Although there are many reasons why I began growing and preserving so much of our food, security was not one of them. I came into this arena primarily for health reasons. Yet early on, my friend Jeannie would come to our house during growing season and declare that if there were a crisis in the world, she knew where to come to be well-fed.
I’m thinking about this aspect of what we do more as I prepare to speak on a panel at the Bluegrass Food Security Summit, March 18 and 19. I’ll be serving on a panel that is considering the intersection of faith and food. One friend told me last week that those two things aren’t items she had every connected before. For me, however, they’ve been integrally intertwined since my childhood. I believe that a bit of God lives in each of us so it’s my responsibility to take care of this “home” for God. I also believe that I am called to be a servant, to imitate Jesus in the love he showed for his fellow humans. I have but one body with which to carry out that mission, so taking care of it is of major importance.
Faith and food, however, come together in more aspects than only how the food nourishes our individual bodies. Thinking of this intersection brings to mind community, care for creation, the needs of our brothers and sisters around the world. I’ll be exploring some of those aspects as I prepare for the conference. If you’re in central Kentucky, I encourage you to check out the summit and join this conversation about our food and our future.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
West African Sweet Potato Stew
One of the things I love about having a kitchen filled with last year’s vegetables is that I have the ingredients I need for many dishes without a trip to the grocery store. That was the case yesterday when I tried a recipe a customer of my husband’s sent home with him. While he was working on renovations in her home she was cooking soup and making a copy of the recipe for me. It turns out to be a good one.
Kathleen sent over a recipe for West African Sweet Potato Stew. I can always use another way to utilize those nutritious sweet potatoes, so I immediately scanned the ingredient list and was surprised at the variety of vegetables it uses – cabbage, green beans, tomatoes, tomato juice and onions. I had everything I needed from our garden except the onions. I slightly adapted the recipe to use fresh sweet potatoes instead of canned, so I had to cook it a little longer to be sure they were soft all the way through.
Add to that a little ginger and red pepper flakes plus half-a-cup of peanut butter and you have a rich, vitamin-packed stew. I ate it as a soup yesterday but I have a feeling that after that red pepper has had time in the refrigerator to further infuse throughout the soup, I might need to eat it over rice to cut the spice. It will definitely warm me up on another gray winter day.
Kathleen sent over a recipe for West African Sweet Potato Stew. I can always use another way to utilize those nutritious sweet potatoes, so I immediately scanned the ingredient list and was surprised at the variety of vegetables it uses – cabbage, green beans, tomatoes, tomato juice and onions. I had everything I needed from our garden except the onions. I slightly adapted the recipe to use fresh sweet potatoes instead of canned, so I had to cook it a little longer to be sure they were soft all the way through.
Add to that a little ginger and red pepper flakes plus half-a-cup of peanut butter and you have a rich, vitamin-packed stew. I ate it as a soup yesterday but I have a feeling that after that red pepper has had time in the refrigerator to further infuse throughout the soup, I might need to eat it over rice to cut the spice. It will definitely warm me up on another gray winter day.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
When the recipe fails
We’ve all had the experience. On paper, a recipe looks good. It uses an appealing variety of ingredients and perhaps it comes from someone whose recipes we admire. When we begin to cook, it even smells good. But in our hands, it doesn’t turn out like anything we would want to serve to company.
That happened to me this week when I tried a new recipe for tuna casserole. It included broccoli and peas so I could use some of my frozen garden produce. It also used a semi-homemade broth instead of the high fat, high sodium canned cream soup. So I gave it a try. The result was bland and somewhat dry. Jim slathered ketchup on his and said that made it good.
So what do we do (other than the ketchup trick) when we try a recipe that uses ingredients we want to eat but doesn’t please the palate? Of course you can totally ditch it and never wander down that path again. Or you can consider ways to add more flavor to the recipe. Here are some things I like to try.
1) Add garlic. Jim and I love its flavor. In just about any recipe that calls for sautéed onions, I throw in a little garlic for more flavor and nutrition.
2) Experiment with herbs. If you have fresh herbs, it’s especially fun because you can smell and taste them before throwing them in. Remember that dried herbs are stronger than fresh, so you need smaller quantities. Keep track of which herbs you and your family most like and which foods they combine with especially well.
