I've been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Which is today's recommended reading, by the way) and the more I read the more I want to change the way we eat. Not only because I don't want to financially support the terrible food industry in America any more than I have to, but also because I think eating local, in-season produce comes only second to actually growing all your own food as far as making you truly appreciate what's on your plate come mealtime. For example, you really start to appreciate summer's bounty when you're on a strict local-only diet and you've been eating potatoes, carrots, turnips, meat, and whatever you managed to preserve for 6 or 8 weeks and winter's only half-over. It's going to be a slow process, but I'm trying to reduce how much meat we eat while expanding our horizons as far as vegetables go. So far, I've eaten mushrooms (meaning I got over my aversion to consuming any sort of fungus whatsoever simply because it's fungus), asparagus, turnips, and acorn squash. Those are all things I either never liked before or simply hadn't had. I don't necessarily love them yet, but I have a feeling I will eventually. Still, this little project isn't without it's obstacles, the biggest one being my stupidly high metabolism and hypoglycemic tendencies. I need a lot of calories and protein and I cannot get through an 8 hour shift at work on nothing but salad and fruit. On top of that, I have lazy days where I don't feel like cooking and opening a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli sounds really good. I also have days where I get distracted and forget that I need to eat until it's too late to cook something before I have to leave for work, and due to the aforementioned hypoglycemia issues not eating before work is not an option for me. But I'm working on it. I'd like to eventually get to the point where we can just stock our freezer with free-range meat from local farmers once a year and get by on that. The only way that will be affordable is to reduce how much we eat. Same with milk. I drink way too much milk and if I want to buy all organic pastured stuff I'm going to have to cut my consumption. Getting Trevor on board with that idea is also something I'm working on.
To change topics for a minute, I pulled up the garden several weeks ago, but due to the rather mild summer I had more green tomatoes than red on the vine when I went to compost the plant. I couldn't bear to just toss them, so I decided to put them in one of my cloth shopping bags and see what happened. Then I forgot about them.
Well, a day or so ago I suddenly remembered they were in there while I was at work, and a pang of guilt hit me. Surely they'd be rotten by now, and they'd all go to waste. Owing to my wonderful ADD, I again forgot about them until today. I'd skipped breakfast (coffee doesn't count) and for lunch I had a salad, some cheese and crackers, and a handful of apple wedges. Seemed I'd hit a vegetarian streak, and I decided to continue it. We went to Half-Price books, and then Target, and the whole while my stomach growled and I tried to figure out what I could have for dinner that'd still be vegetarian. Then I remembered the tomatoes.
I looked into the bag when we got home and wouldn't you know it, they were just about all perfectly ripe. I inspected them and found one that was going bad, and while chopping them up I had to toss maybe two more smaller ones that were too bruised and mushy. The rest of them went into a pot with some minced garlic sauteed in butter and are now gently simmering along with some spices, salt, and pepper. I'm going to add some rice, lentils, and barley too and it'll make a hearty meal. I only wish I had some dough I could pull out of the freezer like I did earlier in the week with my roast. Perhaps tomorrow I'll do some batches of bread and dinner roll dough so I can have hot crusty bread anytime I want.
Oh yeah, speaking of that wonderful roast: I put it on the table and sat down to eat and it hit me... this meal was entirely homemade. There wasn't a single pre-packaged thing in it save for the milk and block of cheese I served with it, and I told Trevor that if we had a cow those would have been homemade too. I was proud of myself then and I'm proud of myself now. Maybe this whole "Eat more vegetables, less meat, and try to stay in-season" thing won't be so hard after all.
Here's how I made my soup, by the way: (EDIT: So as not to surprise anyone who decides to make this, this is not traditional smooth tomato soup. It's chock full of the barley, lentils and rice with a little bit of broth left over. Rich, hearty, and delicious.)
1 large clove of garlic (or 2 smaller ones)
2 tablespoons of butter (what I had on hand, you could probably use less)
2-3 lbs of fresh tomatoes
onion powder, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, cloves, bay leaf, sugar
half-cup or so each of rice, lentils, and barley and some frozen corn if you want
Heat the butter in your pot, mince the garlic. Sautee the garlic in the butter and take off the heat while you chop your tomatoes. Now, I had a food mill so I just chopped them, added 2 cups of water to the pot with the garlic, and threw in the pieces. Without a food mill you're going to have to blanch the tomatoes and remove the skins and seeds. (Hint: Get a food mill.) Added the herbs and spices and let it all simmer 20-25 minutes. Ran the lot through the food mill, added sugar to taste, and then put it back on the heat to bring it to a boil. I put in the rice and lentils and waited a couple of minutes before adding the barley and corn since it cooks quicker. After that, I let it simmer for 12-15 minutes and stand uncovered. It went from thin and watery to thick and rich. I served it with garlic bread. :)
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Bread!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Today I got up early so I could get a loaf of bread in the oven before it gets too hot. Nothing beats the smell and taste of fresh bread, and since I still have some strawberry jam left I'm in for a treat later today. I might stop by work later since I've promised my banana bread recipe (I actually got it from Trevor's mom), some green tomatoes, and whatever bread I made next to various co-workers.
