Fresh herbs for the summer!

Hello friends!

Sorry it has been so long - but I was uninspired for awhile. Now, with the sun shining - I have lots to talk about! This summer I decided to finally plant an herb garden because we finally have some space. Not too much space, so I planted it in two containers that fit nicely onto my deck rails.  So easy! Maybe this is common sense, but in case it isn't, here's what I did:

Went to the local nursery and bought some starts.  These were about $3 each and I made sure to get ones that were fairly big and healthy looking already.  I bought the two containers and some potting soil (Miracle Grow Organic Potting Mix) and just put them in!

From left to right: Cilantro, Fennel, Mint, Dill, Sorrel, Sage

From left to right: Italian Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme (two types)

I may have put too many in the containers, but it is a few months later now and they all seem to be doing fine together.  The oregano is a little sad, and the dill and parsley are getting out of control! (In a good way.) This year is sort of an experiment.  Basil gets its own pot because I use it the most. 

I also bought some lettuce starts to experiment with a salad garden.  

Varieties include: Merlot, Mesclun, Butter, Mustard Greens, Renegade Spinach, Salad Bowl

Months later, I have been cutting successful salads for well over a month now and the lettuce keeps coming back!  I put too many in the pot - next year I will only do about half because it really grows big and fast! Now I have fresh herbs and salads to cut whenever I choose. Yum!

Salad of mixed greens, chopped avocado, tomatoes and cilantro, sprinkled with salt and pepper and drizzled with oil and vinegar.

If you haven't already, it's not too late to get to your local nursery and get something planted! 

It is a quick project and you can reap the benefits almost immediately. Go ahead and experiment!

Products in my kitchen I can't do without...

There are a lot more things I use on a daily basis, but here are some goodies that I love.  What goodies/kitchen gadgets do you obsess over??

1. CAST IRON DUTCH OVEN
Mine is the Mario Batali version from Crate and Barrel - but I am sure any is as good. I make everything in here from soups to stews, to rice to pot roast.  I use mine several times a week.  They are excellent for retaining heat and evenly distributing it. Plus - an added bonus is that these pots clean up really easily! Also, I have the 13 x 9 and the Risotto pan and these are equally amazing.
Crate & Barrel's Enamel Line

2. STAND MIXER
I recently got the Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer from my mother for a birthday gift - best birthday gift ever! Although I have yet to fully explore the reaches of this machine, I can already say how much easier it makes everyday mixing especially for things like dough and meatloaf! It comes in every color imaginable. A secret - get it at Kohl's on sale when you have a coupon and when it is Kohl's cash time - this is the best bang for your buck!

3. KITCHEN SCALE
I have an electronic scale that I thought I wouldn't use, but let me tell you this thing is a blessing when recipes call for things in ounces or pounds! I think any kind would do.

4. DIGITAL MEAT THERMOMETER
My good friends Jenn & Le recommended this to us and it was a lifesaver especially this year at Thanksgiving when my automatic pop-up turkey timer popped up way too soon! Great for use in the oven or on the grill, and you don't have to make ugly cuts in the meat to see if it's done!
Ours from Kohls - ignore the reviews - mine works great!

5. SILICONE SPATULA
The best is the hefty kind with one flat side and one rounded side and a wooden handle.  These have so many uses and are especially great to mix things like risotto or anything you cook in your cast iron! The best part is that they won't scratch your pots and pans and they won't break.
Our spatula from C & B

6. IMMERSION BLENDER
My mom got this for me in college and it is still going strong today.  This multi-tool is perfect for blending soups directly in the pot (no messy transfer to blender), quickly mixing smoothies, etc.  In fact today I used it to puree some pears for a muffin recipe.  Mine came with a separate chopping attachment that I use mainly to chop/grind nuts for recipes.

