Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
My Burger
I should be packing a lunch for our drive to the trailer, but you know? Sometimes that's just not possible. When that happens, we have an excuse to stop here for a burger.
I love this dock. It's the view from the side of the restaurant. Just imagine boating on this lake and pulling up for a burger. Yummy and fun!
This place is just before the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Although I've never spent time on this lake, I have lusted after these burgers for years. It was just last year that we decided to try them.
I love this dock. It's the view from the side of the restaurant. Just imagine boating on this lake and pulling up for a burger. Yummy and fun!
This place is just before the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Although I've never spent time on this lake, I have lusted after these burgers for years. It was just last year that we decided to try them.
My Burger
I should be packing a lunch for our drive to the trailer, but you know? Sometimes that's just not possible. When that happens, we have an excuse to stop here for a burger.
I love this dock. It's the view from the side of the restaurant. Just imagine boating on this lake and pulling up for a burger. Yummy and fun!
This place is just before the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Although I've never spent time on this lake, I have lusted after these burgers for years. It was just last year that we decided to try them.
I love this dock. It's the view from the side of the restaurant. Just imagine boating on this lake and pulling up for a burger. Yummy and fun!
This place is just before the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Although I've never spent time on this lake, I have lusted after these burgers for years. It was just last year that we decided to try them.
Friday, May 29, 2009
CSA Box #4, a dinner party, and the library
I feel like I'm finally getting in the swing of things! An impromptu dinner party with another couple put me into the pressure mode. Taking up all the responsibilities of cooking, I decided to use up some of my CSA goodness. Yesterday was a day of cleaning the house, finding some recipes, cooking, and picking up the CSA. I just love having people over because my house gets so clean!
Here's what was in the box:
My mother came with me to pick up the CSA. This is my fourth year with HVF and my third year sharing the box with my mother. Yesterday was the first time she came with me to pick it up. I showed her the routine and the time we spent together was a lot more fun than I had imagined. Sharing the box is bringing us closer and that is a very good thing. I'm always so surprisingly happily shocked with how she prepares the veggies.
There was a slightly tense moment when I was showing her the routine. The place was crowded and a line was building behind us. So, I took the box outside the porch to unpack the box. My heart dropped when I saw the huge quantity of thick, fat parsnips at the bottom of the box. That's when my mother started chattering away in Gujarati about how much she enjoys parsnips. It was shocking to me. Are we from the same family? I have tried and tried to enjoy the parsnip. Truly I have. But, I just don't like them.
She tells me how she's been using the parsnips instead of potatoes for her potato and cauliflower curry. Now, I don't really think of it as a curry, but I don't have the right English word to describe this dish other than to say it is a veggie dish. She described it to me and suddenly my heart is feeling a little more open to this parsnip thing.
Sometimes I wonder what people think about our conversations. My mother is bilingual and her side of the conversation is a mix of Gujurati and English, while I always respond in English. It used to make me uneasy when I was young immigrant child trying to find my place in the world. But, now I feel like it's sort of our "inside" thing. And I'm thrilled that even though speaking is difficult for me, the comprehension is still there in my brain.
Anyway, so, I happily gave her ALL the parsnips, and the spinach. We split up everything else. Then she was gone and I had to change into cooking mode. The menu: pork roast, scalloped sunchokes, wilted greens, gravy, and berries for dessert. Thinking it would be another cloudy, overcast day I was thrown off by warm sunshine. The kitchen got hot but I persevered.
The husband in this couple that came over for dinner is a very picky eater. The wife will eat anything! I planned to make scalloped sunchokes. I sliced them thin and boiled them with some onions, made a basic white sauce, mixed the two together and baked it for 30 minutes, topped it with cheddar cheese and then I let it finish in the oven until it was bubbly and the cheese was melting. The thing is that I didn't tell the husband that it was sunchokes and not potatoes until we sat down to eat. I happy to say that he liked them!
Here's the recipe for the Hot Wilted Greens. I picked this one because of that new black cherry balsamic vinegar that I bought from Annona Gourmet a couple of weeks ago. I ended up using the whole entire bag of saute greens. And that was a huge relief!
It wasn't the best meal that I've prepared mostly because I had couple of new recipes. But nearly everything got eaten and I felt a sense of accomplishment with using CSA veggies. At the beginning of every CSA season I have hopes and dreams of trying more elaborate recipes, but then as the season gets going I always end looking for simple ways to prepare food. Maybe that's just the kind of cook that I am.
Over dinner, we talked a lot about the library and the wonderful resources available to those living in this city. One of the goals of this blog was to explore living off the grid. And, yet, I also find myself wanting to explore all those resources that are on the grid. In addition to the large archive of books, there are also CDs available at the library. Lately I've been listening to Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Howlin Wolf - all music I found at the library. I'm thinking about featuring some of my library finds, re-visiting music that has been around for a while. Hmmmmmmm.......
Here's what was in the box:
Sweet Overwintered Parsnips
Sunchokes
Spinach
Rhubarb
Spring Radish
Asparagus
Salad Mix or Arugula
Green Garlic
Egyptian Walking or Potato Onion
Hon Tsai Tai
Pea Vine
My mother came with me to pick up the CSA. This is my fourth year with HVF and my third year sharing the box with my mother. Yesterday was the first time she came with me to pick it up. I showed her the routine and the time we spent together was a lot more fun than I had imagined. Sharing the box is bringing us closer and that is a very good thing. I'm always so surprisingly happily shocked with how she prepares the veggies.
