Lentil, Spinach and Potato Soup

Lentil, Spinach and Potato Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup of lentils (I prefer french lentils)

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup of frozen spinach (or 6 cups fresh) torn into pieces

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, until tender and fragrant.  Add broth and lentils, bring to a boil then simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add potatoes then simmer for another 15 minutes (or until potatoes are tender)  Then add lemon juice, spinach, salt and cayenne pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.  Serve hot.

Vegetable Stir Fry

All the farmer's markets have ended so I've been using the vegetables I've frozen.  Here's a recipe that uses frozen broccoli and bell peppers.  Fresh vegetables would work too.

Vegetable Stir Fry

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 onion, cut in half then sliced lengthwise

1 cup broccoli (I used frozen)

1 bell pepper, chopped (I used frozen)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup rice wine

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon corn starch

Put 1 1/2 cups rice in a small pot with lid.  Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, then turn down to very low (use a diffuser if necessary) and cook for 20 minutes.  While rice is cooking scramble eggs and cook in a small frying pan.  Also mix soy sauce and corn starch and set aside.  In a separate frying pan or wok, turn heat to med-high and add oil.  Once the pan is hot add the veggies (onions, broccoli, peppers, garlic).  Saute for about 3 minutes, until tender.  Then add rice wine and cook for another minute.  Next add soy sauce and corn starch mix.  Stir.  Finally mix in the cooked eggs and serve over rice.  I also add some chili garlic paste to make it a little spicy.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Perfect for cold season.

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

8 crimini mushrooms, sliced (optional)

2 carrots peeled and chopped

1/2 celery stalk chopped (or use Penzey's celery flakes)

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 bag egg noodles

Saute onions and mushrooms in oil until tender.  Add carrots and celery and saute for a few more minutes.  Then add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add egg noodles and cook in broth for about 10 minutes (or as directed by the bag).  Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup

Serves: 4 adults

4 slices bacon

1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups chicken broth

2 cups split peas

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Saute bacon in a pot until browned, then add onion and saute until translucent.  Add carrots and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.  Add chicken broth, split peas, bay leaf and rosemary (make sure the peas are covered with broth).  Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer covered until the peas are tender, about one hour.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Split Pea Soup

Radish Leaf Soup

Don't throw out those radish leaves, make this fantastic soup instead!  From epicurious.com

Radish Leaf Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 large chopped onion
Leaves from 10-15 radishes, washed
5 medium potatoes (about 1.5 pounds), peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 cups of water or broth
2/3 cup milk

Melt butter in saucepan then add onions and saute until translucent.   Add radish leaves and saute until wilted.  Add potatoes and water.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.  Alternatively a blender can be used.  Season soup with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with a splash of cream (optional).

Radish Hors d'oeuvres

I don't often make hors d'oeuvres, but I had about 15 radishes and I didn't know what else to do with them, so I made some snacks for the Steeler's game.

Chive Cream Cheese Stuffed Radishes

10-15 radishes

1 teaspoon chopped chives

3 tablespoons cream cheese

splash of milk

Chop off the ends of the radishes so they can stand up.  Reserve the greens for radish green soup (recipe in next post).  Use a melon baller or a small knife to core the radishes.  Reserve the cores for radish deviled eggs (for recipe see below).  Mix the chives, cream cheese and milk together so you get a frosting-like texture.  Use a pastry bag or a plastic baggie with the corner cut to deliver the cream cheese to the cored radishes.

Radish Deviled Eggs

8 hard boiled eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons diced radish
2 teaspoons diced chives
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove shell from eggs and cut in half.  Remove yolks and put in a bowl and mix with mayonnaise, mustard, radishes, chives, salt and pepper.  Spoon out mixture into hard boiled egg whites.

Ratatouille!

