Sunday, April 26, 2009

Summer in April

It's 11:30am and 82 degrees F. Summer has arrived in the midst of April. I washed all our winter coats and went out to hang them on the clothesline, passing the vegetable garden as I went.

The garden is a field of blooming dandelions. My goodness.

I checked on the peas, a little concerned that the snap peas had not yet sprouted, even though the snow peas have been up for nearly two weeks. If they don't come up in this weather, they never will. To my relief, I spotted one solitary pea shoot amid the straw. Snap peas in June. I can hardly wait. Last weekend, I planted lettuce and radishes, now quietly germinating under row covers to protect them from flea beetles and neighborhood cats, and scattered parsley seed in the herb bed.

The overwintered kale has shot up into a purplish-green bush of leaves, and an overwintered mustard actually had the temerity to bolt into bright yellow bloom. The garlic is perking up, sending out new shoots. Soon we'll have garlic scapes for salads and stir fry. The sage is greening up and needs pruning, now that it's obvious which stems survived the winter. Chives are poking green fingers at the sky. The rhubarb has exploded into a rippling mass of leaves, and the stalks might be ready in as little as a couple of weeks. The strawberries are blooming, the blueberries are sending out their first new green leaves, and the peach trees have burst into blossom. And, strange but wonderful, the fennel planted last year has come back from its roots in a little olive green hedgerow. Does anyone know whether such fennel will set good heads for harvest? I had no idea that fennel could be grown as a perennial.

Growing your own food has more compensations that convenience and environmentalism. Gardens in spring are surprisingly, stunningly gorgeous. I can't wait to see what comes up next.

Friday, April 24, 2009

TODAY: Free Local Food in Harvard Square

Green Streets is sponsoring the following Earth Day event in Harvard Square today, which includes free food from Henrietta's Table! Enjoy.



Join in the Big Green Walk/Ride Day Party in Harvard Square THIS FRIDAY!

Drop by between 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at Winthrop Park (Mount Auburn Street and JFK Streets) in Harvard Square. There will be a variety of events and activities, including a computer and cell phone recycling drop off, organic compost from Boloco, green food samples from Grendel's Den, Henrietta's Table, Upstairs on the Square, and Om!, and a "Spring Clean" at 1:00pm.

Green Streets will have stencils and paint for anyone who wants to decorate shirts, bags, hats, socks, bike flags, etc. with Walk/Ride Day themes. This will be BYOC (Bring Your Own Clothes). Give life to old clothes and create a one-of-a-kind look!

We'll also have our popular buttons for sale!

Click [http://www.harvardsquare.com/Home/Articles/Great-Big-Green-Party-in-Harvard-Square.aspx] here for event details!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Taza Chocolate Factory Tour - Saturday, May 2nd

Taza will be hosting another of their open houses on Saturday, May 2nd, and I plan to attend with my daughters in tow. Hope to see you there! Here's what they said in their newsletter:



Tour Taza Chocolate on Saturday May 2nd
Visit the factory, learn about our process, shop for Mother's Day.

Eight days before Mother's Day, we're opening our doors for chocolate tastings and tours of the factory. Join us at our Somerville facility on Saturday, May 2nd 2009, and learn how bean-to-bar chocolate is really made. We'll have plenty of samples for snacking, and a coloring table for the kids.

Check out our gorgeous Barth Sirocco cocoa roaster, learn what the heck a winnowing machine does, and run your fingers over the grooves in our millstones of our Mexican molinos. Plus, you'll get to taste every one of our products, and sip a tasty chocolate drink made with Taza Chocolate Mexicano.


Taza Chocolate Factory

561 Windsor St
Somerville, MA 02143


Open House Factory Tour
Saturday, May 2nd 2009
10am to 6pm
Click here for directions


Just a reminder - we're expecting a high turn-out, so there may be a short wait in between tours. Families and children are warmly welcomed, but encouraged to come early, as we will be busiest from 12 pm to 5 pm. We'll have a gift shop set up for all your Mother's Day gifting needs - trust us, moms love chocolate.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Great Locavore Meal - Part 2

Well, the meal was an enormous success. Despite the fact that the root veggies came out a little crispy, the whole wheat bread was not completely cooked through, the pork also did not quite completely cook, and I never got around to dipping the strawberries in chocolate, all of the diners were extremely satisfied and happy with the quality and flavor of the meal. I was very pleased by the moist chicken, probably the best I've ever tasted. One diner proclaimed the pumpkin pie to be the best she'd ever had. While it was a huge amount of work, I'd happily do it again.

