Friday, May 22, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A fresh taste for salad greens...
I just discovered balsamic vinegar. Before that there seemed to be only two options available (to me) for salad dressing: conventional salad dressing such as thousand island and ranch, and homemade dressing such as the recipe for ramps dressing. The first is obviously too much for the delicate salad greens from the CSA. It drowns out and weighs down on the greens. The second is time consuming and involves some kitchen appliances that later need to be cleaned like a blender. In a small kitchen, I'm always thinking about whether I should pull out a big kitchen appliance for just a small item.
There is a new store in the neighborhood that sells olive oil and balsamic vinegar in bulk. And there are tons of different flavors. I sampled quite a few. That was new to me. I've never had the experience of pouring a little shot glass of olive oil and shooting it. The store is called Annona Gourmet. I am so glad I went in to check it out.
Actually, I stopped in there to get some aborio rice for risotto. The store didn't have any in stock. I stayed to sample the vinegars and left with a black cherry vinegar. Oh, my, extreme goodness. It was just perfect for those salad greens and took away from the bite of the black radish.
Oh, and the black radish?! So spicy and crunchy. I grated it this time and just dumped it on top of the greens. It has a bite, but that bite was tempered a bit with the black cherry vinegar.
Now I've got to do some more research on vinegar. How does it last? At what temperature should I store it? In the fridge? Or the pantry?
The health benefits include increased calcium absorption, better digestion, regulation of blood sugars, increase in anti-oxidants, the list goes on!
There is a new store in the neighborhood that sells olive oil and balsamic vinegar in bulk. And there are tons of different flavors. I sampled quite a few. That was new to me. I've never had the experience of pouring a little shot glass of olive oil and shooting it. The store is called Annona Gourmet. I am so glad I went in to check it out.
Actually, I stopped in there to get some aborio rice for risotto. The store didn't have any in stock. I stayed to sample the vinegars and left with a black cherry vinegar. Oh, my, extreme goodness. It was just perfect for those salad greens and took away from the bite of the black radish.
Oh, and the black radish?! So spicy and crunchy. I grated it this time and just dumped it on top of the greens. It has a bite, but that bite was tempered a bit with the black cherry vinegar.
Now I've got to do some more research on vinegar. How does it last? At what temperature should I store it? In the fridge? Or the pantry?
The health benefits include increased calcium absorption, better digestion, regulation of blood sugars, increase in anti-oxidants, the list goes on!
Friday, May 15, 2009
May 14: Box #2
Look at all that goodness! I can't believe how incredibly convenient it is to have of this delivered right to my neighborhood! Oh, yes, I steamed up that asparagus right away for last night's dinner. Have you ever had asparagus that was fresh from the previous day's harvest? It's truly amazing how different fresh vegetables taste.
Parsnips again and no swap box, so I brought them home. This weekend I plan to get my compost pile situated. I don't have an official compost pile. I have three holes strategically placed in my garden. My hubby used a post-hole digger to get me nice, deep holes. And into these I throw my vegetable scraps. So, the vegetables decompose right there in the dirt in my front yard where the soil needs the nutrients the most. It's worked well over the years. But, now I'm thinking maybe I need something larger to accommodate all those parsnips.
It's going to be a cold weekend so we are staying in the city. I'm winging it this weekend with the menu. I figure I've got so many good veggies, I can pick some and roast, or steam whenever I feel like it!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
ramp and sausage risotto
Now this is the way to start off the CSA season: ramp and sausage risotto! I found this idea through A Good Appetite on their page that lists the menu for the week. It seems this recipe is floating around the web. One of the things I like about looking for recipes on the web is reading the comments at the end. I like hearing about how others change or substitute ingredients for each recipe. Which is how I operate. Rarely do I have all the necessary ingredients and so I'm constantly changing it to accommodate what I have in my pantry. For this recipe, I did not have any vermouth and immediately thought to add the leftover white wine I had sitting in my fridge. Saw a comment that did this and that gave me confidence as I was cooking.