Ratatouille 

A simple (and very yummy) vegetable stew.  I used tomatoes and summer squash that I had frozen earlier this summer.  It was fantastic!  Serves: 4 adults

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium eggplants, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bell peppers (any color), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4-6 tomatoes (fresh, canned or frozen), coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
• 1/2 tablespoon thyme
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup minced fresh basil

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add eggplants and garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add summer squash and bell peppers and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Chicken of the Woods Pasta

The mushroom man at the Strip District Firehouse farmer's market had "chicken of the woods" wild mushrooms.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to try a new local food, so I bought a pound.  I sauteed the chicken of the woods mushrooms with roasted butternut squash and crimini mushrooms in olive oil and butter.  I served this mix over my homemade pasta with fresh parsley.  The chicken of the woods mushroom tastes a lot like like chicken.  Unfortunately it tasted a little bit like dried out chicken breast, so if I buy it again I'll add white wine to moisten the mushrooms.  If you're looking for a healthy alternative to chicken, don't hesitate the try the "chicken of the woods" mushroom!  

Garlic Lentil Soup

Garlic Lentil Soup

4 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 cups water
1 cup french lentils
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (use less if dried)

Add water, garlic, lentils, and oil to a stockpot.  Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup.  Then stir in thyme and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cauliflower and Garbanzo Bean Curry

Cauliflower and Garbanzo Bean Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
2 teaspoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala (optional: otherwise add more curry powder)
1 1/2 cups of dried garbanzo beans (soak in water overnight, the next day cover in water, bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour) or use 2 cans of garbanzo beans
5-6 cups of cauliflower florets
1 can of coconut milk (for healthier option use light coconut milk or a cup of yogurt)
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jalepeno, seeded and diced (optional)
1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

Saute onion in oil until tender and translucent.  Add garlic and curry powder and stir for another 2 minutes.  Add beans, cauliflower, coconut milk, tomatoes and jalepenos.  Cook until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over basmati rice.

Bean Chili with Squash and Kale

I harvested the heirloom beans I grew this year from Seed Saver's Exchange (Brockton and Good Mother Stallard Beans).  The unique coloring on them was fantastic, and I was very excited to cook with them.  Unfortunately I didn't have too many, so I combined them with red kidney beans and black turtle beans to make chili.  It was one of the best chili recipes I've ever had!  Here it is:

Bean Chili with Squash and Kale

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 large or 2 medium onions
• 2 cloves of minced garlics
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups dried beans (The day before soak 2 1/2 cups of dried beans in water overnight.  The next day cook the beans for about 1 hour, or until tender.)
• 2-3 cups of chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 1 small bunch (5 leaves) kale, cut into small pieces

Heat oil in large pot.   Saute onions until tender and golden, then add garlic and saute for a few more minutes.  Add squash and spices, stir for a few minutes.  Then add beans and broth and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.  Then add kale and cook for another 5 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheddar cheese (optional).

Refreshing Fresh Salsa

Here's a great, easy recipe for when you're swimming in tomatoes in the beginning of fall.  It makes a tasty and healthy snack!

Refreshing Fresh Salsa

3-5 tomatoes diced

1/2 purple onion diced

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

1 jalepeno pepper seeded and diced

Squirt of lemon or lime juice

Sprinkle of salt

Mix together and serve with tortilla chips.

Orange for October

Sorry I haven't posted lately!  I have a big exam coming up in two days (yikes)!  My husband and I have been trying lots of new recipes, so towards the end of the week be on the look out for some new posts.  I've noticed a common theme in my food this month, lots of orange and white.  Orange is everywhere for Halloween, but also in the foods of the season: squash, pumpkins, beans and carrots.  Lots of white too; cauliflower, potatoes, onions, and leeks.  I promise some orange and white recipes towards the end of the week!

Apple Cupcakes (from Meg)

Here's a recipe from my friend Meg to help you use your fall apples:

Shelby's Apple Cake Recipe

• 4 cups peeled and diced apples (I like to use 4 1/2 to 5 cups)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)-- nuts are optional... I left them out of the cupcakes this time and they turned out great.
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon (I usually put in a little extra)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix apples and sugar thoroughly. Add oil, nuts, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together separately and add to apple mixture. For apple cake, bake in a greased 13x9 inch pan for 1 hour.  For apple cupcakes, bake in lined cupcake pans for 30-35 minutes.

