WEEKS of Squash – recipe 6

October 31, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

The cold frame came through for me today; exactly 20 days after planting arugula, salad greens and chard, I harvested the first arugula and chopped it to adorn a bowl of roasted Kabocha Squash (see below). I am hoping to continue harvesting for several weeks. It is frosting irregularly, and day-time temperatures are fluctuating between the mid-30s to the mid-50s. It might have reached 60 today, out of the wind.

Protection from the wind and rains of late is one of the important functions of the cold frame. Also, since I put some pieces of insulation in, and I pay close attention to closing the lid when the temperature drops precipitously, I believe I’m helping retain heat in the soil . . .

All of that said, I am sure my little plants could have grown faster had I better managed the soil heat with better insulation: using more caulking between boards, tighter construction of the whole box, used a more heat-retaining glass.

Nevertheless, chopped fresh arugula topped a bowl of roasted Kabocha squash for lunch today, which I lightly tossed with bits of maple-sage sausage and a couple shreds of Romano cheese.

Filed Under Projects, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With cold frame, kabocha squash, recipe

Tango of tastes

October 30, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

My friend Lara dropped a line the other day. Her husband finally got an elk in the hills of Idaho, after 4 days of trekking. The note reminded me of an evening spent in her kitchen last year, arms and conversation deep into ‘production cooking,’ otherwise known for time immemorial as ‘putting food by.’

We made breakfast sausages that night, and I delved into the very same tastes this morning. Blaine, the caretaker of the larger surrounding farm, gave Michael and I some ground deer meat a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s time to return the favor with some treats for his belly. This recipe should do the trick. It’s doubly satisfying in the morning with the protein punch and sweet seasoning. Make extra to freeze for easy meals at a later date.

You’ll need: 2 lbs ground venison/elk/regular beef; 5 Tbs minced fresh sage (from your perennial garden! – use youngest leaves); 3 Tbs maple syrup; salt and pepper, 2 Tbs butter.

Saute the sage in the butter for several minutes; pour this onto the ground meat, mix in with remaining ingredients (if your venison or elk is not fatty enough, you may need some olive oil or more melted butter to help it all stick – the deer here in PA are eating a lot of corn, so we don’t need extra fat anymore!). Form patties 1/2 the size of your palm, smoosh to 1-inch thickness. Fry in a pan used for butter and sage, roughly 2 minutes each side. For patties you will freeze, undercook a little.

Filed Under Seasonal Recipes Tagged With breakfast, maple syrup, recipe, sage, sausage, venison

Barnard’s Orchard

October 30, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

“What are you selling here that was grown on this farm or locally?” the sweatshirt clad young woman asked.

“Well, the apples and squash are ours,” replied the checkout lady. “And . . . well, the veggies are mostly from California now, but we did have our own onions earlier, and greens and such. Do you see that sign there, on the apples? Anything that says ‘homegrown’ was grown right here.”

This conversation popped right out of a fellow consumer’s mouth yesterday and prompted a discussion that answered my questions before it was my turn in line. I imagine similar versions of this dialogue to be flowing back and forth with regularity these days. Sure, plenty of people were happy to drive into Barnard’s Orchard, off Route 842, west of Kennett Square, to purchase a simple carving pumpkin.

But some of us were there for a reason: we want to support the local business and we want food from those persons and their land. So give Barnard’s Orchard a call, or stop by to chat. More questions and more interested persons are the forces of change in any business.

Their phone number: 610-347-2151.

Filed Under Resources Tagged With apples, Barnard's Orchard, Pennsylvania

Last harvest

October 30, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

Claire and crew at Inverbrook Farm eased their chilly hands through the last harvest for the farm yesterday. And with the final 2008 Kennett Square Farmers market to happen tomorrow, we’re all soon to be largely on our own for winter food. Hopefully you’ve put up some veggies and fruits. In any case, stay tuned here and at Inverbrook’s web site for more info on local food throughout the winter.

Filed Under Cricket Chirps Tagged With Inverbrook Farm, Kennett Square Farmers Market

Better than thou broccoli

October 30, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

Leftovers threatened to sabotage our dinner plates with only carbs and protein. The grouse and remaining mac n’ cheese were certainly tasty, but not colorful enough for a festive fall meal. Good old broccoli came to the rescue, with the help of a recipe from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin, again, one of my favorite cookbooks, and an excellent source of ideas for seasonal eating.