7. WELL STOCKED SPICE RACK
Duh! This is another thing my mom got me in college - but now I am fully realizing it's potential.  Now that I have cycled through the spices that came with it, I discovered that you can very cheaply by awesome spices in bulk at most grocery stores to refill.  For example, a certain spice that cost $6 for a jar in the spice aisle cost 83 cents in the bulk section, and the spice was much more fresh and flavorful! I will probably dedicate a new blog to this later.

8. OVER THE SINK COLANDER
This has changed my life.  I am very messy when I cook and fill my sink up with everything you can imagine.  Then I always came to the part where I had to drain something and went "oh, crap!" but with this colander you can hold your items safely above anything scary in the sink.  Awesome.

 9.  SMALL HAND VAC
We got this Dirt Devil Kurv for a wedding gift and it is the BEST for cleaning up dry spills in the kitchen or just tidying up the floor/counters after cooking. Also comes in many colors and is inconspicuous so we keep it right on the floor next to the kitchen. Ours is brown.

10.  WINE DECANTER
Gotta love the Vinturi! Just pour your wine right through this thing into your glass and it aerates the wine for you! We always do taste tests and it pretty much improves the taste every time.

Pumpkin Pork Mole Chili Recipe

So I had some shredded pork leftover from a slow-cooked meal over the weekend, and the spices I used with the pork made me think of mole.  I really wanted to turn it into a pumpkin mole chili, but couldn't find the recipe I wanted so I made it up based on some other recipes.  (Here is a link to my favorite canned pumpkin perfect for soups, muffins, pie, etc.) Pretty hearty and delightful on a cold winter day! Change the spice quantities to your own taste or add more heat if you like (I'm a little wimpy).

RECIPE:
Ingredients:

1 tbsp Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Onion, chopped
1 lb Cooked Shredded Pork (Or you can use any meat you like, I used this recipe the night before)
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Dried Oregano
1 tbsp Paprika
1 1/2 tbsp Chili Powder (Adjust to taste)
1 tbsp Cumin
2-3 tbsp Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (Or any chocolate)
1 28 oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 14.5 oz Can Pumpkin Puree
1 cup Broth or Stock (Use water if you don't have it)
1 14.5 oz Can Black Beans
1 cup Frozen Corn

Directions:

In a large stock pot/dutch oven, cook onions over medium heat in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Next, add meat.  If cooked, just stir in and warm for a few minutes.  Otherwise cook until meat browns.  Next, add spices, chocolate, tomatoes, pumpkin, and broth.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low.  Simmer anywhere from 30-90 minutes (as long as you can stand it without eating it!) Stir in the black beans and corn about 10 minutes before it is done cooking.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, or shredded cheese (I thought it was perfect plain). Serve with your favorite homemade quick beer bread, like my favorite, Whole Wheat Beer Bread. Enjoy!

Makes about 4-6 servings.

Farm Fresh to Your Table Anywhere You Live With CSA!

This morning I woke up to a box of fresh produce waiting for me at my doorstep.  Yes! No digging through the horrible selection at the grocery store this week for me! Where did this come from, you ask? Why, my local CSA of course!



What is a CSA?

If you are not from a small town or farm, you likely have never heard of CSA.  It stands for Community Supported Agriculture - which I know sounds really fancy. What it really is is a way for consumers to buy products directly from the farmer.  It is good for both the consumer and the farmer because it cuts out the middle man and consumers know exactly where their produce is coming from.  It is also, with many CSA's, a contract so the farmer knows he has a certain level of commitment from his customers.  Typically the customer signs up and then receives a box of food once a week or once every other week for between $25-$40 a box.   This is such an easy, no-brainer thing to do.  You already spend this money on produce at the store right? Farmers markets are catching on to the trend and charging more. There is so much I could write about these CSA's, but what we really want to know is how we can get service where we live right?

In Washington, I just began service with one of the biggest CSA's around, Full Circle Farms.  I was able to try out the service with a Groupon I bought the other week.  I got this box for $17! (Usually $35)

Here are the contents:

Celery, Organic - 1 each Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California. details...

Rainbow Carrots, Organic - 1 bunch Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California. details...