Easy (and Delicious!) Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

• 8 oz (one brick) cream cheese-- does not have to be room temperature, you can mix it straight out of the fridge!  I usually used reduced fat.
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Approx 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (you may not need two full cups)

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric hand mixer at low speed until combined.  Add powdered sugar about a quarter cup at a time, mixing well after adding.  you can add as much or as little sugar as you want, until the frosting is at the sweetness and consistency you would like.

That's it!  If you decide to make it as a cake, it doesn't really need frosting (my mom never put frosting with it... Just served it warm with some vanilla ice cream.  Or plain for breakfast, yum!).  I think the cupcakes would be really good topped off with a little cinnamon sugar, but I didn't have any to test it out with.  Enjoy!! :)


--Meg

Baba Ghanoush (eggplant hummus)

I would describe Baba Ghanoush as "eggplant hummus".  The base of hummus is chick peas, whereas Baba Ghanoush is mostly eggplant, but the spices and extras are about the same in both.  Baba Ghanoush is a great dip for football games and parties, especially because it's pretty healthy, and it's a great way to use your extra eggplants.

Baba Ghanoush

1 large or 2 medium eggplants

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley

2 tablespoons tahini (Sesame seed paste- in the ethic or middle eastern section of your grocery store.  Available in bulk at the East End Co-op)

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Remove the stem from the eggplant, stab a few times with a fork, then wrap in foil and cook in oven until mushy (about 1 hour at 400 degrees, alternatively put it in the oven when you're cooking something else, and if it's a lower temperature just cook it longer).  Let the eggplant cool.  Remove the eggplant pulp from the skin and add to a food processor.  Add all the other ingredients to the food processor as well and process until smooth.  Serve with pita bread or pita chips.  For homemade pita use the recipe from my lamb souvlaki post (shown on the right).

Vichyssoise (creamy potato leek soup)

Vichyssoise (apparently pronounced vish-ee-swaze) is one of my favorite soups.  The only difference between Vichyssoise and potato-leek soup is that it has a little bit of cream.  I made an especially good batch last night and I'm going to give credit to the fresh, local ingredients.  I bought the potatoes and leeks at the East Aurora farmers market (outside of Buffalo, NY) while I was visiting the area.  I must admit that that farmers market has a much bigger selection than the ones in Pittsburgh (although they have less "organic"/pesticide free).  Anyway, here's the recipe:

Vichyssoise

6-8 large servings

Total time: 45 minutes

6 medium leeks

3 tablespoons butter

6-8 large potatoes (about 1.5 pounds)

5-6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (enough to cover potatoes)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

1 cup of cream (or 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup milk)

First remove roots and green part of leeks (some green part is okay, just remove the really thick stuff).  Then remove the outer layer and rinse, as there tends to be some dirt stuck here.  Then chop into thin slices.  Saute chopped leaks in butter for about 15 minutes (until tender but not brown).  In the mean time peel potatoes and chop into thin slices.  Once leeks are tender add potatoes and enough broth to cover them.  Also add the salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 25 minutes).  Then add cream and blend until smooth.  An immersion blender is a great tool for this, but a regular blender works fine too (just be prepared for a mess).  Alternatively the soup can be mashed (I know people who prefer it a little chunky).  Garnish with chives (optional).  Serve hot or chilled.

Preserving Peppers

I planted just a few Thai pepper seeds this year (from Seed Saver's Exchange) and I have way more Thai peppers than I can use right now.  They're small peppers (only about 2 inches long) so they can dry whole.  I used a needle and thread to string them together to hang in my kitchen to dry.  They look great and I'll be able to use them for months!

Five-Spice Beet Soup

We got a lot of beets in our farm share for the past few weeks and I don't think it's cool enough to store them in the basement yet.  Instead I made some Five-Spice Beet Soup (recipe from epicurious.com).  Definitely a healthy soup, but I wouldn't recommend it for a meal.  I served myself a big bowl, and I stopped enjoying it towards the end.  It would be good for an appetizer, but I think I like roasted beets better.

