I'm Still Here

Due to an error that I am not geek enough to fix, the blog posting that comes after this one is the blog below this one.

Just scroll down and you will find it. Sorry about that!!! Happy Thanksgiving anyway.

OK, here I am. The surgery was a success. I never doubted it would be. I am still connected to tubes but they will disappear shortly. Soon thereafter I will be on my feet and the work begins. I will spend the next few weeks convincing my new knee to bend, to do its part when I walk and just, generally, become useful. It will be work but I am up for it and gardeners are always are optimistic.

So much for the health report. I want to tell you what I found here at Memorial Hospital. This place seems to have all one could need. They are up to date with equipment and staffing, everything needed to speed a patient to wellness, even wi-fi to get this posted! But they have one thing more. I was very surprised to find a Farmer's Market in the Lobby!

Each Friday three local farms bring produce and flowers to the hospital. Michelle Loomis, a hospital employee, sets up a small but very attractive stand (see here and above) in the main lobby of the hospital. The market is open from 11 am to 4 pm. Anybody is welcome to come into the lobby and purchase, though the primary customers are the hospital staff. The purpose of the market, according to Linda Hansen, Director Of Nutrition Services, is to encourage their good health. The demands of work and family after work ofter preclude a trip to the Farmer's market. How great if it came to where you were. Pop down on a break, or lunch hour and take home fresh fruit and vegetables.

Patients being dismissed are known to stop here on their way home, even visitors take advantage of this convenient stand. It is really hard to resist. Everything is is attractively displayed. The carrots beautiful, the greens standing up so regally, the tomatoes peppers, squashes adding great color and Michelle offering tastes of the melon, it is irresistible.

Just seeing the display sends your mind through a Rolodex of recipes and you feel a need to make something wonderful right now. (OK, I have been told that the Rolodex is no longer. Your mind might go through your Blackberry or whatever.)

When I checked out the market last Friday (while I was still on my feet) I was blown away by the carrots. (For the blogger checkers out there, Yes, I paid for them) I brought home two big bunches of the gorgeous white, cream and orange beauties. I sent one over to my daughter, Cee, and with the other I quickly made a wonderful carrot soup. It was a big batch so I put some in the freezer and it is waiting there for me when I get home.

Even More

At the hospital there is another ground breaking idea. (Excuse the pun.) This idea is starting small but I think there is real potential here. You have probably seen the back side of buildings, the place where trucks deliver and pick up what ever makes the business function. Most are clean and efficient but certainly not beautiful. There are often spots where landscaping, that is a few shrubs, might have been. These, if they exist at all, are often neglected by the workers who have more serious demands on their time. These little plots bordered by fences, curbs and driveways are just there and mostly ignored.

At Memorial, John Young, Dietary Lead at Memorial and a home gardener, was looking at these spaces and saw, not wasted space, but a useful bit of ground. On his own he decided it would show people how easy it was to make such ground productive. He took over two of these small spaces, each about the size of the raised beds that are popular now. With no amendments, only the help of liquid, organic fertilizer he planted some summer vegetables and some herbs. Most of the summer plants had been pulled by the time we got there, but the bell peppers were still going strong and the herbs were still there.

For every one's pleasure John also grew some sunflowers. I missed his 18 inch wonder but he still had some smaller ones (shown here). Now he is starting a few winter vegetables.

John has his eyes on a few other little spots around this working area. He started this project mostly to show other people how gardens can be anywhere. When Linda Hansen first spotted this work she was intrigued and now has given him the backing necessary to purchase the supplies he needs.

Both the farm market and the mini garden project are ideas that could just catch on. If you know someone who has the power in a business, pass on the ideas. It would be nice to see a little market or a little garden for every business.

Recipe

For this I did not peel the carrots as they had been grown organically. I scrubbed them well and scrapped a few spots.

How long you simmer the soup will depend on how you cut the carrots. I cut mine in 1 inch chunks. Cutting them very small will speed the cooking time but the flavor will not develop as fully.

Indian cuisine uses a lot of carrots, though this is not evident in the Indian restaurants where I have eaten. I chose the spices they would use when they serve a carrot side dish. The seeds are available at most markets. I grew the cumin seed a couple years ago and the coriander seeds were from this year's garden. Don't give up when you cilantro bolts, a lot happens after that.