3) Add cheese. How can you go wrong with cheese? Again, know the taste before you throw it in. Although cheddar is commonly used in many recipes, it is higher in saturated fat that many. If you choose it, use it sparingly. Try an aged cheese with more flavor and you’ll need less, like parmesan or gruyere. Some cheese, like feta, add a salty bite. Others, like cream cheese or mascarpone, add a creamy texture. Cheese offers many options.
4) Add sun-dried tomatoes. They provide an unexpectedly sweet and tangy flavor.
5) Substitute other vegetables. In the tuna casserole example, I’ll likely try replacing some of the broccoli with our home-canned carrots.
6) Top the dish with toasted seeds, nuts or both. This works especially well on vegetable and rice or pasta dishes and, again, expands the nutritional benefits.
We still have plenty of tuna casserole in the refrigerator waiting for more experimentation.
That happened to me this week when I tried a new recipe for tuna casserole. It included broccoli and peas so I could use some of my frozen garden produce. It also used a semi-homemade broth instead of the high fat, high sodium canned cream soup. So I gave it a try. The result was bland and somewhat dry. Jim slathered ketchup on his and said that made it good.
So what do we do (other than the ketchup trick) when we try a recipe that uses ingredients we want to eat but doesn’t please the palate? Of course you can totally ditch it and never wander down that path again. Or you can consider ways to add more flavor to the recipe. Here are some things I like to try.
1) Add garlic. Jim and I love its flavor. In just about any recipe that calls for sautéed onions, I throw in a little garlic for more flavor and nutrition.
2) Experiment with herbs. If you have fresh herbs, it’s especially fun because you can smell and taste them before throwing them in. Remember that dried herbs are stronger than fresh, so you need smaller quantities. Keep track of which herbs you and your family most like and which foods they combine with especially well.
3) Add cheese. How can you go wrong with cheese? Again, know the taste before you throw it in. Although cheddar is commonly used in many recipes, it is higher in saturated fat that many. If you choose it, use it sparingly. Try an aged cheese with more flavor and you’ll need less, like parmesan or gruyere. Some cheese, like feta, add a salty bite. Others, like cream cheese or mascarpone, add a creamy texture. Cheese offers many options.
4) Add sun-dried tomatoes. They provide an unexpectedly sweet and tangy flavor.
5) Substitute other vegetables. In the tuna casserole example, I’ll likely try replacing some of the broccoli with our home-canned carrots.
6) Top the dish with toasted seeds, nuts or both. This works especially well on vegetable and rice or pasta dishes and, again, expands the nutritional benefits.
We still have plenty of tuna casserole in the refrigerator waiting for more experimentation.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Spring will actually arrive!
We had beautiful spring-like weather here yesterday. I think it hit 64 degrees. Even though it’s too early and wet to do anything in the garden, I wandered around the yard picking up limbs and sticks. Then I gathered up dried leaves to mulch the daffodils that have broken through the soil. They don’t know it’s going to get cold again this week!
I also found the first flowers of spring – snowbells (see photo). The plant is the height of my index finger. A friend gave me some of her snowbells a few years ago to plant in my flower garden and they are a delightful sign that winter is ending. Unfortunately, I’ve pulled some of them up during my weeding frenzy of warmer days (they look like long grass when not blooming) but there are a few, including these in my Marian garden, that survived. Now I need to mark them so I don’t pull them up, also!
The sun also inspired me to plant my first seeds for my “indoor greenhouse,” which is the window in my office. Every year I like to try something new so this year it’s leeks, which need to sprout and grow inside for several weeks before they are ready for transplanting. It was so nice to see dirt under my fingernails.
Before I knew it was going to be so warm, I made a pot of butternut squash chili with one of final two squashes from last season. I love the recipe not only because it tastes so good, but I can also use our canned tomatoes in it. So we have a good pot of soup to carry us into this week.
I also found the first flowers of spring – snowbells (see photo). The plant is the height of my index finger. A friend gave me some of her snowbells a few years ago to plant in my flower garden and they are a delightful sign that winter is ending. Unfortunately, I’ve pulled some of them up during my weeding frenzy of warmer days (they look like long grass when not blooming) but there are a few, including these in my Marian garden, that survived. Now I need to mark them so I don’t pull them up, also!
