Sewing Season

Warm(er) weather for me not only means time spent in the garden, but more time at my sewing machine--one of my favorite places in the house.  I put the finishing touches on a summery dress for Vera last night.  I must have cut out this pattern months ago and made my first stitches probably in March.  Needing a change of scenery this past week with some very cold spring weather still whipping away outside, Vera and I went down to the basement and she sat (or wiggled and squirmed, rather) on my lap and watched me sew.  Once I got back to this project I realized how simple it was; finishing up took just an hour or so.  As my husband will tell you, it seems like every craft project I surmount, whether knitting or sewing, I always run into some sort of challenge that temporarily makes me crazy.  Attaching the bias tape then top-stitching the armholes of this dress proved to be the sticky point.  I am not totally satisfied with how the armholes turned out, but it was nothing a little trim couldn't fix.  I've been known to cover--or detract from--a rough spot or mistake with a little rick rack (as you'll recall with this outfit I made for V last year.)  Once again this dress cost me next to nothing--the fabric was from the thrift store, the buttons from the antique flea market, the rick rack from a rummage, and the thread donated by my mom.  I did buy the pattern new, although I got it at a deep discount after watching the local sales fliers for months.  It can be worn by itself or with a top underneath.  I found this purple smocked-waist dress on a recent thrifting trip and have found that it makes a nice sort of petticoat to give the bottom a little fluff.  Vera seemed to approve of the final product this morning as she gave her usual "OO-ooh!"  And immediately glommed onto the shiny purple buttons.

I love this offer from the "vintage" rick rack package--if only every child sewed these days.

If you haven't noticed, the weather has been wild lately.  Those high winds last weekend ripped the floating row cover off my original raised bed a couple of times and the bush beans I snuck into the ground just a hair early suffered some damage.  I have managed to get more seeds in the ground this week.  I attached some wire ("pig-panel") trellises to the fence on Mother's Day weekend and planted pole beans and cucumbers at their bases this week.  Also had to reseed my snap peas which had been swiped out of the ground by the critters.  This time I pre-germinated them and covered them with hardware cloth.  The good news: the radish/turnip bed looks excellent and the umbelliferae bed is really coming along (I was surprised how quickly salsify can germinate.)  I'm hoping to get out this weekend to grab some ramps (wild leeks) from the woods before they're gone.  I am salivating over a recipe for bacon/onion preserves that I think would benefit from the sharper flavor of the ramps.  I'm also hoping to gather lots of dandelions to either make dandelion wine (my namesake great-grandmother used to make this though she herself was a teetotaler) or dandelion jelly (inspired by my friends at Cooking in the Garden Unit).  I guess I'd better get my canning kettle shined up.

In case you're wondering, I'm still strongly adhering to my "special diet."  People often ask me if I'm still avoiding the offending foods.  Although I'm lucky none of them are life-threatening allergies, I am still taking it very seriously because I know I feel so much better without dairy, gluten, soy, and eggs in my system right now.  I will admit that I occasionally get a craving for cheese.  I finally tried my hand at a vegan/gluten-free "mac 'n cheese" recipe.  Child and husband approved, it was a success.

Cashew Mac-n-Cheese
Serves 4-6

This recipe was inspired by The Spunky Coconut, one of the food blogs I follow.  Of course, I had to tweak it a bit based on my ingredients I had on hand.  I used Tinkyada gluten-free spinach spaghetti, which I think has the most amazing texture, but a smaller noodle would make it more like the original.


Pasta:
4 c. Tinkyada pasta
1 T. salt
Boiling water

Sauce:
1 c. plain cashews, soaked overnight to soften
1 c. water
1/2 vegetable broth
2 T. ghee
1 T. nutritional yeast
1/4 t. each dried basil and oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 t. onion powder
2 T. arame (seaweed)
1 t. lemon juice

Tips to steam for soup garnish

Cook the pasta for about 14 min. in highly salted water.  Drain and set aside.  In the meantime, make the sauce by blending all of the ingredients in the food processor until fairly smooth (the bits of cashew that don't blend actually remind me of Parmesan cheese in a noodle dish!)  Pour the sauce over the noodles and serve.

