Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Revisited

It's been more than a year since I read Barbara Kingsolver's book. It details a year of their lives spent growing and raising their own food. Anything they couldn't produce themselves they obtained from local farmers.

While I admit such a stringent endeavor isn't for everyone, I still recommend the book. It is honest, thoughtful, and at times, quite funny.

In our family's journey , we have made some great discoveries, achieved some exciting goals, and experienced some failures as well.

Below, some things that worked well:

1. Gardening- Now that we are getting the hang of it, the results are considerable. The food coming out of our garden is far superior to anything at the store.

2. Canning- Although still a relative beginner, I am really getting comfortable with the process. We achieved our goal this year of canning enough produce to line several shelves in our pantry.

3. "Make-your-own" - Laundry detergent, non-chemical household cleaners, candles, soaps, etc. My hubby is so hooked on our homemade firestarters it's a drag when we run out.

4. Whole foods- It can be hard to get excited about adding more beans, brown rice, and other whole grains to your diet. The good news is, they are delicious. The trick is finding good recipes. Search the internet and you'll find many innovative cooks have done the work for you.

5. Juicing- I admit I'm not in love with the prep time for this, but it is so worth it. Nothing compares to fresh juice. And I'm hooked on the instant "rush" I feel after downing a glass of fresh carrot juice first thing in the morning.

6. Foraging- This year we did a lot better at 'cashing in' on our natural Oregon resources. The cupboard is full of blackberry jam, we have blackberries in the freezer as well. We also have several quart size ziploc bags full of sauteed Chanterelle mushrooms in the freezer. Dried porcini are in the cupboard as well.

Next time I post, I will admit to things that didn't work out to well for us. But for now, I thought I'd just leave you with the positive. :)

Peace and love,
Ellen

Scratch-n-sniff Oregon

Mushroom season is just beginning. We comb wooded areas in search of Chanterelles. The forest floor smells of pine needles, decaying plant matter, and moist earth. Undergrowth is minimal, the perfect environment for little mushrooms.

I pick an apricot-colored chanterelle from its spongy moss bed. The light fruit aroma of it matches its color. Into the bag it goes.

Several paces away, clustered around a rotted tree stump, I see more of them. I'm like a child again, hunting Easter eggs. No dress this time. No basket, gloves, or shiny patent shoes. But the excitement of discovery is just the same as I remember it.

Days later I'm at the stables picking blackberries. As Dante' rides her horse and Maxwell plays, I stand before the prickly vines filling a small bucket. It is hot and the sun brings the odor of the berries to my nose. Hot, sticky, and sweet, they smell of late summer and fresh pies.

I shuffle my feet trying to angle my way to a better picking position without getting scratched by the vines. This crushes the wild mint under my feet. Inhaling deeply brings the cool refreshing scent deep into my lungs. Combined with the jammy sweetness of the berries, it is a gratifying moment.

Not all the smells here are wonderful. Low tide in the bay makes us look suspiciously at each other, wondering which of us was the 'offender'. " I swear I didn't!", vows the accused. "It's low tide!"

There is the pungency in spring of the skunk cabbage, the pervasive odor of 'cow' at the dairy farm, and the fishiness of the oyster processing plant.

Having said that, however, I wouldn't change any of it. After all these years, it all just smells like home.

-E

Pumpkin ravioli with wild mushroom sauce

Dante' and I had a kitchen full of chanterelles and hedghogs and used them to create this fabulous recipe!

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI WITH WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE

1 can pumpkin puree or equivalent from fresh, baked, boiled or steamed pumpkin
1 small container ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
1 package wonton wrappers
2 sticks of butter
1-2 tbsp sage
approx. half a pound of mixed wild mushrooms, or whatever you can get at the grocery store

In a medium bowl, mix the cheese with the pumpkin. Salt and pepper to taste.
Fill each wonton wrapper with a very small amount of filling and use a finger dipped in water to seal the edges tightly. Lay filled ravioli in a single layer on greased waxed paper or foil to prevent sticking.

