tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23298305458227386732024-02-20T20:36:21.669-08:00Justin Wants to Feed YouLocavore Justin Cascio blogs about sustainable, seasonal comfort food from western Massachusetts.Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-78905493476810275842018-03-21T11:41:00.000-07:002018-03-21T11:41:03.974-07:00Cannabis infused hard candy recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplJ56AfAhxWh9RwUazeewkO7E8Rl8UB0kakN44GP3TovS9SC8waytwuUk22MMR1dkKfkqtjbeDLh0tBm-LaimuJrduN0tX3Dv3Yq3Vp-XzN3qi_96B7N0ltHsIhvY1QxxS1FJiqSp/s1600/20180320_123824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplJ56AfAhxWh9RwUazeewkO7E8Rl8UB0kakN44GP3TovS9SC8waytwuUk22MMR1dkKfkqtjbeDLh0tBm-LaimuJrduN0tX3Dv3Yq3Vp-XzN3qi_96B7N0ltHsIhvY1QxxS1FJiqSp/s320/20180320_123824.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<i>Advice and instructions for making cannabis tincture and infused hard candies.</i><br />
<br />
Making tincture is an expensive project, and candy, though simple, is a little more dangerous to work with because of the high temperature involved. Still interested? Keep reading.<br />
<br />
You will need some special equipment, a significant quantity of high quality cannabis, and a certain fearlessness of disfiguringly hot liquid candy to complete these recipes. When you're done, you'll have a supply of tincture that will last for months if stored properly, and some lovely candy that is discreet, and easy to carry and take whenever smoking or vaping is inconvenient.<br />
<br />
Because we already make a lot of candy here at the holidays, I had some needed supplies on hand, like a candy thermometer, candy molds, colors and flavors, and cellophane wrappers. If you're making tincture, you'll need a glass jar, preferably of a dark color, with a tight fitting lid, and a tincture press.<br />
<br />
I already own a small selection of candy molds. My favorite for hard candies, hands down, are a pair of silicone mini cube trays, each with 81 half-inch cubes. I use them both and get something over 110 pieces per recipe. There are many attractive silicone candy molds on the market. You'll need enough <b>silicone candy molds</b> to hold <b>about 161 ml</b> of liquid candy. Yield will vary depending on the volume and type of tincture and additional flavorings you add.<br />
<br />
I had 5" x 5" cellophane wrappers on hand that, cut into quarters, were just the right size to wrap my half-inch candy cubes. Hard candies are sticky, so they must be wrapped individually for storage or you'll have one giant candy. <br />
<br />
If you're making your own tincture, you will want a <b>tincture press</b>. To make strong candies, you need a very strong tincture. Any tincture you can't get out of the mash is lost to the compost. You can't make tincture without losing some product in the straining, but you can minimize loss with efficient mechanical pressing.<br />
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Before you begin, decide what candy mold you want to use, and how strong you want a single piece of candy to be. I recommend something between 2-10 mg of THC for a small piece of hard candy.<br />
<br />
Ten milligrams is what Colorado has standardized upon as a single dose in an edible. If you're not an experienced cannabis user, or if you're not experienced with edibles, 10 mg could <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-edible-cannabis-20180319-story.html" target="_blank">pack a lot of punch</a>. Individual experiences can vary a lot. Be cautious in dosing until you are familiar with your own candy's strength. Remember that edibles take longer to come on than smoking or vaping, which are nearly instantaneous. It could take from ten minutes to two hours to experience the effects of edibles.<br />
<br />
Determine the volume of a single piece of candy in your mold by pouring water into it, then measuring the water it takes to fill.<br />
<br />
Divide the total yield of about 161 ml by the volume of a single piece of candy to find out how many pieces you'll get from a recipe. Multiply the anticipated number of pieces of candy by the amount of THC you want in each: that is how much THC must be in the tincture you add to the recipe.<br />
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When making the tincture, make it strong enough so <b>1/8 cup or less </b>is sufficient to infuse a whole recipe of candy.<br />
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Added flavor and color are both optional. A very strong tincture has an herbal flavor that pairs well with many spices and fruits. A 2 mg hard candy will taste principally of the added flavoring, while a 10 mg candy will taste mainly of tincture. I recommend using LorAnn Hard Candy Flavoring Oils or a high quality alcohol based extract.<br />
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</div>
Stronger candies are also darker in color. The second candy from the top in the photo is of 10 mg strength and has no added color. Milder candies will have a lighter tint.<br />
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The candies pictured were made with 1/4 cup of glycerin tincture each, but of different strengths of tincture, so the top two candies are much stronger than the next three. Using a quarter cup of tincture made them difficult to work with, and some of them did not solidify well, which is why I recommend you make your tincture strong enough to use half as much. Your hot liquid candy solution will be easier to blend, and the finished candies will be less sticky. Also, alcohol will mix in more smoothly than glycerin. Tincture is added at the end of candy making, when the mixture has <a href="https://hightimes.com/grow/concentrated-cannabis-part-i-extractions-101/" target="_blank">cooled enough that it doesn't degrade</a> the active ingredients.<br />
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The top pictured candy is a 10 mg strength piece flavored with raspberry, and colored with three drops of royal blue coloring. The second piece is pear flavored, of the same strength as the raspberry, but has no added color. The next three pieces are of 2 mg strength. The middle candy is flavored with 2 tsp of Key lime extract, and colored with a drop each of yellow and green. The very gooey looking yellow one is not solid because in addition to the quarter cup of tincture, I used a quarter cup of ginger syrup to flavor them. There's no added color in these, either: the hue is a combination of tincture and ginger syrup. They taste great, and I'd try making them again, adding the syrup with the sugar before cooking, instead of at the end with the tincture and color. The bottom candy pictured is cherry flavored. I probably colored these with two drops of red color, but didn't make a note of it.<br />
<h2>
Cannabis tincture<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVjysM3ZnzUR-AGdJGoylD9AQlTsQ4MRGgy24eZSvYAqIpSYQQP2Smr5_JTH31B4U47pTPdEuWDKzymOMzmyq6NshlDIMAy2spB1zfVpoyoWGR-DMQ6ICEYUkXw6aRJFMdMiYVh1e/s1600/20180221_090929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVjysM3ZnzUR-AGdJGoylD9AQlTsQ4MRGgy24eZSvYAqIpSYQQP2Smr5_JTH31B4U47pTPdEuWDKzymOMzmyq6NshlDIMAy2spB1zfVpoyoWGR-DMQ6ICEYUkXw6aRJFMdMiYVh1e/s320/20180221_090929.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strong glycerin tincture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</h2>
<div>
There are two tincture solvents you can use that are both good for hard candy: glycerin and alcohol. Glycerin has a sweet taste and is a good choice if you want to be able to ingest the tincture directly. It's tasty by itself, or with a flavor added. A 1:1 blend of glycerin tincture with ginger syrup is very nice tasting. Whether you take the tincture directly or in a hard candy, you can absorb some of the active ingredients sublingually by holding the tincture or candy in your mouth for a few seconds, instead of swallowing it right away. The THC absorbed this way takes effect much more rapidly, and the effect is several times stronger than it would be if you swallowed it quickly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Glycerin tinctures <a href="http://www.cvdvt.org/cannabis-meet-glycerin/" target="_blank">do not denature the active ingredients</a> in cannabis like alcohol does, which some argue makes for a better quality of effect. However, there are advantages to using alcohol to make a tincture. It can hold a higher quantity of THC than glycerin can: <a href="http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/high-potency-concentrate-based-diy-tincture-talk.22069/" target="_blank">up to a 1:1 ratio</a> of pure THC to alcohol, compared with <a href="https://skunkpharmresearch.com/glycerin-extraction/" target="_blank">1:3 THC to glycerin</a>. A <a href="https://honestmarijuana.com/marijuana-tinctures/?age-verified=54eeacca52" target="_blank">typical ratio</a> found in commercial tinctures is 60% THC. Another advantage to using an alcohol tincture for candy making is that most of the alcohol evaporates immediately when added to the hot candy, making it easier to incorporate without affecting the texture.</div>
<div>
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<div>
It's up to you how much tincture to make at a time. Make it as strong as you need.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For either glycerin or alcohol based tincture, begin by decarboxylating the cannabis. (Or follow <a href="http://bigbudsmag.com/how-to-make-a-glycerin-based-medical-marijuana-tincture/" target="_blank">this procedure</a> for a one-pot decarb/steep.) Grind it, spread it out on a baking sheet, and bake it at 200 degrees for 20 minutes. (Some sources say that decarb'ing is not necessary with alcohol, but the same sources demonstrate decarboxylating before making an alcohol based tincture. The flavor is better if you decarb.)<br />
<br />
If you're using glycerin, mix the glycerin and decarboxylated bud into a crock pot, set it to Warm, and let it gently cook for as many hours as you like. I haven't found any evidence in favor of very long steep sessions, but many sources will advise you to steep a heated solution for up to twelve or even twenty hours, and a cold solution for as long as a year! Five hours works perfectly well for making a glycerin tincture. If you're making an alcohol tincture, mix the alcohol and decarboxylated cannabis, and steep at room temperature for three hours. According to <a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-to-brew-cannabis-tinctures-eyedroppers-full-of-hap-1598753173" target="_blank">one source</a>, longer than three hours draws out the chlorophyll. But if you decarboxylate, the chlorophyll is destroyed, so that's not a concern. Chlorophyll is not psychoactive and its flavor and color can be unpleasantly assertive. Another option with alcohol is to steep it in the freezer.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When you're done brewing your tincture, strain it with whatever means you have. You will have to work at it to get much more than 75% recovery of your original solvent volume. If you plan to make tincture even once, a press is a good investment.</div>
<div>
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<div>
Store tincture in a dark colored, non-reactive container, out of the sun. (Sunlight destroys THC.) It will keep for months.</div>
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<h3>
Dosage notes</h3>
<div>
I have been <a href="https://www.thecannabist.co/2014/07/07/marijuana-recipes-calculating-thc-dosage-cannabutter-canna-oils-marijuana-infused/15457/" target="_blank">calculating the strength of tinctures</a> based on what I put into them. If you don't know what strain of cannabis you're working with, 10% THC is a reasonable estimate for high quality bud. If you do know the strain, you can look up its average and highest test values on <a href="https://www.wikileaf.com/" target="_blank">Wikileaf</a>, and use one of those figures. A gram equals 1000 milligrams, so a gram of a typical sativa has about 10 mg of THC.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My methods will yield a very rough estimate of dosage. There are testing companies and devices that can get you a more accurate result.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Take notes on your work: how much cannabis you used and what kind, which solvent you used, how long you steeped it, and then when you make candy, how much tincture you used in the recipe and how many pieces of candy you got out of the recipe. When you eat the candy or take the tincture directly (I don't recommend you take the alcohol tincture directly, because pure grain alcohol burns) also note when you ingested it, what else you've eaten before and afterward, and when you begin to feel the effects, when they peak, and when you no longer feel them. Eventually, you will develop a rule of thumb for how much you want to ingest to get a desired effect.</div>
<h2>
Cannabis infused hard candy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9Yp_jXBMbx7vMUFMKYov9Q0dPm9u66kZ_vANsFzbQ7YYcFOWT44TgLq0dsfLMbBiCAVnSuBFSPNqIj9Khg8DqN8jcZE9l5c9VHehvoMC1wRiLNCJ3RlIU8doo3PdQk7H0QrdFnif/s1600/20180321_135540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9Yp_jXBMbx7vMUFMKYov9Q0dPm9u66kZ_vANsFzbQ7YYcFOWT44TgLq0dsfLMbBiCAVnSuBFSPNqIj9Khg8DqN8jcZE9l5c9VHehvoMC1wRiLNCJ3RlIU8doo3PdQk7H0QrdFnif/s320/20180321_135540.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue raspberry candy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</h2>
<h4>
Equipment</h4>
<div>
candy thermometer</div>
<div>
saucepan</div>
<div>
silicone candy molds (at least 220 ml capacity)</div>
<div>
silicone spatula</div>
<div>
parchment paper (optional)</div>
<div>
individual candy wrappers</div>
<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
<div>
1 cup granulated sugar</div>
<div>
1/2 cup corn syrup</div>
<div>
1/4 cup water</div>
<div>
up to 1/8 cup cannabis tincture</div>
<div>
1 dram candy flavoring or 1-2 tsp extract (optional but recommended)</div>
<div>
1-3 drops candy color (optional)</div>
<h4>
Method</h4>
<div>
Put sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan and heat on stovetop. When it is warm enough, stir it to completely dissolve the sugar. Cook to 315 degrees.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Take sugar off heat and stir gently. The temperature may continue to rise. Stir until the temperature has dropped to 250 degrees.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Add tincture, flavoring, and color, and stir until completely incorporated.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Pour candy into molds. Smooth tops with a spatula.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Let cool completely before removing candy from molds. It should be stiff, not bendable. Candy will still be a little sticky but should keep its shape while you're handling it. </div>
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<div>
Wrap candies individually. Store in an airtight container in a dark, dry, cool place.</div>
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Enjoy responsibly. Keep your cannabis candy locked up away from children and pets.</div>
Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-67866396420410752532015-03-11T17:25:00.000-07:002015-03-11T17:25:20.308-07:00The 365 Dinner Project<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHy7pN8NzsUeWC-ee1cJdeDN9Rnzk0DFcg7jSIHiH6rnLFGjWaRST0g-OILGT0pzQRAHYvk1ARdnj0prQ2g8mABviTILAldzIsPyJVtZD66wwa7sHXmFvP4cSpTEAF1540i-XVDpk/s1600/venison+stew+anchovy+cabbage+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHy7pN8NzsUeWC-ee1cJdeDN9Rnzk0DFcg7jSIHiH6rnLFGjWaRST0g-OILGT0pzQRAHYvk1ARdnj0prQ2g8mABviTILAldzIsPyJVtZD66wwa7sHXmFvP4cSpTEAF1540i-XVDpk/s1600/venison+stew+anchovy+cabbage+.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's cooking tonight: venison stew with sweet potatoes and my new favorite way to eat cabbage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This year, you can find me blogging at <a href="https://the365dinnerproject.wordpress.com/author/justincascio/" target="_blank">The 365 Dinner Project</a>. Every night after I do the dishes, I post the picture I've taken of dinner, and I talk about what I made.Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-18783569485044512632014-07-14T10:35:00.001-07:002014-07-14T10:40:11.364-07:00Watch me pull this rabbit out of my hat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5uaTE__z4OCA2rRMiXdb4HzoNkGZNkYO6ljOgVRA73fFWtW4P-lcuCo2KcgZp6Ke4J4BXV2lIkD-ZpG-nqQTYoxV7VlzpU9irLqiz8cxzNnKxnqBPr3dIamij4ay0gU6BUF7vx-_/s1600/rabbit+dishes+for+judging+-+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5uaTE__z4OCA2rRMiXdb4HzoNkGZNkYO6ljOgVRA73fFWtW4P-lcuCo2KcgZp6Ke4J4BXV2lIkD-ZpG-nqQTYoxV7VlzpU9irLqiz8cxzNnKxnqBPr3dIamij4ay0gU6BUF7vx-_/s1600/rabbit+dishes+for+judging+-+cropped.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
A backyard grilling competition yields a rabbit recipe worth sharing with a crowd.</h3>
<div>
This weekend, Kevin and I competed in a local, queer grill-off, in which each team is given a "mystery protein" to make the centerpiece of a grilled dish. The game's host imported this event from the midwest when he moved to the Valley; this was our first time playing. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Kevin and I like to watch "Top Chef" while we eat dinner. It's light entertainment, lightly interactive: we both feel free and qualified to talk back to the TV. The repeated exposure has improved my home cooking. I'm less likely to serve an entirely beige meal, more likely to think about plated food as something other than flat.</div>
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<div>
For this event, we felt prepared for anything. I had a short list in mind of proteins I would probably screw up: anything I had to shuck, eel, and anything amphibious. We were ready to grill mussels, trout, or tuna. I figured I could handle anything that walked or flew, that could also be obtained from the local Whole Foods. (I've never seen gator or frog legs for sale there, have you?)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
A representative from each team stepped forward to draw a number, and then we were given our platters, covered in foil. When we pulled off the wrap, a new twist revealed itself: this year, each team got the same protein to work with.</div>
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<div>
"It's rabbit," I breathed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqM-wXmCvq2H89D-Zjf1pl5TjhP6quHraNo6i0wF7uJqv0ti08d2n2y_-rFc3XK_0z_zaivUyNoTCbLS-qcAI0tzsDemmBaNs00JJ6MVyQLaunfQzzthUWHBbywNxHworb9RE6i1-/s1600/10357180_10152423352508880_5843020456554903595_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqM-wXmCvq2H89D-Zjf1pl5TjhP6quHraNo6i0wF7uJqv0ti08d2n2y_-rFc3XK_0z_zaivUyNoTCbLS-qcAI0tzsDemmBaNs00JJ6MVyQLaunfQzzthUWHBbywNxHworb9RE6i1-/s1600/10357180_10152423352508880_5843020456554903595_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
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<div>
Kevin is my grill master. He had the coals ready for competition in the half hour before we received our proteins and were turned loose on the sparse pantry. There were many kinds of fresh herbs, several fruits and vegetables, but there were few other ingredients: a couple kinds of vinegar, oil, some fish sauce we brought. But no dry spices: no cumin, or coffee, or cayenne. We were allowed to bring as much equipment as we wanted, but no notes, and no Googling on our smartphones.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It had been years since I ate rabbit. Now that I think of it, I can't recall when I have ever eaten it. I'm sure I must have. I've had squirrel, and that is the closest to rabbit that comes to mind. Butchering a rabbit is less <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/butchering-turkey-into-boneless-roasts.html" target="_blank">like taking apart poultry</a>, much more like a tiny, tiny lamb, though I started off as if with a chicken, taking off the rear legs, then the front ones. Once I had the legs off, which continued to remind me of chicken parts, in their size, shape, boniness, and flavor, the remaining meat was a very thin loin roast, which Kevin grilled on the bone, and then I took off and sliced to serve with the rear legs. We ate the front ones ourselves: they were like chicken wings. Rabbit loin is much finer than chicken, but the comparison holds: it's white meat, and when done right, juicy, yet fairly lean.</div>
<div>
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<div>
The meat is mild, to my palate. It's also exceptionally tender. Because it's got some flavor of its own, and is also tender, it makes for fine grilling. A young rabbit like this one would have also been good fried. Although a rabbit is roughly the size of a chicken, it has no breast to speak of. There's not much meat on one. Two light eaters can share a rabbit for dinner. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Kevin made a couple of side dishes, one sweet, one savory. The savory one was a mix of light summer vegetables: zucchini, onion, and tomato, with a touch of fish sauce and lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. The sweet one was my favorite: foil packet sweet potatoes with apples and blueberries, some sugar, thyme, and mascarpone, and a finish of lime zest.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We didn't win the competition. But the judges liked our costumes and said our rabbit was their favorite of the three. And we got to meet a lot of really cool, queer foodies, so in the end, everybody won.</div>
<h3>
Grill the Rabbit</h3>
<div>
Serves 2</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One whole rabbit, skinned and butchered (about 3 pounds)</div>
<div>
1 T coarse salt</div>
<div>
Zest of one lemon</div>
<div>
Sprig of rosemary<br />
1/4 white peach, diced<br />
3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1/4 red onion, diced</div>
<div>
1 T rice wine vinegar</div>
<div>
1/4 cup peanut oil</div>
<div>
1/4 cup olive oil</div>
<div>
1 tsp ground black pepper</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Remove the legs from the rabbit. Sprinkle salt on all surfaces of the rabbit pieces. Place the salted rabbit and all remaining ingredients in a ziplock bag and shake and massage to distribute the marinade. Hold at room temp (or in the shade) for about 30 minutes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Build a small charcoal fire. When the coals are ready, grill directly, turning as needed, until the outside is golden brown and the internal temperature is 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from grill and rest five minutes before serving.</div>