There was a slightly tense moment when I was showing her the routine. The place was crowded and a line was building behind us. So, I took the box outside the porch to unpack the box. My heart dropped when I saw the huge quantity of thick, fat parsnips at the bottom of the box. That's when my mother started chattering away in Gujarati about how much she enjoys parsnips. It was shocking to me. Are we from the same family? I have tried and tried to enjoy the parsnip. Truly I have. But, I just don't like them.
She tells me how she's been using the parsnips instead of potatoes for her potato and cauliflower curry. Now, I don't really think of it as a curry, but I don't have the right English word to describe this dish other than to say it is a veggie dish. She described it to me and suddenly my heart is feeling a little more open to this parsnip thing.
Sometimes I wonder what people think about our conversations. My mother is bilingual and her side of the conversation is a mix of Gujurati and English, while I always respond in English. It used to make me uneasy when I was young immigrant child trying to find my place in the world. But, now I feel like it's sort of our "inside" thing. And I'm thrilled that even though speaking is difficult for me, the comprehension is still there in my brain.
Anyway, so, I happily gave her ALL the parsnips, and the spinach. We split up everything else. Then she was gone and I had to change into cooking mode. The menu: pork roast, scalloped sunchokes, wilted greens, gravy, and berries for dessert. Thinking it would be another cloudy, overcast day I was thrown off by warm sunshine. The kitchen got hot but I persevered.
The husband in this couple that came over for dinner is a very picky eater. The wife will eat anything! I planned to make scalloped sunchokes. I sliced them thin and boiled them with some onions, made a basic white sauce, mixed the two together and baked it for 30 minutes, topped it with cheddar cheese and then I let it finish in the oven until it was bubbly and the cheese was melting. The thing is that I didn't tell the husband that it was sunchokes and not potatoes until we sat down to eat. I happy to say that he liked them!
Here's the recipe for the Hot Wilted Greens. I picked this one because of that new black cherry balsamic vinegar that I bought from Annona Gourmet a couple of weeks ago. I ended up using the whole entire bag of saute greens. And that was a huge relief!
It wasn't the best meal that I've prepared mostly because I had couple of new recipes. But nearly everything got eaten and I felt a sense of accomplishment with using CSA veggies. At the beginning of every CSA season I have hopes and dreams of trying more elaborate recipes, but then as the season gets going I always end looking for simple ways to prepare food. Maybe that's just the kind of cook that I am.
Over dinner, we talked a lot about the library and the wonderful resources available to those living in this city. One of the goals of this blog was to explore living off the grid. And, yet, I also find myself wanting to explore all those resources that are on the grid. In addition to the large archive of books, there are also CDs available at the library. Lately I've been listening to Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Howlin Wolf - all music I found at the library. I'm thinking about featuring some of my library finds, re-visiting music that has been around for a while. Hmmmmmmm.......
CSA Box #4, a dinner party, and the library
I feel like I'm finally getting in the swing of things! An impromptu dinner party with another couple put me into the pressure mode. Taking up all the responsibilities of cooking, I decided to use up some of my CSA goodness. Yesterday was a day of cleaning the house, finding some recipes, cooking, and picking up the CSA. I just love having people over because my house gets so clean!
Here's what was in the box:
My mother came with me to pick up the CSA. This is my fourth year with HVF and my third year sharing the box with my mother. Yesterday was the first time she came with me to pick it up. I showed her the routine and the time we spent together was a lot more fun than I had imagined. Sharing the box is bringing us closer and that is a very good thing. I'm always so surprisingly happily shocked with how she prepares the veggies.
There was a slightly tense moment when I was showing her the routine. The place was crowded and a line was building behind us. So, I took the box outside the porch to unpack the box. My heart dropped when I saw the huge quantity of thick, fat parsnips at the bottom of the box. That's when my mother started chattering away in Gujarati about how much she enjoys parsnips. It was shocking to me. Are we from the same family? I have tried and tried to enjoy the parsnip. Truly I have. But, I just don't like them.
She tells me how she's been using the parsnips instead of potatoes for her potato and cauliflower curry. Now, I don't really think of it as a curry, but I don't have the right English word to describe this dish other than to say it is a veggie dish. She described it to me and suddenly my heart is feeling a little more open to this parsnip thing.
Sometimes I wonder what people think about our conversations. My mother is bilingual and her side of the conversation is a mix of Gujurati and English, while I always respond in English. It used to make me uneasy when I was young immigrant child trying to find my place in the world. But, now I feel like it's sort of our "inside" thing. And I'm thrilled that even though speaking is difficult for me, the comprehension is still there in my brain.
Anyway, so, I happily gave her ALL the parsnips, and the spinach. We split up everything else. Then she was gone and I had to change into cooking mode. The menu: pork roast, scalloped sunchokes, wilted greens, gravy, and berries for dessert. Thinking it would be another cloudy, overcast day I was thrown off by warm sunshine. The kitchen got hot but I persevered.
