What is in Season...Joy!

Here is a good reason for eating local. The joy of the first greens of Spring...the first asparagus. Those of us in mid life and who live in the Northeast know the seasons from our childhood foods. How we looked forward to the first yummie Spring asparagus and berries, Summer corn on the cob and Fall apples? Last night I had freshly picked asparagus it was so wonderful. It brought back memories of going to the patch on my childhood farm (my parents bought a farm house someone else planted that patch years before we arrived).

I have decided that I could be a vegetarian most days...carrots and potatoes and greens. Keeping it simple with limited sauces and added ingredients. I promise if you try food this way in a very short while you will begin to love it! Happy Spring the greens are here.

Check out the cool site I found this picture at: http://www.asparagus.org/

Great place to learn!

I have come across this woman a few times and her site is worth a look. Just remember if you ask about food you might come out feeling kind of sad...like total cereal is really not all that! But you also might find that it is worth while to keep informed.

One tip I learned from her. Do not drink skim milk...the fat is what binds the calcium for my body. She recommends the kind of milk that OHFC sells...raw milk but if you must get milk at store drink nothing less than 2%.

Check out Emily:

http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&aIdx=4&articleID=126005127&aogid=124834865&gid=1138797&gid=1138797&srchType=nws&srchCat=WOTC&trk=news_brkout&goback=.ana_1138797_1272880393275_3_1.nvr_1138797_1

I recommend going to the Blog "Sustainable learning journey blog"

Greens, greens ...they are coming!

I am very excited to be looking at greens for the spring. Bright colored and fresh. This has been a long winter for this "newbe" to eating local. I am ready to pass by potatoes and carrots. Here come the spring crops. BUT before we leave carrots just a mention I had some wonderful carrots that were given to me in my CSA, they were purple and orange. These baby carrots stay in the ground over the winter and then are harvested. Can you say SWEET! the grandchildren got such a hoot out of the color and we made up all kinds of carrot stories from the long winter.

A key thing that I have learned is to let go of my traditional eating habits. A meal of carrots, braised greens, sliced tomatoes (hot house here in Maine) and freshly sliced cheese is really just wonderful.

Will fill you in on the new "greens" CSA experience.

VISIT YOUR LOCAL FARMS!!!!

Simple, Simple greens Eat em Hot

So the other night after a long day I had nothing to eat in my house. Well I had a few cans of vegetable stock and an onion, some mixed greens and eggs. Oh and I had some boxes of mac and cheese. I know I cannot eat that, I really should not eat that but it seemed so easy. Then I had this idea.

I used one can of stock, one onion chopped and cooked that for about ten minutes. Then I added my whole box of greens (they are like spinach when cooked a bucket becomes a cup). When the greens were pretty much cooked (I like them soft) I added one egg and stirred well for another three to four minutes. I also added pepper and a drop of hot sauce. Let me just say that this was a really tasty treat! I was full and smiled as I closed the cabinet and left those lonely boxes of mac and cheese in the dark.

Just an idea. You can cook these greens, saute in butter or oil, in soups, or scramble them with eggs it is all good and they are in season again! Enjoy.

Spring and Greens!

I am starting to love Spring for the greens that come into season. I have decided that almost all greens are tasty and braising them can be delightful. After a long winter of carrots, onions and parsnips the fresh light greens are so welcome.

Here is a real handy chart of greens complete with pictures and names (also some good recipes for greens) http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/visualguidesaladgreens

I have a simple dish that is good: Arugula and Cheese Frittata. If you have a frying pan that can go in the oven it is best but otherwise you will have to bake in baking dish.

You will need:

2 potatoes

2 garlic cloves

6 eggs

6-7 cups Arugula

1/4 of favorite cheese

salt and pepper

Take two potatoes (Maine of course) peel dice and cook. I start them in a microwave to make this quicker (I know not sure that microwaves are great but that is what I do) you could just boil them in a small amount of water. Drain well. set aside while you do the arugula.

2 gloves of garlic diced and sauteed in oil about 2 minutes. Remove garlic and add about 6-7 cups of arugula packed. Saute until tender. Add potatoes to this mixture.

Add salt and pepper to taste about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and slightly less of pepper. (I use a bit more salt and know I should not but it is good)

Pour this Arugula and potatoes into bottom of pan. Put a few pieces (less than a tablespoon of butter on top). Then poor eggs on top.

Whisk eggs and pour over mixture.

Add about 1/4 pound of your favorite cheese. I use Fontina because I read it in a recipe somewhere but really any cheese makes a good shredded topping. Again use what looks right for you and your family.

If using same pan on stove top and over. Begin to cook on stove top and finish in oven for only about ten minutes.

If baking you will need to bake until the eggs set (350 about 35 minutes) but my oven is quirky so test with a knife until the knife comes out clean. If you over bake the eggs will dry out but eggs need to be fully cooked.

You can ALSO just scramble this all together and top off with cheese which will melt due to heat of mixture...not as pretty BUT just as tasty and quicker! This is a great treat.

More arugula recipes?

http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=arugula&x=0&y=0

When mixed greens do not look so good....

Braise them! I discovered, in desperation for something hot and veggie, that you can take limp greens (make sure they are not slimy) and saute them. I was tired after work tonight and had limited foods in my little two room place. (this is my home away from home during the work week). I decided to fry some chic peas and add the greens that I had which were a bit limp. They tasted yummy sort of like spinach and I felt like I had a honest meal.

The trick here is good oil, had some great local oil and nice red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Easy and good. I am not sure what I will do with all my boxed rice mixes and mac and cheese!

Chicken soup!

Here is a confession. I have never made chicken soup without assistance of store bought chicken broth. Well last night I decided that I needed to cook my chicken (small frozen organic from my CSA share) and I had no broth and only about three spices. SO....I simmered that bird with salt and pepper and some local spice mix (it had basil, thyme, sage and marigold). I am here to tell you that the broth that came from that process was perfect! Seriously it tasted great. I am very excited to eat my soup today. I know this should not be a revelation but for this old gal it was.

I added a small amount of rice noodles and a couple carrots and like magic delicious chicken soup. All these years I have over thought or over done cooking. Less is better, local and fresh DOES make a huge difference and it can be done within a budget. That's all for now. I will report on my soup later but it tasted good at 9pm last night.