Heirloom Meals: Savoring Yesterday's Traditions Today

Wednesday October 27, 2010

Heirloom Meals Radio:
Alex Elman

Perhaps it is Alex Elman's joie de vivre that impresses me, or is it her poise and strength of character that draws me in? Whatever it is - Alex has inspired me. Spend an hour listening to Alex weave her story - her Brazilian chef- Mom, her oenophile Dad and step dad, her career in the wine business and her loss of sight to juvenile diabetes when she was 27. WOW!
Alex has just launched her very own wine label - Alex Elman Wines. And trust me, Alex resembles her wines as she truly has a sense of place. Her goal is to sell wines that offer terroir, that are organic and sustainably produced and are accessible so you too can sip a lovely glass of wine over a homemade meal with friends and family!!
By the way - Alex will be blogging on some Saturdays for me - Saturday Evening "Toast" as we explore collaborating on our mission to get people back to the dinner table!!

And for those of you who need a quick french lesson, Terroir (according to wikipedia) "was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that geography bestowed upon particular varieties. Agricultural sites in the same region share similar soil, weather conditions, and farming techniques, which all contribute to the unique qualities of the crop."

Tuesday October 26, 2010

Tabletop Tuesdays:
Halloween

Halloween has really taken off as an all-out holiday.  You can really out do yourself if you're not careful - so many choices in the stores and between Martha and Country Living Magazine, you have no excuse!!

As for me, I have to confess, I have fallen short in the the homemade table decor category this year.  I have so many things vying for my time.  However, because I always have my eye on things, am an avid catalog reader and shopper, I do have an extensive closet of decorations.  I must say TJ Maxx isn't just for the fashionistas!! And if you wait until after Halloween, I bet you can pick up some great decorations on sale from Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Williams Sonoma.

Here's my table:
Table runner from last year's Crate and Barrel catalog; tin pumpkins from TJ Maxx - 4 years ago; and indian corn and mini pumpkins from the farmer's market - this year.

Oh, and my favorite TJ Maxx score - the candy corn dish.  Don't you just love it?

Monday October 25, 2010

Ms Murky Mondays:
Musings on some of our Constitutional Rights

Today I feel like going off-topic.  I want to talk about guns, not butter and freedom of speech.  Both amendments were present-of-mind last week.

Freedom of speech and expression are the rights that we as Americans need to cherish.  As a member and a programmer of the all volunteer, community radio station WBCR-lp, 97.7 fm, Great Barrington, this right becomes more pronounced during the fund drive.  Isn't it amazing that a group of diverse people can come together and volunteer their time and expertise to have access to the airwaves and to exercise our right to free speech.  All music genres and topics can be expressed (of course while abiding by the FCC rules).  How lucky I am to be an American and have this opportunity!!

As a segue into our 2nd amendment rights, I would like to say that despite the saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me," harsh words and mean words can and do harm people.  My stepdaughter suffered severely from a bullying situation last year; and I, most recently was called a nasty name by someone with the intent to hurt me.  Despite all the rationalizing I did and others did on my behalf and my stepdaughter's behalf, we still felt pain.  So please think twice before saying things about and to people that are not nice.

And why guns?  Last week I took the firearms licensing class because I would like to go hunting and I also  want to know and understand how guns work. If others own them and understand them, isn't it best that I do too? In the abstract, this seemed like a great idea.  We see images of guns on the TV every night; we see cops brandishing their weapons on TV shows.  How bad could it be to shoot a gun?  After the classroom part of the course, we marched into the firing range.  I was the ONLY woman. We were taught to load and shoot.  Loading, no problem. Shooting, well, truly one of the most terrifying and humbling experiences I have EVER experienced!!

These are our rights - take them seriously!!

What a country.

Sunday October 24, 2010

Life at Boulderwood:
The Girls Love the New Driveway

The girls love that the new driveway goes right by them.  Really.  More opportunities for rub downs, treats and gossip.  They told me that they have never seen as many turkeys as this year.  And, the coyotes are using the new driveway as a super highway.  Glad the girls are so observant!