The husband in this couple that came over for dinner is a very picky eater. The wife will eat anything! I planned to make scalloped sunchokes. I sliced them thin and boiled them with some onions, made a basic white sauce, mixed the two together and baked it for 30 minutes, topped it with cheddar cheese and then I let it finish in the oven until it was bubbly and the cheese was melting. The thing is that I didn't tell the husband that it was sunchokes and not potatoes until we sat down to eat. I happy to say that he liked them!
Here's the recipe for the Hot Wilted Greens. I picked this one because of that new black cherry balsamic vinegar that I bought from Annona Gourmet a couple of weeks ago. I ended up using the whole entire bag of saute greens. And that was a huge relief!
It wasn't the best meal that I've prepared mostly because I had couple of new recipes. But nearly everything got eaten and I felt a sense of accomplishment with using CSA veggies. At the beginning of every CSA season I have hopes and dreams of trying more elaborate recipes, but then as the season gets going I always end looking for simple ways to prepare food. Maybe that's just the kind of cook that I am.
Over dinner, we talked a lot about the library and the wonderful resources available to those living in this city. One of the goals of this blog was to explore living off the grid. And, yet, I also find myself wanting to explore all those resources that are on the grid. In addition to the large archive of books, there are also CDs available at the library. Lately I've been listening to Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Howlin Wolf - all music I found at the library. I'm thinking about featuring some of my library finds, re-visiting music that has been around for a while. Hmmmmmmm.......
Here's what was in the box:
Sweet Overwintered Parsnips
Sunchokes
Spinach
Rhubarb
Spring Radish
Asparagus
Salad Mix or Arugula
Green Garlic
Egyptian Walking or Potato Onion
Hon Tsai Tai
Pea Vine
My mother came with me to pick up the CSA. This is my fourth year with HVF and my third year sharing the box with my mother. Yesterday was the first time she came with me to pick it up. I showed her the routine and the time we spent together was a lot more fun than I had imagined. Sharing the box is bringing us closer and that is a very good thing. I'm always so surprisingly happily shocked with how she prepares the veggies.
There was a slightly tense moment when I was showing her the routine. The place was crowded and a line was building behind us. So, I took the box outside the porch to unpack the box. My heart dropped when I saw the huge quantity of thick, fat parsnips at the bottom of the box. That's when my mother started chattering away in Gujarati about how much she enjoys parsnips. It was shocking to me. Are we from the same family? I have tried and tried to enjoy the parsnip. Truly I have. But, I just don't like them.
She tells me how she's been using the parsnips instead of potatoes for her potato and cauliflower curry. Now, I don't really think of it as a curry, but I don't have the right English word to describe this dish other than to say it is a veggie dish. She described it to me and suddenly my heart is feeling a little more open to this parsnip thing.
Sometimes I wonder what people think about our conversations. My mother is bilingual and her side of the conversation is a mix of Gujurati and English, while I always respond in English. It used to make me uneasy when I was young immigrant child trying to find my place in the world. But, now I feel like it's sort of our "inside" thing. And I'm thrilled that even though speaking is difficult for me, the comprehension is still there in my brain.
Anyway, so, I happily gave her ALL the parsnips, and the spinach. We split up everything else. Then she was gone and I had to change into cooking mode. The menu: pork roast, scalloped sunchokes, wilted greens, gravy, and berries for dessert. Thinking it would be another cloudy, overcast day I was thrown off by warm sunshine. The kitchen got hot but I persevered.
The husband in this couple that came over for dinner is a very picky eater. The wife will eat anything! I planned to make scalloped sunchokes. I sliced them thin and boiled them with some onions, made a basic white sauce, mixed the two together and baked it for 30 minutes, topped it with cheddar cheese and then I let it finish in the oven until it was bubbly and the cheese was melting. The thing is that I didn't tell the husband that it was sunchokes and not potatoes until we sat down to eat. I happy to say that he liked them!
Here's the recipe for the Hot Wilted Greens. I picked this one because of that new black cherry balsamic vinegar that I bought from Annona Gourmet a couple of weeks ago. I ended up using the whole entire bag of saute greens. And that was a huge relief!
It wasn't the best meal that I've prepared mostly because I had couple of new recipes. But nearly everything got eaten and I felt a sense of accomplishment with using CSA veggies. At the beginning of every CSA season I have hopes and dreams of trying more elaborate recipes, but then as the season gets going I always end looking for simple ways to prepare food. Maybe that's just the kind of cook that I am.
Over dinner, we talked a lot about the library and the wonderful resources available to those living in this city. One of the goals of this blog was to explore living off the grid. And, yet, I also find myself wanting to explore all those resources that are on the grid. In addition to the large archive of books, there are also CDs available at the library. Lately I've been listening to Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and Howlin Wolf - all music I found at the library. I'm thinking about featuring some of my library finds, re-visiting music that has been around for a while. Hmmmmmmm.......
Thursday, May 28, 2009
sounds from the weekend in the woods
Lots and lots of sound in the darkening forests.
Giant June bugs buzzing against the window screen
Bunnies hopping through the woods.
Large fist-sized bi-color frogs (maroon and green-spotted) rustling through the dry leaves on the ground.
Large branches snapping in a distance.
Something large rushing by, disturbing the branches.
The distant roar of a modern vehicle.
The leaves roaring up with the vibrant spring gusts.
For a few minutes the sounds diverge, it feels like there are several of them, circling our fire site. The smells of our cooking, the food enticing.
