First Day of the New Harvest

While my midwestern friends have been posting about their tomato harvests, here in upstate NY we are just planting our tender crops.  I spent most of the day laying out the garden, hoisting up supports, and setting out the plants I've grown from seed in a small window (aided by lights that I've been told "light up the neighborhood").
Aside from a nice sunburn, though, there's not a lot to be gained from this time of year here.
So, what's a transplanted midwesterner to do in the Northern regions?
I've learned to adapt.
There is a lot of fresh, local foods to be had here if you just know what to look for!  Last Friday, at my weekly foodshed pickup there was finally some green emerging from the tops of my bags!  Green garlic and asparagus along with a few tomato plants as an emergency backup for a few of my own that had a short but nasty encounter with a cold, wet morning.
Steam that green garlic and asparagus and toss it with fresh farfalle, roasted red peppers, a few chopped pieces of honey ham and a homemade bechamel sauce and I've got a great spring meal!  My favorite way to eat fresh asparagus, though, is brushed with a little olive oil and grilled for just a few minutes until tender.  YUM!

By the way, if you, like I once did, think you don't like asparagus, you need to give it another try.  This time, though, don't buy it from the supermarket. It's worth the extra effort to get it right from the farmer on the day it is harvested...completely different vegetable.
In my garden this weekend, I harvested the first in a long list of fruits and veggies that are to come: rhubarb.  Now, if you are one of my midwestern friends you may never have had an encounter with this tart celery like fruit...that is probably actually a vegetable. I have loved rhubarb since I was a kid, and was horribly disappointed to find that it would not grow in my Oklahoma garden.  Rhubarb likes cold nights, which it definitely gets plenty of where my garden is now.  The first summer I lived here, a neighbor gladly parted with several bags of rhubarb stalks.  One of them had the tiniest root attached.  I literally threw it in the garden, assuming it would compost...and now I have more rhubarb than I can use in a single season!
Today I cooked down some of it with (sadly, non-local) berries, sugar and cornstarch to make a sauce.  It is great in a spring pie, but it will not likely make it that far, as I can't keep my spoon out of it!

 

I also managed 2 loaves of rhubarb bread that keeps bringing my husband out the door looking for a snack.  Almost ready!
With the tiniest starts of the sugar snap peas and the sudden rows of salad greens and radishes that are sprouting with the past weeks rain, I know the season is on it's way.  But, for today, I was happy that I had my hands in the soil, my pots on the stove and a happy family eating my real food once again!

A new life!

I've been homebound now for 4 weeks, including a week spent shuttling back and forth to the hospital for IV hydration and medication.  To reflect, it is all for a good cause.  I unexpectedly found myself pregnant for the third time.  I have a history of having a love/hate relationship with food while pregnant, but this time I was totally blindsided with how much effort it took to keep even the smallest bit of food or fluid down.  During the first week, I was horrified as I was admitted to the hospital twice and finally released with a PICC line.  While I would love, under more enjoyable circumstances, to be told to stay home with my family and relax, I am currently the major source of income for our family.  Without my income, we would have very little to live on, and we would be forced to use up the small amount of money we had JUST set aside for a crisis.  

Even as I was fighting to stay upright without losing my lunch, though, I tried to look at the positive spin on this.  While I wouldn't have total freedom, maybe that is just what I needed. For years, I've been fighting chronic fatigue and stress levels that sent me to the doctor on more than one occasion.  While I started this blog, and a hopeful journey to a simplified life, I didn't realize that sometimes simplicity in life can actually cause an organizational nightmare for the one responsible for implementing it.  I can, and enjoy, all the simple things...sewing, gardening, preserving and cooking food.  However, I also had to maintain a full time job and be available to my family on my hours at home. As I started on this journey, I tried to do it all.  Some people gave me the title of supermom, but really, I was anything but.  For, really, simplifying my life should have been more about the time I have to spend with my family and relax.  If I was in a situation where I could stay home while my husband works, I would venture in that direction, and save me family money in areas where I can grow or make many of our needs.  But, the truth is, my family has to have health insurance.  Some families can make do without, eating right and getting proper rest to avoid some of the illnesses that modern life aggravates.  Our family, though, entered this journey with health conditions that have to be taken care of, and it can't be done with a healthy lifestyle alone.  Not having health insurance is not optional.  I don't just work for insurance, though.  I truly love my job.  I would still want to be involved in some aspect of my work even if I didn't get paid.  If babies were only born on 2 days out of the week, I could have the best of both worlds, but for now, I spend my days in maternal/child health and my evenings and weekends with my family. 

So, my unexpected time off work gave me lots of time to reflect on the past few years and how I've changed. It also allowed me to set new goals for myself, both professionally and personally.  Some of my goals are going to remain private, but most of them are going to hopefully reduce some of my overwhelming stress and change my life for the better. Without this pregnancy, and without this drastic need for rest and renewal, I would never have had this chance.  Everything does happen for a reason, and I'm glad I was able to see it.  I would never want my family to have to go through the burden of having to pick up where I left off, but I am able to see now that I really don't have to do everything all the time.  

