HEX Kombucha is here!

HEX Kombucha is hand crafted in Baltimore. We start with a powerful strain of kombucha culture, organic  teas and organic cane sugar. After the first ferment we add small amounts of organic fruit juices, herbs and spices to our second ferment for our signature flavors. Our ingredients are carefully sourced from local community gardens, small companies that support fair trade and organic growing practices. 

HEX believes in the magical world of microbes and the body strengthening support that live cultures provides us. Each small batch of kombucha is carefully tended to from first ferment to your glass. We employ the Continuous Brew method, meaning that each batch is linked and carries with it the continuation of built-up taste and nutrients.

We are currently working hard on getting our product directly to you. HEX can be consumed currently at WC Harlan's in their delicious cocktails du jour or by the glass. Ask at the bar for contact information if you are interested in being added to our mailing list for HEX updates. 

HEX sign meaning on the current bottle- Love and Friendship: The two distelfink's embrace to show their love and friendship. One heart, symbolic of their love; the branches surround them confirming their everlasting friendship and the ring of raindrops showers them with life's bounty.

Current HEX Flavors:
Ginger
Thyme Ginger Orange
Oaxacan Hibiscus

Garden Porn: Bounty Abounding...Still!!!

We had another amazing bounty this past weekend at the Eric Waller Community Garden. More delicious green beans, butternut squash, eggplants galore, Swiss chard, herbs and some hidden beets. We took down the sad looking tomato plants and harvested what was left of them. We all raved about the magic of using mushroom compost in our beds and once again talked about food as we worked.

If you are thinking of starting a vegetable garden next year we all highly recommend amending your beds soil with mushroom compost. In Maryland Hollins Organic is a great supplier.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

The other evening I made the first soup of the fall season. Every early autumn I get these flashes of foods that I don't crave in the summertime; soup and fresh baked bread. Must be the hibernating creature in me coming out. We had two Butternut squashes sitting on the counter from the community garden, a half can of coconut milk in the fridge and some fresh cinnamon sticks. I loosely based this creamy vegan soup off of a Rebecca Wood recipe from her cookbook by adding the coconut milk, omitting the carrot and celery and using coconut oil. The result was the creamiest most perfect balance of warming spices and sweetness I have ever had in a butternut squash soup. And the best part was it took no time to throw together making this an easy weeknight dinner with leftovers for the next night. Or double this and freeze it!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Serves 4, heartily...

2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 large butternut squash, seeded and cubed with skin on (trust me on this!)
2 teaspoons curry powder
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk (full fat is best!)
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Then add the cinnamon stick and swirl it around until it becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add your ginger and saute for another minute, next add the chopped onion and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the squash and stir the mixture well. Cover, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes, or until the squash flesh and skin looks softened. Add the curry powder and stir well to combine, let rest for 1 minute. Then add the vegetable broth and coconut milk, you want the vegetables to be submerged but not totally covered. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer, covered for 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat, remove the cinnamon stick and blend with a hand held blender or transfer to a blender, blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with warm bread or toast and a green salad.

Enjoy!
XOMC

How to Can Tomatoes

This past weekend I had a few gardeners over for a Mini-Canning Workshop. Every weekend while gardening at the Eric Waller Community Garden many of us talk about canning and preserving but we never actually get to share with others how to do it.  If you are not familiar with canning it can be a bit of a mystery and often seeing is believing and I think, well I hope, I dispelled the mystery for a few that day. We had a lot of fun and got to know one another a bit more while teaching and learning  a worthwhile skill.
Basically hot water bath canning is meant for high-acid foods like tomatoes, pickles, jams/jellies, fruit butters, sauces, salsa, chutneys and fruit. The concept and goal is to create a sterile and sealed environment to keep foods preserved without preservatives for months and even years. My canning experience goes way back to some of my very first memories; the basement pantry/cellar that housed my Mom's canned cache of tomatoes, carrots, green beans, pickled watermelon rind, salsa, beets, stews and sauces. Every visit to my Grandparents house out in the Minnesota countryside was not complete without Grandma Alice's apple butter pancakes and a double-dare visit to the seemingly endless cavern of her root cellar (and her incredible garden!). Before she passed away she gave me some Ball canning jars that belonged to her Mother. I watched my Mom pressure can green beans for the County Fair (she won blue ribbons) and helped my dad can an endless supply of salsa every late summer (everything from our garden of course). I think I lived off salsa my entire high school career. I tell everyone who is interested in learning to can that it is a lot of work, it takes time and care. Yet, there is nothing better in the whole wide world then using your own grown and canned tomatoes come mid-February in your stew or sauce. Nothing.

Get your can on here with these supplies....

How to Can: Tomatoes in their own Juice (adapted from the Ball Canning Guide) Makes about 6 Quarts or 12 pints

You will need:
A enamel water bath canner.
The wire rack that hold the jars (to keep them off the bottom of the pot and still while boiling).
Tool set: magnet tool for retrieving the lids from their sterile bath, head-space measuring device, jar grabber and funnel).

Next stop; tomatoes, lots and lots of 'em. The general rule of thumb is 3-4 pounds per quart. The water bath canner will fit 7 quarts at most, BUT it gets very, very full. I recommend doing 6 at a time. So if you wanted to can 6 quarts you will need about 18-24 pounds of ripe tomatoes. "That's a lot of 'maters..." as my Dad would say. So it can be worth your while and a friends to can together! Then split the profits. Also, it's nice to have some company while canning.

