i hope you eat good food, grow beautiful things, and have more love than you know what to do with.
Ever since I got quail, this has been the recipe that’s been on my mind. They finally started laying and they’re redeeming themselves. Everyone in my house LOVE jammy ramen eggs, even as a side snack or on top of rice. What better way to …
My local butcher usually has frozen cut beef bones in their freezer section. At about $3 for 5lbs of it, I couldn’t help but pick some up. The trick to making ultra decadent roasted bone marrow is to not allow the fat to be rendered …
I had leftover oyster mushroom risotto from my foray into growing my own mushrooms (read my review of the Back To The Roots mushroom kit I got for Mother’s Day) and had been dreaming of arancini (Italian rice balls). Crispy, crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside. You could stuff it with things but I felt it was already rich enough to stand on its own.
Chilling the risotto will make it easier to work with and shape. The egg wash was a duck egg from my own ducks. (Is there anything better than growing your own food?)
You could also deep fry it but I don’t like to waste that much oil so I use the pan frying method.
The oyster mushrooms from the Back To The Roots kit I got for Mother’s Day (read my review here) had given me about half a pound of oyster mushrooms this first time. I was really glad it worked and wanted to make something that would …
For Mother’s Day this year, my brother-in-law and his wife got me an oyster mushroom kit by Back To The Roots. I had gotten one of these a years ago but the mushrooms dried and died, despite following the directions to a T, before they …
My grape vines have leafed out and now that the leaves are about the size of my hand, it’s time for dolmades! I love plants that can be grown for both fruit and vegetables, and grapes are one of the best. Fresh dolmades are really something, and if you have enough leaves, you could always brine them to save for those winter months. Getting them before they’re too big is the key, otherwise they can become too tough. Dill and parsley fresh from the garden makes them extra special!
1. I used leftover rice but you can cook the rice according to their instructions. Some people make it by parboiling the rice and then finishing the cooking process after they’ve been wrapped. I find using precooked rice easier, taking out the guesswork of when they’re done.
2. Wash your fresh grape leaves, bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the leaves for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Cool in water and drain. Cut the stems off.
3. Combine rice with onions, parsley, dill, zest, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place one tablespoon of the filling at the base of each of the blanched grape leaves, under side facing up. Wrap the filling by rolling it halfway away from you, folding in the sides, and then rolling again.
5. Line the dolmades in a pan, weighed down with a plate on top, add the remaining lemon juice and olive oil, the broth, and simmer on low heat until water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, place into a container, add the remaining broth from the pan and chill. Serve with yogurt sauce or as is.
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I had been meaning to make pork dumplings with hairy bittercress for a while and called my mom to ask what she usually adds to hers, but in talking to her, she said if I have any leftover gelatin based broth, I can add it …
I was at the supermarket today and saw a giant bucket of live crawfish on sale–and if you know me you know that I often get cravings for them. I don’t know what it is about these delicious morsels, whether it’s the joy of peeling …
There was a sad little goumi berry (Elaeagnus multiflora) bush, root bound and sitting in the corner of a nursery I go to at the end of every season to nab huge discount deals. I’ve never eaten a goumi berry before, but it seemed interesting and I’m making a “food forest” so hey, why not try it? It was less than ten bucks so worst case is that I don’t plant any more, right?
The taste profile is said to be anywhere from astringent to tart to sweet, so I have no clue what to expect with it. Of course, it needs to be fully ripe to be enjoyed, but apparently you can make jams at any time with it.
It rewarded me with these amazing little flowers this spring–and when I went in the garden, I tried to figure out where this mix of heady orange and jasmine fragrance came from–turns out the little flowers back an olfactory punch. I’ll update when the fruits come in so we can put this to rest.
Hardy to zone 4, it really is quite an attractive bush. It does well in poor soil, sun or partial shade, and even near the salty sea spray. It’s a nitrogen fixer, so it adds nitrogen into the soil (which is why it does fine in poor soils) so it’s a great companion plant, boosting all the things around it.
I planted two pear trees the fall before last, and they took their sweet time establishing themselves. This spring, the wait finally paid off as I was treated to a gorgeous show of blossoms which will soon be followed by fruits. I planted two kinds–an …
