Boozing it up, Autumn Style

So, our kitchen is a bit hectic today. The end of autumn has brought on a pretty amazing array of projects. I have never wanted a solar dehydrator more. Our garden gave something like 30 pounds of tomatoes this year, which is pretty awesome given how late they went in. Our community garden spots were finally available really late into the season, but everything we put in gave a lot for the amount of time we had them in the ground. We also tossed in some potatoes that just happened to have eyes when we brought them up from their cellaring. (We know how to do it better next year!) They tripled their weight even in a shallow bottomed raised bed, which is super cool.

This is how excited we are
 about fall produce!

We're so excited about squash, apples, and the variety of pears this year that we went a BIT over board at the market this morning, even with an excellent list on hand.

I made a still life! 

It's "make a lot of crap" day at our house and our first project was a little bit of a booze fest. We have plum wine brewing from red and purple plums that we started earlier this season and seeing how pretty they were we jumped into another batch with the Italian Prune Plums. So easy, essentially its vodka, plums and sugar in a jar and 6-12 months of patience. We decided we'd do limoncella which is pretty much the same deal with lemons when the citrus season hit, but in the mean time, since we were having so much fun we also picked up a variety basket from Tower Farms at the Bidwell Farmers Market. We tossed it all into the jars the same as the plums and since Tower calls them Sunshine Baskets, we have thus named in Sunshine Alky. Lest you think we are total lushes, we do love to entertain, and I don't think there is a better social lubricant available than homemade booze with local fruit and organic sugar. And it is SO pretty looking on the shelf.

Come over in a few months to taste it! 

And we are ending the day with making our own vanilla extract. Admit it: You are always running out, forgetting to pick up, or annoyed at paying for vanilla extract. Well, we heard from the folks at Wilson Street Farm that its as easy as dropping split beans in a bit of 80 proof alcohol. So we decided to go for it. The smell of the beans is sensual and lusty from INSIDE the container.

Then I'm also using some of my yogurt to make the pear custard bars in Simply in Season. BUY THIS COOKBOOK! I am going to cook from it 6 nights this week, and every time I open it I am amazed by how simple, honest, and real every recipe is. Each one comes from a family trying to live on local produce, all year round and it is inspiring. I will share pictures!


Visit them here: http://simplyinseason.org/

A Busy Day in the Crunchy Kitchen

Myo Than in from of the partially
finished green house. 

       Phew! I am tired!


I spent some time with the  Hope Urban Gardening project this morning, helping to photograph the building of a green house. The structure is meant to be used by the Burmese refugee community in Buffalo. This exciting project is one part of many that is allowing refugees and low income families to begin growing healthy food for their families. For refugees, this means the ability to grow some food unfamiliar to nationals, reminders of home. I love it! From agrarian communities, the move to Buffalo has meant losing independence and being forced to rely on food stamps and WIC at least initially, but this gardening effort is an empowering step.

On the way home, I checked out the Bidwell Market, which was as swell as ever.  I have never loved another market the same way.

Then, upon arriving home, the adventures truly began.

I tend to be one of those women who goes on cooking rampages, a force to be reckoned with when I attempt food creation at my near manic pace. So today, with the moments I had free after and in between a few work responsibilities, I attempted granola, yogurt, and english muffins. After days like this, with this much cooking intensity- I'll be honest- I'm actually sore.

Now empty, cool jar of oats. 

I have to brag about these endeavors. The yogurt is 100% local. The granola and english muffins used ingredients from Five Points. Five Points is an amazing place focused on bringing local food back to Erie County by making bread from local grain. Their website uses the phrase "reclaiming our food heritage", a huge but important job. I am happy to be their patron. Plus, their butter is the only butter that I know that can make one believe in a higher power.

Before cheese and baking. 

For dinner we also had emmer pasta from Five Points, with a sauce made from all things purchased at the market today. We used the recipe for baked pasta from The Wednesday Chef, and added some fresh basil. Serendipitous that garlic, tomatoes, and basil all come into season at the same time!
These tomatoes are cut, covered in garlic, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and cheese (we used a blend of pecorino romano and parmesan). After baking between 30-45 minutes, we took it out and smooshed it with one of those fancy potato mashers. Mark's response was, appropriately, Good GOD!

It was truly amazing, the kind of meal where after your first bite, you put down your fork to chew in gratitude.

Why share all this? Only to say, with three hours, you can change your eating, your home, your city.

You can promote local farmers, local food production, to eat safer and better.  And to be honest, seasonal organic eating from local sources is just as inexpensive as a stop to your grocery store mid-January for tomatoes. Except more delicious.

Try it with us!

We're off to Mohawk Place to watch a friend's band play. After,  maybe to Sound lab for dancing. Let's see if we make it. Either way, PBR is in order. After all, we are still crunchy.