To Begin: 
Check your jars for chips, cracks, dirt, and other objects you don't want in your food. Run them through the dishwasher to be safe or wash them really well with water and soap. Make sure you have fresh lids and rings (never re-use a lid, the rings you can). Next, prep your water bath by placing the rack inside with your jars, fill each jar with water THEN fill the pot with water until the jars have about two inches of water covering them. With the help of a friend place the very heavy pot on the largest burner of your stove, cover with the lid and set to high to boil. Meanwhile bring another large stock pot filled with water to a boil. While you are waiting for the water baths, wash your tomatoes and remove the "belly button" from the tomato and any other blemishes. Then clear and clean your sink, fill it with cold water and some ice. When your small pot with water comes to a boil add about 8 tomatoes with a slotted spoon, count to thirty and transfer them to a colander set inside a large bowl, then dump them in your sink, repeat until all the tomatoes are blanched. Next, set to work on removing the skins, they should slip off quite easily. If not plop them back into the hot water for 10-15 seconds more. You can seed the tomatoes; keep in mind that when you do you lose about half of the tomato, frankly I don't mind the seeds so they stay.
Once the skins are removed, you can discard your small pot you used to blanch them in and replace it with a small sauce pan, place the lids that came with your jars (or from the pack) into the sauce pan and cover with water, set to a boil then keep on low until you are ready to use them.

Setting up your space: 
Key word: tidy. Canning is messy. So stake your claim on all the counter space you can get. Have a space on your counter with cork pads, a thick towel or a sturdy baking rack covered with a towel. This is your jarring station where you will park the jars, fill the jars and let them rest after you can. Next to this space is where your big beautiful bowl of tomatoes should go and your salt and lemon juice. Have extra towels on hand for spills.

Start Canning!
Once you have everything ready to-go the process goes quickly. Have a bowl of kosher salt ready with a 1/2 or 1/4 teaspoon and a liquid measuring cup of lemon juice with a tablespoon measurement. Your hot water bath should be rolling along nicely at this point. Carefully remove the lid from your bath and set aside. Using your jar tongs remove one jar at a time emptying the water from each jar and setting the jar on your designated work-space. Repeat until each jar is removed and cover your bath.
Next fill each quart jar with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, for pints a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Then add your tomatoes, starting with a few at a time. Press them down by using the head space measuring device or a wood spoon, repeat this until the juice does not allow you to add any more. Then remove some of the juice to a bowl so you can squeeze in a couple more tomatoes. Tip: I usually don't leave the tomatoes whole, I use my hand to "crush" and break them up a bit. If you want them whole then press them in just a little bit. Next, measure your head space; for a quart you want 3/4 of an inch for pints its 1/2 and inch. Tip: you want to get as much of the air out as you can, you do get a lot already when you pack the tomatoes, but just to be sure give each jar another good press and an extra pinch of salt and sprinkle of lemon juice.
THEN...Use a clean cloth to wipe up the rims and edges of each jar, then use the magnetic wand to fish out a lid from your sauce pan, repeat for each jar. THEN... place the rings on each but only finger tight. THEN...you are ready to place each jar into the hot water bath, remove the lid and...carefully...mindfully...pick up each jar with your jar tongs and slowly dip each jar into the pot going around and finally the middle (if you are doing pints). Cover and set your timer for an hour and a half for quarts and 1 hour for pints. Kick back and enjoy a cocktail!
When the time is up there are a couple of options. Option 1: Maybe you are still canning! Way to go! Carefully...mindfully remove each jar and set them in a designated space to cool. Then load up round two. Option 2: You are DONE. Leave the jars in the bath and turn off the heat. Remove after the water has cooled slightly or simply remove them and let them cool. When they are cool tighten the rings and date/label them. Place them in your pantry to ogle and ah at and show off to friends.
Tip: I leave the water to cool and pour it over my compost or potted outdoor plants.
Warning: Canning is not always fool proof. You want to make sure each of your jars seals. You may hear "pings!" or pops after you remove your jars from the bath. Or they may come out sealed. If they do not seal you can add them back to the bath to try again. After a second round and no seal make them part of lunch or supper. Botulism occurs when the jars have not been properly sealed and you did not leave them in the bath long enough to kill any harmful bacteria. The reason why you boil the jars and food is to kill anything that may rot it and of course seal the jars.

Any questions? Email me!

XOMC

By the way accidents do happen; in all my years of canning this was my first casualty. So take caution and be careful and no one gets hurt.

Spicy-Sweet Beet Relish Ferment and Savory Vegetable Ferment

This spring I planted about 200 beet seeds. Chioggia and Detroit Reds. We ate the thinning's first followed by roasting the baby beets, then we boiled and skinned the big beets for salads and tasty snacks when they were at their peak. This past weekend I pulled the rest out to make a Spicy-Sweet Beet Relish ferment. Not really having a game plan other then the fact I had about 8 pounds of beets to use up and about a pound and a half of hot peppers. With those two as my base I decided to go for it...Now one interesting thing happened while I was prepping this ferment. I also had a hot water bath rolling for some pints of tomatoes and a pint of tomato juice left over from the canning workshop the day before. As I was putting the pints into the bath I stopped before putting the tomato juice in. It was giving off the recognizable sound of a fermented "hiss". Sure enough I opened it up and it was bubble-city. I took a sip and OMG! I just made tomato soda. No way was that going into hot water! It tasted SO GOOD!!! So I decided I would add it to my Spicy-Sweet Beet Relish to give it a sweet kick and jump start the ferment.

