The New Family Cook Book

When we moved into our new home, I took a moment over a hot cup of tea and a view of our homestead to rest my tired feet and reflect what it means to move - all the change, excitement, hope . . . glancing around at all that still had to be done, my eyes rested on this cookbook lying near the top of an open yet-to-be-unpacked box.  It was a gift from my grandmother, a well used and loved book that I have seen her use on many occasion.  I used it now and then for shortbread, but hadn't taken time to really look at it, consider all its undiscovered treasures, and appreciate the true value of this gift.

And it was over that cup of tea, one hot July afternoon, as I took stock of the heavy books' contents that I learned the true depth of words like 'heritage', 'legacy' and 'heirloom'.  Everything I think the younger generation has forgotten about cooking, is contained within these precious pages - from where different cuts of meat are taken, and what they are best suited to, to canning, preserving, freezing, cooking temperatures, how to tell if something is fresh and where to store it to keep it that way.  And it is not just about cooking, I got a glimpse too of what it meant to host a luncheon in the 50's on pages 53 - 130, how to set the table, what to choose for the menu, and how to be a gracious hostess.  These are all skills I feel are largely lost, and sadly so - I think our children would greatly benefit (as would we) from learning and remembering these graces. 

When my own daughter breezed into the kitchen, it occured to me that four generations were represented right there in my kitchen, with another cookbook my mom had made me with recipes for all the meals I loved to eat while growing up, a recipe book I often leaned on for family favorites, and a recipe book my daughter had received (her first one) for Christmas.  What a wonderful gift, and a special heritage these books would become for the younger members of our family one day.

Occasionally, I will be including experiences of our meals from my 'New Family Cook Book' in my blog, and tips too so I hope you visit often.  Let us make it a family affair as we teach our children that being a conscientious adult means knowing the source of the food we eat, what sustains it, and how to cook it and not how to recycle the cardboard box it came in.

The Princess and the Matador

Once upon a time there was a princess, she was unassuming to look at, but she had a big heart and was mild tempered, she was also gentle and sweet.  One day, a matador came to town, he came from the Chioggia's, a long line of matadors with an outstanding pedigree.  Chioggia was in town for a bull fight!  He was strong, bold, had a well defined character and was very brave.  The princess caught his eye, and he fell instantly in love - he knew any beet with his tops still on would know there was more to her than met the eye, she had a beautiful heart.  He thought she was radishing!

Chioggia decided he had to get her attention and gain her favor.  Although he was striking to look at, he knew the best he had to offer, was in his heart too and she deserved nothing less. 

He didn't realize that the princess had already been admiring the handsome beet, and when they finally met, it was a match made in heaven.  They clicked immediately!  They truly brought out the best in each other soon became inseparable, appearing everywhere together.

Not long after, they were married, the bold brave beet and his radishing princess, both with beautiful hearts.  They lived happily ever after as king and queen of the root kingdom.

THE END!

10 Achievable New Years Resolutions (GREEN ones)

For me, New Years Resolutions are all about self improvement - I don't start diets, or quit bad habits, why wait for a New Year to do that?  But I do promise myself: This year, I am going to learn a new language (it was French, and all I will say is, I tried . . .) or this year, I will volunteer my time (soup kitchen!  and I had a lot of fun and met some great people!).   I have one lined up for this year too, but more about that in the next blog, instead, here are some things you can try in 2011 to be a bit more green at home:

1. Stop buying bottled water - did you know it takes 26 litres of water to make 1 litre of bottled water, and 25 litres of that water is polluted int he process?
2. Switch to an organics lawn maintenance program.  We put so much pressure on our farmers to use earth friendly fertilizers and insecticides, why don't we do the same?  We may not eat our grass, but the our rainwater runoff pollutes our ponds, rivers and streams with the chemicals we use.
3. Fix leaking taps and running toilets, water is not a renewable resource.
4. Plant a tree and if you can't, plant a window box!
5. Give up two degrees this winter, I bet you will barely notice the change!
6. Support local farmers.  Keep green spaces in your community, reduce the distance from farm to table, you will benefit too.
7. Switch from disposable razors to electric ones.  Disposable razors are not earth friendly.
8. Stop receiving unwanted catalogs.
9. Give up paper (and plastic) - take a trendy tote to the store instead and finally . . .

10. Give up hot water - at least in the washing machine.  Many 'green' detergents actually produce the same results at lower temperatures, and are kinder to the environment at the same time so you accomplish two things at once!

I wish you all a happy, prosperous and most importantly, healthy 2011!

Impossible is a word full of possibilities!

The season of self indulgence is drawing to a close and I am already squeezing myself into my wardrobe and trying various diets on for size.  I am considering New Years Resolutions at the same time: try harder to save, treat each day as a gift, do six impossible things before breakfast, save the day at least once, be more adventurous with food etc. etc.

Or, maybe I should be more specific and have one particular goal to accomplish this year, and since we are embarking on this local and organic produce delivery journey, maybe it DOES have to do with food.  A food adventurer . . . oooh . . . an EXPLORER!  And I am not talking about exotic foods, far off flavors and foreign fragrances.  Just vegetables.  I mean, there has to be at least one great recipe out there for each and every vegetable!  Don't you think?  I love veggies, but there are some I just don't like to eat, so maybe that will be my mission for 2011.  Find a way to eat everything, and savor the experience.

