Oven Roasted Vegetables with Lime and Pine Nuts

Winter is still with us here in the Pacific Northwest, and because we get so much cool season rain, it can get a bit dreary this time of year.

Seed catalogs have begun arriving and my thoughts have turned to my summer garden. Last week I did manage to "mud in" my first planting of shelling peas and every day I wander outside and urge them to grow. But in this chilly, wet weather, growing is tough business, and it seems those little pea plants take forever to emerge. But emerge they eventually do, and that more than anything else portends warmer, sunnier days ahead. But patience is a virtue, and sometimes I need more than the promise of spring to come.

So this week I went to the grocery store and bought veggies. Lots and lots of veggies. And when I got home I quickly realized that I would need to make meals that consisted of nothing but those vegetables or they would wilt and turn bad before I got them all eaten.

What to do?

The answer was easy: roast them. Usually when I roast vegetables I'm not very creative; I simply spritz them with olive oil, add salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary and call it good. But this time I was yearning for something different, so I opened up my refrigerator and looked inside. And this is what I came up with:

Oven Roasted Vegetables with Lime and Pine Nuts

Oh my goodness, it was a taste hit! The addition of lime juice really brightened the taste of the vegetables and I plan to do it again soon. Here's a picture of my first bowl:

I will now give you the ingredients along with a rough guesstimate of the amounts. I'm the kind of cook that adds ingredients by mental "taste" instead of being a rigorous measurer. It makes it a bit harder to write out my recipes, but I also like to think it frees up you, dear reader, to be creative in your own right and add the amounts you think are perfect. So here goes:


1 zucchini
1/2 onion
1 large tomato
8 small Russian fingerling potatoes
8 petit button mushrooms
1 carrot
1/2 cup eggplant, skinned and chunked into 1/2-inch cubes (these will be smaller than the other vegetable pieces, but I like it better with the eggplant...but suit yourself)
1/2 cup bell pepper
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/8 cup lime juice (more or less)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Chunk the zucchini, onion, tomato, carrot, and pepper into large, similar sized pieces. If the mushrooms or potatoes seem a bit large, cut them in half also; otherwise leave them whole.

Spray a cookie sheet or baking pan with olive oil and also spray the veggies. Mix them together with the pine nuts, garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper and place them in the baking pan. Drizzle the lime juice over the veggies, being careful to hit all surfaces.

Roast for about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven; gently turn vegetables and continue to bake until the edges begin to brown and the vegetables are tender, about another 15 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks.

If the vegetables start getting too dark, turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue to roast them until they are tender.

You can obviously eat these plain, and with a piece of excellent sourdough bread and butter or a baked chicken breast you have a delightful meal. But here's another idea: Toast a hoagie type roll, spread the toasted roll with a bit of mayonnaise, and pile the veggies on top for a wonderful roasted vegetable sandwich. Quite elegant and very tasty!

Eating plenty of fresh veggies during these dark and dreary winter months helps keep me going until once again the days lengthen, the sun comes out, and my garden grows.

Blessings to you and yours and happy (and healthy!) eating!
Georgia

The Chickens and the Eggs

What came first--the chicken or the egg?

Well in my case, it was the chicken.

I bought 3 day-old pullets last summer--too late to get eggs before the cold, short days of winter came, but I figured their extra growing time would stand my egg production in good stead. So I fed Henrietta, Laycey, and Megg (who I've subsequently lost to a racoon...very sad) organic feed and cracked corn, along with suitable kitchen scraps. On extra cold days, I make extra oatmeal or hot farina when cooking my own breakfast so I have enough to give them a warm breakfast. They love the treat!

On the morning of January 16th of this year, I heard the girls out back clucking and realized the sound was different--it was the sound a hen makes when she's announcing that she's just laid an egg. I waited several more minutes and then hurried outside to see what was up, and sure enough, there was a fresh, warm egg in the hen house. Oh boy! I was in business!

On day two both of my hens laid an egg, and they've been doing that every single day since. That's slightly more than a dozen each week. I'm thrilled, and it's also true that I'm quickly being inundated with fresh, organic eggs:

 



You've never truly had a fresh egg until you've had one straight from the hen house. The yolks are bright orange/yellow and the whites just sit there in a hump instead of spreading out in the pan when you crack them open. And they taste...well...eggy. Divine!