Spicy-Sweet Beet Relish Ferment
Makes about 2 quarts or 1 quart and 3 small jars

You will need: about 6-8 pounds of beets, boiled with the skins removed, allow to cool and chop into bite sized pieces. Two apples, cored and chopped to the same size as the beets. Three hot peppers, sliced into rings, seeds removed and toasted in a hot skillet until slightly charred. Remove from heat, cool and chop finely. Optional: a half cup of red grapes (I used organic seedless since they are in season right now) cut into quarters. Combine all into a large bowl with about a teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix and beat them around a bit until they start to give up some of their own juices. Then pack it into your jar, pack a bit press down, pack in more and press down, do this until you are about an inch and a half from the top. The goal is to remove as much of the air as you can and to cover the mixture with its own juices to create the anaerobic environment for the good bacteria to take over. Once it is packed you can finish it off with a small bit of salted water or fermented tomato soda, leave about an inch at the top. Cover with a lid. Set your ferment in a bowl to collect the juices that will inevitably pour out once the ferment gets to bubbling. Enjoy after the first three days then transfer to the fridge or cool cellar to store. Make sure you date it! This ferment tasted like magic after about 36 hours. Try it with a roasted meat dish or with fish. Or on its own!

How to make Tomato Soda: Juice 6 tomatoes, remove the seeds, pour into a jar with a lid, let it sit out for 24 hours, after that time it should be fizzy and ready to drink or use.

Savory Vegetable Ferment: Eggplant, Leeks, Swiss Chard, Peppers with Caraway and Cucumber
Makes about 2 quarts or one large jar

You will need: One large eggplant, cut up into bite sized pieces, 2 leeks washed well and sliced into thin rings (try to use as much of the leek as possible, greens too!), a medium sized bunch of Swiss Chard chopped into small pieces, stems too, 2 medium sized peppers chopped (I used 3 small chocolate peppers and one green pepper), combine into a large bowl with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, mix and beat up until the vegetables give up their juices. Add about 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds to the mix. Stuff and pack the vegetables into your jar until the juices cover the vegetables. Then slice about 3/4 quarts of 1 medium sized cucumber and layer them over your vegetables pushing them down to weight the ferment when you have used up all the slices take the end piece place it in the middle and close up your ferment. Set your jar in a dish to catch the overflow of liquid. Taste at the three day point. You can move it to the fridge or keep it on the counter to eat from, remembering to transfer into subsequently smaller jars to keep the air from ruining it.

XOMC

Garden Porn: Biggest EVER

Wow. I'm sure Google will bring many confused internet surfers to this post with that title...they may be a bit disappointed. This weekend was prime-time for the Community Garden and putting some food by. We had our biggest harvest yet to date this past Saturday; eggplants, butternut squash, green and red peppers, jalapenos, watermelons, beets, tomatoes, herbs, romaine and butter-crunch lettuce, Swiss chard and leeks. I also harvested the rest of my beets from the front yard garden to make room for my fall cabbages and kale. With all the delicious food-stuffs piling up in the kitchen there was much to can and ferment this weekend. Saturday after the garden three garden members came over to learn the basics of hot water bath canning. Each brought over about 8-12 pounds of garden tomatoes, already skinned. All together we canned 7 quarts and 9 pints of garden fresh tomatoes in their own juice. It was a lot of fun showing others how to can; its a relatively easy thing to-do, but its helpful to see the steps and how it works before venturing out on your own. I will post the How To and basic recipe later on...






















This weekend was also spent with a good new friend drinking Cherry Kombucha outside and making plans to take over the world (which is always easier to do with a buddy). We sipped our hot-red elixir from some fun little vintage Playboy Bunny glasses outside. It was such a perfect weekend for indulging in fortunate bounties of food and friends. I hope yours was just as wonderful....XOMC

Indian Runner Ducks

What is is about poultry? Throughout history humans have kept ducks and chickens close at hand, for food, manure and pest control in the garden. They also make wonderful companions and educational resource for children and young adults. So how did this relationship come to be?  And what is it about the come back of raising poultry in urban gardens?
One aspect to consider is the current movement of not only organic food but local food and people wanting to have more control and say over where their food comes from, how it is grown and transported. A recent study has started a ripple effect in the growing community that has separated consumers into two different groups; those who buy organic for its supposedly nutritional benefits and those who purchase local/organic for community, society and environmental benefits. The study recently conducted by Stanford University found organic food has no nutritional advantages over conventionally grown food. Take what you will from the study, but I think for most people that choosing organic produce and meats over conventional is also a matter of choice concerning the environment, keeping antibiotics out of our families bodies, how the farmer treats their land, livestock and the chemical companies they choose to NOT support and the workers they hire. By keeping it local we are reducing our carbon footprint and keeping the economy within our community. Its not just about eating well its about making the right choices that in turn effect our environment, health and welfare of our community. Also, growing our own food and raising our own poultry keeps us connected to our land and agricultural roots. Secondly, don't we want to be self-sufficient and sustainable? To rely on ourselves to grow healthy fresh food for ourselves and the community? I would like to see a study that shows the benefits of visiting the farmers market, meeting up with your NSA (Neighborhood Supported Agriculture) every week to garden together, having a connection with urban poultry, nature and the pride in growing your own food.
Back to ducks...at our NSA we decided to keep ducks to help maintain our dedication to not using pesticides to control bugs like the harlequin beetle, stink bug, cucumber beetle and bean beetle. Ducks also produce wonderful manure that they automatically add back to the soil through walking and foraging deeply with their bills. The water they bath in can be directly applied to crops for an immediate fertilizer boost. Not only that but they lay delicious rich eggs, containing high levels of Omega 3's and vitamins foraged from the garden; not from medicated feed in cages. Ducks, unlike chickens, are easy to train and herd; show a duck once or twice and they will remember! One example is in southeast Asia; Indian Runner ducks in the thousands are herded from rice paddy to another by the community of farmers to eat bugs, lay manure and eggs. Then herded to the next paddy and finally to a large outdoor pen for the night. This has been done for centuries. At our garden not only will we be using them for pest control but also to educate our community at large the benefits of using ducks in the garden and possibly partnering with local public schools to teach children about the ducks, how they "work" the garden and the act of growing your own food. Being a NSA we have a responsibility to educate and share with our community about locally supported agriculture and being kind to the environment. Mostly I think the recent lure to raising and keeping poultry in the urban garden is a longing to have a connection to our food once again.  Along with the knowledge of chickens being raised in confining cages, fed antibiotics and the waste created by big factory farms. After all isn't the food we produce and consume as a society reflective of who we are, what we find to be important and fulfilling? Urban farming and homesteading is on the rise because we know that it is the right thing to do for our health, for our community and environment.
Just in; article about homesteading in the New York Times 