I made some asparagus soup on Monday night as well, but I will wait to give you a recipe as I was not totally pleased with the results and am still experimenting.  But it felt good to have some of the season's local flavors finally on our table.  Speaking of asparagus, the crowns I dug up last year to investigate their health did not, in fact, sprout this year so I'm guessing they're done.  I will have to replant next season and wait another three years for a decent crop.  Such is life on the homestead.  It teaches patience I guess.

The Season's Begun!

"Shagadelic"

The season's officially begun...antique flea market season that is.  The Elkhorn Antique Flea Market kicked off its season today rain or shine.  All the die-hards were out, including a couple girlfriends and me.  So many awesome vintage pieces, so much cool old "stuff."  My list was short and I didn't end up finding the top item, but I did score a cool shag rug for our ever-evolving den/guest area/play area/reading corner/landing in our cozy second floor.  I'm thinking ahead to when V will want to have sleepovers and the girls will need a space to hang out, giggle, tell stories, and watch movies.  I don't plan on purchasing a second television--in fact, I'm determined to go without once our current tube (acquired circa 1999) kicks it--but I figure by that time the kids will know exactly how to hook up our computer to watch a film.  Right now there's a single sleeper-sofa, bookshelf, a big basket of warm blankets, and my recent "floor score."  This new addition is a rust/orange combo, which goes well with the unintentional warm peach, lake blue, and rust tones that seem to have taken over the upstairs.  And it goes well with my favorite part of our house--the rustic painted sub floor in what used to be the attic (you had me at spring green.)

I packed a picnic lunch for the flea market today as a thank you to the other two ladies who drove their vehicles with maximum cargo space for our goods.  I tried a new dessert, inspired by a trip to the Asian market where I saw lots of desserts made with adzuki and mung beans.  I tweaked this slightly from the original recipe and was happy with the results.

Red Bean Jam Granola Bars

Makes 9-12 bars

2 c. rolled oats

2 T. chia seeds

5 T.  sorghum syrup

2 T. coconut oil, melted

pinch of salt

2 T. sesame seeds

1 1/4 c. red bean jam (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8X8 pan with parchment paper. In medium bowl mix together oats, chia seeds, sorghum, coconut oil, and salt. Press 2/3rds of mixture into prepared ban. Let pan sit in fridge to allow base to firm up for 10 minutes. Spread red bean jam in smooth layer on top of base. Add sesame seeds to remaining oat mixture. Evenly distribute oat mixture on top of red bean jam. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in fridge before cutting into bars. 

Homemade Red Bean "Jam"

Makes 1 1/4 c. 

1/2 c. Adzuki Beans, soaked overnight and cooked under very soft. 

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. ground coconut

1/2 t. salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

I've been on a real sunchoke (jerusalem artichoke) kick lately.  I mentioned sunchoke chips in my last post. I ground some of them coarsely and added them to a gluten-free cashew butter cookie that also contained ground cornflakes.  And mid-week I used that same cornflake/sunchoke crumb combo to bread some falafel.

My Favorite Falafel

Serves 4

2 c. dry chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked until tender

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, finely diced

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 t. salt

3 T. freshly chopped parsley

1 1/2 c. cornflake/sunchoke crumbs

1/4 c. canola oil

In a food processor, process the chickpeas, lemon juice, and 1/4 c. water until almost smooth.  Transfer to a large bowl and add shallot/onion, cumin, red pepper flakes, 2/3 of the garlic, 1 t. of the salt, 2 T. of the parsley, and 1/2 c. of the cornflake/sunchoke crumbs and mix well.  Roll into 16 balls (about 2 inches in diameter) and flatten slightly to form patties.  Place the remaining cornflake/sunchoke crumbs in a bowl or dish.  Dip falafel patties in the crumbs, coating evenly. 