So, what now?  I plan to return to work next week.  And I hope I don't fall into the trap of the supermom all over again.  If you see my house, it is anything but clean.  My kids are getting used to doing more for themselves. I am able to turn down activities and events without guilt.  I backed out of several responsibilities without worrying about who was going to take over.  And honestly, I'm glad. I hope I can find it in myself not to run so many errands, not to worry about how clean things are, and not to feel that I have to be a part of everything that happens around me.  Do I think I will feel overwhelmed again?  Yes.  Do I think I will do too much?  Yes. But, I hope that I can start to focus on the areas of life that are the most important and let other things go.  

As for my passion for the simple way of doing things, I still have it.  I still believe that me and my family should be eating healthy, real foods.  I believe in supporting the local producers over the mass marketing.  I would like to sew more and create rather than shop.  But, I also realize now that sometimes simple is a process and not an immediate change that can be made.  

My focus for now is to get through one day at a time.  My long term goal is to rely more on my own skills and those of locals than the mass marketed products of others.  The interesting thing is that it took me being knocked down to be able to look up.  And I am thankful for every minute of every day that I've had to be able to rest my body and renew my thoughts again.

Balance!

Have you ever felt like it might be better just to erase it all and start over...well, me too.  At least as far as blogging goes.  I'm not planning to erase this blog, but I'm thinking of ending it here and starting again.  Yes, my life has become more simplified, but at a cost to other parts of my life.  I've had to re-evaluate and think about what I'm really striving for here.
Most people see me as a granola mom who tries to keep the kids playing outside and the food in the house wholesome and organic.  Other people will say they never see my without my big pink cup of coffee (preferably from Starbucks or Holland Farms!) in one hand and my iphone in the other.
I sent my kindergartener to school with specially packed lunches for months and then, suddenly realized that for only $2 a day, she could learn to make her own choices and eat more variety.  I spend lots of time trying to instill in my girls the value of reduce, reuse, recycle, and then I plop them in front of the TV so I can play on facebook.
I love to garden, and I love to cook.  Due to lack of time, though, I find that most of the time I'd rather order out.  And the lure of pre-chopped veggies is sometimes more than I can resist to the ones I have to harvest, wash, and prepare (although, the taste is usually second rate).
I'd love to say I walk everywhere within a mile of my house, but I'm usually packing the kids in the SUV just to drive down the hill a block to my parent's house.  I preach that kids are overscheduled these days, but I overschedule myself to the very limits of my capability.
So, I've decided.  What I need for 2011 is not more simplification, it's BALANCE.  So what if I'm gardening with the help of an iphone app.  Who cares if my daughter orders lunch at school when she's in love with fresh fruit?  My youngest eats a diet that consists mostly of salad and candy.  Both my daughters know how to express themselves artistically and they know almost all the words to the Glee Christmas special.
The one thing I want to express here is my true self.  So, as soon as I've come up with a new blog name, feel free to join me...you may see me contradict myself, but you'll always get one thing...the truth!

Winter Squash Risotto

This recipe I made last night was adapted from the Winter Squash Risotto with Seared Radicchio from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors (one of my go-to-cookbooks for seasonal recipes.)  Her version used seared radicchio, but I had none on hand.  I used fresh sage (which is still tasty after I unearthed it from the blanket of snow covering my garden) and a small handful of pancetta to make it a one dish meal.

6 cups chicken stock
1 cup cooked winter squash
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup diced pancetta (optional)
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnishing

1.  Heat the stock and simmer on the stovetop before beginning the risotto.  Melt the butter in a seperate large stockpot.  Add the onion and cook over medium heat until wilted and golden in color, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice, stir to coat and cook for 1 minute.  Turn the heat to high and add 2 cups of the simmering stock.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  When all the liquid is absorbed, begin adding 1/2 cup of stock at a time, stirring constantly.  Once you've added 4 cups of the stock, stir in the squash, sage, and pancetta.  Continue cooking, stirring, and adding liquid until the rice is tender and the sauce is creamy.

2.  When the rice is done, add the Gruyere cheese and stir until melted in.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve in large pasta bowls with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.

The lean, green cleaning machine

So, after my last post, I decided it was time to switch the focus of my efforts.  The weather is not cooperating much for outdoor garden work anymore, and the veggies coming in are storable in their original form (winter squash, potatoes, carrots, garlic) or ready to be eaten right away (cold weather greens).  Unfortunately, my dancing girls keep me hopping to dance practice several nights a week, so my time to get organized is still minimal.  So, I talked it over with my super fabulous boss (hi, Deb!) and set aside this weekend as an extra long weekend away from work.  Today is spent with family, being thankful for what I have.  Tomorrow, my oldest daughter's birthday, will be a mixture of family and planning.  Then, for the next 4 days, I have non-stop plans to declutter, organize, and clean.  I want this house whipped into shape before I head back to work on Wednesday.  I want to come home and have a space to relax in that isn't strewn with endless amounts of papers, unopened books, and little tiny pieces of toys.  I want LESS STUFF!  Really.  Of course, the buyer in me still read all the black Friday ads.  I decided that the only things worth getting were the storage tubs, so that must really mean I'm ready to do this!  (And, no, I will not be at Walmart at 3am for a storage tub...not even if it is less than half price!)
So, with a bottle of all natural cleaning spray and a few empty boxes under my arm, I'm off to see what I can free myself of this weekend!
(P.S. If you have any mad cleaning or organization skills, feel free to give me a call!  I can use all the help I can get!)

