the eaters and all the other “people on the outside” make themselves heard, we just might end up with something that looks less like a farm bill and more like the food bill a poorly fed America so badly needs.

These are excerpts from a fantastic article by Michael Pollan (author of the Power Steer article under “Important Stuff” in the side bar). It’s a great wrap-up of what’s been going on with the Farm Bill these past few weeks. He provides some good insight into just how things have been working on Capitol Hill, and how things are beginning to change. Just maybe there is some hope. Eaters unite!