Fawn and White Indian Runner Ducks in the garden by P. Allen Smith

Garden Porn: Bountiful Pleasures

This is probably the best time of the summer...Everything in the garden is practically busting with color and flavors, summers last hurrah before autumn and the long grey winter. This past weekend was a mini-celebration in all that the summer has to offer. A lot of harvesting was done at the Mount Washington Community Garden; tomatoes, Swiss chard, beets, leeks, butternut squash, basil, eggplants, romaine and butter crunch lettuce, red and green peppers, jalapenos and cherry tomatoes. We planted garlic and more spinach and lastly red clover crop cover. While we worked we all snacked on some tasty watermelon. Another lovely weekend workday at the garden!
On Saturday I canned 5 pints of roasted tomatoes with roasted garlic and oregano (all from the garden). Canning always takes SO LONG...But come January when we want some tasty tomato sauce or soup I have a whole pantry full of organic garden tomatoes ready to use. This week we also plan to can salsa, beets and possibly some green beans. Also on Saturday I planted some Winterbor Kale plants, green cabbage plants, some Heirloom Alliums from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.  

The Color Red: New Kombucha Flavor & Lots of Tomaters

We had a busy weekend around the house...lots of sanding, painting, installing new bathroom and closet doors and finishing up the bedroom. All the little things are adding up and its starting to look really nice! Now with the ducks happily in their garden home we can relax a bit and get the rest of our home projects completed.
I wanted to share with you some of the flavors that appeared in our kitchen over the weekend; red was the default color of choice!
One of which is a new kombucha flavor that I am wild about. Cherry Chia with Yerba Mate (as opposed to black tea). The Yerba Mate gives the kombucha a less over the top tea flavor and instead allows the fermented flavors to sing. We are enjoying this batch of 'buch quite a bit; in fact I think it may be my best in a very long time. To make Cherry chia; add 1-2 teaspoons chia seeds to your bottle, remove the cherry stones from about 6 ripe washed cherries, cut into quarters, add the cherries to the chia and fill with brewed kombucha, swirl a bit of kombucha around to get the chia seeds wet, then fill to the bottom of the neck of your bottle. Cap and date...the cherries and chia become active really quickly (like minutes); burp your bottle the first couple of days and refrigerate for a couple days before you open; it's powerful!!!

The next flavor this weekend was tomatoes...lots and lots of juicy red-ripe tomatoes from the Eric Waller Community Garden and our front yard garden. I am letting them ripen just a tad more today before I can them whole tonight. We will have lots of delicious and local/organic tomatoes for winter stews! Yum!

XOMC

Tomato, Zucchini, Eggplant Tian with Rosemary, Sage and Thyme

Have a lot of tomatoes? How about that giant zucchini rolling around in your crisper? Don't know what to do with that beautiful eggplant you swooned over at the farmers market? Make Tian! Tian is basically a thinly layered vegetable dish that is baked with herbs. It's French, Provençal, and it's delicious. You can make tian hot or cold as long as it consists of thin layers of vegetables (I'm sure fruit tian would be amazing too!) We enjoyed ours with black rice, grilled pork loin spiced with  za'atar and sauerkraut. It makes a lot too, so now I have tian waiting for me for lunch.
All of the ingredients for this dish came from our front yard kitchen garden and the Mt Washington Community Garden...über local yo. Food is so awesome.

Tomato, Zucchini, Eggplant Tian with Rosemary, Sage and Thyme
Serves 4-6

3-4 medium to large ripe garden tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large eggplant or 2 medium sized eggplants, thinly sliced
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, two chopped (leaves only)
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, 2 stripped of its leaves
A handful a fresh sage leaves, or more!
About a 1/4 of olive oil
Real Salt and pepper
A large deep casserole dish

Preheat your oven to 375, lightly oil your casserole dish.
Add your eggplant and zucchini to a large bowl along with some salt, many generous grinds of pepper, olive oil and the chopped rosemary, thyme and sage leaves. Gently toss/mix with your hands or tongs until the eggplant and zucchini are well coated, salt and pepper more to taste.
Begin with a slice of tomato, then eggplant, then zucchini in the casserole dish. I found that making a stack in that order then placing it in the dish to be the easiest technique, slightly at an angle to the side of the dish, like you are spreading a thick deck of cards. Repeat and follow along the entire dish edge. Fill the middle with any remains and line the outside with your remaining thyme and rosemary sprigs. Pour over any juices left in your bowl and place it in the oven, uncovered for one hour and 30 minutes. Check periodically for even baking. Depending on your oven this may take shorter or longer. Enjoy with anything else your heart desires; I imagine this would be amazing with some hearty bread, a fried egg or just as is.

