Last September the first round of Peppermeister Roulette hit the blog.
Let’s see how HOT Round 2 is, shall we?
If you’d like to learn more about the peppers tasted here, visit Peppermeister’s blog (make sure to tell him Rachel wants a tie-breaker).
Gardening
Let’s Play Peppermeister Roulette…Again!
Categories: Gardening, Video
Tags: food, hot peppers, humor, local, peppermeister, video, vlog
61 Comments
Happy CSA Day! {Week 4}
Friends of mine tell me stories of their mothers and grandmothers slaving away, over large pots, waiting for the “POP” of a Ball jar lid, the summer heat no match for the steam of a kitchen in full canning mode.
I have no such stories. While I’m sure both my grandmothers canned food in their lifetime, I never learned the art.
I have, however, had the pleasure of eating many canned goods provided by generous friends and friends’ grandmothers. My favorite canned good is the pickled beet. I could eat them all day, on salads or as a snack and often make vinaigrette with the bright pink pickling liquid.
While I didn’t receive any beets in my CSA box from Lancaster Farm Fresh last week, a trio of root vegetables greeted me–carrots, turnips, and black radishes. The carrots and turnips are easy to use, but black radishes? I’ve never had them, and I’m more familiar with the pretty reddish-pink variety I grew in my garden last year. These black radishes looked like beasts in comparison. I was at a loss for what to do with them, but then those pickled beets came to mind.
The radishes in question, about three times the size of spring radishes
I’ve been wanting to try my hand at food preservation for a while now, so I decided to make quick pickled black radishes. While I didn’t slave away in the kitchen over hot pots waiting for that “POP” of the Ball jar, I did take the time to pack them tightly with vinegar and spices. And they’ll keep in the fridge for a month.
I would say that my first attempt at one form of food preservation was a success, giving me a confidence boost for when I can summer tomatoes for the first time. I can’t wait to try these picked black radishes on my Asian Short Rib Tacos or on this Vietnamese sandwich. They are earthy, spicy, and pickled to perfection.
Pickled Black Radishes
5 black radishes, sliced thickly
1 small yellow onion, sliced (also from my CSA)
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus a bit more
3 teaspoons (local) honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 dried chile pepper, cut in half lengthwise (my chile was from Peppermeister, my pepper hero. If you want to trade seeds with him or receive some of his extra special seeds in the mail, check out this post.)
After slicing the radishes, place them in a colander and salt them with a little kosher salt.
Thickly sliced and ready for the pickle jar
I used my mortar and pestle, a gift from a thoughtful friend, to crush the peppercorns
In a non-reactive saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, salt, and honey to a boil, until salt and honey are dissolved. Remove from heat and add the crushed peppercorns, garlic, and chile.
Pickling Liquid
Pack the sliced radishes and onion in a clean quart-sized jar, and pour the hot liquid over them, making sure to pack the garlic, chile, and all those crushed peppercorns into the jar, too. Cover and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Eat within a month.
Pretty as a picture
What’s your favorite canned good or pickled item? Have you ever pickled/canned summer produce? Any tips for me?
Categories: Gardening, Recipes
Tags: Canning, Community Supported Agriculture, CSA, food, Food Preservation, local, Pickling, vegan, vegetarian
17 Comments
How to Turn K-cups into Seed Starters
I got an email the other day from sweet Beka, a creative 14-year-old and the lovely daughter of my friend Valerie.
Valerie is a renaissance woman. She works, cooks, gardens, sculpts, paints, raises beautiful children, and even makes awesome cakes shaped like Kate Spade purses.
Seriously. Which one is the real thing?
It appears that Valerie has passed her creative DNA onto the adorable Beka, because Beka sent me a snap guide on how to turn Keurig K-cups into seed starters. This project only took Val and Beka an afternoon to complete. Val says she will harvest the lettuce they planted right from the K-cups but when fear of frost is over, she’ll plant them outside.
Val with Hannah and Beka (on the right) – Gorgeous girls and one hot momma!
Because nothing is more local than growing your own food, I planted a small garden last year with moderate success. I also helped my friend John plant, weed, dig, and harvest in his giant garden. One thing I’ve never done, though, is start my own seed. But with this guide and a Christmas gift of heirloom seeds from Val, I’m ready to give it a try.