Two-hundred Tomatoes

A few weeks ago I ordered a bushel of tomatoes from Dillner Family Farm, and I received way more tomatoes than I expected.  There were over two-hundred Roma tomatoes (I wish I took pictures of the boxes).  So Mark and I spent six hours peeling, removing seeds and cooking down the tomatoes for pasta sauce, tomato soup and curry.  Although it was a lot of effort the pasta sauce we made turned out fantastic!  We added some ground beef and pork italian sausage from Burns Angus Farm, as well as some onions and garlic from Dillner Family Farm.  A little Italian herb mix from Penzey's and a few bay leaves gave it some extra Italian flavor.  I will definitely plan to do it again next year!

Polish Feast

For dinner last night my friend and I made a Polish feast of kielbasa, homemade sauerkraut and homemade pierogi.  I chopped up the cabbage for the sauerkraut about 4 weeks ago and it had been fermenting in the basement, and it was finally ready to be eaten.  It was my first attempt at sauerkraut, and it came out really well.  Making sauerkraut is fairly easy, I basically just added a bunch of salt to some chopped cabbage and put it in a pot for 4 weeks (tons of recipes available online).  We mixed the sauerkraut with a chopped onion and 6 thinly sliced apples then put the kielbasa on top and let it braise for about 30 minutes.  The kielbasa absorbs the moisture from the sauerkraut, and the sauerkraut acquires some extra flavor from the kielbasa- it was fantastic!  We also made pierogi dough and filling and stuffed about 24 huge pierogis.  Here is the recipe we used:

Pierogi Dough
Servings: 24 huge pierogis

1 cup yogurt
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix all the ingredients until they form a soft, pliable, but not too sticky dough (add more flour if necessary).  Let rest covered for 10 minutes.  Roll out the dough until thin.  Use a circle cookie cutter or a drinking glass to cut dough into circles.  Fill with filling and fold over.  Press the halves together so it looks like a semi-circle.  Seal the round edge with a fork.  Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes or pan-fry in butter.

Cheese and Potato Pierogi Filling

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cooked until tender
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk

Mash together until thick but not too dry (add more milk if necessary).

Garden French Lentils

Lentils are a fantastic little food.  These legumes are high in protein and fiber and very low in fat.  They are also packed with nutrients like folate and iron.  Their flavor is slightly nutty and they have a firm but smooth texture.  Lentils also cook quickly, without the need for presoaking, until other legumes.  I've been eating a lot of lentils lately, as they are a much healthier (for you and the environment) than meat. This is one of the best recipes I've tried yet!

Garden French Lentils 

Servings: 4-6

Time until finished: 45 minutes

1 1/2 cup french lentils (french lentils are also known as green lentils. Brown lentils will work too- but french lentils have a nuttier flavor)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion diced

1 clove garlic, minced

10-15 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cups of uncooked spinach or kale torn into smaller pieces

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

10 basil leaves cut into small pieces 

1/4 cup parsley cut into small pieces

Put lentils in about 4 cups of water then bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes (or until desired tenderness).  In the meantime prepare veggies- they will only take 5 minutes to cook so wait until the lentils are almost done to cook them.  If using kale steam for 3 minutes.  Once lentils are almost done put oil in a saute pan or saucepot and saute onions until almost translucent.  Then add garlic, tomatoes, spinach/kale.  Pour water off lentils and add to the pan with the veggies.  Then add lemon juice, salt, and ground pepper.  Next turn off the heat and add the basil and parsley.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Pancakes for Two

Pancakes for Two

Most pancake recipes serve 4-6 people.  This is a great recipe for couples or roommates.  Blueberries can be left out or chocolate chips can be substituted.