So, that being said, here is a little recipe that I thought I would share with you all, it is the 'little black dress' of sauces!  Everything looks great in it and its perfect for every occasion.  Need something for seafood or fish?  This is it!  Asparagus or brussels sprouts need a little dressing? Look no further!  It is a French Butter Sauce, and tonight we are eating it on roasted brussel sprouts, yum!  Enjoy.

1. Bring 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup white wine, 1tblspn minced shallots, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper to the boil in a deep saucepan.
2. Continue to simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, the larger the saucepan the quicker the ingredients will reduce.
3. While the wine mixture simmers, cut 1 and 1/4 cups of chilled butter into small squares and once the sauce is reduced, add half the squares and beat with a metal whisk until the mixture forms a creamy paste.
4. Reduce heat to low and continue beating in one piece of butter at a time, adding a new piece as soon as the previous piece is nearly incorporated.
5. The sauce should now be about 1 1/4 cups and have the consistency of a light hollandaise.  Remove from heat and strain.
6. Season with salt and pepper, add a squeeze of lemon.

Voila!

'Tis the Season

Let me just start by saying that nature is a wonderful thing!  

Imagine a finely tuned, well-oiled food system that produces exactly what you need right at the moment you need it!  And no, I am not talking about our grocery store with its carefully appointed displays, or the incredible network of transportation mediums that bring the food to our tables, I am talking of course, about Mother Nature.

In a world where we cultivate only the best-selling produce and import what’s out-of-season, we have forgotten what 'seasonal' means, and have lost the fine balance of meeting our bodies needs.  When it comes right down to it, by eating seasonally we are doing just that.  Winter vegetables like brocolli, brussel sprouts, kale, leeks, squash, turnips and cauliflower are all rich in Vitamins A and C - to help us keep colds and flus at bay.  They also have iron and calcium as well as many other minerals, and fibre too.  They are not as high in starches and sugars as some of you might think, certainly nowhere near as high as some of the summer fruit and vegetables – but then, we aren’t as active in winter are we? 

If we eat seasonally not only will we improve the variety in our diets over the course of the year because we are no longer just eating our ten favorite things all year round regardless of where it comes from or how far it travels, but we will have healthier bodies that are fed less excessively too.  So add the following fresh produce to your shopping list this season: beets, broccoli, broccoli rabe, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, collards, kale, leeks, mushrooms, parsnips, salad greens, sprouts, winter squash, swiss chard, spinach, turnips, cranberries, apples, pears and quince – and be merry!

Happy Holidays!

It's cold outside, but it's warm in here . . .

We have a family member visiting from Sunny South Africa this week – he is not used to the cold – or the dark for that matter (it is not called sunny SA for no reason!)  His first few days here he was just miserable about the awfulness of it all, however, after some rest and the opportunity to acclimatize he has settled in.  Last night he was saying how he can appreciate the benefits of our ‘resting season’ as he called it, and he is right isn’t he?  That’s just what it is.

I too would love to just ‘settle in’ for the ‘resting season’ – and for those of you who would like to join me, here is a good soup recipe for the slow cooker (or just stick it on low on the stove if you are around to keep an eye on it).  Potter around at home, scratch the cats belly, or chin which they likely prefer, decorate the tree if you haven’t already, walk around in your socks all day and if you want to go all the way, you can even stay in your jammies – just for one day, shhhh, I won’t tell. . .

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes

4 carrots

1 red pepper

2 bunches green onions

1 bunch kale

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 squares vegetable bouillon or a quart of vegetable/chicken broth

cilantro

Water

1 stick organic sweet cream butter

Method

Chop all vegetables into bite sized pieces. Be sure to use all of green onion, including chives. Tear leafy parts of kale into salad size pieces, discarding stem. Toss vegetables, vinegar, bouillon, and butter into a 5 qt slow cooker. Add water until pot is full. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, then reduce heat and let simmer until serving time. The longer it cooks, the more the flavor comes out.  Settle in and enjoy.

Lesson Number 1

Having spent a significant amount of career time in the dreaded 'c' word - CORPORATE - I admit that you end up taking certain support structures for granted: IT for one; the ever friendly and present mailroom staff; and the magic way you email a request and toner and stationery appear on your desk *poof*.  When you run your own business your first a trip to Staples is an adventure, but it doesn't take very long for you to realize that wearing many hats is not only exciting but also a real challenge. 

My worst hat to wear is IT - I am one of those spoiled women who has a husband who programs the remotes and loads the software and is a bit of a tech junkie.  And I am HAPPILY oblivious to what goes on behind the scenes.  So, when it came to the website for South Shore Organics it was a real learning curve!  Mark - that is my tech junkie husband, who loves me enough to endure me thank goodness - has been a godsend during the development and I think he did a pretty fantastic job.  When we got to the database stuff though, he hit a bit of a wall.  <Enter> OnSite Technology Services.  Aaron, the friendly 'can-do-go-to guy', and Mazz (my imagination has him sitting in a log cabin in the woods living a remote life behind 15 computer screens with a keyboard that gets people stuff they need using software - kinda like Tank, the operator in the Matrix - now there is an arbitrary connection for an organic blog!). 

Anyway, back to the point - after many long nights, and tense moments, and much frustration, and a delay in the official start of South Shore Organics, I am pleased to say that we are moments away from going live with our site and I could not have done it without Mark, or the talented OnSite Tech crew!  Since we are winding up the grateful season, I give thanks for them. 

Lesson 1 in running your own business:  surround yourself with capable, talented people.