zen.org Communal Weblog

So, I did my turkey today. We did one for Thanksgiving (finally found one at Lidl), which was deeeeelicious. And not just cause I brined it. But the turk itself was…I think B used the word rich. Rich flavor. Compared to today’s turkey (from Tesco), it was. The Lidl turkey was by far better. Amazing.

Yes, I did a turkey today. I roasted one. It’s done. Freezing it in zip top bags while dunked in chicken broth. That way, even tho we’re going to an aunt’s house for Christmas, we’ll have turkey whenever we need it (and for the killer Turkey Noodle Soup recipe that we have). Plus we needed the room in the fridge. 🙂

P wants to make sugar cookies also. I keep forgetting to make the dough, since it needs to chill for a while before you roll it out. I did find a good vegan recipe, but I just have to plan ahead. Plus we have some broken candy canes that P can have (and has been begging me for since we hung them up) that we can sprinkle on the cookies and I found some sprinkles on sale that would work. I still have powder food coloring that I’ll just toss with some sugar for other colors.

See, now, no one actually talks about this stuff. Most people just wave this off, but these are things that need to be pointed out. My only addition? Water water water. If I have a drink, all bets are off :-).

Edit…helps if I add the URL, eh? Enjoy the holidays without gaining weight

Last year’s Beaujolais Nouveau was better then this years Beaujolais Nouveau.

Dare I make a “The Accidental Cook” post? I’ll try it and see what pundits say.

As the autum starts to turn into winter, my CSA is starting to slow down. Like the first pickup, things are turning to mostly leafy greens, the first and last harvest of our farmer. I had too many leafy greens, extra lettuce, extra kale, extra mustard greens, and I think a few others, but not spinach. So, here is what I did…

I fried the mustard greens with some onions and green pepers. After a time, I added some water with a little vegetable broth. When that got to a boil I dumped in some potatoes, when they got soft in my my miscellaneous leafy greens. In goes a little salt and pepper, purée. After a bit of boiling I had 余艾蕾 try a bit. She thought it tasted, and looked a bit, like saag.

Now, when I started my blogging, one of my hopes was to be a food diary. This entry is for that, the very first step in the evolution of what might be a great recipe, what my online pages was first meant to prodce. The problem is I don’t think I will have to many leafy greens again until last next spring, when my CSA starts up again. Hopefully I will remember this post and add a followup.

I was going to try to change my leaf soup to Saag Seitan. When I put in the broth and water I was thinking soup, and put in the quantity for soup. I spent a half hour trying to boil it down but I got hungry and had Leaf Soup with Seitan, after adding some butter and corn starch. It was good, with a little more foresight it could of been great.

Zoë, 余艾蕾, two very close friends from 余艾蕾’s work, and I went to Terhune Orchards yesterday. Now, I’m going to say something bad about it, but before I do I want to say the good things about it so you don’t think I don’t like this place. It was great seeing local farmers doing good business. Zoë saw broccoli, Swiss chard, and tomatillos plants growing for the very first time. She saw a horse, chickens, and other farm animals in a humane environment. She went wild saying “apple” over and over walking through the orchard. In the store they had many locally grown vegetables for sale, the diesel fule saved from getting these rather then most of what is in a mega-mart’s produce section makes it worth shopping there alone.

Around the corner from this place is my organic CSA, Cherry Grove Organic Farm. Not to be confused with Cherry Grove Farm for your locally raised meats, right around another corner. At Terhune Orchards, I thought it was a little eerie, the broccoli and chard rows didn’t have a single weed, nor a bug. It was just a streach of packed dirt with nothing but the crop growing in it. Two and a half miles away, at the Cherry Grove Organic Farm, I’m impressed by the incect and flora biodiversity. Sure, when I’m there picking vegetable the weeds get in the way, but it’s nice to know that other things will grow in the ground. Apart from a yellow jacket or two, the bugs at my CSA don’t bother me, I see them, I also see them eating each other. My CSA does not have any apple trees, so I got same apples, I just have to give them a really good washing before Zoë and I eat them.

Soon harvest will be over. I have some tomato sauce in the freezer and some pototes in a cool place, apart from that I have nothing for the winter. It will be vegetables from the mega-mart until late spring. I hope to preserve some more items next year.

