spring fruits and veggies

Every spring asparagus and strawberries are cheap and plentiful. Take advantage of this tiny window of opportunity and buy all you can! Make strawberry shortcake. Bake your own shortcakes or put the strawberries over slices of pound cake, sponge cake-whatever.

Get brave and buy a flat of strawberries, mason jars and pectin. You'll enjoy the taste of spring every time you eat your own home-made strawberry jam. If the jam doesn't set, it will still make fabulous ice cream topping. Don't you just love a win-win situation?

And then there is asparagus. Don't get me started, I could wax philosophical about asparagus for hours. Steam it and eat it plain. Better yet, go Italian and simply broil it for a few minutes after coating it in a fruity extra-virgin olive oil. Or, my favorite, dip it into the velvety yolk of coddled eggs for breakfast. sigh.....

Tomorrow I'll post a few recipes.

'Night all
-E

Lights out!

Go ahead and do it. Light some candles, play soft music, pull out a board game-Whatever. Whether or not you believe in global warming, it's a great way to 'fun-up' your Saturday night.

The Treasury of White Trash Cooking

It's been awhile since I posted about the culinary arts. Naturally this cookbook by Ernest Matthew Mickler and Tricia Mickler came to mind. With recipes for Roast Christmas Possum, Rump Dump Cake and Squirrels a La King , it's a cornucopia of gustatory heaven.

Okay, snarky non-p.c. remarks aside, this is a really fun little cookbook. Looking up recipes for animals most of us would consider road-kill is only half the fun. Between chapters are short stories from the folks who supplied the recipes. Reading them, I honestly laughed until my shoulders were shaking.

To quote the book cover, "Interspersed with fantastic photographs , town gossip, and true yarns detailing the everyday, life and times of the folks in Mickler country , this truly is a treasury of all things white trash."

The Treasury of White Trash cooking reads a bit like the Foxfire books which chronicle the life and wisdom of folks from Applachia and similar places.

Not surprisingly , there are some truly delicious edibles in this collection. Listen, country folks may eat some things that make us shudder, but they have cornered the market on pies, cakes, and other baked goods.

There is also a practical and frugal element to many of the main dish offerings. Foods like hotdogs, spam and Velveeta are cleverly fashioned into tasty entrees. If my family gets so poor we are forced into a regular diet of bologna and ballpark franks, I for one will be glad for this book.
-E

It's that time once again

The community garden is open, and our plot is planted. Oh yeah, I told myself to not be in a hurry. Be cool, take my time. Wait in case the weather changes. Let's face it, I'm not a waiting kind of girl.

So our little plot is full of seeds. Peas, onions, lima beans, pole beans, radishes, potatoes- as many as I could get in and not be too over-the-top. Waiting is no longer optional, but mandatory. How long 'til seedlings come up? Will it freeze again?

While waiting for those answers I will be content digging up and planting the garden in the front yard. Tiny packets of lettuces, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, chard and spinach await their turn for planting. Herbs will occupy the space just outside the front door and make a lovely tea garden.

In mid-April Leona will open her raised garden beds for planting. Her generosity allows a space for squashes and root vegetables. Turnips , carrots, zucchini and more will be planted there.

Our goats grow fatter by the day. Their bellies are near to bursting. Will they make it until May or surprise us and kid in April? There will be sweet new babies and mommas full of milk.

I love spring and the promise of things to come.
-E

Quote of The Day

"Today's headlines and history's judgments are rarely the same."


- Condoleeza Rice

St. Patrick's Day

We tend to be traditionalist around here when it comes to holidays. So of course our St. Paddy's meal was corned beef and cabbage. But it doesn't feel complete without Irish Soda Bread.

Problem is, it was only 15 minutes til dinner time. There was no time to bake an entire loaf. I thought , "Why not make it in muffin tins?" It worked, and it was great.

A Nearly Perfect Day

The sweet promise of Spring is the best cure for flagging spirits. We spent most of the day outdoors.