Next, melt two sticks of butter in a large sauce pan. Add sage to taste. Add mushrooms and gently cook til mixture is reduced slightly. Keep warm.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. At a full boil, drop in 4-5 ravioli at a time. They will float to the surface when they are done. Remove and put back on the waxed paper or foil.

On each dinner plate, mound a few ravioli, topping with the mushroom mixture.

Eat Well!
-EJ

'Shroom -'o' -the- day': The Hedghog Mushroom

Hedgehogs are my favorite mushroom. They are absolutely foolproof. Unmistakable to identify, comparable to Chanterelles in taste, and a superior texture. This is, of course, a totally subjective opinion, but I challenge you to try for yourself.

As you can see from the picture, Hedgehog mushrooms are named for the hundreds of tiny 'teeth' growing under the cap. Take care when collecting them to keep this area clean. Once it's full of dirt, the dirt is there to stay.

Again, many prefer to dry saute' these mushrooms to extract excess moisture. After that, you may use them as you would any mushroom. They are just fantastic by themselves, though. And cute, I might add. But that's just me.

From the top they sometimes appear to be pale Chanterelles, but a quick peek underneath the cap reveals their true identity. They vary in color from white to beige to pinkish. Again, I must advise proper precautions and never eat an UNCOOKED wild mushroom. It is best not to regard them as a salad ingredient. Save store bought mushrooms for that purpose.

Hedgehogs are just coming into season now. Get out and grab some.
-EJ

Oregon, your personal 'Kitchen Stadium'

Have you ever watched the TV show "Iron Chef?". It's a cult classic. The original show was filmed in Japan but there is an American version currently running on the Food Network. In a nutshell, a challenger goes head-to-head with a renowned chef in a one hour cook-off. The objective being to make the best dishes with the themed ingredient. The winner gets , well, nothing. Except, I suppose, bragging rights on national television.

What really used to capture my attention about this show was the availability of the very best ingredients all in one location. When the starting bell goes off, the contestants get to grab anything and everything they desire to cook with. That just made me a bitter woman. I'd think "Yeah , I could make amazing meals too if I just happened to have filet Mignon and foi gras laying about the house every day!"

Back then I lived in the state of Virginia in a really big city. Now I live on the Oregon coast and I have to say, it is kinda like having my own kitchen stadium year 'round.

Salmon are in season, Deer season just ended and Elk are now up for grabs. At this time of year Crabs are filling in their shells nicely so its the best time to catch them. Black huckleberries are still fairly abundant and mushrooms are just everywhere.

Since coastal weather is mild, we are still pulling lettuces and beets from our garden. Some people are still harvesting squash, broccoli and cabbages. There are so many apple trees around here , we drive through neighborhoods and see apples just lying in the gutters. stores are bursting with inexpensive local produce. What's not to love? You can pretty much get what you want within reason and guarantee it didn't have to get shipped in from , say, Argentina.

So I'm not so bitter after all. Iron Chef can keep it's kitchen stadium.

Fall Garden notes, forage notes, self-sufficiency efforts

Already it's November and there is very little left in either of our two gardens. At the community garden some radishes, celery and beets remain. At home there is only an assortment of half-grown lettuces. The season passed so quickly. Here is what our family grew during our very first growing season:

Lettuce, green onion, Swiss chard, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, peas, parsley, beets, mustard greens, mesclun, oregano, radishes, chives, carrots, cilantro, green beans, cucumber, tomatoes, corn, cauliflower, celery, spinach, basil, mint, catnip, and lovage.

Until we actually wrote it down, Phil and I could hardly believe we had wrested such diversity from two tiny garden plots. We are so pleased with the results.