Carrot Soup of the East

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon coriander seed

1/2 tablespoon oil

1/2 a good size onion, roughly diced

About 50 oz nonfat, low salt chicken or vegetable broth

8 good size carrots

Salt if needed

Cilantro or parsley for garnish

Place the seeds in a heavy bottomed pan and turn the heat to low. Warm the seeds, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally until the aroma from the seeds is very evident. Add the oil and cook over moderately high heat so the onions brown slightly.

Add the broth and then the carrots. Bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until carrots are very tender. Puree them either in a blender ( in batches, taking care not to get burned) or with a hand blender.

Taste for salt and add if needed. Serve garnished with fresh coriander or parsley.

Tip If you are not familiar with the flavors one gets from these two seeds, think "curry light". There is no heat, no full curry flavor. what you have is a pale curry flavor. It is a god way to start when curry is unfamiliar

Next time I post it may be from re-hab. See you soon.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am home from my adventure with my brand new knee. And ever so glad to be here. When I finally got home it took a couple of days before I could get to the garden. The garden isn't a place to be wondering about, unaccompanied, while using a walker. This is the pickings for that day. There was the last of the tomatoes, a few beans, some chard and some bok choy. They fit nicely on the seat of my ambulatory aid. It was so nice to have food from my garden and from my kitchen again!

While I certainly missed my own vegetables and my normal diet I really can not complain about what I was served in the two institutions in which I found myself dining. I was in the hospital only a few days. Because of some emergencies that were brought to the hospital that morning, my surgery was postponed a couple of times. The most serious complication of that was I had fasted quite a long time and was starving when I woke up. Some kind nurse found a stray sandwich half about 2 am and brought it to me. I don't even remember what kind. I do remember it was a tad stale, but I was very grateful and enjoyed it just the same.

As to the regular meals at the hospital I remember being very surprised that this institution had finally figured out how to cook zucchini in the great quantities needed. They were still al dente which was a marvelous surprise. The rest of the meals were quite palatable, if not gourmet.

From there I transferred to a senior living establishment where they had a "skilled nursing center and excellent physical therapists who tortured me every day. Not to worry. We, the tortured, say that about those who help us get back to the real world with working limbs. It is very painful to move these new joints, making muscles that have been reattached and reconnected behave as before. The therapists were excellent; they pushed when necessary to achieve the next goal and soothed when that was appropriate. And for all of this I am very thankful.

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In the fall one gets ready for winter. One of the things on my to-do list is to add mushrooms to my menus. Since interferon is an aid to the immune system and there are studies that show mushrooms could play a part in this it seems only logical to add the mushrooms to boost immunity. So, I get a flu shot and I try to eat mushrooms. Does it help? As someone said, "too much, it can't hurt".

Up to now the problem has been I don't really like mushrooms, at least not the cooked mushrooms. I like the mushroom flavor but not the texture. My mother loved cooked mushrooms and my daughter, El, loves mushrooms anyway they might come. I guess it skips a generation. I use mushrooms raw; there is a salad of raw sliced mushrooms that I love and I make it often in the summer. However I have recently found a way to cook mushroom that changes them for the better and eliminates all the properties that I disliked.

It was Michael Chiarello, doing mushrooms on one of his TV shows one day, who opened my eyes to a new way of cooking the fungi. Actually I find him one of the few really informative cooks who reside on the tube these days. Some others seem to have a lot of recipes and not too much factual information. Chiarello has a lot of both. Anyway, his tip that got me on the way was quite simple. Heat the oil or butter in a heavy pan, put the mushrooms in the hot oil and most importantly leave them alone. Do not stir, do not shake, do nothing to the mushrooms at all until they have browned. That makes all the difference. Simple isn't it?

Done this way the flavor of the mushroom is enhanced. They never exude their juices, therefore you never get that semi-boiled consistency. Of course, it isn't easy to keep hands off when cooking; set anyone in front of a pot on the stove, give them a spoon and immediately they start stirring. It is some sort of reflex. With a little restraint one can do it. It is such a small change and it makes such a big difference. It is no wonder his restaurants have been huge successes. Can't wait for a chance to get over to his new one.