But since I'm so egg rich I've been attempting to make food that uses a good share of eggs just to try to keep up with the onslaught. Here are some of the recipes I've made recently:

Cream Puffs

 1 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour, sifted
4 eggs
sweetened whipped cream

Heat the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a full rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a thick, smooth ball that leavers the sides of the pan clean, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating with the wooden spoon well after each addition, until paste is shiny and smooth. This takes a while.

The pastry will be sticky, but do your best to shape into puffs. I usually make mine about two inches across; you don't want them too large or they won't get dry enough in the center when baked. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 5 more minutes. Cut a slash in the side of each puff about two-thirds of the way down (I use a sharp knife for this and poke the knife into the center and then slash while taking it back out) and continue baking for 10 minutes or until puffs are firm, dry to the touch, and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut tops off, fill with sweetened whipped cream, place tops back on top of the whipped cream, and serve.

I make homemade sweetened whipped cream by adding to 1 cup whipping cream about 1/8 cup of sugar, a pinch of cream of tartar (it helps to keep the whipped cream from separating; if you don't have any, don't worry), and about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. I use my electric beaters for this step, and beat the cream until stiff peaks form and it looks about right.

I usually double this recipe and get to use up 8 eggs in a hurry. But when I do double the recipe, my arms about fall off after I've beaten in all those eggs into the paste. Consider it your exercise for the day.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

 

Whisk together 3/4 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened). Allow to cool and then whisk in 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 5 room temperature egg yolks (save the whites for later in the recipe), and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

 

In a large mixing bowl whisk together 1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth.

 

In another large, clean mixing bowl and using clean electric beaters, beat 8 room temperature egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Turn speed to high and gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar; beat until the peaks are very stiff.

 

Use a rubber spatual to fold a quarter of the egg whites into the cocoa mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Scrape the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted just off center comes out clean. Invert the cake to cool. My cakes are too high to invert without smashing so I use an upside down canning jar, but you can also use a coke or wine bottle or an upside down canning funnel. Let the cake cool for about 1-2 hours.

 

To remove the chiffon cake from the tube pan, use a knife to go around the edge of the pan to loosen it and then gently tap it out onto a clean counter or serving plate.

 

I often serve this with sweetened whipped cream or spoon sweetened berries over the top and put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

 

 

Make these two recipes, doubling the cream puffs, and you'll use 16 eggs in a hurry. And even better? Your family will rise up and call you blessed!

 

 



Homemade Masa and Corn Tortillas--An Adventure

*See link at end of post for the update on my tortilla making adventures. (I'll give you a hint: Success at last!)

For years I've made my own homemade corn tortillas. I buy masa harina--which is corn flour and slaked lime (called "cal")--and then add hot water and let the dough sit for about 20 minutes before forming into tortillas and cooking them on a hot cast iron griddle. These corn tortillas are definitely better than store bought. They are sturdier, tastier, and fill a person up better than the boughten ones.

Still, I've always felt that I was semi-cheating even then because I had never actually made the masa that is the beginning of corn tortilla making. Lately it's been on my mind, I think because it's winter and I generally cook more beans in the winter. And what could be tastier than slow cooked rancho beans made from pintos on a freshly made-from-scratch corn tortilla--with maybe some chopped onions, tomatoes, and chipotle spiced pork roast to go along with it? I'm thinking not much.

Yesterday I was racing around town doing chores and shopping and discovered a Mexican market. I made the split-second decision to turn into the parking lot and go inside the market. The folks there were so helpful, and they smiled alot (there was a bit of a language barrier with the people who helped me!) when they understood that I was looking for cal in order to teach myself how to make from-scratch tortillas. I got the slaked lime, and they hollered for a young man from the back of the store to come talk to me. He gave me some much appreciated tips and off I went, cal in hand and my confidence in place.