Our foraging results have been successful as well. So far, the lovely Oregon coast has provided, free of charge, : Huckleberries, blackberries, Salmonberries, and Thimbleberries. In the mushroom category we have wild harvested Chanterelles, hedgehog mushrooms, and lobster mushrooms. In the Miscellaneous category we have obtained crabs we caught in nets at the dock and even picked wild fennel seeds to use in salads and cook with.

Phil has not had any success yet at shooting a deer. Nor has anyone else I know bagged one this year. Still there is hope. Elk season is about to begin and I think Phil is going to give it a try. For some reason, the critters around just know when it's Fall and they disappear. I am convinced there is a four-pronged buck kicked back on a beach somewhere sipping pina coladas and laughing quietly 'til the season is over.

Other changes our family has made this year:
1. being really picky about turning lights off in the house.
2. All veggie peels and other bits of unused produce are being fed the various animals we own.
3. Buying in bulk and saving up for an emergency.
4. Canning our own veggies, fruits and jams at home.
5. drying veggies, fruits and herbs for home use.
6. making our own soaps and cleaning products.
7. bakin our own bread.
8. treating our belongings well and not regarding everything as expendable or easily replaceable.
9. Re-using grey water for the watering of household and garden plants. (confused? read my pre
-vious post explaining grey water and its uses.)
10. purchasing more clothing from second hand stores.

This isn't enough, but its a start. Next we need to look at additional ways to improve self-sufficiency, frugality and preparedness. But again, and I can't stress this enough, my families attempts at saving money were not done to make our life more complicated. It really has been a fun process. It has made us closer as a family, it has put us back in touch with what is really important, and it has seen us living a little better even in financially devastating times.

We may not always be able to pay the bills on time, but we are surviving, and in many ways, thriving. I am not suggesting these methods for everyone. But it sure is working for us and we are grateful.
peace, -EJ

Oregon's Autumn Edibles

With most of our summer crops long gone, the winter crops are now emerging. There are at least 6 different types of lettuce planted in our front yard as I type this. My neighbor Vi graciously gave packages of kale seed I hope to have in the ground tomorrow. Gardening friends say that peas and broccoli grow well in the fall, also. I'm not sure just how ambitious I am concerning fall/winter gardening so we'll see about that.

As promised, the rains have brought seemingly millions of mushrooms bursting forth from the musty forest floor. Mushroom hunting is my personal 'zen' activity. There is something about the earthy fragrance of the forest, the spongy retraction of rotting logs, pine needles and debris under my feet as I walk, the dimmed light of being underneath the pine and fir canopy. The preternatural quite has an odd effect on my pulse which quickens with adrenaline as I forage. All mushrooms are lovely. The loveliest are usually inedible. Many are deadly. "Mom!" one of my kids will shout, "What is this?". Out comes the identification book. We stoop, we peer, we search the pages. Ahh, a bolete.

Salmon celebrations are in the works. Salmon is an important part of Coastal life. It is a major source of income for some. Ocean caught, non-farmed salmon at $12 a pound is an occasional treat for most of us. It's joke here that acquaintances with boats become best friends during salmon season.

Blackberries are nearly done. Several jars of jam and preserves line our shelves. Huckleberries are still around for those who don't mind the tediousness of picking them.

With summer over, the crab catching should be better and better. I'm not entirely sure, but I think crab molt during the summer, making for puny crabs with little meat in the shell. Regardless, I'm ready to ditch the canning and head to the docks with a crab net. Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats fresh, sweet, Dungeness crab. You East Coasters can keep your little-bitty blue crabs. I will take Dungeness any day.

Fall is glorious on the Oregon Coast. Abundance is everywhere. Join us. Oh, and bring a rain coat.

-EJ

This is for Annie! (a blog response to Aurelia Ann)

These pics are for the newly converted "mushroom hunting mama" Annie.They are, in descending order, Fly Amanita, Milk Cap, and Orange cup fungus. I took these pics last fall while searching for Chanterelles and Hedgehog mushrooms.