Enjoy!
XOMC

Sauerkraut

If you have never done a wild ferment before because you are afraid of  Botulism or mystery deadly bacteria and or stinking so bad that you scare away your friends and family, I am here to say; get over it.  It's so easy and risk free. Your gut will thank you and most importantly your taste buds will go wild! Not to mention your friends curiosity will be piqued with interest...you're doing what???

Be the envy of your agrarian social circle; make 'kraut.

How to make Sauerkraut 101...

You will need:
A Crock or other vessel like a large glass pickle jar, or large mason jars.
A plate that fits inside your crock/vessel that you can remove, or a root plug, which is a disc you can cut from a beet, turnip or even cabbage. This is used to place on top of your kraut to press it down so the brine covers it. A weight to place on top of your plate or plug like a jug or small glass jar filled with water, a zip-lock filled with water or salted water, a big cleaned rock. A towel to cover your kraut and a big rubber band or string to secure it.
You can make sauerkraut with one large head of cabbage or 20+. It all depends on the size of your fermentation vessel. We had 3 large heads of cabbage from the garden, we used our 5 gallon crock and it was only a third full. Salt; any salt without iodine will do, we always use Real Salt and some kosher salt. We also added whole caraway seeds and four apples, both are optional, in my opinion they add a nice balance to the cabbage. Shred your cabbage and apples with the blade attachment of your food processor, or your mandolin, or grated by hand or sliced by hand. We like ours thin. You may like it more chunky. There is no right or wrong way! Dump your beautiful cabbage-apple confetti into your vessel; start with a sprinkle of salt over it and massage the mixture with your hands. The goal is to break down the cellular walls of the cabbage to release its water content, the salt will help pull more water from the cabbage throughout the whole fermentation process, your hands are just getting it started. Optional, but a lot of fun, is if you have an old wooden baseball bat or pounding mallet, use that if your hands are tired or if you are fermenting a ton of kraut, clean it and pound away.

The goal is to create enough brine so when you place the plate or plug and press down the brine covers the kraut. Now taste test your cabbage, you want it just salty enough, kinda like how sea water tastes...too salty? Add some fresh water, let it set for a bit then drain, but the goal is to taste as you go and add, you don't want to lose any flavor by diluting it with extra water. Once the flavor is right add in some caraway, mix it in, then cover and press with your plate or plug. Enough brine? Good, add your weight, towel and secure it. Place in a cool area like your basement. Ferments will develop faster in the heat of the summer and should be consumed instead of stored for the long haul. In the fall you can put up kraut for the winter, it will ferment slowly and you can keep it in the vessel and take what you need.
In a couple of days taste it. There may be some white sheets on the surface of the brine, this is mold and is totally normal. Remove the weight and skim away the mold, if you don't get all of it, not to worry, go under the brine and pull up some kraut for your taste test. Mix in the mold, the anaerobic and lactic acid environment you created will kill it. Our Kraut took about 6 days to come to the flavor we liked, I could tell it was done when I could smell it. We skimmed off the mold and packed it into four quart sized mason jars. We will eat one now and place the other three in our cellar-like environment in our basement, dated for later use. If you don't have a spot like this in your house the refrigerator is the best place. Or give some away to your friends and have a bratwurst party!

Heres to your happy gut!
XOMC

Garden Porn: Harvest

" People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?"
Thich Nhat Hanh

XOMC

Purslane: Portulaca oleracea

Sometimes we find things in our flower beds and vegetable gardens that we didn't plant; we call them weeds. And more often those weeds are a constant nuisance, poking up around our beds like a grade school bully. There is one such "weed" that is not really a weed at all, in fact you may already know what it is from seeing it snake over sidewalks, cascade over rocks or the pretty yellow flowers it sends up towards the end of its growing cycle. Purslane, pigweed, hogweed or verdolagas is commonly eaten in Mexico, Europe and Asia. It has a lemony flavor with a succulent like crunch. Purslane also has a mucilaginous quality that makes it a great thickening agent for soups and sauces. The leaves of the plant are also an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids and medicinally the leaves can be made into a tea and used to treat stomach aches and as a poultice to treat insect stings and earaches.

Its a free garden gift that appears July through September. Harvest up until it flowers. Dry the leaves and keep in your pantry for use in winter stews or for tea. But use it in its raw state for as long as you can! My favorite way to use Purslane is chopped, stem and all, then tossed into a simple tomato-cucumber salad with fresh mint or the leaves in a Caprese. Keep it simple, the summer is too hot for complexity. 

A word of caution however, be careful not to pick Purslanes look-a-like, Euphorbia, you will know it by the milky liquid it exudes when picked as well as having thinner stems.

This article from the New York Times from a couple years back offers a interesting recipe for Pickled Purslane. Urban Forager, From Sidewalk Cracks, a Side Dish

Enjoy!

XOMC

Roasted Eggplant & Tomatoes with Pan Fried Chickpeas in Coconut Milk

Sometimes the best dinners are the ones you come up with when you think you have to go grocery shopping but are too lazy to. This was the situation last night. After bringing the ducks up to the garden for a romp, coming home and continuing the duck house clean-up; I was rendered exhausted and hungry. Retreating to the kitchen I pulled out all the garden vegetables that were ready to be eaten. Eggplant, zucchini, large beefsteak tomatoes, cucumber, Swiss chard and garlic. I found a can of chickpeas and a can of coconut milk along with the delicious honey we picked up at Stone Barns. These things were to become dinner.