You’ll need: 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/2 cup pine nuts (see my variation below); 1 Tbs sliced flat-leaf parsley; 1 pound broccoli (or cauliflower or broccolini) trimmed; 6 Tbs unsalted butter; 2 tsp minced salt-packed anchovy; 1/2 chile de arbol, sliced thinly on the diagonal; 2 tsp minced garlic; 1 tsp thyme leaves; 1 pound burrata or fresh mozzarella (see my variation); 1/4 cup shallots; a wedge of a lemon; salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Toss the breadcrumbs with 1 Tbs olive oil. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice until golden brown and crispy. Spread the pine nuts on another baking sheet and toast them 4 to 5 minutes, until they’re golden brown and smell nutty. Crush half the pine nuts, and combine them with the whole pine nuts, breadcrumbs, and parsley in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

*If you don’t have a pinyon tree in your yard, try using walnuts for this recipe instead. We have an abundance of Juglans nigra (black walnut) in our area, and have waited for many car tires to pass over the heavy outer (hand-staining) casks in order to release the inner shell. After leaving the inner shells to dry for a week or so, we break them open for the meat. A hammer and some muscle employed from the get-go would accomplish this all much more quickly.

Blanch the broccoli in the rapidly boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, until just tender. Drain and cool. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 7 Tbs olive oil and the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the anchovy and chile and cook 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon as the anchovy melts into the sauce. Add the garlic and thyme and turn off the heat. The garlic will finish cooking in the hot oil. Season with a 1/2 tsp salt.

(as always, experiment with different ingredients when you don’t have what is listed. Try a different chile or ‘hot’ taste in this recipe)

Cut the mozzarella into 6 slices, and then cut each slice in half. (I didn’t have this and ended up just used shredded romano). Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the anchovy butter, shallots and broccoli and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Toss well to warm the broccoli and coat it with the anchovy butter. Taste for seasoning.

Arrange half the broccoli on a large platter in one layer. Tuck half the mozarrella slices among the broccoli, and continue layering the remaining broccoli and mozarrella. Shower the pine nut breadcrumbs over the top.

Bon appetit!

Filed Under Seasonal Recipes Tagged With anchovies, broccoli, pine nuts, recipe, Sunday Suppers At Lucques

feel the burn

October 29, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

Jane Fonda, leggings, tights and unitards included, always seemed very happy to me when I was a young kid. And the feeling spread; my sister and I eagerly jumping-jacked our way into hysteria alongside our earnest mother’s exercises. I don’t recall being booted from these sessions, but now I wonder.

Having infrequently journeyed into the television accompanied land of in-home sweating, it’s taken me a while to comprehend the passion required for indoors calorie-burning. I experimented with stationary bike riding as I did with gym ratting; copies of literary magazines saw me through the haze of robotic movements, bleak vistas and smelly air.

About the only time I enjoyed a gym came in Brazil, where the building walls opened views to the ocean, and people glowed with a slightly different version of self-aggrandizement, the frolicking beach life permeating the gym imperceptibly.

The Lost River Range, Pioneer Mountains, Boulder and White Cloud Mountains, and many unnamed slightly smaller hills eliminated the need for indoor activity in Idaho. Such natural splendor moved my running, biking and Nordic skiing well beyond the daily grind into a continuous spiritual experience of our amazing world.

Entering the cold months in Pennsylvania now, I find myself sifting through the various experiences with ‘exercise’ I’ve enjoyed, endured, explored, etc. Then, I realized I needed to get the mail. Onto the bike and into the 37 degrees, sideways rain and ferociously gusting wind I pedaled.

The Chatham Post Office sits just 2 miles away, and part of our decision to obtain such a mail outlet versus sign up for home delivery was based on our intentions to NOT drive every day. The path to the post is also a relatively safe bike route. So off I went in my layers, and after pushing up the hills on the way to town, I was property heated up. The Post Office clerk exclaimed at my ride as I panted hello, then chuckled in understanding at my wet derriere.

I grabbed the box of ammo Poppa Newc sent along for the deer rifle (you can send that through the MAIL!), bank statements and miscellany, then hopped back on the bike to return. The wind confronted me, pushed me to an absolute crawl, then relented and let me pass. The walnuts from the road-side trees jostled my balance, the last hill up the grassy knoll hurt my sore-from-horse-riding-thighs.

And then I made it home. Hot, having moved my body on a day as good as any to cash in on YMCA membership, I relished the ride.

Filed Under Cricket Chirps Tagged With boulder Mountains, Chatham, Idaho, Lost River Range, Pennsylvania, White CLoud mountains

Ratchet that wrench

October 28, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

“Your house must be cold,” said Roland. Michael and I examined  one another. A coat, fleece jacket and vest lay beside me, and a coat and vest beside him. Scarves remained encircled about our necks, and our hands tucked deeply into our sweatered armpits.

“Yeah,” Michael sighed.

We finally turned the heat on today. My iPhone declares it to be 37 degrees in Chatham, PA.  I still have two layers on my legs and 4 on my top. Michael and I are well aware of the much lower temperatures surrounding our previous Idaho home grounds. But the stone house we are in feels as though to be on the approach to a 9,000 foot peak.

