Holy Flying Monkeys Dorothy

I just realized that I have posted here in over a month. Such a bad blogger. I'd use the excuse of being busy in the garden but that would be a lie and you would know it if you were a friend on Facebook. I guess posting there kind of feeds my need to run my mouth online. Thanks for reminding me Steve that I am a miserable excuse for a blogger. I'll try and do a little bit better. Now that the clown show is getting underway for the election I'll have some incentive.

Bees and Cucumbers

Too hot to really work in the garden today but the early morning was OK for a little macro photography.
Here is a little nature for you. First there are bees we hope and then there are cucumbers. It's a great system we are trying to destroy.

Milkweed Success

I planted milkweed last year as was very disappointed. I actually though it had died. This spring it came back with a vengeance and I have a very nice stand. The variety is Virginia Silk if my memory serves me and it is just now blooming. The bees are having a go at it. Still haven't seen a Monarch but I have my fingers crossed.

Garden Progress

As you can see from the photo we are making progress. Things are growing and we are beginning to get some produce....peas, arugula, lettuce, radishes and baby carrots. Finally, the crunch is over and I can just maintain. Still want to build three more beds so I won't be constrained as I am now. I have to wait until the peas finish before I can put in the butternut squash and I would like to plant another bed or two of corn. So far so good.

Sourdough Whole Wheat

Having a down day today. Its overcast and there are occasional sprinkles so it is good day to take a break from the garden. Everything is planted and growing for now and I finished mulching all the tomatoes, peppers and squash yesterday. Today I am experimenting with making whole wheat sourdough bread and grinding my own wheat. It already smells different during fermentation than dough made with my usual King Arthur whole wheat so it will interesting to taste the difference. It is going to be a little coarser for sure since the grain mill for the Kitchen Aid doesn't grind as fine as commercial flour. I bought 5 pounds each of hard read whole wheat berries, hard white and soft white. The hard red is the first trial.

This is my standard recipe for sourdough whole wheat I'm just using self ground whole wheat instead of storebought.

My standard recipe is as follows:

500 grams whole wheat flour 
100 grams bread flour
400 grams sourdough starter refreshed (I use a 100% hydration starter)
350 grams water
3 tblsp honey
18 Grams kosher salt 1.5 tsp yeast 

I usually make two boules and bake at 425F for 25 minutes in a steamed oven.

Just Not Right

Everyone one on the Boston jury was pro-capital punishment so it is not surprising that Tsarnaev got the death penalty.  It was not going to come out any other way.

I guess I never will understand how any rational person can think that killing someone you have in custody makes any moral  or logical sense. Put in its simplest form it is just revenge and not much beyond cold blooded murder. We make a big deal about our legal rituals and all that claptrap but when you get down to the nitty gritty we are still pretty primitive.

As I have said many times here, I don't believe in capitol punishment under any circumstances. Not for this young man or for anyone else. There is not a valid argument for why more death is the right thing to do.

Missed Spring

Struggling here with the early summer weather. We here in the Atlanta area basically went from Winter to Summer overnight. We got no Spring. It's been running into the upper 80's with no real sign it's go to let up. We are supposed to get some much needed rain later in the week which will cause the high to only reach 80 or so which is something I guess.

Working hard in the garden in spite of the heat. Ran out of raised beds with more needing to be planted so I built and filled another yesterday and will do another today. I have room to do three or four more before I start getting into areas that get too much shade for most of the year. I'll have twenty 4'x12' beds when I finish today and that is getting to the point of being too much for an old man to handle all by himself. We'll see.

Not much else going on around here other than gardening right now. Walk Miss Zoey in the mornings and then garden until 4 or so. I've got one more treatment tomorrow for my leg veins and then all the "very close" veins will be collapsed and not so visible and painful.  The doctor will only do one small section at a time so I've been going once a week for what seems like forever. Not too bad except for the fact that you have to wear support stockings for a period after each treatment which means I've been wearing them for a couple of months and boy are they a PITA. They don't make working in the garden in the heat anymore fun either.

Time to get Zoey up and on the walk and then tackle the cinder blocks for another bed. Need someplace to plant butternut squash. I'll probably wait until I harvest the green peas, fava beans and other early stuff before I plant anymore. More beans, pickling cukes and corn need somewhere to go. I have one bed of corn planted (Hopi Blue) but I also have some Bloody Butcher heirloom corn that I would like to try.

Simple Enough Reason to Support Hillary

No I am not going to unreservedly support Hillary but if she turns out to be the nominee then I will support her. I won't agree with her on everything but when you consider the current GOP alternatives she is the Goddess of all that is good.