The sweet scent of strawberries beckon, tickle the nose, adds seduction to the air, drawing human and bear alike.
sounds from the weekend in the woods
Lots and lots of sound in the darkening forests.
Giant June bugs buzzing against the window screen
Bunnies hopping through the woods.
Large fist-sized bi-color frogs (maroon and green-spotted) rustling through the dry leaves on the ground.
Large branches snapping in a distance.
Something large rushing by, disturbing the branches.
The distant roar of a modern vehicle.
The leaves roaring up with the vibrant spring gusts.
For a few minutes the sounds diverge, it feels like there are several of them, circling our fire site. The smells of our cooking, the food enticing.
The sweet scent of strawberries beckon, tickle the nose, adds seduction to the air, drawing human and bear alike.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Lots of salads!
Lots and lots of salad being eaten around here. I still have a whole lot of greens left from last week's box and I'm trying not to panic. A whole box is really too big for a 2 person household, especially early in the season when the bulk of the box is filled with greens.
So, I'm going to do a little recap to assess what I used and what is left to be used by...tomorrow.
Asparagus: Steamed these up right away on the night I got the CSA box.
Green garlic: Chopped these up for a marinade for chicken. It was a honey teriyaki baked chicken and the sauce contained rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, green garlic...I think that's it for ingredients.
Egyptian Walking onion: Fun! I used these the same as I would for scallions. Can't remember right now which recipe or meal that they were used in. Isn't it strange that I can't remember what i cooked just last Thursday. Oh wait! Just remembered: I chopped up these egyptian walking onions and put them on Friday night's pizza.
Parsnip: I left these in the swap box. I hope someone got to enjoy them!
Sunchoke: Haven't cooked these yet. Considering HVF suggestion of baking them into a gratin.
Spinach: I had planned to have a spinach salad but I'm still working through the salad mix.
Spring radish: Yummy! I was hoping to have these available for two salads, but hubby started eating them off the cutting board, so i ended up slicing the whole batch.
Salad mix or Arugula: Lots and lots of salad with some pretty purple flowers mixed in!
Rhubarb: Chopped it up and froze it for later use in a crisp.
Sauté Mix: Haven't gotten to these greens yet. These may end up in the compost bin. For shame!!!
Ramps: HVF claims this is the last week for ramps until next spring. I haven't cooked them up yet mainly because last week's risotto was such a disaster. I'm skittish with trying something again if the last time it was prepared was not so good. I have to get over that.
Garden Herb Packs: Yah! Basil plants! I put these in a pot on my back step, the door closest to my kitchen.
Memorial Day weekend really through me off. I forgot all the greens in the city. I had lots of berries but not any green stuff. I have a lot of catching up to do!
So, I'm going to do a little recap to assess what I used and what is left to be used by...tomorrow.
Asparagus: Steamed these up right away on the night I got the CSA box.
Green garlic: Chopped these up for a marinade for chicken. It was a honey teriyaki baked chicken and the sauce contained rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, green garlic...I think that's it for ingredients.
Egyptian Walking onion: Fun! I used these the same as I would for scallions. Can't remember right now which recipe or meal that they were used in. Isn't it strange that I can't remember what i cooked just last Thursday. Oh wait! Just remembered: I chopped up these egyptian walking onions and put them on Friday night's pizza.
Parsnip: I left these in the swap box. I hope someone got to enjoy them!
Sunchoke: Haven't cooked these yet. Considering HVF suggestion of baking them into a gratin.
Spinach: I had planned to have a spinach salad but I'm still working through the salad mix.
Spring radish: Yummy! I was hoping to have these available for two salads, but hubby started eating them off the cutting board, so i ended up slicing the whole batch.
Salad mix or Arugula: Lots and lots of salad with some pretty purple flowers mixed in!
Rhubarb: Chopped it up and froze it for later use in a crisp.
Sauté Mix: Haven't gotten to these greens yet. These may end up in the compost bin. For shame!!!
Ramps: HVF claims this is the last week for ramps until next spring. I haven't cooked them up yet mainly because last week's risotto was such a disaster. I'm skittish with trying something again if the last time it was prepared was not so good. I have to get over that.
Garden Herb Packs: Yah! Basil plants! I put these in a pot on my back step, the door closest to my kitchen.
Memorial Day weekend really through me off. I forgot all the greens in the city. I had lots of berries but not any green stuff. I have a lot of catching up to do!
Lots of salads!
Lots and lots of salad being eaten around here. I still have a whole lot of greens left from last week's box and I'm trying not to panic. A whole box is really too big for a 2 person household, especially early in the season when the bulk of the box is filled with greens.
So, I'm going to do a little recap to assess what I used and what is left to be used by...tomorrow.
Asparagus: Steamed these up right away on the night I got the CSA box.
Green garlic: Chopped these up for a marinade for chicken. It was a honey teriyaki baked chicken and the sauce contained rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, green garlic...I think that's it for ingredients.
Egyptian Walking onion: Fun! I used these the same as I would for scallions. Can't remember right now which recipe or meal that they were used in. Isn't it strange that I can't remember what i cooked just last Thursday. Oh wait! Just remembered: I chopped up these egyptian walking onions and put them on Friday night's pizza.
Parsnip: I left these in the swap box. I hope someone got to enjoy them!
Sunchoke: Haven't cooked these yet. Considering HVF suggestion of baking them into a gratin.