Roasted Eggplant & Tomatoes with Pan Fried Chickpeas in Zucchini Coconut Milk 
Serves 2

You will need:
1 medium sized eggplant
2 large hearty tomatoes
1 medium zucchini
4 large leaves of Swiss chard
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 can chickpeas
Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh black pepper
Half a lime
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Curry powder
Honey (to taste)
A few cloves of garlic with the skin on
1 small cucumber (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 with the rack just one notch below the highest.
Slice the eggplant into half inch rounds then into half circles, place in a bowl and toss with a generous amount of olive oil and salt. Set aside.
Slice two tomatoes into half inch rounds and place on a baking sheet. Add the eggplant and drizzle both with more olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in oven to roast.
Slice your zucchini into 1/4 inch rounds and set aside.

Drain and rinse well one can of chickpeas, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a skillet, set heat to medium. When hot add the chickpeas, sprinkle with salt and a half teaspoon of curry powder. Toss around to coat and let it fry for about 2 minutes, add another sprinkle of salt and another 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder. Fry for another 2 minutes. Add the juice from half of your half of lime, turn off the heat. Remove to a small bowl to cool, taste test for more salt.

Check on the eggplants and tomatoes, turn the baking sheet and add a few generous grinds of black pepper, add your garlic, whole, to roast.

Back in the skillet add another spoonful of coconut oil over medium heat, when hot add a teaspoon of grated ginger, saute for a few moments scraping up the curry chickpeas remains and add your sliced zucchini. Saute until the zucchini is soft but not all the way, add the coconut milk, and the lime (yes, skin and all), bring to a bowl. Simmer on low for a few minutes then turn off the heat, leave uncovered.

Meanwhile set your oven to broil on the high setting and finish off the eggplants and tomatoes, you want a nice brown crust on the eggplant. While they are finishing drizzle your chickpeas with 1/2 teaspoon of honey to start, toss and taste, add more if desired. Stir in a half teaspoon honey (or to taste) to the coconut milk and zucchini.

When the eggplants and tomatoes are finished, remove from the oven and add the roasted eggplant to the coconut milk and zucchini. Chop up two Swiss chard leaves for each person into a bowl. Pour over the chard the coconut milk zucchini eggplant mixture, add a couple slices of roasted tomato, a clove of garlic, a spoonful of chickpeas and thinly sliced cucumbers for garnish. Watch out for the lime you added!

Its many steps but in about 45 minutes you will have a healthy, local vegan dinner that is so freaking delicious. Double everything and you have leftovers or dinner for four.

Sorry there are no pics...I was too hungry, the images above were taken at Stone Barns in New York this past weekend, post on the Sandor Katz Fermentation Workshop to follow soon.

XOMC

Garden Porn- Crowns of Green Heads of Purple

This third year in the garden I planted my first Red Cabbage and Broccoli. Our community garden had extra plants so I purchased two red cabbage plants and four broccoli plants. I Planted them in the same raised bed as my Detroit Reds and Chioggia Beets. Since I planted the cabbage and broccoli sort of late I did a couple of things to speed up the growth; I added fresh compost and a row cover. Before we left for Minnesota I fertilized again with Plant-tone, crossed my fingers and bid adieu to my garden. 
When we returned home the crops were practically exploding under the cover, sure enough, their growth had tripled in only a week and a half. I removed the row cover and waited. And waited and waited some more for the broccoli to crown and the cabbage heads to form. Nothing. Meanwhile at the Eric Waller Garden we were harvesting beautiful heads of Cauliflower, Cabbages and Broccoli. 
Now there is something here to consider. The Eric Waller Garden gets about 3 more hours of sunlight then my garden does, so in general my crops tend to be slower growing. Which is fine because then we enjoy two cycles of the same vegetables. We also planted these crops a lot earlier and in super rich mushroom compost. So sun and nutrients. 
Again I added more compost and Plant-tone to my beds and water, water and more water (its been very hot and dry) and then BAM! I have crowns! I have cabbage heads for the crowns! This weekend I will be harvesting my first crowns of Broccoli and next weekend I will harvest my first heads of Red Cabbage and the rest of my beets. 
Now the question is...what do I plant next? Beans? More beets? Both? Can you juice broccoli leaves? Suggestions and ideas welcome!
XOMC

Violet Flower Jelly (for Doris)

Violets. Rarely ever do you hear someone complain about the path of violets taking over their yard. The welcoming swath of color that appears late in March and April provides eye-catching color and reprieve from the long grey winter months. Our common garden violet actually belongs to the Viola genus and is commonly referred to as Viola odorata. And she is edible! I came across this unique idea on the Grow It Eat It Blog. I love a recipe that incorporates an ingredient (or more!) that can be foraged locally for free. As long as you have a little time to dedicate to harvesting Viola blossoms (and quickly before they disappear!) you should make this jelly, which I call a "novelty jelly" because frankly it doesn't taste like Viola odorata, but it is how I imagine the color violet to taste.

Violet Flower Jelly

First find a large swath of Viola odorata's that have not had chemical application. Pick a packed quart sized jar, preferably JUST the blossom tops, no stems or leaves. The darker the Violets and the more you pack in the darker your jelly!

Wash the blossoms to remove bugs, dirt and the like. Re-pack them into your jar. Boil 2 cups of water and pour over the blossoms, using a spoon press down on the blossoms to make sure the water is distributed evenly throughout. The color will appear right away! Cover and let rest over night.