<div>
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Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-25175488383448345952014-03-13T06:00:00.000-07:002014-03-13T06:00:03.591-07:00Miracles in the starving time<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9G0TFIWP8tEDD_nXfYXZPL66UKQ_FiF2kXs42vsfilEooJ5PvjXA6_RzRIVBkxBRJHh4Q97Ln-dWsU6Ri2roaofieNz7wixNfSC5sq35QQKhy_U4dtmp4ttYwM6G_pPWbY8Gtduc/s1600/424361893_d1b1201481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9G0TFIWP8tEDD_nXfYXZPL66UKQ_FiF2kXs42vsfilEooJ5PvjXA6_RzRIVBkxBRJHh4Q97Ln-dWsU6Ri2roaofieNz7wixNfSC5sq35QQKhy_U4dtmp4ttYwM6G_pPWbY8Gtduc/s1600/424361893_d1b1201481.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's maple sugaring time in western Massachusetts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Late winter, early spring, in New England, is a time of wild confusion. It starts when the trees begin to glow red with sap at their tips. Then I notice the return of bird noise: the whole world is waking up. Some of us wake up confused, aroused, foul tempered, or hungry, or all of these. It's not just me.<br />
<br />
The way to get through the starving time in western Massachusetts is by laying in reserves: not just of provisions but of personal vitality. I move, and gather sunlight, while I can, every day, even if a short march through burning sleet is the best I can manage. Only now, as my world thaws, does my faith in the natural world---to feed me again, next spring---quicken. It is not so much that I doubt as that belief is suspended for the winter: dormant, not dead.<br />
<br />
This weekend, we had our friends Julie and Reggie over, so we got to see them for the first time since we married them, last year. I make gooey vegetarian lasagna. We eat every kind of forbidden junk food, get a little tipsy, and talk about our families. It's very therapeutic.<br />
<br />
Reggie asked me whether I believe in miracles. My answer was full of cultural relativism---that's what you get when you come to me with your pastoral issues. I told her that when I was in the hospital, just after back surgery, it helped me to bring to mind the faces of the people who wished me well. Does it work to ask? Yes, but not in the way you might think.<br />
<br />
It's been just over three months since I went through spinal fusion surgery: my full and speedy recovery is timed to arrive with the longer and warmer days. Friends coming for dinner tomorrow, have gotten me here, one week at a time, by showing up, even on the Thursday nights that I couldn't cook for them. When Kevin had his hands full, caring for me, they brought food and company. Last week when they came in the door, I realized how important this was, this gathering of four guys to eat sandwiches once a week and check in. Even on the weeks when I felt hopeless. Especially those.<br />
<br />
Some miracles are hard to bring about, but some of them happen without our having to do anything at all. I'm certainly run down on vitamin D stores, and I'm positively craving fresh spring greens, but the sun is returning. I have my practices in place for capturing the goodness while it lasts, making it last. No human sacrifice necessary.<br />
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<div>
Not that I want to continue coasting on zero effort. I'm moving past the couch bound stages of healing into active trudging, and occasional artistry. Tomorrow, for dinner with the guys, I'm making a mojo criollo from leftover orange juice and fresh oregano, to marinate a ham steak, and roasting potatoes in freshly rendered suet; I've still got lots of kale in the freezer. I might even make a pudding. It's how I like to say, I'm glad you've come back.</div>
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<i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57402879@N00/">BugMan50</a>/Flickr</i></div>
Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-47782644850538986972013-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:002013-10-25T06:00:04.834-07:00Plain tomato sauce and, "You've Gotta Have Heart"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz2HLkczBpOpAOFNHOM4-y4IkQbmJ49cFXYrS2IyFMWXh7R5fTak_-_O2won0QTJFWrrX5jxpXoHIaRgb08l5lSNoKoU2tB-D7liksDSJHdgsZ0DknlzKQRMyV3nGYS3lNkaaW8xJ/s1600/20110811_5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGz2HLkczBpOpAOFNHOM4-y4IkQbmJ49cFXYrS2IyFMWXh7R5fTak_-_O2won0QTJFWrrX5jxpXoHIaRgb08l5lSNoKoU2tB-D7liksDSJHdgsZ0DknlzKQRMyV3nGYS3lNkaaW8xJ/s320/20110811_5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
Late season fruits are the sweetest... I turned the last tomatoes of the summer into a plain, sweet sauce that I can use through the winter. And, organ meats!</h3>
I've been asked by people who want to eat more healthfully, for <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-harvest-fruits-of-field.html" target="_blank">advice on selecting produce</a>. The good news is that we can all do it. If there's one thing human beings have been doing forever, it's picking out what's best to eat. A school of thought in personal nutrition that has always fascinated me are the Instinctos, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anopsology" target="_blank">Anopsologists</a>, who always eat their foods singly---there is no Instincto "cuisine"---as well as fresh and raw. They choose their nutrition, one food at a time, and eat it until they no longer want it. This is the way I'd advise you to select your fresh foods, at least as a starting point. Be a human animal, first: if it helps, pretend you're a gorilla, or a chimpanzee. Look for what catches your eyes. Pick it up and weigh it in your hand. Prod it gently with a finger. Give the bunch of celery or melon or whatever it is a sniff. Do you want to eat it? Put it in your basket.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0kafgUpuZs6Ppru_Sn6DlinKfMPHbrZQMXRJU-EKAUNJX4emD92kAmQXa0t5Ih5efqu85XwUzDyt-qnBfLT_-wQVxnqivzjC1MdFJ4p9-1tpu_0wlsEqFdT9yfefqeXjKAy_thQ6/s1600/IMG_20131024_145130_417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0kafgUpuZs6Ppru_Sn6DlinKfMPHbrZQMXRJU-EKAUNJX4emD92kAmQXa0t5Ih5efqu85XwUzDyt-qnBfLT_-wQVxnqivzjC1MdFJ4p9-1tpu_0wlsEqFdT9yfefqeXjKAy_thQ6/s320/IMG_20131024_145130_417.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef heart stew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was late to the fields this tomato season, so I only got one unlimited harvest. By then, most of the fruit was on the ground. The one kind of tomato that was most plentiful was a small, orange variety that was similar enough to last year's golden tomatoes, which made a wonderful sauce, that I was willing to take some risks to get some home. The other shareholders were avoiding these tomatoes, for being on the ground, but I got down and started gathering. If it felt firm like a grape, I picked it up for further inspection. If it was especially dirty, I'd wipe off the dirt so I could check it for bug holes. I was looking for an unbroken skin, no bruises, and especially no round marks, indicating that a bug had made its way in and might still be inside---it or its offspring. If the tomato met all those requirements, I put it in my bag.<br />
<br />
At home, I dumped them all into a sink full of water and started washing and sorting. Some tomatoes got squished on the way home, so they went into the compost bucket. I gently rubbed each fruit's firm skin with my palms and fingertips to get the dirt off, and removed the stems, then set the clean tomato in a colander to drip.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p6bxQ5RBNnM/Ul3XODqshkI/AAAAAAAADd8/a6_6TM1v1Xs/s1600/IMG_20131015_191947_134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p6bxQ5RBNnM/Ul3XODqshkI/AAAAAAAADd8/a6_6TM1v1Xs/s320/IMG_20131015_191947_134.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From top: Red dal (see link for recipe), spinach sauteed with garlic, <br />
well cooked broccoli, and roasted sweet potato with butter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In batches, I ran the tomatoes through the food processor, then into a big pot on the stove to simmer. I added a generous glug of red wine and one of olive oil, and a little salt, and let it cook for several hours. The resulting sauce was thick like jelly. And when I say it was sweet, I mean that I didn't even use onion, and the sauce was still nearly as sweet as store bought. That's vine ripened sweetness for you.<br />
<br />
I let the tomato sauce cool, then bagged it in cups and quarts for freezing. Some of it I used right away in place of fresh or canned tomatoes: in the <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2008/02/medicine-food-dal.html" target="_blank">red dal</a> in the photo above, and in a stew of beef heart, turnip, and kohlrabi that we're eating right now. Like the beef tongue I posted about last time, heart makes good stewing meat, and is very cheap. This heart was given to us by the farmer when we picked up our order---some people don't like the organs and just won't take them. Honestly, I'm not crazy about kidneys or livers, and I've never tried brain, but heart and tongue are muscle: a good starting place if you're just trying organ meats for the first time. They cook up like beef and are lean, but become tender with stewing. Heart has a touch of that organ-y taste that liver and kidney have, but not much. I'm surprised beef hearts haven't caught on more, especially with the Paleo crowd.Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-19476090177515526752013-09-27T10:30:00.000-07:002013-09-27T10:30:02.448-07:00A week of locavore meals in late September<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6wbZ7uWQfgQ/UkT2Se1vHZI/AAAAAAAADOc/wa6gPuojwBE/s1600/IMG_20130926_164851_623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6wbZ7uWQfgQ/UkT2Se1vHZI/AAAAAAAADOc/wa6gPuojwBE/s320/IMG_20130926_164851_623.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
The easiest month to eat local in New England might be September. This is what we ate---and shopped for---this week to feed two.</h3>
I’ve had a couple of requests for our weekly meal plan and grocery shopping list. We keep a spreadsheet where we track our appointments for the week in a condensed form, as a reminder, and columns for food we must plan to eat, as well as what we eventually plan to make and eat each day. <br />
<br />
Sunday morning, we sit down with our coffee and update the “Considerations” column for each day of the coming week: any appointments that shifted, or other plans we have that will affect available prep time, or put extra restraints on the hour dinner is served. Are we expecting company? We’ll make a note of that.<br />
<br />
Once we map all that out, we take a look at what’s in the fridge and freezer. Since we’re at the end of the last quarter beef and half pig we bought, we’ve been keeping a list of what’s still in the freezer that we need to incorporate into meals. Anything still left in the fridge that needs to be used goes in another column of the spreadsheet.<br />
<br />
We plan each day’s dinner around a piece of meat or entree, decide what starch we want to eat with it, and then I plug in the vegetables after I see our farm share haul on Monday night. Here is this week’s meal plan:<br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
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<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="25%"></col><col width="25%"></col><col width="25%"></col><col width="25%"></col></colgroup><tbody>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Considerations</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Main meat</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meal</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">out of food</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sausage</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sausages, red sauce, pasta</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Farm share pickup, J chiro at 2</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pork chops</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pork chops, sweet and white potatoes, quick salad</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tuesday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">J - Jason @2, K - Jason @7:30</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tongue</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tongue, potatoes, roasted vegetables and/or greens</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wednesday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">J writer's group 7 - 10</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leftovers</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">J - chiro at 4:30, dinner with the boys</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chicken</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">baked dk meat chicken, fresh and cooked vegetables, rice, cornbread</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leftovers or cod/mac</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cod</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cod and mac n cheese, vegetables incl fresh tomatoes</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leftovers</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<br />
We just got back from vacation, so the fridge was particularly bare on Sunday. We always plans at least a couple of leftovers days, which I manage by cooking more than four servings at least a couple of times during the week, if not more, so there will be extra beyond lunch the next day. Right now there’s a serving of beef tongue with cabbage and carrots still in the fridge that I showed our friend Dave, mostly out of foodie pride because he’s also a foodie, and forgetting that he’s kind of squeamish about strange meats. Kevin grabbed a slice and popped it in his mouth right there, knowing it makes good cold sandwich meat, and I offered it to Dave, too, but he wasn’t even considering making a move on it. “Dave’s going to tell people I tried to slip him the tongue,” I said.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3DjyWPqnTrzqKaT9eTIN8qPeSbc0ovAT4QOuCZfs8-JiEYadqVO0BTG4Nq58E_3queej6V8LOTvlgNIz00rwXgPUDCGEBu91aj1tQNAMwEnpphNDctmwG7QeTXgV7RXcFsDdzmKL/s1600/late+summer+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3DjyWPqnTrzqKaT9eTIN8qPeSbc0ovAT4QOuCZfs8-JiEYadqVO0BTG4Nq58E_3queej6V8LOTvlgNIz00rwXgPUDCGEBu91aj1tQNAMwEnpphNDctmwG7QeTXgV7RXcFsDdzmKL/s320/late+summer+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tongue: the meat that tastes you back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Also, this is the plan we made, but I don’t always stick to it. The vegetable part of the plan is always very loose. I just let the vegetables inspire me as to what I should make from them, for the most part, while also making sure to get from the farm what I know is in season and that I’ve made particular plans for. Like right now, it’s tomato season, so I can plan to make tomato sauce. That sauce we had Monday, however, was some I’d made before we went on vacation and I still had around that we needed to use, so we bought sausages from the meat counter and I simmered them in my leftover sauce.<br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
<div dir="ltr">
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Day</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meal (planned)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meal (actual)</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sausages, red sauce, pasta</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mild Italian sausage (from co-op), homemade ragu (leftover, made from farm share tomatoes and 2# beef bones from freezer) with rice pasta, ricotta, parmesan. </span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Monday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pork chops, sweet and white potatoes, quick salad</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pork chops (co-op), sweet & white potatoes (TJ’s), spinach (farm share)</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tuesday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tongue, potatoes, roasted vegetables and/or greens</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stewed beef tongue (freezer), braised cabbage and carrots (farm share), salt roasted potatoes (leftovers)</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wednesday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leftovers</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Various leftovers: pork chops, sausage, eggs, potatoes; and freshly made pan roasted kohlrabi, carrots, and broccoli stems (farm share)</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thursday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">baked dk meat chicken, fresh and cooked vegetables, rice, cornbread</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Baked dark meat chicken from 2 birds (freezer), macaroni and cheese (homemade w/ quinoa pasta), roasted tomatoes and green salad (farm share), pumpkin creme brulee (farm share pumpkin)</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leftovers or cod/mac</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Planned: leftover chicken, etc</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Saturday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cod and mac n cheese, vegetables incl fresh tomatoes</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Out to dinner</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sunday</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leftovers</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Planned: buy sausage and roast it with eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers; polenta</span></div>
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We have to keep the plan flexible, of course.<br />
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In our meal plan this week, we forgot to schedule in Date Night, which is Saturday, and we’re making plans to go do things during the day, like <a href="http://www.thebige.com/fair/promo/index.html">the Big E</a> or <a href="http://kingrichardsfaire.net/">King Richard’s Faire</a>, so instead of thawing cod and heating leftovers, we’ll go out somewhere, if we don’t get to the co-op first and buy sausages to roast. (Fresh sausage and eggplant is Date Night food, even if we have to make it from scratch, but leftover dry fish isn’t. Go figure.) I had the idea when yesterday I looked in the produce bins and realized we have a lot of eggplant and peppers. Making it this weekend will give us something to eat for lunch on Monday next week. </div>
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Lunches are usually leftovers. Sometimes breakfasts, too.</div>
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We usually eat leftovers for lunch, or I’ll have eggs and toast, or eggs with leftovers. I also make leftovers part of the meal plans for dinner. Sometimes I make extra entree, and other times I make extra of some side dish that we’ll eat several times throughout the week. This week, it was salt roasted white and sweet potatoes. I made them Monday, before the farm share arrived. When Kevin got home with it, I washed up the spinach and we ate it with pork chops. Tuesday, I processed a lot of greens: I blanched and froze kale for the winter, and washed salad for the week. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IPcCw4WF-2Q/UkRMNl0eYXI/AAAAAAAADKQ/iymnTFWP4gE/s1600/IMG_20130925_142611_729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IPcCw4WF-2Q/UkRMNl0eYXI/AAAAAAAADKQ/iymnTFWP4gE/s320/IMG_20130925_142611_729.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On Wednesday this week, when leftovers came to a head, Kevin packed pork chops and cabbage and potatoes for his lunch, and I had eggs over spinach with butter fried slices of baked sweet potato for lunch. I boiled four more eggs and yesterday took them and half the leftover salt roasted potatoes, minced half an onion, and made egg and potato salad, which I ate on garlic toast with a green salad for lunch. When I got back from writer’s group, I ate a big pile of pan roasted vegetables on buttered bread, a page right out of Tamar Adler’s “An Everlasting Meal,” which I brought with me on vacation and took inspiration from this week in my cooking. I ordinarily do a bit of “striding ahead” and “catching my own tail,” as she eloquently puts it, but giving these activities poetic names makes me more apt to do them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWodsLB6G_qQV_syxH0FgfoQBWJkm05pwth8Hxk_HVYclP37ccTafoIyTCGptwJoZrBdVnQQvAmXfd41MCR-4vEoD8N_zI6_D3UNUianepv4P_NsqzGM8X15KVrbJpNqXnJlhMk-i8/s1600/IMG_20130926_141622_773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWodsLB6G_qQV_syxH0FgfoQBWJkm05pwth8Hxk_HVYclP37ccTafoIyTCGptwJoZrBdVnQQvAmXfd41MCR-4vEoD8N_zI6_D3UNUianepv4P_NsqzGM8X15KVrbJpNqXnJlhMk-i8/s320/IMG_20130926_141622_773.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yesterday, which was Thursday, we had a couple of friends over for dinner, so I “monster cooked,” as someone described it. I made lots of food, of which we had some leftovers, but not so much mac and cheese that it’s going to do double duty. However, we have three eggplants and maybe half a dozen peppers, and a bag of Romas getting ripe, so I’m going to make an Italian meal again this weekend with some more sausages, roasted eggplants, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and whatever herbs and soft or hard Italian cheese I still have around by then. Eating it over polenta is half of what makes this a treat worthy of Date Night.<br />
