Yum...Fresh Foods Success.

So here's how I used the foods you saw in the previous entry: I sauteed the kale with a bit of onion and frozen sweet pepper from last year's garden. At the last moment, I added some Fresh Sprouts shiitake mushrooms, cut in skinny ribbons. I added some slices of boiled (but firm) sweet potatoes, then seasoned with salt and pepper. I had a few sweet potatoes on the side as well. Just because they're pretty.

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I quick-sauteed some chip steak in olive oil. I used an herb mixture intended for dipping oil to season the meat; you could use something like that, or just salt and pepper. Use what you like. Keep the meat medium rare or it will get tough. Wrap the vegetable mixture in the chip steak. Add a sliver of Pure Sprouts organic cheddar cheese. Heaven.

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The side salad is a mixture of homegrown lettuce, raab, par-cel and (yes...you can swoon now), BASIL. Basil is a gift from the gods. Basil is heavenly. I love fresh basil. I added my sprout mixture and a few slices of radish as a garnish, dressed it with balsamic vinegar, and we were good to go. Oh, and I added the rest of the fabulous fresh shiitake to the top. Very, very good stuff. Add a few years to your life-good.

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Each time I use a freshly harvested vegetable for a meal, I find myself so grateful for the energy it gives me. I say my own sort of "grace"; thanks for the gift of life, the gift of energy, the miracle of growth and assimilation. And I feel better for the appreciation. Savoring your food, your world, makes it that much better. Life's good; we're blessed.

Self-Portrait with Yams

I took this picture, thinking it would be the "before" to my post-cooking "after", but when I viewed it, it occurred to me that it's a nearly perfect self portrait right now. If you look at the items in the picture, it tells a good story. The first thing you see of course, is the Model Magic bin full of lettuce. I'm an art teacher; I was a consultant for Crayola for several years, and I NEVER throw away things that might be useful. That lettuce pot is actually two nested Model Magic containers (thoroughly washed), with holes punched in the inner one, creating a mini-reservoir for the plants. I have several more growing in the sunroom upstairs, though less developed.

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The vegetables in the middle are a combination of home-grown broccoli raab, basil and par-cel, with Pure Sprouts kale and sweet potatoes. I know I called them yams. "Self Portrait with Sweet Potatoes" just sounds silly. The strainer to the left holds a pile of sprouts: mung beans, alfalfa and radish. Sprouts are the easiest thing ever to do on your own. I've been "sprouting" since the 70's. If anyone is interested, I'll do a tutorial. Let me know.

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Do you see that little green bowl to the right? That's the remains of my woods walk the other day. In it are chickweed, wild garlic, turkey-tail fungus and some pretty green that I found under the snow (and I need to identify). I saw a herd of deer that evening, right near me. Their fluffy tails were the only hint I had of them running away, as they were absolutely silent. It was breathtaking.

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If the goats are kidding, the deer should be too. They're so closely related. A friend once said (during hunting season) "If I was a deer right now, I'd find a herd of goats and try to fit in." Absolutely. Deer are like the ballerinas of the goat world. Graceful, light, high-jumping; otherwise, pretty similar. But I digress.

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Back to the self-portrait...you can see the objects around the vegetables; Mexican canisters from a yard sale in Easton, goat chachkas, retro measuring cups and linens, herbs, oil, funnels, knives; the paper towel dispenser is empty (I'm trying to wean us of that habit; I made a pile of towels and napkins from scraps of cloth). I got the gas range for $40 from Craig's List. I think that covers it.

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It's not all I am, but it's a big part of me now. The farm and its animals, organic food, a history in art and a sensitivity for cultural heritage; culinary and medicinal herbs and a locavore sensibility. The funnels are used for making cheese and making soup; the soup goes to The Caring Place, a wonderful local support center for inner city kids. I do these things every week. It's interesting to me; there's a dance between the cycle of the seasons and the cycle of our daily lives. It's synchronized; things revolve around each other, but not necessarily in sympathetic time. As I get older,I can see the pattern of these things, and it's beautiful to me. Now...I need to make dinner! If it turns out well, I'll post that "after" picture.