IMPORTANT! Before making the jelly:

Gather and wash/sterilize 5 half pint or 8 quarter pint jelly jars with rings and lids and all ingredients listed below. I did process my jelly in a hot water bath for 8 minutes. You do not have to do this step, however if you don't I suggest you give your jelly away as gifts and/or refrigerate. Either option you pick DO have your jars hot when you add the jelly as well as your lids and they will probably seal on their own.

The next day carefully strain out the Violet water until you get 2 cups (you may end up with more than 2 cups, keep the extra Violet water for coloring eggs, cocktails, Violet Water Perfume and making syrup).

Pour the Violet water into a large pot

Add the juice of one lemon

Add your pectin (I used Pomona Pectin, but was not happy with it) I would suggest using Sure-Jell (one packet)

Bring to a boil

Once its boiling add 4 cups of sugar, stir and bring back to a boil. Boil hard for one minute. Then reduce your heat to low, constantly stirring until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn off heat.

With your readied and HOT jars ladle the jelly in one at a time leaving about a 1/2 of head space. Lid and ring. Repeat until all the jelly is packed into the jars. Process or let cool and refrigerate. When you give these as gifts peoples faces light-up! Who knew? They'll say... and you are immediately the coolest chick on your block; with Violet lips of course. Hors d'oeuvres idea: Violet Jelly with Manchego or a Buttermilk Blue Cheese.

Enjoy! XOMC

Fried Zucchini & Squash Blossoms

Hi! I have a confession.......

This summer I've been craving burgers and things fried in beer batter. Not only have I been craving these delicious fatty food stuffs but stuffing myself with them. Maybe its the 5 milers 4-5 times a week, all the fresh garden air or just a robust 30 year-old appetite, but I crave hardcore and once that taste settles into the giant part of my brain that's obsessed with food it does not leave until it's in my belly. On a personal food politic side note I have given up eating beef, I've gone back and forth with vegetarianism, veganism and back to all out carnivore, and oddly enough stopped consuming soymilk in exchange cow's milk or goat milk. In the end it came down to what it should have been in the beginning, cows are too damn cute and CAFOs are wrong. Now strangely enough I still think turkeys, lambs, goats, fish and chickens are cute but I still eat them...we'll tackle Swine on another day. Maybe that will change in a year or two or never, but I do know that my body needs animal protein to function properly. So when the urge strikes for it, I honor it, but I never let that big food part of my brain allow me to overdo it.
So! Back to vegetables. Last night I made the first fried young zucchini, with their blossoms as well as some young spaghetti squash with their blossoms. This year I planned on planting extra squashes exactly for the purpose to fry them. So happy I did! Seeing as I also planted a ton of basil this year I thought...how yummy would basil tops be fried? How good? Food orgasm good. It's a good thing I'm a runner...
You can fry just about any veggie, but there is something so enchanting about consuming a fleeting blossom in the middle of the summer picked moments ago from your garden. You can find blossoms at your local farmers market, get there early and plan to prepare them that day. You can also ask your favorite grower if they have any coming up and make a special request. Definitely ask for the young squashes, the size of your pointer finger, with the blossoms still intact, they taste like the most decadent vegetable entity on the planet.
Fried Zucchini and Spaghetti Squash Blossoms with Basil in Beer Batter
Gather enough small squashes and blossoms to allow for each guest to have 4 each (two small squashes with blossoms and two blossoms, OR if you have a ton make 'em all and have a party!)
You can use big basil leaves and basil tops to. The tops are the most tender however...to properly pinch off a basil top you want to take just below the first set of leaves where you see the split for the second set. Pinch flush with the new set. Big leaves take from the middle of the plant and save and inch or two of the stem.

Beer Batter*

1 cup beer (I like to use National Bohemian, Pabst or Labatts)
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt*
3/4 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or less or none depending on your personal relationship with heat)
1 cup floor
1 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Peanut oil or canola oil for frying

In a medium size bowl whisk the egg really well. Add the seasoning, whisk. Measure and incorporate your flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl.
Gently rinse your squash and blossoms, set aside in a colander.
Heat up a 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet. While the oil is heating up pre-heat your oven to the warm setting, place a baking sheet in the oven, paper towels are optional (no towels will keep the fried deletables crispy). Arrange your batter and blossoms close to the fry pan. Tongs prepared. Kitchen fans on, windows open...
Ready? Now incorporate your flour/baking powder mixture with the beer, whisk well until smooth. Using a basil leaf as your tester dip it into the batter like you would a floppy paint brush, let the excess drip off and lay it in the pan. It should sizzle, once sizzlin' repeat the process with the rest of your blossoms and basil.
Done-ness: Like pancakes the pieces will puff up, the blossoms will expand like balloons, flip, when you have reached side two they are done when they can be pushed around. Transfer to the sheet in the oven. Repeat until all are done OR serve immediately to your drooling friends. Making sure to save some for yourself. Drink with the beer you made the batter with.
Dips: yogurt, mayo or nothing. They are that good.
*you can use half of the salt if your watching your sodium intake, but then again why are you making this if your "watching" anything?

Welcome to the dark side....
XOMC

......summer......

