Blueberry Rhubarb Tart

I have a bunch of frozen blueberries and rhubarb in the freezer from last spring so I made this dessert with them. The tart crust recipe can be found here:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tart-Shell-105760

For the custard filling I cheated a little and used Bird's custard powder with local milk. For the blueberry rhubarb topping:

2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup water

sugar to taste

Simmer rhubarb, blueberries, water and a few tablespoons of sugar until thickened. Add more sugar if necessary.

Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage

In celebration of St. Patty's day I made some homemade corned beef and vegetables. They turned out fantastic! I followed this receipe to the t, and it was perfect.

I bought the brisket from Horizon View Farms at the Pittsburgh Public Market. I got a rutebega from a farmer's market when I was visiting Philadelphia. The potatoes and carrots came from the Penn's Corner Farm Alliance monthly farm stand. I bought the cabbage and turnips from Clarion River Organics, also at the Pittsburgh Public Market. I highly recommend this dish for next St. Patty's day or anytime you want to get in touch with your Irish side.

Creamy Mushroom Linguini

This is definitely one of the yummiest recipes I've made in a while and one of the least healthy (but it's just so good)!

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil (more if mushrooms look dry)

1 pound crimini mushrooms, cut into slices
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, cut into slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup cream
2 cups romano style cheese (I used a local romano style cheese called Tye from Hidden Hills Dairy)
1 pound fresh linguini (or 1 box)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  In the mean time saute the mushrooms in the butter and olive oil until tender (about 8 minute).  After about 4 minutes add the garlic.  Once mushrooms are tender and garlic is fragrant sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, then slowly add the white wine. While the white wine is cooking start cooking your fresh pasta (start sooner if using dry pasta). Once white wine has reduced a little (about 4 minutes) add the cream.  Drain pasta then return to pot.  Add sauce to pasta in the pot then add 1 1/2 cups cheese and toss until evenly coated.  Top with the extra cheese when serving.

Mark's BBC Soup (Beer, Bacon and Cheddar)

Makes 6 to 8 servings, good for leftovers!

Ingredients (to make a chunkier soup, add ½ cup to all veggie amounts)

1 cup chopped celery or 2 tablespoons celery flakes

1 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon dried thyme

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

3 cups chicken broth

3 cups milk

2 cups cheddar or sharp cheddar cheese shredded

12 ounce beer – lager or ale works nice

3 – 5 potatoes (according to how much you like potato, peeled (if desired), and diced

½ to 1 pound bacon (½ if less desired, 1 if more), chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish if desired

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

            In large saucepot saute bacon, celery, carrots, onions, and thyme until veggies begin to soften and bacon is cooked.  Sprinkle flour over veggies and stir for 2 minutes.  Gradually stir in broth, then milk, then beer.  Add potatoes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Add ½ cup of cheddar at a time while stirring until cheese is melted and smooth.  Once all of the cheese is added, stir in the bacon.  Salt and pepper to taste (hot sauce optional) and parsley to garnish if desired.

Locavore Update

We are about 9 months into our local eating adventure.  We still have plenty of local meat and veggies in the freezer.  In addition we have about 10 onions, 15 squash, 5 heads of garlic, 4 jars of jelly, and lots of relish from the fall.  We were lucky to discover the Penns Corner Farm Stand which has a monthly order of local food year round.  So from them we have access to local apples, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and even lettuce in the winter time.  At the East End Co-op we can buy local milk, eggs, cheese, and yogurt.  We also buy dried goods from them, such as lentils, flour, and beans.

All in all, we are certainly not suffering from lack of food, or even from lack of food choices.  I've also been very impressed with the quality of the food we froze.  I thought that freezing would compromise flavor and that it would taste like the stuff in the supermarket frozen section.  However, it tastes just like it did before I froze it.

I have also been keeping track of our food purchases, including the occasional dinner out with friends.  I also subtracted the days that we spent home for the holidays, during which time our family provided meals.  Since June 3rd we have spent about $5.75 per person per day.  That is less than the amount that SNAP food benefits (food stamps) would provide for 2 adults.  So despite what so many writers have claimed, it seems that it is possible to eat cheaply and sustainably.

Frittata Recipe

Frittatas are a quick, easy and healthy lunch or dinner.

Frittata 

Servings: 3-4

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized squares

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon oil

1 cups of frozen or 2 cups fresh spinach, kale, swiss chard (or any other green veggie)

4-5 eggs, scrambled

In a 10 inch frying pan heat oil and fry potatoes until lightly browned then add onions and saute until translucent.  Next add veggie and saute until wilted or thawed.  Finally add eggs and cover frying pan with a lid.  When the bottom is browed it is done.  If it still appears a little runny on top put it under the broiler for a few minutes.  Put a plate upside down on frying pan and flip over quickly before serving.

Adapting Your New Year's Resolutions

Today one of my friends told me about her New Year's resolutions, and I told her about my "Green Resolutions".  I realized that they can easily be adapted to be one in the same.  Isn't it convenient that ways to help the environment can help you too?!  Here are examples of two common resolutions with ways to also make them eco-friendly below:

To save money:

• Eat seasonally (Food that is in season and local grown tends to be cheaper than food shipped from all over the country)
• Cook (By eating at restaurants less, you'll save lots of money.  By not buying processed foods, you'll also save money)
• Conserve water (Decreases water bill)
• The following require some initial investment, but you'll save money in the long run:
• Replace bulbs with CFL bulbs (Decreases electric bill)
• Gett a programable thermostat (Decreases natural gas bill)
• Improve insulation (Decreases natural gas bill)

To lose weight:

• Bike or walk instead of driving
• Eat local food (Which prevents you from buying highly processed foods or snack foods)
• Eat less meat (Which means eating more veggies and less fat)
• Watch less TV (Which means engaging in more active activities, or at least activities that require your brain so you are less likely to experience food cravings.  But since you'll be eating local food you won't have any Cheetos laying around the house anyway)
• Cook (By cooking your own food you know exactly what's in it, therefore ensuring that you are always eating healthy food)