Also, I have to say that I love recipes that use the whole plant. This ramp and sausage recipe called for the ramp bulbs, stems and leaves. The leaves are sliced thin and added at the end of the recipe. I cut them and left them sitting on the kitchen counter. I had to go into the cupboard space beneath the bowl for a few things and after a while I started thinking perhaps something had died in my cupboard - the smell was so strong. I got worried. Then, I realized the smell was the ramp leaves. Nonetheless, the leaves added another layer of flavor and made the whole meal look like fresh spring!
Oh, my goodness, it was so incredibly wonderful. I took some pictures while I was cooking, but woke this morning with the realization that I did not have the memory card in the camera, so no pictures. They wouldn't have captured the yumminess of this recipe anyway!
It's really fun to think about the fact that while these ramps are available in the woods - in abundance - they won't be there very long. Now I'm all fired up about foraging for my own.
Cooking risotto in this household is fun. There are a lot of "yes, chef!" thrown about. I admit that I am a fan of "Hell's Kitchen" and risotto is always on their menu. I'd never tried a risotto before watching this television show. It was surprisingly easy to prepare.
I bought the sausage at Ready Meats. I bought the regular which seemed spicy enough. I steamed up some broccoli (not from CSA) and served it on top of the risotto. I should have gotten from french bread to prepare some garlic bread, but I forgot, so some biscuits went into the oven.
Now I have spinach, rhubarb and parsnips left until Thursday. I gave all the sorrel to my mother, but plan to keep the next batch for myself. I'm going to try that sorrel dal recipe. Also, I looked at the "best guess" list for this week's delivery and read that we are getting asparagus and salad mix! I love the salad mix! It has flowers in it! So pretty and convenient! Yum!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
ramps growing in the woods
Ramps are growing everywhere in the woods!
Every year, we see the ramps spread out further on the woodland ground.
They haven't made to our land yet, but I think that is just a matter of time.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Weekend recap
The beginning of the CSA season coincides with our return to the trailer. We have a really old trailer out on some land and when the weather warms, we try to head there every weekend. Cooking out at the trailer is a challenge so I usually end up choosing easy meats like sausages that can be cooked over an open fire. I'll bring along a few CSA items, but these are easy to prepare like salads. This weekend, our trailer's furnace finally gave out. Because the nighttime temps were going to dip down into the 30s, we returned to the city early. Initially I was excited to get back to my urban kitchen in order to get wild with the CSA.
But I was tired. Then spent most of Sunday working in my garden. When it came time to cook dinner, I was really tired. But I worked through my exhaustion, got the dishes done and had all the space I needed to prepare a meal. The menu:
breaded chicken
roasted sunchokes topped with chives
spinach salad with tomatoes and black radish
= 4 CSA items.
I think this picture reveals what went wrong.
First off, there was too much dressing on the salads. I didn't have the energy to makes the ramp dressing, so we used conventional stuff. The black radish was crisp and crunchy. I think next time I will try grating the radish. And dang it, it was so cute, this little black thing, I should have taken a picture. I'm learning so much about CSA eating and also CSA blogging.
Second, I didn't roast the sunchokes long enough. I knew that sunchokes take a long time to cook up. They are really crispy and remind me of apples when I am chopping them up. I stuck a fork in them when I thought they were done, but that little test was not sufficient. I should have just tasted one before declaring that dinner was done. The good thing is that sunchokes can be eaten raw so eating slight crunchy ones is all right, if not tasty. I has tossed them with some olive oil and cajun seasonings, then topped then with chopped chives.
I have a few things left to cook up: rhubarb, burdock, spinach, ramps, parsnips.
As much as I looked forward to the season starting, the realities of this experiment hit me square on this weekend. Using high-quality ingredients makes it a lot easier to whip together a simple, yet amazing meal. I just have to make sure I cook it long enough!
But I was tired. Then spent most of Sunday working in my garden. When it came time to cook dinner, I was really tired. But I worked through my exhaustion, got the dishes done and had all the space I needed to prepare a meal. The menu:
breaded chicken
roasted sunchokes topped with chives
spinach salad with tomatoes and black radish
= 4 CSA items.
I think this picture reveals what went wrong.