Last evening I took about 2 quarts of water and measured in a good tablespoon of cal. I placed it all in a stainless steel pot (you want to use a nonreactive container) and turned the heat to high. I stirred with a wooden spoon to make sure the lime dissolved and then dumped in about 2 cups of organic popcorn. Any popcorn that floated to the top got yarded out of the pot. I didn't use dent corn because I didn't have any and I was a bit nervous about the outcome. But keep reading!

I brought the corn and water mixture to a boil and then turned down the heat a bit and boiled the corn for about 5 minutes, stirring pretty much continually although I don't think that's really necessary. (Next time, by the way, I'm going to try boiling the corn for longer, say about 15 minutes, because I understand it will make the corn fix more niacin and also make it easier to digest--not that I have a problem.)Then I took the pot off the heat, covered it with a lid, and let it set on my stove until it was cool. Next, I placed the pot of corn and water into the fridge overnight to continue soaking. You could also pour the corn and water into a large glass mixing bowl and cover that and put in the fridge. I might try that next time too, because I'm not sure what the long-term effects are of slaked lime on the surface of my good stainless steel pot.

This morning I took the pot out of the fridge and peeked inside. Not very promising: I had read that the corn skins were supposed to peel off, but there were no skins floating. But then I remembered reading that popcorn already has the papery skin off and I think the answer may have to do with my use of the popcorn instead of field corn. I mean, if popcorn supposedly already has the skins off, it would stand to reason that I wouldn't see any floating in the water.

Next, I drained the corn into a colander and began rinsing the corn and moving it around through my fingers. I rinsed it very, very well. Next, I spread the drained corn on some paper towels and let it sit for about an hour while I decided how to tackle the next step: grinding.

I don't have a corn grinder but the beautiful Country Living Mill I own came with a corn and bean auger, so in theory I could use that.

Country Living Grain Mill

But I worried that I would gum up the blades because the corn was damp. So I hauled out my Vitamix and used that instead. I used the variable speed and only did about a half to one cup of corn at a time. I ended up turning the variable speed to about 8 and it worked well. I had to grind for a bit longer than I thought I would in order to get the corn flour to a coarse but cornmealy consistency. And even though the cooked corn looked really, really yellow, my cornmeal/masa looked like it ought to, and I was cheered.

Next I made my masa dough. I simply put in hot water and mixed it up with my hands.  I don't measure, but in my mind's eye, it seems as though I used about 2 cups masa flour/meal and somethinhg like 1/4 cup hot water. Bear in mind that a little hot water goes a long way so go sparingly. I like my masa dough to be wet but not too wet, and the mass needs to be able to hold together in a ball once it's kneaded. You also don't want your dough to be sticky--a sure indication that it's too wet. This is one area where you'll need to practice and to have patience because it's kind of like baking bread: you need to get a feel for it, and the only way to do that is to keep trying until you get the consistency you like. I laid a towel over the bowl of masa and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Then I formed bits of the masa dough (about the size of biggish apricots) into tortillas and cooked them on my cast iron tortilla griddle. I found the dough had really sucked up the water as it rested, so as I made each tortilla I first ran my hands under hot water from the faucet and that seemed to work pretty well.

I don't have a tortilla press so I had to make my tortillas by hand, which is what I've always done. I simply put a ball of dough between two pieces of wax paper and then roll it out by either using a rolling pin or, when I'm feeling extra slothful, my hands. I push and pat and make it as thin as I can without breaking the tortilla. I cook the tortilla on my heavy cast iron griddle using a medium-high heat.

They say that a perfect tortilla will puff up when you turn it over, but I can't tell you how often that hasn't happened for me. My tortillas usually cook without puffing but no one ever complains because they taste divine. I cook up my entire batch of masa because it doesn't keep well. The upside, of course, is that I have plenty of leftovers for another meal. The tortillas will keep in my fridge for several days--and possibly longer, but they've never stuck around long enough to test that theory. They get eaten in a hurry!

I think about the women in Central and South America who every evening soak their corn and every morning make their tortillas and I think two things: 1) they must be an awful lot better at this than I am, and 2) they are to be much admired for caring so diligently for their families because this is not a quick answer to feeding hungry people. It takes time and patience and planning. And they do this day in and day out!

