tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16284356040618110032024-03-14T02:38:56.505-05:00Home Grown, HomemadeLocavore: A person who chooses locally grown foods, often growing their own fruits and vegetables and doing their own canning and pickling. They eat "out of region" only those foods not grown in their region, such as coffee and olive oil. The term was coined by a San Francisco group interested in promoting local sustainable agriculture and raising consumer awareness. They advocate eating food grown within a 100 mile radius of one's location.
This is my journey to become a WI locavore.ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-17396361969325143742013-08-21T22:21:00.000-05:002013-08-21T22:21:37.652-05:00Saturday Morning at the Market<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Thanks so much to every one who stopped by to visit me this past Saturday at the South Shore Farmer's Market. We had a beautiful (albeit) early morning in the park. I am not a morning person, so the fact that I got there before some of the farmers were done setting up is something I am equal parts proud of and depressed by.<br />
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Having been an avid farmer's market shopper for three years now, I'm starting to get into the hang of what is going to be there when. It's also helpful that I get an email from my CSA farmers around Tuesday of the week, and what they've got is a good indication of what's going to be available at the market. Of course, none of that can account for the fact that - I suspect just to throw me off my game - nobody had garlic at the market this past Saturday.<br />
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I think that cooking at the farmer's market really exemplifies what's at the heart of locavore cooking. It's nothing fancy, nothing flashy, nothing rehearsed. I like to think of my cooking a lot like I think of my dancing. For those of you who only know me from my blogging, I am also an American Tribal Style Belly Dancer (South Shore Market regulars: those are the belly dancers you see a few times a year!). The thing that drew me to ATS Belly Dance was the fact that it is improvisational group dancing. We always dance in groups, and nothing is choreographed. You practice a lot with the women you dance with, you know your music well, and you learn the "vocabulary" of the dance, but when push comes to shove you just don't know what exactly is going to go down. This, to me, is the joy of the dance. You are in the moment, and 90% of the time you need to give that control away. You know what should happen, and you can even influence it a little, but in the end you need to give that control away. You are not in charge. You have to trust those around you to take care of you, and you are responsible for taking care of them. And when something goes wrong, you smile, forgive, and move on. And you learn something new for next time. And maybe, if you're really lucky, you get to create a new move!<br />
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This is how I feel about locavore cooking. You learn the ingredients. You learn how they should work. You learn when they should be there. But in the end, you need to work with what you have. And maybe things don't turn out exactly how you want, but maybe they turn out better. And maybe you end up with something even better than what you had intended. In the end, that is what locavore cooking is about. You need to let go and work with whatever is at the market. In today's well stocked grocery store, you can get whatever you want whenever you want it. That's great, but there's nothing to push you outside of your bubble. <br />
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I'm not saying I necessarily got pushed outside of my comfort zone at the market this past weekend. While not having garlic is fairly traumatic to anyone of marginally Italian descent, "just leaving it out" probably isn't getting pushed outside of your bubble. But I'm not talking about me right now, am I? No. I'm talking about you. I'm saying that you should allow yourself to get pushed out of your bubble. Because it's fun. Because I promise that the bag of weird looking mushrooms that you pick up at the market is going to taste way better than whatever you "just have" to run to the grocery store for. Because I bet you wouldn't have believed me before that peaches and corn make a good salad. And because cooking (like dancing) should be fun. <br />
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The recipes came out well. My helpers Denise and Missie were amazing. The plants that I strategically placed throughout the audience asked all the right questions at all the right times. Okay, the gazpacho was a bit spicy, but I cooled everyone down with a little maple bacon ice cream so they have to forgive me, right? Right.<br />
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Thanks again for coming out to see me. And if you didn't, you can make it up to me next time! I'll be dancing at the market this coming Saturday... <br />
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<b>Corn and Peach Salad</b><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>4 cobs corn</li>
<li>1 lb peaches</li>
<li>1 small red onion</li>
<li>mixed greens (preferably with edible flowers for decoration)</li>
<li>1 lime</li>
<li>1/4 cup olive oil</li>
<li>Salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
<li>1 jalapeno? </li>
</ul>
Grill the corn for about 5 minutes on each side. You're looking to get it charred and a little smokey, but you don't want to overcook the corn. Meanwhile, slice or cube the peaches into bite sized chunks, and finely dice the red onion. Once the corn is grilled, cut it off of the cob and combine with the peaches, onion, and mixed greens in a large bowl. (Larger than the one I used!) In a separate bowl, whisk together the juice of one lime, the olive oil, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. (You can also add a minced jalapeno into the dressing, but I accidentally threw this into the gazpacho - making it extra spicy!) Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss gently again to combine.<br />
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This is a light, refreshing salad that would go well with any grilled meat in the summer. You could also add some avocado, feta, or nuts (if you're into that sort of thing). Another thing I thought of while walking the market after the demo was to flake some of the Rushing Waters smoked trout on top and make an entree salad. <br />
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<b>Grilled Vegetable "Gazpacho"</b><br />
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Yes, I know that gazpacho is made with raw vegetables. Yes, I know gazpacho is traditionally thickened with bread. This has neither of those things. That's why it's "gazpacho." Missie (who took the last of it home) named it "Ka-spacho." I don't care what you want to call it. It's a refreshing summer meal or side, a good way to use up whatever vegetables you have lying around the house, and would make a damn fine Bloody Mary base. <br />
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This is what I did at the market, but you can really feel free to throw in whatever other ingredients you have, or omit any that you don't. (Garlic anyone?)<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 large zucchini (about 1 to 1.5 lbs), cut into large cubes</li>
<li>1 red onion, quartered</li>
<li>1 jalapeno (or two depending on how you're feeling)</li>
<li>2 bell peppers - whatever color you're feeling</li>
<li>A large handful of fresh herbs (if you find yourself thinking - wait, I didn't notice this at the market, you are very perceptive. And also shhh!) </li>
<li>1 cucumber</li>
<li>2 (ish) lbs tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on the size</li>
<li>Olive Oil</li>
<li>Salt and Pepper </li>
</ul>
Combine first five ingredients, along with any additional vegetables you may have lying around your kitchen. Toss with a drizzling of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Grill until just charred, but not soft or mushy. If you want, at this point, you can remove the skins from the peppers, and the seeds from the jalapenos. If the peppers are nicely charred, the skins should slip right off, but this step is not necessary.<br />
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While the first set of veggies is grilling, blend the cucumber until it is fully liquified. Add the grilled vegetables, and blend again until thick. The zucchini has a nice viscosity to it, and will thicken up the soup nicely, while the cucumber and the tomato thin it out. In this case, the zucchini takes the place of the bread.<br />
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Toss the tomatoes in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. You want the tomatoes to start to dry up slightly, and get a little charred on the outside, without drying up.<br />
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Once the tomatoes are warm and getting a little caramelized, transfer them into the blender and puree. <br />
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At this point, I like to combine the green portion and the tomato portion artistically. You can stir them together, but I like how the layers look. Depends on how fancy you're feeling that day.<br />
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<b>Quark and Beet Dip</b><br />
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Easiest. Recipe. Ever.<br />
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Roast off 1.5 lbs of beets (the color's up to you) and allow to cool. Put into a food processor, and process until smooth. Combine with 1 8 oz container of quark from the <a href="http://www.clockshadowcreamery.com/" target="_blank">Clock Shadow Creamery </a>(your choice of flavor... try the maple, it's award winning!) Add a dash of any spices you feel appropriate (cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne...? Preferably not all four.), or maybe a bit of lemon zest, and stir to combine. Serve as a dip with crusty bread, carrot or celery sticks, or crackers.<br />
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<b>Maple Bacon Ice Cream</b><br />
(Hahahahaha. Nope.)<br />
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Send me a message to place your order ;)<br />
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Next up - what to do with the pile of zucchini and cherry tomatoes building up on my kitchen counter. Got any tips for me, or anything you'd like to see me try? Leave them in the comments.</div>
ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-73039189072358865342013-07-12T18:55:00.000-05:002013-07-12T18:55:14.934-05:00Jam! Rhymes with D@!n<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Or something like that... I figure that the title of my post shouldn't be cursy.<br />
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So I would like to send a thanks and shout out to all the handsome young men at the Hack Family Farm stand at the South Shore Farmer's Market. They saved eight quarts of strawberries for me last. And saved is really an understatement. I mean, between the time they gave them to me, and the time that I spent jibber-jaberring about Star Trek or Wars or Gate or something related - FOUR PEOPLE TRIED TO BUY MY STRAWBERRIES OUT FROM UNDER ME. I only got to the market an hour and a half late, which is pretty late for me, but I'm fairly certain they were the last strawberries at the market. Possibly for the whole year. I probably should have sold them. Instead, I tried to make jam.<br />
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I suck at jam.<br />
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I don't think that I have ever successfully made a batch of jam. I follow the directions exactly. I have tried multiple recipes from multiple books, and NEVER do I ever get jam. I get ice cream topping. Seriously. The recipe says to cook for 30 minutes or until it sets - I cook it for two hours and it never sets. If I based my self esteem on my ability to make jam, I would be in a lot of trouble right now.<br />
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Anyway, I ended up with 6 half pints each of strawberry and strawberry rhubarb ice cream topping. I also like to use it with some Greek yogurt. If anyone wants to teach me how to make jam, I would pay you back with pickles. I'm really good at pickles!<br />
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If you are interested in shopping where I shop, and hanging out with my farmers, please come check me out at the South Shore Farmer's Market on Saturday, August 17th. I will be giving a cooking demo at 9:00 am. I don't know what I'm going to make (it depends on what will be there that day), but there will be samples! The after party, like last year, will be at the the Great Lakes Distillery. The Tasting Room opens at 11:00, and the first tour is at 1:00.<br />
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2TGIf6zay1U/UeAfk3Fv1VI/AAAAAAAACTI/ZYlm1awksS0/s1600/blogger-image--1866412353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2TGIf6zay1U/UeAfk3Fv1VI/AAAAAAAACTI/ZYlm1awksS0/s320/blogger-image--1866412353.jpg" width="239" /></a><b>Kate's Strawberry Ice Cream Topping:</b><br />
(This recipe originally comes from my <i>Put 'em Up</i><b> </b>book where it is called Classic Strawberry Jam. Which I guess I'm assuming means it's really safe for canning - even if it isn't safe for jam.)<br />
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(Makes about 3 pints)<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>3 cups strawberries, hulled and halved if large</li>
<li>2 cups sugar</li>
<li>1/4 cup bottled lemon juice</li>
</ul>
Toss the strawberries and sugar in a large bowl and macerate overnight.<br />
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Transfer the mixture to a large nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring and crushing the fruit regularly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches the desired gel, about 20 minutes. (Alternately, cook for 2 hours while cursing at it to be jam already, then give up, can as is, and tell your friends and blog readers that it's ice cream topping and that you meant it to be that way.)<br />
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If you are canning using the boiling water method, process in half pint jars for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat, remove the cover, and allow the jars to sit in the water for 10 minutes. And, while you may hope it does, this process does not make the contents of your jars any jammier. <br />
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<b>Strawberry Rhubarb "Jam" like liquid</b><br />
(Originally called Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, from <i>The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and other Sweet Preserves</i>)<br />
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(Makes about 3 pints) <br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 large lemon</li>
<li>2 pounds strawberries, hulled</li>
<li>3/4 lbs rhubarb stalks, cut into approximately 3/8 inch cubes</li>
<li>4 1/4 cups sugar </li>
</ul>
Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Put the seeds into a spice bag, and put the bag and juice into a preserving pan (looked this up on the internet. It's basically what we common folk call a "pan.") Add the strawberries, and slice or mash them if they are large and firm. Add the rhubarb. Over low heat, simmer the contents until the rhubarb is tender, about 30 minutes.<br />
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Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and boil the jam, stirring and skimming off the foam, until a drop mounds on a chilled dish, or until you are crazy tired and can't remember why you even bothered to do this. It's not like you like jam that much anyway!<br />
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Fish the bag of seeds out of the sticky mess, and wonder why the F you put them in there. They clearly didn't do anything. This would also be a good time to reflect on the wisdom of choosing these two recipes that didn't have any store-bought pectin in them, when you've never had a jam or jelly set in your life.<br />
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Ladle the jam into pint or half pint mason jars. Add lids and rings and process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.</div>
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ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-20901365009777259902013-06-25T18:14:00.001-05:002013-06-25T21:47:35.825-05:00Diets are Stupid<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Diets are stupid. That's pretty much all I have to say on that.<br />
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When I turned on the TV this morning, the news reporters were all up in my face about some new diet study that said eating two meals per day <strike>was better for you</strike> could lead to more weight loss than eating six meals per day, even if your total food intake under both plans was the same. I find this instantly annoying, because I can promise you that the people telling me to eat two meals were the same people who told me to eat six meals a day, or nothing but grapefruits or whatever. I did a Google search on "Popular Diets" and got the following results:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Atkins: no carbs, all the fat you want, and lose weight. Anyone who has read more than a few posts of this blog knows how I feel about carbs (I like potatoes in my pasta), so this ain't happening for me. Also Mr. Atkins died of a heart attack, so...</li>
<li>The Zone: 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrates. Because the only thing I love more than dieting is math. Also you're not supposed to have cheese with The Zone diet, so clearly it was invented by a jack ass.</li>
<li>Vegetarian: Eat vegetables. That's fine. To each their own. But I like meat. Also, most of the vegetarians I know get their protein through soy, and I'd rather eat food with a face than GMO soy.</li>
<li>Vegan: My concerns are similar to Vegetarian. Also I don't understand the honey part.</li>
<li>Weight Watchers: From what I understand of Weight Watchers, it might actually be a good thing; teach people how to eat well by assigning each food a point value. But, similar to The Zone, I'd rather not confuse my eating habits with basic math (or counting. Whatever).</li>
<li>South Beach: Like Atkins but different? Honestly, I'm confused on this one. No carbs, good fats, eat small portions. But get this: "The 14 day induction phase bans bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, and fruit. And you can't have even a drop of beer, wine, or other alcohol. The diet promises that after a couple of days, you won't really miss the stuff." My ass I won't. You can have my carbs and booze over my dead, well fed body!</li>
<li>Raw Food: As the name would imply, you eat only raw food - meaning uncooked and unprocessed. I could rant about this for a while. There are many types of food by which cooking releases the nutritional value, and cooked meat provided the energy that early humans needed to develop the big brains that we have (true story... or actual scientific theory, more appropriately). I feel the same way here that I feel about vegan/vegetarian diets. Humans were made to eat meat (our teeth tell us we are omnivores), and our bodies want that meat to be cooked. Raw food provides less caloric energy, and our bodies need that energy. Studies on modern women on raw diets show that they often miss their menstrual periods because of lack of energy (<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cooking-up-bigger-brains" target="_blank">per Scientific America</a>) </li>
<li>Mediterranean: Eat like the Mediterraneans do - specifically a diet rich in plant foods and healthy fats. Fruits and vegetables should be seasonal, unprocessed, and simply prepared. Meats are minimal. But, this isn't just a diet. It's a lifestyle. You also have to eat slowly, exercise regularly, and possibly have good Mediterranean genes. I would say this is the closest to what I try to do, and I'm part Italian so I guess I've got that going for me too.</li>
<li>The Biggest Looser: For those of us who like our diets "As Seen on TV." I'm opposed to The Biggest Looser on principle. That show does not promote good body image or healthy lifestyle changes. It promotes watching a bunch of fat people fall off treadmills and cry. I also don't plan on getting my singing lessons from the American Idol judges anytime soon.</li>
</ul>
Web MD (which is my third biggest source of information on all things medical - right behind my best friend who is a veterinarian and Gray's Anatomy) gives a list of 100 diets for you to chose from. My favorites included:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>The Baby Food Diet: You get to eat 14 jars of baby food throughout the day, with an option to have a healthy adult meal at dinner. I happen to have had major reconstructive jaw surgery a few years back, and I was required to be on this diet for about two months. You lose weight. You also loose the ability to have a good morning poop. Not a good trade.</li>
<li>The Carb Lovers Diet: YES! This one is for me, right? According to the diet, carbs are the preferred choice of fuel for our body, and "adding the right carbs back into your diet may be exactly what you need to feel full, increase energy, and lose weight." Sweet! But what's this? "About a quarter of each meal should come from a carb star. The rest should be lean meat, low fat dairy, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables." Okay... I can deal with that. But they go on: "Once weekly, you can have a treat of chocolate, apple pie, two light beers, or two glasses of wine." OR? ONCE WEEKLY? F you, Carb Lovers Diet. </li>
<li>The Cookie Diet: Buy their cookies. Eat their cookies. For breakfast and lunch. Then buy and eat one of their frozen meals for dinner. Follow it strictly and you will lose weight - because you only get 800-1200 calories per day. You will also loose weight in your wallet.</li>
<li>The Hormone Diet: Start with a two week detox where you are only allowed to eat gluten-free grains, whole raw vegetables (excluding corn), whole raw fruits (except citrus), nuts, seeds, fish, feta and goat cheese, olive, avocado, flaxseed and canola oils, eggs, nondairy milk, and soy products. Which confuses me because it started out by saying "in step one the highest allergenic, inflammatory, or migraine causing foods are removed from the diet." I would have assumed that "highest allergenic foods" would include nuts, soy, and dairy... Anyway, I'm basically pissed that the hormone diet says anything other than: Eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's, and cry.</li>
<li>This Is Why You're Fat: No, really, that's the name of this diet. In addition to having the best name ever, this diet also allows me to quote Admiral Ackbar: </li>
</ul>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/4F4qzPbcFiA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> <br />
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You start out eating normal PLUS 2-3 cups vegetables, 1 cup oatmeal, two whole fruits, 8 oz whey protein shake, 2-3 liters lemon water, and 2 cups herbal tea. But then, after two weeks, they take everything else away from you, and you JUST get those things, plus two eggs, 8 oz lean meat, and 1 cup whole grains. And alcohol is 100% off the menu. Bastards.<br />
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Anyway, my point is, it's not about some fancy diet with a fancy name. Like everything, eating is about moderation. Here's the Kate Diet: "Don't Eat Crap." I like to pair it with my exercise plan: "Go Do Something." <br />
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Oh! I'm going to be presenting at the South Shore Farmer's Market on August 18th. I'm going to have to promote that better than at the bottom of a very long post about nothing. Come check me out!<br />
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Also, I was just texting a friend, and my phone (multiple times) tried to autocorrect "beer" to "beet." I might be the worst Sconnie ever.</div>
ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-39030788607059143102013-06-24T17:41:00.000-05:002013-06-24T21:33:06.624-05:00A Return... Not Necessarily Triumphant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've been absent for awhile. And I don't just mean since my last blog post, but since I was really here, engaged, inspired. There have been a lot of things going on: busyness at work, school taking my time, and a little bit of soul crushing depression. But I would be passing the buck if I blamed my absence on any of those things. No, none of that is the problem. Something has been missing. Inspiration. What am I here to say?<br />
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I watch a lot of Food Network, and right now the big show is Next Food Network Star. Each time I sit down to write, I hear Alton Brown's voice in my head asking "What is your POV?"<br />
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Great question, voices inside my head. What is my Point of View? What makes me special? What do I have to offer? Why should you read my blog over any of the other thousands of food blog choices that you have available to you? Yeah, I'm a locavore, but frankly that's less interesting to me than those people who make everything out of bacon. I mean, being a locavore is awesome, but I can't keep saying it over and over without getting preachy and/or boring. I thought, for a few weeks there, that I was going to buy a farm. That would have been fun. Then "Home Grown, Home Made" could have been more than just a good tag line. But, after a faulty basement to snap me back into reality, and some serious conversation, I think I've got other things I need to do before a farm can happen.<br />
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So, what do I have? What is my Point of View?<br />
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The answer actually came to me in my other, other job. When I'm not here, and when I'm not at my "real" job, and when I'm not in school, I'm a teacher. And I'm a really good teacher. But that's not my POV either. Here's what happened:<br />
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I was teaching a class on how to be a successful college student, and it was made very clear to me that I couldn't let the students go early because they needed so many hours in the classrom for accreditation. This was my first time teaching the course, and I guess I underestimated how long things would take, because, on the last day, there were two full hours and absolutely no content left.<br />
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And that was when it hit me: I'm a good teacher, I'm a good cook, I'm a good gardener, I'm a good advocate.<br />
<br />
But I'm an excellent bull-shitter.<br />
<br />
You want to talk about nothing? I'll talk to you about nothing. You want to talk about something I know nothing about? I'll talk to you about that too. One thing that annoys my husband about me is that I will answer questions that I don't know the answer to. Not big important questions, not meaning of life questions, or which exit do I take, or is this fish still good questions, but the type of question that you can usually just reason your way through:<br />