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tsp lemon juice added)

1 beaten egg

2 tbsp oil or melted butter

optional: 1 cup blueberries (or 1/2 cup chocolate chips)

Mix dry ingredients.  Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients slowly, stirring in between additions.  Ladle batter onto a hot griddle (grease griddle if it is not non-stick).  I usually ladle about 1/2 cup batter per pancake so they are easy to flip.  Cook on one side until you see little bubbles, then flip, then cook on other side until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Blueberry Pancakes

Garam Masala Summer Vegetable Curry

Vegetable Curry Recipe

Servings: 4-6

Time: 25 minutes

Rice

Add 3 cups of water to 1 1/2 cups of rice (preferably basmati rice), bring to a boil then turn to low for 20 minutes

Vegetable Curry

5 new potatoes cut into bite sized pieces

1 tsp hot curry powder* (see note on spiciness below)

1 tsp sweet curry powder* (see note on spiciness below)

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp powdered ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder (unless using fresh garlic)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, diced

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (or use powdered garlic)

1 zucchini or summer squash, cut in half then in 1/4 inch slices

1 tomato, cut into wedges

1 quart green beans, remove stems and cut into thirds

3/4 cup plain yogurt

Put potatoes in saucepan, cover with water and boil until tender.  While potatoes are cooking mix spices (curry powders, garam masala, ginger and garlic powder) then add enough water to stir into a paste.  On medium heat, heat vegetable oil in a stockpot then add onions and saute until almost translucent.  Next add spice paste and stir for 1-2 minutes.  Then add garlic and stir for another minute.  Next add zucchini/squash, tomato, and green beans.  Once it starts simmering, turn the heat down.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables achieve desired texture (preferably "al dente"), about 10 minutes.  Stir in yogurt and cook for another 2 minutes.  Serve over rice.

* Spiciness: This recipe is "medium" spiciness.  To make it more spicy substitute extra hot curry powder for sweet curry powder, to make it less spicy, substitute sweet curry powder for hot curry powder.

Alternatives: this recipe can be used with any combination of vegetables.  Also cubed meat can be added after onions are sauteed and spices are added.  Add vegetables after meat is cooked on all sides.  

Heirloom Tomatoes

This week at the Phipps farmers market there were some fantastic heirloom tomato varieties.  There were black tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, yellow with red stripes tomatoes, a green one they called "green zebra" and a peach tomato (that is actually fuzzy)!  After trying them all, the peach tomato is definitely my favorite.  I'm going to have to buy some peach tomato seeds for next years garden.  The Seed Savers Exchange has a great catalog for heirloom vegetables.  I highly recommend checking out their catalog, you won't believe all the varieties of vegetables there are (and members have access to even more)!

Green Zebra and Peach tomato

Lamb Souvlaki on Homemade Pita

Lamb Souvlaki with Tzatziki

I used the Food Network recipe with lamb stew meat.  It was very tender after it spent 4 hours marinating.

Pita Bread

2 tbsp dry yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)

2 1/4 cups white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1. Dissolve yeast appropriately, if using active yeast add to water and let sit for 5 minutes, if instant yeast add to flour.  

2. Mix flour and salt then stir in water and olive oil.

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

4. Roll the dough into a ball and put dough into an oiled bowl and coat the dough with oil.

5. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled.  Then punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.  

6. Divide the dough into 8 balls, and roll out each ball to form a circle that is about a 1/4 inch thick.

7. Cover flattened dough with dish towel and let sit for 20 minutes.  In this time set the oven to 425 degrees and put lightly floured cookie sheets in the oven to preheat.

8. Bake the bread for 5-10 minutes until puffy.  Then wrap the bread in a dry cloth to keep the crusts soft.

  

PASA's Western Region Farm Tour

Yesterday was the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Western Region Farm Tour.  There were a bunch of farms open to the public, with a $10 donation per car load of people to support the PASA.   Due to our late start, and long route map, we only made it to two of the farms on the list, but we also visited another farmer that we have become acquaintances with at the farmers market.

The first farm we went to was Wild Rose Farm, a wool farm about an hour west of the city.  It was fun to see the sheep, and I was hoping to learn more about the process of turning wool into yarn.  I got to see the wool at different steps in the process but I still don't know what they do to the wool in each step.