Here's what I posted to my community about the meal. Note: for those of you who don't know me, I live in a cohousing community with a large common kitchen and pantry stocked with staples like baking powder and spices. We hold common meals three times/week, and I was cooking this as a common meal. Thanks to the cleanup crew for dealing with the messy aftermath! For more on cohousing, see http://www.cohousing.org. Now, on with the post:

Here’s a little more information about the local foods in Sunday’s meal, along with recipes for the bread and pie. Really, I can’t take credit for the fabulous taste of the food. Most of that came from the outstanding ingredients we obtained, so if you want to reproduce that flavor, BUY LOCAL!!!


The pork and chicken came in our meatshare from Chestnut Farm: http://www.chestnutfarms.org/. They were rubbed with canola oil from the coho pantry and seasoned with Maine sea salt and herbs from our garden. I stuffed the chicken with organic onion from Trader Joe’s and apple from the Boston Organics Dogma Box: http://www.bostonorganics.com/fresh/thisweekbox.html to keep it moist.


The vast majority of the root vegetables came from the Dogma Box. The remainder were more organic onions from Trader Joe’s (likely grown in California), locally grown but not organic new red potatoes bought at Pemberton Farms, and locally grown organic parsnips bought at Lionette’s Market (http://www.lionettesmarket.com/). These were tossed with thoroughly nonlocal olive oil, melted garlic butter from Mendon Creamery (not organic but local in Mendon, MA) bought at the Dairy Bar in Davis Square (http://www.kickasscupcakes.com/Dairy_Bar.php), Maine sea salt bought at Lionette’s, maple syrup from Ewen’s (http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farm.php?farm=2252) bought at the Dairy Bar, and fresh thyme, sage, and chives from our garden. I sliced the vegetables fairly thin and roasted them a bit too long (almost 90 minutes) at 375 degrees F.


The organic greens came primarily from Pete’s Greens (http://www.petesgreens.com/) bought at Lionette’s with a small contribution of greens and broccoli sprouts from the Dogma Box – all organic. We added the stems from the mushrooms. The dressing was homemade by Alex using locally produced blue cheese bought at the Dairy Bar, a raspberry-infused vinegar we got as a free sample in our Boston Organics box over a year ago, more Maine sea salt, and canola oil from the coho pantry.


The mushrooms were all grown in Pennsylvania. The white mushrooms came in the Dogma Box, and I bought the crimini (not organic) at Pemberton Farms. We stuffed them with sauteed kale and onions that had overwintered in our veggie garden and topped them with more of the local blue cheese.


I made the bread from scratch (see recipes below) using mostly flour from Littleton Grist Mill in Littleton, NH (http://www.littletongristmill.com/), which I ordered through Boston Organics but supplemented with some King Arthur’s Whole Wheat flour from the coho pantry. The eggs were from Pete & Jen’s Backyard Birds of Concord, MA (http://peteandjensbackyardbirds.com/default.aspx) bought at Lionette’s. The butter was Kate’s Homemade Butter (http://www.kateshomemadebutter.com/) bought at Shaw’s. The cream was from Shaw Farm in Dracut, MA (http://www.shawfarm.com/) by way of the Dairy Bar. I also used Maine sea salt and maple syrup for sweetener. All other ingredients came from the coho pantry.


The pumpkin pie was made from pumpkin I had either received in farmshare or bought at the farmers’ market last October, all organic, which I roasted and froze. I simmered it to cook out much of the moisture before blending it up for the pies. Oddly enough, the freezing process leeched most of the orange color out of the pumpkin. I’d never seen that before, but it tasted just fine. Eggs were Pete&Jens, cream and milk from Shaw Farm, sweetened with honey from the Boston Honey Company (http://www.bostonhoneycompany.com/) and just a little Ewen’s maple syrup. I used spices from the coho kitchen. I made the crust using Littleton Grist Mill flour, a Pete & Jen’s egg, Maine sea salt, and ordinary Crisco shortening because I was running out of butter.


The strawberries came from North Carolina by way of Heaven’s Harvest Farm (http://www.heavensharvestfarm.com/). I had planned to dip them in Taza chocolate (www.tazachocolate.com), but the meal had gotten a bit pricey by then, and we were also flagging a bit by the end.