My chipotle-pepper seasoned pork roast is in the oven slow baking since early morning and I have a couple of jars of pinto beans that I previously canned waiting to be opened up and heated. I've got a fresh tomato, onion, and the luxury of an avacado that I will add to my meal. It smells heavenly and I'm looking forward to this good food--which will taste all the better because I've successfully taught myself another handy skill and have produced and prepared everything except for the pork myself.

It just doesn't get better than that!

God's riches blessings to you and yours,

Georgia

* Click here (Corn tortillas update--It's all in the tools you use.) to read how I solved all my problems and now effortlessly make my corn tortillas!



What the Amish Can Teach Us About the Simple Life

I have a new book coming out February 1. It's called What the Amish Can Teach Us About the Simple Life. Here's a picture of the book cover:

Chapters include Family First; Building Community; Housekeeping Tips; Backyard Gardening; Raising Backyard Livestock; Keeping Technology Where You Want It; Waste Not, Want Not; and Coming Home.

It's chock full of useful information, including recipes for lots of different products you can make instead of buy.

So in the spirit of do-it-yourself, here's a recipe for inexpensive homemade laundry soap:

1 bar Fels-Naptha or Ivory soap, finely grated (I whir mine in my Vitamix; you could try a blender or food processor)
1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda (this is caustic so handle with care)

Mix everything together and store in an airtight container. I find that canning jars work great. Use about 2 tablespoons per load of laundry. When I use this soap I always add vinegar to the rinse water as it helps to remove all traces of soap residue and makes my clothes soft.

I'd love to hear what you and your family do to enjoy a plain and simple life--tips and pointers would be great!

Blessings to you and yours,
Georgia

The Quinoa Diaries

I don't know about you, but quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") has been one of those rare foods that I've struggled to like. Every so often I'll give it a try...and it's always been disappointing. Until recently, that is.

First of all, a bit of quinoa history, because it's interesting:

Quinoa was first domesticated about 4,000 years ago so it's an ancient grain. It is grown at high altitudes in the Andes mountains of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, and the plants remind me somewhat of amaranth or sorghum. With their long flower stalks, they are quite lovely in a frousy sort of way when in bloom. Although quinoa is considered a whole grain it's actually the seeds that are harvested. It's possible to eat the leaves like you would any greens, but it's the seeds that make it commercially viable. Quinoa is closely related to beets, spinach, and...tumbleweeds! (Fascinating piece of semi-useless information!)

Using Quinoa

The easiest and tastiest ways I've found for using quinoa is to cook the grains thusly:
1) Rinse the quinoa well; drain.
2) Combine 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water or broth in a pot.
3) Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
4) Let cool for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.

I use cooked quinoa as a salad ingredient (sort of like pasta salad). I cool the quinoa and then add chopped onion, celery, tomato, cucumbers, olives...whatever I have and whatever sounds good. Next, I "dress" it. My favorites are malt vinegar and olive oil, rice wine vinegar and olive oil, or balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I add a bit of salt and pepper to taste, and sometimes I throw in feta cheese chunks. It's good!

Another way to use quinoa is as stuffing for zucchini or bell peppers. Mix together cooked quinoa, cooked hamburger meat, tomato sauce, and spices of your own imagining. (I like to use minced jalapenos, cumin, garlic, oregano, and chili powder.) Stuff parboiled bell peppers or hollowed out zucchinis that have been cut lengthwise, top with cheese, and bake until heated through and the cheese is bubbly.

I haven't tried this idea yet, but I want to mix together cooked quinoa, chopped onions, chopped celery, chopped spinach, a couple of eggs, and maybe a half cup of milk or cream. Then I'll bake it like a quiche (you could use a crust or go crustless) until it's set.

I've been sitting here thinking about using quinoa, and I had to ask myself why I keep trying to like the stuff. There are so many other grains that I'm used to and I like, so why go through this struggle? I think it's because I get such great satisfaction from experimenting and trying new things. Granted, it's nothing earth shattering, but I take great joy in learning, and spending time in my kitchen blesses me as it (hopefully) blesses others.

Experiment! Try something new! Who knows but that it could become a new family favorite.