Being simple is not always simple

I haven't posted anything in over a month, and it's not that I've deviated from my path.  I just became overwhelmed and a little disillusioned by what my daily life had become.  My passions are the same.  I strive to feed my family on pure, whole foods.  I still maintain a large garden (two actually) where I produce bowls of salad and fresh veggies every day.  Those foods that I don't grow myself, meat, eggs and dairy, I find from local sources so I know the farmers that produce them and the standards from which they came.  My problem is that I have a serious lack of time in which to do anything with these glorious foods.  I love the gardening season in which I dig my hands into the rich earth, seed my heirloom veggies and watch the grow.  I love the early stages of the harvest from late spring to mid summer, when I base our meals on what is ready for harvest in the garden. I started getting more than a little overwhelmed this fall when I had a massive bounty in both my backyard and from the farmers in the area.  I just couldn't pass up the veggies that were arriving and I had plans to fill my deep freeze with bags of flash frozen veggies for use all winter.
There were a few weekend that I did nothing but stand in the kitchen all weekend and wash, chop, and blanch vegetables all day.  I made sauce, I prepared salsa, and we ate many fresh from the garden meals.  The only problem is, this is my side venture.  I still have to work Monday through Friday from sun up to dinner time.  The only time I have to do all this work is on those precious weekend days.  When I started this endeavor, I worked night shift 12 hours.  I had 3-4 days off each week to spend doing these tasks that can take up large chunks of time.  Now I have a few hours.
I am still glad I did what I did.  We have veggies to last for months.  Everything is healthy...grown locally, preserved with no added ingredients, and without pesticides or hormones.  We will continue to eat well for many months while snow blankets our upstate NY land.  Sadly, though, I feel that it came with a price.  Not monetary, in fact we saved a great deal of money this summer.  But, I feel that I missed a lot of time I could have spent with my family.  My oldest one morning asked me why I liked cooking better than her.  That was the last weekend I spent in the kitchen all weekend.
So, the challenge this winter is to figure out how to make a compromise.  It's fine to say you want to live a simple life, but when it makes life more challenging at the same time, is it worth it?  I'm not willing to give up my lifestyle principles of less stuff (which, if you saw my home you would know is my biggest hurdle to a more simple life) and more local support.  I'm also not willing to give up my job to be home more (my job requires the hours that I work and I'm lucky to have a job that I really really enjoy...even on those tough days).  So, how do I blend the two and not lose my mind or the time I have to spend with my family?  I have my mental work cut out for me this winter while I figure that out.  In the meantime, I'm going outside to enjoy the sunshine and then find one of those yummy bags of produce to heat up for dinner!

Fall Harvest Lasagna

I've been waiting all year for this glorious fall season to arrive.  Summer is great with it's bounty of veggies, but the ones I really like wait until fall to be seasonably ready.  Fresh, crisp apples and pears top my list of go-to-snack foods.  I also love the rich flavor of the hefty 3 pound tomatoes that aren't ripe until fall in my part of the world.  My onions have reached a flavor that infuses every dish with a spicy sweetness, and garlic is abounding from all sources.  I have already received 11 varieties of garlic this early fall from farmers in the area.  Each variety has a different flavor to enjoy.  My absolute favorite fall veggies, though, are the squash.  I love butternut, acorn, and pumpkin, which are the usual ones.  I also love banana, delicata, carnival, and sweet dumpling.  I love pumpkin soup, butternut squash ravioli, and acorn squash cassoulet simmered all afternoon over a low heat.  

Tonight, I satisfied my craving with a hearty fall veggie lasagna.  I used a recipe from Keith Snow, author of Harvest Eating Cookbook.  It's not for the weak cook, as it requires a lot of steaming, slicing, dicing and shredding and a homemade white sauce that is heavenly to taste.  But, since I love to cook, this recipe is one of my fall favorites.  It has lasagna noodles layered with steamed kale (another favorite of mine), thin sweet potato slices, leeks, garlic, and onion.  Layer that with the cream sauce, fresh mozzarella, and some grated Gruyere cheese and you've got ooey-gooey deliciousness!  Alayna happily munched through most of her bowl.  Jeremy ate all but a few bites of kale (really, I just don't understand how anyone can not love kale like I do!?).  I happily ate those last few bites for him.  Kira plowed through all the noodles and sighed happily with each bite.  She isn't the biggest veggie fan, but she had no trouble with the sweet potato and kale tossed with cheese!  I had an extra large helping, making up for my delicious, yet not hearty salad I had for lunch.

If you want a GREAT resource for local, seasonal food recipes, I highly recommend getting this book.  I use it more than all the rest, and it even highlights the season with symbols for each recipe (just in case you are new to the seasonal food plan).  

Here's the video for the recipe, and I'll try to highlight more fall recipes to come!

http://www.harvesteating.com/2010/01/harvest-eating-fall-winter-lasagna/