The sun also inspired me to plant my first seeds for my “indoor greenhouse,” which is the window in my office. Every year I like to try something new so this year it’s leeks, which need to sprout and grow inside for several weeks before they are ready for transplanting. It was so nice to see dirt under my fingernails.
Before I knew it was going to be so warm, I made a pot of butternut squash chili with one of final two squashes from last season. I love the recipe not only because it tastes so good, but I can also use our canned tomatoes in it. So we have a good pot of soup to carry us into this week.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Preservations Lessons Round #3: Coleslaw
I grew up eating creamy coleslaw. But like with many tastes, as an adult I find that I also like slaw made with a vinegar dressing.
A couple of summers ago when we had more cabbage than we could eat straight out of the garden, Mom gave me a winter slaw recipe. When I pulled out some of the frozen results to serve at a writing retreat a few months ago, one of the other writers rejoiced. She said it was just what she had grown up with in southern Indiana. I, also, grew up in southern Indiana, so I’ve decided this must be titled Hoosier Winter Slaw.
Like with most foods I prepare, I substitute freely. For example, I don’t know that I’ve ever had red peppers on hand to use, but I have added cucumbers instead. Yes, it’s a different flavor, but it works.
If you like vinegar-based slaw, keep this recipe to use with this spring’s cabbage crop.
Hoosier Winter Slaw
3 lbs. shredded cabbage
2 chopped onions
2 chopped green peppers
2 chopped red peppers
1 TBSP salt
1 C vinegar
1 C water
2 C sugar
2 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. mustard seed
Mix chopped vegetables in a large bowl. On the stove, Mix remaining ingredients and bring to boil Pour over vegetables. Chill then freeze.
Please keep in mind that it’s always safest to avoid the use of plastics in cooking or storing anything that is hot or warm as the heat can draw out toxins from the plastic. So mix this in a glass or stainless steel bowl. If your freezer container is plastic, don’t fill it until the slaw is well chilled.
A couple of summers ago when we had more cabbage than we could eat straight out of the garden, Mom gave me a winter slaw recipe. When I pulled out some of the frozen results to serve at a writing retreat a few months ago, one of the other writers rejoiced. She said it was just what she had grown up with in southern Indiana. I, also, grew up in southern Indiana, so I’ve decided this must be titled Hoosier Winter Slaw.
Like with most foods I prepare, I substitute freely. For example, I don’t know that I’ve ever had red peppers on hand to use, but I have added cucumbers instead. Yes, it’s a different flavor, but it works.
If you like vinegar-based slaw, keep this recipe to use with this spring’s cabbage crop.
Hoosier Winter Slaw
3 lbs. shredded cabbage
2 chopped onions
2 chopped green peppers
2 chopped red peppers
1 TBSP salt
1 C vinegar
1 C water
2 C sugar
2 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. mustard seed
Mix chopped vegetables in a large bowl. On the stove, Mix remaining ingredients and bring to boil Pour over vegetables. Chill then freeze.
Please keep in mind that it’s always safest to avoid the use of plastics in cooking or storing anything that is hot or warm as the heat can draw out toxins from the plastic. So mix this in a glass or stainless steel bowl. If your freezer container is plastic, don’t fill it until the slaw is well chilled.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Herbs for health
“God surrounded us with everything we need, we just don’t know how to use it.”
When Glenda McQueery said that at the Nature’s Thyme Herb Club meeting on Saturday, I knew I was in the right place. I had been trying to get to one of the group’s meetings for months and this was the first time it worked out. It was exactly the right time for me as it was their annual tea and I’ve been a tea lover for years. Glenda spoke about growing a tea garden.
I began growing herbs about three years ago. Every year I try to add another herb or two to my collection. I’ve bought some of those herbs from Glenda, who operates Flatwoods Farm in Garrard County, Kentucky and has always been great about telling me about uses for and care of the herbs I’ve bought from her.
For years, I hesitated to plant herbs because I didn’t really know how to use them. Then I started seeing recipes that called for fresh herbs. They became such a staple for me (especially parsley, which is my favorite) that I try at some point every winter to grow them inside. Thanks to Glenda’s presentation, I’m now thinking about which herbs to plant so I can make my own tea.
