Apartment "gardening"

August 30, 2011

We are nice and settled into our tiny apartment in Rosslyn, Virginia, despite the earthquake and hurricane attempting to disrupt us. It's been awesome so far....but there's one thing missing.

A garden! I am going into major garden withdrawal, since I use so many fresh herbs in my cooking. In Beaufort, I was used to walking into my yard and picking whatever I needed. During most of the year, I had flat-leaf parsley, basil, chives, mint, rosemary, oregano, and thyme.

Before my move, I decided to give indoor "gardening" a try. I took two baskets with plastic liners, and filled them with "mature" basil plants, chives, and parsley. During the first two days of travel in my car, and then into the apartment, the parsley looked like it was not going to make it. I cut back some of it's "dying" parts, and now, it's making a slow comeback. I've had to put the potted herbs on my kitchen table, under one of our large bay windows. It gets a lot of morning sun, but I fear it will not be enough to sustain the sun-loving basil through the shorter days of the year.

My new garden

I have also started growing sprouts again. I bought this large "sprouting jar" for $2 at a health food store a few years back, and we have grown 3 batches of alfalfa sprouts in the last two weeks. Sprouts seem to be the way to go for "apartment gardening" since they take up very little space, require no soil, and will grow in almost anything. My "sprouting jar" is really a large Ball jar with a stainless steel mesh top that keeps insects out and allows for good air flow. You could do the same with a clean leftover marinara jar, a cheesecloth or thin towel and a rubber band to hold it on.

Here's what I do: At the health food store in Beaufort, "It's Only Natural," I bought organic alfalfa seeds.

In my "sprouting jar", I add:

1 cup of lukewarm water

1 teaspoon of organic alfalfa seeds

Set the jar on your counter top and let the seeds soak for 8-12 hours (overnight)

After 8-12 hours, pour off the water from the seeds (the steel mesh also makes this easy, it keeps your seeds IN the jar when you dump the water out)

Put your jar where there is sunlight, like a windowsill.

Watch them grow!

For alfalfa seeds, the process takes about 72 hours.

Remember to rinse the sprouts once daily with lukewarm water, just swish it around to "moisten" the growing spouts, then dump the water out.

When you are ready to eat them, rinse them out in cool water into a bowl, and let the seed "husks" float to the top, and skim them off. You can skip this step and eat them, they are just a little tough.

You can sprout certain things in the dark, but, without sunlight, there will be no nutritious chlorophyll production in the wee little sprout leaves.

Alfalfa sprouts are a good source of Vitamin A, protein, fiber, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C.

Now I have all these sprouts, what can I do with them? Add them to:

- Veggie/fruit juices - Smoothies - Stir-fry

- Salads - Sandwiches - Wraps - Coleslaw

- Sushi - Pizza topping - Eat raw

What else can I do with sprouts? What else can I grow in my jar?

Check out the International Sprout Grower's Association website for ideas.

Tofu Vegetable Stir-Fry with alfalfa sprouts

Ingredients:

1 package extra firm tofu

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or finely minced

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 tablespoon Garam Masala spice mix

1 cup of low-sodium chicken or vegetarian broth

1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

handful of baby carrots per person, sliced into quarters

1/2 pound broccoli florets, I used frozen

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

1 red bell pepper, sliced into slivers

1 medium-sized Vidalia onion, small dice

Handful of your homegrown alfalfa sprouts

Method:

8-24 hours prior to cooking, drain the tofu, and pat it dry. Get as much water out as possible, so that it can soak up the marinade.

Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes.

In a zip-top bag, throw in the tofu cubes, the fresh ginger, garlic, spices, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and broth. Make sure the tofu is well-coated.

Park this in the refrigerator to marinate.

When you are ready to cook, chop all your veggies up and have them ready to go.

The stir-fry technique requires fast cooking, so, there is no time to cook while you prep the rest of your stuff.

In a HOT, large sautee pan or wok, place a tablespoon of olive or sesame oil. Throw in your veggies. Keep them moving every 20 seconds or so in the hot pan for about 5 minutes. You want the veggies still crisp in the center, but soft and slightly caramelized on the outside.

Evacuate the finished veggies to a clean bowl.

Return your pan to the VERY HOT burner to heat up again.

Add another tablespoon of olive or sesame oil.

Put in your tofu, but reserve the marinade.

Toss the tofu until the edges are caramelized, about 5 minutes, it's ok if it sticks to the pan a little. Evacuate the cooked tofu to the bowl with the veggies.

"Deglaze" the hot pan with the tofu marinade. Let it reduce if there's too much liquid. Then quickly add your tofu + veggies back in and toss. This will coat everything and get the little tasty bits off the bottom of the pan.

Allow to cool slightly, then serve with rice or ramen noodles.

Then....right before serving, put a sprinkling of the alfalfa sprouts right on top for extra crunch. It also makes it look pretty and fresh!

Now that I've made you hungry, I will gross you out. Next step in this "indoor gardening" project....convincing Doug that we can have a worm box!