Optional dip: In a medium bowl, combine yogurt and pepper with remaining garlic, salt, and parsley.  Mix well.  Cover and set aside. 

Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place 8 of the chickpea patties in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 2 min. per side.  Drain on paper towels.  Add the remaining oil, if necessary, and cook the remaining patties.  Drain. Alternatively, bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 15-20 min. Serve with the yogurt dip, if desired.

Inspiration for Preservation

photo courtesy Food Mayhem

On Sunday I took a short field trip to the new Asian mega-grocery store, Pacific Produce, on south 27th St.  I went alone knowing I would want ample time to browse, explore, and pick up a few odd things on my list as well as some "novelty" items I might find.  What a store!  There was an entire aisle in this former Kohl's supermarket devoted just to noodles--rice, wheat, egg, thick, thin, and instant.  Another whole side of on aisle was all tea--loose, bagged, boxed, in metal tins and fancy jars.  As I strolled the aisles I recognized many items I once knew well in my days cooking at a Japanese restaurant.  Many other items required a bit of exploration as I turned them upside down and right side up trying to find some indication in English of what the package contained.   As I perused the fresh seafood section and saw salmon heads on ice I was again reminded of working with Izumi-san.  One day after dressing some fresh fish (probably flown over from Japan the day before) he presented me with a box of fish heads, fins, and tails.  The whole fish--especially the intestines--is prized and edible in some Oriental cuisines.  Though I held back a cringe as I received this "gift" I knew I could not turn it down--though I tried because I was flying out the following day to meet my parents.  The chef insisted that I tote the plastic box of fish parts with me and simply stow it under my seat in flight.  All I remember is that it made the base (stock) for a lovely fish stew later.  I digress.  One of the interesting items I found at the asian store was gingko nuts.  I had just come across a recipe for wild foraged gingko nut dumplings in Lucid Food, which I mentioned here.  I will try the frozen variety to see if I like them before going out to harvest my own and process these stinky fruits.  I also checked out the frozen treats and got an idea to develop a recipe for a dairy-free red bean ice cream (Japanese cuisine uses adzuki beans as well as making frozen treats from both mung and black beans.)  The biggest inspiration and excitement came from the pickled products lining one whole side of another aisle.  There was everything from pickled gooseberries and mimosa leaves to brined mustard greens, ginger, and daikon.  I can't wait to outline my preserving plans for this season and to clear out the other side of my basement pantry to accommodate my expanded larder.  As you can see, I'm officially excited to start the gardening season.

I've also been working on some homemade self-care products.  There's a lot of dental care going on in our house these days (oh, the drama!) and with that I decided to make some mouthwash to treat my "condition" about which I will spare you the details.  This mouthwash contains essential oils known for killing bacteria.  The flavor takes some getting used to but after a few uses I'm enjoying the "clove-y-ness" of it.  I think it's much better than that stinging blast of artificial mint-y-ness that some store bought products provide.

Homemade Mouthwash

Makes 2 c.

Adapted from Natural Beauty.

2 c. purified water

2 t. vodka

2 drops clove essential oil

2 drops thyme essential oil

Mix the ingredients well and store in a container at room temp.  Use several times per day.  

On a more appetizing note, I prepared a memorable soup yesterday for Monday Soup Night

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Serves 8

Adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook by Cybele Pascal.  I used our home-canned crushed tomatoes and roasted red peppers as well as a fresh yellow pepper and some julienned frozen local red peppers.