Pork Chops and White Bean Casserole

Winter greetings! When the cold days of winter set in, I love to put on a pot of beans to simmer for hours. Beans are definitely perfect winter fare--their rich, rib sticking goodness is just right for keeping the cold at bay. Make a batch of cornbread to go with them and you have a well balanced and tasty meal.
The recipe I'm going to share with you today comes from my mother's kitchen from many years ago. It's not a fancy recipe, but the combination of spices makes this bean stew a real standout. I hope you give it a try!

Pork Chops and White Bean Casserole

2 cups (1 lb.) white beans (I usually used Great Northerns or the smaller navy beans)
2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 T. butter
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cans tomatoes (the size of soup cans), chopped, including liquid (Instead of store-bought cans of tomatoes, I use a quart jar of my home canned tomatoes including liquid.) or, use 5 large tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
6 thin pork chops

Early in the morning: Cover beans with cold water, cover, and refrigerate all day. (You could always let the beans set overnight instead if you want to cook them in the morning for a midday meal.) Drain. Put the beans in a large pot; add 5 cups water and the salt, pepper, bay leaf, and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain again. Place beans in a large ovenproof casserole dish or dutch oven.

Meanwhile, saute in butter the onion, tomatoes, oregano, and thyme and cook the mixture for several minutes until heated through. Stir this mixture into the beans that are in the ovenproof container.

Next, brown pork chops in a skillet and then tuck them into the beans, covering them. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, then uncovered for 15 minutes.

This is how the recipe is written, but what I do in actual fact is, I brown my pork chops in the cast iron pot I plan on using to bake the beans. That way, I get all the tasty bits from browning the meat incorporated into the stew. I think it makes a difference.

These beans reheat well, and I always hope there's enough left over for lunch the next day. Comfort food at it's tastiest best!.
Enjoy!





Preserving the Harvest--A Hundred Years Ago!

I'm rereading a book that was written by a woman who was born in 1899, and lived in my area. At the time, it was extremely rural, and they would go into town several times a year to buy the things they couldn't grow or otherwise produce on their farm. The annual trip to town was a several-day affair, and because the road into town was so dusty, they would bring a change of clothes, stop at the Rest Cottage at the edge of town, and change into their Sunday best before doing their shopping. Because the trip was arduous, and because money was tight, they grew or raised most of the food and grains they and their animals would need throughout the year.

The name of the book is True Story of a Mountain Girl and Pioneer Happenings by Pearl E. Montgomery. My  copy says "Fourth Edition Printing, August, 1986."

Here is a section (found on page 13 in the book) that has the heading "Preserving Fruits, Vegetables and Meats":

"Mother canned lots of fruit. She also made big stone jars of pickles and sauerkraut. We baked light bread two or three times a week. We grew our wheat and took it to the mill most of the time. From our orchard we harvested apples, pears, four kinds of plums, prunes and cherries. Then there were strawberries, raspberries, loganberries and grapes.

"We had about two hundred and fifty gooseberry bushes and my job was to do most of the picking. We would run the berries through the grain cleaner to get the leaves out and then ready for market. I delivered all the orders around within five miles on horseback.

"In the fall we had potatoes to dig. We filled fifty to seventy-five 100-pound sacks which were stored in the cellar. There were carrots, parsnips and turnips. Dad sold turnips and fed turnips to our dairy cows.

"We dried fruit, usually around fifty pounds of pears, one hundred of prunes, twenty-five of plums, one hundred pounds of apples. After drying, Dad made apple cider in fifty gallon barrels. Ten barrels were taken to Eugene for sale. He took a load of farm products. The wagon load included two or three veal weighing three or four hundred pounds each. The veal were dressed out and the hide left on.

"It took a day to go to town, a day to trade, and a day to return home."

Interesting! I love to read true stories of local settlers, and I'm often reminded of just how little they had, and how content they were anyway. It's a good lesson for me to practice contentment in my own particular circumstances.

As my nod to days gone by, I'm canning. Yesterday I canned 7 jars of diced ham that was left over from a birthday dinner for two of my kids, and tonight I'm canning 6 jars of chicken. Since this summer, when my garden was producing it's annual bounty, I've canned more than 300 jars of food. Granted, that's not as much as in years gone by when 600 jars were more the norm for me, but I'm content.

Let the winter storms come--I can feed my family, and that's a great feeling!