First off, there was too much dressing on the salads. I didn't have the energy to makes the ramp dressing, so we used conventional stuff. The black radish was crisp and crunchy. I think next time I will try grating the radish. And dang it, it was so cute, this little black thing, I should have taken a picture. I'm learning so much about CSA eating and also CSA blogging.
Second, I didn't roast the sunchokes long enough. I knew that sunchokes take a long time to cook up. They are really crispy and remind me of apples when I am chopping them up. I stuck a fork in them when I thought they were done, but that little test was not sufficient. I should have just tasted one before declaring that dinner was done. The good thing is that sunchokes can be eaten raw so eating slight crunchy ones is all right, if not tasty. I has tossed them with some olive oil and cajun seasonings, then topped then with chopped chives.
I have a few things left to cook up: rhubarb, burdock, spinach, ramps, parsnips.
As much as I looked forward to the season starting, the realities of this experiment hit me square on this weekend. Using high-quality ingredients makes it a lot easier to whip together a simple, yet amazing meal. I just have to make sure I cook it long enough!
Friday, May 8, 2009
May 7: Box #1
The CSA boxes are delivered to a house in my neighborhood. Very, very convenient!!! The process for picking up the box is really easy. You go to the designated house with a bag and check off your name from the list. Pick a box, then empty the contents into your bag, grab a newsletter and you're done. Timing can be tricky. Sometimes when I show up there are a ton of people, so it can crowded in the porch, but then it's nice to meet fellow CSA members.
There is a range of time for pick up and I tend to go early. If I don't go at this time, there is a strange, but strong chance that I will forget. Sometimes, I wait for my hubby to come home from work and we will walk over to get the CSA box. Yesterday I went early and was surprised to see that most of the boxes had already been picked up. I think there are 50 members at this location. It was exciting to see that the shares sold out in the Twin Cities area!
The choice this week was dogwoods or willow branches. I picked the bright dogwood. It was a tough choice.
About choices: I can be frustratingly indecisive. The CSA helps me with this annoying trait of mine. I like that I don't have a choice with what shows up in the box. I just take what's packed in the box so one level of decisions are done. Choosing what to do with the vegetables is the fun side of decision-making.
There is rhubarb down under all that spinach. There were also the dreaded parsnips and the intriguing black radish.
Look at them chives!! There are a few buds in there too which are a little extra spicy.
This is going to be a weekend of good eating!
There is a range of time for pick up and I tend to go early. If I don't go at this time, there is a strange, but strong chance that I will forget. Sometimes, I wait for my hubby to come home from work and we will walk over to get the CSA box. Yesterday I went early and was surprised to see that most of the boxes had already been picked up. I think there are 50 members at this location. It was exciting to see that the shares sold out in the Twin Cities area!
The choice this week was dogwoods or willow branches. I picked the bright dogwood. It was a tough choice.
About choices: I can be frustratingly indecisive. The CSA helps me with this annoying trait of mine. I like that I don't have a choice with what shows up in the box. I just take what's packed in the box so one level of decisions are done. Choosing what to do with the vegetables is the fun side of decision-making.
There is rhubarb down under all that spinach. There were also the dreaded parsnips and the intriguing black radish.
Look at them chives!! There are a few buds in there too which are a little extra spicy.
This is going to be a weekend of good eating!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
sorrel, chives and a rainbow
This evening, just before sunset we had a rainbow! And then later I got the CSA newsletter through email! It's been a great end to the day. The box is going to include everything that was on the best guess list: sweet overwintered parsnips, red sunchokes, ramps, sorrel, overwintered spinach, rhubarb, burdock, chives, black radish, willow. This tip on the newsletter is really helpful:
Use first: Ramps, sorrel, chives,
spinach. The other items store
very well in the crisper drawer,
but use within a week or two for
best taste.
I've got to plan ahead because we are going to the WI trailer this weekend. I think I'll just take the burdock and the sunchokes because I can fry these easily. And I don't mind frying when I'm cooking outside.