It’s a little embarassing, but I have something to admit.

I have a major aversion to squashes. All kinds. No, not the drinks…the vegetable. A serious aversion, some might even call it a prejudice.

But, really, all the pumpkin stuff that’s happening now? Not such a big deal for me. Pumpkin pie? Ugh. Pumpkin soup? Uh-uh. Roasted butternut squash? No way. I will never choose one of those off a menu, and I sure don’t choose to make ’em.

I did see the Good Eats episode about squashes. And I even got a little excited about making them. But I just can’t bring myself to buy one and prep it and do…anything with it. Last year, we got a couple extra pumpkins and I roasted them and then puree’d them. The only thing we make is pumpkin pie pancakes, which I like cause of the spices in it. But there’s still tons of puree in the freezer, and I have no urge to make something with it.

Anyone have any recipes that might sway me?

In California, we happened to go to our favorite restaurant on our anniversary. Well, maybe not happened, maybe we booked it, but still….it was a happy coincidence we were there on the day. The menu….ah, the menu.

Menu Gastronomique

CELERY ROOT SALAD
Enoki Mushrooms, Brulee Figs, Carrot Jus

PEAR AND AUTUMN SQUASH
Spiced Cappuccino, Mille-Feuille, Citrus Powder

HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS
Granny Smith Apple Gastrique, Sautern Gelee, Hazelnut Crisp

_______________________

ALBACORE TUNA
Baby Artichokes, Cocoa Nibs, Yuzu Vinaigrette

ALASKAN BLACK COD
Nasturtium-Saffron Tea, Salmon Caviar, Garden Herbs

DAYBOAT SCALLOPS
Concord Grapes, Pink Peppercorn Caramel, Pickled Fennel

______________________

STEAK ONGLET
Chanterelles, Fingerling Potato, Syrah Jus

PORK TENDERLOIN
Roasted Lady Apple, Salsify, Perigeuex Sauce

MAGRET DUCK BREAST
Foie Gras, Pluots, Butter Beans

_______________________

ARTISIAN CHEESE SELETION
Marmalades, Honeys

FIG PARFAIT
Spiced Port Reduction, Roasted Fennel Seed Ice Cream

CHOCOLATE PEAR CUP
Coriander Ice Cream, Clove Ganache

PINEAPPLE RAVIOLI
Pink Peppercorn Panna Cotta, Lime Sorbet

CHILLED BERRY COMPOTE
Cinnamon Basil Ice Cream, Almond Crisp

No no no, we didn’t eat all of that. Just one thing from each section. Man I love food.

According to the Energy Fiend: Death by Caffeine system,
185.25 cups of Starbucks Grande Caffe Latte + Me = Death

I was catching up on a missed week of Zippy the Pinhead, when in a comic titled Flaking Out, referenced a café called Cereality. I had to see if it has a web site, and to my pleasure it does and there is a store in Philadelphia, right near UPenn.

Since I read this yesterday I’ve wanted to go get a big helping of Weetabix without Valvolin and Baco-Bits. I do believe in Weetabix deprivation-induced visions. I do, I do! If only there could be one in downtown Princeton.

Last February I gave a local farm, Cherry Grove Organic Farm of Lawrenceville New Jersey, a few hundrad bucks for weekly dips into there harvest. Yesterday was the first pickup day. The first thing I noticed when I pulled up was a car with a Dennis Kucinich for President bumper sticker, I was pretty sure I was at the type of place I was looking for.

I went through the list of vegetables I was to pick up: spinach, arugula, bok choy, kale, collard greens, and three or four others I forgot by the time I got home! Next time I will take notes. Weekly acces to the herb section, plus pick your own peas! It’s how one should get produce is season, direct from the local farm.

At home, after playing with the baby and rebooting Rerun (sorry about the down time) I cooked and froze the spinach. I’m sure the other leafy greens can be frozen too, but feezing spinach in a know issue with me. After getting my Mother to take a good portion of one of the forgotten salad greens, and Zoë to bed, I sat down with a big bowl of arugula salad. I’m not a big fan of arugla, but it was the best argula I’ve ever had.

I wonder what’s in store for next week.