Without further ado, here’s Beka’s snap guide. Click on the photo below or this link:
This guide is so helpful and easy to follow. Thanks, Beka!
Let’s share some gardening tips! When’s the best time to start seeds for spring planting? What’s the easiest vegetable to grow? What’s your favorite thing to grow? Any tried and true gardening tips you can give a novice gardener like me?
A Winter Wonderland at Terrain
I’ve heard good things about Terrain, a store and cafe in Glen Mills, PA. My brother raved about the coffee; my sister-in-law sent me iPhone photos of the home decor; a friend ranted about the seasonal offerings in the cafe; and my mom found her bliss in their white Cinderella pumpkins.
The husband and I traveled the scenic route through the Delaware and Pennsylvania countryside and arrived at Terrain’s busy parking lot in only 30 minutes. As we walked through the entrance, lovely Christmas firs in charming metal buckets greeted us. Christmas was everywhere–wreaths with pine cones and white flocking, neat rows of Christmas trees, and white bulbs with a vintage flair.
Garland and lanterns arranged overhead
Christmas vingette
The whole place spoke of organized haphazardness. And I felt like I’d seen it before. A quick google search confirmed my suspicions–Terrain is a chain of stores owned by URBN Inc.– the same company that gives us Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. In fact, Terrain is like the landscaping version of Anthropologie with all its old fashioned charm and artfully perfect displays.
This shed has curtains. How charming in an Anthropologie kind of way.
Still life for sale
Dining in a shed never looked so rustically elegant
I will admit that I was a little taken aback. After all, I’m an advocate of local food, local products, and local businesses. I’m not into this local thing because it’s the new trend. I believe in it. Nevertheless, I decided to reserve my judgment until after lunch. The menu at Terrain boasts local ingredients and thanks the farmers for supplying those ingredients.
Styer’s Garden Cafe
The dining room is like a giant terrarium filled with happy diners, plants and sunlight
Pot o’ Bread to start. THE. BEST. BREAD. I’VE. EVER. HAD.
Local Cheeses, many from nearby Pennsylvania farms
My date for the day with his Movember beard
Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin Oil. Silky and smooth with just the right amount of sweetness.
Terrain’s version of a salad – kale and brussels sprouts with walnuts and seeds
Organic half chicken with apple and cabbage slaw and fingerling potatoes. I can’t even talk about this without crying happy tears.
While I do think the idea of a local corporation is an oxymoron, Terrain exists as a local corporation in the best sense of the words. They take their corporate vision and use local products to create an ambiance and experience unlike any other.
Lunch was divine. Walking the grounds was like stepping into a Winter Wonderland.
Walkin’ in a Winter Wonderland
The marketing geniuses over at URBN Inc. sucked me right in. I even felt a little sheepish as I sipped my fair trade coffee out of my entirely compostable cup and lid while watching a mustached and flannel clad employee trim the wayward branches of a Balsam Fir.
Even their wood piles are works of art
All the fixings for a perfect terrarium
Happy, yellow watering cans
Merry Christmas!
All sheepishness aside, I’ll be back. Not to spend $35 on a birch tree branch I can get from my dad’s yard for free, but to enjoy their carefully crafted brand of local ambiance. And the cheese plate. I’ll definitely be back for the cheese plate.
Easiest entrance to a tree house I’ve ever seen. They think of everything at Terrain.
Terrain
914 Baltimore Pike
Glen Mills, PA 19342
610-459-2400
Open everyday, 9 am to 7 pm
Categories: Gardening, Local Stores, Restaurant
Tags: Christmas, food, holiday, life, local, photography, shopping, terrain, urban outfitters
18 Comments
Pepper-licious Grilled Chicken Thighs
Last week after I played Peppermeister Roulette, I was left with a runny nose, a burning sensation in the back of my throat, and a rainbow of pretty peppers. Since these peppers were grown with love and care by the great Peppermeister, I wanted to find just the right recipe to do them justice. I found what I wanted over at Skinny Girls and Mayonnaise in a post called Phoenix from the Flames, a fitting title for Peppermeister’s prized peppers (say that three times fast). Even better, the recipe uses one of my favorite underestimated meats: chicken thighs.