Recipe

So, with this newly acquired knowledge I dug out the recipe for the dish my mother would produce at every holiday, every special occasion and (I am sure she would have forgiven me) tweaked it. I am not sure Mom ever heard of tarragon; I know she never used it. She might not have forgiven me for that addition. I also added a shallot and moved from the white to the Crimini mushroom. Either would work but I think the Crimini have a bit more flavor.

Mom's Creamed Mushrooms Revisited

1 tablespoon unflavored oil

1 tablespoon butter

4 cups small Crimini mushrooms, halved

2 shallots, sliced very thin

1 sprig tarragon, leaves stripped from the stem

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter until it shimmers slightly. Place the mushrooms in the pan cut side down. You will probably have to do them in two batches. No matter what the temptation, do not move the mushroom. Do not shake the pan, do not stir the mushrooms. When the first batch has browned, remove and replace with the second batch. Again, no touching after it gets in the pan! It probably isn't necessary but if you think you need it, add a little more oil for the second batch. This is a searing technique, not a frying technique, so don't add too much oil. Sprinkle the sliced shallots over. When the second batch has achieved a golden brown on the cut side, return the first batch to the pan along with any juices that may have accumulated. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the tarragon leaves over the mushrooms. Now you can stir. Mix well.

Add the heavy cream and all but a few of the tarragon leaves. Simmer until the cream reduces slightly. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Put into a serving dish and garnish with a few tarragon leaves.

Tip

If you have any leftovers this can make a very nice soup. Measure the leftover mushrooms with their sauce and put in the appropriate size pan. Add an equal amount of chicken broth. Heat together. With a hand blender (or in a stand blender) puree. Put back into the pan and check. If it is too thick, add more broth until it is to you liking. Taste for seasoning before serving.

Do have a lovely Thanksgiving, and remember, no matter what, we have a lot for which to be thankful.

P.S. This is not as late as you think. Blogspot seems to be having some dificulty in getting this on the web.

It is Raining! Really

OK, now that summer is over the garden is doing very well. In the winter garden the kohlrabi, bok choy and black kale are doing better than they should be. Even the beans that went in very late are starting to have many blossoms and tiny beans pods. I think I may have added too much of the good stuff to their bed. This was an experiment in "lasagna" gardening.

As to the summer garden I am still picking beans, tomatoes and just look at the Poblanos. They are prolific! I have already stuffed and frozen some and it appears that I will be doing many more.

About the lasagna gardening. I vaguely recall reading, a very long time ago, about a Japanese garden master who developed a process of planting through layers of various materials. He may have been the first to do this. I have searched the web for a reference to that but so far have come up with nothing. Years later I heard about the "lasagna method" which appears to be an adaption of the method I had noted earlier. I became interested in this because my digging days have passed. (More about that at the end of this posting.) If this method works, and it seems it does, it will be my system from now on.

I have a black plastic "potato planter" that I got from Gardener's Supply several years ago. (Disclaimer below.) I used it successfully for a no dig potato patch for several years but this year I needed an extra raised bed. It is a four sided box with top and bottom open. It measures about 4.5 ft. square. I set it on the bare ground that had once been a driveway. The asphalt has been removed but the ground untouched and hard as concrete. I layered the inside of the box with some papery dried sticks, actually the stems from the Cardoon blossoms. Every few days I added more; a layer of grass clippings, a very small amount of steer manure, a layer of compost, more grass clippings, repeating all and then topped it with some potting soil. There are probably as many recipes for the garden lasagna as there are gardeners using it. Some even include newspaper. My recipe evolved from what I had available at the moment. Basically it seems to be a compost pile of sorts.

The box was watered well every time the garden was watered to hasten the breakdown of the various ingredients. The seeds went in a mere four or five weeks after I started the layering. As you can see, nothing planted in there will have very deep roots; I doubt any root reaches the original hard layer. What is in there is growing faster and bigger than I could have imagined. that is why it looks so over crowded. I have been thinning the bok choy (second from right, top photo), removing some of the half grown heads to leave the others more room, but that is not really noticeable as it fills in so quickly. The kohlrabi is already forming little balls (far left, top photo); they are now bigger than a golf ball. I have been stealing leaves from the kohlrabi to add to the greens in the kitchen.