Next we went an hour north to Sonshine Farm in Mercer to visit our acquaintance from the farmers market.  It was really neat to see their farm because they have a lot of variety: chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, doves, bees, rabbits, cows, goats and sheep.  They started off just producing fiber from the special varieties of rabbits and goats, but they produce milk and meat now too.

The drive around this area was beautiful with lots of farms with rolling hills.  The area is also home to a large Amish population.  It was amazing to see the triangular piles of golden hay that were obviously cut and arranged entirely by hand.  We saw lots of horses and buggies and I also saw a man with a "ride on" lawn mower being pulled by a horse.

Our last stop was Burns Angus farm in New Wilmington.  They had free range chickens, sheep that shed, and of course black Angus cows.  They took us on a hay ride of their cow pastures, and it was incredible!  They have almost 400 acres fenced in and available to the cows.  They do rotate them between pastures so they always have plenty of grass but they were certainly never in cramped quarters!  There were no barns, just exceptionally happy cows.  It was really neat to see their property and all the land that the cows had access too, including wooded areas for shade, and streams for fresh water.  It was a really beautiful end to the day.  And I can't wait to taste the beef I bought from them!

Flax Seed Cracker Recipe

Flax Seed Crackers

flax seed 1/4 cup

ground flax seed 1/2 cup

all-purpose flour 2 cups

salt 1/2 tsp

butter, softened 2 tbsp
milk 3/4 cup (more if necessary)

Mix flax seed, ground flax, flour, salt and butter. Stir in milk and mix until mixture just sticks together. Divide the dough into quarters. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Roll out very thin to a rectangle 2 mm (1/16 inch) thick. Alternatively use a pasta maker to flatten dough (I prefer this method). Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with the remainder of the dough. Use pizza cutter to slice into cracker sized pieces (no need to separate pieces- they will break apart after cooking) . Bake about 30 minutes at 325° F until crisp and golden.

Low Temp Quick Pickle Recipe

Low Temperature Quick Pickles 
(no need for canning or weeks fermenting)
adapted from Alton Brown's "In a Pickle" video


In 2qt saucepan combine the following:

1 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup white wine vinegar (although any white vinegar will do)
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pickling spice
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp yellow mustard seed (powdered)
¼ tsp ground turmeric

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Into 1 qt jar, combine thinly sliced cucumbers or pickling cucumber (for more crunch) quartered lengthwise with:

½ medium white onion
4 cloves of garlic, smashed

Store in the fridge for at LEAST one day but three would be better!

First Month Report

A month of local eating has gone by.  Except for weekends, our eating routine has not changed much.  I'm still making meals similar to before we starting eating local, I'm just finding ways to encorporate local food into those recipes.  On weekends we have spent more time preparing food, like making pasta, crackers, bread and cheese.  However, it's very rewarding to make those foods and to know exactly what's in them, and that there are no chemicals or preservatives.  The amount that we spent on food was only a few dollars higher than it would be if we were trying to live on food stamps.  We spent $89 a week, and $5.98 per person per day (for food stamps it's $80.6 per week or $5.75 per person per day).  However, some of this cost will contribute to food that is now frozen and that we will eat come winter, so over a year that cost should go down.  I am concerned that we are not putting enough food away for the winter, especially fruits.  Hopefully in the near future we will start freezing and canning berries, cherries, peaches, and applesauce.

30 Minute Mozzarella

On Friday we made 30 minute mozzarella (recipe available from New England Cheesemaking).  It was really fun to make and it tasted so good!  For dinner we had a caprese salad and pizza.  Mark made the dough, and we layered pesto, tomatoes, homemade mozzarella, green peppers and Italian sausage on top.  All local and completely delicious!

Potato Kohlrabi Salad

Potato Kohlrabi Salad

2 Kohlrabi cut into little pieces

12 medium sized potatoes, peeled and boiled

2 hard boiled eggs, cut into small pieces

Handful of dill (diced)

Handful of parsley (diced)

1 1/2 cups of homemade mayonnaise (see Local Lunch post for the recipe)

Mix and enjoy!