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Because we have a farm share, freezers in which we keep meat we buy in bulk direct from farmers, and a well stocked pantry, we don’t have to buy every single food we eat each week. This is what we did buy, and made sure to pick up at the farm:<br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; width: 100%;"><colgroup><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col><col width="*"></col></colgroup><tbody>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Farm</span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Produce</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bulk</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dairy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Middle Aisles/Household</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meat</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bakery</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Freezer</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #cfe2f3; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Health and Beauty</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Parsley (lots)</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">peaches, apples, grapes</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ginger chews</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">half and half (2 qt)</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chips</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pork chops</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bread - any good plain loaf</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">udi's gf bagels</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fluoride toothpaste</span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">oregano</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">onions</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">coffee</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">cheddar</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pasta for tonight</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ital sausages</span></div>
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<br /></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">chocolate ice cream</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">soaps</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">basil</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sw potatoes</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sugar</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">milk</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">backup laundry soap and softener</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">strawberries</span></div>
</td><td style="border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 0px 3px 0px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><br />
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We also keep running lists of items we want to buy the next time we go to Costco or Trader Joe’s, and will run down to the Liquors 44 and the Stop N’ Shop whenever we run out of wine or milk.<br />
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What else do we eat, besides dinner?<br />
<br />
Kevin keeps a jar of trail mix at work that he keeps restocked with dried fruit and nuts from the bins. We both eat peanut butter as an occasional snack, breakfast, or lunch food, as well as to pill the dog. We split a pot of coffee each morning, and Kevin still drinks a fruit and yogurt smoothie each day, though I’ve fallen out of the habit. Now I’m more likely to have toast with a spread and some fresh fruit. We like to snack on potato chips, wine, and ice cream in the evenings. <br />
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Every week’s different, and our diets change over time and with the seasons. I’ll do this again soon so you can get another idea of a typical week for the two of us. Let me know what kind of information you’d find helpful, too.</div>
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Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-70299541369115122202013-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:002013-09-06T06:00:02.661-07:00More lunch, please!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1s-UQ_Nvwj4_HblHc9LeZqtLiPAeOMg6pHZQdvPG1To9-eNUqxFU6bmITH1iNt21ntrdMhELZfINkPWfQT7mfpHQAcLo3PbS_L5MzWdADVnFVx9vNKSUrBSzkgf65dodeDsNpz9W8/s1600/289608598_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1s-UQ_Nvwj4_HblHc9LeZqtLiPAeOMg6pHZQdvPG1To9-eNUqxFU6bmITH1iNt21ntrdMhELZfINkPWfQT7mfpHQAcLo3PbS_L5MzWdADVnFVx9vNKSUrBSzkgf65dodeDsNpz9W8/s320/289608598_640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
Are your kids getting enough to eat?</h3>
Sometimes in the winter, I didn’t get enough to eat at lunchtime when I was a kid. I wouldn’t get enough to eat all day, actually, until dinnertime, when my father’s presence relaxed the rules my mother laid down about pretty much everything. At dinner, I could take as much as I want as the serving bowls went around the table and chops were removed from the platter onto plates. I could even have seconds.<br />
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A typical breakfast in summer was a bowl of Cheerios, and in winter of Cream of Wheat (<a href="http://caloriecount.about.com/">131 calories</a>) and a glass of orange juice (112 calories) with a <a href="http://tinfoiltoque.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-is-food.html">multivitamin </a>(0 calories) that I usually skipped because it gave me a stomachache. <br />
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On school days, I’d eat my single bowl of cereal around 7 AM. On Saturdays, eating my second, third, or fifth bowl of cold cereal in front of hours of cartoons, I’d hear again and again, “part of this complete breakfast.” I studied the examples given: a bowl of the advertised cold cereal with milk, surrounded by toast, a glass of milk and a glass of juice, sometimes a grapefruit half. Weren’t the toast and milk beverage repeats? I wondered. There’s cereal and milk in the bowl.<br />
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On schooldays, some five hours after breakfast, I would join my classmates in the cafeteria and in winter, opened my lunchbox to two Thermoses: one filled with milk (150 calories) or fruit juice (100 calories), the other with chicken noodle soup (only 60 calories). The Saltines (66 calories in 5 crackers) laid on top of the Thermoses (Thermii?) hardly made a difference. After a 240 calorie breakfast and perhaps 270 calories for lunch, it’s no wonder that after school my sister and I were like starving animals, prowling the kitchen for junk food before dinner. We were seriously hungry, underfed for most of the day on a regular basis.<br />
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I have to assume that it was not because our parents were too poor to feed us properly---we were working class, my parents homeowners---but because they didn’t know how. Hot soup in winter: it must have sounded like a good idea to my mother. When I finally identified the liquid lunch as the source of my discomfort in the afternoons, she stopped sending two Thermoses, and instead allotted some of the precious real estate to more calorie dense food, like a sandwich, and let me buy my milk in the cafeteria.<br />
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In the warmer months, the food she packed was enough---PB&J (343 calories), juice or milk, a granola bar (190 calories), some fruit---at least in calories, if not a well balanced meal. Cereal, milk, and fruit juice… more bread, more milk or fruit juice, fruit, yet more cereal… there were just three food groups repeating, without much variation. Only at dinner were there vegetables and meat.<br />
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I feel like I’m making excuses for my mother, but in truth, I wondered then and I do now, whether she tried to estimate whether what she made us to eat was balanced, healthy, and sufficient. (I don’t even ask if my father knew: I’m sure he did not.) My personal history with food is why, when I look at the slate of “Back to School” blog posts on lunches you could pack for your kids, or <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/breakfast-recipes_n_3843782.html">quick and easy breakfasts</a> for the before school rush, I scrutinize them eight ways from Sunday. I reality check them against prep times (not their estimates, mine), kids’ nutritional needs, and whether they will eat it: children are notoriously choosy eaters. For a while, all my son would eat in my presence were turkey sandwiches, and raw carrots, apples, grapes, and lettuce. I let that phase play itself out without comment, because the meal met my heuristic for a minimally healthy meal. What was I looking for?<br />
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<h4>
Is it enough?</h4>
Preschoolers eat about 1000 calories a day. Then their requirements increase, from around 1200 kcal/day for a four year old to as much as 2200 kcal/day for a large, active 16-18 year old. For an active kid of 8 or 9 years old who needs <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Dietary-Recommendations-for-Healthy-Children_UCM_303886_Article.jsp">about 1400 calories a day</a>, divided by three, that’s around 466 calories per meal.<br />
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Find out what your kids are supposed to need according to the charts---heck, do you know what you need?---and keep an eye on what they naturally eat, without prodding, to confirm that figure. If you’re always monitoring their food consumption, you’ll notice that kids will go through phases where they eat more or less. These are normal; if you’re used to these, you will know if some other change is cause for alarm.<br />
<br />
Always offer enough. We take our cues for what to eat from serving sizes. When you pack your kid’s lunch, you’re sending a lesson on what to eat and how much. See what comes back: lots of kids won’t bother to dump the leftovers. If there’s nothing there, day after day, ask whether they’re eating it, giving it away, or throwing it out.<br />
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<h4>
Is it healthy? Will they eat it?</h4>
I feel like these are related questions, because the answers to both come down to what you typically make and serve at home. What you eat is a powerful model. If you want your kids to eat good food and make wise food choices, you have to show them by doing it, yourself, most or all of the time.<br />
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Being <a href="http://tinfoiltoque.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-do-you-want-to-eat-when-you-grow-up.html">raised on Wonder bread</a> isn’t a life sentence, but it’s hard to break. It took me years of cooking for myself, <a href="http://open.salon.com/blog/justincascio/2011/08/13/the_ramen-eaters">experimenting with cigarettes and fast food</a> in my twenties, before I came around to a way of eating that was healthy and all my own.<br />
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When I study those <a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/58614587921/another-week-of-paleo-lunches-part-1-of-5">cute bento boxes from the mommy bloggers</a>, I wonder how much they resemble what they feed their kids at home. In The Huffington Post not long ago, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katherine-brooking/nutritionist-moms-reveal-_b_3719610.html">registered dieticians admitted to feeding their kids crap</a>, saying their kids won’t eat healthy food. How did this come to be? At some point, these mothers must have given their kids this unhealthy food they now can’t do without: babies aren’t born clutching a bag of Cheez-Its. Why do these RDs sound so bewildered about how their kids got so addicted to junk food? I know: it’s because the parents don’t eat what they wish their kids did. <br />
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<h4>
Is it balanced?</h4>
There were foods my parents enjoyed that we thought were weird and wouldn’t touch---foods they made occasionally, like BLTs or eggplant parmigiana---not the stuff we ate every week. Those foods, we ate without complaint: baked chicken with Shake N’ Bake coating, and London broils coated with garlic powder, pasta with red sauce and meatballs. Lunches were sandwiches on white bread. Breakfasts were cereal, French toast on Sundays. On the whole, not many vegetables, and too much processed food: very typical for Americans.<br />
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What does a balanced meal look like? I look for balance in three ways: calories, macronutrients, and food groups. I’ll cover these next week.<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-90365638626586123712013-09-03T08:50:00.000-07:002013-09-03T08:50:15.609-07:00What to pack for lunch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTIgM-XSl4gC8V_rRzh-_IaRsjCljtNgBglvoXpi0gjb8S69wi_z-Fm-u7G00ugZCoQ1INy8bN-zrEACo2DOYVaQNXTCkJWoRTfS5mi9Cy-n9TXh9mYgfgYxV67m0DhjVILiT1eCm/s1600/lunches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTIgM-XSl4gC8V_rRzh-_IaRsjCljtNgBglvoXpi0gjb8S69wi_z-Fm-u7G00ugZCoQ1INy8bN-zrEACo2DOYVaQNXTCkJWoRTfS5mi9Cy-n9TXh9mYgfgYxV67m0DhjVILiT1eCm/s320/lunches.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<h3>
You can pack a better lunch than the experts.</h3>
It’s back to school time! Looking for something to pack for lunch that is somewhere on the spectrum between the nutritional horror show of a Lunchables and getting up at three to pack the perfect bento box for your child? Here are dozens of foods that are delicious cold. You could make a few of these on the weekend to lunch on all week, or when you shop and cook for dinner, plan to make a couple of these foods that are good hot, as well as to eat cold as leftovers the next day. Before you leave for work or school, pack one food from each category, and you’ve got lunch. Works for all ages!<br />
<h3>
Protein</h3>
Just about any lean roasted meat is good cold. They’re good mixed into a salad, can be assembled into a sandwich on the spot, or eaten as finger food.
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; line-height: 125%;">How to roast beef:</span></h4>
Buy a <b>beef round roast</b> (top, bottom, or eye: it doesn’t matter), season with salt (and garlic powder if you like), roast it at 375 degrees for 20 minutes per pound until a probe thermometer reaches 125 degrees at the center. Allow to rest until it reaches room temperature for ease of handling and even distribution of the juices. Slice thinly.</div>
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When I was a kid I thought roast beef was the height of luxury. Now I know that’s what you do with the <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/07/choosing-cuts-of-meat-for-grill-or.html">cheap cuts</a>: roast them for maximum flavor, then slice them as thinly as possible for tenderness.<br />
While the fatty shoulder of pork should always be served hot, <b>loin roast</b> is good cold.<br />
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<b>Chicken </b>drums and wings can be good, cold and on the bone, if they were roasted until the skin is really crisp. Chicken, turkey, or duck breast meat can be sliced and enjoyed cold like roast beef or pork. You can buy a frozen <b>turkey breast</b> any time of the year and roast it for lunches. Why not?<br />
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<b>Tuna </b>is a versatile staple you can keep on hand in the cupboard for when there are no leftovers. Another kind of tinned fish that you can dress with mayonnaise like tuna, is <b>sardines</b>. Tasty on a cracker, with a shot of hot sauce or spicy mustard.<br />
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<b>Ceviche</b>: If you’ve avoided taking fresh fish to work because you don’t want to stink up the communal microwave, <a href="http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/appetizersfirstcourses/a/ceviche.htm">find a good recipe for citrus marinated fish</a>. The marinade cooks the fish, so no need to nuke, and because it’s traditionally served as a cold luncheon item, there isn’t that fishy smell.<br />
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Sliced <b>boiled eggs</b>, cubed or sliced <b>cheese</b>, and <b>whole milk</b> or <b>yogurt </b>are other good sources of protein and animal fat that are easy to pack for lunch and easy to eat.<br />
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Vegetables</h3>
When I’m planning a meal, I consider whether it provides what I need. One heuristic is to ask whether the meal provides an even ratio of calories from fats, carbohydrates, and protein. I look for vegetables, too: they don’t have many calories; they don’t weigh much on my first heuristic, so my second one is to look for vegetable food groups. Are there any <b>cultured</b> or <b>raw veggies</b>? <b>Orange </b>or <b>red vegetables</b>? Is one a <b>dark leafy green</b> or <b>pod vegetable</b>?<br />
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<a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/07/keeping-food-fresh-safe-and-attractive.html" target="_blank">A quart size plastic yogurt or take out container</a> can become the home base for your whole packed lunch. Fill one up with salad greens and chopped raw vegetables. Pack salad dressing and other ingredients that become mushy (tomatoes, croutons) separately. When it’s time for lunch, add chopped up meat and other toppings, pour in the <b>dressing</b>, close the container and give it a shake to make your own tossed salad.<br />
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If you prefer to dip your vegetables, pack <b>crudite </b>and salad dressing. There are so many vegetables that are delicious raw. Try something new. Right now it’s high summer, so I’m eating tomatoes, sweet peppers, summer squash, and cucumbers on my salad.<br />
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Another way to enjoy vegetables at lunch is to eat <b>roasted vegetables</b>, cold. These are especially good when they’re seasoned. I use a variety of spices and fresh herbs on roasted vegetables: the <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2013/08/cooks-illustrated-recipes-kofte-and.html" target="_blank">Tunisian roasted vegetables</a> I made from a Cooks’ Illustrated recipe is one example of a roasted vegetable mix that’s good, cold. I’ve eaten mixes like this in <b>sandwiches </b>with a <b>bean spread</b> like hummus, and in <b>wraps </b>with <b>meatballs </b>(kofte are also good cold). Aloo gobi, a delicious curry of cauliflower and potatoes, served at room temperature with some <b>pickle </b>and <b>yogurt </b>is a traditional Pakistani schoolchild’s lunch.<br />
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There are more kinds of <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/two-winter-salads.html" target="_blank">salads</a> than a few raw vegetables on a bed of greens, though that’s not at all a bad place to start. You can add nuts and seeds, dried and fresh fruit, cold cooked meat and vegetables, croutons, and whatever else you like, and try <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/07/cool-salads.html" target="_blank">new salad dressings</a>. Then, you can try something entirely different, like a bit of <b>shredded daikon</b> or some <b>cucumber dressed with vinegar and sugar</b>, <b>sprouts with sesame oil</b>, or a <b>carrot and raisin salad</b>. There are lots of different ways you can dress and combine vegetables.<br />
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Fats</h3>
You’ve gotten this far in putting together a lunch: have you included a good source of fat in the salad, dairy, or meat? If not, get some: <b>whole fat dairy</b>, or <b>good oils</b> in the salad dressings you buy or make.<br />
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<b>Avocados </b>are a delicious addition to salads and sandwiches, as well as a source of monounsaturated fat.<br />
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To make avocados lunch ready: </span></h4>
Slice an avocado in two the long way, going around the pit. Remove the pit but do not discard it. Slice through the fruit, but not the skin, to make thin slices or cubes. Put the pit back and put the avocado halves back together. Pack a spoon. When it’s lunch time, take the halves apart, remove the pit, then use the spoon to scoop out the avocado. It will come out in slices or cubes, depending on how you sliced it.</div>
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<b>Nuts </b>make a good snack, by themselves or in a trail mix, and <b>nut butter</b> is a tasty spread or dip. (Some schools have banned peanuts. Know the restrictions of your school or workplace before you pack.)<br />
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Carbohydrates</h3>
There’s bread, of course. You can pack the fixings for a pretty awesome sandwich: sliced meat, cheese, and vegetables (raid your salad for sandwich toppings), as well as condiments. It’s sad that bacon isn’t that good, cold, but there’s always avocado, and meat. Right now, I wouldn’t let a sandwich go by without tomato, but come winter, you can use a little shred of cabbage, maybe even a bit of something cultured, like sauerkraut or kimchi, to give your sandwiches some crunch and flavor.<br />
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But you don't need to make a sandwich to get carbs into your meal. You could bake some <b>zucchini muffins</b>. Make (or buy, but carefully---some of these are full of added sugar) <b>granola </b>or<b> trail mix</b>. Make a little <b>roasted beet salad</b>, or a <b>potato salad</b>. Potato salad doesn’t have to be the same old thing. Have you ever had it dressed with vinegar and mustard, or fresh dill?<br />
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Also right now, we’re in the height of <b>fresh fruit</b> season, and will be for a little while. Succulent stone fruit can ride in the salad container, cushioned by the lettuce, or you can pack a little bowl of cherries, berries, or fresh fruit slices. Good mixed into yogurt, dipped, or plain. There’s <b>melon </b>right now: that also makes a delicious, refreshing treat as a salad, in melon balls or wedges, with a touch of salt or nothing at all.<br />
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Don’t go crazy: this is just one meal. There will be another lunch tomorrow. <br />
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What's in your lunch box?<br />
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Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-77090182446556388892013-08-19T06:00:00.000-07:002013-08-19T08:37:59.580-07:00Summer lovin': Gazpacho and cantaloupe ice cream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What to do with an abundance of summer vegetables: corn, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and melons.</h3>