Jonathan Chait offers five reasons why Hillary Clinton will win the presidency in 2016. But in the end, his sixth reason may be the only one that matters:

The argument for Clinton in 2016 is that she is the candidate of the only major American political party not run by lunatics.

"That sums it up for me."

via Digby

Simple Tomato Sauce from Marcella Hazan

While she is known for a lot of great Italian recipes, Marcella Hazan may be best known
for the simplest tomato sauce in the world. Don't be frightened by its simplicity, it is
very, very good and all a really good plate of pasta needs.

2 cups tomatoes, with their juices (I use home canned but  a 28-ounce can of San Marzano whole
peeled tomatoes is great as well.)
5 tablespoons butter (don't skimp here, use the best butter you can find. I use Kerry Gold.)
1 onion, peeled and cut in half ( I prefer a sweet onion like Vidalia or Walla Walla but a red onion does just fine.)
Salt (Kosher or sea salt)

PREPARATION
Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a
pinch or two of salt.

Don't be tempted to add anything else until you try it just like this. No pepper, basil, garlic or oregano. Nothing.

Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.
Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Taste and add salt as needed.
Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. This recipe makes enough sauce
for a pound of pasta.

Note: I've made this sauce with a couple peeled and halved shallots as well.

Happy Easter and Passover

I know you have probably stopped checking for anything new here. I don't blame you but I do promise to try and do better. This time of year is for getting the garden in and little else. I've been working hard and it is starting to pay off. Spinach and carrots went in yesterday and radishes and beets the day before. I'm trying to get two beds ready a day but I have failed in that goal so far. The excuse yesterday was that I had to mow the yard.

With everything else I am having some work done on my legs which eats a day a week and sometimes more for recovery. The "very close veins" as my grandmother used to call them were beginning to bother me so I am having all of the surface veins in both legs eliminated. I thought it was going to be with laser but there is a new treatment that uses a chemical and is less painful with faster recovery. So any way, the doctor only does one area a week so it took a month to do the right leg and we started on the left this week. Not too painful but there is some tenderness for a few weeks. The worst is having to wear support stockings for 30 days after the work. What a pain.

So if you celebrate the day then happy, happy. If you don't just enjoy the spring. It will be another gorgeous day here in the Atlanta burbs and after Miss Zoey has her walk we will be back in the garden.

Homemade Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Homemade Cheddar Cheese Crackers

I am a cracker person. I love crackers and I especially like cheese crackers. The problem
is I am also trying to eat well and almost all of the crackers on the store shelves are made
with weird stuff and unnecessary chemicals. It is a problem when it is so easy to reach
for the box of Cheezits.  However, you can make your own cheese crackers and it really
isn't too hard and it is just a few ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I like extra sharp but shred your own, don't buy the
pre-shredded) I sometimes add a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan to kick them up.
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt.
6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

That is really all you need for plain cheddar cheese crackers. If you want a little more zing
try a pinch or two of cayenne, cracked black pepper, dried herbs or even granulated
garlic. Experiment with adding sesame seeds and other things to get some flavors you
like.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Place the first 3 ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times to combine.
Add the butter and pulse until a ball forms. Take the dough out of the food processor and
form a big ball.  The dough generally comes out fine, but you may need to add a little bit
of water (just a few drops) if your dough is not well formed.

Roll out dough on a floured surface or on top of Parchment Paper.  Don’t roll too thin
because the crackers break easily.  Cut in squares with a knife or a pizza cutter.
Bake for about 13-15 minutes until golden brown. I use parchment paper to make things
easier or a Sil-Pat works as well.

If they last this long, they will keep covered for a week or so.

Ostara Is Upon Us

Ok, here we are just a week away from Ostara also known as the beginning of Spring and it is time to plant some of the warm weather seeds like tomatoes and eggplant. All the pepper, leek, shallot and onion plants are up and going. It is also time to get your flower seeds going. Marigolds. zinnas, and nasturtium to attract pollinators and discourage pests. I'm going to try and get all my different peas in the ground this weekend as well. I'm a little late as I was waiting for my inoculant to show up. Insuring the legumes like peas have the proper bacteria they need to fix nitrogen from the air makes a big difference in yield. Everybody get planting.

I'm running a little slow as I am having some laser surgery on my legs and it makes them a little tender, not to mention that I have to wear compression stockings which limit my flexibility a bit. The old "very close vein" thing. Getting old sucks but the other option isn't too great either.