<br />
<i>Him: Where did you learn that?</i><br />
<i>Me: I didn't. But it makes sense, right?</i><br />
<br />
He's actually taking to asking me: "Is that true, or are you just assuming?" 9 out of 10 times I'm assuming, but 7 of those 9 times I'm also right.<br />
<i> </i><br />
Bullshitting, and being able to make (marginally accurate) shit up, is a fairly useful skill to have. Not all the time, of course, and I hope that I'm not coming off as an enormous d-bag right now. I'm not talking about the kind of BSing that belittles people, hurts their feelings, or gets someone hurt. I'm just talking about a little mental improvisation. For instance, back to my classroom example, I played <a href="http://youtu.be/Wn866ryQ5RY" target="_blank">Joss Whedon's Weslean University commencement address</a> and, in the 13 minutes that it played, I figured out how it related to the class.<br />
<br />
BSing is also a very important skill to have in the kitchen.<br />
<br />
When people tell me that they don't cook, it's often because it's too expensive. This makes almost no sense to me - eating out is what's expensive. It was <a href="http://theoatmeal.com/comics/cook_home" target="_blank">this Oatmeal comic</a> that helped push me, again, towards finding this particular POV. If you're not reading The Oatmeal, you probably should be.<br />
<br />
Cooking is absolutely expensive if that's how you do it - if you go out and buy the ten or more expensive ingredients you need for that one recipe, in much greater quantities than you need, and then let the remainder sit in your refrigerator or on your shelf until they rot. Statistics say that Americans throw out half of the food they come in contact with, and that the average family of four throws away $2275 each year in wasted food. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So you've basically got three choices: eat out every meal, figure out how to use up what you've got left after making your recipe, or figure out how to make that recipe with what you've already got. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And that, my friends, is my new POV. Not the first, the second two! How to BS your refrigerator to make what you want and use what you've got. Because, if you can do that, cooking becomes a lot easier, a lot cheaper, and eating locally is just a matter of where you shop. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Here's a recipe that I BSed a few months ago, and that I promised a friend I would post for him. I had three goals in this recipe:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
-use up as much in my freezer as possible,</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
- get as many vegetables on the dinner table as possible (which, honestly, is the hardest part of being a WI locavore in the winter and early spring), and </div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
-serve beets to people who I suspected didn't eat beets because I'm kind of an ass like that; I think making people eat and like a stereotypically hated food is fun. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6zXcYGnS-5I/UcjKEZjtuII/AAAAAAAACSY/XD_b3K7PTJg/s640/blogger-image--720439193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6zXcYGnS-5I/UcjKEZjtuII/AAAAAAAACSY/XD_b3K7PTJg/s320/blogger-image--720439193.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite part about this was that it died the pasta pink.<br />
And everything is better pink!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Super Beet Pasta</b></div>
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<b></b><br />
<b></b></div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 lb pasta (your choice of what kind. Preferably something textured like rotini or bow-tie, but a spaghetti, fettuccine, etc would also work.)</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>2 lb beets, roasted (I used beets that I had roasted and frozen in the fall. You could really use any kind of vegetable you wanted here, or a combination I vegetables, but that would mean changing the name. Cook the vegetables first to your preferred doneness. You'll be cooking the final pasta just briefly, so of it's something you don't want to overcook you may want to under-cook it slightly. )</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>8 oz beet greens (I again used frozen greens here. You could really use any type of hardy green here, but I was going for a theme with the original recipe.)</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1/2 cup beet green pesto (or any kind of pesto you want. If you want to make beet green pesto, use <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/07/put-up-or-shut-up-episode-1-greens.html" target="_blank">my base pesto recipe here</a> and substitute beet greens for the basil. </li>
</ul>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you like in your pasta)</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Salt and pepper as needed</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is just under-done. Drain and rinse.</div>
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<br /></div>
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While the pasta is cooking, thinly slice the beet greens and then drop them in boiling water for about a minute. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. (Because I was using frozen greens, which were already cooked, I skipped this step and just sliced the greens thinly.). Cut the beets into bite sized cubes. Combine pasta, beets, greens, pesto, and 1/2 of cheese and toss until well combined. Top with remaining cheese and bake in a 375 degree oven until heated through and cheese is melty. </div>
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<br /></div>
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There's not a lot to this dish, so it's flavor really depends on what you're putting into it. Make sure the pasta water is well salted, and that the pesto is flavorful and well balanced. Taste it before it goes into the oven, and add salt and pepper as needed. Make sure you're taking the saltiness of your cheese into account when you're tasting. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As with most pasta, you can really add anything you want to this. Mushrooms would be a nice addition if you had some. You could also add a splash of heavy cream, or some tomato sauce. </div>
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<br /></div>
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So that's it. Pasta is pretty easy to BS, which is why you'll see it so often on chopped. I love comments, so if you have any questions please ask them below. </div>
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ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-87157616183520402492013-04-29T22:52:00.000-05:002013-04-30T09:23:29.291-05:00Spring?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is, in all honesty, the fifth "spring has finally arrived in Wisconsin" post that I have attempted. I'm a little hesitant to try writing one again. The last four were typed, ready to go, just needing a few finishing touches in the morning... and in the morning it was snowing. Snowing a lot. Not just in the air snowing, either. Actual sticking to the ground snowing.<br />
<br />
And I just don't have time for that shit.<br />
<br />
But, I think we might finally be safe. It was nice all weekend, and the 10 day forecast doesn't show it dropping any lower than 40 at night. I'm actually letting the seeds sit out overnight tonight. I spent all day Sunday in the garden, and I've got most of my seeds planted.<br />
<br />
There is something about planting seeds that speaks to me like very little else. They're like magic. Seeds, compost, maybe making bread... All three feel a little bit like making something about what appears to be almost nothing. (In reality, though, I recognize that it's not almost nothing, mostly because I have a compulsive seed buying problem. I tried really hard not to spend any money on seeds this year, and I bought at least 15 packages. I don't have room for 15 kinds of produce in my garden... I did a Google search on "seed buying compulsion" and there's no official term that I can find in the first page of results, but I did learn that brain scans on squirrels show activity in the same areas of the brain as human hoarders... so there's that.) I've got my balcony mostly planned out, although there's probably more planned to go out there than can fit. I'm thinking this year I will plant my squashes and pumpkins on the balcony and let them vine onto the railings. Last year they went up and over the fence into the neighbor's yard and I had to climb up and over to get them. I got bruises on my arms and ribs, and scrapes up and down my arms, and this year they have a new rottweiler puppy over there, so I'm pretty sure that's a terrible plan. We'll see if pumpkins story high fair any better.<br />
<br />
We are currently in the final week of the worst three weeks in the WI locavore year, and my mind has turned very strongly to fresh food. We are in the weeks after the Winter Farmer's Market ends, and before the West Allis Farmer's Market begins, where I'm left with what I've got canned and frozen, and the lettuce and celery root that they're selling at Outpost. I suppose if you lived in Madison you'd be fine... their farmer's market started last week. Stupid jerks in Madison thinking they're so fancy.<br />
<br />
Let me take a quick digression to say that most of my interest in growing food (and slight but certainly not TV show worthy compulsive seed buying tendencies...) comes from being scarred as a child by <i>The Long Winter </i>by Laura Ingalls Wilder. For those of you who memorize kids books, that's the one where it snows for like five years and Laura and Mary almost walk out into the prairie because they can't see, and everyone almost starves to death before Pa goes and steals the seed wheat from in between Almanzon Wilder's walls, where he hid it, so Ma can make some super crappy bread out of it.<br />
<br />
Moral of the story - hide some damn seed in between your walls or you will starve to death!!!<br />
<br />
Now, I have heard some question about whether or not all the stories in the Laura Ingalls Wilder books are true. I will acknowledge, perhaps, that this may have not actually happened, and, perhaps, that I will not starve to death if I don't hide seed between my walls. I don't think you can prove it didn't happen, and the number one thing keeping me from hiding seeds in my walls is the fact that I'm pretty sure squirrels already live in there - and any type of grain would probably increase that problem. But I can imagine, at this time of year, when nothing has started to grow and the canned foods are starting to run low, being in a situation where one could eat just about anything. If there was no grocery store, today would be the day that I would start looking longingly about the yard for anything I could possibly put into my belly.<br />
<br />
And there we have it, my friends, is how this random nonsense will transition into my annual "eat dandelions" post. <br />
<br />
I've said it before, dandelions are delicious. They are just starting to come up in my yard, so I have not had the opportunity to make any recipes with them. This is a good thing, because the dandelion season is very short! I'm giving you the recipes now, so you can start planning your meals ahead of time. In a week or so, the dandelions will be up and leafy, but not yet blooming. That's when you want to get them. Once they start to bloom, the leafs get bitter and far less delicious. You can, of course, eat the flowers as well.<br />
<br />
I hear too many complaints from my friends that eating locally/organic/healthy is too expensive. To that I say, make some dandelions or don't talk to me about it anymore. You want to complain about the prices of organic food, then eat the free stuff. It doesn't even take that much energy. Go out to your yard, and pull up some weeds. You're probably going to do it anyway, so you might as well eat them. (Okay, if you don't have a yard, you're off the hook. I don't want you eating any lawn that you don't know what kind of pesticides have been sprayed on. If you would like to come over to my yard and weed/eat, you are more than welcome!) I saw dandelion greens at Whole Foods this weekend for $5.99 a bunch. That's expensive. We're in a recession here, people... I think. Is that over yet? Anyway, times are tough, and I'm sure each person reading this has, at one point in the past week, thought "gee, I should probably save some money somehow." Well save money by not buying food and eating the food that's there and has always been there. Try it this year. I dare you! I think you might actually like it. Let me know!<br />
<br />
You can use dandelion leaves anywhere you would use any other bitter green - in place of kale, or maybe spinach (especially if the greens are very young.) They're great in a salad or on a sandwich in place of salad. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wilocavore.blogspot.com/search/label/Dandelion" target="_blank">Here are a few of my previous dandelion recipes.</a><br />
<br />
This year, I'm thinking about making dandelion jelly. I'll report back on that one.<br />
<br />
Happy spring! Enjoy it while it lasts. Spring is very short lived in Wisconsin!</div>
<br />
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ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-35818713772006515912013-04-02T22:30:00.000-05:002013-04-02T22:30:40.240-05:00Live Worms and Tube Grubs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I turned 31 two weeks ago. That's right, I'm old. I'm absolutely not one of those people who is ashamed of admitting their age. It's probably because, for most of my life, people have basically thought I was 5+ younger than I actually was. It's a blessing, or so I've been told, but up until two years ago I was still getting carded at our local mall. You have to be 17 to be there without adult supervision. It's cool when your 30 and people think your 25. It's not cool when your 30 and people think your 13.<br />
<br />
(Sidebar: my dad is one of those people who is ashamed of telling his real age - although I'm sure those aren't the words he'd use. If you know him, ask him. He'll tell you he's 39. From my perspective, if I'm 31 and he's 39, it's starting to get awkward. <br />
<br />
So to celebrate my 31st birthday, and to celebrate this summer's upcoming blockbuster release, I sat down and watched all eleven Star Trek movies. I promise you, people think I'm five years younger than I am because of my youthful good looks - not because of my maturity level. <br />
<br />
I could go into my opinion of all the movies (Search for Spock and Insurrection are underrated. Nemesis is overrated - which is hard, because I'm pretty sure it's been described as the worst movie of all time... by me... just a few weekends ago) but I am not a movie reviewer. If you'd like to read a good movie review, please check out <a href="http://www.jwardadventures.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Mundane Adventures of a Fan Girl</a>. It's worth your attention. Seriously, I know you're just wasting time at work anyway.<br />
<br />
I'm good at a few things: making pasta, gardening, talking myself into an extra dessert... and theme parties.<br />
<br />
Theme parties are my jam.<br />
<br />
So, as a huge nerd throwing a big nerdy party, you'd better believe that I made some nerdy food to go along with it. I have been watching Star Trek since as long as I can remember, and while I never directly thought "hmm... that gagh looks delicious," once I realized this was going to be a themed food party, my mind started racing. <br />
<br />
(For those of you who don't know, Gagh: <br />
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<br />
For those of you who do know, I apologize for the fact that Dr. Pulaski was in that video, and for the fact that the Gagh in this video does not appear to be fresh.) <br />
<br />
I do actually own the official Star Trek Cookbook, and that is where I went first, but as is the case all too often with my extensive collection of cookbooks, I just couldn't find what I was looking for. Honestly, I'm pretty sure the Star Trek Cookbook was written by TV Producers and not chefs.<br />
<br />
Here's what I ended up with:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Gagh (Beet Risotto with Squid) </li>
</ul>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Klingon Blood Wine (Cranberry and Blood Orange Sangria) and Romulan Ale (It's illegal - thanks Chris!)</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Klingon Blood Pie (Cherry Pie - Thanks D!) </li>
</ul>
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<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Ferengi Tube Grubs (Cheesy Orzo with tomatoes and zucchini) </li>
</ul>
<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cardassian Vole Belly Sandwiches (Italian Beef Sandwiches)</li>
<li>Build your own Bajoran Hasparat (Veggie Wraps)</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Vulcan Plomeek Soup (Veggie Soup)</li>
</ul>
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<br />
Everything turned out pretty well. The tube grubs were probably my least favorite (Orzo is not a good vessel for mac and cheese) but it looked right so that's important. The gagh was my most favorite. It looked right and tasted great. Okay, so it didn't move... but I think it was the next best thing.<br />
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<br />
Here are my recipes. Feel free to use them the next time YOU sit down to watch all the Star Trek movies in order. Into Darkness comes out on May 17th, and I will be there at the Midnight showing! In costume? Who knows...<br />
<br />
Thanks to everyone who came over to celebrate with me. It really meant a lot! To those of you who had something better to do, I totally get it. To those of you who RSVP'd yes but didn't show, remember - revenge is a dish best served cold!!<br />
<br />
<b>Gagh</b> <br />
<br />
<ul class="ingredientsList">
<li class="ingredient">1 lb cleaned squid - as many legs as possible</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon olive oil</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or to taste</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary</li>
<li class="ingredient">Pinch of dried hot red pepper flakes</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/4 cup minced onions or shallots </li>
<li class="ingredient">4 garlic cloves, minced</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 large beets, fully cooked and cut into small cubes </li>
<li class="ingredient">5 1/2 cups fish or vegetable stock</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 1/4 cups Arborio rice (8 oz)</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 cup dry white wine</li>
<li class="ingredient">3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<div class="instruction">
Wash squid and pat it dry. If you purchased any bodies (why?) cut them lengthwise into
1/4-inch-wide strips and quarter tentacles lengthwise. Season with salt
and pepper.
</div>
<div class="instruction">
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over
high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook oregano, rosemary, red
pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30
seconds. Add squid strips and tentacles and sauté, stirring constantly,
until opaque and curled, about 1 minute. (Do not overcook, or squid
will toughen.) Transfer to a sieve set over a bowl to catch juices squid
releases. </div>
<div class="instruction">
<br /></div>
<div class="instruction">
Combine squid juices from bowl with fish stock in a
saucepan and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and keep at a bare
simmer. </div>
<div class="instruction">
<br /></div>
<div class="instruction">
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large heavy saucepan
over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onions and remaining
garlic, stirring frequently, until pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in
rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, 4 to 5
minutes. Add wine and beets and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Stir in
1 cup simmering broth mixture and cook at a strong simmer, stirring
frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue cooking at a strong simmer
and adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting
each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender
but still al dente and creamy looking, 18 to 20 minutes total. (There
may be broth left over.)
</div>
<div class="instruction">
Stir in squid and parsley and cook just until heated
through, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<b>Ferengi Tube Grubs</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1/2 pound orzo (about 1 1/8 cups)</li>
<li>Salt to taste</li>
<li>3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>2 medium zucchini, grated (about 3 cups)</li>
<li>Freshly ground pepper to taste</li>
<li>1 pint jar diced tomatoes, with juice</li>
<li>1 or 2 large garlic cloves (to taste), minced</li>
<li>2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan </li>
</ul>
<span class="bold"></span>Bring
a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and add the orzo.
Cook eight minutes, or until it is cooked through but still firm to the
bite. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the diced roasted
pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="bold"></span>Preheat
the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Heat another
tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide skillet.
Add the zucchini and cook until the water evaporates and the zucchini starts to brown slightly.<br />
<br />
Add the final tablespoon of oil and the garlic.
Cook just until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes and
salt to taste. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have
cooked down slightly and smell fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Scrape into the bowl with the orzo, add the Parmesan or goat cheese, and
mix everything together. Add freshly ground pepper to taste, and adjust
salt. Transfer to the baking dish.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="bold"></span>Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is just beginning to color. Serve hot or warm.<br />
<b> </b></div>
</div>
<b>Vulcan Plomeek Soup</b><br />
This, by the way, was about 100 times better than a regular butternut squash soup, or a regular tomato soup. Not sure why the combination worked out to be so very good, but it was just absolutely amazing.<br />
<br />
<div class="ingredient-sets">
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div class="ingredient-set">
<ul class="ingredients">
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="quantity">2</span>
<span class="unit">tablespoons</span>
<span class="name">olive oil, divided</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span class="name">1 head garlic </span>
</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="quantity">2 cups butternut squash puree (or any other winter squash)</span><span class="name"></span></span><span class="ingredient"><span class="quantity"></span><span class="name"></span>
</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="quantity">1</span>
<span class="name">onion, chopped</span>
</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="quantity">2</span>
<span class="unit">teaspoons</span>
<span class="name">grated ginger (I'm far too lazy to ever peel ginger, and I have no idea why recipes call for that!)</span>
</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="quantity">2</span>
<span class="unit">teaspoons</span>
<span class="name">kosher salt plus more for seasoning</span>
</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="quantity">1/2</span>
<span class="unit">teaspoon</span>
<span class="name">ground turmeric </span>
</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="quantity">1</span> <span class="name">quart jar whole peeled tomatoes and juice</span>
</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="quantity">1 1/2</span>
<span class="unit">cups</span>
<span class="name">cups vegetable broth</span></span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient"><span class="name">1 large bunch kale </span>
</span></li>
<li><span class="ingredient">
<span class="name">Freshly ground black pepper</span>
</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="preparation instructions">
<div class="prep-steps">
Preheat oven to 400°. Cut the top off of the garlic, and place on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Tightly close the aluminum around the garlic, and bake until soft. Allow to cool. Once cool, you can pinch the base of each clove, and the roasted garlic will pop right out.<br /><br /><span class="instructions"><div class="text" style="text-align: left;">
<em></em>Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a
large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook until softened, about
5 minutes. Stir in ginger, 2 tsp. salt, and turmeric. Cook until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add squash puree and garlic cloves and
stir to coat. Add tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer to allow flavors to meld, about 20 minutes. <span class="instructions">
</span></div>
</span></div>
<div class="prep-steps" style="text-align: left;">
Using an immersion blender,
purée soup until smooth. Add Kale, and cook an additional 20 minutes, or until kale is soft. Season with salt and pepper. <span class="instructions">
</span><br />
</div>
</div>
<br /><br /></div>
ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-72456574493754688882013-03-21T22:26:00.001-05:002013-03-21T22:26:56.396-05:00Happy Spring!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
And she's back!<br />
<br />
Okay, so maybe I've been gone for two plus months...<br />
<br />
No, I haven't starved to death...<br />
<br />
There have been a few things going on. I've been busy. Work has been rough. It's been winter. There was probably some SADD going on.<br />
<br />
But mostly, I was uninspired. Frankly, I've been uninspired for a while. I eat local. I love it and I want to share. But I don't have an exciting story and an exciting recipe for every day of the week. Or sometimes even every day of the month. And, frankly, I have a hard time believing that anyone really wants to read my recipes every day. Maybe that's the low self esteem/SADD taking over, but at the best it seems pretentious, and at the worst it seems boring as hell. Maybe I'm wrong, but if I'm being completely honest here, I hardly ever follow a recipe anyway. And then I'm left two days later, writing my blog, and trying to piece together what I made from the picture. If I remembered to take a picture. And how much garlic did I put in those potatoes?<br />
<br />
But that's not the main reason that I'm uninspired, either. I want to write an interesting blog that people want to read. One of my many degrees is in Advertising/PR. I want to be marketable. But in an attempt to be marketable, I feel like I have backed myself into a corner that I just don't want to be in.<br />
<br />
See, the one thing I keep hearing from my friends is that eating local - or even just eating healthy - is too hard. It takes too much time. It's inconvenient. And I don't agree. I want to show people that it's not hard, and that it doesn't take to much time, and that it's not inconvenient. Because I'm a teacher, and I want to teach people to be able to cook for themselves. Because when you cook for yourself, it's better.<br />