Dupont Circle Sunday morning

August 23, 2011

Moving to northern Virginia (to the neighborhood of Rosslyn in Arlington, to be exact) has gone very smoothly over the last couple of weeks. Things have been fun and very interesting so far. For example, the writing of this blog this afternoon was interrupted by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Northern Virginia, and by the urge to go swimming instead of being inside. After all, our building was still standing, so, we went to the pool.

Sunday was a great adventure, as I rode the circulator bus to and from the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market. This market is held year-round and is usually very crowded in the summer-time. I was excited to ride the bus for the first time in D.C., especially since it took me from Rosslyn through Georgetown.

As a small history and geography lesson, the neighborhood Doug and I are living in is southwest of the District of Columbia along the west bank of the Potomac River. Georgetown is a 15 minute walk north across the Key Bridge. Dupont Circle is a U.S. Historic District in the heart of D.C. Intersecting here are Connecticut Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue, New Hampshire Avenue, 19th Street and P Street. This area is dotted with beautiful architecture and is also "Embassy Row." The Polish Embassy is right off P Street!

Now back to the good part!

The Dupont Circle farmer's market is LARGE in comparison to the ones I've been to in Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. The farmers and artisanal food-makers come from within 100 miles of Dupont Circle: West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware. I got to taste apples from West Virginia, blueberries from Pennsylvania, and mushrooms from Virginia. You know you're in a good farmer's market when you get to taste almost everything that is available for sale. Who needs breakfast? You will be stuffed by the time you leave!

I walked around the market a few times looking at what's available. What interested me the most was the sheep's milk cheeses. This niche sheep farm, Everona Dairy, is about 60 miles north of Richmond, and has been making cheese for 13 years. Their signature cheese, the Everona Piedmont, is a nutty hard cheese that reminds me of Romano.

Have you ever had a sheep's milk cheese? Many of you have, I'm sure, and you may not even know it. Sheep's milk cheeses tend to be less "stinky" than their goat counterparts. High-end Italian pecorino romano is made from sheep's milk, as are many types of feta. My favorite sheep's milk cheese is Halloumi, or the "grilling cheese." This Middle Eastern cheese has a ridiculously high melting point, and is often served after grilling or pan-searing with a little bit of olive oil and lemon. I've found it at Shaherazad's in Starkville, MS, at Whole Foods, and even at the Fresh Market on Hilton Head.

At Dupont Circle, I also found some good local mushrooms. They had cremini, portobello, button, oyster and trumpet mushrooms plucked from the earth the previous evening. I decided to put them to good use in a Wholefoods.com inspired side dish last night.

Quinoa with mushrooms and Brussels sprouts

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1 pound mushrooms (I used local cremini, I hear chanterelles are nice in this), sliced

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock (veggie broth is great too)

tablespoon unsalted butter

tablespoon olive oil

medium sized Vidalia onion, small dice or 2-3 shallots, small dice

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pound of Brussels sprouts, rinsed and cut in half

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large pan or cast iron skillet, heat on medium-high heat the olive oil. Cook your onion until slightly browned on the edges, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil to your hot pan and add in the Brussels sprouts. Cook on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly tender. Add your garlic in during the last 2 minutes of cooking, taking care not to burn it!

While you do this, put your quinoa and 2 cups of broth into a quart pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and allow to simmer on low until the liquid is absorbed. Or just follow the directions on the bag of quinoa.

Remove the Brussels sprouts when they are tender, set aside with the onions, and put the mushrooms in on medium-high. You want the pan to be a little hot so the mushrooms will caramelize and let off their moisture. Once they start to get tender, add a small amount of salt and pepper, and the butter. Once tender, remove from the pan.

Deglaze the pan with the 1 cup of broth that's left. Then, add in your cooked quinoa. Stir in the cooked mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and onions. Stir to combine. If it's a little soupy, cook on low for a few minutes, but I doubt you'll need to.

Enjoy as a vegetarian main course or a side dish.

Eating into the Wild: The Pacific Northwest

August 10, 2011

Doug and I just finished a fantastic trip to the Pacific Northwest and back to the Southeast again. We are currently still in Gainesville, Georgia! After you humor me by looking at some travel pictures,

I will end this blog posting with a useful recipe on how to cook your own goose. :)

The series of photographs will take you through Dahlonega, Georgia, where my ancestors went to "strike it rich" to Doug's home in Seattle, Washington and Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Our trip was littered with excellent food and beer, from cuisine from the banks of the Danube

to wild game.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to my cousin Andy Morris, who shot this goose for us this past fall in South Carolina. I enjoyed roasting and eating it in celebration of Doug's return from deployment in Japan.

A classic side dish of "duck fat potatoes" with rosemary and fleur de sel

Up, up, up! 3 miles to the top of Mt. Fremont in Mt. Rainier National Park

At 7,500 feet

A very cold but beautiful snow-melt lake

On our way home from Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, we drove through Wenatchee, WA and got some awesome cherries!

Bear sausage chili, thanks to my brother and sister-in-law, Matt and Cas Rowe in Idaho!