The Big D had a business trip out to NYC last month. He returned with over two dozen bagels. I cut each one in half and then froze the whole lot. I gotta remember to make a chive cream cheese for the morning bagels. So the chives have to be split because I also want to add some to sour cream. Here's a recipe for the cream cheese:
1 block soft cream cheese
chopped chives
1 tsp garlic powder
I'm determined to enjoy the sorrel more this year. I want to try some recipes that bring out the distinctive tangy, lemon taste. It seems the best way to do that is to make some sort of drink with it. I found a Jamaican sorrel drink recipe. Hmm? Am I brave?
I have some other ideas:
Sorrel dal
Chicken with Sorrel sauce
Vegetarian sorrel tart
Sorrel Risotto
Penne with mushrooms and fresh sorrel
I am pleased with meal possibilities for next week. Thursdays seem like a good delivery date for me. Especially since we seem to spend most weekends at the trailer. This gives me time to (loosely) plan some meals. Although I do have a tiny, compact little kitchen in the trailer, it's always nice to try to cook out on the open fire. Or fry something outdoors with a dual propane stove top. If I am going to fry something I'd rather do it outside so the smell of the oil doesn't linger in all the fabrics. I'll try making some burdock chips and sunchoke fries.
That rainbow this evening had such distinct colors. It was vibrant and beautiful and one end of the arc seemed to be positioned right over the house where I pick up my CSA box. Just one more night until I get my pot of organic gold.
Tomorrow everything changes...
...for the better. It's amazing thinking about the surge of energy and health that I get from the CSA produce. It's amazing to think about the variety that will enter our diet. But it's not just my diet that's effected. It's also my budget, my decision-making process, my sense of connection to the land around me.
My parents are from India. They come from rural, farming communities. Farms where banana, mangoes, and maize grow. An unexpected result of joining a CSA is the renewed relationship with my parents. Growing up, we always had a garden with tons of zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. My mother always cooked from scratch and the result is that my body has a strong constitution. I got the necessary nutrition I needed as a growing girl.
We share our CSA box with my parents. While I am generally looking for "American" recipes for this fresh, abundant produce, my mother incorporates it into her Gujarati cooking. It's interesting to see what she chooses to do with it all. And this year, I'm going to pay more attention as I realize that I need to gain these skills. Sometimes all I crave is a good Gujarati meal full of cooked vegetables, rice and dahl, and sometimes a curried chicken.
This year, we are going to make the effort to visit the farm. I am curious about my parents' reaction to the farm. Will they find similarities? Will the wandering goats and chickens bring up memories of their own childhoods in India? Will the smell of damp dirt and growing vegetables connect them to this land in ways that living in the Twin Cities suburbs for 30 years hasn't?
OK, so now let's talk budget. This is my fourth year with Harmony Valley CSA and I have to admit, every spring there is a struggle to get the money together. Thankfully the time coincides with tax returns. But, then when I get over how the big chunk of money gouges into my budget, I realize that I won't be paying any more for vegetables for the rest of the summer. My grocery store and coop spending drastically reduces as spring turns into summer and continues well into the fall. My primary purchases during the CSA season is meat.
The cost is $890 for 30 weeks. That breaks down to $30 a week per box. Split this in half because I share with my mom, and now I see I'm paying $15 a week for the freshest, yummiest, organic produce in the region! That's cheap! Especially if you consider the cost of organic produce in the grocery stores and coops. And this produce is SO much more fresh as it is generally picked a day or two before the delivery date.
I haven't tried the meat share yet for two fairly good reasons. First, I just don't have the freezer space for all that meat. Second, I buy my meat from a local meat market, Ready Meats. The beef is corn fed and purchased from smaller meat processors, and not from those large-scale production farms. I asked the butcher one day. I was scared to ask, but I did, and was happy with the answers. I can buy just the right amount for whatever I am cooking that day and I have tried different cuts of meat, something I never would have done if choosing my meat from the grocery store.
My decision make process is decidedly different during the CSA season. The question of "what's for dinner?" changes to "what should I do with this vegetable?" My usual process is to select meat choice or find an interesting recipe, then select the side dishes to go with it. During the CSA season, I focus more on what is on hand. For example, I'll get some sunchokes or baby bok choy, then think about how I will prepare it, and finally, choose a meat that goes with those flavors. It's a slight shift, but big enough to bring me some peace in my life.