<br />
But here's the thing: It is hard. It does take time. And it is inconvenient.<br />
<br />
Food should be inconvenient. <br />
<br />
If it's not inconvenient, I would argue that it's probably not food. It might be edible, but it's probably not food.<br />
<br />
Food shouldn't be convenient. Think about it historically. Just over 100 years ago, pretty much everyone was working hard just to get enough food to live. All day. Every day. That was your job. Find food.<br />
<br />
Think about all the health issues this country suffers from: high blood pressure, hypertension, obesity, diabetes... Why? Because food is too convenient. Or more specifically, because edible non-food is so convenient.<br />
<br />
I can hear the outrage already - you know who you are and frankly I don't care. Who the hell am I to say that food is convenient when there are so many people in our country and in our world who don't have enough food? When have I ever been hungry? You're right. I haven't. I don't know. Sure, there were those two years when I chose to be hungry - but that just adds insult to injury, doesn't it? I mean, there aren't a lot of eating disorders when food is really scarce, are there?<br />
<br />
But when we talk about food deserts (those places in the city where grocery stores have been replaced by "foods" stores and other small corner markets), we're talking about grocery stores. "Food deserts" generally are full of fast food restaurant and processed foods, and, really, what is more convenient than that. Poverty is a terrible issue, and it definitely affects eating habits in our country and beyond, but it is not the issue I'm going to talk about here. It doesn't mean that I don't care. It doesn't mean that I don't recognize that some people simply cannot afford to eat in the way I recommend. But, when that person does get something to eat, what is it? Is it healthy selection of food? Or is it a selection of processed, canned, or "instant" non food? Whether or not a person can afford it, food desert or organic grocery store, the convenient, edible non-food items are there. They're everywhere, they're far easier to find than food, and they're NOT food. And you shouldn't be eating something that's not food.<br />
<br />
And, I guess, that's what I want to talk about. I don't want to tell you why it's easy. I want to tell you why it shouldn't be.<br />
<br />
So it's spring, and it's my birthday. And spring is the season of re-birth. Two springs ago, I became a locavore. Last spring, I wondered what that meant in a sustainable sense, and I floundered. I couldn't answer that question. This spring, I say I don't care. I say this blog is for me, and maybe I don't care if that means it's not marketable, and if that means I'm never going to get my own movie, TV, or cookbook deal. Maybe I just got a bit more ranty, but that's okay. I want to talk about healthy, delicious, happy, wonderful, INCONVENIENT food.<br />
<br />
And I feel a bit more inspired about it.<br />
<br />
Happy Spring!</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-27223348805800418232013-01-05T12:56:00.000-06:002013-04-28T22:59:27.672-05:00A Cold Morning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3cyF2UeRPAE/UOh0UI_NCOI/AAAAAAAACOY/7MD8dn8jWo0/s640/blogger-image--160865328.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3cyF2UeRPAE/UOh0UI_NCOI/AAAAAAAACOY/7MD8dn8jWo0/s320/blogger-image--160865328.jpg" width="239" /></a>January is National Oatmeal Month, which is nice for a few reasons:<br />
<br />
Oatmeal is hot, and January is cold. Fact.<br />
<br />
Oatmeal is cheap, and December is expensive. I bought a 5 lb bag of organic steel cut oats from Outpost for $4.95. I'm going to round that up to $5 for the sake of math. A cup of oatmeal weighs 6.5 oz. I'm going to round that up to 8 oz for the sake of math, and for the sake of "A Pint's a pound the world around!" A cup of oatmeal makes enough to feed Jeff and me for 4 days. So that means... crap... word problem...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AqaEvXJDpJ4/UOh0Y-pXKRI/AAAAAAAACOg/QJtwLTc-eIw/s640/blogger-image--1409007822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AqaEvXJDpJ4/UOh0Y-pXKRI/AAAAAAAACOg/QJtwLTc-eIw/s200/blogger-image--1409007822.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not kidding. I don't do<br />
mental math...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
(...just a few minutes and one scribbled notepad later...)<br />
<br />
40 days. Two people, 40 days of oatmeal, $5. Which is 6 cents per person per serving. I think. Someone should probably check that, though.<br />
<br />
Eating oatmeal is good for you. It may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, it may reduce the risk of diabetes, and the soluble fiber helps you feel full longer, which can help you lose weight. (All from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatmeal" target="_blank">"reliable" source</a>, of course!) January, for many people, is about setting resolutions to be healthy.<br />
<br />
So I'm ready to celebrate National Oatmeal Month. Which I'm sure my mom is very secretly (or possibly not secretly - she's fairly good at gloating) pleased about. You see, I've spent about the past 31 years actively fighting eating oatmeal that didn't come in a single serve package with a terrifying white powder. (The second ingredient in that stuff is sugar...) And here's why:<br />
<br />
Oatmeal is hot and January is cold. Fact. But bacon is hot too.<br />
<br />
Oatmeal is cheap, which is generally food code for "nasty." <br />
<br />
Oatmeal is good for you, which is also generally food code for "nasty.<br />
<br />
But I made a discovery about oatmeal, which I believe I've discussed previously, in that I like steel cut oats, slow cooked overnight in the crock pot. This is a great speed meal, because it takes just a few minutes to assemble the ingredients before bed, and then it's ready when you wake up in the morning. It's also a good budget meal, because (see above on oatmeal math) you can just throw in whatever fruit you have around in the house. Especially if it's a little bit past it's eating point.<br />
<br />
This week, <b>Applesauce Oatmeal</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GBEueNxhg1k/UOhz4Bqu4MI/AAAAAAAACOA/h2plMe0kPQQ/s640/blogger-image-1279941412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GBEueNxhg1k/UOhz4Bqu4MI/AAAAAAAACOA/h2plMe0kPQQ/s320/blogger-image-1279941412.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before bed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>1 cup steel cut oats (they have to be steel cut for this to work. Rolled oats will not be okay!)</li>
<li>3 apples, diced </li>
<li>1 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li>1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg </li>
<li>1 pinch orange zest (dried or fresh)</li>
<li>drizzle molasses </li>
<li> 1 pint applesauce</li>
<li>3 1/2 cups water</li>
<li>1 cup milk</li>
</ul>
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 9 hours.<br />
<br />
So the applesauce here was actually a last minute addition. I had it going for about an hour, and as I was going to bed I walked past my pantry where last year's canning jars are still sitting and remembered that I still had a jar of applesauce. Why not throw that it, I thought?<br />
<br />
You probably could do without all the additional spices, if you were using a well spiced applesauce. Or you could leave the recipe just the way it is, because it was pretty fantastic! It was a little bit loser than my oatmeal usually comes out, because of the extra liquid of the applesauce, which I didn't mind at all. I also liked that it was extra apple-y throughout, not just in the bites that had chunks of apples. You might not think it, but the apples do actually keep their shape and a little bit of crunch, even after being cooked for nine hours. I believe that the apples I had were good baking apples, which I'm sure made a difference.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yHoYXqYCScU/UOhz9Wb2urI/AAAAAAAACOI/He_xo9kMJgE/s640/blogger-image--435116807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yHoYXqYCScU/UOhz9Wb2urI/AAAAAAAACOI/He_xo9kMJgE/s320/blogger-image--435116807.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the morning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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</div>
ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-78773062323994906842013-01-02T21:18:00.003-06:002013-01-05T13:00:37.306-06:00Happy New YearSo my New Year's Resolution is to remove Genetically Modified foods from my household pantry. So far, I am off to a TERRIBLE start. I started off 2013 with some sort of stomach bug, and all I could handle were GMO filled Saltine Crackers and GMO packed Popsicles. But that's the good thing about New Years Resolutions, right? You've got a full year to work on them!<br />
<br />
(Other resolutions include waking up earlier, and fitting into a dress I found in the attic that I'm pretty sure was my grandma's - although that second one is going to be achieved by altering the dress, not altering me!)<br />
<br />
I also recently heard a few rounds on Facebook of "eating healthily/locally/organically/sustainably/etc (not saying those are all the same thing) is just too hard/too expensive/takes too much time. I am reinvigorated about proving that to be false! <br />
<br />
So, tonight's dinner, while not fancy, will fit those needs.<br />
<br />
I do need to say that this is not Rachel's 30 minute meals (but to be fair, those aren't really 30 minute meals either!) To me, "fast" doesn't necessarily refer to the cooking time - just to the prep time. This one took me 16 minutes to peel and cut the vegetables, and in the 60 minutes it took to cook after that, I did a load of laundry, straightened the house and (how bout that!) typed the first half of this blog post. You could even chop all the vegetables in the morning (if you're the kind of person who has that kind of time in the morning) so all you had to do was put them in the oven once you got home.<br />
<br />
If you are afraid of beets, please don't be. This was sweet and earthy, and would be a great dinner even if you weren't a little bit afraid of solid food. Carrots and beets are still available at the farmer's market, and are generally pretty cheap. I served this with a salad of winter greens and some leftover rice and vegetables from New Years Eve.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Hd4Bw4b38PI/UOT2vmvfwEI/AAAAAAAACNQ/2pzP_r4rxdI/s640/blogger-image--368185186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Hd4Bw4b38PI/UOT2vmvfwEI/AAAAAAAACNQ/2pzP_r4rxdI/s320/blogger-image--368185186.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<b>Roasted Beet, Carrot, and Ginger Soup</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>1 lb carrots, peeled and diced into about 1 inch pieces</li>
<li>1 lb beets, peeled and diced into about 1 inch pieces</li>
<li>2 large shallots, peeled and cut into chunks</li>
<li>4 or more cloves garlic, smashed</li>
<li>1 inch ginger root, cut into thin slices </li>
<li>1 to 2 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
<li>4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water </li>
<li>1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce</li>
<li>1 pinch allspice</li>
<li>Juice of 1 lemon</li>
<li>sour cream</li>
</ul>
Toss first eight ingredients, and bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, until golden and caramelized.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-if67KaYxOUs/UOT2hsKwsTI/AAAAAAAACM4/eTCXwuFFyHk/s640/blogger-image-59218541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-if67KaYxOUs/UOT2hsKwsTI/AAAAAAAACM4/eTCXwuFFyHk/s320/blogger-image-59218541.jpg" width="239" /></a>Transfer the caramelized vegetables to a soup pan and pour in the stock or water, Worcestershire, and allspice . Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then puree using an immersion blender or by transferring in small batches to a blender or food processor. Taste, and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.<br />
<br />
Now, normally when reading this recipe, I would think "what poor sap is using water instead of stock?" But today, I was that poor sap. I messed up my last batch of chicken stock and don't have any currently (by messed up, I mean left on the stove waiting for it to cool enough to go into the fridge - overnight. Gross.) It still had a lot of flavor, but I do feel that it missed something in the mouth-feel department without the silkiness of chicken stock. Do wait until after you have pureed the vegetables to adjust the seasoning, because adding the vegetables in adds so much flavor.<br />
<br />
I thought this was perfect with just a dollop of sour cream, but Jeff felt in needed a little meat and added three leftover shrimp from New Years Eve. If you were in a meat mood, I think that you could really use anything in this. Some spicy shrimp or crab, or a little bit of peppered steak. When you're working with a budget, it's not about cutting out the expensive ingredients, it's about using them sparingly and in the right places. <br />
<br />
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ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-64606876359307850052012-12-13T19:48:00.001-06:002012-12-13T19:48:07.202-06:00Lots of Promises, Few ResultsStarting a budget, like starting a diet, is something best done in any month other than December.<br />
<br />
Translation, I'm not doing great on my promise from last post. I'm going to call December a practice month, and start my food budgeting logs in January. There are just too many parties, and food days, and St. Nick... Oh, and St. Nick is totally local. Regardless what he brings, it's local. Because he's from everywhere! Yay for citrus!<br />
<br />
St. Nick brought a bit of an extra surprise this year - a box of organic lemons. Watch for my future upcoming post: Put Up or Shut Up Episode 8: Limoncello. I'm pretty excited.<br />
<br />
One thing that I have started doing, as a part of increasing my local eating, cutting out Genetically Modified Foods, and saving money (it's the trifecta!), is making oatmeal. I purchased a large bag of organic steel cut oats for not very much money (I think less than $6 for a five pound bag) and have been making oatmeal in the slow cooker on Sunday nights/Monday mornings. For those of you who are not making slow cook oatmeal, I would recommend it. I do not generally like oatmeal - but find it's much better out of a slow cooker.<br />
<br />
I use Alton Brown's general recipe: 1 cup of steel cut oats, 4.5 cups of liquid (I use a combination of water and milk, depending on how creamy I want it to be), and whatever else I want to throw in. Cook on low in a slow cooker for 8-9 hours. This makes enough for about 10 normal sized bowls. It lasts well in the fridge, and I've read online that you can freeze it too, although I have never given this a try.<br />
<br />
Sadly, I have not taken any pictures, because I am eating it far too early in the morning to think about taking a picture, and Oatmeal is not especially pretty. So far my "add-ins" have been:<br />
<br />
1. Fresh cranberries and apples, and cinnamon. I topped this one with a little bit of honey when I went to eat it.<br />
<br />
2. Dried cherries, candied ginger (okay, not local), and molasses (also not local). This was probably my favorite. I also like that it got a really dark color. Sometimes I think that the least appetizing thing about oatmeal is the weird, lumpy shade of light brown.<br />
<br />
3. Maple syrup and bacon. Hells yeah! I cooked the bacon first and then toasted the oats in about a tablespoon of the bacon fat. I did not add the bacon to the slow cooker overnight, but stirred it back in when I woke up. It heated up well in the microwave.<br />
<br />
The one thing I will say about the bacon oatmeal is that I talked myself into adding all water and no milk. "Milk and Bacon" I thought to myself, "yuck!" Also we didn't have any milk. But I think I was wrong. While it's good, the texture is just a little off and I think that might be a lack of creamy milk thing. I tried pouring a little milk over when I heated some up later, and that seemed to help.<br />
<br />
I am thinking banana next? Or maybe taking a break from oatmeal and switching over to breakfast polenta for a while. Any suggestions on flavors? I will try to take pictures next time!ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-38885150579638561202012-12-05T21:46:00.000-06:002013-01-05T13:01:21.858-06:00December! And a Restaurant ReviewAnd she's back!<br />
<br />
Sorry if I scared you. I'm still here, and I'm still eating locally. I took November off to participate in National Novel Writing Month (if you're not familiar, check it out <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">here</a> and consider participating next year. It's a pretty good time.)<br />
<br />
I didn't finish my novel, and what I did write is pretty terrible, but that's okay. The point of NaNoWriMo isn't to write the next best seller, it's just to encourage creativity. And I feel like it's done it's job! I've returned to you refreshed, reinvigorated, and with a new twist.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiVtwxGfEZw/UMANiD8N_2I/AAAAAAAACLI/9rFyLF1PIUo/s1600/IMG_1136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WiVtwxGfEZw/UMANiD8N_2I/AAAAAAAACLI/9rFyLF1PIUo/s320/IMG_1136.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year's harvest, and off of only two plants!<br />
Imagine what I could do with a whole farm!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I will admit that my new twist isn't totally coming from any new burst of creativity. In fact, it's a very practical, necessity driven twist. You see, my car just kicked it something serious. Which created the need for me to purchase a new car. And I don't have money for a new car. Also, I'm starting to think that it might be time to just give up and become an organic pumpkin farmer. Which means buying a farm. And if I don't have money for a new car, you'd better believe I don't have money to buy an organic pumpkin farm.<br />
<br />
(Sidebar: should I do an organic pumpkin farm kickstarter? Would anyone send me money? I could have pumpkin dinners and pumpkins for life as the rewards! No? Okay...)<br />
<br />
<br />
So it's time to start saving the money. Looking at my budget, it's clear where I spend most of my money - Food.<br />
<br />
I know I keep writing that you can do the locavore/organic thing on a budget if you're willing to put in the time. Well I put in the time, but I've never really needed to force myself to stick to the budget. But if I'm going to tell you that you can do it, I should probably prove it too.<br />
<br />
So here we go.<br />
<br />
Now this isn't really going to be a fair challenge. By that I mean, you're not going to be able to play along at home. I've got a lot of food squirreled away in my house from this past summer (and a little still from last summer!) along with a fair chunk of beef in my freezer. So the goal is to eat as much of that as possible while also buying as little as possible and still being happy with my meal choices. So unless you canned everything I did this year, you won't be able to follow the recipes and save money along with me. But, maybe you'll get some inspiration for canning next year.<br />
<br />
Guess what else I did in November. (Warning: abrupt change in subject). The list so far: bought a car, wrote 3/4ths of a crappy novel, and loosely decided on a future career change to pumpkin farmer). I went to Nashville. It was kind of cold, which was disappointing. We saw lots of music, walked around the city, went to the Country Music Hall of Fame, and toured the Grand Ole Oppry. And because I'm me, we went to two farm-to-table restaurants and a farmer's market.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAbIpwz01f8/UMANpHEaerI/AAAAAAAACLQ/TP1McGzOyqI/s1600/IMG_1184.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAbIpwz01f8/UMANpHEaerI/AAAAAAAACLQ/TP1McGzOyqI/s320/IMG_1184.jpg" width="239" /></a>The first restaurant, the Capitol Grill, was nice. I mean really, really, really nice. Fancy. According to the menu, all of the vegetables were grown five miles away in the chef's garden. Pretty cool. But, while the food was good, it wasn't spectacular. Frankly, the pumpkin that I had as the side to my pork loin wasn't better than the pumpkin I made for Thanksgiving, which is a little disappointing when you're paying so much for a meal. I'm not saying it wasn't good. I'm just saying it might not have been worth the price tag.<br />
<br />
The second restaurant, Lockeland Table, was a new restaurant that had been recommended to me by a friend who used to live in Nashville but now lives in Madison. She knows the owners, and therefore is a little biased, but now I'm biased too... because it was FANTASTIC! My current top three restaurants are 1. Braise in Milwaukee, WI; 2. Graze in Madison, WI; and 3. Lockeland table in Nashville TN.<br />
<br />
We started out with a cheese platter: Two cheeses from TN and one from WI (I know...). The goat cheese (from TN) was quite possibly the best goat I've ever had. And I enjoy a fine goat cheese!<br />
<br />
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Jeff had a pizza - the pig - loaded with all kinds of pork products, while I got two appetizers - the shrimp and pork dumplings and the bone marrow. No complaints on all three. The dumplings were a little spicy, which is perfect for me but if that's not your thing be warned. The marrow was, as it should be, meat butter! To appetizers was not quite enough for me for dinner, but the pizza was huge and I got a slice of that too. Ending with a chocolate pot-de-creme, it was at least as good (probably a good deal better) than the Capital Grill, and half the price! And that was including the fact that we got more drinks at Lockeland Table, and a dessert, both of which were passed up at the Capitol Grill due to the high price tag.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmm... meat butter. And a salad to make<br />
you feel good about yoursel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The farmer's market, which is open 362 days of the year (a big deal to me here in WI), was pretty extensive. If you are familiar with the Milwaukee area, I would say that it was about the size of three Public Markets: one totally devoted to a traditional farmer's market, one more Public Market like with prepared food vendors and an awe-inspiring and also slightly terrifying Indian grocery store, and a third building that held a flea market.<br />
<br />
We went on a Sunday, and were later told that we should have gone on Saturday because it's a lot busier. Still, the farmer's market area had only a few empty stalls. Must be nice to have a year-long growing season!<br />
<br />
While I easily could have loaded up the trunk of our car (it was cold enough!) I instead settled on two kinds of local honey, a TN pumpkin (I like pumpkins, and I'm interested in seeing the difference. Plus it was pretty.), and a giant butternut squash. Really. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckets and buckets of butternut squash soup...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I did come home to one sad fact. When I got home and checked on my stored squash, I found that one of my regular sized butternut squashes had a bad spot, had started to spoil, and had "infected" almost all of my buttercup squash. I pulled all the bad ones out, chopped up the bad spots, and made myself 14 cups of squash puree. So now that's on the menu!<br />
<br />
I feel like this doesn't even require I recipe, but here goes: <br />
<br />
<b>Squash Puree</b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
<ul>
<li>Squash. Any type and quantity</li>
</ul>
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a sharp, sturdy knife, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the squash (using the knife, not a vegetable peeler!) and cut into 1 inch cubes. Bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until the squash is soft. (You could also just cut the squash in half and bake it like that, then scoop it out of the skin. You'd have to bake it longer, but you wouldn't have to put in the work of peeling the darn thing).<br />
<br />
Transfer to a food processor in batches and puree until smooth.<br />
<br />
Transfer to freezer safe bags and freeze in 1 cup servings, or whatever you think you'll use.<br />
<br />
I didn't add any flavorings (salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, etc.) because I want to be able to control that based on the recipe. But you certainly could add those things upfront if you wanted flavored squash. <br />
<br />
<br />ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-45498853618754883102012-10-30T18:20:00.003-05:002012-11-04T13:56:00.694-06:00CSA Wrap Up<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C74O1WUvsqU/UJBgUbtpPOI/AAAAAAAACKU/xruAZeEJYIU/s640/blogger-image--621591159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C74O1WUvsqU/UJBgUbtpPOI/AAAAAAAACKU/xruAZeEJYIU/s400/blogger-image--621591159.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's no need to call food hoarders. Really. <br />
I can stop any time I want!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What I really need in the day is about four more hours. Just four more hours per day. That's all I ask. I might spend part of it sleeping. I'm not trying to be greedy.<br />
<br />
It seems like I have a few too many things on my plate these days. Between work being busy (not that work would affect my blogging in any way, because I would never blog at work, because that would be wrong), teaching and attending dance class, and trying to put a real (and interesting) meal on the table, I seem to have no time for blogging. Oh, right, and attending culinary school. And also taking a free class online through coursera.com (Principles of Obesity Econimics). I guess my problem is I just try to do too much. I would have though that now that canning season is over I would have more time - but that's just been replaced with trying to clean up the garden before the first frost... which I'm pretty sure was last night. Come on, clock. Just four more hours!<br />
<br />
Last Friday (yes, over a full week ago. Stop your judging) was my last CSA box delivery. Full of fall goodies like parsnips, potatoes, carrots, spinach, and buttnernut squash, it was a good way to say goodbye to a good year.<br />
<br />
So, I did this as an experiment to see how a CSA works. I've never done it before. Would I do it again?<br />
<br />
Maybe...<br />
<br />
I expected that the whole thing was a bargain. It seems like I was getting far more than the $19.25 that it averaged out for each week ($385 total for 20 weeks of delivery)And I do love a bargain. On the other hand, there was the opportunity for a lot of waste. I tried my hardest, but I know I lost several bunches of leafy greens, and a few bags of green beans. If you're not willing to spend the day after you get your CSA pickling, freezing, or drying, you'd better be prepared to eat a lot of vegetables. I think that I'm pretty much stocked for the winter, though. Hopefully I'll just end up buying some Growing Power lettuce.<br />
<br />