Elk for lunch at the Coeur D'Alene arts festival down by the lake

Panning for gold at Consolidated Gold Mine in Dahlonega, Georgia

Downtown Seattle with Mt. Rainier in the distance, as seen from the Space Needle

Wind turbines in "wind farms" dot the countryside in Eastern Washington....I think that they improve the landscape and are interesting to look at. There were hundreds!

Enjoying "local" beers at a tavern in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

Craving a 6 mile hike in thin air yet? Better fuel up with a delicious roasted goose!

You can have your cousin shoot one in the wild for you, dress it, and put it in a freezer-ready bag, or, buy one down at the local megamart or Whole Foods.

This recipe will change if you use a commercially grown goose, as they have much more fat in their skin than the wild-flying and constantly exercising variety.

Our goose did not have it's skin on it, as this made it easier to prepare for the freezer.

Juniper roasted Goose

yes, I did make up this recipe!

yes, you need to start 72 hours in advance!

yes, it's WORTH IT!

Steps to success:

Buy a 5-10 pound goose. Too much bird? Buy a smaller duck....this same recipe works!

Day 1: Thaw out your goose....be mindful, this may take more than overnight.

Discard the packet of giblets/neck or save for making "poultry stock"

Day 2: Once thawed, place your bird on a paper towel lined sheet pan or plate, and pat the skin dry with paper towels.

Then, sprinkle kosher salt liberally onto the skin of the goose.

Let the bird sit in the fridge for 24-48 hours to "air-cure"

This may sound gross, but it is ESSENTIAL for drying out the fat under the skin, and the salt will pull out more moisture.

Dry skin + oven heat = crispy, delicious skin!

Change the paper under the bird every 12 hours or so since bacteria might like it.

Day 3: Say hi to your goose. Change it's paper.

Day 4: The day of roasting!

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F

Pull goose out of the fridge, allow to warm for an hour or so

Wipe off the skin with paper towels to get off excess salt and moisture.

Pepper the skin and cavity liberally

Place sprigs of rosemary, parsley, onion slices, and juniper berries into the cavity

Place the goose breast side up on a roasting pan and tie the legs behind her for even cooking

Make sure your roasting pan has slits in it, to let the fat drip away from the bird. This is very important!

Every 40 minutes or so, baste the bird with the drippings.

Roast your 10 pound farm raised bird at 350 F for 3 hours, or until internal temp is 180 F.

Let the bird rest when done for 15 minutes before carving. Discard what's in the cavity.

mmmmm.....crispy, crispy skin.

IF YOUR GOOSE DOES NOT HAVE ANY SKIN ON IT, OR IS A WILD GOOSE WITH SKIN: FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

A few changes have been made to ensure moist, delicious meat! This is what we did, and it turned out great!

After thawing your goose:

Prepare your brine solution for the goose (see instructions below)

Brine the bird in the refrigerator at least 8 hours

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F

Pull goose out of the brine, pat dry with paper towels

Salt and pepper the skin and cavity liberally

Place sprigs of rosemary, parsley, onion slices, and juniper berries into the cavity

Place the goose breast side up on a roasting pan and tie the legs behind her for even cooking.

Apply 6-8 slices of bacon over the breast of the goose. This will help to "baste" the goose as it cooks, and prevent the meat from drying out too much.

We like applewood smoked or Thompson Farms Hickory smoked

Make sure your roasting pan has slits in it, to let the fat drip away from the bird and onto your potatoes!

Baste this bird every half hour or so.

For our 4-5 pound wild goose, we cooked her at 350 F for 1.5 hours, or until the internal temp of the meat was 180 degrees.

The skin-on versions are much, much better, but this was awesome as well, and you have bacon at the end too.

The Brine

(Inspired by Alton Brown)

Into a LARGE plastic bowl or tub:

1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

3 large sprigs of rosemary

1 tablespoon of juniper berries

2 bay leaves

1 gallon of water

Submerge your skinless goose (or skin-on wild goose) into this solution for 8-24 hours prior to cooking.

Stash goose and container in your refrigerator. Yes it takes up a lot of space!

If you brine your goose, it cuts down on total time. No "air-curing" for brined birds!

Lazy Goose Fat Potatoes

This is super easy if you have one of those roasting pans that came with your oven, ya know, the one with slits on the top part, and the pan underneath.

So, before you put the goose in the oven:

Slice 2 pounds of russet potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and put them in the bottom of the pan.

Put the rack with the goose on it on top

Roast with the goose, allowing the fat to drop onto the potatoes for 1 hour.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking, put a tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary and 3 cloves of garlic (peeled, whole) into the potatoes and stir them up in the pan.

Baste the goose at this point.....there should be PLENTY of fat.

After the 1 hour, remove the potatoes from the pan (carefully!) and put the pan back under the goose.

When you remove the potatoes, you may want to put the goose temporarily on a cookie sheet in the oven to continue cooking, or have another pan ready to transfer and catch the drippings. Just trade out the bottom pans.

This way you don't lose cooking time, oven temperature, etc.

Set the potatoes aside, salt to taste while hot (this is a great application for that fleur de sel that you've been saving), and enjoy with your goose!