I tweaked the recipe slightly, adding more sugar, replacing dry hot red pepper flakes with a fresh Cherry Bomb, omitting the butter, and adjusting the salt and spices a bit. But I give full credit to Sean from Skinny Girls and Mayonnaise. After the brine, the dry rub, and the grilling, these chicken thighs are spicy, smoky, sweet, and pepper-licious.
Pepper-licious Grilled Chicken Thighs
8 local bone-in chicken thighs with skin
For the brine:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 cups water
For the dry rub:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
The versatile dry rub
For the sauce:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons prepared chili garlic sauce
1 Cherry Bomb pepper, seeded and finely diced
This pepper got me when playing Peppermeister Roulette. That’s why I sliced him and diced him for this recipe.
Cherry Da-Bomb Vinegar Sauce
The day before, make the brine. In a large bowl or tupperware container, toss the chicken thighs in the brine, cover and refrigerate. Toss once or twice over the course of the brining.
The next day when ready to grill, in a small saucepan, combine the vinegars, sugar, chili garlic sauce and Cherry Bomb pepper. Heat over medium until simmering and remove from heat.
Remove thighs from brine. Pat dry with a paper towel. Generously sprinkle chicken with the dry rub.
Heat your grill to medium high. (I used a charcoal grill and a chimney starter, dumping the coals in the grill when they just turned white hot on top.) Begin grilling chicken, skin side up. Use a pastry brush to baste the chicken with the vinegar sauce as it cooks. Grill for 8 to 12 minutes on each side, basting a few times as the meat cooks. (I always check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer – 160 to 165 degrees for poultry.)
On the grill
For a side dish, I sprinkled ears of local corn with leftover dry rub and grilled–so good! Who knew celery seed and grilled corn were a perfect combination?
Thank you, Peppermeister and Sean, for making this dish one of the best things I grilled all summer.
The finished masterpiece
Categories: Gardening, Recipes, Summer Recipes
Tags: barbecue, BBQ, corn, food, hot peppers, life, local, summer
28 Comments
Foraging for Blackberries
Given my local sensibilities, foraging the wild for edibles is near and dear to my heart. But seeing as I live in the middle of suburbia, the opportunities for foraging are few and far between. That’s why when I spied blackberry bushes starting to flower along the walking path in my neighborhood, I vowed to keep a close eye on them.
In June, the blackberries were faring nicely. Red berries in need of some rain and sun in order to turn ripe and plump. Unfortunately, we had two heat waves and minimal rain, so when I put on my foraging hat and headed out to pick the blackberry bounty, I was disappointed.
This is my disappointed face
I searched far and wide, only to find about a half a pint of blackberries. They were measly, not at all like the large, sweet berries I picked as a child. From the looks of things, neighbors and deer also liked the idea of foraging, leaving me to fight brambles for the hard to reach berries.
I didn’t let my disappointment get the better of me. Instead I scattered the dark berries on top of Pequea Valley Farm Yogurt and added local honey.
Meager but tasty
Mixed together, the yogurt, berries, and honey made a delightful breakfast.
Who needs fruit on the bottom?
What edibles are forage-able in your area? Tell me; I’ll try not to be too jealous.
What’s Good in the Garden this Summer?
After two weeks away and finally catching up on work stuff, I paid John a visit to see what’s good in the garden.
When I arrived, John was in the watermelon patch trying to untangle a soaking hose. I helped him out a bit and we transferred the hose to a different part of the patch. In the process I spied at least eight good-sized watermelons on their way to emodying summertime goodness.
Because the garden changed so much in my absence, John took me on a tour. I snapped some photos with my iPhone to share. First we stopped at the blue bird house. The baby birds flew the coop! But a new family moved in to the house across from the corn stalks. John, ever the attentive landlord, gave them a new roof to keep out the rain.
Side view of Mrs. Blue Bird’s neat little nest
New roof courtesy of John
From there we checked in on the strawberry patch. The new plants are producing a tangle of runners, and we even found a few tiny berries to share.
The pumpkin patch is thriving. Two huge pumpkins made an early appearance.