I like to be generous at work. It seems like so many people are astounded by the fact that I like to cook and bake, and even more astounded when I tell them how simple it is. I try not to bore them with details about my garden and the finer points of bread-baking (mostly because once I get going it's hard to shut me up), but I do bring in some of my stuff to share. Generosity seems to have gone by the wayside with many folks today. Even Trevor sometimes snarls at me when I'm heading toward the door with half a batch of scones packed up for people at work. "Don't take those to work! They cost money to make! Let them get their own!" I try to gently remind him that we are blessed to have what we do have, and that brightening another person's day with something delicious to eat is never a waste. I fully believe that there is a reason that things tend to work out for us, and that if we ever start acting selfish and greedy that things will go sour. Besides, we're both constantly spending far more money on video games, books, and music than ever goes into what I bake. If we were really hurting for money, those luxuries ought to be first to go, not the occasional treat for friends and neighbors.
Having said that, it's looking like late summer will be a time of plenty as far as beans, peppers, and tomatoes go. I've been keeping an eye on those beans the past couple of days, and they've gone from no flowers at all to too many for me to count. I'm so glad that I didn't decide to prune them back. The tomatoes are still growing extremely well, although I did lose one to a nasty split (I overwatered. Whoops.) New flowers burst open on the anaheim every day. The weather has taken a turn for the warm as well, with it being in the 80's all week and the 90's for the weekend. It'll be miserably hot at the state fair but I don't care. We'll still have a blast.
I need to go check on my bread dough, it should be just about done with the first proof pretty soon. It'll be going into a pan for half an hour after that for the second proof, and then into the oven for half an hour. Then it's going into my mouth. Here's the recipe, for those interested:
Farmhouse White Bread
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup Lukewarm Water
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 3/4 to 3 Cups Bread Flour
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, room temp
1 Tsp. Salt
1. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water, add sugar, wait for bubbles.
2. Add 1 cup flour, butter, and salt, mix well. Then add the rest of the flour.
3. Turn the dough out and knead 10 minutes.
4. Put dough in bowl, cover, let rise for 45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven, oil bread pan.
6. Punch dough down, put in pan, cover. Let rise another 30 minutes.
7. Bake about 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, cool on wire rack.
Enjoy!
Edit to add: My but the birds are out today! American Goldfinches, mourning doves, chickadees, downy woodpeckers... all have been to my feeders this morning. I never get tired of hearing the birds flitting around the tree outside, chirping and singing between raids on my feeders.
I like to be generous at work. It seems like so many people are astounded by the fact that I like to cook and bake, and even more astounded when I tell them how simple it is. I try not to bore them with details about my garden and the finer points of bread-baking (mostly because once I get going it's hard to shut me up), but I do bring in some of my stuff to share. Generosity seems to have gone by the wayside with many folks today. Even Trevor sometimes snarls at me when I'm heading toward the door with half a batch of scones packed up for people at work. "Don't take those to work! They cost money to make! Let them get their own!" I try to gently remind him that we are blessed to have what we do have, and that brightening another person's day with something delicious to eat is never a waste. I fully believe that there is a reason that things tend to work out for us, and that if we ever start acting selfish and greedy that things will go sour. Besides, we're both constantly spending far more money on video games, books, and music than ever goes into what I bake. If we were really hurting for money, those luxuries ought to be first to go, not the occasional treat for friends and neighbors.
Having said that, it's looking like late summer will be a time of plenty as far as beans, peppers, and tomatoes go. I've been keeping an eye on those beans the past couple of days, and they've gone from no flowers at all to too many for me to count. I'm so glad that I didn't decide to prune them back. The tomatoes are still growing extremely well, although I did lose one to a nasty split (I overwatered. Whoops.) New flowers burst open on the anaheim every day. The weather has taken a turn for the warm as well, with it being in the 80's all week and the 90's for the weekend. It'll be miserably hot at the state fair but I don't care. We'll still have a blast.
I need to go check on my bread dough, it should be just about done with the first proof pretty soon. It'll be going into a pan for half an hour after that for the second proof, and then into the oven for half an hour. Then it's going into my mouth. Here's the recipe, for those interested:
Farmhouse White Bread
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup Lukewarm Water
1 Tablespoon Sugar
2 3/4 to 3 Cups Bread Flour
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, room temp
1 Tsp. Salt
1. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water, add sugar, wait for bubbles.
2. Add 1 cup flour, butter, and salt, mix well. Then add the rest of the flour.
3. Turn the dough out and knead 10 minutes.
4. Put dough in bowl, cover, let rise for 45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven, oil bread pan.
6. Punch dough down, put in pan, cover. Let rise another 30 minutes.
7. Bake about 30 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, cool on wire rack.
Enjoy!