The one thing that I like more than getting a bargain is PROVING that I got bargain. So, to that end, here's what I think I received all year long, along with a breakdown of what those items cost on Peapod. Now, I realize that Peapod costs more than going to the grocery store, so these prices are slightly inflated - but on the other hand, I did get these groceries delivered so there are some similarities.<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 462px;"> <colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 4205; mso-width-source: userset; width: 86pt;" width="115"></col> <col style="mso-width-alt: 3840; mso-width-source: userset; width: 79pt;" width="105"></col> <col style="mso-width-alt: 3949; mso-width-source: userset; width: 81pt;" width="108"></col> <col style="mso-width-alt: 4900; mso-width-source: userset; width: 101pt;" width="134"></col> </colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0.5pt solid windowtext; height: 15pt; width: 86pt;" width="115"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Item</span></td> <td class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext black; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 0.5pt 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px; width: 79pt;" width="105"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Times Received</span></td> <td class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext black; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 0.5pt 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px; width: 81pt;" width="108"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Price on Peapod</span></td> <td class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext black; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 0.5pt 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px; width: 101pt;" width="134"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Total price (peapod)</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Arugula</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">19.95</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Baby Beets*</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.98</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Basil</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.49</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">24.9</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beet Greens*</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">34.93</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Beets (regular)</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">31.92</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blueberries</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bok Choy</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.79</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.37</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Broccoli</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">11.97</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cabbage</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">23.94</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cantaloupe</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.29</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.87</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Carrots</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">26.91</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chard</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">20.93</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cilantro</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">0.69</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.76</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cucumbers</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.97</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dill</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.09</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.72</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Edible Flowers*</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.98</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eggplant</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.95</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Garlic</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">0.89</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.78</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Garlic Scapes</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">0.25</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hot Peppers*</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.99</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kale</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">23.92</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kohlrabi</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.49</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.96</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leeks</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">23.92</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lettuce Mix</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">16</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">63.84</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mushrooms</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">17.94</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Onions</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.09</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.63</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Parsley</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.69</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">11.83</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Parsnips</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.69</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.38</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pea Shoots</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.98</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Potatoes</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">14.97</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Radish Sprouts*</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.99</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Radishes</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.95</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Scallions</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.29</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.87</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spinach</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.79</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">16.74</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sugar Snap Peas</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">11.97</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Summer Squash</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.49</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">40.41</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunjewel Melons*</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.29</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.29</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sweet Peppers</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">44.91</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomatoes</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">31</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">154.69</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turnips</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.49</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.98</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Watermelons</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.49</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">22.45</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Winter Squash</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.99</span></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">11.94</span></td> </tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"> <td class="xl63" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt; height: 15pt;"></td> <td class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"></td> <td class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"></td> <td align="right" class="xl63" style="background-color: transparent; border-color: black windowtext windowtext black; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 0.5pt 0.5pt 0px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">775.37</span></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
(*these items were not available on PeaPod. So I basically just made up a price based on the price of similar things there, or how much they were at the farmer's market.)<br />
<br />
Not bad... But there were still more things I needed. Canning requires onions, and four garlic scrapes are just not enough for this girl. The other thing I found was that things didn't necessarily come in the combinations I might have wanted. So if I got a bunch of tomatoes, for example, I might not get the onions, peppers, and garlic I needed to make spaghetti sauce.<br />
<br />
The biggest problem I had, though, was that I always felt like I had to eat the things I couldn't preserve first, as opposed to the things that I wanted to eat. We got so much lettuce, I was making regular salads during the time that I would have preferred to be eating tomato mozzarella salad. But you can preserve a tomato, and you really can't preserve lettuce (except for my delicious lettuce pesto... But how much of that can I really expect to eat over the winter?). I really feel like we ate very few tomato mozzarella salads, which is sad because those are my favorites and I can eat regular salad all winter long.<br />
<br />
So will I do it again? Probably. I might try somewhere else, not because I had any issues with the RCVC, they are lovely people and amazing farmers, but I would assume different farmers would provide a different mix of vegetables, and variety is always a good thing. I also think I would like to work with a farmer that includes chicken as a part of their CSA. I miss getting a chicken delivered each week, and I find that we have been eating less chicken because of it. So much so that I needed to BUY chicken necks in order to make stock. Totally unacceptable in my mind.<br />
<br />
I guess I've got the full winter to think about it. I will be back at the local farmers open house next spring, looking through the brochures and trying to decide what's what. For now, the pantry is stocked with canned goods, the freezer is full, and I've got three boxes of winter squashed stored under the back porch. I'm not sure why I never thought of using that as a root cellar before.<br />
<br />
The Winter Farmers Market starts next week. There should still be a good selection of fall crops, so if you're not as stocked as I am, you might want to swing buy. I'll be there seeing if there are any chicken feet to buy, because so help me if I need to buy chicken necks again from Whole Foods!ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-67054151218210354322012-10-16T19:45:00.003-05:002013-04-28T23:01:09.467-05:00Quince<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=12b18c493c&view=att&th=13a38287ff72fe29&attid=0.1.9&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="GH" height="320" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=12b18c493c&view=att&th=13a38287ff72fe29&attid=0.1.9&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1" width="239" /></a>One of the joys of eating locally and seasonally is that moment in time when one perfect food appears, then quickly disappears again. Morels, strawberries, and dandelion leaves in the spring; that first, sun soaked, still warm on the vine tomato in the summer; in the winter, for me, it's the first homemade pickled thing, popped out of a jar, with just the perfect amount of brine clinging on it; and in the fall - pumpkins and squash, pears, and quince.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=12b18c493c&view=att&th=13a38287ff72fe29&attid=0.1.3&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="GH" height="320" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=12b18c493c&view=att&th=13a38287ff72fe29&attid=0.1.3&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tasting at the Aeppel Treow Winery, next <br />
door to the Orchard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Two weekends ago, Jeff and I went to <a href="http://www.brightonwoodsorchard.com/" target="_blank">Brightonwoods Orchard</a>, in Burlington WI. In addition to many pounds of apples for eating and drying, and a case of apple related booze from the Apple Winery next door, I picked up about five pounds of quince.<br />
<br />
This is our second trip to Brightonwoods Orchard, and I'm a big fan. They don't have that much, it's not a pick your own deal, so if you've got kids and you're into all that stuff they might not be right for you. But for us, it's perfect. We walk around the orchard for about 15 minutes, look in their cute little market, then head next door to the Apple Winery (I want to call it a Cidery, but spell check keeps telling me that's not a word...) and get drunk.<br />
<br />
Quince is not, I've learned, a particularly popular product. So much so that I usually need to repeat it 5 or 6 times before people understand what I'm saying:<br />
<br />
ME: Quince<br />
Person: Quint?<br />
ME: Quince.<br />
Person: Quints?<br />
ME: QUINCE.<br />
Person: Quimp?<br />
<br />
Quimp? Really? That's not even almost a word.<br />
<br />
After some quick research on Wikipedia: Quince was once a popular fruit in the United States, being brought over by English Settlers. In England, it is appropriate to have one quince tree ta the lower corner of a proper garden, and two in a well stocked orchard.<br />
<br />
So even then, when it was "popular," people were getting at most one or two trees.<br />
<br />
I have no clue why. If anyone wants to do more research than I did (I looked it up on Wikipedia on my phone, so it wouldn't take much to be "more" research than I did) I would be happy to hear it. If you would like to write a report on quince, I will totally post it and link to your blog or thing you want to promote. Shoot me a message on Facebook (see how that makes you like me on Facebook? I'm such a scammer!) The trees appear to be nice - little pretty trees with gnarled bonsai like branches and large pink flowers. It is also (per my extensive Wikipedia research) a useful plant. Quince is high in pectin and therefor is good to add to jams and jellies. The plant itself is strong and can be grafted on to other plants in the rose family (apples, pears, peaches... all roses. If you know me personally, that might explain why I really want to have an orchard) to dwarf the plant and increase the yield.<br />
<br />
So why aren't we growing it?<br />
<br />
No demand.<br />
<br />
I blame you personally. When's the last time you went and asked for quince at your neighborhood grocery store? And why not. It's a perfectly fine fruit - somewhere between an apple and a pear, with a bit of a pineapple aroma. Okay, sure' you've got to peel it and cook it before you can eat it (raw quince are inedible), but there are lots of things you cook before eating and it's not stopping anybody. Rhubarb, for example, not so hot raw. But people are still making Rhubarb pies. Why no quince pies?<br />
<br />
So, go out and demand some quince! Get the farmer's growing it. And when you plan your orchard, or well stocked garden, remember to plant at least one or two quince trees. No "quimp" trees, because that's not a thing.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=12b18c493c&view=att&th=13a38287ff72fe29&attid=0.1.10&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class="GH" height="400" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=12b18c493c&view=att&th=13a38287ff72fe29&attid=0.1.10&disp=emb&zw&atsh=1" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is neither a quince tree nor a quinp tree. It's an apple<br />
tree.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you would like to see more of the orchard trip pictures, Like "Home Grown, Homemade" on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HomeGrownHomemade" target="_blank">Facebook</a>!<br />
<br />
<b>Beef Short Ribs with Quince</b><br />
(this recipe is modified from several I found for lamb shank. You can do this with lamb shank as well - but you may want to reduce the cooking time depending on the size of your shank.)<br />
<br />
(Anyone else giggle at "size of your shank"? No? Just me. That's fine. I'm a child.) <br />
<ul>
<li>2 tbsp olive oil </li>
<li>2 lbs Beef short ribs, trimmed of fat</li>
<li>Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper </li>
<li>1 onion, peeled and finely chopped</li>
<li>2 or more garlic cloves, chopped</li>
<li>1 tsp freshly ground ginger</li>
<li>1 tsp chilli powder</li>
<li>1 tsp turmeric powder</li>
<li>1 tsp cumin</li>
<li>1 cinnamon stick</li>
<li>4 quinces, peeled, core removed, and quartered</li>
<li>3 cups chicken or beef stock</li>
<li>4 tbsp honey</li>
<li>1 tbsp lemon rind</li>
<li>Cilantro and Couscous for serving </li>
</ul>
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. <br />
<br />
Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large ovenproof casserole or french oven over medium high heat and cook the shanks in batches until well browned. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to low. Add the onion and sweat until softened - about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat back up to medium high, stir in the garlic and spices and cook, stirring, for one minute or until fragrant. Do not let the spices burn!<br />
<br />
Return the meat to the pan, add the stock and honey, bring to a boil then cover with the lid and place in the oven. After 30 minutes, stir in the quince, and continue to cook for another hour. Add the lemon rind, taste and adjust seasonings, and continue to cook for 30 more minutes (2 hours total).<br />
<br />
Serve over couscous with freshly chopped cilantro.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pInWwhe9kNw/UH3_MDLb09I/AAAAAAAACJY/WKurIwzljgs/s640/blogger-image-380776912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pInWwhe9kNw/UH3_MDLb09I/AAAAAAAACJY/WKurIwzljgs/s320/blogger-image-380776912.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also made curried cauliflower. The orange <br />
stuff in this picture is the quince.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Quince in Syrup</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 lbs quince</li>
<li>1 cup water</li>
<li>2 cups honey</li>
<li>1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (optional)</li>
<li>2 whole cloves (optional)</li>
<li>2 cinnamon sticks (optional)</li>
</ul>
Peel, core, and slice the quince. In a large pot, combine water, honey, and any desired spices, and bring to a gentle boil. Add the quince (the plural of quince is quince, by the way), and allow to simmer until just tender 20 minutes, or less depending on the thickness of your slices.<br />
<br />
Remove the quince from the pot and raise the temperature to high. Allow to boil until reduced in half.<br />
<br />
From here you've got a few options. You could serve the quince and syrup over ice cream or a pound cake. Or, you could take just the fruit and substitute it for half of the apples in your favorite apple pie or crisp or crumble or whatever. I went the crisp method.<br />
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ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-45584364311450045592012-10-07T23:13:00.001-05:002013-01-05T13:02:45.145-06:00Put Up or Shut Up Episode 7: Green TomatoesAnd just like that, the glory of fall is over, and the furnace is on.<br />
<br />
I told you it wouldn't last long.<br />
<br />
We had our first risk of frost last night, and while we didn't actually get any at my house (I do live a block away from the lake, after all), the forecast this morning showed the nights looking pretty cold for the next week. And so I panicked. I picked all my green tomatoes and brought them inside.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not even almost all of them. </td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
It was probably too soon. I should have waited. I look at the forecast now and there's nothing below 40. But, on the other hand, I'm going to be out of town all next weekend, and Wisconsin weather is consistently inconsistent. Besides, while the low is now up from 32 to nothing less than 38 over the 10 day forecast, the highest high is 63, and really nothing is getting ripe at that temperature either.<br />
<br />
So what's done is done, and with the exception of the cherry and yellow pear tomatoes (which are too small to pick without pulling down the whole plant), there will be no more fresh off the vine tomatoes. I've got a row on the windowsill, hoping to turn ripe, and a small box of about 15 lbs on the back porch staying cool. They might get canned, or if the windowsill ones ripen they might get brought it to have their chance.<br />
<br />
I couldn't pull down the plants, because they have pumpkin and buttercup squash vines all wrapped around them, and I didn't want to see those get damaged. They're not coming in until there's actual frost. So there's probably a good chance that I missed some tomatoes in there, too...<br />
<br />
I've got a few recipes picked out for the week, and did a bit of canning tonight. <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/09/put-up-or-shut-up-episode-6-tomatoes.html" target="_blank">Green tomato pickles</a> are one of my personal favorites. They're great for just snacking, but they're also fantastic in a "winter caprese salad." I was at a restaurant one time, I don't remember the circumstance, but it was a group thing and the chef came out and was talking to us. He was talking about eating locally and seasonally, and I remember he said "If you want to be a respectable, responsible chef, you'd better not have a caprese salad on your menu in January." And I remember thinking to myself, "not the way I do it!" Pickled green tomatoes and sundried tomatoes replace the fresh tomatoes, and I add a bit of honey to sweeten the whole thing up a little. Fantastic!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rD8xZe6pYA/UHJF8mIQgEI/AAAAAAAACHo/8VSKRfPQIu8/s1600/DSC00736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5rD8xZe6pYA/UHJF8mIQgEI/AAAAAAAACHo/8VSKRfPQIu8/s320/DSC00736.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken last winter...</td></tr>
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I made seven pints of pickled green tomatoes today. I could probably stand to make a few more.<br />
<br />
This year, I also made a green tomato and apple "jam." It was called a jam, but I feel like that's a bit of a stretch. The directions said to cook for two hours, or until it became "jammy." I cooked for almost four hours, and it never became jammy. I don't feel like there's enough pectin in green tomatoes for them to ever become jammy...<br />
<br />
Then again, no jam I've ever made has ever set up properly, so I probably just don't know what I'm talking about.<br />
<br />
From what I tasted, it was pretty good - jammy or not. Both sweet and tart, it would go well on toast, or on a cheese tray... it would be amazing with a baked brie. Damn, now I want a baked brie. I got seven jelly jars, because that's how many I had, three pints, and one slightly smaller than a pint jar that originally came with mayonnaise in it. (Side rant: it makes me Hulk style angry that all jars that you buy things in the store do not come in standard canning sizes. Why the crap not? What can a company possibly gain by not allowing me to reuse their jar for canning purposes? I guess I can understand if you're going to cheap out and use plastic, but if you're using a glass jar, why not make it one that can be re-used? I'm talking to you specifically, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Milwaukees-Dill-Pickles/325672756330" target="_blank">Milwaukee's Pickles.</a> You have the best pickles. I don't even bother making pickles, because yours are so good, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT EVEN REALLY LOCATED IN MILWAUKEE! I can look past your being located in New Jersey. I can look past that, because you're giving us a shout out and your pickles are so good. But you know what, your jar mouths are almost the correct size for canning. Almost. That's probably more annoying than not at all. Because I keep trying to put a canning lid on there. They keep looking like it should work, and it almost works, but it doesn't work. What's your deal? Why do you hate me, Milwaukee's Pickles?)<br />
<br />
What was I talking about?<br />
<br />
Ah, yes. Green tomatoes never get jammy. Baked brie. So on and so forth.<br />
<br />
There is only one week left of the South Shore Farmer's Market, and I will miss it. Yesterday's market was pretty darn cold, but if you're willing to tough it out I would recommend heading out and picking up some green tomatoes. They had big baskets full of them for pretty cheap. I suspect that most people don't know what to do with them, except frying them. I've made fried green tomatoes before, and they're fine, but they're not at the top of my list. I may or may not make them this year.<br />
<br />
I talked about the Pickled Green Tomatoes a few weeks ago. Check out the link above to see that recipe. Here are a few other non-fried green tomatoes recipes to try:<br />
<br />
<b>Green Tomato and Apple Jam</b><br />
Makes 5ish Pints<br />
<b> </b>(**IMPORTANT! This is my recipe, which I put together based on three different canning recipes. I am confident that the acid level is good for keeping these, but I want to make it very clear that this is not a professional canning recipe. You should always be cautious of any canning recipe you find on the internet - especially ones posted by random bloggers. Botulism is a funny word, but it's not funny.)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>4 lbs green tomatoes, cut into small dice (they're not going to break down much, so whatever size you cut them to will be the size they are in your jam)</li>
<li>4 lbs apples, cut into small dice (same deal as the tomatoes)</li>
<li>1 cup apple cider vinegar</li>
<li>4 cups sugar</li>
<li>1 cup candied ginger, minced</li>
<li>2 cinnamon sticks</li>
<li>1 tbsp cloves</li>
<li>2 vanilla beans, cut in half</li>
</ul>
Place all the ingredients in a large pot, and bring to a boil slowly over medium low heat. Cook until it gets "jammy," or until you give up on that ever happening, two to three hours. <br />
<br />
Fish out the cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans. Ladle into clean, sanitized, hot canning jars, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and check the seals.<br />
<br />
<b>Cheesy Green Tomato Muffins</b><br />
Makes 12<br />
(While it's no longer required in my diet, I want to point out that this recipe can be made with 99% local WI ingredients. Everything except the baking powder and salt, unless someone knows something I don't.)<br />
<br />
(Sacred Circle friends, you can expect to see some of these when I see you on Saturday at Belly Dance Camp!)<br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups flour (preferably whole wheat)</li>
<li>1 tbsp baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>2 tbsp honey (preferably buckwheat)</li>
<li>1 cup milk</li>
<li>2 cups chopped green tomatoes</li>
<li>1 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus additional for topping</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1 cup melted vegetable oil <b> </b> </li>