Many people commented that it must have been a lot of work to put this together. Actually, it was pretty easy. With the exception of our outing to Lionette’s Market, which we’d been wanting to do anyway, we got most of the food quite easily. We get our meatshare once/month, Boston Organics delivers to our door, and we make regular stops at the Dairy Bar for eggs, milk, cream, and butter. This is a lifestyle we’ve consciously chosen, to eat locally. For more on why a locavore diet is a good idea, see:

http://www.locavores.com/how/why.php

http://www.lifebeginsat30.com/elc/2006/04/10_reasons_to_e.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_food

And here’s how to become a locavore:

http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/344/locavore.html

http://www.lifebeginsat30.com/elc/2006/04/a_few_tips_for_.html


Recipes:


Honey-Maple Pumpkin Pie

1 medium sugar pumpkin, roasted, or 2 cups cooked pumpkin

Pie crust (below)

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs lightly beaten

¾ c honey, slightly warmed

¼ c maple syrup, slightly warmed

½ c milk

½ c heavy cream

Make pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie pan. In a food processor or blender, combine all other ingredients and blend well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted one inch from edge comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.


Pie Crust

This recipe is actually intended for quiche and makes enough crust for two pumpkin pie shells or the top and bottom of a fruit pie.

3 c flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 Tablespoon vinegar (cider vinegar is recommended)

1.5 c shortening or butter

~7 Tablespoons ice water

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Blend in shortening with a pastry blender or fork. Combine egg and vinegar separately. Add to mixture. Add ice water as needed. Avoid touching the mixture with your fingers! Roll to thickness desired.


Quick Irish Soda Bread (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

Preheat oven to 375.

Sift together in a large bowl:

2 c sifted all-purpose flour

1.5 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Cut into the flour with a pastry blender, until the mixture has the consistency of coarse cornmeal:

¼ cup chilled butter

Stir in ½ to 1 cup raisins

Mix together:

1 beaten egg

2/3 c heavy cream

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Add to dry ingredients and stir well. Knead briefly and place on a greased sheet or in a greased 8-inch round pan. If the latter, press down so the dough fills the pan. Cut a bold cross over the top and sides so the bread will not crack in baking. Brush the top with milk.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow.


Quick Sweet Whole Wheat Bread (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix:

2.5 c whole wheat flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons double acting baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine:

1 beaten egg

½ c maple syrup

¼ c brown sugar

¼ c vegetable oil

Optional: 1 teaspoon grated lemon or orange peel

Add the flour mixture alternately with 2/3 c. heavy cream, buttermilk, or yogurt. Note: you may need to add flour if the mixture is too sticky (I added about ½ c more). Pour into a greased pan and bake about 50 minutes.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

The Great Locavore Meal

Today, I'm cooking an almost entirely locavore meal for 20-24 people. It's been a bit challenging, especially this time of year, but I think it's going to turn out great. Here's the prospective menu:
  • Roast Pork Shoulder and Roast Chicken (didn't have enough of either to make the meal) - Chestnut Farm meat share
  • Chevre-stuffed Mushrooms (vegetarian entree) - Shrooms from PA, Chevre from MA, kale from my own garden
  • Maple-roasted root vegetables - most veggies from the Boston Organics Dogma Box, plus an overwintered onion from my garden, maple syrup from Lunenburg, MA, roasted garlic butter from Mendon, MA, and sea salt from Maine, plus dried herbs from my garden
  • Tossed salad - all greens either from the Dogma Box or from Pete's Greens in VT.
  • Homemade bread - probably Irish soda bread using flour from Littleton Mills, VT.
  • Pumpkin pie - a combination of farmshare and farmers' market pumpkin I roasted and froze last October, cream from Shaw Farm in Dracut, MA, eggs from Pete & Jen's Backyard Birds, and honey from the Boston Honey Company
  • Chocolate-covered strawberries - Strawberries from North Carolina, chocolate from Taza Chocolate in Somerville, MA
Shopping for this meal might sound like it was an ordeal, but it was actually surprisingly easy. All the meat came from our meatshare with Chestnut Farm. The bulk of the vegetables and the flour came from the Boston Organics Dogma Box. The pumpkin has been sitting in my freezer all winter, waiting to be used. The cream, butter, honey, and other ingredients came from the Dairy Bar, part of Kick*ss Cupcakes in Davis Square, which we go to at least once/week for Shaw Farm milk in glass bottles.

The rest came primarily from Lionette's Market, a tiny Mecca of local foods located in the South End. My husband took our daughters there on Friday and found the greens, some fresh parsnips, and the sea salt from Maine. I also went by Pemberton Farms yesterday because they have interesting seasonal vegetables like fiddlehead ferns, and I was hoping that they'd have chanterelles. Sadly, it's still a little too early in the season for those, but I did find some nice new red potatoes from Chester, MA and the chevre. Pemberton does have a great selection of organic foods, but I do wish they'd label their local foods.

We're now going to make up a more formal menu, and my husband wants to make a spreadsheet of ingredients and distance in miles from home. I'll post these and a full report on the dinner tonight or tomorrow.