Spring Really Is Coming

In spite of the record cold over the last week, Spring really is coming. Here we are at the last week in February and it is time to get the slow growing garden plants going. Peppers are the big thing for me since around here I target the last week of April to get the peppers and tomatoes in the ground. Pepper seeds planted this week will, with luck, be ready to go into the garden when the soil temperatures warm. Slow to germinate and slow to get going you really need them started in the next few days.

My shallots and leeks are just peeking through the soil. I started them a couple of weeks ago and they have been in the greenhouse keeping nice and warm with a grow mat underneath. They don't mind cool but need some warmth to germinate.

I won't start tomatoes for another couple of weeks as they germinate quickly and grow much faster. If I start them too early they will be too leggy before the ground is warm enough. If the ground is too cold the tomato plants will just sit there and do nothing until the ground warms.

Time to think about companion plants for the garden as well. The right plants in the garden will go a long way in helping you with pests. They also have the added bonus of bringing some color.
You can't beat Marigolds as companions with just about any garden plant. They repel beetles, nematodes, and even some animal pests. I plant them everywhere I have a square foot of space. They typically stay small and compact and they also attract bees and butterflies. Zinnas are good too but they can get pretty tall.

Other good companion plant can act as trap plants, luring insects to themselves instead of your precious vegetables. Nasturtiums, for example, are so favored by aphids that the devastating insects will flock to them instead of other plants.

Carrots, dill, parsley, and parsnip attract garden heroes — praying mantises, ladybugs, and spiders — that munch on insect pests. I always have plenty of dill, basil and parsley planted in the garden. Besides their value as pest prevention they are a must for cooking. The parsley will even overwinter in many parts of the country.

Don't forget about what I call "quickie veges": Lettuce, radishes, and other quick-growing plants sown between hills of melons or winter squash will mature and be harvested long before these vines need more leg room.

Just Your Basic Tomato Soup

It's cold and there are snow flurries. I'm feeling it in my bones and I need some comfort. Not many things make me happier than a nice bowl of soup and there are few soups better than a plain old tomato soup. Nothing fancy...just tomatoes, onions and broth. That's what's coming down for dinner tonight along with some homemade sourdough with toasted Le Gruyere.



Ingredients

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 cups low-salt chicken broth ( I prefer Swanson)
1 quart of home canned plum tomatoes or 1 28-oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes, puréed (include the juice) try to find San Marzano tomatoes from Italy as they are as close as you'll find to home canned.
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp of dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a nonreactive 5- to 6-quart pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onion  and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the flour to the onion and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes. This will get the raw taste out of the flour.

Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture to make sure that the flour is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Discard the thyme sprig. If you like it "chunky" its ready to go. If you like it smooth then use an immersion blender or  purée in two or three batches in a blender or food processor. If you used a blender or processor then return the soup to the pot and adjust the salt and pepper. Reheat if necessary.

Croutons, goat cheese, or parmesan  all make great garnishes. There is also nothing wrong with sprinkling a few Fritos on top either.

No need to mention grilled cheese sandwiches.

Coltrane on the recorder

I can't even fathom how long it must have taken to get this right.



Maybe Steve Bates can tell us.

Happy Candlemas, Imbolc, Brigid's Day and Ground Hog Day.

Happy Candlemas, Imbolc, Brigid's Day and Ground Hog Day. The ancients have celebrated the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox since forever. It notes the first signs of spring and a celebration of the ancient belief in the transformation of the Goddess from the old Crone of Winter into the Maiden of Spring. Later the Christians took the holiday as Candlemas and celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the temple. It is the day candles are purified for the church. It is also Brigid's Day. Brigid is the Goddess of poetry, healing, smithcraft, and midwifery and is celebrated with candles as well. Whatever your flavor enjoy the day. As the old saying goes.....

If Candlemas is bright and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year;
If Candlemas brings snow and rain, old winter shall not come again.

Wind Wimp

I should be in the garden but I'm a wimp. I just got back from taking Zoey for a walk and the wind beat me up. It's not really that cold (45F) but the wind is a steady 20 mph or so with gusts of probably 30 or more. I dislike it immensely. My task for the day in the garden was to continue putting wood chips in the paths between the beds. This necessitates laying newspaper down first which is impossible with any wind. There...I've justified staying in and reading and drinking tea.