<li>Fresh cracked black pepper (optional)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bow. Make a well in the center of the flour. Beat the egg, then combine with remaining ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir until just combined, about 15 strokes. It's okay if the batter is lumpy.<br />
<br />
Grease 12 muffin cups (or line with paper cup liners). Fill each cup 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until well browned.<br />
<br />
While muffins are baking, combine remaining cheese with pepper if desired. As soon as you pull the muffins out of the oven, sprinkle the cheese and pepper mixture on top, so it just melts in a little.<br />
<br />
<b></b><br />
<b>Green Tomato Gratin</b><br />
Makes 4-6 servings<br />
<b> </b><br />
This is my favorite kind of side dish, because it's a vegetable so that means it's healthy, right?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1/4 lb bacon (we're off to a good start!)</li>
<li>1 or 2 large cloves garlic </li>
<li>1 cup bread crumbs (fresh or panko - makes no difference to me!)</li>
<li>1 large sweet onion (Vidalia, etc.), peeled and thinly sliced, keeping the rounds as intact as possible</li>
<li>4 large green tomatoes, sliced</li>
<li>Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper</li>
<li>1 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese</li>
<li>1/2 cup grated Romano cheese</li>
</ul>
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br />
<br />
Render the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add the onion rounds to the skillet in batches and cook, still trying to maintain the rounds as much as possible, until they are golden, about 5-6 minutes per side. <br />
<br />
As you are cooking the onions, start assembling the gratin. Overlap the green tomato slices in one row in a large baking dish. Next, make a row of onion rounds. Repeat until all onions and tomatoes are used. Season the onions and tomatoes with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
In your original pan (hopefully there's still some bacon fat left. If not, add some more (what? You don't keep a jar of bacon fat in your fridge? Why not! Start saving that shit; it's gold!) or add some olive oil. In the end, you want about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat or oil in the pan. Saute the garlic gently, about 3 minutes, until just fragrant. Turn off the heat and add the bread crumbs, and gently stir to combine.<br />
<br />
Crumble the bacon over the tomatoes and onions, then sprinkle the cheese over that, then top with the breadcrumbs. Bake until the cheese is bubbly - 35 to 40 minutes. If the top is getting brown, cover with aluminum foil.<br />
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ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-20868365482598055332012-09-30T01:57:00.001-05:002013-01-05T13:03:03.551-06:00Happy FallThere are a lot of choices for the "first day of fall." There's the autumnal equinox, which, of course, is the only right answer; there's the day after labor day, which, in my opinion, is pushing the matter; there's the day when all the TV shows come back on; and then there's today. What is today you might ask? Well, it is the full harvest moon (that might have been yesterday...), but more importantly it is the first day that I want to curl up on the couch with a brandied, spiced apple cider.<br />
<br />
I love fall.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure that you can go back over each change of the season and find a post where I said "I love X. X is my favorite season." So I won't say that anymore. All of the seasons are good. All of the seasons have their good sides. Even winter in Wisconsin can be glorious. I love snow. I enjoy sweaters. I own about 20 more winter coats than is necessary for any human being, so I must enjoy that... Even the terrible Wisconsin winter has it's benefits.<br />
<br />
I think that one of the things that makes Fall in Wisconsin so special (and spring for the same reason) is that it's so short. It's pretty hard to get sick of something that's less than a month long. Summer is awesome and amazing and I love being warm all the time, until the fifth or sixth 90 plus degree night, and then I'm basically done with that shit.<br />
<br />
Fall brings into play some of my favorite foods. Stews, and braises, and pumpkin. It's a good time.<br />
<br />
It's not quite time to take the gardens down yet, but we're almost there. I've got a nice crop of spinach and kale coming up in the back porch container garden. I'm hoping that, when it gets even cooler, I can move those containers into the greenhouse I've got going on the back porch. Maybe with the help of a light bulb I can grow my own spinach through most of the winter. It's worth a try at least.<br />
<br />
I've got four nice sized pumpkins out in the garden, hardening off on the vine, and two that I already picked. I think I've picked (and pretty much eaten) all of the spaghetti squash. I've got no way to know how many acorn squash are twisted among the green tomatoes. I thought I planted butternut squash too, but I'm not finding any so I guess I didn't. I'll have to pick some up at the farmer's market.<br />
<br />
If you were around this time last year, I gave a bit of an ode to pumpkin. I enjoy squash much more than I ever did as a child. It's so versatile - there's really nothing you can't do with it.<br />
<br />
I don't know if I can explain it, but I feel like there's also something that's just really appealing about squash. It resonates with my inner food hoarder, I guess. Here's a food that preserves itself - no canning required. And then there's the fact that one seed can get you 25 acorn squash that will last all winter. And on top of that, it tastes good. But maybe even better, it doesn't taste like much, which means you can do whatever you want with it. Creamy, mild, butternut squash soup? Done. Pie? Of course. Fiery hot spice to work out a head cold? Why not!<br />
<br />
This year, the pumpkin festivities started out with a pumpkin chicken curry, which unfortunately I do not have a picture for because I made it for the belly dancers at <a href="http://www.tamarindtribalbellydance.com/" target="_blank">Tribal Union</a> last weekend. I'm not great at remembering to photograph when I'm hurrying to serve a large group (and getting changed into costume, stretching, applying large quantities of eyeliner, etc). Plus, since we were mostly all eating it out of to-go containers, I probably wouldn't have gotten a great shot anyway.<br />
<br />
But please don't let the lack of a photograph dissuade you. This was a lightly curried dish with just a little bit of spice, balanced with the sweet of the pumpkin and the bitter of the kale. The chicken is totally optional, and actually since you cook it ahead of time, you have the option of keeping it separate and letting people chose if they want to add it in. I cooked it separately so I could use bone-in chicken breasts and thighs without the risk of bones in my curry. Using the bone-in chicken as opposed to boneless helps the meat stay moist, and also it costs less which is a good thing when you're shelling out for the high quality meat.<br />
<br />
If you want to make this vegetarian, just skip the chicken part, and replace the chicken stock with veggie stock. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My name is Miss Kitty, and I approve of this pumpkin.</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Pumpkin Curry with Chicken and Kale</b><br />
Serves 10-12<br />
<br />
For the chicken:<br />
<ul>
<li>4 bone in chicken thighs</li>
<li>2 bone in chicken breasts</li>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil </li>
<li>salt, pepper, and garlic powder </li>
<li>1 cup apple cider</li>
<li>4 whole cloves</li>
<li>1 star anise</li>
<li>4 allspice berries</li>
</ul>
For the curry <br />
<ul>
<li>2 tbsp olive oil </li>
<li>1 large onion, chopped</li>
<li>4 cloves garlic, minced</li>
<li>2 Thai bird chilies, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed if you're a wimp </li>
<li>1 tbsp brown mustard seeds</li>
<li>2 tbsp of your favorite curry powder (I prefer the hot Madras curry powder from the Spice Hut)</li>
<li>1 tbsp freshly grated ginger</li>
<li>8-10 cups cubed pumpkin </li>
<li>Salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
<li>2 cups chicken stock</li>
<li>2 cups apple cider</li>
<li>6-8 cups kale, stems and veins removed, and torn into large pieces</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Brown rice for serving (optional) </li>
</ul>
Season chicken generously with salt, pepper, and olive oil.<br />
<br />
In a heavy skillet over medium high heat, warm the oil. Once hot, add the chicken and brown in batches. Transfer to a slow cooker, add apple cider and spices, and cook on low for about 8 hours or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Allow the chicken to cool and then shred. This step can be done up to a few days in advance.<br />
<br />
In a large skillet over low heat, combine olive oil and onion. Sweat the onion (it shouldn't get brown or sizzle - just release water) until it is softened, about 20 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add the garlic, chilies, mustard, curry, and ginger. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute until spices are fragrant - about three minutes. Add the pumpkin, toss to combine, and transfer the whole mixture to a large slow cooker. Add chicken stock and apple cider and cook on low for 8 hours, or until pumpkin is soft and the whole dance studio smells like delicious curry. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in kale. Serve over brown rice, if desired.<br />
<br />ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-87509169326105726452012-09-19T23:29:00.000-05:002013-04-28T23:08:17.358-05:00Put Up or Shut Up Episode 6: Tomatoes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6gNE3t0h5k/UFqX4eUGufI/AAAAAAAACFI/71Rj295Wfw8/s1600/IMG_1037.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Where did the locavore pirate purchase his vegetables?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6gNE3t0h5k/UFqX4eUGufI/AAAAAAAACFI/71Rj295Wfw8/s1600/IMG_1037.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6gNE3t0h5k/UFqX4eUGufI/AAAAAAAACFI/71Rj295Wfw8/s320/IMG_1037.jpg" width="239" /></a><br />
<br />
Straight from the fAARRRRHHmer.<br />
<br />
Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day!<br />
<br />
I'm sorry I've been absent for so long. I didn't even realize that it had been so long. Canning season is in full swing, and it takes up a lot of my free time. On top of that, my dance troupe has our "big show" of the year coming up this weekend, so I've been busy crafting things to sell. (Yes, in addition to being a tremendously talented cook and witty blogger, I'm also quite handy with a crochet hook. I am a woman of many talents - none of them exceptionally marketable...). Make sure you come check us out at <a href="http://www.tamarindtribalbellydance.com/id116.html" target="_blank">Tribal Union</a> this Saturday. It's going to be a sweet show.<br />
<br />
Technically Fall starts on Saturday, but the chill of fall has been in the air the past few nights. I woke up with cold toes this morning. I like summer, and I like being warm, but fall is by far my favorite season in terms of both clothing (I love me a sweater dress!) and food. There is nothing like a warm stew that's been in the crock pot or oven all day. The oven now makes me even happier, since my wonderful mother got me one of these for my birthday:<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
Everything I make in it is automatically fancy.<br />
<br />
And, with the end of summer and the start of fall, sadly and naturally comes the end of tomato season. It's been a good year for tomatoes for me. When we reach this point in the year, however, tomatoes start to turn a little ugly. They get spots, or end up oddly shaped, or just don't taste as great as they did in the middle of the summer. They tend to get soft spots easier. They don't seem to last as long on the counter.<br />
<br />
While sad, all of these things are good for you - the industrious, over achieving, borderline food hoarding, obsessive compulsive canner.<br />
<br />
Oh, wait, that's not you, that's me!<br />
<br />
Anyway, you should now be able to find a 10 or 20 lb box of tomatoes at your local farmer's market for far less than the normal price. Some farmers also offer "seconds," which are those ugly tomatoes that you probably don't want to put on your BLT. Okay, so you'll need to cut a few bruised spots off. They're still good!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EXEiqXJ9qxs/UFqX0CUcbsI/AAAAAAAACFA/RrNBb8kAsoM/s1600/DSC01507.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EXEiqXJ9qxs/UFqX0CUcbsI/AAAAAAAACFA/RrNBb8kAsoM/s320/DSC01507.jpg" width="240" /></a>I do a few things with my tomatoes. The first and easiest is to freeze them whole. Just wash them and stick them into the freezer. Once you've got a stack of them, I'd recommend putting them into freezer bags for long term storage. Once you're ready to use them, just thaw them enough to cut them (I would cut them before they thaw all the way though, because they'll get mushy) and then use them in any recipe that calls for cooked tomatoes. You don't want to eat them raw though - again when they thaw all the way they get really mushy and weird. You can't tell the difference when they're cooked, though.<br />
<br />
You can also use these tomatoes anywhere it calls for canned tomatoes. And the skins remove really easily, too. Just throw them into a pot of boiling water fully frozen, and the skins pop right off on their own! This also helps thaw them out enough to cut them too. <br />
<br />
I tend to save tomatoes all summer this way. When I've got a big stack, and one or two looks like it's going to get old before I can eat it, I just throw it in the freezer. I'm up to about 3 and a half gallon freezer bags.<br />
<br />
This year, for the first time, I've also canned whole and diced tomatoes. I haven't done this in the past because it seemed like a waste of canning time - since the frozen tomatoes can be used in place of both of these items. But, I found the frozen tomatoes were taking up too much room in my freezer. And, on top of that, when I'm making something in the crock pot in the morning before work I don't always have time/want to make the time to be dealing with frozen tomatoes. It'll be nice to just dump a jar of tomatoes into the crock pot and go.<br />
<br />
Spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and salsa rounded out my "regular" tomato canning. One thing I did this year that I didn't do last year was I saved all the skins from all the tomatoes I canned, and threw them into the pot when making my tomato sauce. I really felt it thickened the sauce up and gave it an extra tomato-y texture. It also made me feel good to think I was getting as much as possible out of all parts of the tomato.<br />
<br />
I say "regular" tomato canning, because this doesn't include the green tomatoes. Green tomatoes are, in my opinion, highly undervalued. Fried green tomatoes are not even close to being the best thing about green tomatoes. First off, you can pickle them. Pickled green tomatoes are an amazing treat. I've made a winter caprese salad (that's your tomato, mozzarella cheese, and basil salad) using pickled green tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes. They're also good for just eating.<br />
<br />
But maybe you don't like pickled things the way I do. That's fine (you're wrong, but it's fine). Here's another suggestion. This may be hailed as food blasphemy, but you can also can whole green tomatoes and substitute them for canned tomatillos. They're not going to be exactly the same - they're not as tangy or as acidic. If you are going to substitute them, I would recommend adding a good amount of lime juice to up the sass, but I can't find local tomatillos for less than $4.99 a pound, and that's far too much when I need a bunch for my <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/search/label/Green%20Pork%20Chili" target="_blank">famous green pork chili</a>. So I'm going to substitute green tomatoes, and it's going to be amazing. If you've got a problem with that, you don't get any chili!<br />
<br />
So pick up some tomato seconds at the farmer's market, and get canning!<br />
<br />
<b>Canned Whole Tomatoes - Red or Green (or yellow. Or orange. Or whatever)</b><br />
For each Quart of Tomatoes:<br />
<ul>
<li>3 pounds tomatoes</li>
<li>2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice </li>
</ul>
Remove the skins from the tomatoes by boiling briefly and dipping in ice water. (We've been talking about this for a year now - do I really need to explain it to you?)<br />
<br />
Put 2 tablespoons lemon juice into a one quart jar. Pack the tomatoes into the jar one at a time, pressing firmly enough to compress the hollow core and release enough juice to cover the tomatoes, but not enough to crush the fruit. Continue to pack the tomatoes in this manner, pressing out any air pockets. Tomatoes should be covered by 1/2 inch with their liquid. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid. Top with a little boiling water, if necessary, to achieve the proper headspace.<br />
<br />
Use the boiling water method and process jars for 85 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
If you are using green tomatoes to substitute for tomatillos, consider replacing the lemon juice with lime juice. <br />
<br />
<b>Canned Diced Tomatoes</b><br />
Same as above, but dice the tomatoes instead of pushing them into the jars. Save the any tomato juice to cover the tomatoes in the jar.<br />
<br />
<b>Chunky Spaghetti Sauce</b><br />
Makes about 8 Quarts<br />
<ul>
<li>20 lbs of tomatoes (preferably p<b></b>lum or Roma)</li>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil </li>
<li>1 lb onions, diced</li>
<li>1 head garlic, peeled and minced</li>
<li>4 large carrots, diced </li>
<li>4 large green peppers </li>
<li>1 cup fresh oregano</li>
<li>3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart</li>
<li>1 tsp salt per quart</li>
<li>1 bay leaf per quart </li>
</ul>
Blanch and shock tomatoes to remove peels. Dice into about 1 inch cubes, and set aside.<br />
<br />
In a large pot, sweat down onions over low heat until soft and translucent - about 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium, add garlic, carrots, and peppers, and saute until veggies are soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low and simmer for 1 hour. The sauce should be reduced and slightly thickened.<br />
<br />
Ladle into jars (adding lemon juice, salt, and bay leaf), leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process using the boiling water method for 45 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the lid from the canner, and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
<b>Tomato Basil Sauce</b><br />
Makes about 6 pints<br />
<b> </b><br />
<ul>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>1 lb onions, coarsely chopped</li>
<li>1 head garlic, chopped</li>
<li>10 lbs tomatoes, cut into large chunks (don't worry about the skins this time)</li>
<li>Any skins you have from other tomatoes you've canned (you can freeze these to use later, too)</li>
<li>1/2 cup dry red wine</li>
<li>1/2 cup chopped fresh basil</li>
<li>1/4 cup lemon juice</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6gNE3t0h5k/UFqX4eUGufI/AAAAAAAACFI/71Rj295Wfw8/s1600/IMG_1037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>In a large pot, warm the oil over low heat. Add the onions and sweat until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes longer.<br />
<br />
Add the tomatoes, skins, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened - about 1 hour.<br />
<br />
Pass the tomato mixture through a mesh sieve set over a clean, large pot. I like to really work the remaining solids to work out any pulp in order to get a thicker sauce but that is your choice. Bring the tomato sauce back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Stir in the basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.<br />
<br />
Ladle the sauce into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Process using the boiling water method for 30 minutes. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zdjv0HniBzo/UFqXpVYqhbI/AAAAAAAACE4/q8u9en2YPAc/s1600/DSC01506.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zdjv0HniBzo/UFqXpVYqhbI/AAAAAAAACE4/q8u9en2YPAc/s320/DSC01506.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato Basil Sauce (front) and Chunky Spaghetti<br />
Sauce (back) in progress. I need bigger pots...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b> </b><br />
<b>Heirloom Tomato Salsa</b><br />
Makes about 7 pints<br />
Using a variety of tomatoes in different colors creates a pretty salsa, but isn't necessary.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1 cup white viegar</li>
<li>1/4 cup sugar</li>
<li>1 tbsp salt</li>
<li>3 lbs heirloom tomatoes, seeded and diced</li>
<li>1/2 pounds onions, diced</li>
<li>1 to 2 hot peppers of your favorite variety, diced</li>
<li>1 cup chopped fresh cilantro</li>
</ul>
Bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a large, nonreactive sauce pan. add the tomatoes, onions, and peppers, and return to a boil for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and remove from the heat.<br />
<br />
Ladle into clean hot pint or half pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Process for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the canner lid, and let rest in the water for 5 minutes. <br />
<br />
<b>Pickled Green Tomatoes</b><br />
Makes 6 pints (use pints or half pints)<br />
<b> </b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups cider vinegar</li>
<li>1/3 cup kosher salt</li>
<li>12 bay leaves</li>
<li>24 cloves garlic</li>
<li>3/4 tbsp fennel seeds</li>
<li>1 tbsp dried oregeno</li>
<li>1 small yellow onion cut into thin slices</li>
<li>12 small hot peppers (optional) </li>
<li>6 cups green tomatoes, cut into large chunks or slices (or use whole cherry tomatoes) </li>
</ul>
In a large pot, combine the vinegar and salt. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt. <br />
<br />
Meanwhile, divide bay leaves, garlic, spices, and onion amongst jars. Pack tomatoes tightly into the jars, within one inch of the rims. Ladle the boiling brine into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims and seal tightly. Because of the high level of acidity, these pickles do not require a boiling water bath - but make sure the brine is boiling when you ladle it in so they seal properly.<br />
<br />
Let the jars sit for at least two weeks for flavors to develop.</div>
ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-89935880275515769352012-09-07T23:48:00.000-05:002013-01-05T13:04:58.642-06:00Eat Local Milwaukee, Week 2How did week one of the <a href="http://eatlocalmilwaukee.org/" target="_blank">Eat Local Milwaukee</a> Challenge go? Did you find some new local food that you like? Did you work one more local salad into your dinners? Did you pick up some local tomatoes and realize they taste SO MUCH BETTER than those fake tomatoes you get at the grocery store?<br />
<br />
Or did you visit a locally sourced restaurant and use the opportunity to let them do the cooking? Did you grab a local beverage?<br />
<br />
I hope you were able to find something new. I was excited to check out <a href="http://www.lagniappebrasserie.com/" target="_blank">Lagniappe Brasserie</a> and <a href="http://www.lamerenda125.com/" target="_blank">La Merenda</a>, and enjoy some local food that I didn't have to cook. As per usual, the food was far too good for me to have pictures. I would, in fact, be the worst food writer ever, because the food is gone and then I'm like, "oh, crap, I should have taken a picture of that. Boy it was good. Wish I could show my readers how pretty it was..."<br />
<br />
Are you ready for week two?<br />
<br />
It's still summer, and it's still warm, but the air has that fall feel about it. Today I even put on a sweatshirt because I was chilly. Riding my scooter home from work on Thursday, I was even cold.<br />
<br />
I love fall. Fall, to me, is the food season. Spring is great, because there's finally something fresh to eat, but your choices are limited. Summer is full of food, but there's not that much to write about - throw some meat on the grill, slice up some raw veggies and you've got yourself a meal. Winter... well winter is just about not starving to death.<br />
<br />
But fall...<br />
<br />
Fall has got plenty of food - It's harvest season after all - but it also allows real cooking. Not that the grill isn't real, but it's not the same as a braise. It's not the same as baking. Fall is the season of tomatoes, and squash, and heavy greens like kale, and soup. It's the time for meals that take hours of cooking, because you want your oven on for hours, and because you're not too warn down from the cold and dark of winter to even want to cook.<br />
<br />
So, to usher in the unofficial first week of fall (I totally support the equinox here, it's extremely important to me. Labor day does not = fall!), and the fact that I got to wear leg warmers yesterday, the second week of the Eat Local Milwaukee Challenge features some more fall-ish treats.<br />
<br />
This week, my CSA box included:<br />
<br />
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<ul>
<li>The most beautiful head of lettuce I've ever seen</li>
<li>Leaf lettuce</li>
<li>Spinach</li>
<li>Beans</li>
<li>Beets and their greens</li>
<li>Leeks</li>
<li>Eggs</li>
<li>Peppers (hot and bell)</li>
<li>Tomatoes</li>
<li>Eggplant</li>
<li>Kale</li>
<li>Carrots</li>
<li>Dill</li>
<li>Parsley </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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Don't forget, we already figured out that this box cost me about $13.<br />
<br />
I cooked up and froze the beets, beet greens, and their kale. The carrots will be canned tomorrow, and I made a HUGE salad to go with my fritatta tonight.<br />
<br />
The menu for the second week of the Eat Local Challenge, if you're playing along:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Saturday: Steak Salad</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Pick up whatever stuff you want for a salad, and as fancy or cheap of a steak as you're feeling. NY Strip is great on a salad. So is a skirt steak. Spend your money on what you think is important! I personally will be using my #1 favorite steak: flat iron.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Sunday: Spaghetti Squash Carbonara</b></li>
<ul>
<li>No, you didn't miss it. There's no spaghetti squash in my CSA box this week. But there is quite a good deal of it ready to be picked in my garden. Along with about 6 giant blue pumpkins!</li>
<li>Split the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds (you can absolutely wash and bake up the seeds just like pumpkin seeds. Anyone who has carved pumpkins with me knows that I'm only in it for the seeds, so this is an exciting proposition for me.) Drizzle generously in olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until it is soft but still a little crunchy (don't let it get soggy). Once it is done, run a fork gently through the spaghetti squash to pull it into the strings from whence it gets it's name (whence!). </li>
<li>While the squash is cooking, cook about 1/2 lb of bacon over medium heat until it
becomes a light brown but is not yet crispy. Pour off most of the fat