Every Spring we dig the garden bed. Digging brings up weed seeds. Which means, according to the proponents of this method, that every year we add more weeds to our gardens. If we don't dig, do we get fewer weeds? I am concerned about two things. If we don't aerate the ground will it become compact? We shall see. Secondly, will this eventually transition and open up the hard ground below? This layering method is quite popular in replacing lawns where they do not remove the old sod but just layer on top. (Google or Bing "lasagna gardening" and you will find quite a bit of information.)

The weather is changing here. Haven't seen the sun in a couple of days. Today the rain has started. (I rapidly type so as to beat the power failure which is sure to come.) This is expected to be a monster storm. The grape growers have been really hustling to get their remaining grapes in, especially the more delicate varieties like Chardonnay. Should the water lodge in those clusters the grapes would easily rot. Most of the reds are a little sturdier, but not entirely safe.

Where there were fires last summer there could be mud slides. And where there are streams flooding is likely. Some communities have distributed sand bags. Nice to be prepared if you can, nicer if the weather man is wrong and we just have a good rain. We certainly need that.

Recipe

The ski slopes have opened already. That brought to mind this shaker recipe. Shakers, by the way, were the first mail order seed company. With their seeds they often sent recipes to illustrate the use of the plant, especially herbs. This is one of their recipes which has been adapted many times by many people.

Homemade bread is not usually on the menu for the ski family, but this is one you might consider. Leave the stand mixer and bread pans at home. You just need a bowl, a dough whisk (photo below), or you can use your hands. Remember to pack instant yeast and some seeds. Pick up some cottage cheese. Dill seeds would be in keeping with the Shaker traditions but change it as you will. If you have a chili waiting in the slow cooker you might want to use cumin seed. Because of the cottage cheese this bread has some protein and calcium not usual in bread.

Casserole Bread

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dill seeds (or cumin seeds, or crushed coriander seeds)

1/2 a medium onion finally diced (or 1 tablespoon instant minced onion)

1 cup large curd cottage cheese, warmed

1 tablespoon oil

1 egg slightly beaten with 1/4 cup warm water

You will need an oven proof bowl

Place half the flour, all the yeast, soda, sugar, salt and seeds in an oven proof bowl. Stir in together. Add onion, cottage cheese, oil and egg beaten with water.

Mix together until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Beat with the dough whisk, or a wooden spoon, or your hands for about 70 strokes. Dump the remaining flour onto your work surface and turn the sticky dough from the bowl onto the flour. Wash the bowl thoroughly in warm water. Dry well and oil the inside of the bowl.

Knead the dough on the flour, picking up as much as it needs to have a little structure. Then shape the loaf, creating surface tension on the top. You do this by pushing into the center of the dough and pulling the sides up over the crease you create. (Photos below shows this method shaping the individual loaves.) Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat. When the ball seems tight across the top place it in the warm oiled bowl cover at set in a warm place to rise. this takes about an hour. Preheat oven to 375 and bake abut 25 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 190 degrees.

Instead of one loaf you can use the large muffin pans and make six individual loaves.

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Bio

On the 22nd of this month, (next week) I will be in the hospital getting a new knee. I should be in on Thursday and out on Saturday. I will then check into a rehab hospital where I will learn to walk... again... for the third time, now. I will keep you posted on my progress.

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There seems to be some concern about bloggers getting gifts from companies who want the publicity. Gardener's Supply has been my go to place for things I can't find locally for many years now. The potato planter I purchased from them is several years old now. My 11 year old granddaughter, Tammy, is shown here when she was about 4, discovering how potatoes grow.

The dough whisk I got from the King Arthur Flour Company catalogue, probably before Tammy was born. Neither company has given me anything, nor have they paid to be mentioned.

To explain her costume, her mother keeps forgetting that we have a completely different climate than she does, though they live only a few miles away. This day Tammy and I were working in the yard and she needed gloves, mine, and some sort of a wind break, my tee shirt. As you can see, she is a cute kid in spite of her fashion statement.