Mmm, warm soup

2 medium potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces (skins in tact), cooked in salted water until very soft

4 c. vegetable or chicken stock

1 c. roasted red peppers, sliced

Home-canned Roasted Reds

2 c. red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 large onion, minced

4 T. grapeseed oil

1/2 c. canned tomatoes, chopped

2 T. oat flour or rice flour

1 c. almond or rice milk

1 T. honey

1/2 t. paprika

1/4 t. ground cumin

2 T. dry white wine

salt and pepper

chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Blue corn tortilla chips for garnish (optional)

In a large pot, heat 2 T. of oil and cook the onion until soft, but not browned.  Add chopped peppers, chopped tomatoes, and stock.  Cook until peppers become soft.  In the meantime, puree the potatoes and their cooking liquid in a food processor until smooth; add to pepper pot.  When peppers are soft, turn off heat and puree in batches.  Heat remaining oil in a small skillet and add flour.  Cook for a minute or so to make a roux.  Add milk and cook for a couple of minutes until sauce thickens.  Add to pepper puree.  Combine and turn heat to medium, then stir in honey, paprika, cumin, wine, salt and pepper.  Cook and simmer about 20 min., stirring occasionally.  Serve with suggested garnishes, if desired.

Speaking of hot soup, today was the perfect cold rainy day to go out and puddle jump then warm up with some hearty food afterwards (we chose hot cocoa and homemade cookies).  The last bit of cabin fever is lingering and today we did not hesitate to get outside to fight it.  Even Mommy stepped into her rain boots; Vera and I had a great time running and splashing in the puddles along our cobblestone alley.  She was pretty soaked after it all, but the fun was worth a fresh change of clothes.  

Last but certainly not least, at a conference a few weeks ago I met a young rural homesteader from Viroqua who is involved with the Driftless Folk School.  Their calendar of classes is now online; I hope to get over to that neck of the woods one of these summers to learn some new skills.  Check it out!

Uprising and Upcycling

(I'm joining some of my fellow craft bloggers in getting a bit political these days...)

Wisconsin State Capitol
Photo courtesy of Colorlines.com

Wednesday evening Vera attended her first political rally--we can't compete with Daddy Ben who was at his first rally in utero, but we're still showing her how to exercise her first amendment rights from an early age.  We joined others in our neighborhood as they chanted an held up signs at a busy intersection to show support for unions in this time of conflict and uncertainty in our state.  To be honest, I think this was my first rally as well.  There was great energy among the demonstrators; I'll definitely do this again.

This recent uprising has got me thinking even more about what will happen if the economy gets worse.  We're already seeing fuel prices increase and there's word that food prices will spike again by the fall.  Certainly, our American way of life will not get any cheaper.  As we've discussed at our monthly Transition Milwaukee hub meetings, when the peak oil crisis really hits (though it's already begun) those of us who have chosen to reskill, use alternative energy and transportation, grow our own food, etc. will have a fighting chance.  I believe we will need to create alternative micro-economies that will require bartering, trading, an alternative currency, and working together with our neighbors to meet basic needs.  There won't be a place for the rampant consumption and waste of our current culture.

This week's ponderings coincided with the arrival of an intriguing article from my sister-in-law about a family in California who produces next to nothing in terms of garbage on a weekly basis.  I was inspired by their dedication to living lightly especially when it comes to food packaging, a perpetual conundrum I face at the grocery store--buy the organic cream cheese in a plastic container, which cannot be recycled by our municipality's current system or spend a little more on a block of organic Neufchatel that comes in recyclable paperboard, though it still has that non-recyclable interior silver wrapper.  The best thing to do would be to make my own cream cheese with no packaging at all.  In fact, this is what prompted me to start making homemade almond milk.  I couldn't deal with all the non-recylable Tetra-pak containers that would quickly pile up in our garbage.  We have a long way to go in eradicating excess packaging in our house, but home food preservation has helped with that a great deal.  My next step in bettering this is to call the city and have them take away one of the two garbage bins from our garage apron.  We never have more than one bag at a time.  Since we created our household chore list last fall, I've been taking out the garbage weekly.  After reading this zero-waste article I realized that as long as there's nothing stinky in the trash I really don't need to take it out but every three weeks or so.  It's hardly ever full so I'm really just wasting a bag in frequently pitching it.  We keep our potentially smelly scraps from meat, cheese, etc. in the "nasty bag" in the freezer until we're ready to empty the waste.  Otherwise we compost, recycle, or reuse/upcycle most of our by-products.  To continue on the less-waste road, I have plans to make some cloth bread bags that I can take to a local bakery to get bread (when I don't have time to bake it at home) and I'm also tackling some odds and ends of non-recyclables I've been saving for craft projects.  There is a fine line between being a pack-rat or hoarder and saving bits and pieces for upcycling.  Here are a few of my ideas.  Stay tuned for the final products, though it may take me a year to get around to all of them (do I feel a blog challenge coming on?)