Spinach: I had planned to have a spinach salad but I'm still working through the salad mix.
Spring radish: Yummy! I was hoping to have these available for two salads, but hubby started eating them off the cutting board, so i ended up slicing the whole batch.
Salad mix or Arugula: Lots and lots of salad with some pretty purple flowers mixed in!
Rhubarb: Chopped it up and froze it for later use in a crisp.
Sauté Mix: Haven't gotten to these greens yet. These may end up in the compost bin. For shame!!!
Ramps: HVF claims this is the last week for ramps until next spring. I haven't cooked them up yet mainly because last week's risotto was such a disaster. I'm skittish with trying something again if the last time it was prepared was not so good. I have to get over that.
Garden Herb Packs: Yah! Basil plants! I put these in a pot on my back step, the door closest to my kitchen.
Memorial Day weekend really through me off. I forgot all the greens in the city. I had lots of berries but not any green stuff. I have a lot of catching up to do!
So, I'm going to do a little recap to assess what I used and what is left to be used by...tomorrow.
Asparagus: Steamed these up right away on the night I got the CSA box.
Green garlic: Chopped these up for a marinade for chicken. It was a honey teriyaki baked chicken and the sauce contained rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, green garlic...I think that's it for ingredients.
Egyptian Walking onion: Fun! I used these the same as I would for scallions. Can't remember right now which recipe or meal that they were used in. Isn't it strange that I can't remember what i cooked just last Thursday. Oh wait! Just remembered: I chopped up these egyptian walking onions and put them on Friday night's pizza.
Parsnip: I left these in the swap box. I hope someone got to enjoy them!
Sunchoke: Haven't cooked these yet. Considering HVF suggestion of baking them into a gratin.
Spinach: I had planned to have a spinach salad but I'm still working through the salad mix.
Spring radish: Yummy! I was hoping to have these available for two salads, but hubby started eating them off the cutting board, so i ended up slicing the whole batch.
Salad mix or Arugula: Lots and lots of salad with some pretty purple flowers mixed in!
Rhubarb: Chopped it up and froze it for later use in a crisp.
Sauté Mix: Haven't gotten to these greens yet. These may end up in the compost bin. For shame!!!
Ramps: HVF claims this is the last week for ramps until next spring. I haven't cooked them up yet mainly because last week's risotto was such a disaster. I'm skittish with trying something again if the last time it was prepared was not so good. I have to get over that.
Garden Herb Packs: Yah! Basil plants! I put these in a pot on my back step, the door closest to my kitchen.
Memorial Day weekend really through me off. I forgot all the greens in the city. I had lots of berries but not any green stuff. I have a lot of catching up to do!
Under the Canoe
We stored the canoe for the winter, placing it upon a couple of saw horses.
As it turns out, a bird appropriated the space and built a nest.
It took us a few minutes to figure out what that shiny thread was in the nest.
The thread is from our old, bright blue boat cover. I've always wanted to put our hair out for the birds, but never seem to get it out there in time. This nest has clearly been abandoned now that it's purpose is done. So, it seems that mid-March is the time to put the hair out, but it just seems so strange to put materials out for nest-building when there's still snow on the ground.
What a nice, beautiful surprise to find under the canoe!
As it turns out, a bird appropriated the space and built a nest.
It took us a few minutes to figure out what that shiny thread was in the nest.
The thread is from our old, bright blue boat cover. I've always wanted to put our hair out for the birds, but never seem to get it out there in time. This nest has clearly been abandoned now that it's purpose is done. So, it seems that mid-March is the time to put the hair out, but it just seems so strange to put materials out for nest-building when there's still snow on the ground.
What a nice, beautiful surprise to find under the canoe!
Under the Canoe
We stored the canoe for the winter, placing it upon a couple of saw horses.
As it turns out, a bird appropriated the space and built a nest.
It took us a few minutes to figure out what that shiny thread was in the nest.
The thread is from our old, bright blue boat cover. I've always wanted to put our hair out for the birds, but never seem to get it out there in time. This nest has clearly been abandoned now that it's purpose is done. So, it seems that mid-March is the time to put the hair out, but it just seems so strange to put materials out for nest-building when there's still snow on the ground.
What a nice, beautiful surprise to find under the canoe!
As it turns out, a bird appropriated the space and built a nest.
It took us a few minutes to figure out what that shiny thread was in the nest.
The thread is from our old, bright blue boat cover. I've always wanted to put our hair out for the birds, but never seem to get it out there in time. This nest has clearly been abandoned now that it's purpose is done. So, it seems that mid-March is the time to put the hair out, but it just seems so strange to put materials out for nest-building when there's still snow on the ground.
What a nice, beautiful surprise to find under the canoe!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
weekend fire
On weekends we live here, in the woods of Wisconsin. This little retreat by the river has also become my "local."
Every Spring I realize - again - that we did a very good thing for ourselves creating this space away from the city. It is cabin life on the cheap! There is no stunning view of water, no tourist enticing landscape near by, just woods and quiet. It took us over five years but we're here and it's good.
We have a great fireplace area with ringstones taken from the road we put in. It is our only source of heat right now. Our furnace recently stopped working, so no heat in the trailer. We stayed out at the fire until late at night.