Broccolette, Organic - 1 bunch Earthbound Organics, San Juan Bautista, California. details...

Shallots, Organic - 0.5 pound Andersen Organics, Othello, Washington. details...

Green Beans, Organic - 0.75 bunch Mexico Growers, Mexico. details...

Cremini Mushrooms, Organic - 0.4 pound Champs Mushrooms, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. details...

Red Leaf Lettuce, Organic - 1 bunch Cal-Organics, Lamont, California. details...

Red Chard, Organic - 1 bunch Capay Organic, Capay, California. details...

Navel Oranges, Organic - 4 each Purity Organic Citrus, Thermal, California. details...

Minneola Tangelos, Organic - 4 each Twin Girls Farm, San Francisco, California. details...

Red D'Anjou Pears, Organic - 3 each Blue Bird Inc., Peshastin, Washington. details...

Gala Apples, Organic - 3 each Earth Conscious Organics, Brewster, Washington. details...

Now - you will notice it lists different locations for each group.  Most CSA's have ingredients from one farm, only available in the summer growing season.  My CSA operates year round, so they have deals with other farms to buy produce from them.  I don't mind because it is still fairly local, and full circle lets you swap items in your box ahead of time online if you don't want something from a particular grower.

How can you help support local agriculture and get a box of food delivered fresh to your doorstep? I would start by googling Community Supported Agriculture and your city.  There is also this great website I found called Ecovian.  It is an online city green guide where you can find green CSA's, Grocers, and Restaurants to name a few.

What's also great about this CSA - less thinking at the grocery store! I can be creative by googling or making up recipes just based on what comes in the box.  It also gives me the opportunity to try new foods.  For example, tonight we will be trying Swiss Red Chard for the first time! Time to look up some recipes...

Think twice about plastics in your kitchen...

Did you ever think about using plastics in your kitchen and whether it is good for you? If you're like me, it's always in the back of your mind but those plastics are just so convenient! One of my husband's co-workers recently questioned his practice of microwaving our leftovers in his plastic Gladware container. Until then, I figured it might be a bad idea but probably couldn't hurt. So, I decided to do a little research. Here are some helpful articles I found about the different types of plastic that show up in your kitchen:

This one explains the safety level of each type of plastic and whether studies have shown them to leach chemicals into your food. It basically says do not heat any plastics at all whether in the microwave or dishwasher (I am extremely GUILTY of this!)

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/news/leachin-teach-guide-safe-plastics-kitchen

This guide reccommends some good products as alternatives and even some plastic ones that they think are ok:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/buying-guide/plastic-containers

http://www.thegreenguide.com/buying-guide/plastic-containers/smart_shoppers_list

My summary if you don't feel like reading the articles:

1. Do not reheat any plastic in the microwave. Use glass or ceramic dishes - even if the plastic says microwave safe.

2. Avoid plastic wrap if possible. Buy waxed paper instead if you can, and use a plate as a lid if it is for the top of a bowl or container.

3. Hand wash ALL plastic items that you use in your home and dispose when they seem worn. This goes for spatulas and such too. Maybe invest in a nice bamboo kitchen utensil set instead of plastic! They are great for nonstick and stainless steel.

Bamboo Utensil Set from Amazon

4. You just never know. There are not enough studies out suggesting that plastics are safe. Use stainless steel or glass containers!

Want a good alternative to those plastic storage containers that are safe and you can throw in the dishwasher? Here are some nice stainless steel containers (with plastic lids - but they are BPA free and you can just hand wash those right?)

or

http://www.reuseit.com/store/lunchbots-stainless-steel-food-container-trio-p-1743.html

Some great sites for product alternatives:

http://www.snacktaxi.com/

http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/

http://www.reuseit.com/

There is probably a lot more to delve into with this topic, but I am trying to keep these posts short to keep people interested - did you at least question your own plastic practices?

We can't be perfect but we sure can try to at least think and question products we are using in our home and even subtle changes can help our health and environment.