NOW: Bread bag clips
LATER: "Beads" for a bracelet?

NOW:  Beer tabs
LATER:  A chain mail clutch?

NOW:  Metal Spools:
LATER:  TBD

NOW: Matchboxes
LATER: Tiny gift boxes?

NOW:  Dryer lint
LATER: Homemade paper or papier mache?

NOW: Denim
LATER: Pot holders?

NOW: Caps
LATER: ABC magnets

NOW: Canning dome lids
LATER: Memory game?

NOW:  Zip tops
LATER: Snack Bag Closures?

NOW: Mesh bags
LATER: Homemade Scrubbie or
Ballerina Finger Puppets

NOW: Pull tabs from juice, etc.
LATER:  Embellished kids' rings

Add some do-dads and make a fun ring

In keeping with the idea of using the resources at hand before driving to the store to buy something new or ordering online, I've decided not to order any new vegetable seeds this year.  I will use what I have and trade with friends and neighbors at an upcoming seed swap.  The only order I'm placing is for a new pair of Arctic Beauty kiwis.  Let's just say that one of mine did not "survive" last season, but I don't know if it's the male or female so I have to order both.

I'll leave you with another recipe.  I'm still in the mode of using what I have in the pantry and freezer.

Thai Rice Noodle Salad
Serves 4

I'm really digging into the freezer these days to use what we put up last fall.  There are lots of veggies to be had.  We love one-dish meals like this one.  You can wrap your hands around the bowl on a cold night and even eat with chopsticks if you like.


3 c. (8 oz.) gluten-free fine rice noodles (vermicelli or cellophane)
1 T. coconut oil
8 scallions or small leeks (white and light green part only), thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper (I used frozen julienned peppers), sliced
4-6 oz. frozen snow peas
1/2 c. toasted peanuts
1/4 small head green cabbage, thinly shredded
Chopped cilantro (optional), torn
Mixed baby greens (available from a local source at Outpost Natural Foods)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

1/4 c. sesame oil
1 dried chili pepper, snipped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t. ground ginger
1 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. gluten-free nam pla (fish sauce)
1 t. honey

Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 4 min. or until soft.  Drain and rinse; pat dry.  Meanwhile, make the dressing.  Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well.  Heat a large skillet over high heat and add coconut oil.  Saute scallions/leeks, peppers about 2 min.  Add peas and toss.  Turn off heat.  Add noodles and dressing, toss to coat.  Remove to a large bowl and toss cilantro, peanuts, cabbage, and mixed baby greens.  Serve at room temperature.

Local Food in the Depths of Winter

It's the time of the year when I clean out the fridge and find local root vegetables that are slightly shriveled as they are drying out; I need to use them before I lose them.  The homegrown carrots that I
"cold stored" in our unheated front vestibule have done alright.  I learned from some farmer friends that besides the temperature, I needed to control (or at least try to add) moisture in the environment or these roots would dry out.  I kept a damp flour sack towel over the baskets of carrots, parsnips, turnips, and kohlrabi until I finally had room to transfer them to our fridge just a couple of weeks ago.  I actually needed to put them in the fridge at this point for thermal mass as I continue my quest to primarily use what I have on hand; the fridge stock dwindles.  Though I had to compost a couple handfuls of carrots, I was happy with my first attempt to extend their shelf life without refrigeration.  I've also been chipping away at the stock of pumpkins, winter squash, potatoes, onions, and garlic we have cold-stored on a breathable rack in our basement.  Occasionally I have to toss a potato or a small squash into the compost, but overall they've kept well.  This winter we've been eating a lot of beans--it seems almost every day I have something soaking on the kitchen counter whether it's almonds for homemade milk or a variety of dried beans.  Monday has informally become soup night at our house.  Now I have two nights--Friday homemade pizza night and Monday soup night--that I at least have an idea about when I plan my weekly menus.  It's also good to start the week with a big pot of soup because it makes great leftovers to pack for lunches and enjoy on busy weeknights.