Welcome Spring! Welcome New Kids!

Whether or not the calendar confirms it, spring has arrived at the farm! Our first kid was born today. She was immediately named Oreo by an enthusiastic young helper (pictured below). What a joy a new baby is! It's such a miracle; the birth, the instinctive bonding of the mother to the child, the strength and agility of the infant so soon after it's born. I never tire of the magic of a newly born creature. How beautiful new life is! As beautiful as this baby is, she comes with some sorrow as well. She is the only surviving kid of triplets. When the folks at the farm found her, her two earlier siblings had already passed. She was the last to be born, and with a little encouragement, got right up and nursed. She's a triple miracle.

Momma needs to teach her that lunch comes from the other end. But she has the right idea.

Candy Cow

Pretty Ms. Candace has joined the Flint Hill herd. She's a knock-out. Pretty girl.

And humble, too. Despite the bling.

Welcome to your new home, Candy-girl!

A Road Less Traveled (by Me)

I had an unexpected hour to myself this afternoon. On the way to my daughter's place where I pick up my grandsons every Monday afternoon, I took a short detour. It was a beautiful, early spring day. I wanted the sun. I enjoy taking a new road, finding a new place. It's a mini-adventure.

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On one single road, I found a winery (Cherry Valley), an apiary, a wonderful twin-lake stable complete with swans, and a trout hatchery. A trout hatchery. Isn't that "farmed fish"? As in antibiotics, overcrowding, etc.?

They sure looked like happy fish to me. Pretty fish.

HUNGRY fish! The owner didn't mind me snooping around. He said his family had been there for 56 years. Up the road, the twin lakes are still mostly frozen...

Though the swans have found a bit of thawed space. They were feeding on something tasty underneath the surface. I was reminded that swans mate for life. These two have a private piece of heaven.

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So...back to the farmed fish. Do you suppose the fish farmer eats his own fish? Do you think he sells them to his friends? I should have asked him all the things on my mind as I was snapping pictures, but all I could think of was how much my grandsons would enjoy seeing the fish up close. Inquiring minds, you know. Perhaps I need to ask a few more questions before I take them, so I'll have a few more answers.

After all, these guys are the future.

It's Coming!

Like a sweet secret; like a whisper in your ear, the first stirrings of spring are pushing toward the sun.Mint gathers her energy for a first flush, bringing green life to brown, brittle bones.

Primrose and sweet woodruff hide beneath the leaves. Blossoms will follow for decades if you let them. Crocuses sing out loud with childhood songs. Be happy! Spring is coming!

And daffodils proclaim victory over the wind and snow. We hope. We plan. Another growing season is coming.

Good Cookin'

I have to say that my leftovers are looking better since I started buying organic vegetables at Pure Sprouts. There are a few things that contribute to the change: I don't want to waste such good food, I know it's nutritious, so I'm not adding unhealthy ingredients, and I'm thinking more and more about the quality of food I eat these days. Having arrived at a point in my life when I burn less than ever before, even when I'm working hard, I feel strongly about monitoring the quality of the food I choose, rather than the quantity.

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Here's a quick pan of greens and beans I threw together because I had some wilting kale in the crisper. I sauteed the sweet onion and garlic first, then added the chopped kale. I sauteed it all until it was just tender, then added a can of kidney beans. I heated it through, then seasoned with red pepper flakes, black pepper and kosher salt. I dug in the crisper a little more and found a few sun-chokes, which I sliced and just barely cooked, like water chestnuts (for the crunch). I have to tell you...this was the best "slap it together leftover stew" I've ever made.

We're already harvesting micro greens from the started seeds upstairs. What I have below is a bunch of mixed greens including broccoli raab, mixed lettuces and par-cel. As I thin the starts, we eat it. Yum! There's nothing quite so good and tender as the first fresh greens of the season.

I just had to add this last picture, though the sweet potatoes aren't organic; they're from a bag-lot from Elias that I got a few days ago. The potatoes needed trimming before I pre-cooked them for the freezer. Looks like they were happy to be here. And I "yam" happy to have them.