Cooking is different for me. I spent many decades sticking with recipes. Now, it's about using what I have in my fridge or pantry to concoct a meal. I find myself using some standard ways to prepare a variety of vegetables. I have this great mustard and honey glaze for turnips. I liked the flavors so much, I prepared beets and potatoes the same way. It reminds me of my mother's Gujurati cooking where many different vegetables can prepared using the same, simple ingredients. It's the flavor of the vegetables themselves that add variety to the each meal.
Finally, the change in my connection to the land. Technically, Harmony Valley is not really considered local for us here in the Twin Cities because it is located just over the state border. But, it is close enough for me to monitor local weather and consider the effects to the farm. While people can demarcate geographical borders, the weather system doesn't abide by those lines drawn in the dirt. I feel nourished by the bounty of the land. I feel connected to the Midwest. I feel grateful for a large harvest. And understand the food chain a little better when the harvest is effected by flood or drought. I feel pride for my choices that lead to the continued sustainability of small scale farming and eating local foods.
Yeah! Good things! And it all starts tomorrow!
My parents are from India. They come from rural, farming communities. Farms where banana, mangoes, and maize grow. An unexpected result of joining a CSA is the renewed relationship with my parents. Growing up, we always had a garden with tons of zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. My mother always cooked from scratch and the result is that my body has a strong constitution. I got the necessary nutrition I needed as a growing girl.
We share our CSA box with my parents. While I am generally looking for "American" recipes for this fresh, abundant produce, my mother incorporates it into her Gujarati cooking. It's interesting to see what she chooses to do with it all. And this year, I'm going to pay more attention as I realize that I need to gain these skills. Sometimes all I crave is a good Gujarati meal full of cooked vegetables, rice and dahl, and sometimes a curried chicken.
This year, we are going to make the effort to visit the farm. I am curious about my parents' reaction to the farm. Will they find similarities? Will the wandering goats and chickens bring up memories of their own childhoods in India? Will the smell of damp dirt and growing vegetables connect them to this land in ways that living in the Twin Cities suburbs for 30 years hasn't?
OK, so now let's talk budget. This is my fourth year with Harmony Valley CSA and I have to admit, every spring there is a struggle to get the money together. Thankfully the time coincides with tax returns. But, then when I get over how the big chunk of money gouges into my budget, I realize that I won't be paying any more for vegetables for the rest of the summer. My grocery store and coop spending drastically reduces as spring turns into summer and continues well into the fall. My primary purchases during the CSA season is meat.
The cost is $890 for 30 weeks. That breaks down to $30 a week per box. Split this in half because I share with my mom, and now I see I'm paying $15 a week for the freshest, yummiest, organic produce in the region! That's cheap! Especially if you consider the cost of organic produce in the grocery stores and coops. And this produce is SO much more fresh as it is generally picked a day or two before the delivery date.
I haven't tried the meat share yet for two fairly good reasons. First, I just don't have the freezer space for all that meat. Second, I buy my meat from a local meat market, Ready Meats. The beef is corn fed and purchased from smaller meat processors, and not from those large-scale production farms. I asked the butcher one day. I was scared to ask, but I did, and was happy with the answers. I can buy just the right amount for whatever I am cooking that day and I have tried different cuts of meat, something I never would have done if choosing my meat from the grocery store.
My decision make process is decidedly different during the CSA season. The question of "what's for dinner?" changes to "what should I do with this vegetable?" My usual process is to select meat choice or find an interesting recipe, then select the side dishes to go with it. During the CSA season, I focus more on what is on hand. For example, I'll get some sunchokes or baby bok choy, then think about how I will prepare it, and finally, choose a meat that goes with those flavors. It's a slight shift, but big enough to bring me some peace in my life.
Cooking is different for me. I spent many decades sticking with recipes. Now, it's about using what I have in my fridge or pantry to concoct a meal. I find myself using some standard ways to prepare a variety of vegetables. I have this great mustard and honey glaze for turnips. I liked the flavors so much, I prepared beets and potatoes the same way. It reminds me of my mother's Gujurati cooking where many different vegetables can prepared using the same, simple ingredients. It's the flavor of the vegetables themselves that add variety to the each meal.