and then add about 1 tbsp minced shallots and 2 tsp minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute until the garlic and shallots are fragrant. Add the 1/4 cup white wine and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated.</li>
<li> In a medium bowl, whisk together two egg yolks and one whole egg, eggs together with 1 cup Parmesan cheese and two tablespoons chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the
eggs with the bacon mixture, warming the eggs in the pan. (Do not let
the eggs cook through.) Add the spaghetti squash and toss to thoroughly
combine and until squash is heated through. Adjust seasoning, if
necessary and serve immediately. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Monday: Date night! <a href="http://eatlocalmilwaukee.org/restaurants.html" target="_blank">Head out for some local food</a>!</b></li>
<li><b>Tuesday: <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/04/busy-day-rotisserie-chicken.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooked Rotisserie Chicken</a> </b></li>
<ul>
<li>Season it as you want, and have it waiting for you when you get home from work!<b> </b>I do recommend the brine, because without it the chicken gets a little dry. Throw some potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker and have a full blown meal waiting for you.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Wednesday: Stuffed Peppers</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Save a chicken breast from Tuesday. Combine with some cooked local Orzo pasta (pick it up at <a href="http://www.outpost.coop/" target="_blank">Outpost)</a>, whatever veggies you've got in your fridge, and some local feta cheese from the <a href="http://clockshadowcreamery.com/" target="_blank">Clock Shadow Creamery</a>. Mix together, and stuff into some bell peppers. Throw the whole thing on the grill for about 10 minutes on each side, or until the inside is hot and the outside is nicely charred. If you've got especially big peppers, you might want to heat up the stuffing before putting it in the peppers. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Thursday: Turkey Soup</b></li>
<ul>
<li>I've got some frozen turkey in my freezer that I think is actually from way back last <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2011/12/fourth-and-final-christmas.html" target="_blank">Christmas</a>. Time to get that used up already! So I'm going to make a turkey noodle soup with that, the Orzo I bought for Wednesday, and some yellow squash that's already in my fridge. But, since I can't count on your having stockpiled almost year old turkey in your freezer, why not try the <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/search/label/Turkey%20Cherry%20Chili" target="_blank">Turkey Cherry Chili</a> that didn't make it into the <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/02/fear-leads-to-anger-anger-leads-to-hate.html" target="_blank">cherry contest</a>!<b> </b>Make it a little end-of-summerier and add some corn.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Friday: Fish Boil</b></li>
<ul>
<li>What is more local, Wisconsin, Fall food than a good old traditional Door County Fish Boil. You can make it in your kitchen no problem - just don't use the gasoline/boil over trick! When you're at Outpost on Wednesday, pick up some <a href="http://www.rushingwaters.net/" target="_blank">Rushing Waters Rainbow Trout,</a> and why not try the fish boil seasonings available at <a href="http://www.thespicehouse.com/" target="_blank">The Spice House.<b></b></a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
As always, let me know if there's anything I can do! Enjoy your local eating! ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-70346729674051982332012-09-05T23:36:00.000-05:002013-01-05T13:05:19.399-06:00Put Up or Shut Up Episode 5: PeachesFirst off, is your name in this pitcher?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-msbWsZDAGEk/UEgn5YroRxI/AAAAAAAACC8/nGxjBNbYF1Q/s1600/IMG_1045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-msbWsZDAGEk/UEgn5YroRxI/AAAAAAAACC8/nGxjBNbYF1Q/s320/IMG_1045.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
It should be! If not, <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/08/put-up-or-shut-up-episode-4-booze.html" target="_blank">you've got three ways to enter, and the chance to be in the pitcher three times to win a bottle of Vodka or Whiskey</a>: <br />
<br />
1. Follow the blog here through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs<br />
2. Like Home Grown, Homemade on Facebook<br />
3. Follow Home Grown, Homemade on Twitter.<br />
<br />
If you're keeping track, you'll know that I'm also giving out more entries on my whim. Here's another:<br />
<br />
What would you like to see as a Put Up or Shut Up episode? Tomatoes are coming up next, but is there anything else? Post it on Facebook or Twitter, and get a free entry. Also, if I use your suggestion, I'll also send you a can!<br />
<br />
<br />
Don't suggest peaches, though, because that's the topic of today's post and I'm not sharing! <br />
<br />
Peach season is, sadly, pretty much over in Wisconsin. It was a bad year for fruit. An early spring followed by a late frost is bad for fruit trees. They bloom, then the frost kills what's there and - guess what - they don't bloom again. And they don't get any fruit. And then you don't get any fruit. And if you don't get any fruit for eating, you certainly don't get any fruit for canning.<br />
<br />
That's true. I can't lie, it's probably true. Okay, I can lie, and generally pretty well, but that's not really the point here. The point is you might not be able to get your hands on any peaches.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QVXIVwRSTk/UEgko1Da2YI/AAAAAAAACCA/2vj5ZVfdw8U/s1600/DSC01466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QVXIVwRSTk/UEgko1Da2YI/AAAAAAAACCA/2vj5ZVfdw8U/s320/DSC01466.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">25 lbs of peaches in my sink. That's how you know it's<br />
going to be a good weekend!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HHJ5uwkwfBI/UEgk28NWOuI/AAAAAAAACCI/EkOurYnefj8/s1600/DSC01470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>But, on the other hand, you might. You see, what that frost didn't kill has a tendency to be ugly. And we're at the end of the season, so things are even uglier. You go to your local farmer's market (not South Shore; the peach people there aren't coming back - I bought them out!), you find the peach stand, and you wait. You go to them at the close of the market and you bargain. They didn't sell those peaches. They're not going to sell those peaches. Those peaches will be bad by next week. Those peaches are kinda bad already. So, what do they want for them? Don't be a jerk. I got my canning peaches for $1.50 per pound, and that's only after making friends with the peach people all summer. Did you notice that my main farmer's market dish featured <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/08/at-farmers-market.html" target="_blank">peaches</a>? Yes, it was because I like peaches. And, yes, it was because I like a peach salad. But really, it was because I WANTED PEACHES! I'm not above pandering to get produce! (I'm not above pandering to get kitchen supplies either. Williams-Sonoma? Sur La Table? Start a bidding war. Start sending me stuff. I will endorse the crap out of whoever woos me best! I am easily bought with any of those pretty things pictured in the kitchen porn you send me every week! I especially enjoy the really fancy, really expensive canning jars...) <br />
<br />
What was I talking about?<br />
<br />
Right. Peaches. Maybe you can get some; maybe you can't. If you can, here are a few recipes. If you can't, the technique I've outlined works on other stuff too. If you get to the market late, you can bargain. If you are buying bulk, you can bargain. If you go regularly and make friends, you just might get free stuff. Make friends. Talk to the farmers, find the farmers that you like the best, and then keep going back! Talk to them each week. Ask them what's good. Ask them what's new. Ask them what's weird. Make sure they notice you are there regularly. It can't hurt, and it really can help! I've got some boys from Union Grove that I'm slightly in love with and that I visit every week. Even if I don't need anything, I spend $3 and get 6 ears of corn. This week, the conversation went a little like this (very paraphrased):<br />
<br />
Me: Hi!<br />
Farmer Boy: Hi! We have some greens that we don't know what they are!<br />
Me: What?<br />
Farmer Boy? We don't know what they are. Do you want some?<br />
Me: Uhh.....<br />
Other Farmer Boy: They're not poison. I totally ate them and I'm not dead! Here, put them in your bag!<br />
<br />
And now I have free greens! <br />
<br />
(A side note, because I feel it's important. I say that I am slightly in love with some farmer boys. That may be offensive because, after all, I am a married women. I can't defend my stance, except to say that, when I learned and mocked the fact that they were "<a href="http://bayviewcompass.com/archives/12209" target="_blank">Hack Family Farms</a>," the response was "yeah, it's a good thing I didn't grow up to be a writer!" We then proceeded to have a hour long conversation about Star Trek. So... yeah. I am smitten.)<br />
<br />
It's a little late for this advice, I know. It's too late to get to know your farmer this year. But maybe it's a good kick in the butt. You didn't get any peaches this year? Well get to know a peach farmer already!<br />
<br />
If you can get your hands on some peaches, here are some recipes to try. Both are from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Put-em-Sherri-Brooks-Vinton/dp/1603425462" target="_blank">Put 'em Up!</a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HHJ5uwkwfBI/UEgk28NWOuI/AAAAAAAACCI/EkOurYnefj8/s1600/DSC01470.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HHJ5uwkwfBI/UEgk28NWOuI/AAAAAAAACCI/EkOurYnefj8/s320/DSC01470.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blanching and skinning peaches.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I would also recommend freezing some peach slices. Peel them just like you would a tomato (pop them in some boiling water for 30 seconds, and then straight into ice water). Frozen peaches are, in my opinion, best for winter peach pies!<br />
<br />
<b>Brandied Peaches:</b><br />
(I am, after all, a good Wisconsin Girl!)<br />
<b> </b><br />
<ul>
<li>3 grams powdered vitamin C, or vitamin C tablets, crushed</li>
<li>3 quarts cold water</li>
<li>4 cups ice</li>
<li>10 lbs peaches</li>
<li>5 cups water</li>
<li>2 cups brandy</li>
<li>1 cup sugar</li>
<li>3/4 cups honey</li>
<li>4 cinnamon sticks</li>
<li>8 cloves</li>
</ul>
In your second largest non-reactive pot, or a cooler, combine vitamin C, 3 quarts cold water, and ice.<br />
<br />
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the peaches in the boiling water, and transfer to the ice water, just as if you were removing the skin from tomatoes. Peel off the skin, and return to the acid/ice bath to prevent browning. Half or quarter the peaches, and pack into clean, hot, pint jars.<br />
<br />
Bring the water, brandy, sugar, honey, and spices to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and pour the syrup over the peaches to cover by 1/2 inch. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace.<br />
<br />
Process using the boiling water method for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Check seals, then store in a cool dark place for up to one year.<br />
<br />
<b>Ginger Peach Jam</b><br />
<b> </b>(A spicy treat in winter! You can use less ginger if you're not a fan)<br />
<b> </b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 cups sugar</li>
<li>1 tablespoon Pomona's Universal Pectin</li>
<li>1 cup water</li>
<li>1/4 cup bottled lemon juice</li>
<li>4 lbs peaches</li>
<li>2 tbsp freshly grated ginger</li>
<li>1 tbsp calcium water (included in the Pomona Box.)</li>
</ul>
Stir together the sugar and pectin in a small bowl and set aside. Combine ht water and lemon juice in a large non-reactive pot. Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl.<br />
<br />
Bring a second large pot of water to a boil. Working in batches, blanch the fruit in the boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen the skin (just like tomatoes!)<br />
<br />
Scoop the peaches out of the water and drop into ice water bath. Peel, pit, and dice the peaches, adding them to the lemon water as you go.<br />
<br />
Bring the peach mixture to a boil. Add the ginger and simmer for 5 minutes. Lightly mash about 1/4 of the mixture. Stir in the sugar/pectin mixture and return to a boil. Add the calcium water, stir, and remove from the heat.<br />
<br />
Fill half pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Release any trapped air. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Store in a dark place for up to one year.<br />
<br />ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-54654322079123238422012-09-01T11:25:00.000-05:002012-09-01T11:25:04.948-05:00Go!Happy Eat Local Challenge everybody!<br />
<br />
This is how I plan to spend my day:<br />
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There are more tomatoes on the kitchen table that you can't see. <br />
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<br />ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-33985043355176432712012-08-31T20:49:00.000-05:002013-01-05T13:05:50.632-06:00Get Set...There are two steps required to eat locally. The first is be prepared. The second is be flexible. You've got to be prepared, because it's just not as easy to get food. If I'm in the middle of a recipe and I notice that it calls for tomato paste, and I don't have any tomato paste, you can't just run to your neighborhood Pick n' Save and get a container of local tomato paste. I am very much a meal planner, especially this summer since I got my CSA. Now it's a battle of not only knowing what I need so I have it all, but also knowing what I have and how I can use it all! But that's a different post for a different day.<br />
<br />
The second step is to be flexible. Dietitians tell you to figure out what you need, make a list, and then go to the store and buy it. That makes sense when you are trying not to over purchase food, and you know that everything you could ever want will be at your local Mega Mart. Eating seasonally requires a little more finesse. I generally figure out the main meals I'm going to make, and get an idea of how many vegetables and what kinds I'm going to need, and then figure out the rest when I get there. I'd love to be able to give you a beautiful shopping list of what to by at your local farmer's market tomorrow, but I don't know what's going to be there for you to pick from.<br />
<br />
So, here is the menu that I have planned for myself this week, based on my CSA box. If you want to give this a shot you can feel free to follow along. Get yourself to your local farmer's market tomorrow and get what you can get. If you can't find something, pick up something you think would be a good substitute, leave me a message here or on Facebook, and we'll figure something out. These are all things I can find locally produced - feel free to let me know if I can help you (especially if you're in the area.) <br />
<br />
If you get your butt out of bed early tomorrow morning, head down to the South Shore Farmer's Market. My dance troupe, <a href="http://tamarindtribalbellydance.com/" target="_blank">Tamarind</a>, will be performing at 9:00 am (cross promotion!)<br />
<br />
If you don't get up early, or don't see this until later, the West Allis Farmer's Market opens at 1:00pm and runs until 6. If you get this even later than that, do not be concerned! Tuesday and Thursdays you can visit the West Allis Farmer's Market from 12:00 to 5:00, and the Westtown Farmer's Market at Ziedler Union Square (Downtown Milwaukee) on Wedensdays from 10:00am to 3:00pm. If you end up there, make sure you find the Rhine Center Vegetable Club booth and let them know that I sent you. I'm always looking for brownie points!<br />
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If you plan on doing any canning this weekend, I would recommend tomatoes and, if you can get your hands on them, peaches. Most farmers have large quantities of tomato seconds (less pretty tomatoes) available at a discount price for canning.<br />
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<b>Saturday September 1st: BBQ ribs</b><br />
It's the kick off of the Eat Local Challenge, and it's also the start of Labor Day Weekend. I'm Celebrating! This is by far the most complicated recipe on the menu, so if it's overwhelming you, just skip ahead to Sunday! I will serve this with some grilled potatoes, and whatever good veggies I can find at the market.<br />
<br />
This recipe is from<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Best-Ever-Barbecued-Ribs-51104600?mbid=rotdNL" target="_blank"> Epicurious</a>. I am drastically reducing the recipe for myself and using less than one pound of baby back ribs, because I am poor and will supplement the recipe with veggies. You could also use spare ribs, which I am a big fan of and which cost a lot less than baby back. I am including the recipe as originally written, which serves 8. Notice you will want to bake these first thing in the morning, to allow them to cool to be grilled for dinner:<br />
<br />
<ul class="ingredientsList">
<li class="ingredient">2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon dry mustard</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon paprika</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient">8 pounds baby back pork ribs (8 racks) or St. Louis-style spareribs (4 racks)</li>
<li class="ingredient">Low-salt chicken broth (optional) (or use home made chicken stock if you have it)</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 1/2 cups peach bbq sauce (recipe coming soon!) or your favorite bbq sauce</li>
</ul>
<div class="instructions" id="preparation">
<div class="instruction">
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 5
ingredients in a small bowl. Place each rack
of ribs on a double layer of foil; sprinkle
rub all over ribs. Wrap racks individually and
divide between 2 baking sheets.
</div>
<div class="instruction">
Bake ribs until very tender but not falling
apart, about 2 hours for baby backs and
3 hours for spareribs. Carefully unwrap
ribs; pour any juices from foil into a 4-cup
heatproof measuring cup; reserve juices.
Let ribs cool completely. DO AHEAD: <i>Ribs
can be baked up to 3 days ahead (the flavor
will be more developed, and the cold ribs
will hold together better on the grill as
they heat through). Cover and chill juices.
Rewrap ribs in foil and chill.</i>
</div>
<div class="instruction">
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal
grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Add broth
or water to rib juices, if needed, to measure
1 1/2 cups. Whisk in barbecue sauce to blend.
</div>
<div class="instruction">
Grill ribs, basting with barbecue sauce
mixture and turning frequently, until
lacquered and charred in places and
heated through, 7-10 minutes. Transfer
to a cutting board; cut between ribs to
separate. Transfer to a platter and serve
with additional barbecue sauce.
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
For the Peach BBQ sauce you will need:<br />
<ul>
<li>4 lb peaches</li>
<li>1/4 cup fresh lemon juice</li>
<li>1/2 cup organic canola oil (organic is especially important for canola oil. If it's not organic, it's a GMO.)</li>
<li>1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)</li>
<li>6 cloves garlic, chopped</li>
<li>1 1/2 cup buckwheat honey</li>
<li>1 cup cider vinegar</li>
<li>1/2 cup whiskey (why not use some local Great Lakes Distillery whiskey. Have you taken all the steps possible to win your free bottle? So far you could have had up to 4 entries. Click <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/08/put-up-or-shut-up-episode-4-booze.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> to see what I'm talking about.)</li>
<li>1 cup worcestershire sauce</li>
<li>1/4 cup ketchup (you can find a lot of varieties of local ketchup at your farmer's market if you're lucky. I always get mine from the mushroom guys.)</li>
<li>2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger</li>
<li>2 tbsp chili power</li>
<li>salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
</ul>
Blanch and peel the peaches (just like you would a tomato), then halve and pit. Slice the peach halves. Pour the lemon juice into a large nonreactive bowl. Add the peaches and toss to coat with the lemon juice. Warm the oil in a large nonreactive sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender - about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the peaches, sugar, vinegar, and whiskey. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the peaches and onion are very tender, about 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Blend, either using an immersion blender (best choice) or working in batches in a traditional blender until smooth. Pour back into sauce pan. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, ginger, and chili powder. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to medium low heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring often until hot, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
This recipe makes 4 pint jars, which can be processed in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. It would also freeze well. The BBQ sauce lasts in the fridge for up to two weeks in theory, if you don't eat it before then!<br />
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<b>Sunday September 2nd: Mozzarella and Sage Stuffed Chicken Breasts</b><br />
This recipe serves 2. Adjust as needed. I will serve this with whatever veggies at the market suit my fancy, and a salad with lemon tarragon dressing. This recipe is a standby favorite of mine, and I first printed the recipe here in<a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2011/06/quick-recipies.html" target="_blank"> June of 2011</a>.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 boneless skinless chicken breasts</li>
<li>1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese</li>
<li>6 large sage leaves</li>
<li>salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
</ul>
Preheat grill to Medium-High heat.<br />
<br />
Make sure chicken breasts are 100% thawed, or this will be harder.
Carefully, butterfly the chicken breasts: Slice chicken breasts down the
length of the side of the breast, almost to the end but not all the way
through, so the breast opens up like a book. Season the chicken breast
inside and out with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.<br />
<br />
Open up the chicken breasts so the two "insides" are showing, and what
originally was the "outside" of the chicken breast is facing down. On
one half (what will become the "bottom" half) lay 4-5 sage leaves per
breast, depending on the size of the chicken breast and the sage
leaves. Thinly slice the Mozzarella, and lay that on top of the sage
leaves, trimming to match the bottom half of the chicken breasts. Fold
the top half over the mozzarella, and use a tooth pick to hold the
breasts closed (it should now look like the original chicken breast,
except with sage and mozzarella stuffed in the middle!)<br />
<br />
<b>Monday September 3rd: LABOR DAY!</b><br />
<br />
Why not swing by the Usingers store on Old World Third and pick up some brats! Or you could get some beef brats at the South Shore Farmer's Market from Ney's Big Sky. The Dill Pickle Brat is my new absolute favorite. If you're looking for a refreshing salad to bring, try a tomato, watermelon and mint salad:<br />
<b> </b><br />
Take equal parts watermelon and tomato (get a yellow tomato for some color variety) and cut into bite sized chunks. Combine in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with feta and mint. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper, and drizzle with a champagne vinegar. Toss gently to combine.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday September 4th: Date Night!</b><br />
Labor day was exhausting, and then you had to go back to work? No cooking tonight. Visit one of the <a href="http://eatlocalmilwaukee.org/restaurants.html" target="_blank">Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge affiliate restaurants</a>.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday September 5th: Tacos</b><br />
Tacos are a great way to use up some vegetables in the fridge. Really, you can put anything in a tortilla and call it a taco. <b> </b>I'm willing to bet that SOMEONE made some sort of pulled meat product for Labor Day. When it's time to leave, make sure you get a to-go container to use in your tacos tonight. Or, if that doesn't work, make yourself an extra (unstuffed) chicken breast on Sunday. If you're feeling extra healthy, use lettuce in place of the tortillas.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday September 6th: Potato and Corn Chowder</b><br />
This is my vegetarian version of my <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2011/12/fish-chowder.html" target="_blank">Fish Chowder.</a> If you want, pick up some Rushing Rivers Smoked Trout from Outpost and throw it in.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 tbsp unsalted butter</li>
<li>1 yellow onion, finely chopped</li>
<li>2 stalks celery, finely chopped (celery saves in the freezer well
for purposes like this. So plan ahead for the winter!)</li>
<li>1 lb potatoes, unpeeled</li>
<li>4 cups vegetable stock</li>
<li>2/3 cups dry white wine</li>
<li>1 tsp minced tarragon</li>
<li>1 cup corn kernels </li>
<li>2 cups sliced mushrooms </li>
<li>salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
<li>2/3 cup heavy cream</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar</li>
</ul>
In a large frying pan over medium heat (or using the browning feature on
your slow cooker if it has one), melt the butter. Add the onion and
celery and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Transfer the contents
of pans to a slow cooker (if not already there!) <br />
<br />
Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes and add to the slow cooker. Season
with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Top with stock, wine,
tarragon, mushrooms and corn. Cover and cook on the low setting for 6-8
hours. The potatoes should be very tender.<br />
<br />
Stir in the
vinegar, taste, and adjust the seasoning.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday September 7th: Fritatta </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I am a Wisconsinite, so my Friday meal of choice should be fish fry. But it's not. It never has been. It has recently become fritatta. There are, I suspect, two reasons for this: One - I love eggs for dinner (with a big glass of red wine). Two - Fritattas are, like pasta, a great vessel for whatever you've got. Have you got some leftover meat or potatoes? Not enough to make a meal but too much to throw out? Are there some vegetables that will not make it into next week? Chop them all up, add some cheese and or herbs, throw them in a well buttered pan, and cover them with about 6-8 eggs beaten with about 1/4 cup of cream or milk. Bake at 350 degrees until set in the center - about 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Serve with potatoes if there aren't any in the fritatta (or even if there are! Who am I to judge? The only thing I love more than eggs is carbs. And pork.)<br />