Homemade Mayonnaise

For lunch I made egg salad sandwiches with onions and radishes with homemade mayonnaise on homemade multi-grain bread.  It was my best batch of homemade mayonnaise yet!  Here's the recipe:

Mayonnaise

1 garlic clove

1 whole fresh egg

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp powdered mustard

1 tsp lemon juice

3/4 cup olive oil

Add the garlic, egg, cayenne, mustard  and lemon juice to a cup.  Then slowly layer on the olive oil.  Use a hand blender to quickly mix the ingredients.  (Warning: using raw eggs does come with the risk of salmonella).

Making Cheese

Making soft cheeses is surprisingly easy.  I've found that it's not really cost effective to make it compared to buying it, but it's fun and I really enjoy the satisfaction of eating the cheese I made.  I've had a lot of questions about how cheese is made.  The details are different for different types of cheese, but the basics are the same.  A starter bacteria culture is added to milk which starts to separate the curds and whey.  Some cheese also require the addition of rennet; an enzyme that further separates the curds and whey and makes a harder cheese.  I like to make chevre, which is a soft goat cheese (about the texture of whipped cream cheese).  It only has two ingredients, and it's very simple.

Chevre (soft goat cheese) 

(steps shown below)

Ingredients: 

1 gallon of goat's milk (I've tried cow's milk but the result is a cheese that tastes like sour cream)

1 packet of chevre starter culture (available from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company)

1. Heat the milk to 86 degrees F

2. Stir in chevre starter culture

3. Let sit for 12 hours (or overnight) at a temperature of at least 72 degrees F

4. Ladle curds into a colander lined with butter muslin

5. Allow whey to drain by hanging the butter muslin filled with cheese for 6-12 hours (depending on desired consistency)

The cheese can be kept in the refrigerator for a week or it can be frozen for a long time.  It freezes really well.

Beautiful day in Pittsburgh!

Today was a beautiful toasty day in Pittsburgh.  I had a wonderful time picking raspberries from my neighbor's raspberry bushes this afternoon.  I found it so satisfying to harvest fruit while enjoying its deliciousness on a hot summer day.  While I was picking, my multi-grain bread was rising in the kitchen.  Later I made flax-seed crackers so they could share the oven with the bread.  Finally I started making some chevre cheese with the goat's milk I bought at the farmers market.  It was a bountiful day!

Kohlrabi and Mushroom Pasta

When I get ingredients that I'm not sure what to do with, I like to serve them on pasta.  Here's the kohlrabi pasta recipe I tried:

Vegetarian Kohlrabi and Mushroom Pasta
Servings: 4
Total time required: 25 minutes

1 tbsp. butter (or olive oil)
2 kohlrabi peeled and cut into quartered slices
10 mushrooms sliced
6 small green onions diced
3 garlic scapes cut into little pieces (regular garlic could substitute)
Herbs (I used oregano from the garden)
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup cream
4 servings of pasta
Sprinkling of fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Bring a stockpot of water to boil, then add sliced kohlrabi and cook for a total of 12 minutes (cook pasta in the same pot, so add it in before the 12 minutes is done, so the pasta and kohlrabi will be done at the same time).  While kohlrabi is cooking, saute mushrooms and onions in butter for a few minutes, then add scapes and herbs.  Saute for a few more minutes then add white wine.  When white wine reduces, add cream and simmer.  When pasta and kohlrabi are finished, drain water and add to a large bowl and put sauce on top.  Mix well and sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Local Salad

Here's a salad I made with local lettuce, spinach, raspberries, snap peas, goat cheese (that I made), and non-local walnuts.  

Local Popcorn

This weekend while I was visiting my parents in Buffalo, NY we went to the farmers market and I found local popcorn!  I love homemade popcorn, so I was really excited to find this stuff.  Plus it was only $1 per pound and the kernels are really unusual colors like red and black.  It was super tasty with some melted local Amish butter on top!  If you're still eating microwave popcorn, you're missing out!  I use a Whirley Pop popcorn popper, you can get your own here:

http://www.popcornpopper.com/