Finally, the change in my connection to the land. Technically, Harmony Valley is not really considered local for us here in the Twin Cities because it is located just over the state border. But, it is close enough for me to monitor local weather and consider the effects to the farm. While people can demarcate geographical borders, the weather system doesn't abide by those lines drawn in the dirt. I feel nourished by the bounty of the land. I feel connected to the Midwest. I feel grateful for a large harvest. And understand the food chain a little better when the harvest is effected by flood or drought. I feel pride for my choices that lead to the continued sustainability of small scale farming and eating local foods.
Yeah! Good things! And it all starts tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Awaiting the first box...
Here's what is on the Harmony Valley website. It's their best guess as to what will be harvested this week:
This is typical for the first box. And I look forward to it with anticipation, but also with a little bit of trepidation.
I've learned that the CSA forces me to develop new relationships with vegetables that I previously didn't like or had never tried. Most of the time I found that I liked them, the ones that I hadn't liked before were of bad quality and not fresh. Fresh vegetables are hard to not like. And if I'm diligent about finding and trying new recipes, there's not much that doesn't taste good coming from the farm.
But, parsnips are a different matter. I don't like parsnips. I don't like the taste of them, even if there are fresh from the farm. So, one year I tried just throwing them in with other vegetable scraps to make a vegetable stock. The smell of the boiling parsnips sent me out of the house. It smelled so foul. I hate saying that, but it's true. Every year, for three years I have tried to enjoy parsnips.
This year, I'm going to give it another try because the new chef (Bri) at the farm says that the parsnips are a delight to work with. I guess I'll look over the newsletter and if there is a good recipe, I'll give it a shot. But what I really want to do is dump the whole lot into the swap box. The "swap box" is the place to put vegetables that I won't use "so that others may enjoy them."
This reminds me that I really need to get a composting pile. I need to place to trash the vegetable that I don't use, or maybe just for the scraps.
I'm really looking forward to the sunchokes, the ramps, the spinach, the sorrel, the chives and the black radish. All good things containing everything needed to detox the liver and kidneys from the winter slump.
I haven't found a recipe for the burdock that I like. I have considered just slicing them, then roasting them in the oven, then storing them for tea which apparently is good for purifying the blood stream of toxins. Also, I read today that the prickly seeds of the burdock plant inspired the manufacturing of velcro. It reminds of what my neighbor was saying about biomimicry which is the concept that looking closer at how nature functions can lead to sustainable solutions to human problems.
Another tough one for me is rhubarb. I used to not like baked fruit at all. I disliked it so much that my husband wrote a song about it. I don't know why, maybe to just capture my angst towards fruit that is all hot ad mushy. But I have grown since then and am finding my way to the joys of baked fruit. Last year I did an apple/rhubarb crisp. The great thing about rhubarb is that it can be cut into little pieces then be thrown into the freezer, set aside to used for a crisp.
Ok, so now I know that I may be over my distaste for baked fruit. My mouth is watering thinking about all the rhubarb...and everything else, the sunchoke fries, the sour cream filled with chives, the spinach salad with ramp dressing, the crispy radish. Spring is such a great time to be alive and eating healthy!
Sweet Overwintered Parsnips
Red Sunchokes
Ramps
Sorrel
Overwintered Spinach
Rhubarb
Burdock
Chives
Black Radish
Willow or Dogwood
This is typical for the first box. And I look forward to it with anticipation, but also with a little bit of trepidation.
I've learned that the CSA forces me to develop new relationships with vegetables that I previously didn't like or had never tried. Most of the time I found that I liked them, the ones that I hadn't liked before were of bad quality and not fresh. Fresh vegetables are hard to not like. And if I'm diligent about finding and trying new recipes, there's not much that doesn't taste good coming from the farm.
But, parsnips are a different matter. I don't like parsnips. I don't like the taste of them, even if there are fresh from the farm. So, one year I tried just throwing them in with other vegetable scraps to make a vegetable stock. The smell of the boiling parsnips sent me out of the house. It smelled so foul. I hate saying that, but it's true. Every year, for three years I have tried to enjoy parsnips.