Next Barn Over sent us home with more melons than we know what to do with---cantaloupe and watermelon. We also got pounds of zucchini and summer squash, as well as our usually generous shares of salad and cooking greens, and a few tomatoes: the tomato season is not yet in high gear and is already threatened by blight, sad to say. An evangelist for Long Island sweet corn brings us bags of ears. I tossed some with cucumbers and tomatoes, herbs, a little chopped onion, and piment d'espelette for a light salad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuce6Gpxctv_-KaDmbyS_IOAmf1B2eWmhS9ioGaK0yawQh5EA2mrNTOpO6THqXrxDYJECjXeJMzyZl00Gzxemiil3Pxxa7nKGmWqtQ1zE9s7Q0zPTopGnKwfYt4A7HhjJB9e2lJBse/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuce6Gpxctv_-KaDmbyS_IOAmf1B2eWmhS9ioGaK0yawQh5EA2mrNTOpO6THqXrxDYJECjXeJMzyZl00Gzxemiil3Pxxa7nKGmWqtQ1zE9s7Q0zPTopGnKwfYt4A7HhjJB9e2lJBse/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a>Having just used up all our cucumbers in a lacto fermentation, I made a large batch of watermelon tomato gazpacho, and learned that summer squash makes a decent substitute for cucumbers. It provides the right mild crunch. But don't use too much---cucumber is still a milder flavor.<br />
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I've gone a little wild this summer with herbs and make bold substitutions, cilantro for mint, dill for cilantro, that I never would have before. Handfuls of whatever parsley, mint, and cilantro I had on hand went into this delicious, mildly sweet soup that I found myself craving a bowl of, repeatedly, until it was gone.<br />
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I've never gone in for vegetable smoothies, preferring a little chunk and a spoon, a crunchy garnish, and the visual appeal of gazpacho. I want more than the season allows, which is just the right tension to maintain a love affair.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_vUfqVXT3lsxf00ory2M-mbQk5mcWn6m8rIacSmYpYTHhyphenhyphenefag5cwyOb0Bmk_ZN_jwnQwfkqkQgZ9Qb028QxcBaWHDE-_ymdO32QjuuC6oUEfLZPTxOPkt-V8TgJNsKYgs54vZsW/s1600/summer+food+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_vUfqVXT3lsxf00ory2M-mbQk5mcWn6m8rIacSmYpYTHhyphenhyphenefag5cwyOb0Bmk_ZN_jwnQwfkqkQgZ9Qb028QxcBaWHDE-_ymdO32QjuuC6oUEfLZPTxOPkt-V8TgJNsKYgs54vZsW/s320/summer+food+014.JPG" width="320" /></a>August is the month of our wedding anniversary. One of the dishes I prepared for the reception was Mark Bittman's melon salad: balled cantaloupe seasoned with a bit of lime juice, sugar, salt, cilantro, and a pinch of cayenne. It's refreshing, while the salt and cayenne keep you coming back for more.<br />
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Half a melon makes a lovely breakfast. Not only melon, of course, and by half a melon I mean one of the small watermelons that New England produces. I remember my grandfather bringing over such sugar babies in the summer from his backyard garden on Long Island. Here, they are the same: sweet and perfect and just about the size of the cantaloupes, which are a hair large. Their musk permeates a room. Kevin will start one in the morning and wrap the other half's cut side, the seeds already removed, for my enjoyment when I arise.<br />
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Another way to enjoy cantaloupe is in ice cream. According to my copy of <i>Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book</i>, cantaloupe ice cream "is one of Jerry's favorite flavors, but we never figured out how to make it in large batches." Which is why you could never get this one in the Amherst scoop shop. But if you've got your own ice cream maker, you can make your own with a sweet cream base, the juice of a mashed cantaloupe (strain it very well!), and the juice of a lemon. When the ice cream is nearly done, stir in the mashed fruit.<br />
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Since last weekend was a tax weekend in Massachusetts, and Kevin and I have lived without the benefit of a sofa or recliner for many years, we rectified this deficit and celebrated by having friends over for dinner. The excitement of the furniture delivery that morning, or else my big sister's new baking blog on Facebook, "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/407590356018853/" target="_blank">The King and I</a>," must have affected me, as I decided to make a classic fruit tart for dessert, breaking the cardinal rule to never make something new for company. I break this rule all the time, but not usually so many rules at once. I also made a sweet pickle and a pork wrap for dinner, neither with a recipe, and had only made either of them once before.<br />
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I started with a recipe for the tart and began by modifying it, used the wrong gluten free mix for pie crust, one loaded with leaveners and browning agents, and utterly destroyed the tart base. While cooking the pastry cream, I got distracted chopping vegetables, wondered more than once why the preheating oven for pie crust smelled so deliciously like vanilla, and was lucky enough to rescue it just before the thick custard could clump and brown. Batting .667 on the tart, I still had the fruit, a mix of peach slices and blueberries. But I'd also made this cantaloupe ice cream---I've made this before, and because I have a huge tote bag full of cantaloupe right now, and remembered how delicious this ice cream is, I had to make it for my friends. I served all three together, it was pronounced a trifle, and it was a hit.Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-59027283479459475872013-08-01T07:57:00.000-07:002013-08-01T07:57:56.223-07:00Cooks' Illustrated recipes: kofte and Tunisian grilled vegetables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
Flavorful, grilled meatballs and vegetables in wraps make a delicious summer pairing.</h3>
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Two magazines we subscribe to and read faithfully are <i>The New Yorker</i> and <i>Cooks' Illustrated</i>. <i>CI</i>'s claim to fame is engineering the perfect version of a classic recipe, with widely available ingredients and often a pared down prep time, as well. I love Middle Eastern foods, spice blends, and lots of fresh herbs in my cooking. The flavors of the recipe for Tunisian grilled vegetables in this summer's issue of <i>CI</i> came to my mailbox at least a month early to try out on this season's fresh tomatoes, so I tried them in a roasting pan of what I had on hand, and confirmed they work well on earlier summer roasting vegetables, like zucchini and summer squash, and in the oven as well as on the grill.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early summer roasting vegetables: summer squash, zucchini, beets, turnips, radishes, and carrots</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herbs and spices to be tossed into the roasted vegetables. The mise en place bowls contain a cube of frozen garlic scape pesto, and a dry spice blend. At bottom is a mince of parsley, cilantro, and mint.</td></tr>
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For a guest who prefers beef to lamb, we made the beef variation offered in the <i>CI</i> recipe for kofte in the same issue. Split and served over fresh greens and with Tunisian spiced and grilled vegetables, on a wrap or over rice. If you serve this with rice, try seasoning the rice right after it finishes cooking, by fluffing it with a fork and tossing in a big handful of minced parsley and mint, plus a little lemon zest. The herbs give the rice a fresh, light flavor that brightens any meal, without overpowering. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunisian vegetable recipe, adapted to earlier summer produce and the oven</td></tr>
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<div>
<i>Cooks' Illustrated</i> recipes for <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/byissue/default.asp?docId=42589&selDate=176&currentVideo=y" target="_blank">Grilled Lamb Kofte recipe</a> (requires subscription) with video, and the <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=42642" target="_blank">beef kofte recipe</a> and their <a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/article.asp?docid=42580" target="_blank">Tunisian-style grilled vegetable salad</a>, or <i>mechouia</i>, (also has a video).</div>
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Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-23602252096437024822013-07-30T06:00:00.000-07:002013-07-30T06:00:10.525-07:00Cover those veggies: peanut sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
What a plateful of naked vegetables and rice needs is a thick, sweet sauce to pull them all together.</h3>
Welcome this African inspired peanut sauce, based on a recipe from the Moosewood classic, "Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant." The Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY was part of a movement that tutored a generation of hippies and vegetarians in a new American cuisine, in which we seek out inspiration from everywhere in the world for methods and spices, while still eating what grows locally. <br />
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This peanut sauce is not made from such local stuff. But I start with local onions, and substitute local tomatoes (put up last year) for the juice in the original recipe. Plus, it's a delicious way to eat local vegetables.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hn6izoqkLPeKtmClC5ITO-hMbRvdqrtYoJBYaxQwL9KjdJAraXXim9Zjad5SB3ZY2oKLRAUZ6H5JySi_tJVq7AUhRyQ_bDuYLDAmO6XxxoxdGw4A7E-vffqSaCqxrrM-nB1TVGSM/s1600/dinner+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hn6izoqkLPeKtmClC5ITO-hMbRvdqrtYoJBYaxQwL9KjdJAraXXim9Zjad5SB3ZY2oKLRAUZ6H5JySi_tJVq7AUhRyQ_bDuYLDAmO6XxxoxdGw4A7E-vffqSaCqxrrM-nB1TVGSM/s320/dinner+015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another kitchen tip: Buy bananas ahead, ripen in a bag, then freeze them in Ziplocs for smoothies, or to add to this dish.<br />
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<h3>
Peanut Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</h3>
4 cups chopped onion<br />
1/8 cup peanut oil<br />
1/2 tsp cayenne<br />
1 T freshly ground ginger root<br />
2 mashed, ripe bananas<br />
2 cups chopped tomatoes<br />
1 cup apricot juice<br />
1 cup peanut butter<br />
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste<br />
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Saute chopped onions until clear, then add cayenne, ginger, and banana. Stir for 5 more minutes, then add juices and stir in. Simmer ten minutes, then add peanut butter and salt.<br />
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Serve over rice and steamed vegetables. Also excellent with chicken.<br />
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<br />Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-46205341021120897852013-07-23T12:00:00.000-07:002013-07-23T12:00:03.221-07:00Dark and Stormier Cocktail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
This spicy ginger drink makes hot summer nights easier to bear.</h3>
I like my ginger beer wicked hot. Sometimes I get Sally Fallon's recipe for brewing my own ginger beer to work, and sometimes I don't. When it fails to culture, I now have a product I can buy that's local and as good as I can make at home.<br />
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At the <a href="http://millriverwines.com/event/taste-of-massachusetts-wine-festival/" target="_blank">Taste of Massachusetts Wine Festival</a> last month, a long line snaked all around the Tri County Fairgrounds. I noticed ginger beer in the program, and made a beeline for it. <a href="http://www.greenriverambrosia.com/meadproducts.html" target="_blank">Green River Ambrosia</a> bottles a Ginger Libation with serious punch. It's so good, Dave bought a case of it, right there. Kevin and I have been buying it, a couple bottles at a time, from Liquors 44 or River Valley Market, both here in Northampton. Drink it chilled over ice, for a kick equivalent to beer, fizz like a soda pop, and a powerful ginger flavor. If I can't use the whole bottle at once, I save the bottle from going flat for a day or two by tightly securing the top of the bottle with a sandwich bag and a rubber band.<br />
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Ginger Libation is one of the ingredients in a Dark and Stormier. A regular Dark N' Stormy uses non-alcoholic ginger beer and a shot of Gosling's Black Seal rum. Several versions of the Dark N' Stormier exist, including <a href="http://www.gastronomista.com/2013/05/dark-n-stormier.html" target="_blank">this one here that has a recipe for brewing ginger beer</a> using Champagne yeast. Here's our own more emphatic version.<br />
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<h3>
Dark and Stormier</h3>
<h4>
Ingredients</h4>
1 oz Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur<br />
1 oz Kraken spiced rum<br />
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime<br />
4 oz Ginger Libation<br />
Ice<br />
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<h4>
Directions</h4>
<div>
Fill a highball glass (or any 8 oz glass) with ice. Juice the lemon half over the ice. Add a shot each of ginger liqueur and spiced rum. Top with Ginger Libation and stir. Serve with a brightly colored straw.</div>
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<h4>
Check out this post on <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-core-soft-drinks.html" target="_blank">Hard core soft drinks</a> for a recipe to brew your own alcoholic root beer.</h4>
Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-47431592291074318852013-07-10T07:30:00.000-07:002013-08-19T08:37:59.577-07:00You can't "beet" free greens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8Eq1tKFnEQaCNEN7d5_V60LFYGe875q8HzEIKCzhcgCG_g3O60Z2dStc7l1eBQ3XJycTe0dedE1yYR_xeEjYlk45_dVBwIUFS7_VeyTZB79p25Uue8P0qUmB1YapclXUiun8kCbj/s1600/food+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8Eq1tKFnEQaCNEN7d5_V60LFYGe875q8HzEIKCzhcgCG_g3O60Z2dStc7l1eBQ3XJycTe0dedE1yYR_xeEjYlk45_dVBwIUFS7_VeyTZB79p25Uue8P0qUmB1YapclXUiun8kCbj/s320/food+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The "Eat More Kale" campaign might finally be working. But there are other leafy green vegetables out there, if you're open to some introductions.</h3>
Kale is cool these days. Everybody's eating kale salad, kale crisps, and drinking kale smoothies. I like a little kale in my salad, but mostly, I like it <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/quick-braised-hearty-greens.html" target="_blank">steamed or braised</a>. I eat some kind of greens nearly every day, more in the summer when they're abundant. Our farm share has been running for a month, and always starts up with plenty of tender young greens. The first shares include turnips, beets, and kohlrabi, all with their greens attached. I've been cooking them all up together in a quick saute with garlic scapes and onions.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn0XfBGeCQxj1hTs6g2aHfgLzvhGzPo25p0v92vvB-Q-g-q5_UjZAT_hDV6Iik-wItSTM5dkx9AoZxw5eha0gunHsAa2-BdGM5od6hYZSZ5TNpoCkVCtRTlkIAVenfjTmzq0vM199/s1600/food+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKn0XfBGeCQxj1hTs6g2aHfgLzvhGzPo25p0v92vvB-Q-g-q5_UjZAT_hDV6Iik-wItSTM5dkx9AoZxw5eha0gunHsAa2-BdGM5od6hYZSZ5TNpoCkVCtRTlkIAVenfjTmzq0vM199/s320/food+016.JPG" width="320" /></a>These greens feel like "extra" because in past years, I wouldn't have kept the greens. This year, I've been separating the greens from their bulbs or roots, sorting the edible leaves, and composting the rest, to make it easier to fit everything in. Often I'll decide what order to cook vegetables by how unwieldy they are to store. A whole Napa cabbage reduced to two recipes of <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/vegetarian-comfort-food-dal-and-mash.html" target="_blank">mustard cabbage with cumin and tomato</a>? Yes, please. I put half in the freezer and we ate the other half last week.<br />
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Strawberries were here and now they're gone, ditto sugar snap peas. We captured a few quarts of each and froze them, but we're already moving into green bean season. The year runs so fast, especially in the summer. Before I know it, it will be tomato season.<br />
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This past winter <a href="http://likethewatch.livejournal.com/436284.html" target="_blank">was a difficult one</a> for the two of us. A chronic back problem flared up, and I have spent almost a year in bed, on heavy pain medication. Physical therapy, chiropractic, and orthopedic specialists haven't yet put me back together again. I can't ride my bike five miles to pick berries, this summer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4gtaVYppjLTaq1MQjrc955oQerb9jjtANw7wwSvUw6woABZ7SkoKIvbitaPesQS_jkSaqJ4rg7l5Nc2zopEDutlu8-ZSxRlRszN-7VHV2Lt7N0WDeGfwzLZUQ_cJ4urR_bwa4dQV/s1600/food+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4gtaVYppjLTaq1MQjrc955oQerb9jjtANw7wwSvUw6woABZ7SkoKIvbitaPesQS_jkSaqJ4rg7l5Nc2zopEDutlu8-ZSxRlRszN-7VHV2Lt7N0WDeGfwzLZUQ_cJ4urR_bwa4dQV/s320/food+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Euro-sealed sugar snap peas</td></tr>
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After a winter of having to be taken care of, I want to be back on my feet, but I still rely on Kevin more than I did last summer, and one of those ways is that he now gets the farm share on Mondays after work, instead of me biking out there myself some time during the day to do it. I still process most of what he brings home. I can stand more comfortably than I can stoop or sit, so I wash and stem and label and freeze. We have a new Euro-sealer this year, too. Kevin put up some root vegetables from the winter share, to get us through the spring. We still have a few frozen items hanging around from past seasons, and are putting up some more every week.<br />
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Food is one of my love languages, and an easy tongue for some that can bridge awkwardness on both sides. Lee used to come over with fruit I'd never tasted before: durian is one of his favorites. A friend who's new in town, but grew up in upstate New York, often brings me food gifts when she comes over. One time she brought a beet salad, and the last time I'd eaten a beet salad was when I made one for <a href="http://goodmenproject.com/?p=85651" target="_blank">my former girlfriend</a>, Carolyn, when I was first courting her. I have been telling myself for years that I don't like beets, remembering one I tasted as a kid (off June's salad, <a href="http://goodmenproject.com/sex-and-the-single-dad/summers-in-maine/" target="_blank">in a fancy restaurant in Maine</a>.) Now I ask Kevin to bring home beets in the farm share so I can roast them, and eat their greens. Roasted, they have a wonderful texture. Sometimes they're still a bit more earthy than I'm accustomed to, but I want to invite in more flavors again. I find myself craving Carolyn's beet enchiladas, a dish I would never have considered making without having tasted hers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCCgrynUU9DioIG2zQCCoCPmOJWNF-Dkp4sPwhVtxHNybjogW0UjiH3REog70MvpI2qOxb4PQYIInDCHKSJ22B9ewdmTZ1TYIaaxCu-NAYodiolFyJOOpyv6kP0R1Jc0K8zwdpnRZ/s1600/food+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCCgrynUU9DioIG2zQCCoCPmOJWNF-Dkp4sPwhVtxHNybjogW0UjiH3REog70MvpI2qOxb4PQYIInDCHKSJ22B9ewdmTZ1TYIaaxCu-NAYodiolFyJOOpyv6kP0R1Jc0K8zwdpnRZ/s320/food+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh lamb's quarters</td></tr>
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This time back from visiting New York, Nellie brought a pint of enormous blueberries from her mother's yard. Kevin took half of them and made blueberry pancakes that reminded me of a childhood summer, picking wild blueberries and eating them in pancakes cooked over a fire.<br />
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She also brought back two kinds of weeds she likes and has talked up to me, for me to try. One is purslane (feature image), and tastes very mild, like iceberg lettuce, so I've washed it and added it to my salad mix. The other is lamb's quarters, which have matured enough that Nellie suggested cooking it instead of eating it raw. The leaves are delicate, like spinach. I've sauteed them gently with a little bit of scallion and <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/garlic-scape-is-part-of-garlic-plant.html" target="_blank">garlic scape</a> from the farm.<br />
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The up side of not being able to get the farm share, is that now Kevin gets to enjoy the pleasure of the share room and u-pick fields. He reports that he sings and dances in the share room, he's so happy about the vegetables. I know the feeling: the produce glows from the weathered wooden bins, like the treasures in a video game. This is what we were born to find, and it's deeply satisfying to do what we're made to do.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb's quarters sauteed with scallions and scapes</td></tr>
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Able to choose based on their natural vegetal allure, Kevin brings home a few things he would not have requested, when I was making the farm run. He has been beguiled by the Swiss chard. He shows it to me explaining that it just looked so beautiful, he couldn't not take some.<br />
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<b>Read more on greens: <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/getting-best-from-your-farm-share.html" target="_blank">Getting the best from your farm share</a></b></div>
Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-60425065601718168522013-02-18T14:11:00.001-08:002013-02-18T14:11:12.317-08:00The sincerest form of flattery: the "8 spice," reverse-engineered<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8AAmYcN0d2rtTCEqE_yrXewIpzj_bqlVcz44CwE_xhJep452_pbbnjyK1gBqmK9x8iUWMg68cnf8JKzyIoIXGtMNcBLle-XGHlumzE9RqMzNhe_hx1ek9TH5tPrsXx4EsTjW4CbY/s1600/20110817_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8AAmYcN0d2rtTCEqE_yrXewIpzj_bqlVcz44CwE_xhJep452_pbbnjyK1gBqmK9x8iUWMg68cnf8JKzyIoIXGtMNcBLle-XGHlumzE9RqMzNhe_hx1ek9TH5tPrsXx4EsTjW4CbY/s320/20110817_1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eight spices in the most whole, dry form I had on hand. One of a handful of photographic clues I left for myself for reverse-engineering a popular cook's published recipe for an 8-spice mixture.</td></tr>