Herbs aren’t only pretty and aromatic; Glenda told us they are an easy way to get nature’s healing forces into our bodies. “Fresh plants help strengthen the immune system,” she wrote in her handout. “They are loaded with vitamins, fiber, minerals (including calcium), enzymes, chlorophyll and many other compounds to boost our health.” For example, parsley contains volatile oil components and flavonoids that have unique health benefits. Parsley is also filled with Vitamin K and provides significant amounts of Vitamins C and A, folate and iron.
Besides the health benefits of the herbs, they can also attract and or repel pests in the garden. Last year I interspersed basil and cilantro throughout my vegetables to get those benefits. Like everything else I do in the garden, I’m never sure if it “works” the way it appears or if it’s dumb luck on my part, but I had few bugs and plenty of vegetables. I hope this year I’ll also have plenty of herbs to dry for a winter morning’s tea.
When Glenda McQueery said that at the Nature’s Thyme Herb Club meeting on Saturday, I knew I was in the right place. I had been trying to get to one of the group’s meetings for months and this was the first time it worked out. It was exactly the right time for me as it was their annual tea and I’ve been a tea lover for years. Glenda spoke about growing a tea garden.
I began growing herbs about three years ago. Every year I try to add another herb or two to my collection. I’ve bought some of those herbs from Glenda, who operates Flatwoods Farm in Garrard County, Kentucky and has always been great about telling me about uses for and care of the herbs I’ve bought from her.
For years, I hesitated to plant herbs because I didn’t really know how to use them. Then I started seeing recipes that called for fresh herbs. They became such a staple for me (especially parsley, which is my favorite) that I try at some point every winter to grow them inside. Thanks to Glenda’s presentation, I’m now thinking about which herbs to plant so I can make my own tea.
Herbs aren’t only pretty and aromatic; Glenda told us they are an easy way to get nature’s healing forces into our bodies. “Fresh plants help strengthen the immune system,” she wrote in her handout. “They are loaded with vitamins, fiber, minerals (including calcium), enzymes, chlorophyll and many other compounds to boost our health.” For example, parsley contains volatile oil components and flavonoids that have unique health benefits. Parsley is also filled with Vitamin K and provides significant amounts of Vitamins C and A, folate and iron.
Besides the health benefits of the herbs, they can also attract and or repel pests in the garden. Last year I interspersed basil and cilantro throughout my vegetables to get those benefits. Like everything else I do in the garden, I’m never sure if it “works” the way it appears or if it’s dumb luck on my part, but I had few bugs and plenty of vegetables. I hope this year I’ll also have plenty of herbs to dry for a winter morning’s tea.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Looking ahead with garden seed
As I look out my window on this winter evening, my garden spot is covered by snow. The first year Jim and I lived in this house, we planted potatoes on Valentine’s Day. Last year, I put my first seeds in the ground on February 28. I fear that this year it will be March before I’m able to sink my hands into that dirt again.
My window herbs are growing, although some of them are terribly “leggy” since they have to stretch toward the light. Nonetheless, their green boosts my spirits and reminds me that winter will actually end.
I put in my orders for seeds today. I like to try something every year that I haven’t grown before. This year, it will be leeks, a mix of hot peppers, pinto and kidney beans. Perhaps something else will come along, also, although there is no more space for my garden to take over so I am limited. But I do have more seeds catalogs to look through. Some of them are filled with great gardening advice to learn from during these days of winter longing.
And as I wait for my seeds and for the ground to dry, I continue to write, hoping that my articles and stories are planting their own seeds in a reader somewhere.
My window herbs are growing, although some of them are terribly “leggy” since they have to stretch toward the light. Nonetheless, their green boosts my spirits and reminds me that winter will actually end.
I put in my orders for seeds today. I like to try something every year that I haven’t grown before. This year, it will be leeks, a mix of hot peppers, pinto and kidney beans. Perhaps something else will come along, also, although there is no more space for my garden to take over so I am limited. But I do have more seeds catalogs to look through. Some of them are filled with great gardening advice to learn from during these days of winter longing.
And as I wait for my seeds and for the ground to dry, I continue to write, hoping that my articles and stories are planting their own seeds in a reader somewhere.
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