And most weekends, the fire becomes our primary cooking area. This weekend it was a ribeye steak from Ready Meats!
Every Spring I realize - again - that we did a very good thing for ourselves creating this space away from the city. It is cabin life on the cheap! There is no stunning view of water, no tourist enticing landscape near by, just woods and quiet. It took us over five years but we're here and it's good.
We have a great fireplace area with ringstones taken from the road we put in. It is our only source of heat right now. Our furnace recently stopped working, so no heat in the trailer. We stayed out at the fire until late at night.
And most weekends, the fire becomes our primary cooking area. This weekend it was a ribeye steak from Ready Meats!
weekend fire
On weekends we live here, in the woods of Wisconsin. This little retreat by the river has also become my "local."
Every Spring I realize - again - that we did a very good thing for ourselves creating this space away from the city. It is cabin life on the cheap! There is no stunning view of water, no tourist enticing landscape near by, just woods and quiet. It took us over five years but we're here and it's good.
We have a great fireplace area with ringstones taken from the road we put in. It is our only source of heat right now. Our furnace recently stopped working, so no heat in the trailer. We stayed out at the fire until late at night.
And most weekends, the fire becomes our primary cooking area. This weekend it was a ribeye steak from Ready Meats!
Every Spring I realize - again - that we did a very good thing for ourselves creating this space away from the city. It is cabin life on the cheap! There is no stunning view of water, no tourist enticing landscape near by, just woods and quiet. It took us over five years but we're here and it's good.
We have a great fireplace area with ringstones taken from the road we put in. It is our only source of heat right now. Our furnace recently stopped working, so no heat in the trailer. We stayed out at the fire until late at night.
And most weekends, the fire becomes our primary cooking area. This weekend it was a ribeye steak from Ready Meats!
Friday, May 22, 2009
CSA Box #3
Yet another week of veggie goodness. Just feeling a little bit overwhelmed. My mother is out of town, vising relatives in Chicago for the holiday weekend, so I am left with the entire box. The entire box! I started this week easy with a recipe from last week: ramp and sausage risotto. It was yummy, but a little too salty this week. I decided to try a chicken base that I bought from Ready Meats. It was just under $10. I figured that I spend $3 - $4 dollars for a carton of free range, organic chicken stock, so I thought I would try this base as it supposedly will last me a year. But it was too rich and too salty. I'm going to try again to see if it tastes better when it is thinned down.
Anyway, so here's the results! Yummy!
Anyway, so here's the results! Yummy!
I topped each plate with these:
We also got these jewels in the box.
I had to try to capture a closer look at these beauties. My aging eyes are making it harder to keep things in focus. Oh, well, still I was able to get something.
And, now the rhubarb. I'm at a loss. I don't generally make desserts every week, so I'm thinking that I can just chop these right up and freeze them until I have a good amount to make a crisp.
There's definitely going to be a lot of cooking going on this holiday weekend. And since we'll be heading to the trailer, there will be lots of outdoor cooking.
CSA Box #3
Yet another week of veggie goodness. Just feeling a little bit overwhelmed. My mother is out of town, vising relatives in Chicago for the holiday weekend, so I am left with the entire box. The entire box! I started this week easy with a recipe from last week: ramp and sausage risotto. It was yummy, but a little too salty this week. I decided to try a chicken base that I bought from Ready Meats. It was just under $10. I figured that I spend $3 - $4 dollars for a carton of free range, organic chicken stock, so I thought I would try this base as it supposedly will last me a year. But it was too rich and too salty. I'm going to try again to see if it tastes better when it is thinned down.
Anyway, so here's the results! Yummy!
Anyway, so here's the results! Yummy!
I topped each plate with these:
We also got these jewels in the box.
I had to try to capture a closer look at these beauties. My aging eyes are making it harder to keep things in focus. Oh, well, still I was able to get something.
And, now the rhubarb. I'm at a loss. I don't generally make desserts every week, so I'm thinking that I can just chop these right up and freeze them until I have a good amount to make a crisp.
There's definitely going to be a lot of cooking going on this holiday weekend. And since we'll be heading to the trailer, there will be lots of outdoor cooking.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A fresh taste for salad greens...
I just discovered balsamic vinegar. Before that there seemed to be only two options available (to me) for salad dressing: conventional salad dressing such as thousand island and ranch, and homemade dressing such as the recipe for ramps dressing. The first is obviously too much for the delicate salad greens from the CSA. It drowns out and weighs down on the greens. The second is time consuming and involves some kitchen appliances that later need to be cleaned like a blender. In a small kitchen, I'm always thinking about whether I should pull out a big kitchen appliance for just a small item.
There is a new store in the neighborhood that sells olive oil and balsamic vinegar in bulk. And there are tons of different flavors. I sampled quite a few. That was new to me. I've never had the experience of pouring a little shot glass of olive oil and shooting it. The store is called Annona Gourmet. I am so glad I went in to check it out.
Actually, I stopped in there to get some aborio rice for risotto. The store didn't have any in stock. I stayed to sample the vinegars and left with a black cherry vinegar. Oh, my, extreme goodness. It was just perfect for those salad greens and took away from the bite of the black radish.
Oh, and the black radish?! So spicy and crunchy. I grated it this time and just dumped it on top of the greens. It has a bite, but that bite was tempered a bit with the black cherry vinegar.
