A budding garden

Dinner from the garden

  Slowly but surely the garden is coming into fruition. While it is small by my standards, it is packed with food. I had an amazing dinner tonight, 90% of which came from this garden. There really isn't much that can compare to that of eating food you sprouted from a tiny seed, tended to, weeded, watered, fended chickens away from, and watched over until ready to harvest.

  So, what's in the garden? Well, at the moment there is a varied lot of greens, arugula, spinach, onions, carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi, fennel, peas, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, Swiss chard, kale, and tomatoes. Phew. There are tomato, eggplant, cucumber, and pepper seeds germinating now. I have more seeds than I care to list here that are ready to make it into the ground in the next few weeks. A small orchard of peaches, plums, figs, pears, and apples are reaching toward the sky.

Skyward young peaches!

  There are hardy kiwi vines wrapping around my fence. Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are  rambling alongside it. French varieties of strawberries hang in bags from it.

  While I am far from being able to host a full scale CSA, I am on my way.

Getting Bigger...

Hangin' out in a pie dish

CharcutePalooza: The Tasso of the Ham

Tasso Hams

  Well, I'm a little late getting to this, but nevertheless I finally got around to making tasso ham. Now I feel real embarrassed admitting this, being one who spends every day of my life around cheese and charcuterie, but I didn't know what tasso ham was. But that is the beauty of this challenge, to learn about new ingredients, new cooking methods, and new skills.
  So then tasso ham is not really even ham, but pork shoulder that has been cured, rubbed in a spicy aromatic blend of white pepper, marjoram (although I actually used oregano), allspice, and cayenne, then smoked. It isn't meant to be eaten as a main dish (or so they say), but instead used as a seasoning for just about anything you can think of. It is most commonly used in Cajun cooking for jambalaya and gumbo. It is also ridiculously easy to make. It cured in less than 4 hours, and was done smoking in less time than that. By far the easiest of the challenges as of yet.
  Ok, ham lesson over. Since I haven't really had the time lately to use this meaty condiment for things like gumbo or beans or any dish that takes hours to prepare, I turned to my ever trusty standby. Breakfast, it's the most tasty important meal of the day.
  I did nothing more than crisp up a little bit of the ham with a handful of lovely greens from the garden and a couple of eggs from the coop. In cooking, simple is rarely boring.

Spinach, Arugula, & Beet Greens

  Sauteed Greens with Tasso Ham & Fried Eggs


  Ingredients

  2 ounces Tasso Ham, cubed
  1 garlic clove, minced
  1 large handful greens (I used spinach, arugula, and red beet greens, but you can use whatever you want)
  2 eggs
  butter
  salt & pepper

 

cubed & ready for action

  Add ham to pan and crisp, about 5 minutes.
  Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds.
  Throw in greens, season, and cook until wilted, set aside.
  Lightly butter pan, add eggs, and season with salt and pepper. Cook to whatever doneness you like.
  Top greens with eggs, serve.

Breakfast is served

The funniest thing happened today...

I went into the feed store to buy seeds...

  And came out with these.

Oops.

A Day in the Life of: Whiskey Chickens

  

•    Breakfast: The most important meal of the day...

By your's truly

•    A morning bath...

With dust, please

  

•    A little singin'...

Mi Mi Mi La La La

  

•    A little dancin'...

-wattle wattle-

•    Always take time to strike a pose...

Striking a Pose

•    Followed by an evening stroll...

   = A perfect day: Completed.

Godspeed the Plough

Though the wealthy and great
Live in splendor and state
I envy them not, I declare it
For I grow my own hams
My own ewes, my own lambs
And I shear my own fleece and I wear it

By plowing and sowing
By reaping and mowing
All nature provides me with plenty
With a cellar well stored
And a bountiful board
And my garden affords every dainty

For here I am king
I can dance, drink, and sing
Let no one approach as a stranger
I'll hunt when it's quiet
Come on, let us try it
Dull thinking drives anyone crazy

I have lawns, I have bowers
I have fruits, I have flowers
And the lark is my morning alarmer
So all farmers now
Here's Godspeed the plow
Long life and success to the farmer

~Agrarian Folk Song

   A most splendid farmer's toast. Shared by Jenna over at Cold Antler.

Reubens again...kind of

The Corned Beef Vessel

  The Reuben Sandwich! Oh yes...um...well, I know I had mentioned previously that Round One of Reuben creation/consumption had all conspired very quickly. So quickly in fact, that no pictures of said sandwich were produced. I made Reubens once again, and once again...no pictures happened. I am a terrible photo documentor. So to make up for it, I instead include a photo (and recipe!) of the deliciously fantastic rye bread I used for the elusive sandwich. Enjoy!




James Beard's Sourdough Rye Bread



Ingredients:


Three Days in Advance- 1 package dry yeast
                                      2 c lukewarm water
                                      2 c all-purpose flour

One Day in Advance-     2 c rye flour
                                      1 c lukewarm water

Bread:

1 package dry yeast
2 1/4 c lukewarm water
2 tsp kosher salt
1 T caraway seeds
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
2 T melted butter
3 T sugar
4 c all-purpose flour
butter and cornmeal for loaf pans
1 egg + 1 T water beaten for egg wash



Three Days in Advance- In a bowl, combine yeast and water.
                                     Add flour and blend.
                                     Pour the starter into a container and seal tightly.
                                     Allow starter to sit at room temperature for 2 days.
                                     Then place in the refrigerator for 1 day.

One Day in Advance-    Put 1 cup of the starter in  bowl.
                                     Measure in rye flour and lukewarm water.
                                     Mix together and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand overnight at room temperature.

The Bread:

Dissolve yeast with 1/4 c water.
Stir down dough that has been standing overnight.
Add dissolved yeast, salt, caraway seeds, poppy seeds, melted butter, and sugar.
One cup at a time, add flour, stirring to make a stiff dough.
Turn dough out and knead for 10 to 12 minutes.
Shape dough into a ball and place in a buttered bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with butter. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, butter 2 loaf pans and generously sprinkle with cornmeal.
Punch down dough and divide in half.
Shape dough into loaves and place into loaf pans. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Brush loaves with egg wash and bake for 30 minutes, or until bread is golden and sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped. (= Delicious).




Notes & Tips: 
           

• I personally could have stood to cut the amount of caraway seeds in half or more. Some people love them, I'm not really one of those people so much.
• I omitted the poppy seeds. Simply because I was too lazy to buy poppy seeds.
• I cut most rising times in half by boiling a small saucepan of water, setting pan in oven, covering dough with dishtowel, and placing dough into oven above saucepan.
• What do you do with the rest of the starter? How do you feed a "mother"? Please enlighten me bakers.

        

 I will get right on that Reuben sandwich photo thing. Let me just corn some more beef first...