Heirloom Meals: Savoring Yesterday's Traditions Today

Friday July 09, 2010

Carole’s Concoctions:
Garlic Scape Pesto

What makes everything taste better but makes some things smell worse?


GARLIC!



No matter who has been a guest on Heirloom Meals Radio we are always being handed recipes that use garlic.  Lucky for us, we happen to have garlic in all its forms around Boulderwood Farm and enjoy its delights in our meals at least once a day!  We pulled up one garlic bulb today and it appears as though my crop needs at least two more weeks until they can be harvested.




Although garlic bulbs get most of the press, garlic scapes, which used to be considered compost - not an ingredient, are the staple of our homemade garlic scape pesto.  You can also use them as a kind of exotic, sculptural floral arrangement! 



To make garlic scape pesto you have to muster all of your concocting genius. As a start, put 15-20 garlic scapes (cut into pieces) into a Cuisinart and add olive oil until you have a desirable consistency.  I like to add a handful or two of walnuts and grated parmesan cheese to taste.  If you have fresh basil or some other herbs/nuts/spices etc. you want to experiment with - throw them in!  Pesto is great on sandwiches, pasta, crackers, chips, cheese and a whole lot more so have no fear; whatever you come up with is bound to be good on something! Also, make lots of extras as this concoction freezes brilliantly.


One last thing about garlic...
If you would like to plant some garlic of your own stay away from supermarket bulbs since most of them have been genetically modified to the point of no return. Visit you local farm or farmstead and pick up the healthiest looking bulbs there and plant them in deep, rich, full sun soil around Columbus Day.


Thursday July 08, 2010

Heirloom Breeds & Seeds:
Farmer Val Thursday

Does farming have to be overwhelming? This question has plagued me since I started interning in Massachusetts. Are you always just catching up with everything that needs to be done? Are projects never finished? There must be a way to be both busy and on top of things. I think that you could stay at a farm four twenty four hours a day and still find things to do that are fairly important. But you should be able to complete the important things. I think that the measure of success of a farm should not only be whether the farm is financially viable but whether those important things get accomplished when they need to.




A measure of a farmworker's value is not how many beets or potatoes they can coax from the neglected beds, but what they contribute to the organization and stability (monetary or otherwise) of said farm, beyond the simple day to day. If you haven't ever been on a farm or don't feel involved in your CSA or haven't experienced a farm in awhile, it would do you well to take a tour if you are interested in understand what goes on behind your veggies. These weekly blog posts only let you see a little behind the camera.
--
thou mayest...timshel

Wednesday July 07, 2010

Heirloom Meals Radio:
Ruth Reichl

Today we had Ruth Reichl join us for an amazing interview. Watch the video, or listen to the voice-only recording and learn about Ruth's both humorous and unconventional beginnings as a food eater and critic along with her insights to where food is going today and what this generation has to offer.  This video is the first in a six-part series of Ruth's radio interview.  Enjoy!

Wednesday July 07, 2010

Heirloom Meals Radio:
Teresa Tavares

Today in the studio we had with us Teresa Tavares who was born in the Azores (more specifically, the island of Terceira) which is an archipelago located nearly half way between the U.S. and Portugal. If Teresa taught us one thing about Portugese food, it's that you can never have too much sea salt in your pantry, and onions and garlic for that matter too! What made her interview truly unique for us was how much she had to say about the use of veggies and meats in traditional dishes more than seafood which we had believed to be more of a culinary staple. Listen in and let your mouth water as Teresa describes the heirloom Al Cathra clay pot, her special steak recipe, family-famous rice pudding, and much much more.

Tuesday July 06, 2010

Life at Boulderwood:
Retreat from the Heat?

Just when we thought we were going to see a repeat of last summer, which brought us nothing but clouds and rain, we get hit with this tropical heat!  Will the Berkshires ever get the clement climate it deserves?  The animals at Boulderwood are just as curious but are certainly adept at finding cool solutions. 
The chickens trade the sun-struck grass for dusty barn floors...


The cows commune under the shade of trees and marvel at how the horses....


just don't seem to care....


Monday July 05, 2010

Ms Murky Mondays:
Weekend Reflections

Waitsfield, VT, The Inn at the Round Barn, Anne Marie DeFreest,Tim Piper, Jack and Doreen Simko, Paul Finnerty, and of course, my love, Jim Finnerty.  Time spent in a favorite place and with my favorite people.


 

Sunset Rock, the Long Trail,


East Warren Rd, Warren 4th of July Parade,


Thunder Road Stock Car Races,


dairy cows, starlit nights, great food.


Route 100, covered bridge, Mad River, No bugs.

A place I know so well and miss dearly.
A soul refreshed. A dream reborn.

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