This year, I'm going to give it another try because the new chef (Bri) at the farm says that the parsnips are a delight to work with. I guess I'll look over the newsletter and if there is a good recipe, I'll give it a shot. But what I really want to do is dump the whole lot into the swap box. The "swap box" is the place to put vegetables that I won't use "so that others may enjoy them."
This reminds me that I really need to get a composting pile. I need to place to trash the vegetable that I don't use, or maybe just for the scraps.
I'm really looking forward to the sunchokes, the ramps, the spinach, the sorrel, the chives and the black radish. All good things containing everything needed to detox the liver and kidneys from the winter slump.
I haven't found a recipe for the burdock that I like. I have considered just slicing them, then roasting them in the oven, then storing them for tea which apparently is good for purifying the blood stream of toxins. Also, I read today that the prickly seeds of the burdock plant inspired the manufacturing of velcro. It reminds of what my neighbor was saying about biomimicry which is the concept that looking closer at how nature functions can lead to sustainable solutions to human problems.
Another tough one for me is rhubarb. I used to not like baked fruit at all. I disliked it so much that my husband wrote a song about it. I don't know why, maybe to just capture my angst towards fruit that is all hot ad mushy. But I have grown since then and am finding my way to the joys of baked fruit. Last year I did an apple/rhubarb crisp. The great thing about rhubarb is that it can be cut into little pieces then be thrown into the freezer, set aside to used for a crisp.
Ok, so now I know that I may be over my distaste for baked fruit. My mouth is watering thinking about all the rhubarb...and everything else, the sunchoke fries, the sour cream filled with chives, the spinach salad with ramp dressing, the crispy radish. Spring is such a great time to be alive and eating healthy!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Foraging: Ramps
I'm curious about foraging and curious about what can be foraged in this region. I'm curious about what can be gathered and eaten. The CSA pushed me forward in this inquiry. In the first box of each season there is always a bunch of ramps. They have a distinctive scarlet color to the stems. After eating the CSA harvest, I started seeing ramps in the woodlands of Wisconsin. They are first bright shades of green in the spring, rising as they do from the blanket of decaying autumn leaves.
However, getting to them can be an unnerving experience. While there are ramps growing everywhere, there are also lots of wood ticks. So, after spending some time digging up ramps, I spend time searching for wood ticks on my body.
Ramps have a onion and garlic qualities. They are also referred to as wild baby leeks. I use them in stir frys and for salad dressings. I picked up this recipe from my local coop: Eastside Coop in Northeast Minneapolis.
The salad dressing is perfect over spinach, another item available early in the CSA season. The dressing is yummy, but makes me a little gassy. They have quite a strong garlic smell so if I store them in the refrigerator, the smell intensifies.
I just read that the appearance of ramps is an indicator for morel hunters. Yum. That sounds great to me. Ramps and morel mushrooms sauteed together! I just can't wait for this season!
However, getting to them can be an unnerving experience. While there are ramps growing everywhere, there are also lots of wood ticks. So, after spending some time digging up ramps, I spend time searching for wood ticks on my body.
Ramps have a onion and garlic qualities. They are also referred to as wild baby leeks. I use them in stir frys and for salad dressings. I picked up this recipe from my local coop: Eastside Coop in Northeast Minneapolis.
Ramp Dressing:
1/3 c. walnut oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
5 ramps (white parts only)
salt & pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in blender.
The salad dressing is perfect over spinach, another item available early in the CSA season. The dressing is yummy, but makes me a little gassy. They have quite a strong garlic smell so if I store them in the refrigerator, the smell intensifies.
I just read that the appearance of ramps is an indicator for morel hunters. Yum. That sounds great to me. Ramps and morel mushrooms sauteed together! I just can't wait for this season!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
CSA starting soon!
Each year, Harmony Valley includes an herb pack with the first few CSA boxes. I was wonderfully surprised to see the chives came back this year after a long, cold winter. I've since learned that allium-type plants can tolerate any sort of winter conditions, but still it was wonderful to see these coming in under the bed of decaying autumn leaves.