Root Vegetable and Bean Soup
Serves 4-6

1 c. dried beans (I used mung, homegrown rattlesnake, and coba beans)
1/4 c. dried tomatoes
2 c. water
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 T. coconut oil
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small celeriac (celery root), peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground turmeric
1 t. curry powder
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. ground coriander
3 c. vegetable stock
1 c. coconut milk
2 T. lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish, optional

Soak beans and dried tomatoes overnight.  Cook until soft, do not drain.  In a large pot, saute onion in oil  until soft, about 5 min.  Add rutabaga, celery, celeriac, and continue to cook for another 4-5 min.  Add garlic and saute another min.  Combine spices in a small bowl and add to vegetable mixture.  Add beans, water, and vegetable stock.  Simmer for 15-20 min. or until vegetables are tender.  Add coconut milk, lime juice and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

The winter for us also means comfort food and what could be more comforting than Chicken Pot Pie?  This is an adapted version to fit my bill.  You could use the filling with a wheat flour crust as well or just eat it over homemade biscuits.

Chicken Pot Pie
Serves 4-6

I prepared this in a muffin tin and without a bottom crust thinking it would be easy to scoop each portion onto a plate.  Next time I will use ramekins or some kind of individual, oven-proof bowls so there is no need to transfer before serving.  The presentation would be much cleaner.

3 T. sunflower oil
1 c. chopped onion or leek
3/4 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. peeled, diced carrots
1 c. cooked, diced potatoes (leave the skins on for more nutrition)
1 c. chopped, packed greens (I used collards)
2 c. chopped chicken (used chicken thighs, cooked them w/ veg. trimmings to make my chicken stock)
3 T. gluten-free flour
1 c. chicken stock
1/3 c. almond milk
1 t. dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 gluten-free 9-inch pie crust (your choice if you use 1 or 2 crusts depending on presentation)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add onions, celery, cook until softened but not browned.  Add peas, carrots, potatoes, and greens and saute for 5 min.  Add chicken and stir until warmed throughout.  Sprinkle flour on mixture and stir thoroughly.  Add stock and stir until thickened slightly. Add milk and remaining ingredients, heat and stir until thickened.  Spoon mixture into pie crust (if using bottom crust).  Place crust on top and seal edges (if using bottom crust).  Bake for 30-40 min. or until pie crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Standard gluten-free pie crust
Makes a single crust

Adapted from Flying Apron's Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking Book.


1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
1/4 t. sea salt
1/2 c. plus 3 T. coconut oil
1-2 T. cold water

In a food processor, combine flour and salt.  Add coconut oil and pulse until it forms small pea-sized crumbs.  Add water and process until dough comes together.  (You don't have to chill this dough before using.)

And let us not forget winter desserts.  I've been excitedly developing a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free cheesecake in my head.  It's easy to create a creamy vegan cheesecake using tofu, but since that's not on my menu these days I had to look further.  I originally thought I'd end up using coconut milk and gelatin, but found a recipe that uses neither.  I just enjoyed the first slice and I must say it hit the spot and satisfied my craving.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-free)
Serves 12-16

Adapted from a recipe I found at Go Dairy Free.  The filling could easily be used for pumpkin pie as well.  