Now I've got to do some more research on vinegar. How does it last? At what temperature should I store it? In the fridge? Or the pantry?
The health benefits include increased calcium absorption, better digestion, regulation of blood sugars, increase in anti-oxidants, the list goes on!
There is a new store in the neighborhood that sells olive oil and balsamic vinegar in bulk. And there are tons of different flavors. I sampled quite a few. That was new to me. I've never had the experience of pouring a little shot glass of olive oil and shooting it. The store is called Annona Gourmet. I am so glad I went in to check it out.
Actually, I stopped in there to get some aborio rice for risotto. The store didn't have any in stock. I stayed to sample the vinegars and left with a black cherry vinegar. Oh, my, extreme goodness. It was just perfect for those salad greens and took away from the bite of the black radish.
Oh, and the black radish?! So spicy and crunchy. I grated it this time and just dumped it on top of the greens. It has a bite, but that bite was tempered a bit with the black cherry vinegar.
Now I've got to do some more research on vinegar. How does it last? At what temperature should I store it? In the fridge? Or the pantry?
The health benefits include increased calcium absorption, better digestion, regulation of blood sugars, increase in anti-oxidants, the list goes on!
A fresh taste for salad greens...
I just discovered balsamic vinegar. Before that there seemed to be only two options available (to me) for salad dressing: conventional salad dressing such as thousand island and ranch, and homemade dressing such as the recipe for ramps dressing. The first is obviously too much for the delicate salad greens from the CSA. It drowns out and weighs down on the greens. The second is time consuming and involves some kitchen appliances that later need to be cleaned like a blender. In a small kitchen, I'm always thinking about whether I should pull out a big kitchen appliance for just a small item.
There is a new store in the neighborhood that sells olive oil and balsamic vinegar in bulk. And there are tons of different flavors. I sampled quite a few. That was new to me. I've never had the experience of pouring a little shot glass of olive oil and shooting it. The store is called Annona Gourmet. I am so glad I went in to check it out.
Actually, I stopped in there to get some aborio rice for risotto. The store didn't have any in stock. I stayed to sample the vinegars and left with a black cherry vinegar. Oh, my, extreme goodness. It was just perfect for those salad greens and took away from the bite of the black radish.
Oh, and the black radish?! So spicy and crunchy. I grated it this time and just dumped it on top of the greens. It has a bite, but that bite was tempered a bit with the black cherry vinegar.
Now I've got to do some more research on vinegar. How does it last? At what temperature should I store it? In the fridge? Or the pantry?
The health benefits include increased calcium absorption, better digestion, regulation of blood sugars, increase in anti-oxidants, the list goes on!
There is a new store in the neighborhood that sells olive oil and balsamic vinegar in bulk. And there are tons of different flavors. I sampled quite a few. That was new to me. I've never had the experience of pouring a little shot glass of olive oil and shooting it. The store is called Annona Gourmet. I am so glad I went in to check it out.
Actually, I stopped in there to get some aborio rice for risotto. The store didn't have any in stock. I stayed to sample the vinegars and left with a black cherry vinegar. Oh, my, extreme goodness. It was just perfect for those salad greens and took away from the bite of the black radish.
Oh, and the black radish?! So spicy and crunchy. I grated it this time and just dumped it on top of the greens. It has a bite, but that bite was tempered a bit with the black cherry vinegar.
Now I've got to do some more research on vinegar. How does it last? At what temperature should I store it? In the fridge? Or the pantry?
The health benefits include increased calcium absorption, better digestion, regulation of blood sugars, increase in anti-oxidants, the list goes on!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Emerald Ash Borer
Back in February I saw these interesting markings on some logs partially buried in the snow. Now I know that these are the signs of the emerald ash borer infestation that has hit this state. Too bad that there is so much damage caused by these beetles. I'd much prefer to think of them as abstract art, if not for the imminent death of the ash trees.
Emerald Ash Borer
Back in February I saw these interesting markings on some logs partially buried in the snow. Now I know that these are the signs of the emerald ash borer infestation that has hit this state. Too bad that there is so much damage caused by these beetles. I'd much prefer to think of them as abstract art, if not for the imminent death of the ash trees.
May 14: Box #2
Look at all that goodness! I can't believe how incredibly convenient it is to have of this delivered right to my neighborhood! Oh, yes, I steamed up that asparagus right away for last night's dinner. Have you ever had asparagus that was fresh from the previous day's harvest? It's truly amazing how different fresh vegetables taste.
Parsnips again and no swap box, so I brought them home. This weekend I plan to get my compost pile situated. I don't have an official compost pile. I have three holes strategically placed in my garden. My hubby used a post-hole digger to get me nice, deep holes. And into these I throw my vegetable scraps. So, the vegetables decompose right there in the dirt in my front yard where the soil needs the nutrients the most. It's worked well over the years. But, now I'm thinking maybe I need something larger to accommodate all those parsnips.
It's going to be a cold weekend so we are staying in the city. I'm winging it this weekend with the menu. I figure I've got so many good veggies, I can pick some and roast, or steam whenever I feel like it!
May 14: Box #2
Look at all that goodness! I can't believe how incredibly convenient it is to have of this delivered right to my neighborhood! Oh, yes, I steamed up that asparagus right away for last night's dinner. Have you ever had asparagus that was fresh from the previous day's harvest? It's truly amazing how different fresh vegetables taste.