Pumpkins in July
In the adjacent plot, light green cataloupes soaked up the sun, looking delicious already.
Cantaloupes ripening
Next we turned our attention to the potato rows. John got to work with his shovel while I helped loosen the dirt with a pitchfork. White potatoes appeared as if by magic on top of the upturned soil.
Dried up potato plant means potatoes are ready for harvest
I speared a potato with my fork
Red potatoes, harvested and looking rustic in their baskets
After pulling a few weeds (including poison ivy) from around the blueberry bushes, I checked in on the corn stalks. John and I picked a few ears for my supper.
Corn Jungle
Perfectly sweet and picturesque
I’d been looking forward to seeing the tomato plants in full swing since John and I planted them. They are flourishing! Bag in hand, I jumped into the tall plants to find a few. John told me to look low as tomatoes ripen on the bottom first. We found some beauties!
Fried Green Tomatoes, anyone?
Perfection
John picked these cherry tomatoes for me ahead of time. My favorites!
As usual John sent me home with a bounty of vegetables; I had to make three trips to the car!
Impressive!
I promised to be by next week to help water the garden and admired Kathy’s flowers on my way out.
Apparently, at John’s house, EVERYTHING’S good in the garden this summer.
Towering flowers
Kathy’s Black-Eyed Susans
Chicken Meet and Greet
My friend Valerie is a renaissance woman. She cares for three teenagers, welcomes foreign exchange students into her home, cooks, gardens, paints and sculpts, all while working full-time. But perhaps the best thing about Valerie (in my opinion) is that she raises chickens. Many of you know my love for chickens. I long to have a chicken coop in the backyard, where I can collect eggs in my pinafore ala Laura Ingalls Wilder from Little House on the Prairie. That’s what I picture Valerie doing every morning (the pinafore worn over her business suit, of course).
I had the immense pleasure of meeting Valerie’s chickens a couple months ago. After the chicken meet and greet Valerie served me and the husband delicious quiche. Fitting, don’t you think?
I’m pretty sure this is Richard the Second. A mean old rooster that likes to pluck the feathers off his female companions.
Chicken with a beautiful blue beak
My niece happily holding a chicken
The chicken sunroom, adjacent to the chicken house
The mural Valerie painted in the chicken sunroom. These chickens are spoiled.
Valerie, the chicken whisperer
Chicken head shot
The quiche Valerie made, with backyard eggs, local cheese and spinach.
Jungle Zucchini and Baby Birds
I visited John the other day. A visit was way overdue for two reasons. The first because the kitchen scraps I save for his compost pile were attracting flies and other vermin. The second because too much time had passed since my last visit. I was having withdrawals–the shakes and everything. John and Kathy were out in the yard when I walked up the driveway, weighted down by two buckets of smelly food waste. After John dumped what he considers smelly, nutritious goodness into the pile, he took me on a tour of the garden.
So many things happen in a garden over the course of two weeks! Astonishing!
The zucchini looked like a miniature rain forest, the corn was coming up, and the blueberry bushes I helped plant were bearing fruit! I am such a gardenerd (thanks to my friend Nicole for that moniker).
I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know how zucchini grew, so I was amazed when I saw those large jungle-like leaves and green squash emerging from a pretty yellow flower. John showed me how to twist the zucchini gently to harvest it.
Twist to harvest
Zucchini jungle
Flower power
Walking the perimeter of the garden, I noticed the peppers getting taller. I only watered them two Saturdays ago with John’s special and nutritious seaweed water. I’d like to take all the some credit for their growth. We made our way over to the row of blueberry bushes. John showed me the half pint of blueberries already picked; they were sweet and plump. The nets he threw over them to prevent the birds from enjoying their juicy goodness were working.
Blueberry bush hair net
Speaking of birds, remember the lovely blue eggs in the blue bird house?
Lovely little nest
Well, after two tries, the blue bird couple was able to keep some eggs from the sparrows (the sparrows invaded regularly to toss the eggs onto the ground). And they hatched! John lifted the lid of the bird house while I climbed up to take a closer look. Huddled together in a mass of beaks and fluffy black down were at least three baby birds.