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Home cooks have cooked from cookbooks for centuries. Modern cooks also cook from recipes found on the internet. I've been delighted and let down by recipes from both sources. There's a cookbook I still own with a recipe in it so bad that I consider the book to contain a kind of evil by its inclusion.<br />
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But I don't generally just hang on to cookbooks to prevent their evil from spreading further into the world. A problem I have with my hard media is that I am a generous, yet forgetful, evangelist. I loan out my favorites and then when I try to loan one out again, find it has already been loaned out, I do not recall to whom. And since it's been so long, I assume, since I've forgotten, I probably won't get it back and, until I buy another copy, will have to live without whatever recipe is in it that I was such a fan of that I loaned out the source.<br />
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Such was the case of a cookbook by Ming Tsai that Kevin got through one of those cookbook-a-month deals (in hardcover, even). I can't find it, and so it's either misfiled in the stacks, or I've loaned it out to somebody. Until it resurfaces, I will have to go on recreating from memory the two recipes I really liked out of it, one of which is this one.<br />
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I remember enough clues of Ming Tsai's 8-spice that I have confidently reverse engineered it at least twice since losing his cookbook, each time forgetting in my hubris to write down the secret eight. One clue was that five of the spices are in traditional Chinese five spice. I knew that I included salt and pepper, but that they were not counted toward the eight. And I remembered that two are cumin and coriander, a complementary pair of the earthy and the flowery that I associate with Indian curries. But what was the eighth spice?<br />
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I turned to the photographic clues I've left myself. Knowing that I'd want to blog about this recipe someday, and that I would likely forget to write down the eight spices, I took pictures. I took the picture above in March, 2011, and the one below, that I took in August, 2011, is very probably based on the one taken in March. I have been using one or the other of them as a "recipe" ever since.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9IuUOyRJfoeMY5tY316XLgASMYksw-imzo4jYzdiaiSXiPNez7K0RtyuskJvydmkzZpTinv8bzboU71cBc887jkOgeEAIPAF98SsAj_tPVZxQySzor0yITLtlRjuF3e1muXhLokr/s1600/20110308_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9IuUOyRJfoeMY5tY316XLgASMYksw-imzo4jYzdiaiSXiPNez7K0RtyuskJvydmkzZpTinv8bzboU71cBc887jkOgeEAIPAF98SsAj_tPVZxQySzor0yITLtlRjuF3e1muXhLokr/s320/20110308_1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You see that I like a challenge, because while I can see the seeds, I can't see the labels on any but the fennel.</td></tr>
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I can never remember what the five in Chinese five spice are, but it's the kind of fact I can Google. They are, according to Wikipedia, today, anyway: <b>star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon</b> (meaning, not Chinese cassia, which most Americans accept as "culinary cinnamon," and which I probably have got here as well), <b>Sichuan pepper</b>, and <b>fennel seeds</b>. I can see from the pictures that I didn't use star anise either time I took photos, but substituted regular, tiny anise seed. However, I can remember making this with star anise, the first time I made it. On the other hand, I'm sure I've never had Sichuan pepper in the house, so I must have substituted black peppercorn for this spice every time. Perhaps Tsai made this substitution in his original, or else I have always made it.<br />
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Studying both photos, I see the same eight spices: <b>cinnamon, fennel, cloves, anise</b> (four out of the Chinese five spice), plus<b> cumin, cardamom, coriander</b>, and <b>ginger</b>. <b>Salt </b>and <b>pepper </b>(the fifth Chinese spice) are extra, resulting in a nine ingredient spice mixture, plus salt, in my recipe for 8-spice. Good thing I had photos, because that book is long gone, and Tsai's eight spice recipe is not on the internet.<br />
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Which left proportions to figure out. When I first made this, I sniffed and eyeballed and weighed spices in my hand, and combined this with my experience of spice ratios in recipes. Starting with a teaspoon, ground, as my basic unit, I cut back on cloves and cardamom, and amped up the cumin to give it more depth. I like a lot of ginger, so when I made braised lamb shanks using this spice blend yesterday, I cooked them in a mixture of softened onion, garlic, and fresh ginger with wine and lamb stock. I was trying to approximate a recipe in which I might have used tomato instead of wine, but again, it was a case of cooking without a recipe and then not so much documenting the results as being proud of them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib57krnd_ccVWs-2OIbDG5zpXO5yDvFWCwyWoHEMyrOMpLm9L2gbuXOCLbvX4nbJ8oXYIBDIJJD3UJJAFq6IQWgbPs5KBjH2By_oyRzJm97CkAO3deTfeiRTyWNB9edBAQMNHlSkyy/s1600/20110308_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib57krnd_ccVWs-2OIbDG5zpXO5yDvFWCwyWoHEMyrOMpLm9L2gbuXOCLbvX4nbJ8oXYIBDIJJD3UJJAFq6IQWgbPs5KBjH2By_oyRzJm97CkAO3deTfeiRTyWNB9edBAQMNHlSkyy/s320/20110308_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another picture from the November photo shoot, reminding me that 8-spiced braised lamb shanks are delicious.</td></tr>
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<i>A note on salt in spice rubs:</i> I don't usually blend the salt into my spice blends when I'm saving them for future use, but when I'm making them up to season a dish I'm going to cook, I mix in salt. To do this, I figure out how much spice blend I'll use on my dish, separate that out into a bowl, and then mix salt into it sufficient for the quantity of food I'm seasoning. Then, I use all of that salted spice blend to ensure the dish gets salted enough. This is especially helpful when I'm seasoning something I want well salted from the start, like meat or pulses.<br />
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I had had good results winging it with these approximations. There's a forgiving tradition of mixing together good quality spices to achieve deep flavor, and using that blend on various dishes as a signature flavor, like Emeril's "essence," various curries, and <i>ras el hanout</i>. My favorite use for this 8-spice blend is as a rub on lamb before braising. It is sweetly aromatic and a good counterpoint to strong meat.<br />
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Justin's Amnesiac Eight Spice Blend</h3>
Half a cinnamon stick, or 1 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1 T fennel seed<br />
7-8 whole cloves, or 1/4 tsp ground cloves<br />
One whole star anise, or 2 tsp whole anise seed, or 1 tsp ground anise<br />
2 T cumin seed, or 2 tsp ground cumin<br />
1 cardamom pod, or 1/4 tsp ground cardamom<br />
1 T coriander seed, or 1 tsp ground coriander<br />
1 tsp dried ground ginger<br />
2 tsp black peppercorns, or 1/2 tsp ground black pepper<br />
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Grind any whole spices you are using in a mortar or a small electric coffee grinder. Then, mix all ground dry spices together. You can store this mixture for future use.<br />
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To use the spice blend as a dry rub on meat, mix it with salt (see note above about salt) and rub it liberally on raw meat. Allow to rest before cooking. The spice blend is also good mixed into sauces, cooked with onions and garlic into pulse dishes, and sprinkled over sweet and starchy cooked vegetables.Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-44432440773128183202012-12-21T11:14:00.001-08:002012-12-21T11:14:25.473-08:00Soup for breakfast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhame30u9ws5j7oBq6LsYcSWnZDH2oW70V66aR60jYI0vPP5V_y8ULh9hgRZariTvVzesr67i2baZxDsUbu3cgidNfd7RxAY31p7EKe04-qBa5rorvWoMylxVibIKPWVDNkgMDVSeJn/s1600/20110828_55.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhame30u9ws5j7oBq6LsYcSWnZDH2oW70V66aR60jYI0vPP5V_y8ULh9hgRZariTvVzesr67i2baZxDsUbu3cgidNfd7RxAY31p7EKe04-qBa5rorvWoMylxVibIKPWVDNkgMDVSeJn/s320/20110828_55.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.4576335975434631" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you make your own soup? If not you, who makes your soup?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The summer farm share season is over. I’ve filled one of our freezers with baggies of blanched kale, green beans, sugar snap peas, skinned and seeded tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Kevin roasted pans of eggplant slices and froze them. Two of the four animals we’ve arranged to receive all or part of this winter have arrived and are in there, too.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve had decreasing interest in cooking. It’s hard to explain. My interests have shifted. At the same time, Kevin is showing an increased interest in the cooking, and has been doing more of it. He’s fussier than I am and I am willing to let him take over. But now I’ve bumped against the bottom. This morning, I burned the soup he prepared this morning, warming it up to eat. I should have set a timer, because when I’m working it’s hard to get my attention from meat space, and forgot about it long enough for it to anneal itself to the bottom of the pot. When I’m so distracted from food and cooking that all I can get it up to do is warm (burn) soup and grill a sandwich once a day, that’s as far as I get. To let all of the shopping, farm share pickups, and cooking go, not even to wash the dishes afterward, is too far. It means I’m depressed. I’m just lucky that I have people who love me who will cook for me when this is the case.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-I-nvxjL_DOPdyCGp-ppDf0YWp3vwzYrAVfn0-GIcnSJhKIhqnpLPC_qI0TXo7mVrfs7Vce0g3EpmXUn8P7w9VAdz3zRSDrm2IEFemSrqtlIXilRZrkyvQvExxqBeUSlqaxP0Tsu/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-I-nvxjL_DOPdyCGp-ppDf0YWp3vwzYrAVfn0-GIcnSJhKIhqnpLPC_qI0TXo7mVrfs7Vce0g3EpmXUn8P7w9VAdz3zRSDrm2IEFemSrqtlIXilRZrkyvQvExxqBeUSlqaxP0Tsu/s320/025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If your soup comes out of a can, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be full of poisonous crap that you would never knowingly put into soup that you are feeding someone to make them well. It’s probably made from conventional produce, including the Dirty Dozen, so it’s full of pesticides. It’s got more salt, MSG, and “natural flavors” than anything you’d cook yourself.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Soup cans leach dangerously high levels of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A, or BPA into the food. This synthetic, estrogen-like substance has been linked to </span><a href="http://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/bpa/bpa_side_effects.php"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a host of health problems</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and a </span><a href="http://junksciencecom.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/jama-urinary-bpa.pdf"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">JAMA published study</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> found that eating a can of soup a day for a week increased blood levels of BPA by more than 1,000 percent.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If it contains animal products, it’s very likely made from animals fed genetically modified grain, antibiotics and growth hormones. Yet the soup base is clearly not a bone stock, or when you opened a can of soup, it would be very thick and gelatinous, not a thin, pourable liquid, as is generally the case. Bone stock is full of minerals and protein from collagen, both good for you and absent from canned soup. Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist, makes videos showing you how to make different kinds of stocks, and </span><a href="http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-stock-that-gels/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">what a properly gelled stock looks like</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Here’s my own </span><a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/stock.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">all-purpose stock post</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that includes variations for any kind of bone or fish stock, and vegan roasted vegetable stock.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lately, Kevin makes me soup for breakfast. He started eating it </span><a href="http://justincascio.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/our-human-polyculture/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">about a year ago</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, when he made some changes to his diet. At first, I wasn’t interested in eating soup first thing in the morning, but it’s slowly grown on me. At first it was just weekends. Near the end, I was asking him to make smoothies, gluten-free pancakes, and chicken soup for breakfast on weekends: the “full breakfast.” Now we make our own smoothies (they taste best when perfectly fresh) and Kevin makes soup each morning and leaves half for me. The smoothie is frozen fruit---strawberries, blueberries, bananas---yogurt, and whole milk, blended. Soup is a fresh preparation of meat and vegetables with miso and kimchi. Sometimes he previously baked chicken thighs, or the occasional bit of pork, but recently it’s beef: something from the round, or some loin flap meat. Sometimes he’ll add minced pork fat, if the meat is lean. The vegetables usually include bell pepper and zucchini, in the summer, but he’s getting more flexible. Last winter I was buying bell peppers grown halfway around the world, and not feeling great about that, but ambivalent, because Kevin was so happily cooking his own food after years of letting me do all of the food preparation. He’ll still buy a pepper most weeks, and sometimes a quart of mushrooms, but most of the vegetables are from our winter share: turnips, carrots, parsnips, radishes (watermelon and daikon), rutabagas, sweet potatoes, delicata and butternut squashes.</span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, he’s taken on just about all the weekend cooking as well as our breakfasts, and because we share the responsibilities for making fresh food, I find our values are more in alignment around how we spend our time and money on what we eat. He’s oriented toward being economical and thrifty in following the seasons and our farm share, like I am, and takes pride in using what’s in the fridge to best effect. While I’m the king of the big batch, he is good at making something from a little of this and a little of that. Soup is right in the middle of that wheelhouse.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FrPjP0zqGJT5uYEEKRnlyykQBh5INbqFpODgUBJb8DGzkpB3BcghbvdB7ejxU8T-jzqYKGJzZEBaIjtApwtqFBr8UuU7jkExw2tLAd6-MOv9KyyUNFUTg3bkPloHrhc_j6odo5tl/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FrPjP0zqGJT5uYEEKRnlyykQBh5INbqFpODgUBJb8DGzkpB3BcghbvdB7ejxU8T-jzqYKGJzZEBaIjtApwtqFBr8UuU7jkExw2tLAd6-MOv9KyyUNFUTg3bkPloHrhc_j6odo5tl/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some people call this “garbage soup” when they make soup from leftovers. We call it putting a cap on the cost of food, and valuing what we have. We say to each other, fairly often, that we are very lucky: we get to eat some of the best food we can even imagine. We eat far better than either of us did in childhood, maybe better than anyone we know. It’s definitely exactly what we choose.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kevin didn’t used to like soup much. I don’t know what has caused the change: some coming together of several different ways in which he could suddenly perceive what he wanted, and feel confident in pursuing it. I know part of my adoption of breakfast soup has been phasing out coffee, and other things that upset my stomach. Soup, finished with another generous helping of kimchi, is flavorful, comforting, not acidic at all, and not too filling or daunting to digest. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And my husband makes it for me, so it’s full of love.</span></b>Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-17225720151575686402012-09-12T13:28:00.000-07:002012-09-12T13:28:32.845-07:00Roast vegetable lasagna<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Lasagna: never the same twice</span>
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This is the lasagna of dreams: packed full of hearty and wholesome ingredients, it's a meal in itself. Not only does it make use of the late September harvest, it's a treat and a celebration. Lasagna's not just what's for dinner: the making of lasagna is an event.<br />
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How many people have ever walked into their kitchen and decided to make a lasagna without the benefit of a recipe? If you stick to the dense ingredients---cheese, meat, noodles---you'll probably do just fine. But then someone decides that lasagna's too indulgent and it needs some vegetables to redeem it. Crunchy, raw, watery, bland vegetables, stacked against the rich and tender joys of lasagna noodles, velvety sauce, and thick, molten mozzarella, make it look like a round of Good Cop, Bad Cop. It doesn't have to be like this. Roasted vegetables are a sought after delicacy, and a fine suitor for the layered marriage that is lasagna.<br />
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Just like when you wing it, I use no recipe. This is not a recipe for lasagna. This is a set of guidelines for making one kind of lasagna: the kind with lots of vegetables, meat, and cheese in it that eats like a meal.<br />
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The number one rule that new lasagna cooks don't seem to grasp is this: The lasagna doesn't cook your fillings for you. This seems so unfair. After all, you're going to bake the lasagna after you assemble it. Why can't you kill three or four birds with one stone?<br />
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There's no one good answer. It's a lot of answers, really, involving browning and moisture levels. If you're curious, get a subscription to <i>Cooks' Illustrated</i>, or watch some Alton Brown. The short answer is, meat and zucchini and spinach and onions won't all cook in the different ways they need to to taste their best, if you try to make them all do it from within the stuffy confines of a foil-wrapped lasagna. It's like trying to wash the bedding by taking all the layers off at once, from mattress cover to duvet, and throwing it all into the washing machine on High, only worse, because once you've made this bed, you have to eat it.<br />
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I made a very successful lasagna recently, using the abundance of our farm share: I managed to squeeze two large eggplants, a huge zucchini, and a bunch of other vegetables, including roasted tomatoes, into this lasagna. It came out creamy, dense but not heavy because so much of it is made of low-octane vegetables, and perfectly seasoned.<br />
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The way to ensure it all comes out is to make sure each layer is good before you assemble it. I figured out how to do it with as few pans as possible.<br />
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I start by preparing vegetables for roasting, following my usual instructions: don't fill the pan too full, and expect it to take at least an hour to roast a big, full pan of vegetables at 350 degrees, tossing them every 20 minutes. I use a very large iron roasting pan that's about twice the size of the 9"x13" Pyrex pan I ultimately make a lasagna in, and filling it with a couple inches of cubed vegetables yields about the right amount for a lasagna. I started the pan out with eggplant and zucchini, and after 40 minutes added onions and tomatoes.<br />
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Roast the vegetables in small cubes---about 1/2-3/4"---for the maximum amount of surface available for roasting, quicker roasting time, and so the roasted vegetables will be tender, not crisp, and won't pull away from the lasagna when you're slicing it later. You want the texture to be all very similar throughout the lasagna: soft and dense, not crunchy or chewy.<br />
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While the vegetables are beginning to roast, brown the meat, if you're using it. I like to use about a pound each of ground beef and loose hot Italian sausage. Brown them together and drain it, reserving the fat drippings to saute onion and garlic in, or to toss with the roasting vegetables.<br />
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If you want to use a leafy green vegetable in your lasagna, chop it small, and steam or saute it until it wilts. Some other tender vegetables might be sauteed instead of roasted, such as white mushrooms and leeks. As with the roasted vegetables, make sure that it's chopped into small enough pieces that you won't be pulling it out of the lasagna when you slice or bite into it with the fork.<br />
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Make or procure a sauce. Traditional is a marinara or ragu.<br />
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When the vegetables are all roasted, they will no longer be watery. Taste for salt. If they're bland, flavor them up with a splash of balsamic vinegar, salt, grated parmesan cheese, and/or a handful of fresh, minced herbs: oregano, basil, and parsley are all good.<br />
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If you're using meat or greens, reserve half a cup of your tomato sauce and then blend the meat and/or greens into the rest. Taste that and adjust, especially for salt.<br />
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You can brown the meat separately, or to save a couple of steps and pots, do this: Break up the meat, if you're using it, and scatter it over the vegetables, and put it back in the oven to roast together for ten more minutes until the meat is well browned. You can also add the tomato sauce and greens to the roasting pan and stir it up, or mix the sauce and greens together as a separate layer.