I used to plant a number of veggies in my garden, with varied amounts of success. Since starting the CSA three years ago, I haven't planted much for vegetables. I do still plant tomatoes since discovering fried green tomatoes. I can never get any green tomatoes from the CSA, so I grow my own. We usually get a several large batches of chives from the CSA. And now I've grown to love baked potatoes because of the sour cream and chives that go on top.
The CSA season is starting next week. My body surely needs the nutrition. Each year I come to learn more about eating in season. Early spring vegetables provide the detox for the bodies moving from winter to spring.
The price seems right to me. I prefer to buy organic and local vegetables from the coop or supermarket, but that gets expensive and seriously? The quality and freshness just aren't there in the way that they are with CSA produce. I split my share with my parents. We are a two-person household and the CSA boxes provide enough for a four-person household. I pick up the delivery and my husband drops off the my parent's share on his way to work as my parent's house is on his way to work. We split each box. And this works for me. I like sharing with my mother because she allows me to be selfish. Like if there's 3 boxes of raspberries, I keep two and only pass on one box. Hey, it's my mom! She lets me get away with it!
Others that I know share the box through two households, mostly between neighbors. Often this done by one household picking up a delivery every other week. This seems like a easy solution. The first year I started the CSA, I shared with a friend and neighbor. We split each box and it did get tiresome, especially in weeks where there was just one head of cauliflower, for example. Do you chop it in half or haggle over who gets what? The second year, my friend no longer wanted to continue, so I got my mother on-board. This is my fourth year with Harmony Valley.
The experience has been extremely enlightening for me! I've learned so much about various vegetables that I'd never eaten before like turnips and beets. Others that I have eaten before came to me in a quality that I've never experienced before. I really just can't say enough about the freshness of getting what is being harvested in season once a week.
I've also learned a bit more about cooking up whatever is on hand. I found some simple recipes that can accommodate just about any available vegetable and it can be done quickly.
I get so tired of the question "what's for dinner". Now the question is "what the heck am I going to do with this thing?" Which is much easier and much more fun to deal with!
I used to plant a number of veggies in my garden, with varied amounts of success. Since starting the CSA three years ago, I haven't planted much for vegetables. I do still plant tomatoes since discovering fried green tomatoes. I can never get any green tomatoes from the CSA, so I grow my own. We usually get a several large batches of chives from the CSA. And now I've grown to love baked potatoes because of the sour cream and chives that go on top.
The CSA season is starting next week. My body surely needs the nutrition. Each year I come to learn more about eating in season. Early spring vegetables provide the detox for the bodies moving from winter to spring.
The price seems right to me. I prefer to buy organic and local vegetables from the coop or supermarket, but that gets expensive and seriously? The quality and freshness just aren't there in the way that they are with CSA produce. I split my share with my parents. We are a two-person household and the CSA boxes provide enough for a four-person household. I pick up the delivery and my husband drops off the my parent's share on his way to work as my parent's house is on his way to work. We split each box. And this works for me. I like sharing with my mother because she allows me to be selfish. Like if there's 3 boxes of raspberries, I keep two and only pass on one box. Hey, it's my mom! She lets me get away with it!
Others that I know share the box through two households, mostly between neighbors. Often this done by one household picking up a delivery every other week. This seems like a easy solution. The first year I started the CSA, I shared with a friend and neighbor. We split each box and it did get tiresome, especially in weeks where there was just one head of cauliflower, for example. Do you chop it in half or haggle over who gets what? The second year, my friend no longer wanted to continue, so I got my mother on-board. This is my fourth year with Harmony Valley.
The experience has been extremely enlightening for me! I've learned so much about various vegetables that I'd never eaten before like turnips and beets. Others that I have eaten before came to me in a quality that I've never experienced before. I really just can't say enough about the freshness of getting what is being harvested in season once a week.
I've also learned a bit more about cooking up whatever is on hand. I found some simple recipes that can accommodate just about any available vegetable and it can be done quickly.
I get so tired of the question "what's for dinner". Now the question is "what the heck am I going to do with this thing?" Which is much easier and much more fun to deal with!
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