Pile o’ baby blue birds
After John piled cucumbers, zucchini, beets, and a variety of seeds into a bag for me, he changed into his sneakers, pulled on his knee pads, and jumped into his little red Miata headed for a volleyball game. He has stores and stores of energy! I chatted with Kathy for a while and then drove the two miles home feeling refreshed and ready to roast some veggies. I really need to visit John and his backyard more often. (John, I promise to come help you weed very soon.)
Categories: Delaware Farms, Farmer's Markets, Gardening
Tags: blue birds, food, gardening, life, local, nature
13 Comments
Boston Lettuce Wraps are BOSS
I don’t ever remember describing anything as “boss” when I was a youngster, even though I grew up in the 80s. Maybe I just wasn’t cool enough. This could be true since I just found an amazingly not cool photo of me as an 11-year-old. (If you’re reading this while standing up, I admonish you to sit down. You will fall over from laughter. Or shock.)
I don’t know if I can show it to you…
…I just can’t…
…It’s too amazing NOT to share…
…EVERYONE was awkward at some point as a child, right?…
…Maybe not THIS awkward…
…Okay, here goes…introducing 11-year-old, child of the 80s Rachel…
Rachel, circa 1987. So much to look at–the hair, the crooked glasses, the teeth. Oh my.
(Thank you, Mom and Dad, for loving me enough to put braces on my teeth. Twice. Yes, it took two tries.)
You can see how far I’ve come, which brings me to this recipe. A few years ago while cooking, I looked and felt like that skinny little girl with the bright blue clip in her permed hair–awkward and unsure, but still smiling and giving it a try. Now I feel more like…me. I like to try new things but add my own spin to recipes.
Take these Boston Lettuce Wraps for example. I’m eating locally so I wanted to see if I could turn the lettuce from my garden, local chicken thighs, spring onions and mushrooms into something spicy with an Asian flavor. Success! This recipe is delicious and so flavorful (adapted from Iowa Girl Eats; Iowa Girl also rocks. I love her blog!).
Totally BOSS Boston Lettuce Wraps
1.5 pounds chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (use tofu and water chestnuts to make it vegetarian)
Cooking oil – vegetable works best for this recipe
Dash of kosher salt and pepper
1 sweet onion
About 12 crimini mushrooms, diced on the smaller side
2 carrots, peeled and diced on the smaller side
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce (more if you like it really spicy)
2 Tablespoons honey (local of course!)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 Tablespoon water
3 Tablespoons natural peanut butter
Boston lettuce leaves, I had about 12 nice-sized leaves in my garden ready for picking
5 spring onions, sliced
A handful of cilantro for garnish
Rachel’s Asian Sauce:
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons local honey
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
Heat oil in large skillet or wok (I busted out my wok since I use it so rarely) over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with a dash of kosher salt and pepper. Add chicken to the wok and cook through. You might want to turn the heat down to medium high. Set chicken aside.
Raw chicken never looks appetizing
Add the onions to the same skillet or wok. Stir and cook for a couple minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and mushrooms. Allow to cook for five minutes or so until veggies are just tender.
My Asian miripoix
In the meantime, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili sauce, honey, sesame oil, peanut butter, and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow this to hang out while you turn your attention to the veggies.
Spicy, salty, saucy goodness
Now add the chicken back to the wok and pour the sauce over the chicken and veggie goodness. Heat through before putting in a serving dish.
Filling for Totally BOSS Boston Lettuce Wraps
Serve with spring onions, cilantro, and the special sauce. I served a side dish of oven-roasted snap peas with mine. Just add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and a sprinkling of soy sauce to a pound or so of snap peas. Place in a 475 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes until browning but still crisp. (I’ve done this with olive oil and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce when I didn’t have any sesame oil in the pantry. It works just as well.)
Don’t be jealous of my awesome smiley face spatula
Local, yet Asian feast
More special sauce please!
The husband and I devoured this meal. I ate way too much. Cooking and then eating these Totally BOSS Boston Lettuce Wraps made me feel less like 1987 Rachel and more like this:
I wonder if Lynda Carter can cook…
Categories: Gardening, Recipes, Spring Recipes
Tags: awkward school photos, food, humor, lettuce wraps, local, recipes, the 80s, vegetarian, wonder woman
27 Comments