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The only ingredients I haven't yet addressed are the cheese and the pasta, which to some people, are the only components of lasagna that matter. I think most people tend to go overboard on cheese, and it's often a compensation for watery or underseasoned fillings. An even coating of shredded mozzarella, a light dusting of parmesan, a dozen quarter-sized globs of ricotta per layer: that seems about right to me. You don't even strictly need cheese at all: roasted vegetables and noodles are very creamy, and contrasted against some kale or ground beef, it's all you really need. If you do want a cheese lasagna, you'll need a minimum of 8 oz of ricotta and a pound of mozzarella, and about an ounce of a good, hard grating cheese, for a modestly cheesy pan of lasagna.<br />
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When you're assembling the lasagna, start with a little bit of sauce on the bottom of the pan (the half cup you reserved), then a layer of noodles. I like to use the no-bake kind because they're so easy to use, but you can instead boil and carefully cool pasta, taking pains to keep it from sticking to itself.<br />
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On your first noodle layer, put down a generous, half-inch layer of roasted vegetables. Then lay down some cheese. Next, a very thin to quarter-inch or so layer of the sauce, depending on whether it's got meat or greens in it. A layer of noodles, and keep going. An 8 oz box of lasagna noodles will make one 9x13 pan of lasagna with three layers.Finish it with a layer of cheese so it melts appealingly on top.<br />
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Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake it at 350 for an hour.<br />
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Serves about 8.Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-41260210648346660192012-08-27T08:01:00.001-07:002012-08-27T08:01:23.823-07:00Tacos al Pastor<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGRBKrbkSQYDU_-gR-QHdax94Wsny7CDyR67Bcud-D6fwJOvr_hkT38IMBAIkXv56COjngTuXY67yjoU708P2JaOAo0TWEQXSqGcLT2ImN6cVMDbJSw6Qet_hDzKBDBwcNhtZXABO/s1600/tacosalpastorresized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGRBKrbkSQYDU_-gR-QHdax94Wsny7CDyR67Bcud-D6fwJOvr_hkT38IMBAIkXv56COjngTuXY67yjoU708P2JaOAo0TWEQXSqGcLT2ImN6cVMDbJSw6Qet_hDzKBDBwcNhtZXABO/s320/tacosalpastorresized.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Pork and pineapple tacos al pastor are gluten-free and simple enough for weekday fare.</span> </td></tr>
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I never used to buy corn tortillas. I just didn't know how to make anything with them. My experience of so-called Mexican food was mostly of American fast food. When I moved to a new area and started seeing them in the supermarket, I didn't know what to make of a floppy corn tortilla. Aren't they supposed to be hard? Isn't that the difference between a flour tortilla and a corn one---soft vs. crunchy?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJB8SMLKmbkO44Oc9pTluyY-18HraAFCZ35OrY9NqlwCnqjnUJleoHAxwOIvIUDeK0Yf-SUnPFgzRX1Jr_8IP7FA2lSwx-8Vt7a51cB52b1F8ZPZe1lo7ajyuTeRX5GBIpTPELHI4R/s1600/tacosalpastorfixins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJB8SMLKmbkO44Oc9pTluyY-18HraAFCZ35OrY9NqlwCnqjnUJleoHAxwOIvIUDeK0Yf-SUnPFgzRX1Jr_8IP7FA2lSwx-8Vt7a51cB52b1F8ZPZe1lo7ajyuTeRX5GBIpTPELHI4R/s320/tacosalpastorfixins.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tacos al pastor is sloppy, yet simple, fare for dinner</td></tr>
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Only at the drive-thru, my friends. At the grocery store, corn tortillas come fresh. You can usually find them in the refrigerated case, or close by. They're paler than the yellow corn shells that come in taco kits at the supermarket. Look at the ingredients. You want a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixtamalization" target="_blank">nixtimalized </a>corn flour, and not too frightening a string of preservatives after that. A variety I can find locally, and which is made without preservatives, is Maria and Ricardo's. The ingredients are "ground corn treated with lime, water, and guar gum." The first ingredient, "ground corn treated with lime," is nixtimalized corn, which is what you want.<br />
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I like to get food inspirations from <i>Cooks Illustrated</i>, and then to pursue one of two ends: either to go back to the source and make the most authentic possible version of the dish described, as when I went back to the source, repeatedly, making <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2010/10/pork-and-beans.html" target="_blank"><i>cassoulet</i></a>, or alternately, make the recipe even easier without losing too much of the quality. According to the author of a recipe for tacos al pastor I found in a recent issue, this is street food, and is typically grilled. Yet <i>CI</i>'s tacos al pastor are a bit fussy for a sloppy crowd pleaser. I decided to dumb them down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylmE0ndEBunwZMDgQNzfXDBm0dH-wFDBiwqEGER_BqGUOEZlcSz-3ihLoRaAs0SfrLQy4MKriBuiot4PWH6pW0K6sOgSgQmjMih-WJxZ5EEfJ8TPuKjYkpdzDBHtbAblVwSJ9_X1g/s1600/braisedporkfortacosalpastor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylmE0ndEBunwZMDgQNzfXDBm0dH-wFDBiwqEGER_BqGUOEZlcSz-3ihLoRaAs0SfrLQy4MKriBuiot4PWH6pW0K6sOgSgQmjMih-WJxZ5EEfJ8TPuKjYkpdzDBHtbAblVwSJ9_X1g/s320/braisedporkfortacosalpastor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Braised, then broiled pork, tossed in the simmering sauce for serving as tacos al pastor</td></tr>
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In simplifying tacos al pastor, I started my modifications at the cooking method. The "al pastor" in the name means, in the style of a shepherd. "Pastor" is "shepherd," like the pastor of a "flock" of church congregants. Why is it called that? Because when you get this in a real Mexican taqueria, it's cooked on an upright spit, a method borrowed from Arab-Mexican shepherds, and the same way lamb for gyros is cooked today in most restaurants.<br />
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Feel free to grill your pork for this recipe, but I find that, for my purposes, which is just to put a little color on some already braised pork and to warm up some fruit, I don't feel called to start a charcoal fire. I feel like braising on the stovetop or in the oven, or letting the crock pot do most of the work, and then finishing it off on the broiler.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhE46A_xAtwol2ecPRKko5FQf8mOCoM5v2WkT5Wckvpx-uLOv25R45gLTLVraG1dfc-zNhK6C_Qb8ipBftbQ-4CKmhqunnXja4qjTHEa-jjAazIwyoAOBZ2plJEf3AstoDCsEHODc/s1600/tacoalpastorwithcabbageonside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhE46A_xAtwol2ecPRKko5FQf8mOCoM5v2WkT5Wckvpx-uLOv25R45gLTLVraG1dfc-zNhK6C_Qb8ipBftbQ-4CKmhqunnXja4qjTHEa-jjAazIwyoAOBZ2plJEf3AstoDCsEHODc/s320/tacoalpastorwithcabbageonside.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taco al pastor with a side of braised cabbage and carrots</td></tr>
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Souza has you braise the meat on the stovetop, but you can also do this in a crock pot. He also makes quite the fetish of exactly what type and number of chiles to use, and again, I riff and take shortcuts, use what's on hand. My farm share has included a lot of fresh hot peppers of all varieties in the last few weeks: anaheims, jalapenos, serranos. I pureed the fresh peppers with tomatoes, garlic, and spices, added a drop of liquid smoke, and simmered sliced pork butt in it until it fell apart. Then I put the sliced meat and pineapple on a broiler and gave everything a few minutes, just to begin to brown, and served it on warm corn tortillas with garnishes of scallions, cilantro, and lime.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/login.asp?docid=35744" target="_blank">Spicy Pork Tacos (al Pastor) in Cooks' Illustrated</a> (login required)Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-6179803441033214872012-08-01T09:36:00.003-07:002012-08-01T09:36:54.377-07:00How to harvest the fruits of the field<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_DWPp8ngpZeYjGlfU3wuzhQX4yt_8lHO8euTHAT-WwoZOH6dO68b5_1HcUBNTdkwNssDGNu1xeGT3iqclaboHwlV4GaJz7T37BWZXTUlhzdRV7nwJcnimjOm81vjkmyrOvdTiT41/s1600/bag+of+cherry+tomatoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_DWPp8ngpZeYjGlfU3wuzhQX4yt_8lHO8euTHAT-WwoZOH6dO68b5_1HcUBNTdkwNssDGNu1xeGT3iqclaboHwlV4GaJz7T37BWZXTUlhzdRV7nwJcnimjOm81vjkmyrOvdTiT41/s320/bag+of+cherry+tomatoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.27302609756588936" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Advice on picking beans, berries, tomatoes, and more this summer.</i></span></span></b></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.27302609756588936" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’ve got a you-pick as part of your farm share, or you’re planning to go to a commercial you-pick farm this season, you’ll want to be prepared to make the best of your time. Going out for the fun of berry picking or choosing a jack o’ lantern pumpkin is one thing, but if you’re out there to bring in a harvest of food for your pantry or freezer, you will want to make the most of your time.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fruit or vegetable?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But what if I want vegetables? you ask right away, thinking of green beans, tomatoes. In fact, most you-pick fields are for fruit: tomatoes are a botanical fruit, not a vegetable, as are pumpkins, eggplants, peppers. Green beans are seed pods; not exactly fruit, but closer to the meaning of the word than vegetable, which is everything else: undifferentiated plant matter. When I think of harvesting a vegetable, I think of taking the whole plant, or at least the parts it’s using: leaves, stems. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not that easy</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My first job harvesting, I merely held the clipboard while my new boss, Terry, wielded the machete, decapitating cabbages neatly at ground level. I began to understand that harvesting is a skill, not something to stumble into and expect to be any good at.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The cabbage harvest came in January; it was in Florida, with growing seasons all year round. My next lessons in bringing in the crop would come with my mother-in-law, who took me with her to the strawberry you-pick fields. Here, I got lessons that could be more broadly applied. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make hay while the sun shines</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make the time to pick when the picking is easy, or you will lose too much of your time to gleaning instead of getting a high return on your investment. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bring containers</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bring containers to pick into that will protect easily bruised fruit. I bring stacks of plastic quart yogurt containers to pick berries and herbs into. Green beans are sturdy and can be picked into a cloth grocery sack. Tomatoes need sturdy-sided buckets to help prevent crushing.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t be a redneck (unless you want to)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wear a hat and clothing that will protect your neck from the sun. The term “redneck” comes from the burn a farmer gets across the back of his neck, working outside. If you pick shirtless, you may end up with your neck and shoulders blackened while your belly remains as pale as it started, because to pick, you must bend, kneel, squat, or otherwise get down as close as possible to plant level. Child labor begins to make sense, here.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hide and seek</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The fruits of most plants will hide under the leaves, if they can, to avoid burning in the sun. You can’t see the ripe fruit easily by standing over the rows and surveying the leaves. Your eyes will try to pick out the color of sweet berries, and will find only the sunburnt outermost leaves of plants, crisp against the sandy bed. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Push back the leaves so you can see the stems, and let your eyes adjust. It can take several seconds of focus on the inner parts of the plant before your brain can play the “Where’s Waldo?” game it was designed to play: find the food.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This focus is particularly important when the food isn’t bright red and round. Ripe green bean pods look very much like the stems of green bean plants. The critical eye you are developing in the field is for what the ripe fruit looks like, so it leaps to your eye.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eat some</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If it can be eaten raw, brush off any visible dirt and have a bite. It helps motivate you for the picking and processing, and if your body is pleased with the food, it may help you find it more easily while you’re out there in the field, picking.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Avoid waste</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t bother to pick the underripe, the overripe, the split and the damaged. Nothing gets bigger after it’s picked, and most fruit will not continue to ripen. Strawberries don’t ripen after you pick them; tomatoes, once they’ve reached mature green (a paler shade), tomatoes will ripen off the vine. Don’t pick more than you can clean and process before it begins to wilt. Don’t pick what you don’t like to eat.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bottom up</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Note where the ripe fruit is on the first plants, and continue to look in those places on subsequent plants. Tomatoes ripen in hands, or clusters, from the bottom to the top of the staked vine. Work your way methodically down the row, not skipping the first or last plants in the row, or those that have fallen over or been overtaken by weeds. In fact, gleaning after other you-pickers, who are inevitably amateurs, you find that these are precisely the places that the leery avoid. Some of the fattest berries are in the tall weeds on the edge of the patch.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Processing</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you get your haul home, clean and process it as quickly as possible. Enlist friends and family to help with the processing. It’s the most boring part, and the easiest for even the unskilled and uncoordinated to do.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wash everything gently and thoroughly. Discard anything you’ve brought home that isn’t fit to eat. Remove tips and strings from green beans, hull berries, blanch and skin tomatoes … research the food you’re going to put up before you even set out, so you know what will be involved after you come home from the fields.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clean up and plan something easy for dinner.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rest.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You earned it.</span></b>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Read more on "<a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/getting-best-from-your-farm-share.html" target="_blank">Getting the best from your farm share</a>"</i></span></b>Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-22702328162664752622012-07-18T11:17:00.003-07:002013-07-14T15:38:59.104-07:00Kimchi Soup (Kimchi chigae)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0goywN040f0WFchDLvBY5dZ6RLwD2o9cvdwSl0b2DGZ6XZwMFVsWNi6ZIZfoMWKPpMrvk_2O32EuDGohTPRGV_HDJRlhNR3XdfRiKNKlGpV6ohocHLk0uInGYfH8t0L29SbDOVjVn/s1600/617082366_484126cb48_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0goywN040f0WFchDLvBY5dZ6RLwD2o9cvdwSl0b2DGZ6XZwMFVsWNi6ZIZfoMWKPpMrvk_2O32EuDGohTPRGV_HDJRlhNR3XdfRiKNKlGpV6ohocHLk0uInGYfH8t0L29SbDOVjVn/s320/617082366_484126cb48_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Spicy Korean kimchi soup is just the thing for a hot, hot day.</span></b></span></h3>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.04882384231314063" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recently, I’m really into this spicy Korean soup of pork, tofu, and kimchi called </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi_jjigae" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">kimchijigae</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, or <i>kimchi chigae</i>. I started ordering it from a Korean restaurant in Northampton, SooRa, and then I had it at Gohyang, the Korean restaurant in Hadley, the next town over, for comparison. I liked the SooRa experience more, possibly for sentimental reasons, because they were nice about how weird Kevin and I were the first time we went in there, on one of our post-bicycling food adventures, famished and just mowing through the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">banchan</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, pickles that accompany a traditional Korean meal, to the point of needing a whole round of seconds. </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.04882384231314063" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Kimchi chigae</i> is principally flavored by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">kimchi </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and another traditional fermented ingredient, a savory fermented paste of soybeans, rice, chili peppers, and salt called </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">kochujang</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This is a flavor that was not familiar to me before I started eating more traditional East Asian foods, and one I would describe as almost yeasty. An ingredient that is commonly used instead of <i>kochujang</i>, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doenjang"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>doenjang</i></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, is another fermented bean paste with that same earthy, yeasty essence. On my second visit to SooRa, the restaurant that introduced me to <i>kimchi chigae</i>, I ordered a different soup, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">doenjang chigae</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which the waitress described as quintessential Korean dish, and it was sour and savory, without the brightness of kimchi.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kimchi chigae is made very sour and spicy from the kimchi and a finely ground red pepper. The bulk of the soup is usually made with fresh cabbage as well as large amounts of fermented cabbage in the form of kimchi, and small amounts of pork and tofu. It’s eaten with rice and some sides of pickled vegetables. Each time Kevin and I made our way to a Korean restaurant, I sweated and slurped through my bowls of <i>kimchi chigae</i> and swore to learn how to make it myself.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I like to have <a href="http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/the-good-life-food-insecurity/" target="_blank">food security</a>, and one way I feel food secure is being able to make the foods that I really love to eat. I don’t like having to rely on someone else to provide a food I want. For a little while, I love the thrill of having favorite dishes that I can only get in certain restaurants, but pretty soon, I need to be able to replicate it at home. This is how my repertoire becomes peppered with recipes. For a while, I had access to a good Indian grocery and cookbooks, and learned to make several dishes, starting with what I loved to eat at my favorite Indian restaurant and then expanding into other dishes that used ingredients I wanted to cook. Now I can also make a handful of East Asian dishes, mostly what qualifies as “junk” or snack food, and so is familiar from restaurants: Pad Thai, phô. A copy of </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RCJPOK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=justcasc-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003RCJPOK" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Take-Out Menu Cookbook</i></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> has made its way into my home, and while it does not include Korean, it is of an ambitious breadth, including such items as bagels from scratch and your own Thai curry pastes.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To learn how to make this new soup I was crazy about, I looked for recipes for </span><a href="http://koreanfood.about.com/od/soupsandstews/r/Kimchichigae.htm" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>kimchi chigae</i></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> online, letting Google lead me to the proper name for “korean pork and tofu stew,” which I’d forgotten, finding several and amalgamating them to come to an idea of what a typical kimchi chigae consists of. When I wanted to learn to make phô, I did the same thing, studying different recipes until I had a platonic ideal of it in my head to riff off of. There’s no point in precision when it comes to dishes like this: every household will make it differently, and it’s made from living ingredients and leftovers, so it resists exact duplication. That’s the art part of cooking, separate from the science.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The one ingredient that has proven difficult to find is the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">kochujang</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I’ve been scouring every store in bicycling range for this ingredient, and come up nearly empty-handed. Even </span><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/trans-world-food-market-hadley" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tran’s International Market</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which seemingly has a whole aisle dedicated to bean pastes, did not have exactly what I was looking for. A national brand, Annie Chun’s, did not inspire, either, because like the only variety of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">kochujang </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">that I did find at Tran’s, it contained wheat flour, making it unsuitable for my gluten-free husband. Also, because they were all shelf stable, I can only assume they were not <a href="http://tinfoiltoque.blogspot.com/2012/07/living-foods.html" target="_blank">living</a>.