Crust:
1 c. sorghum flour
1/2 c. potato starch (or arrowroot)
1/2 c. finely ground pecans
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. coconut oil (room temp.)
5 T. water
1 T. maple syrup

Filling:
1/2 c. millet
2 c. water
1 c. cooked, pureed pie pumpkin (halve, remove seeds, roast at 400 degrees for 30 min., scoop, puree)
1/2 c. raw cashews
1/2 c. maple syrup or honey (I recommend doing 1/2 and 1/2)
1 T. fresh sumac concentrate (or lemon juice)
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg

To cook the millet, rinse in a fine mesh strainer under running water for 1 min.  Place millet and 2 c. water in a small pot, cover, bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low and cook about 20 min. (or until water is absorbed).  Remove from heat.

For crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease spring-form pan or tart pan with removable bottom.  In a food processor combine flour, potato starch, pecans, cinnamon, and salt.  Add coconut oil and pulse until crumbs form.  Add water and maple syrup.  Form dough into a ball then press evenly into bottom of spring-form pan.  Bake about 15 min.  Let cool completely.

For filling, place pumpkin, cashews, maple syrup/honey, sumac/lemon juice and spices into high-powered blender (I use a vintage Vita-Mix.)  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Add cooked millet and blend again, adding a little water, if needed, scraping down the sides as needed.  Blend until very smooth.  Pour filling into cooled crust, spread around as needed.  Let cheesecake sit at room temp. for an hour then transfer to fridge until completely set, about 3 hours or overnight.  Remove from spring-form or 2-piece tart pan onto a serving plate.  Serve with homemade fruit preserves.

On cold, snowy winter days we cook cook cook.  I'm still also knitting knitting knitting.  I'm currently working ahead on two bonnets that will be gifts for a friend and neighbor who is expecting twin girls in the spring.  I'm trying to use up my stash of random yarn--I have a lot of single skeins that are perfect for quick and easy projects such as this.  The pattern is from my friend Beth at At the End of This Row.  Vera's been trying it on for me as I go along; I may just have to knit one for her after these are complete.

photo courtesy of Powell's Books

I've also been reading more than usual and digging around at the library as I love to do.  I came across a beautiful cookbook, Lucid Food--Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life by Louisa Shafia, that I can relate to incredibly well.  Aside from tips on composting and buying local, she describes her waste-not lifestyle and wild foraging forays, both of which sounded very familiar.  I am constantly striving for low-impact in our kitchen and this book was a reminder of why we choose to live as we do and an inspiration to continue.  And by the way, I usually don't "read" cookbooks, but this one really grabbed me.


Last night was the final class of my beekeeping course.  Now I have to complete my take-home test, mail it in to get my certificate, and attend some weekend beekeeping demonstrations and symposia once the weather warms up.  As I mentioned, I will not be keeping our own hive this year, but I have had a couple of offers to observe and help with inspections at some friends' hives.  We're all feeling a bit overwhelmed and still trying to digest what we've learned in this three-day course.  I believe it's one of those things I'll finally grasp when I actually start doing it.  Though the first season might be a bit haphazard, I usually learn best by trying things for myself.  Now I just need to get Vera on the fast track for reading and writing so she can assist me in taking notes next year when I've doing high-noon hive inspections.  Ha!        












   

The Big Game

Gluten-free focaccia with Celtic and Hawaiian sea salts

We said we weren't going to entertain for a while.  But who can resist hosting a Superbowl Party, especially when our home team is battling it out for the NFL title?  Truth be told, I've never been a professional football enthusiast.  Frankly, I never got my head around how the game works, despite my junior high gym teacher's best efforts to spend a whole quarter giving us pages of notes and details about the sport and actually letting us head out to the field with flagged belts.  (I think she just really wanted the girls to gain some knowledge of the sport at that point.)  American football for me is like Euchre--I've tried a million times to learn, but I just can't fully grasp it, though I do understand a few rules and plays, unlike with the card game.  But I love football season, if only for the food aspect of it.  There have been many Superbowl parties where I stuffed myself beyond walking capabilities, including once as a child when I gorged myself on cocktail weenies until I got sick (to this day, I can't stomach one.)  My favorite Superbowl food memories are of parties at the house of a chef with whom I once worked.  We'd all hang out to watch the game then somehow pull ourselves away mid-game for a sit-down multi-course meal at which it wasn't unheard of to be served an entree of Veal Osso Buco and finish dessert with French-pressed coffee.  These days the football parties feature more casual fare like chili, chips, and dips, but I still like to add a gourmet twist to the offerings.  We're keeping it fairly quiet tomorrow evening with just a couple friends and their kids, but will feast just as well.