Johnny Cakes

Updated below: Johnny cakes or Journey cakes as they were originally called are a quick and easy way to add some novelty and good taste to a meal. That's especially true for a nice winter meal of beans, chili or vegetable soup. They are super easy. All you need is some corn meal, salt, milk, butter and a griddle or big fry pan. Actually, you don't even need the fry pan as another name for them is "hoe cakes" as you can use the back of your hoe to cook them over an open fire whilst working in the field,

The following basic recipe will make about 16 cakes but you can easily double or triple it for making a bunch and since there is no leavening you can make the batter a day or two in advance and likewise keep extra for a couple days.

Johnny or Journey or Hoe cakes

1/4 cup butter (if you use salted butter cut back a wee bit on the salt)
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup plain cornmeal ( I like yellow but white

is fine just make sure it is NOT self rising)
1 1/2 Tsp salt
3/4 cup boiling water

In a small pan (or in the microwave) heat the butter and milk until the butter melts and set aside.
In a medium bowl mix together the cornmeal, salt. stir in the water, mixing well then add the milk/butter.
Using a quarter cup measure cook the cakes on a medium hot griddle or fry pan(or hoe). If the pan is the right temperature it should take about 3 minutes until the edges start to brown. Flip and cook on the other side about a minute more. These are best served hot.

You can fancy these up with some tasty additions to the batter. Try some green onion or chopped hot pepper. Minced shallots or garlic is nice. Use your imagination. A little sorghum, molasses or honey isn't a bad idea either.

Update: I should have mentioned that you want a batter that will flow a bit like pancake batter. If it is too thick add a little more boiling water (this is especially true if the batter sits for a while). Too thin add a little more cornmeal.  If you have to spread the batter out manually on the pan then you need to thin it a bit.

I should also note that I add a tablespoon of Bob's Red Mill Polenta to the mixture to create a little more texture.
one more thing...I only got 12 cakes out of this recipe last night. That's enough for the two of us but you should probably go for the full batch if there are more than two.

Image from Country Living.com

Easy French Onion Soup

It is forecast for more rain this afternoon and I am in the mood for onion soup. Here is
the recipe I use. You'll see a lot of recipes for all beef broth but I think that hides some of
the onion flavor so I like to cut it with some chicken broth. The key is to fully caramelize
the onions...they should be rich and dark before we move to the broth part. Sometimes it
helps to add a bit of white sugar to the onions which will encourage the caramelization.

It is believed that the original onions soups were made with just onions and water and it
was only the caramelized onions that brought flavor. Meat based stocks were a luxury for
the peasants. You can, of course, use water and or a vegetable stock here but I really like
the recipe below. Since there are only two of us I typically only make a half recipe so I
don't have to deal with left overs. I should mention that the only really safe bowls or
crocks for the broiler are stoneware or something like Pyrex. Regular old dishes might
crack. I have a special set of onion soup crocks that work great. Just be careful.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 pounds thinly sliced sweet or red onions (about 6 medium onions)
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine (I use vermouth)
4 cups  low-sodium beef broth
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme stripped or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Half a good baguette slice into 3/4 inch slices on the angle buttered lightly
3 cups grated Le Gruyere cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the sliced onions, salt,
and pepper and continue to cook on low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions
become a deep golden brown and very soft, about 30 to 45 minutes and depending on the
moisture in the onions even longer. Be patient this is where all the flavor comes from.
Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. If you are using dried thyme add it now along
with the white wine and scrape up any fond on the bottom of the pan and simmer for 5
minutes. Add the beef stock and  chicken stock, fresh thyme, and bring to a simmer.
Cook for an additional 30 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Preheat the oven 400F and toast the lightly buttered bread slices. 10 or 15 minutes
should do it....you just want them lightly browned but nice and crisp.

Ladle the soup into 4 to 6 oven-safe crocks or bowls. Top with the toast and a handful of
grated Le Gruyere. Arrange the crocks or bowls on a half sheet pan as they will be easier
to handle.

Place the crocks or bowls under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is
melted and begins to brown.

This recipe makes four generous servings or 6 starter servings

Seed Day

Ok, madam is away for the day, so after taking Zoey out for our walk it is seed catalog day. All the catalogs spread on the kitchen table and then from arugula to watermelon we look at each catalogs offerings and select the varieties we want to try. I always lean toward Seed Savers Exchangeand heirloom and next Botanical Interests followed by Territorial Seeds, Park, Burpee, Jung and then all the smaller ones like Humble Seed ,Sustainable Seed Company, and all the rest. I'll make my lists for each company and then order them on the web. Still haven't decided if I am going to try corn this year but just to be only the safe side I'll order seed. For sure this year is Bloody Butcher and Hopi Blue and another yellow sweet corn of some variety. All the rest is up in air.