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What I should have found was something like what I ended up substituting, which was miso. Every place I’ve shopped, looking for kochujang or doenjang and kimchi, have all had selections of misos in their refrigerated cases. We’ve been using some red miso plus a healthy shot of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha_sauce_(Huy_Fong_Foods)" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sriracha sauce</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to get the kochujang effect in both the kimchi chigae I’ve been making about once a week for dinner, and in Kevin’s breakfast soup.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The other main flavoring in the soup is the kimchi, preferably kimchi that’s been sitting around in your fridge for a while, because it has more beneficial bacteria in it and a stronger flavor. Real kimchi is cultured, as are all traditionally made pickles. When shopping for kimchi, sauerkraut, or any kind of pickle, look for it in the refrigerated case. The ingredients should include only vegetables, salt, and water. There’s no vinegar in a real pickle. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A local company called </span><a href="http://www.realpickles.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Real Pickles</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in Greenfield, MA describes their traditional pickling processes on their website. They make an “</span><a href="http://www.realpickles.com/products_asian.html" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Asian style cabbage</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” pickle available at <a href="http://rivervalleymarket.coop/" target="_blank">River Valley Market</a>. (The prices from their online store are comparatively high; it’s expensive to ship glass. Another reason to buy local.) It’s a more refined version of the kimchi I have eaten elsewhere, make of very coarsely chopped cabbage and streaky red with chili peppers. The Real Pickles variety of kimchi is fairly mild, light in color, contains leeks, ginger, and garlic as well as cabbage and peppers, and the pieces are more finely minced than other varieties of kimchi I’ve sampled. I prefer its flavor to several other varieties I've tried, though because it varies so much from the standard I've come to accept, it somehow doesn't seem as authentic. It's at least as authentic as <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/greek-moussaka-in-new-england-with.html" target="_blank">last summer's moussaka</a>: the real thing is always subject to change, including relocation.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gohyang has an attached grocery store where they make their own kimchi. I’ve missed them being open before---I’ve stopped there a couple of times during the day, only to be reminded by their posted hours that they only do a dinner business. But there is another local flavor to add to my cooking pot when I get the chance.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><i><a href="http://tinfoiltoque.blogspot.com/2012/07/living-foods.html" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Read more about living foods </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on my other food blog, Tin Foil Toque.</span></i></b>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Photo credit:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></i></b><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ventoetc/" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #0063dc; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">charlie applebottom</a>/Flickr</i></span>Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com2Northampton, MA, USA42.3250896 -72.641201342.278131099999996 -72.7201653 42.3720481 -72.5622373tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-85998272753478503232012-06-09T11:21:00.000-07:002012-06-09T11:21:17.530-07:00Braised pork foreleg and belly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RvajunrDr4XWLYmqSnoGTAqt40SWbC-eVkKy5PPKE2knmKHKkgD4PostAAMuwiRl13rddvStq9M6sjKEffKnuXBKmjzlyjM0lr3L5hUMG8d_rQYt5w5xkbAk7W0yxvRvTOS8ipIZ/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RvajunrDr4XWLYmqSnoGTAqt40SWbC-eVkKy5PPKE2knmKHKkgD4PostAAMuwiRl13rddvStq9M6sjKEffKnuXBKmjzlyjM0lr3L5hUMG8d_rQYt5w5xkbAk7W0yxvRvTOS8ipIZ/s320/029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8152198046445847" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are eating the last bits of the half a pig we bought late last year. This week, I braised two forelegs and the last two pieces of pork belly that were in the freezer.</span></b></h3>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8152198046445847" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are two challenges to working with this pig, both challenges that I relish. One is to use as much of the pig as possible, while minimizing the overwhelming porkiness. I put whole pig’s feet from this farmer into a pot of split peas, once, and ruined them, because these are not my father’s pig’s feet. I wrote a micro essay for </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meatpaper </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in which I described the way my father would eat the pig’s feet that my mother would braise in tomato sauce. Even as a child, trying to eat one of those fatty trotters was a disappointment. There’s no meat on them, just bone and connective tissue, which are great for making silky, rich sauces, but on a pastured pig, there is also nothing porkier. The scent and flavor are strongly musky, almost human. And there lies the second challenge in working with this pig: being pasture raised, it ate a rich diet that makes it taste more like a pig than grain-fed pork raised in commercial operations, like what you buy in the supermarket and what my mother bought to put in her sauce.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My farmer tells me there are several factors that make a pig porkier tasting, including breed, diet, and exercise. This pig foraged in woods, ate bugs and roots, and had room to run around. The color of the animal’s skin is supposed to speak to the depth of flavor, too, with red pigs having redder, stronger-tasting flesh. Our pig has white skin, which I removed this time before cooking. I’ve braised some belly before with the skin on, and decided I could do with a milder flavor. Besides, I was also going to braise the forelegs, which I was sure would be stinky.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Previous experiments with this pig have proven that the best approach to the tough and flavorful bony cuts, like the ribs, has been to marinate the meat in a mojo criollo type of mixture (OJ, oil, and garlic is the barest-bones version of this), then rub it with dry spices, sear the ribs, then braise, finishing it with a barbecue sauce in the last hour or so of cooking. I’ve also had excellent results braising pork belly with strong spices and aromatics. The cooking is the same for the ribs as for the belly: sear, then braise. I decided to bring my simpler belly process to the forelegs, and braise everything together until the forelegs fell apart.</span><br />
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I worked from a recipe for </span><a href="http://www.asianenticement.com/chinese-braised-pork-belly-recipe/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chinese Braised Pork Belly</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, made a couple substitutions (brown sugar for rock candy, jarred minced ginger for fresh), left out the eggs, and added water as necessary to braise. I have a giant, extremely heavy cast iron roasting pan that deserves some of the credit for the excellent results I get using it to roast vegetables and meat. The steady heat that it holds, and how hot the surfaces get, all do an amazing job. One of the disadvantages of cooking in a typical home kitchen like mine, compared to the kitchens in restaurants and on cooking shows, is that their stovetops and ovens can get much hotter than mine. Iron helps even the score.</span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To take the skin off, you want a very sharp knife. I sharpened my knife twice during this process, because taking off skin requires sharpness, and cutting through tendon and hitting bone will dull the blade considerably. After taking the skin and foot off one foreleg, I needed to sharpen up again for the next.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking the skins off the squares of belly is not unlike skinning a fish fillet or taking a chicken breast off the bone. I hacked the shit out of these bellies, like I did the first few times I filleted salmon. Not that anyone cared after it was cooked.</span></b>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I cut a long incision in the skin, worked the knife under it, and kept the tension on the skin as I worked, in order to remove as little fat as possible, and no meat. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To take the feet off, I cut through the skin around the foot at the "wrist," just above the thumb-looking toes. There are strong connective tissues on the front, rear, and sides of the joint, and running through the middle of the bones. After cutting through the outer connections with a knife and clearing the way between the bones, I used a pair of kitchen shears to cut the ligament in the middle.
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">After searing the meat in the roasting pan, I added the other ingredients from the recipe, including water, and began to braise at 250 for several hours, turning the pieces over every hour or so, to allow for browning above the liquid.</span></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvbzYEpjAUxrP1cyu5a1EHiKDJXBjtLTUb8mlLbMEgDNjklW8yJEiicmWjEmtlnKwFljf1nSqdWCmw39EJDClH9qen9xdWIov0zUPH4sFGUbuGaqtGEU_vTJsjRDcH94GAsmohAeA/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvbzYEpjAUxrP1cyu5a1EHiKDJXBjtLTUb8mlLbMEgDNjklW8yJEiicmWjEmtlnKwFljf1nSqdWCmw39EJDClH9qen9xdWIov0zUPH4sFGUbuGaqtGEU_vTJsjRDcH94GAsmohAeA/s320/024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each of these forelegs was good for more than one generous serving of meat. We ate the braised foreleg and belly together, which was a good combination because the fat content averaged out nicely between the fairly lean forelegs, which are a lot like turkey legs in the amount of connective tissue and the leanness of the meat, and the extremely fatty belly.</span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the picture above, the sliced belly is between three and five o'clock, most of one foreleg is from five to nine, and along the top is the remnants of another foreleg after we'd already savaged it.</span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We ate from these for a few meals, eating bits of the foreleg and belly over lentils and rice. This morning we finished it off for breakfast with pancakes. It was so good that Kevin started singing “Pork and Pancakes” to the tune of the Hallelujah chorus in Handel’s Messiah.</span></b><br />
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</div>Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-14105996819731197222012-05-25T12:10:00.001-07:002012-05-25T12:10:23.124-07:00Recipe: Roman hash<span id="internal-source-marker_0.7109075686894357"><b><img height="375px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/BxuIRU3MPjEmJM35OyaYuYEfF4y112FJJbEvLEJRY-o4_B4XYwf9tIwGhyKm4Ag9sUyRNax9bFBWf8__uHuHCocPp_xta_dlexgKrOxpFdKZefa-BmI" width="500px;" /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">The types of greens or potatoes you use in Roman Hash are up to you; you can even choose to fry the potatoes in bacon fat, or skip the cheese at the end. If you use both very hearty greens (such as collards) and very delicate greens (such as arugula), chop them into separate bowls, and add the heartier greens to the pan first.</span><br />
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<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Serves 4 as a light meal or a substantial side dish.</span></span><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ingredients</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">⅓ cup olive oil</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4 medium potatoes, boiled </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3 medium tomatoes, or comparable quantity of canned whole tomatoes, diced (not canned diced tomatoes): about a pound</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6+ cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7+ cups of washed, loosely packed, chopped cooking greens (e.g. collards, kale, mustard greens, dandelion greens, arugula, chard)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">½ tsp salt, or to taste</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">¼ tsp freshly ground pepper, to taste</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pecorino Romano or your favorite hard grating cheese, to taste (optional)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Equipment Needed</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Large (14-inch or larger) nonstick skillet (an iron skillet is preferable)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Large pot with a lid</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colander</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cutting board and knife</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Garlic press (preferable but not required)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fine grater for cheese (if using)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slice the boiled potatoes into half-inch thick rounds. Put the skillet on a medium-high flame and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the potato slices in a single layer. Allow the potatoes to cook, undisturbed, for several minutes until they are lightly browned. Salt and pepper, and turn and redistribute the potatoes as needed to brown and heat the slices.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Add the tomatoes and garlic and stir, allowing the potato slices to break up. Cook for a few minutes, salt and pepper some more, then add the greens, stirring in a large handful at a time and allowing them to wilt slightly to make room for more. Continue to cook and stir until the greens are completely wilted and the dish is not too soupy. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve with a grating of hard cheese, if desired.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span>Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-89787032736461146102012-04-30T18:54:00.001-07:002012-04-30T18:54:56.708-07:00Quick braised hearty greens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How to shop for, prepare, and love kale and collards.<br />
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Our winter vegetable share has ended, and our summer share has not yet begun to produce. The winter farmer's market, where I was getting some early salad and braising greens, is over and the summer market will not start until next month. I find myself more often at the supermarket and the co-op, choosing from among the imports. Even my potatoes and cabbage are being shipped from California.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDNX5La37VeagVhVJCDCwfDYidd2-Jqr-y-JfmI3sRK8LhL-TNOIjDXSGiKzB5rfdsAvyXYIL2z666mHsFZxjYXTsWVx9xQ-1WEpvrY-g-R6qCoaWemCciC-Xi8mGoeMODwJpPpCe/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDNX5La37VeagVhVJCDCwfDYidd2-Jqr-y-JfmI3sRK8LhL-TNOIjDXSGiKzB5rfdsAvyXYIL2z666mHsFZxjYXTsWVx9xQ-1WEpvrY-g-R6qCoaWemCciC-Xi8mGoeMODwJpPpCe/s320/019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butter paneer masala over rice with a side of kale</td></tr>
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There are spring foods, and I'm glad to add them back into my diet: raw milk returns, including the locally made cheese that I make into <a href="http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/06/16/butter-paneer-masala/">butter paneer masala</a>.<br />
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When the asparagus comes in, I make it every other meal. But mainly, spring is still about living on reserves of starchy vegetables, meat, and grain put by the year before. I think a green vegetable is necessary, too. In winter, we eat more cabbage in the rotation, and in summer, there's more green salad and a lot less cooked greens. In spring, when I run out or asparagus for a minute, it's back to the leafy greens.<br />
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I like kale and collards because I can prepare them simply, and use them interchangeably in other dishes or as a simple side. They're the foundation of a <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/vegetables-for-breakfast.html">breakfast of lightly fried eggs over greens</a>, and go into stew or beside a chop for lunch or dinner. While it's traditional to boil the hell out of them, they don't need to be cooked long to be thoroughly cooked, and they're also good just barely steamed. You can even eat them raw as salad, if you shred them or they're young and tender enough. Some foods we eat year round, and leafy greens are among them.<br />
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The dark leafy greens, along with other coles and green vegetables, are <a href="http://tinfoiltoque.blogspot.com/2011/10/pick-new-plate-how-myplate-fails.html">deserving of their own food group</a>. The coles include cabbage, kale, and collards, as well as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and other, non-cole leafy greens include mustard, calaloo, and dandelion, though these are by no means exhaustive lists.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/rendering-beef-fat-for-perfect-french.html">Oven-baked suet fries</a> and buttered, <br />
grilled asparagus pair with <br />
mustard-brown sugar glazed salmon.</td></tr>
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I fall back on a few ways that I will prepare dark green leafy vegetables. This is a practice for braising simple and flavorful greens that go with anything and everything.<br />
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<b>How to prepare dark leafy greens:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>When you're purchasing collards, especially, make sure the leaves are crisp and fresh, not wilted and sagging. Avoid collards that have many tears or marks on them from insects.</li>
<li>To wash them, fill your sink halfway with cold water and gently swish and rub the leaves in the water. Rub both sides of collards leaves lightly under the water to remove residue: even organically grown greens have soap and dirt on them. (If this seems like too much trouble, consider that organic, ready-to-eat, pre-washed greens are washed with a chlorine bleach solution, and are sometimes recalled for spreading infection instead of destroying them.) Shake them dry.</li>
<li>Inspect the leaves for bad parts to remove: any place that is wilted, brown or black, or otherwise shows evidence of insects having eaten it. Look for the eggs of insects that are sometimes found on the underside (the matte, light green side) of the leaves, and tear out these parts of the leaf.</li>
<li>Cut or tear the thick parts of the stems from the leaves of collards and kale.</li>
<b>Tip:</b> If you're feeling really thrifty, you can chop all but the woodiest stems and start them in a braising liquid, then add the chopped leaves near the end.<br />
<li>Gather the leaves into a roll or pile and slice them. A very thin slice looks elegant and is a nice texture under something delicate like a fried egg. A big, thick slice goes well with something like sausage or potatoes.</li>
<li>Start some fat over medium-high heat in an iron skillet: at least a tablespoon or so or olive oil, butter, or bacon grease. Add a little thinly sliced onion, some red pepper flake. When the onion is lightly browned, add minced garlic or ginger if you like.</li>
<li>Add the greens in large handfuls that nearly fill the pan. Move the greens around, cover if necessary to get the greens to wilt down. Salt what's in the pan, then add more greens. When all of the greens are in, add a liquid: just water is okay, but wine can be nice, and stock is my favorite. You only need enough to steam the greens: about a quarter of a cup will do. Cover and turn the heat down very low. They'll be ready to eat in ten minutes or less.</li>
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If you're in a hurry, skip the aromatics and just wilt the greens in some hot fat.<br />
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If you're <i>really </i>in a hurry, just steam the greens in stock.Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-51814123930244278292012-04-10T09:25:00.000-07:002012-04-10T09:25:19.020-07:00Rendering beef fat for perfect French fried potatoes<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>How to transform a lump of animal fat and some dirty tubers into that crisp divinity, the perfect French fry.</i></div>
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<br />Rendering beef fat is a smelly business. It looks and feels like stinky candles. It takes hours to render any quantity of raw cubed fat, and the odor is unpleasant and weird. But it’s worth it. Once you’ve rendered a bunch of suet, you’ve got a very hard, creamy cooking fat that’s good for all kinds of uses. <br /><br />When you cook down balsamic vinegar into a syrup, the harsh part aromatizes. It’s in the air. I went to my girlfriend’s house when she was making a reduction, last week, and the wave of vinegar hit me in right the nose as I walked in. But then I ate the balsamic reduction---a little scoop of the gooey stuff on a pear slice had me agog with wonder---and realized that the harsh part was gone. Same with rendering fat. Like the last time I made a big batch of fish stock, I get some criticism for stinking up the joint making these preparations, but zero complaints about the food that results. <div>
