Ministry of Food

Because I just can't get enough, I went to Jamie Oliver's website to see the latest Jamie At Home info, but he has already moved on. You know how Texas gets everything later than California and New York? Well the UK does everything before the US. He's already starting a new project called the Ministry of Food, and I haven't even had enough of Jamie At Home yet. I was bummed, until I checked it out. It's pretty fabulous. Go look...

Wanting to contribute to the "food revolution" I've been trying to utilize what's in season. However, for those of us a few generations removed from the farm may not know what is in season. Check out this great website updated weekly to let you know what produce is freshest!

Since potatoes are in season why not try this incredible recipe from Alice Water's The Simple Art of Cooking

OMG super simple and super tasty. If you are a vegetarian this is a main dish!

Potato Gratin

butter a casserole dish

peel and thinly slice (food processor or mandolin) 4 large potatoes

make a layer of potato slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper (i added fresh herbs also)

make another layer of potatoes and repeat once more to make 3 layers total

pour 1 cup of milk over the top, the liquid should come up to the first layer

dot the top with 3 tablespoons of butter

Bake 350 degrees until the top is browned and slightly bubbly (approx 1hr)

P.S. Another interesting website along the "food not grass" guidelines is http://freedomgardens.org/

From Scratch

We've been in the kitchen a lot lately, and here are some new recipes I'd like to try.

My mint is trying to take over my yard, but this recipe ought to tame that herb!

Homemade Mint Ice cream from Blue Yonder.

1. First, take a bunch of mint leaves, I don't know, half a cup or so, and put them in a bowl with a cup of sugar.
2. Use the back of a spoon to grind them up into the sugar.
3. Pour in two cups of heavy cream and a cup of whole milk, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
4. Let that sit in the fridge for a couple of hours (or overnight if you like it really minty).
5. Strain the leaves out of the mixture, and then pour it in 13X 9 (ish) pan (glass or ceramic is best - anything that will give it enough room to spread out) and cover with plastic wrap.
6. Put it in the freezer.
7. Every hour or so, take it out and scrape/mix it with a fork. This will keep it from becoming one solid mass. This freezing part should take 3-4 hours.
8. Voila, ice cream!
   *A variation could be to add in chocolate chips.

We recently made these homemade Lara Bars, easy to make, and yum to eat! Here's another variation of the recipe. Make a big batch. Throw one in your bag with an apple and you have yourself a meal. When you are having a "mobile" day, never drive through for french fries again, keep a stash of these handy and offer your starving over-transported kids one of these. So healthy and tasty too.

My two worlds have collided! You know I love Amy Butler for her whimsical fabric and chic patterns. But did you know she also wrote a book about Jams & Jellies? OH YES SHE DID. I haven't done the jams or jellies, but I intend too. However, I did try the recipe for Sharon's Cream Biscuits. OMG!

2 cups AP flour

1 tsp salt

1 TBS baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1 cup plus 2 TBS heavy cream

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, salt, bp, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the cream to the dry ingredients and mix. Gather the dough together and knead for 1 additional minute. Pat the dough into a 1/2" square and cut into 12 biscuits. Place biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake 15-17 minutes or until light golden brown.

Bounty

"The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none." ~Deut 28:12

The first fruits of our labor. They may appear modest, but this excites me so much because I know it's only the beginning.
These days everything is enhanced around here, even an ordinary cup of tomato soup gets some added pizzaz!

Signs of Life

Although a "cool" front blew in this evening (cooler than the 85 degrees it was this afternoon), earlier in the week I snapped these pictures of the "flourishing" container gardens. The top pics are sweet 100's (cherry tomatoes) and a little basil. The bottom pics are some Kentucky pole beans climbing a tee pee.




Are you an urban homesteader? A backyard farmer? A novice, suburban rookie? Do you want more gardening posts, then don't forget to check out Backyard Farming, even Blue Yonder is reading! She is so cool, she makes me want to home school and bake pies...all of us at Backyard Farming agree. ;)

A Weekend In the Yard

I spent this past weekend in the yard, mostly straightening up after "fall". I did manage to plant a few things, basil, thyme, oregano, and dill to be exact. I still plan on planting rosemary, mint, wheat grass, and a few tomatoes. I don't think we will be able to have a big garden this year. We just don't know the yard well enough yet. At this new house we have so many trees and they produce so much shade. I think we need to take one summer to note where in the yard gets the most sun. {Although after reading this post, I feel inspired and "pumped" to do a really BIG garden!} I WILL at least have tomatoes, by golly. I think I will do them in whiskey barrels.

I decided to plant my herbs in pots. I have never grown herbs from seeds before, but it's still wet and rainy around here and I figured it was a small gardening venture that required minimal effort and little risk. If you want to plan a garden don't forget to check the Farmer's Almanac. I did and look what it says about the dates I planted my seeds! (Feb 10-11 Seeds planted now will grow poorly and yield little.) I tell you, that FA is really handy. You can cut your hair, plant seeds, and quit smoking by it. I love it! Maybe there is still hope for my little seedlings? Maybe if I whisper sweet nothings to them???

I've been enjoying this book You Grow Girl. It's a no-fuss guide to gardening.