Friday October 22, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Teresa Tavares’ Portuguese Kale Soup

Back in June, Teresa shared her tales of spending her early youth in the Azores and how this recipe was the primary go-to dish in their family, then and now.  This soup is delicious, hearty and packed with anti-oxidants.  What I remember distinctly from her interview was sea salt and garlic are used in almost every one of Teresa's recipes.  Surely the old way of eating has much to teach us.  So happy to have this authentic recipe because Kale is a great winter green and rivals spinach with its nutrient content.  And, the soup also calls for cabbage - I had purple cabbage on hand but a savoy would work nicely as well. The colors in the soup were fantastic and it's amazing that the deliciousness is equal to its nutritiousness!!  This will be one of my go-to winter soups for years to come.  Thank you Teresa!!

Sopa de Couve - Portuguese Kale Soup
Serves 8 

Ingredients:

2 quarts of water
1 quart of vegetable broth
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
Sea salt to taste
2-16 oz of red kidney beans
8 cups of chopped kale leaves washed and rinsed without stems
4 cups of chopped cabbage washed and rinsed 
6 medium potatoes peeled washed and cubed
½-cup olive oil
8 oz of Gaspar’s Linguica cut into ½-inch rounds

Preparation:

In a 4-quart pan, bring the water and broth to a boil

Add onion, garlic and sea salt to taste and simmer for 10 minutes
Add the 2 cans of red kidney beans and simmer for 3 minutes

Add the kale, cabbage, potatoes, linguica and olive oil and simmer on low until cabbage and kale are tender/cooked
Let sit for ½ hour before serving


Best served with Portuguese corn bread (recipe to come after I've made it!!)

Thursday October 21, 2010

Heirloom Breeds & Seeds:
Indian Line Farm: Dropping Temperatures



We have officially fallen below 32 degrees on several occasions in the last 2 weeks.  This means that all frost sensitive crops have died.  I have to say I wasn't sorry to see the tomatoes go.  This has been a stellar year for tomatoes and I am hopeful you all had your fill to make up for our disastrous 2009. 

After making my last tomato soup for the year and enjoying every bite, I have turned my attention to the plethora of other foods at our fingertips.  Please enjoy some of the recipes below if you are looking for ideas and don't forget to check out our website for more!

Have a great week! 

For the farm crew,

Elizabeth

P.S. I was informed by several of you that turkeys don't migrate.  Thanks for setting me straight.  I hope to see my turkey friends all winter! 

A few notes:

1)  We still need garlic to be cleaned if you have any extra time.  Please ask the person in the barn to set you up. 

2)  The last two weeks of pick up (week of October 25th and week of November 1st) we will be doing our Annual Fall Sign Up for Indian Line Farm.  We ask for a Commitment Form and $100 deposit to hold your space.  We will give you more details next week. 

3)  Please note that the Rainbow Salad Mix this week will need to be given an extra rinse at home.  We have an insect problem that I am unfamiliar with at this time of year.  We have aphids in the lettuce greens and I can't with our two wash tubs rinse them out completely.  They are harmless but I promise you if you take the lettuce you will find them.  Consider yourselves warned.  On the other hand, the lettuce will be extra sweet as the cooler temperatures encourage the plants to sweeten.  Creating sweetness is an anti-freezing characteristic of plants. 

Vegetables for the week of October 18th
  Choices:     

         Bok Choy, Brussels Sprouts, Kohlrabi--limited quantity
        Cabbage, Baby Hakurei Turnips, Green Tomatoes--limited quantity
   
  Mix and Match Roots:
        Carrots
        Potatoes, from Thompson Finch Farm--Ancram, NY --see recipe below
        Onions--see recipe below
        Scarlet Turnips
        Red Meat Radish
        Daikon Radish
        Celeriac--see recipes below
        Purple Top Turnips
        Beets--see recipes below
        Sweet Potatoes!!--Stone Soup Farm, Belchertown, MA
     
Mix and Match Greens
          Chard, Kale, Mustard Greens and Spinach

Acorn Winter Squash--Full Bloom Organic Farm
Rainbow Salad Mix--please wash before eating!  1/2 lb only
Garlic

UPick
Herbs
Fruit Share
1/2 gallon apple cider from Windy Hill Farm for folks on Tuesday. 
Bosc Pears from Maynard Farms, Ulster Park, NY--please let ripen a week before eating!

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