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Rendering removes the impurities. The nasty smells cook off, and there will be some chunky stuff left over that you’ll throw away. What you keep is smooth, hard, and a whole lot better for you than shortening or vegetable oil. It’s prized for making flaky pie crusts, crispy batter-fried fish, and the kind of French fries that built a <a href="http://tinfoiltoque.blogspot.com/2012/03/industrial-imperialism-exporting-flavor.html">fast food empire</a>. <div>
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I wrote this week on my other food blog, <a href="http://tinfoiltoque.blogspot.com/2012/04/meat-and-potatoes.html">Tin Foil Toque</a>, about how McDonald’s used to use a mostly-beef fat solution for their famous fries. They still use some kind of animal product to flavor their potatoes, even after switching to vegetable oil for frying, because that is what their fries are supposed to smell and taste like. If you’ve fried fresh potatoes in oil at home, perhaps you were disappointed that the result was not as mouth-watering as what you could get at the drive-through. However, if you make your own fries at home using tallow, you can get the ur-experience that McDonald’s used to deliver, and which has become nearly unknown in its original form: French fried potatoes fried in beef fat. You can still get the modern, industrial version: genetically modified Russet Burbanks coated with “natural flavors” and fried in the oil of genetically modified grass seeds. <br /><br />Or, if you prefer your food to nourish you instead of kill you, if you are sufficiently motivated, and you have access to high quality fat from pastured cattle, you can make the most perfect fries ever: crisp, not greasy, with lots of umami, and best of all, good for you. </div>
<h4>
How to render beef fat:</h4>
<div>
Start with the best quality fat you can get. Trimmings from roasts and steaks can be saved in the freezer until you have enough to work with, though I usually get it in large lumps of 1-2 lbs, frozen, from the slaughterhouse with my beef order from local farmers. Pastured cattle makes the healthiest fat. <br /> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRMiFIbZItdPNZXzbO_LOPCOZO9uU9SvMyiNZLI1c7RWfKfzhlEaqMyh2jfg4Qs-Ruq0KSyqTQAICCO2bX8yOz0490l3-Y7m5xP1b-I2EmE90xjMgZv3H_5RsllsaOeBkVqm-S8JH/s1600/038.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRMiFIbZItdPNZXzbO_LOPCOZO9uU9SvMyiNZLI1c7RWfKfzhlEaqMyh2jfg4Qs-Ruq0KSyqTQAICCO2bX8yOz0490l3-Y7m5xP1b-I2EmE90xjMgZv3H_5RsllsaOeBkVqm-S8JH/s320/038.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Raw beef fat is thick and waxy.</span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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Use a very sharp knife for handling fat, as it’s slippery and contains tougher tissues within it that offer more resistance. <br /><ol>
<li>Trim any visible meat or other tissue and throw it away or save it for stock. Cube the fat into roughly one-inch cubes or, for faster results, mince the fat. </li>
<li>Roast the fat in a casserole dish, roasting pan, or Dutch oven at 250° F. Open or closed both work, but a closed dish stinks a lot less. </li>
<li>Stir or shake the pan a few times during the day. If you don’t chop the fat finely, this can take several hours. Even if you do, it can take a couple of hours. </li>
<li>When you’re no longer making any progress (the stuff that won’t dissolve isn’t getting any smaller), call it quits. </li>
<li>Strain the fat through cheesecloth into a glass jar. Throw away the solid parts. The rendered fat will keep in your fridge for at least a month. You can also firm it up in any sort of mold, like in <a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/04/homemade-beef-tallow-a-simple-and-convenient-way-to-store-it.html">ice cube trays or muffin pans</a>, then freeze the molded chunks so you can grab a bit of tallow any time you need a bit of tasty cooking fat. </li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEe7tJP5yFIOKgGMek_G4VcLJ8hApn0ATL09pbY-2Ix1AytBfC7CF3CtihPB_l4s1wXsckVc363Fu5sFKjgp63WZK4TNqY8FIldCbr__TyFGLcGGpAmBs-ebdNeXzd2OWvPhBG2tK/s1600/049.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEe7tJP5yFIOKgGMek_G4VcLJ8hApn0ATL09pbY-2Ix1AytBfC7CF3CtihPB_l4s1wXsckVc363Fu5sFKjgp63WZK4TNqY8FIldCbr__TyFGLcGGpAmBs-ebdNeXzd2OWvPhBG2tK/s320/049.JPG" /></a></div>
<h4>
Pigging out on ribs and fries</h4>
The first thing I did with my freshly rendered tallow was to deep-fry French fries. I admit that I wasn’t entirely sure that tallow would give good results, because I hadn’t cooked with it before. Would my potatoes taste like my house smelled on rendering day? Would they be soggy?<br /><br />Friends, they were perfect. The reason the potatoes get so crisp is because the fat has so little moisture. Compare the texture of refrigerated beef tallow to butter, and you start to understand what makes that delicious, suet-flavored crispness in fries, but also in other foods I’ve eaten: empanadas are best made with suet, now that I recognize the effect.<br /><br />I made ribs with the fries, and some cole slaw, and we ate such a pig-out meal, I felt like I was completing a religious rite, it was all so carefully sourced and prepared. This is what I mean when I say that I make comfort food. French fries and pork ribs are supremely familiar, comfortable, and delicious, and yet also a little special. My mother didn’t make these foods; we got them from Chinese take-out and from the fast food drive-through, and later, when I was older, from cheap barbecue joint holes in the wall I found with my friends, and expensive hipster dives in cities, where they fried the potatoes in duck fat. <br /> <br />This is food that I’ve enjoyed most of my life, and for most of that time, it was both mysterious and dirty: bad for me, irreproducible. Now I know how to make pork ribs (I’ll share that recipe with you another time), and how to make fries. I know how to transform a lump of fat and some dirty tubers into the food that has become more American than apple pie. Not only do I know how to make the food, but I know how to make it so that it doesn’t make me feel sick or guilty, or wonder what was in it. I know what distinguishes the pig in my freezer from the one at the closest supermarket, my fries from McD’s. I know which parts are miracle, and which are cheap tricks.<br /><br />Now, it is medicine food. <br /><br />Real, good food is better than magic.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1G_5wEWyolJZ2xZM9jUPRDaqUyJwLb89H1WjN4BW9ijjUV67mGcLE198Q2aoIGEh7o_NnUVSk7hVOLU292hKnW-axEfhgrWG6XvycS-e7CzIvQpMowYGcdq9YWL-7E82L_2FWQ_s/s1600/048.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1G_5wEWyolJZ2xZM9jUPRDaqUyJwLb89H1WjN4BW9ijjUV67mGcLE198Q2aoIGEh7o_NnUVSk7hVOLU292hKnW-axEfhgrWG6XvycS-e7CzIvQpMowYGcdq9YWL-7E82L_2FWQ_s/s320/048.JPG" /></a> </div>
<h4>
How to make French fries:</h4>
The secret to crispy fries is twice-frying. Slice your potatoes as thin or thick as you like them. I favor a steak-cut thickness, and keep the skins on. Get your heavy pot of fat nice and hot, and fry a small quantity of potatoes at a time to keep the temperature steady. Fry them once for five minutes, then scoop them out and let them drain on paper towels. Let them sit until you’re almost ready to eat. Then fry the potatoes again in batches, one minute per batch, and drain again on paper towels. Salt them right after they come out of the fat the second time. Serve immediately.<br /><br />After frying, strain the fat while it’s still fairly warm. Let it cool and put it back in the fridge. Unless you’re frying fish or something else really smelly, you can generally strain and re-use the fat for frying. I use masking tape and a Sharpie to label anything I put in the refrigerator, and in the case of rendered beef fat, I will also note what I’ve fried in it.<br /><br /><h4>
Oven fries</h4>
Frying takes a lot of fat. And frankly, my husband and I both prefer the taste and texture of roasted root vegetables. Fries can be a fun treat, and sometimes they’re just what I’m craving. But for the most part, I’m much more likely to roast up a pan of sliced potatoes with a hearty dollop of beef fat (which I take right out of the fry-fat jar). It takes longer to bake---about an hour on 350°, turning them every ten minutes---but is less trouble, doesn’t tie up a quart of fat, and tastes just as suet-y and crispy as the deep-fried kind. <div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-19569900603664683182012-03-17T18:19:00.000-07:002012-03-17T18:19:35.281-07:00What's for dinnerI will sometimes take a picture of my dinner, especially if I'm thinking of this blog and want to document what we're eating. I like the idea of doing this often enough to get a seasonal portrait of our food. I can come back around next year in late winter, before the fresh spring food appears, and see what I came up with to eat. Last year around this time, I discovered <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/two-winter-salads.html">crunchy, spicy salads</a>. In the past year, <a href="http://justincascio.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/our-human-polyculture/">we've learned to eat gluten-free</a>, and have been eating even more whole animals.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbi9fM54ZgP8F9gFUAjiCVA4dst_mWpSayCzjyLtFRjZfcggAb2byGrfp9j2HDSLleGjBIZ1gY-v88Qyi9Rc5uCWqTk1mCpBmUlWlUTmioJVVSMefZ2h1SxBbF5gMawXjCPZTDH19v/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbi9fM54ZgP8F9gFUAjiCVA4dst_mWpSayCzjyLtFRjZfcggAb2byGrfp9j2HDSLleGjBIZ1gY-v88Qyi9Rc5uCWqTk1mCpBmUlWlUTmioJVVSMefZ2h1SxBbF5gMawXjCPZTDH19v/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/butchering-turkey-into-boneless-roasts.html">Turkey legs from Thanksgiving</a>, out of the freezer and stewed with tomatoes, cumin, and jalapeño, served with roasted root vegetables</td></tr>
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Roasted vegetables are one of those dishes I like to make a lot of, and from whatever's in season. Through the winter, I like to make pans of roasted root vegetables and big pots of steamed kale, then <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/convenience-food.html">eat them til they're almost gone and then do it again</a>. I learned long ago there's no shame in warming up something left over, and even less if you make something else fresh to serve alongside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhap8HGIjEBYW9xgXyVAeT9NY1Bk4xjUUauSNrgpf90l2AW6Qi-Sz_88R6fYoPW-jK6rztsLI7OA7Z5Kx5LWOGU1U46vUNuPaYXicjqx3OdJxY1Ms_bTWIwATHU6N8KhTr1kNLyBUDs/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhap8HGIjEBYW9xgXyVAeT9NY1Bk4xjUUauSNrgpf90l2AW6Qi-Sz_88R6fYoPW-jK6rztsLI7OA7Z5Kx5LWOGU1U46vUNuPaYXicjqx3OdJxY1Ms_bTWIwATHU6N8KhTr1kNLyBUDs/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken curry sausage from the co-op, roasted root vegetables, and steamed kale</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU44Ys7L5ya-Kaq1GyQTlSK9fg5TtbqVzI4izv8e7R3pwJSLOHJCv0N0tlpF1DJGH4qWEqvSqufUHyp17VcS9sDojrTLHQdKFuNV_mZIETPr0bLpoPBcEpEK7M2p_s4t11JIRgujX/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU44Ys7L5ya-Kaq1GyQTlSK9fg5TtbqVzI4izv8e7R3pwJSLOHJCv0N0tlpF1DJGH4qWEqvSqufUHyp17VcS9sDojrTLHQdKFuNV_mZIETPr0bLpoPBcEpEK7M2p_s4t11JIRgujX/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan-fried pork loin chop, roasted root vegetables, and steamed kale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This pork chop came from the half pig in our freezer. Usually I rub it with salt, pepper, and coriander, then pan fry it to medium doneness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6TMjGSuTLwpjyP2yZHWVPiYBum86wR_VOCAKsEe2BrVifNshjFKgTkxcvLRWIbR8ztDf_a5SyZAUYr_ktezEcKB-9tWAknWz8bXMQoV23-IrTlqS4OAh_Uj9ETEU5znkgVRJ_tWs/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6TMjGSuTLwpjyP2yZHWVPiYBum86wR_VOCAKsEe2BrVifNshjFKgTkxcvLRWIbR8ztDf_a5SyZAUYr_ktezEcKB-9tWAknWz8bXMQoV23-IrTlqS4OAh_Uj9ETEU5znkgVRJ_tWs/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locally grown and frozen green beans from the co-op (sweeter than any other kind you can get this time of year), salt-roasted sweet and white potatoes, and roast leg of lamb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Salt-roasted potatoes are a delicious alternative to roasting them with oil. After washing your potatoes, throw them into a casserole dish or roasting pan, salt them generously, and roast them in a medium-hot oven, 350-400 degrees F, for about an hour for small potatoes, shaking them every 20 minutes or so until they're done. The insides get fluffy, and the skins get chewy.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6IKL3HVu1M_if3efWCDQ5SZ5OQUepCqeMWzjv6976Cf0EnXOii8ONsTS9-O0MkZ8uZbDMJ5oRluLoxAsPbi9r-WNnT4xENqs92lD_VnqsblUOedYsg25ADmjlqQ1boqC6TqnHBwx/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6IKL3HVu1M_if3efWCDQ5SZ5OQUepCqeMWzjv6976Cf0EnXOii8ONsTS9-O0MkZ8uZbDMJ5oRluLoxAsPbi9r-WNnT4xENqs92lD_VnqsblUOedYsg25ADmjlqQ1boqC6TqnHBwx/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh ham steak marinated with marjoram, broccoli roasted with garlic, and summer roasted vegetables from the freezer</td></tr>
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Broccoli is also surprisingly tasty, roasted. Kevin doesn't usually like broccoli, but we're both crazy about roasted Brussels sprouts. Roasted broccoli comes close in flavor and bite.<br />
<br />
I do most of the cooking, but Kevin's gotten into the kitchen more often, especially on weekends and to do a bit of gluten-free baking. A friend turned us on to <a href="http://www.pamelasproducts.com/product/Pamelas_Baking__amp_Pancake_Mix/13193.aspx">Pamela's baking mix</a>, and it's everything I could ask for in a gluten-free mix. The blend of rice and almond flours is perfect for biscuits, pancakes, and cornbread, and her baking mix has leavening in it, so it's ready for use in any kind of <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/three-quick-breads.html">quick bread</a>. These drop biscuits with currants Kevin made for St. Patrick's Day in lieu of Irish soda bread were buttery and flaky. I haven't been eating gluten-free---most days, I still eat a <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/back-to-normal-after-halloween.html">grilled egg and cheese sandwich</a>---but I don't miss wheat flour at all when I eat these biscuits.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTE0HLXeN4fE8QA0QFdt9OJ5f3QvV1M82ev42DQeAE7orkDHipP3p28WqelwXQOE2cw0kLORYOBpmzYfzG8HH0pupm46-pPzRdlDW04zLIhlohICpEEyRRHg2bHSZW9Df_zCmX-zzr/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTE0HLXeN4fE8QA0QFdt9OJ5f3QvV1M82ev42DQeAE7orkDHipP3p28WqelwXQOE2cw0kLORYOBpmzYfzG8HH0pupm46-pPzRdlDW04zLIhlohICpEEyRRHg2bHSZW9Df_zCmX-zzr/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Patrick's Day dinner of beef bangers, gluten-free Irish soda bread biscuits, and cabbage braised with onion and apple</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzC-cjA0Ym1pTsoxHPfH-Y9mPbHF8JYWR0g3zig3c7UK1mhJV1HifWfP6dtVE6NKJ-vMQWvBgbA7gw9-ePT0XfW2qdtAFIWOtmwsW4Ge_exLaIrqp9zOKF8eEghhh7C56C6UP5_wN/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzC-cjA0Ym1pTsoxHPfH-Y9mPbHF8JYWR0g3zig3c7UK1mhJV1HifWfP6dtVE6NKJ-vMQWvBgbA7gw9-ePT0XfW2qdtAFIWOtmwsW4Ge_exLaIrqp9zOKF8eEghhh7C56C6UP5_wN/s320/014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken roasted with aloo gobi and its spices, and plain steamed kale</td></tr>
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When I made my usual <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/03/spicy-breakfast-food.html">aloo gobi recipe</a> recently, I made a double batch of the spices, rubbed a chicken under its skin with one batch, and seasoned some cauliflower and potatoes with the other. Instead of making the aloo gobi on the stove top, I oven roasted everything together.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qehjft2dkXsJrpV8TqLw_2vlzu4uxHNDv8KMOYnyRF-u_Y7B523l4DPq2Y0ZudyoRKabISn8poG0meCE5CZEwo4GcsiScoTH6QZ4e1mFAyA17ULZwr8SJ5E_V1QCjL3Ol5KD64Nc/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qehjft2dkXsJrpV8TqLw_2vlzu4uxHNDv8KMOYnyRF-u_Y7B523l4DPq2Y0ZudyoRKabISn8poG0meCE5CZEwo4GcsiScoTH6QZ4e1mFAyA17ULZwr8SJ5E_V1QCjL3Ol5KD64Nc/s320/016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red snapper fillet baked with butter, mushroom risotto, and roasted broccoli with garlic</td></tr>
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I haven't posted my usual risotto recipe, which uses mushrooms and a sharp grating cheese, but there's this one for <a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2008/05/hadley-grass-and-fiddlehead-risotto.html">fiddlehead and asparagus risotto</a> that I am really looking forward to making again. Spring is so close.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RwJAUOINXbQcsw_I6YLqAwOyTubYJi2URReg_ZYTyi5fn0gdjeVre7-aHYIDqoz-MNdmqjREyohe2Xxx-FCP_XiZiSh7YFu8ds-2FfQIXDrSrKaZ78kcR4_uccOysLaAxa0jSHRU/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RwJAUOINXbQcsw_I6YLqAwOyTubYJi2URReg_ZYTyi5fn0gdjeVre7-aHYIDqoz-MNdmqjREyohe2Xxx-FCP_XiZiSh7YFu8ds-2FfQIXDrSrKaZ78kcR4_uccOysLaAxa0jSHRU/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collards omelet and aloo gobi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This isn't dinner, but it was pretty and I was sitting down to eat this for brunch with Kevin on a weekend not long ago, so I took a picture. The aloo gobi is equally good for breakfast as it is for dinner.Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2329830545822738673.post-54434355778006945882012-03-04T15:24:00.003-08:002012-03-04T15:26:41.602-08:00Kale and Pork<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4DqoXMEwS6rtb4vQ39ypt9DCbddM9uBlAgchjIQ5ItzK8iqZdlhVQvmm5K4_5X56UD1UhN5WhlPWcCV69-4X6Vuzh1LpE9Jz2J6ss8uWtBbTTX8DNP9DAlzoqUxcL_7ApoBTnwJq/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4DqoXMEwS6rtb4vQ39ypt9DCbddM9uBlAgchjIQ5ItzK8iqZdlhVQvmm5K4_5X56UD1UhN5WhlPWcCV69-4X6Vuzh1LpE9Jz2J6ss8uWtBbTTX8DNP9DAlzoqUxcL_7ApoBTnwJq/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2010/10/pork-and-beans.html"><span id="goog_344035585"></span>Cassoulet <span id="goog_344035586"></span></a>over steamed kale</td></tr>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.08305609785020351"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two fine foods that go great together, especially in winter. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I treat kale and collards as interchangeable, being sturdy, leafy green vegetables with relatively unassertive flavors. They take less time to cook, but longer to wash and chop than cabbage, another brassica I will sometimes substitute for either kale or collards. They can all be steamed, rolled, and stuffed, as in galumpkes (what the locals call cabbage rolls). They’re all good in braises, soups, and stews. I </span><a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/vegetables-for-breakfast.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">eat greens at breakfast</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. They’re great under a stew. </span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork belly, cornbread, collards with garlic, fresh ham steak with marjoram, and roasted root vegetables</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And while all year round, I try to eat something either leafy green or some other vegetable that is botanically vegetable and not fruit (think broccoli, not tomato), </span><a href="http://justincooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/getting-best-from-your-farm-share.html" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in the summer that is often salad</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and in the winter it is far more often kale or collards. I picked this idea up from reading <i>Laurel’s Kitchen</i>, where she suggests eating a “super vegetable” every day: a pod or leafy green.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roast pork, roasted mixed root vegetables, and steamed collards</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Greens go with everything. These are dishes I ate in the past couple weeks. Can you see how rare that pork is? No, we're not worried about it. Getting to eat pork as rare as we would eat beef is extraordinary. It's more like lamb. We eat it like this sometimes, when I manage not to overcook it. It's one of the culinary advantages of really knowing where your pork comes from.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The other thing about pastured pork, though, is that it is porky. You know that smell you get off of pig's feet? It's like that, only more so. In fact, the more I eat local, pastured meat, the more I am convinced I can taste their feed, and that industrially raised meat tastes more like corn than it does like chicken, beef, or pork. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kielbasa, braised cabbage, and homemade baked beans</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Switching to pastured meat could mean finding out you don't like meat as much as you thought you did. I like strong meat (my personal blog is called <a href="http://likethewatch.livejournal.com/">Strong Meat</a>) but I still cast around for some solutions for mitigating the extremely porky smell. Even the sausages we got from the slaughterhouse, as highly spiced as they were, smelled like this. The taste is a little less noticeable, but still there: a barnyard essence that reminds you this was an animal, a particular one that lived in a place and ate what it liked to forage. Eggy eggs are tremendously rich. Chicken-y chickens are the ur-chicken of chicken-ness. Lamb can be more or less sheep-y. Grass-fed beef is distinctly beefy. Pork was our most recent transition, and not only took a little time to get to appreciate, but to learn to cook with. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggs over medium, potato latkes, a pork sausage, and braised cabbage</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I learned that pastured pork goes well with vinegar, or smoke. Some traditional preparations have you soak the pork in vinegar before cooking it, while others use it as a flavoring in stew. Other acids, like tomato, also pair well with strong pork. My Sicilian family has always put pig's feet in tomato sauce. Last night, you could find me exclaiming over a pork and tofu stew at our local Korean restaurant. The stew, which included lots of kimchi, suggested another traditional pairing for pork that's popular around here: sauerkraut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>Justin Casciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04877828376584524544noreply@blogger.com0