Edit to add: My but the birds are out today! American Goldfinches, mourning doves, chickadees, downy woodpeckers... all have been to my feeders this morning. I never get tired of hearing the birds flitting around the tree outside, chirping and singing between raids on my feeders.
Scones!
Monday, June 29, 2009
I baked apple-cinnamon scones today. They just came out of the oven, and the apartment smells great. I did it differently than usual, instead of grating the apples and getting all that juice in the mix and having to add lots of flour to make up for all the liquid, I just diced them instead and tossed them into the Kitchenaid. Going to spread some raw honey (More on that later!) on them and try them just as soon as they cool, and if this way turns out to be better I'll take pictures of the process next time I make them. For now, here's the recipe I use, taken from Allrecipes.com and adapted for the apples:
2. In a medium bowl (Or in the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one), mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Now, the original recipe called for freezing the stick of butter and grating it, but I just slice it into fairly thin slices and then add them in. Work the butter in with your fingers or a fork, or just set your mixer to "stir" (or the lowest setting depending on what mixer you have) and let it do all the work. The end result should be a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Now, you can go ahead and peel, core, and slice your apples. If you get one of those things with handles that cores and slices your apples all at once, so much the better! Go ahead and dice those babies up into fairly small chunks, and toss them in. After that comes the sour cream and egg. If you're doing the mixing by hand, you can beat the sour cream into the egg and mix it in at once if it's easier for you. Otherwise, just toss it into the mixer and set it on "stir". Don't overwork it, you want it to be just mixed.
4. At this point you can take the whole lot out of the bowl and slap it onto a floured surface. Form it into a round with your hands and pat it kind of flat, so it's a few inches thick. Slice it into 8 wedges with a sharp knife, and then gently transfer those wedges to a well-greased baking sheet (You can use parchment paper if you have some, but I don't.)
5. Brush milk onto the tops and sides, sprinkle with some more cinnamon and some sugar, and throw them into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. The tops will get a little browned, and when they're done they'll be slightly crumbly and a knife stuck in the middle should come out clean or with a crumb or two stuck to it. Let them cool a little while on a rack and enjoy!
Now, for a note on honey. I recommend these spread with raw honey. Not the crappy store bought kind! Get some good honey. My favorite is Gentle Breeze Honey, but you can only get it in Wisconsin since they have no online store. It's hard to describe how good this stuff tastes on scones or better yet, on cornbread. Think of how a field of the most beautiful flowers smell, and then imagine that smell as an explosion of taste in your mouth. That's raw, unfiltered honey. (I was going to put a fake disclaimer here claiming no responsibility for any addictions resulting from this advice, but you know what? I'll go ahead take full responsibility for it, because I'm doing you a favor. :P Go now. Buy some raw honey!)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- A few dashes of cinnamon, I'd say about a tablespoon (more if you like, though!)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled well or frozen
- 1 large cooking apple, like fuji or granny smith. If you really like apples, use 2 of them and mix the varieties.
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
2. In a medium bowl (Or in the bowl of a stand mixer if you have one), mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Now, the original recipe called for freezing the stick of butter and grating it, but I just slice it into fairly thin slices and then add them in. Work the butter in with your fingers or a fork, or just set your mixer to "stir" (or the lowest setting depending on what mixer you have) and let it do all the work. The end result should be a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Now, you can go ahead and peel, core, and slice your apples. If you get one of those things with handles that cores and slices your apples all at once, so much the better! Go ahead and dice those babies up into fairly small chunks, and toss them in. After that comes the sour cream and egg. If you're doing the mixing by hand, you can beat the sour cream into the egg and mix it in at once if it's easier for you. Otherwise, just toss it into the mixer and set it on "stir". Don't overwork it, you want it to be just mixed.
4. At this point you can take the whole lot out of the bowl and slap it onto a floured surface. Form it into a round with your hands and pat it kind of flat, so it's a few inches thick. Slice it into 8 wedges with a sharp knife, and then gently transfer those wedges to a well-greased baking sheet (You can use parchment paper if you have some, but I don't.)
5. Brush milk onto the tops and sides, sprinkle with some more cinnamon and some sugar, and throw them into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. The tops will get a little browned, and when they're done they'll be slightly crumbly and a knife stuck in the middle should come out clean or with a crumb or two stuck to it. Let them cool a little while on a rack and enjoy!
Now, for a note on honey. I recommend these spread with raw honey. Not the crappy store bought kind! Get some good honey. My favorite is Gentle Breeze Honey, but you can only get it in Wisconsin since they have no online store. It's hard to describe how good this stuff tastes on scones or better yet, on cornbread. Think of how a field of the most beautiful flowers smell, and then imagine that smell as an explosion of taste in your mouth. That's raw, unfiltered honey. (I was going to put a fake disclaimer here claiming no responsibility for any addictions resulting from this advice, but you know what? I'll go ahead take full responsibility for it, because I'm doing you a favor. :P Go now. Buy some raw honey!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