Artichoke Pate with Homemade Gluten-Free Herb Crackers

Homemade Pickle Platter

Chips and Salsa

Raw Veggies

Bison Chili with Beans

Homemade Gluten-Free Sea Salt Focaccia

Green and White Vegetable Lasagna

Gluten-Free Apricot Date Coconut Bars

vintage pattern

T-shirt bag

This week has allowed me a little more time to be crafty.  I whipped up a quick pair of yellow pants for Vera to wear with a green striped shirt for the game Sunday.  I also got in a summer mood and made a pair of tailored shorts for Vera from a vintage pattern I found at the flea market last year.  And every now and I then I find time to chip away at my mending pile.  I zipped over some holey seams, patched others, and turned an old T-shirt into a grocery tote.  The shirt was a memento from my chef internship at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute so I didn't want to just toss it, though it was definitely on its way to the rag pile, in fact I may have rescued it from the bottom of the pile.  Here is a tutorial of how to upcycle T-shirts into bags much fancier than mine.

And once we finally finished all the leftover soups after my cooking class last week, I was back to cooking a new meal almost every night this week.  Tuesday brought us pasta with a slowly-cooked sauce.  Anything "Bolognese" reminds me of my week in Bologna, Italy and the surrounding region.  Ahhh!

White Bean and Country Italian Sausage Bolognese

Makes enough to serve with 1 lb. pasta

For a vegetarian version, sub. winter squash in place of sausage.

Sauteeing the blended mirepoix

1 small onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

handful fresh Italian parsley

2 T. olive oil

1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage (chicken, pork, turkey are all fine)

1 1/2 t. dried oregano

1 c. white beans (soaked overnight then cooked until very tender)

1 qt. tomato puree

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

1 t. xylitol (or sugar)

Mmm, a warm, hearty sauce.

1 c. vegetable, chicken, or beef stock

salt and pepper, to taste

In a food processor, chopped onion, carrot, celery, and parsley until fairly fine.  Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium stockpot and add the chopped mixture.  Cook about 5 min.  Add oregano and sausage and cook another 5 min., stirring occasionally, until meat begins to brown.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered over low heat for 30-40 min., stirring occasionally or until sauce reduces to desired thickness.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and serve with gluten-free noodles or any other pasta of your choice.

I've been trying to use my resources this week and see how long I can go without a major grocery store trip; I feel like we have so much food in this house we should be ashamed of ourselves.  I'm thinking of it as a mid-season freezer and fridge inventory/clean out.  So instead of buying cereal, which I rarely eat anyway, I pulled out the econo-size bag of organic oats stored in the basement pantry and made granola.

Carrot-Raisin-Ginger Granola

Makes about 1 qt.

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. xylitol

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. dehydrated carrots (like Just Organic carrot bits)

1/4 t. vanilla extract

1 T. ground cinnamon

2 t. ground ginger

4 c. rolled oats

1 c. dark raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine oil, sugar, xylitol, water, and carrot bits in a large stockpot on the stovetop.  Heat until sugar is dissolved.  Add vanilla extract and spices. Then stir in oats and mix until coated.  Pour onto a sheet trained lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.  Bake for a total or 20 min., tossing every 5 min.  Remove from oven and add raisins and toss to combine.  Let cool and store in a glass jar or other storage container.