<br />
<br />
I don't have any pictures to show you this week, because I haven't made any of these things yet, so here is a picture of a giant cantaloupe I pulled out of my garden:<br />
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<br />ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-16305344324250599692012-08-30T18:22:00.003-05:002012-08-31T08:12:26.776-05:00Get Ready...The <a href="http://eatlocalmilwaukee.org/" target="_blank">Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge </a>starts on Saturday; are you ready? What can you to to incorporate more local food into your diet? <br />
<br />
If you are ready to go all in, but want a little guidance, check back here tomorrow. I will be posting a shopping list of thinks you can find at your local market, as well as a meal plan for the week. And it won't be overwhelming, I promise. I work a real job, and am there until 8:00pm Tuesday through Thursday, so I understand the importance of a quick and easy weeknight dinner. <br />
<br />
Send me a message: here, or on Facebook, or on Twitter. Let me know how you plan on participating in the eat local challenge. If you have any questions or concerns let me know your thoughts. I am happy to help if I can!! Either way, we can all support each other through this process, and make this the best Eat Local challenge yet. <br />
<br />
If you haven't done so already, make sure you enter into the drawing to win a bottle of Great Lakes Distillery Vodka or Whiskey. You've got the opportunity to earn three entries by following the directions listed <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/08/put-up-or-shut-up-episode-4-booze.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. You can get one more entry by letting me know how you will be participating in the Eat Local Challenge, and there will be more opportunities to enter coming up. <br />
<br />
A winner will be selected on Sunday September 16th.<br />
<br />
Happy Locavoring! ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-16692168501008267962012-08-28T22:24:00.000-05:002013-01-05T13:06:04.922-06:00Put Up or Shut Up Episode 4 - Booze!Here is what this post is about:<br />
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**This post contains my very first give away. You're going to want to read the whole thing!**<br />
<br />
In anticipation of The Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge (which you will be hearing about for the next three weeks - prepare yourself!) I thought I would give you a few "outside the box" ideas for working more local goodness into your diet. I know you've heard me rant on about visiting your farmer's market or growing your own, so you're probably ready for a post on something new. So, with that in mind, here are a few local suggestions we can all get on board for with minimal effort.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Eat at a restaurant serving locally grown food, such as <a href="http://braiselocalfood.com/" target="_blank">Braise</a>, <a href="http://www.honeypiecafe.com/" target="_blank">Honeypie</a>, <a href="http://www.rootsmilwaukee.com/" target="_blank">Roots</a>, or <a href="http://pastichebistro.com/index.php?r=site/index" target="_blank">Pastiche</a> (some of my favorites. For a list of 2012 Eat Local Milwaukee Restaurant Affiliates, click <a href="http://www.eatlocalmilwaukee.org/restaurants.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.) Or, if you don't live in Milwaukee, do your own Google search! What do you think I did to find this?</li>
<li>Get some local cheese or ice cream. Visit the <a href="http://clockshadowcreamery.com/" target="_blank">Clock Shadow Creamery</a> and try some of the cheese and ice cream made in your own back yard. I personally recommend the quark (a kind of soft cheese. I'm a sucker for soft cheese!) You can find Wisconsin made cheese at basically every grocery store in the area, too. <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=carr+valley+cheese&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a" target="_blank">Carr Valley</a> has some of my personal favorites. But, this is eat local MILWAUKEE, not eat local WISCONSIN, so you should probably get your butt down to the Clock Shadow Creamery. </li>
<li>Have a local beverage! (And I don't mean milk here, people.) This is Milwaukee, after all, and I think the background behind The Brewers is far more obvious than the background behind The Packers (meat packers). </li>
</ol>
Okay, sure, Miller is now SABMiller and is headquartered in the United
Kingdom. But, come on, you didn't want a Miler Light anyway! Milwaukee
has a lot better to offer. <a href="http://www.lakefrontbrewery.com/" target="_blank">Lakefront Brewery</a>, <a href="http://www.bigbaybrewing.com/" target="_blank">Big Bay Brewing Company</a>, <a href="http://www.buffalowaterbeer.com/" target="_blank">Buffalo Water Beer Company</a>, Electrorock Brewing, <a href="http://www.hghideaway.com/" target="_blank">Horny Goat Brewing Company</a>, <a href="http://mkebrewing.com/" target="_blank">Milwaukee Brewing Company</a>... or you could always have a Schlitz!<br />
<br />
But what if you're some sort of terrible Wisconsinite who doesn't like beer? (What!?! Unacceptable! Kick her out! Make her move to Illinois! She probably doesn't like football either!<br />
<br />
Whoa, calm down now. There's no need to get all crazy!<br />
<br />
It's okay. Really. You can still be a local drinker even if you don't like beer.<br />
<br />
I recently had the opportunity to visit the <a href="http://www.greatlakesdistillery.com/?doing_wp_cron=1346198712.8627810478210449218750" target="_blank">Great Lakes Distillery</a>. I took the tour in the hopes of being able to give you lots of interesting information. Unfortunately, the tour ends with a tasting, and the tasting is at least five shots. I think more. The fact that I don't remember should help you see what the problem is. I did try to record the audio of the tour on my phone, but it was in my pocket and it didn't really record very clearly. The audio of me and my friends being drunk and obnoxious recorded fine, though.<br />
<br />
So I hope you weren't expecting a book report <br />
<br />
Here is what I remember/stole from their website:<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Absenth</td></tr>
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The Great Lakes Distillery is a small batch producer located in Milwaukee WI. They have only one still. They want a bigger one. On 75 gallon still, filled, makes (if I remember right) 7 gallons of booze. That can't be right, can it? Meh. Fact check yourself! They are growing a garden to make their own infusions. Vodka good. Whiskey bad. Absinth doesn't really make you go crazy, but it will make you need to sit down on the floor.<br />
<br />
I listening to the recording, I can clearly hear myself say, to strangers, during the tasting "I will post on my blog: 'Overheard at the distillery tour: 'Oh F**k.'" Her response, "Yeah. My friends expect that from me." Sorry new friend. I didn't catch your name.<br />
<br />
Actually, the recording of us during the tasting is possibly the best thing ever. Lots of cheers. Lots of cursing. You can tell when we are totally unwilling to let good booze go to waste, and just shoot it back. <br />
<br />
I would recommend that you go check the tour out yourself. Make friends with the people at your table. The tour is free, and the tasting is only $5. The bar is beautiful (if you want to sit and drink more, or, you know, wait for your taxi to pick you up.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TAdEDfWetkg/UDy-bvzCTqI/AAAAAAAAB8A/kVaT7b5y5KI/s1600/DSC01435.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TAdEDfWetkg/UDy-bvzCTqI/AAAAAAAAB8A/kVaT7b5y5KI/s320/DSC01435.jpg" width="240" /></a>One nice thing happening at the Great Lakes Distillery bar is that they are also using local ingredients in their cocktails. Vodka and Whiskey (their main products) are both excellent choices for infusions. Why not head down, have some locally made, locally infused cocktails, made with local ingredients, and Toast the Eat Local Milwaukee Challenge.<br />
<br />
And this brings us to the "Put Up" part. No, we're not talking about preserving food to sustain you through the long winter. We're talking about putting up the flavors of spring and summer to sustain your soul through the long winter.<br />
<br />
So far, I have made strawberry, rhubarb mint, beet, tomato-garlic-basil, cucumber, and peach vodka. I have also made peach and cherry whiskey. All with local ingredients. The beet, by the way, is nasty. Don't do it. Don't drink it. If you know me, and you come over to my house and I offer it to you and tell you that it's really good, I'm lying. It's a trap to see if your read this post!<br />
<br />
The rest, however, are delicious. The two peaches, and the rhubarb mint vodka are my favorite so far. The tomato-garlic-basil is also impressive. You could use it in a Bloody Mary, if you wanted, but I feel like that would be a waste because the taste would be hidden. Also, I don't like Bloody Marys. I do, however, like this, and I think I might make a Bloody Mary Martini with all the fixins! Because I love the Bloody Mary fixings! I plan to make a few more, too, with some of the fall products: sweet potato vodka, anyone?<br />
<br />
Okay, now the part you've been waiting for! The "Shut Up" part. Would you like to make your own infusion? Okay, here's the deal. You can have your very own bottle of Great Lakes Distillery Vodka or Whiskey. Your choice. Here's how:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Follow Home Grown Homemade either with Google Friend Connect, or through NetworkedBlogs. You can subscribe to the posts, but I won't know because it doesn't tell me, so that would be a very poor way to enter! If you already follow the blog, leave a comment on any post you want EXCEPT this one! Really I just like comments. </li>
<li>Like Home Grown, Homemade on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HomeGrownHomemade" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. If you already like Home Grown, Homemade on Facebook, post a comment, tag Home Grown, Homemade, and tell your friends to like us! Then, if they win, make them share the bottle with you! **EDITED** Make sure you send Home Grown, Homemade a message as well, letting me know you did this, because apparently Facebook is a jerk and won't tell me.</li>
<li>Follow Home Grown, Homemade on Twitter (@wilocavore). If you already follow Home Grown Homemade on Twitter, write a post there tagging me in it and telling your friends to follow @wilocavore. Then, if they win, make them share the bottle with you!</li>
</ol>
Okay, so you have three ways to enter, and you can enter a total of three times (once each way!). I will be choosing a winner on Sunday, September 16th, or there about. Unfortunately, you do need to be a US Resident to win, because I can't ship booze outside of the country. The exception to that rule is if going to come visit me and I can hand you the bottle in person. Then it's your business to get it back to your country. Sorry Canadians, Erica, and whoever is reading this in Germany and Russia.<br />
<br />
Enjoy some pictures from my trip to the Great Lakes Distillery, and start planning your own trip! Remember to bring along a designated driver. (For more pictures, check out the Facebook page!)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NgS1qAciqyE/UDy_ERMNQ0I/AAAAAAAAB8g/_RFwXnonIlw/s1600/DSC01439.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NgS1qAciqyE/UDy_ERMNQ0I/AAAAAAAAB8g/_RFwXnonIlw/s320/DSC01439.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I do not know the man in this picture. He decided to attack Officer Friendly. I warned him it was going on my blog. I make good on my word.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZiXqbb5sTw/UDy_OUL6ZnI/AAAAAAAAB8o/t5ZEUCazpj4/s1600/DSC01440.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZiXqbb5sTw/UDy_OUL6ZnI/AAAAAAAAB8o/t5ZEUCazpj4/s320/DSC01440.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktLdyIUJlnM/UDy_YXK2N-I/AAAAAAAAB8w/jkFG1jmN8uo/s1600/DSC01441.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>The still.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktLdyIUJlnM/UDy_YXK2N-I/AAAAAAAAB8w/jkFG1jmN8uo/s1600/DSC01441.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktLdyIUJlnM/UDy_YXK2N-I/AAAAAAAAB8w/jkFG1jmN8uo/s320/DSC01441.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The still from a different angle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ks0O3oamWew/UDy_r2mSGiI/AAAAAAAAB9A/xWop2mRsU78/s1600/DSC01443.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ks0O3oamWew/UDy_r2mSGiI/AAAAAAAAB9A/xWop2mRsU78/s320/DSC01443.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tour guide.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1SJDx56-MHg/UDzAMmxFslI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/nEdmHDTCOqU/s1600/DSC01446.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1SJDx56-MHg/UDzAMmxFslI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/nEdmHDTCOqU/s320/DSC01446.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cindy showing off the glass during our tasting.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOenESQwI1U/UDzAgCf1ojI/AAAAAAAAB9o/zuQIWBfPFZY/s1600/DSC01448.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOenESQwI1U/UDzAgCf1ojI/AAAAAAAAB9o/zuQIWBfPFZY/s320/DSC01448.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jOenESQwI1U/UDzAgCf1ojI/AAAAAAAAB9o/zuQIWBfPFZY/s1600/DSC01448.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhW-8NSpRQo/UDzAp54RjGI/AAAAAAAAB9w/Z5g1zeomkSQ/s1600/DSC01449.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhW-8NSpRQo/UDzAp54RjGI/AAAAAAAAB9w/Z5g1zeomkSQ/s320/DSC01449.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pouring the absinth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A7ikTXzHryc/UDzBAZKOlZI/AAAAAAAAB-A/99odJxI0rtY/s1600/DSC01451.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A7ikTXzHryc/UDzBAZKOlZI/AAAAAAAAB-A/99odJxI0rtY/s320/DSC01451.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fence protecting the booze.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zQ4UjrcrEiM/UDzBx1-F6nI/AAAAAAAAB-g/hBRdmUAR1rY/s1600/DSC01455.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zQ4UjrcrEiM/UDzBx1-F6nI/AAAAAAAAB-g/hBRdmUAR1rY/s320/DSC01455.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the whole place. Not that big.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-35423947748489162192012-08-24T22:51:00.003-05:002012-08-27T13:59:37.576-05:00Eat Local ChallengeThis blog has been a lot of things. A recipe blog. A gardening blog. My place to rant. My place to be silent (for the past few weeks!) But one thing it has never been is a restaurant review blog. There are a few reasons for that. Most specifically, I like to eat, and I don't like to wait to eat. I don't want to have to be one of those people taking pictures of their food before they can eat it.<br />
<br />
And by "don't want to" I mean "not capable of." I've tried. When we went on our <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/06/june-is-national-dairy-month.html" target="_blank">cheese tour</a>, for example, we had this super fancy dinner and then the next day a super fancy brunch that everyone was snapping photos of. Except me. I was always three or four bites in before thinking, "damn, I should have taken a picture of this. It was pretty."<br />
<br />
But, if you have spent any time reading my blog, you surely have noticed that I am not a food photographer. Nor, I might add, am I a food artist. My food is not pretty. It's delicious, but it's not pretty. I would not win Iron Chef because (a) I would not get any points in the plating category, (b) I would challenge Michal Simon and he would totally kick my ass, and (c) I would spend all my time cooking food for Alton because I love him and he is too skinny.<br />
<br />
Oh, and because they are all better than me in every way possible, but we won't dwell on that.<br />
<br />
My point is, I would make a very poor restaurant reviewer, unless maybe you sent someone else to take the pictures and didn't leave that in my hands. And even then, I'm not sure I could be get fancy enough in my words. I mean, how many times can you read "OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD!!" before that starts to lose some credibility. So, for everyone's sake, I will leave the restaurant reviews to the experts.<br />
<br />
Except today.<br />
<br />
I have been to Braise twice now. The first was with my best friend Shana, who grew up here and then moved to New York City like a big fancy punk. The second was last night for the <a href="http://eatlocalmilwaukee.org/elcchallenge.html" target="_blank">Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge.</a> Both of these meals are in contention for the second best meal I've ever eaten in my life. (The best meal I've ever eaten in my entire life was, no challenge, lunch at La Bernardin in New York. It also was the most expensive meal I've eaten in my entire life. I am certain it will hold both titles until I eat at the French Laundry or die, whichever comes first.)<br />
<br />
For those of you who don't know, <a href="http://braiselocalfood.com/" target="_blank">Braise</a> is a restaurant in Milwaukee which utilizes exclusively local ingredients. It's the kind of place that I would want to open if I had any desire to open a restaurant. Which I don't. They also have a culinary school and an RSA (Restaurant Supported Agriculture. It's like a CSA, except the C for community is replaced with an R for restaurant. They work with multiple farms, and you can order your produce directly from them - getting more of what you want than the randomness you might get in your CSA box. )<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p1D1ERa9eAY/UDg9skMk0CI/AAAAAAAAB6Q/PE_8FAODqG4/s1600/DSC01430.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p1D1ERa9eAY/UDg9skMk0CI/AAAAAAAAB6Q/PE_8FAODqG4/s320/DSC01430.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I like to see when walking into a restaurant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Last night at Braise was the "kick off" dinner for 2012's Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge. The Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge is a pretty big deal to me. It is the first two weeks of September, and it is the reason that I am currently a locavore. In 2010, I participated in the Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge, and it wasn't that hard. I learned some new things, I cooked some good food, and it wasn't really a challenge. Of course, the first two weeks of September are basically the peak of harvest season in Wisconsin, but I didn't have this in mind when, six months later, I began my <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2011/03/coq-vin-and-caesarish-salad-happy.html" target="_blank">year long locavore challenge</a>. And the rest, as they say, is poorly documented, ranty history. <br />
<br />
I encourage you to set your own challenge. You don't need to be a locavore to participate. You don't need to go all in. <a href="http://eatlocalmilwaukee.org/define.html" target="_blank">According to the Eat Local Milwaukee Website</a>:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div id="settinggoalstitle">
</div>
<h3>
<i>The Rules</i></h3>
<i>
The rules are that there are no rules. Create
your own. We encourage you to set a goal that
includes eating more local food than you do now.
For some people that might look like “I will eat
100% locally, with the exception of salt & pepper.”
And for others it will be more like “I will try one
local vegetable from my farmer’s market each
week.” More is a step in the right direction.
Let us know what you’re doing!<a href="http://eatlocalmilwaukee.org/contactus.php"> Send us a
message</a></i><br />
<br />
Why not give it a try? Set a realistic goal and surprise yourself! If you're worried that you don't know how to make this work, check out the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_985850577">Eat Local Resource Fair</a><i><a href="http://eatlocalmilwaukee.org/news_events/events.html" target="_blank"> </a></i>at the Urban Ecology Center tomorrow (Saturday 8/25) from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. They will have tips on buying local food, cooking and preserving the food, and fun activities for kids. Having been at previous Urban Ecology Center activities, I can pretty much promise that it will be a good time. Sadly, I will not be able to be there, as I have to work like a chump.<br />
<br />
I will be taking the challenge. My challenge, in the hopes of overcoming some of the time management issues I have been experiencing over the past two months, is to provide you with at least one good, local, seasonal recipe each day during the challenge. So you don't even have to do any work! Just come here every day, I will tell you exactly what to do, and you too can eat local! Success is guaranteed - unless of course I don't meet my challenge, in which case if you are relying on me you are basically screwed.<br />
<br />
ANYWAY...<br />
<br />
My meals at Braise were both fantastic. As I said <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/08/at-farmers-market.html" target="_blank">at my farmer's market demo</a>, it's pretty hard to fail when you have amazing ingredients. But they do an excellent job of elevating those ingredients to something spectacular. Really, as an aspiring foodie I found this to be one of those transcendent meals. Meals at a restaurant can be good... or average... or poor. This was beyond words. My general rule at a restaurant is that I don't order anything I couldn't make. Here, there's really nothing on the menu that I couldn't make (based on the ingredients and description), but in tasting it is truly everything I aspire to be. Plus, unlike every meal I would put on an equal quality level, the prices at Braise are extremely reasonable. On my first trip, we sat at the bar and ordered the entire Braise Bites menu. Plus a dessert apiece. Plus several local beverages. There were three of us, and we left stuffed having spent less than $50 each. Which I think is a great price for a great meal! Especially considering we all drink like Wisconsinites. <br />
<br />
A note on beverages. The New Glarus Raspberry Tart is not highly overpriced. It is the whole big bottle. Be careful ordering it, because if your friends are real beer drinkers they may not help you finish it, and you will be stuck drinking the whole thing by yourself to not let it go to waste... which is what I do at home anyway so... I guess it's all good.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTAtqNuusy8/UDg7d5ZPhbI/AAAAAAAAB4w/e28lobNSFXo/s1600/DSC01418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTAtqNuusy8/UDg7d5ZPhbI/AAAAAAAAB4w/e28lobNSFXo/s320/DSC01418.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mmm... delicious.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1hcD6bKyDLA/UDg7wYdymOI/AAAAAAAAB5A/13URqvCbYhw/s1600/DSC01420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1hcD6bKyDLA/UDg7wYdymOI/AAAAAAAAB5A/13URqvCbYhw/s320/DSC01420.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is where the cheese plate was when I remembered to take a picture. I enjoy the cheese.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W0UAMBduxsw/UDg7nng-_bI/AAAAAAAAB44/QV7jxIiMQvM/s1600/DSC01419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W0UAMBduxsw/UDg7nng-_bI/AAAAAAAAB44/QV7jxIiMQvM/s320/DSC01419.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato and Mozzarella Tart with basil pesto and tomato jam. This was basically a tomato mozzarella salad, but better. I remembered to take a picture before we devoured it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WBmsGwXpd64/UDg745r1gKI/AAAAAAAAB5I/rI6Qztb0Cp4/s1600/DSC01421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WBmsGwXpd64/UDg745r1gKI/AAAAAAAAB5I/rI6Qztb0Cp4/s320/DSC01421.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickled Watermelon Salad with Jalapeno and Clove Honey: this was not a favorite at our table, but it was my favorite dish overall. You've got two kinds of watermelon here: the pickled watermelon rind, and then a sort of watermelon jelly. The pieces that, in this picture, look like watermelon slices, were more of a watermelon flavored gelatinous thing. The texture was different, and the other two in my party were not keen. Despite the jalapenos in the description, this also had a very mild flavor. I personally found the whole thing amazing. It was light, and refreshing, and on a hot night I could eat a pound of this. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zzdLBgPMlbY/UDg8dSKXZTI/AAAAAAAAB5g/MAW-n0UV1IY/s1600/DSC01424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zzdLBgPMlbY/UDg8dSKXZTI/AAAAAAAAB5g/MAW-n0UV1IY/s320/DSC01424.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomato Bruschetta with Whipped Lardo. Whipped Lardo. I'm pretty sure that's all I have to say about this! </td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkaVCSxKEYI/UDg8phQBIDI/AAAAAAAAB5o/67CPIL_4n5g/s1600/DSC01425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkaVCSxKEYI/UDg8phQBIDI/AAAAAAAAB5o/67CPIL_4n5g/s320/DSC01425.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck Sausage with Kohlrabi Salad: This was another dish that we were divided on. Specifically, the Kohlrabi Salad. I love kohlrabi, but it was too cabbage-y for the third member of our party.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KwPb27mr_8M/UDg81YrSRCI/AAAAAAAAB5w/sqA9jin98kc/s1600/DSC01426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KwPb27mr_8M/UDg81YrSRCI/AAAAAAAAB5w/sqA9jin98kc/s320/DSC01426.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swiss Chard Tortilla with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette and Crispy Ham: This was the undisputed champion of our dinner. First off "Crispy Ham" = Bacon. This was actually a big surprise for me (not the crispy ham = bacon part, but the whole dish), because when I hear "Tortilla" I think taco shell. But, according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortilla" target="_blank">wikipedia</a>: "<b>Tortilla</b> (<span class="nowrap"><small>English</small> <span class="IPA" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English">/</a></span><span class="IPA"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted;" title="'t' in 'tie'">t</span></a></span><span class="IPA"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted;" title="/ɔr/ 'or' in 'born'">ɔr</span></a></span><span class="IPA"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted;" title="/ˈ/ primary stress follows">ˈ</span></a></span><span class="IPA"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted;" title="'t' in 'tie'">t</span></a></span><span class="IPA"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted;" title="/iː/ long 'e' in 'bead'">iː</span></a></span><span class="IPA"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted;" title="/./ syllable break">.</span></a></span><span class="IPA"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English"><span style="border-bottom: 1px dotted;" title="/ə/ 'a' in 'about'">ə</span></a></span><span class="IPA" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for English">/</a></span></span>, <small>Spanish: </small><span class="IPA" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" title="Wikipedia:IPA for Spanish">[torˈtiʎa]</a></span>) means "little torta" or "little cake" in Spanish;
the Spanish word applies to several different foods eaten in various