So far we have matched the learning curve with additional layers of long underwear and fleece; living in western mountains one had to layer clothing and pay attention to its material construction in order to treat your body well.

But I got out the tools today to open up the radiators. Turns out they were stuck hard in ‘open’ position, so only a simple spin of the thermostat dial was required. It’s hanging out at 58 degrees, but I certainly wouldn’t know it.

Filed Under Cricket Chirps Tagged With heating, Pennsylvania, stone house

The morning after

October 28, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

What if it could be simple, succulent and straight-forward? Eating locally raised and produced items will certainly require one to cook more; boxed meals and packaged snacks will not figure prominently on your tongue.

Creativity eases this return to the kitchen. For example, our purposeful dinner concoctions that fold nicely into the following morning’s omelette.

While making pasta carbonara or stir fry, saute extra veggies to put in your eggs the next day.  Enjoying a fabulous steak with a tasty sauce? Dabble that same sauce over your next-day omelette, and put some steak pieces inside.

Not only does such a breakfast make use of leftovers, it helps you enjoy more vegetables. I certainly used to be an oatmeal-in-the-morning girl, but now I am a believer in the morning protein punch (eggs) combined with creative use of anything in the fridge. In this way the morning meal becomes a meditative activity for me, rather than a slow-to-awaken routine.

Filed Under Seasonal Recipes Tagged With leftovers, omelette, recipes

Spook sparks the night

October 27, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

Turtle Dove Folk Club put their hands and voices together last night in hopeful celebration. No, it was not a Phillies party (although I’d suspect the folks at the monthly concert of yore are happy enough the team won again last night during their quest for the World Series title).

Rather, a certain Spook Handy sparked the night with musical political stimulations. Commenting that his song-writing had turned political about eight years ago, Spook dug right into topics that are in fact as old as history. My favorite was his original, “Death Comes Anyway.” Engaging the audience with quick narrative intros to the songs, Spook told us that as he looked for the cause of the current war in Iraq, he realized he had to go back to the 1990s wars, and then back to the Cold War, then to WWII, WWI, etc. etc., continuing all the way until he and a friend picked up the Bible and read of Cain and Abel.

Point being, death comes anyway to those who resort to violence. Death surely comes to us all, but we do have a chance to change the tides of suffering, to work through difficult situations, be them in your own heart or embroiled in a transcontinental conflict. So thank you Spook for revisiting the messages of Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul and Mary. Though the era of these folks prominence in the political music presence may seem to have passed, their melodic messages will forever remain pertinent to the human condition.

Filed Under Events

Natural by Nature

October 26, 2008 By Lynea Newcomer Leave a Comment

Sometimes the most seasonal item to cook is that which is about to expire . . . the other day Harvest Market offered free quarts of Natural by Nature’s Buttermilk. Until I have some milk producing animals (and the skills to care for them), I’m thrilled to have an organic and grass-fed milk product option nearby. Natural by Nature’s store front is located on Baltimore Pike, just several miles from our home; the products are made with milk from regional farmers who adhere to the company’s organic principles.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten coffeecake, let alone baked it. Thus, my inspiration for some of the excess buttermilk. The Enchanted Broccoli Forest supplied the following recipe. (Also use bountiful buttermilk to make scones, crepes and soups)

Russian Coffeecake — You’ll need: butter for the pan, 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened; 1 cup brown sugar (I used 3/4 cup honey); 4 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 cups unbleached white flour; 1 cup whole wheat flour; 1 Tbs. baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature

For the filling and topping: 1/2 cup chocolate chips; 1/2 cup almonds; 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut; 1/2 cup fruit jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Greese a standard-size tube or bundt pan (or a cake pan!). Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla.

Sift together the flours, baking powder, soda and salt into a separate medium-size bowl. Add the dry mixture and the buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture. Mix just enough to thoroughly blend after each addition. Don’t beat or otherwise overmix.

Place the chocolate chips and almonds in a blender jar (coffee grinder works well), whirl together in short spurts until ground into a coarse powder. Combine this with the coconut in a small bowl. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan, gently spreading it until even. Spoon small amounts of the jam here and there onto the batter (don’t spread, leave in blobs). Sprinkle on about 2/3 the chocolate-nut mix.

Add the remaining batter, distributing it nicely. Sprinkle with the rest of the chocolate mix, and bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a probing knife inserted all the way in comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

Filed Under Seasonal Recipes Tagged With buttermilk, coffeecake, cream, Enchanted Broccoli Forest, milk, Natural by Nature, organic, Pennsylvania, recipe
« Older Posts