Parsnips again and no swap box, so I brought them home. This weekend I plan to get my compost pile situated. I don't have an official compost pile. I have three holes strategically placed in my garden. My hubby used a post-hole digger to get me nice, deep holes. And into these I throw my vegetable scraps. So, the vegetables decompose right there in the dirt in my front yard where the soil needs the nutrients the most. It's worked well over the years. But, now I'm thinking maybe I need something larger to accommodate all those parsnips.
It's going to be a cold weekend so we are staying in the city. I'm winging it this weekend with the menu. I figure I've got so many good veggies, I can pick some and roast, or steam whenever I feel like it!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
ramp and sausage risotto
Now this is the way to start off the CSA season: ramp and sausage risotto! I found this idea through A Good Appetite on their page that lists the menu for the week. It seems this recipe is floating around the web. One of the things I like about looking for recipes on the web is reading the comments at the end. I like hearing about how others change or substitute ingredients for each recipe. Which is how I operate. Rarely do I have all the necessary ingredients and so I'm constantly changing it to accommodate what I have in my pantry. For this recipe, I did not have any vermouth and immediately thought to add the leftover white wine I had sitting in my fridge. Saw a comment that did this and that gave me confidence as I was cooking.
Also, I have to say that I love recipes that use the whole plant. This ramp and sausage recipe called for the ramp bulbs, stems and leaves. The leaves are sliced thin and added at the end of the recipe. I cut them and left them sitting on the kitchen counter. I had to go into the cupboard space beneath the bowl for a few things and after a while I started thinking perhaps something had died in my cupboard - the smell was so strong. I got worried. Then, I realized the smell was the ramp leaves. Nonetheless, the leaves added another layer of flavor and made the whole meal look like fresh spring!
Oh, my goodness, it was so incredibly wonderful. I took some pictures while I was cooking, but woke this morning with the realization that I did not have the memory card in the camera, so no pictures. They wouldn't have captured the yumminess of this recipe anyway!
It's really fun to think about the fact that while these ramps are available in the woods - in abundance - they won't be there very long. Now I'm all fired up about foraging for my own.
Cooking risotto in this household is fun. There are a lot of "yes, chef!" thrown about. I admit that I am a fan of "Hell's Kitchen" and risotto is always on their menu. I'd never tried a risotto before watching this television show. It was surprisingly easy to prepare.
I bought the sausage at Ready Meats. I bought the regular which seemed spicy enough. I steamed up some broccoli (not from CSA) and served it on top of the risotto. I should have gotten from french bread to prepare some garlic bread, but I forgot, so some biscuits went into the oven.
Now I have spinach, rhubarb and parsnips left until Thursday. I gave all the sorrel to my mother, but plan to keep the next batch for myself. I'm going to try that sorrel dal recipe. Also, I looked at the "best guess" list for this week's delivery and read that we are getting asparagus and salad mix! I love the salad mix! It has flowers in it! So pretty and convenient! Yum!
ramp and sausage risotto
Now this is the way to start off the CSA season: ramp and sausage risotto! I found this idea through A Good Appetite on their page that lists the menu for the week. It seems this recipe is floating around the web. One of the things I like about looking for recipes on the web is reading the comments at the end. I like hearing about how others change or substitute ingredients for each recipe. Which is how I operate. Rarely do I have all the necessary ingredients and so I'm constantly changing it to accommodate what I have in my pantry. For this recipe, I did not have any vermouth and immediately thought to add the leftover white wine I had sitting in my fridge. Saw a comment that did this and that gave me confidence as I was cooking.
Also, I have to say that I love recipes that use the whole plant. This ramp and sausage recipe called for the ramp bulbs, stems and leaves. The leaves are sliced thin and added at the end of the recipe. I cut them and left them sitting on the kitchen counter. I had to go into the cupboard space beneath the bowl for a few things and after a while I started thinking perhaps something had died in my cupboard - the smell was so strong. I got worried. Then, I realized the smell was the ramp leaves. Nonetheless, the leaves added another layer of flavor and made the whole meal look like fresh spring!
Oh, my goodness, it was so incredibly wonderful. I took some pictures while I was cooking, but woke this morning with the realization that I did not have the memory card in the camera, so no pictures. They wouldn't have captured the yumminess of this recipe anyway!
It's really fun to think about the fact that while these ramps are available in the woods - in abundance - they won't be there very long. Now I'm all fired up about foraging for my own.
Cooking risotto in this household is fun. There are a lot of "yes, chef!" thrown about. I admit that I am a fan of "Hell's Kitchen" and risotto is always on their menu. I'd never tried a risotto before watching this television show. It was surprisingly easy to prepare.
I bought the sausage at Ready Meats. I bought the regular which seemed spicy enough. I steamed up some broccoli (not from CSA) and served it on top of the risotto. I should have gotten from french bread to prepare some garlic bread, but I forgot, so some biscuits went into the oven.
Now I have spinach, rhubarb and parsnips left until Thursday. I gave all the sorrel to my mother, but plan to keep the next batch for myself. I'm going to try that sorrel dal recipe. Also, I looked at the "best guess" list for this week's delivery and read that we are getting asparagus and salad mix! I love the salad mix! It has flowers in it! So pretty and convenient! Yum!
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