Spanish-speaking countries. The Spanish word is used in English for a
more restricted range of foods, mainly a potato-based omelette originating in Spain, and for a flatbread made from corn or wheat originally made by Mesoamerican peoples." <br />
This would then be the first definition, not the second.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfpPHfGbfac/UDg9eL4wSgI/AAAAAAAAB6I/oEmX0uXlHS8/s1600/DSC01429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfpPHfGbfac/UDg9eL4wSgI/AAAAAAAAB6I/oEmX0uXlHS8/s320/DSC01429.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crispy Chicken Wings with Cilantro Chimichurri: Yeah, we basically demolished these before I could take a picture. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So that was my first meal. You'll note, no dessert. That is because we all dug in immediately and they were gone before I thought to take the picture. So I guess the one thing I eat faster than cheese is chocolate.<br />
<br />
My second meal, for the Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge, hosted by <a href="http://www.slowfoodwise.org/" target="_blank">Slow Foods Wisconsin South East</a> was served family style. No ordering, we were given what they were serving. I don't, as a general rule, order the chicken when I go out to eat, because we eat a lot of chicken in our house and I feel like it's one thing I've mastered. Wrong again. Everything on the menu was something that I "could" make, and yet I've never made anything at this level. (Maybe that's why I need to go to culinary school...)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BJiTrkoiPes/UDhIENS8OMI/AAAAAAAAB7A/Mp6IrcCK6hk/s1600/IMG_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BJiTrkoiPes/UDhIENS8OMI/AAAAAAAAB7A/Mp6IrcCK6hk/s320/IMG_1024.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panzanella with herbed quark: The quark (from the clock shadow creamery) is a soft cheese and is about to replace cream cheese in my diet. Compare to my panzanella <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/07/happy-belated-fourth-of-july.html" target="_blank">here</a>. The bread was firmer, which I'm not sure how they did. It seemed to not get soggy, even though it was soaked in the flavorful panzanella liquid. I'm actually not sure how I feel about this, since there is something about the liquid soaked panzanella bread that appeals to me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EiBVoer7LgE/UDhIJN3874I/AAAAAAAAB7I/eOkXO5sZy3w/s1600/IMG_1025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EiBVoer7LgE/UDhIJN3874I/AAAAAAAAB7I/eOkXO5sZy3w/s320/IMG_1025.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasted Chicken Breast with Potatoes and Eggplant Caviar: I'm not sure what made the eggplant "caviar," but I do know it was delicious and I've never liked eggplant prior to this. Even when breaded and deep fried! Shocking, I know. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NFnc1lx2j0c/UDhIOy_TBmI/AAAAAAAAB7Q/uh8lg6k9B7w/s1600/IMG_1026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NFnc1lx2j0c/UDhIOy_TBmI/AAAAAAAAB7Q/uh8lg6k9B7w/s320/IMG_1026.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peach Tart with Whipped Cream and Honey: Clearly there are only two bites left of this. It was amazing. I made a peach pie about a week ago, and it was nothing like this. I suck at pie crust.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
So, you've got a week to prepare. Why not try the Milwaukee Eat Local Challenge? Set a goal for yourself. Please, contact me with questions! Reach out to me here, or on Facebook (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HomeGrownHomemade">https://www.facebook.com/HomeGrownHomemade</a>) , or on Twitter (@wilocavore). If you don't live in Milwaukee, why not try your own local challenge? If your city doesn't offer one, make your own! Honestly, for two weeks in a bounty season, it's not that hard. You'll probably even save money. Don't even worry about it! Just jump in! You can do it!!!<br />
<br />
***Side note about needing to go to Culinary School; I start on Monday. I don't want to be a chef, but I do want to learn and I want to continue that learning past an Associate's Degree at MATC. I want to be an expert. I believe in setting goals and publicizing them, so I am putting it out there. I'm giving you my goal, and I'm putting it out into the Universe. I want to be an expert (THE expert?) on food preservation. This is my goal. And now I have all of you to hold me to it.***ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-19008616114021081932012-08-14T23:25:00.000-05:002013-01-05T13:06:34.135-06:00Put Up or Shut Up: Episode 3 - ZucchiniLooking up articles on the internet for preserving zucchini, I found they all started something like this:<br />
<br />
<i>The main downside to zucchini is just how much zucchini you can wind up
getting off of one plant. If you've ever grown zucchini (or you've lived
next door to someone who grew zucchini), you know that you can quickly
find yourself leaving bags of zucchini on your friends' front porches
just to keep up with what's growing in your garden.</i><br />
<br />
or<br />
<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i>In the late summer when I was growing up, brown paper bags filled with
zucchini used to magically appear on our front stoop. Backyard gardeners
in my neighborhood would have such a large crop of zucchini that
anonymous zucchini drop-offs were the only solution to getting rid of
it.</i><i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
or<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The season of zucchini overabundance will soon be here. Before you
resort to unloading your surplus in unlocked cars and empty mailboxes...</i><br />
<br />
Really?<br />
<i> </i><br />
It's not as serious as all that, people.<br />
<br />
And yet, when my CSA sent an email stating that vine boring beetles had demolished their zucchini crop, I found myself wondering if I could just sneak a courgette into each of the member's boxes without anyone noticing.<br />
<br />
Okay, I don't have quite that much.<br />
<br />
Like <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/07/put-up-or-shut-up-episode-2-rhubarb.html" target="_blank">rhubarb</a>, I actually feel the best way to preserve zucchini is to freeze it. Grate it up, and stick it in one cup balls into the freezer. When I grate it, I also like to throw it into a colander and let it's own weight press out some of the water. I don't go out of my way to squeeze all the water out, because the water is going to help it in the freezer anyway, but there is a lot of water so it's nice to get some of it out.<br />
<br />
In the winter, then, you can use the zucchini in anything that you would bake with zucchini - bread, muffins, cookies, etc. You can also throw it into a stew. One of my personal favorites uses is in a <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-food-bloggers-dont-have-time-to.html" target="_blank">zucchini fritter</a>, which I discovered in March. I was just looking for a way to use up the zucchini I had frozen the previous summer, and I found a recipe that is going to become a winter staple for me. In the winter, when it's almost impossible to get a fresh vegetable, this is something that really tastes like zucchini. And it's deep fried, which is always a bonus.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P_skcMIUJL8/UCshGw2MCQI/AAAAAAAAB3o/-SpTAW_fE9g/s1600/DSC01408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P_skcMIUJL8/UCshGw2MCQI/AAAAAAAAB3o/-SpTAW_fE9g/s320/DSC01408.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Zucchini Pickles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You can also make zucchini pickles, which I made last year and which are good but not great. I adore a pickle (you may have noticed) and these were not something I would have just eaten on their own. They tasted to much like a regular cucumber pickle, but weren't as good as a regular cucumber pickle. They were a nice addition to a picked item plate, so I am including a recipe for both regular and spicy zucchini pickles. I'd recommend a jar or two, but don't overdo it.<br />
<br />
<br />
A big success from the canning last year was the <a href="http://wilocavore.blogspot.com/2011/09/preserving-experiment-2.html" target="_blank">zucchini relish</a>. It's like pickle relish, but with zucchini. Pickle relish is a little scary when you buy it from the store - what with the bright green, not found in nature color, and I found this to be much tastier. To be fair, I have not tried to make my own pickle relish, so I'm not really comparing apples to apples. This was again a spicier version, which I appreciate. It's a nice addition to a sausage in the middle of the winter - especially a richer sausage (like one with cheese!) because the sweet and spicy notes cut through the heaviness nicely.<br />
<br />
This year, I will be making the same pickle relish, probably in a larger quantity than last year. I also am currently in the process of making the same relish but with yellow squash instead of zucchini. I feel like it should taste about exactly the same, just a different color. Maybe a little sweeter, too. We will see, and I will report back.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jJEe6LTmJLI/UCsjZyX7jPI/AAAAAAAAB4A/8Oghq9qyT88/s1600/IMG_1013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jJEe6LTmJLI/UCsjZyX7jPI/AAAAAAAAB4A/8Oghq9qyT88/s320/IMG_1013.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yellow squash relish needs to sit for a day. <br />
Go ahead and click on the link to get the recipe.<br />
For this version, I just substituted yellow squash<br />
for the zucchini, and used green peppers instead<br />
of red.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--6nj8jsYGjc/UCsig5rVPsI/AAAAAAAAB34/b5mjS9-NtCE/s1600/DSC00260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--6nj8jsYGjc/UCsig5rVPsI/AAAAAAAAB34/b5mjS9-NtCE/s320/DSC00260.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished zucchini relish from last season</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Along the lines of yellow summer squash, I had a new addition to the canning repertoire this summer. I made summer squash and onions. While I haven't busted it open and tried any yet, I feel like it should be a good winter side dish - maybe with a baked chicken.<br />
<br />
The summer squashes can be overwhelming, but there's no need to abandon them on neighbors doorsteps. <br />
<br />
*Quick Side Note: There is some drama on the safety of canning summer squash and zucchini. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation:<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1628435604061811003" name="24"><b>Why is canning summer squash or zucchini not recommended?</b></a><br />
Recommendations for canning summer squashes, including zucchini,
that appeared in former editions of So Easy to Preserve or USDA
bulletins have been withdrawn due to uncertainty about the
determination of processing times. Squashes are low-acid vegetables and
require pressure canning for a known period of time that will destroy
the bacteria that cause botulism. Documentation for the previous
processing times cannot be found, and reports that are available do not
support the old process. Slices or cubes of cooked summer squash will
get quite soft and pack tightly into the jars. The amount of squash
filled into a jar will affect the heating pattern in that jar. It is
best to freeze summer squashes or pickle them for canning, but they may
also be dried.</i><br />
<br />
Here's what I took away from that: "OR PICKLED THEM FOR CANNING." That would make me think pickling is okay. Other internet sources say no canning no way! So, use your best judgement. If you pop open any canned good and it smells weird, has discolored spots, or is growing the mold, don't eat it. Botulism may be a funny word, but it is not a funny illness. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-matjR0IhREI/UCsgpG5Ql0I/AAAAAAAAB3Y/rZzpMCgV3E0/s1600/IMG_0997.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-matjR0IhREI/UCsgpG5Ql0I/AAAAAAAAB3Y/rZzpMCgV3E0/s320/IMG_0997.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty, yes. Delicious? No.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One note on the passage from the NCHFP - I did try drying the zucchini and I found it to be a huge disappointment. I made dehydrated zucchini chips and I was not a fan. Despite being all the way dried and pretty thin, they weren't very crispy and seemed stale immediately upon coming out of the dehydrator. Also, despite putting them in an airtight jar, they seemed to get a little weird after only one day. Looking into it further, I found that you were supposed to refrigerate or freeze dried zucchini. If that's the case, what's the point in dehydrating it? The only thing that I could see and might do is dehydrating some bigger chunks to rehydrate later in a stew. But, I don't generally feel the need to put zucchini in a stew - it doesn't have a strong flavor so I don't feel like it adds that much. So I probably won't do that unless I decide that I have enough grated zucchini to make zucchini bread and zucchini fritters every weekend all winter long.<br />
<br />
Before making either of these recipes, please notice that they both have massive quantities of salt (which does get washed off after soaking). If you don't, you might have a reasonable amount of salt on hand and start making the recipes, only to have to run to the store late at night to buy salt. Even though you were JUST there to buy vinegar. And even though you HATE that grocery store, because the check out people insist on judging your food, and that one time you saw a mouse, but it's the only store that's open in the middle of the night. Or maybe you're not like me, and you prepare prior to cooking. Good for you.<br />
<br />
<b>Zucchini Pickles</b><br />
(From<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Put-em-Sherri-Brooks-Vinton/dp/1603425462" target="_blank"><i> Put em Up</i></a>!)<br />
Makes 6 pints<br />
<ul>
<li>4 pounds summer squash and/or zucchini</li>
<li><b> </b>1 large onion, chopped</li>
<li>1/2 cup salt </li>
<li>4 cups white vinegar</li>
<li>6 garlic cloves, smashed </li>
<li>1/2 cup sugar</li>
<li>1 tbsp dried oregano</li>
<li>1 tsp peppercorns</li>
<li>1 tbsp fresh rosemary</li>
<li>1 tbsp fresh thyme</li>
<li>1 bay leaf, crumbled'</li>
</ul>
Trim the ends from the squash and cut into spears 1 inch shorter than pint jars. Toss the squash and onion with the salt in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and set aside for 2 hours. Drain, rinse thoroughly, and drain again.<br />
<br />
Pack the squash mixture into clean, hot pint jars, and add a clove of garlic to each jar.<br />
<br />
Bring the vinegar, sugar, oregano, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf to a boil in a large, nonreactive saucepan. Pour the hot brine over the vegetables to cover by 1/2 an inch. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid.<br />
<br />
Release any trapped air from the jars and wipe the rips clean. Process for 30 minutes using the boiling water method. After 30 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars rest in the water for five minutes.<br />
<br />
Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.<br />
<br />
For spicy zucchini peppers, cut three Thai chillies in half the long way. Add 1/2 pepper to each jar with the garlic. For slightly less spicy pickles, remove the seeds carefully (and don't touch your eyes afterward!) <br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dYTmMBUKrrM/UCsg49JJ6XI/AAAAAAAAB3g/AHDf6DmGvJU/s1600/DSC01410.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dYTmMBUKrrM/UCsg49JJ6XI/AAAAAAAAB3g/AHDf6DmGvJU/s320/DSC01410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished yellow squash and onion relish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Squash and Onion Relish</b><br />
(Also from <i>Put Em Up!)</i><br />
Makes 4 Pints<i> </i><b> </b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 pounds yellow squash, ends removed, diced</li>
<li>2 pounds yellow onions, diced</li>
<li>1 1/4 cups salt</li>
<li>3 cups distilled white vinegar</li>
<li>1 cup sugar</li>
<li>1 tbsp fresh rosemary</li>
</ul>
Toss squash and onions with the salt in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and set aside for two hours. Drain, rinse thoroughly, and drain again.<br />
<br />
Bring the vinegar, sugar, and rosemary to a boil in a large nonreactive saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the drained vegetables, return to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Ladle into clean, hot jars, covering the solids by 1/4 inch with liquid. Leave 1/5 inch of headspace between the top of the lid and the lid. Release trapped air and wipe the rims clean. Process for 15 minutes using the boiling water method. Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let the jars rest in the water for five minutes.<br />
<br />
Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year.</div>
ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628435604061811003.post-40895685909229505422012-08-11T22:55:00.002-05:002013-01-05T13:07:22.461-06:00At the Farmer's MarketThank you to everyone who everyone who showed up at the South Shore Farmer's Market this morning for my cooking demo. Also, thank you to those people who didn't show up - because I ran out of food near the end!<br />
<br />
It was a good morning - which is unusual for me because I do not, as a general rule, enjoy the morning. I am not one of those people who feels that the morning is this beautiful, amazing, peaceful time of day. Wait, I retract that. I believe all those things, I just prefer to enjoy that time under a pile of blankets with my eyes securely closed. I've enjoyed a few sunrises, but they were all after a night out - on the way home to go to bed!<br />
<br />
So, to wake up and get ready to cook at 6:30 is a bit much for me. And that, considering I had been up late fretting about the whole to-do and how it would go. Add to that the fact that I'm not supposed to have caffeine (it constricts your blood vessels, and mine are already constricted on their own) and I am on my own to be bright and cheery in the morning!<br />
<br />
And so I did. I dragged my butt out of bed, I prepped my supplies, and I went out to cook.<br />
<br />
I feel like it went well. It was lovely for being early - not too hot, not raining - and I had my farmers around me. And I got my first opportunity to cook in front of people. Fortunately, my belly dance classes have prepared me well. Talking at a volume that will carry over a busy farmers market is about the same as talking over a class of music and ziling, but to be fair then all I have to say is "and a five, and a six, and a seven, and an eight."<br />
<br />
My goal was to promote the farmers. That is, after all, what I am here for most: to promote the farmers, to promote real food, and to promote people being less afraid to cook for themselves. I feel like I did a good job of that. Some of my favorite farmers were not there, which was sad because I would have like to share their meals with them. In the end, they did the work. How am I possibly to fail, when I am starting with something so good?<br />
<br />
Hopefully I also brought a few new readers on board. If I did, welcome! I'm here to help you work a little more local into your life. And also to rant about the food choices I see made around me. I like bacon. I like booze (more on that later). And I like when I try something that surprises me. <br />
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As I said at my demo (if you were there) the trick to cooking from the farmer's market is to not be too set on a recipe. If you find your recipe, write your list, and go to the market looking for exactly what you need, you're not going to be successful. The market requires a little more flexibility. I read a lot of recipes online, and I am highly annoyed by the reviews that read like this: "I tried this recipe and it was terrible. I didn't have any heavy cream, so I substituted Kahlua. I also didn't have any potatoes, so I substituted marshmallows. The finished result was far too sweet. Whoever wrote this recipe doesn't understand how to cook!" Don't be that guy. But at the same time, in order to cook from the farmer's market, you kind of need to be that guy. But smarter. It's about an understanding of how foods react, and what really can be substituted for what. Kahlua can be substituted for cream - if it's dessert. Potatoes can be replaced with, depending on the recipe, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, parsnips, and beets. Depending on the recipe. Cooking isn't like baking. It's an art, not a science, and cooking from the farmer's market, or from a CSA, emphasizes that. Whatta ya got? What can you do? If it doesn't work, keep it to yourself. If it does, revel in your successes.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wx8Bw13_xW8/UCcc3h9VscI/AAAAAAAAB1U/7rOhmHEwkK4/s1600/Peaches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wx8Bw13_xW8/UCcc3h9VscI/AAAAAAAAB1U/7rOhmHEwkK4/s320/Peaches.jpg" width="320" /></a>Here are my recipes from the farmer's market:<br />
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<b>Peach and Basil Salad, with Saxony Cheese</b><br />
<ul>
<li>2 lbs peaches, pitted, quartered, and those quarters cut in half</li>
<li>1/4 cup maple syrup</li>
<li>1/2 cup cubed <a href="http://www.saxoncreamery.com/online/our_cheeses/saxony/" target="_blank">Saxony Cheese</a> or something Parmesan-y</li>
<li>About 8 large basil leaves, thinly sliced </li>
<li>Fresh ground pepper</li>
</ul>
Heat a grill to high heat.<br />
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Place the peaches in a large bowl. Add the maple syrup, and gently stir to combine. Over high heat, grill the peaches until warmed and slightly caramelized. You can grill all the peaches, or you can leave a few ungrilled to create a variety of texture.<br />
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After about 5 minutes, remove the peaches from the grill and return to the bowl. Allow to cool slightly. Add cheese, basil, and a dash of freshly ground pepper. Enjoy warm.<br />
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<b>Zucchini "Pasta" with Lime Vinaigrette Dressing</b><br />
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I consider this recipe kind of a cheat, in that it's a good recipe base to alter. Really, all you need is the zucchini, and in the summer that's pretty hard to get away from. Don't have limes? Use a high quality white wine, champagne, or white balsamic vinegar. No tomatoes? No problem! Extra veggies? Throw them in! Top it with cheese or meat! Looking for something more filling, add equal parts cooked spaghetti to the zucchini pasta.<br />
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One thing I meant to bring up at the market is that you do not need fancy tools to make this. My sous-chef, Denise, has a mandolin, so we used it, but at home (where I don't have one: present idea!) I just use my box grater. The pasta doesn't look quite as fancy, but it tastes just as good:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PCoooJVAs5E/UCcihA4NqYI/AAAAAAAAB2A/6fJqzqR7WJ8/s1600/Zucchini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PCoooJVAs5E/UCcihA4NqYI/AAAAAAAAB2A/6fJqzqR7WJ8/s320/Zucchini.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zucchini "Pasta" cut on the mandolin. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here is the recipe, as I served it at the market:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HgvToYFZ0k/UCcpBwDTu5I/AAAAAAAAB2s/n2nlobrnoTI/s1600/IMG_1002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HgvToYFZ0k/UCcpBwDTu5I/AAAAAAAAB2s/n2nlobrnoTI/s320/IMG_1002.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With the box grater, it's not quite as pretty...<br />
but it's just as tasty!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Lime Vinaigrette (This makes a HUGE batch. While it saves well, you may want to cut it in half, or even quarter it)</li>
<ul>
<li>1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice</li>
<li> zest of 2 limes (zest before you squeeze the juice!)</li>
<li>1/2 cup honey</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 Thai chili pepper, minced</li>
<li>3/4 cups olive oil</li>
<li>2 tbsp garlic scapes, minced </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>1 large zucchini, cut into thin pasta like strips</li>
<li>2 ears of corn</li>
<li>2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces</li>
<li>Salt and freshly ground pepper</li>
</ul>
Combine vinaigrette ingredients and mix well. I recommend making in a bottle or jar that you can close tightly, and then just shaking vigorously. I also recommend making this dressing a few hours to the night before, to allow all the flavors to marry.<br />
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On a mandolin or box grater, create long strips of the zucchini and place in a large bowl. With a sharp knife, cut the corn off of the cob and add to the zucchini. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Add enough dressing to coat the zucchini, but don't drown it - about 2 tbsp to a quarter cup is probably good, depending on the size of your zucchini. Toss gently, and allow to sit for at least five minutes. The acid in the dressing will start to break down the zucchini, and it should develop a texture more like cooked pasta.<br />
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<b>Farmer's Market Breakfast Fajitas </b><br />
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This is another really good cheater recipe. You can basically take anything, put it on a corn tortilla, and call it a taco, fajita, or burrito. Yes, these words do mean something, but if you actually get called out on it, just tell them you're taking artistic liberties. Cooks are artists too!<br />
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The main recipe here is actually for the skirt steak itself:<br />
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Skirt Steak Fajita Marinade:<br />
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<ul>
<li>1/4 cup olive oil</li>
<li>1 tbsp soy sauce</li>
<li>1 tbsp balsamic vinegar </li>
<li>1 tsp fresh ground pepper</li>
<li>2 tbsp garlic scapes</li>
<li>2 tbsp shallots</li>
<li>1 tsp buckwheat honey</li>
<li>1 tsp minced hot pepper (I used Thai Chilli because that's what I had) </li>
</ul>
Combine ingredients and mix well. Place 2 lbs skirt steak into a freezer bag and pour in the marinade. Seal up the bag, and give the whole thing a good massage to work the marinade into the steak. Allow to marinate at least an hour, up to overnight.<br />
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Once you are ready to cook, heat a grill to high. While you are waiting, prepare a double thickness of aluminum foil large enough to completely contain the steak. Season the steak with salt and place on the grill. Cook for about a minute and a half on each side, then transfer to the aluminum foil and wrap up tightly, sealing any ends to prevent heat from escaping. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. At this point, the steak is continuing to cook - it's not really resting.<br />
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Slice the steak very thinly against the grain, and serve with corn tortillas and whatever else you would like on your fajitas!ktroseoscarsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10959321916837488517noreply@blogger.com3