After summer solstice I become nostalgic for summer's past...swimming at the Clay Hole, catching fireflies, late languishing dinners, itchy sunburns, warm tomatoes from the garden, my Dads coleslaw and burgers, beautiful boredom.....Then I snap back into the now moment and take into account of all that is summer around me; our new home, vegetable gardens, fireflies and foxes, dinners on our back patio/hideout as the sun sets, the relentless mosquito's, Earl's constant fox patrolling, S's euphoric rucus rides around the 'hood.
Relishing in the moment I decided to make two cold salads with the intention to make them last for a few meals. Which is ideal if your going to make your long summer evenings last...meaning not in the kitchen (at least not all the time). Well they were delicious...and I forgot to take photos, but do you really need photos? I mean they're salads...coleslaw and pasta...
I can't take credit for this coleslaw...one of my favorite cooking blogs Smitten Kitchen came up with this one...and it's the coleslaw to end all coleslaw's. So instead of writing it all out just go here.Deb at SK is my new kitchen hero, and there are good pics too! I would imagine you could substitute the parsley for fresh cilantro and if your feeling it some toasted walnuts for garnish. This literally took no-time to whip up and it makes enough for at least 6 people as a side dish. Plus the dressing (incredible!) makes enough for a whole other slaw. I used the raw milk blue cheese crumbles from Whole Foods for the dressing. It was perfect.

Pasta Salad with Basil, Soft Boiled Eggs and Preserved Lemons

Inspired by S's post yoga meal the night prior...I used leftover pasta which made this dinner a snap.

1/2 a box of Conchigliette
3-4 soft boiled eggs
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Generous handful of green beans cut into diagonal 1/2" pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 of a preserved lemon (or more!) minced with a bit of its oil (about 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoon's ghee
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

At the same time prepare your eggs and pasta.
Pasta: cook until al dente, rinse with cold water, drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss with a 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 pepper and the minced garlic; set aside...
Eggs...bring a pot of water to boil. When boiling, gently add your eggs and boil for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes turn off your heat and let them sit for one minute more. Run under cold water and let them sit in cold water until ready to use.

Chop your basil and green beans, set aside. Mince your lemon, set aside. In a large skillet heat your ghee on medium heat, its ready when a test green bean sizzles...
Add your green beans and saute for 1-2 minutes, add your pasta mixture and saute 1-2 minutes on medium heat, add the lemon and its oil, saute a few more minutes then transfer back into the serving bowl. Toss with the basil. Peel the eggs and slice into 1/4" over the bowl, toss, salt and pepper to taste. Let the dish sit for about 15 minutes to allow for the flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature.

XOMC

Raw Kale Salad with Pecorino

Word is getting around our small Mt. Washington Community that our garden is "Exploding!" "Radioactive!" and all out "Incredible!" Well, it is (besides the radioactive part)! Thanks to a dedicated crew that meet every week to garden, harvest and talk about food.

This week we harvested the first bounty of green beans, green cabbages, turnips, beets, cauliflower and the last of the broccoli; and once again we were able to donate a portion of our harvest to Our Daily Bread.

Even though we did not harvest kale this week, there was much talk about how to prepare it. Kale can be a bit of a tough one to pin down, especially when most of us are more familiar with seeing kale used as a garnish then as an actual dish or meal. Kale is a power house of a green, and if eaten on a regular basis can contribute considerably to lowering cholesterol and reducing your risk of the five most common types of cancers (breast, bladder, colon, ovary and prostate). Kale is considered one of the best foods out there, extremely high in vitamins K, A and C, dietary fiber, tryptophan, maganese...on and on and on. So why you may ask is it used as a garnish to highlight ham and mandarin oranges? Well, sometimes we are just afraid of something new.

Here are some cooking tips to maximize Kale's benefits and get you acquainted with preparing it:

Steaming: (for 1 pound of kale)

Rinse kale leaves under cold running water. Chop leaf portions into 1/2" pieces and the stems into 1/4" pieces. To get the most benefits out of kale, let sit for 5 minutes before steaming. Sprinkling them with lemon juice before letting them sit can further enhance their phytonutrient concentration.

Fill the bottom of a steamer pot with 2" of water. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare your greens. Steam for 5 minutes and toss with a simple dressing of 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 clove minced garlic, sea salt and pepper to taste.

Optional additions:Sliced onion (steam with kale)
chopped sun-dried tomatoes (toss with dressing)*
chopped olives*
Feta Cheese*
5 drops of tamari*
Some quick serving suggestions: (amount of kale dependant on how many people you are serving)
-Braise kale and toss with chopped apples, hearty splash of balsamic vinegar and chopped walnuts.
-Combine well chopped kale with pine nuts and feta cheese toss with whole grain pasta and olive oil.
-Steam with onions and tofu, add to cooked rice with a drizzle of flax oil, Braggs and pepper.
-chop up well, saute for 5 minutes in olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic, add 2 or more whisked eggs, cook until firm, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper... make an egg sandwich!

Raw Kale-for those who want to move from cooked kale to raw kale...
This by far my favorite way to eat fresh, raw kale. I try to use the smaller more tender kale greens from my garden. If young and tender is not available to you I suggest using the Lacinato Kale variety for this dish a.k.a Dino kale.

Raw Kale Salad with Pecorino
Serves 4 as a side dish
4-5 cups washed and spun kale cut into 1/4" ribbons (woodiest stems removed)
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/4 grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less, depending on your tastes)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place kale in a large bowl. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and salt to make a paste. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, black pepper, pinch of salt, whisk well. Pour over the kale and toss well. Let sit for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with extra olive and cheese.

XOMC

Bees

Gotta get me some Honey Bee action!

I contacted Baltimore Honey today to join their honey CSA and hopefully host a hive! They offer a 5 week workshop that starts in early February to educate folks like me who have the dream of having honey bee children of their own. Their CSA is the first of its kind anywhere, what a brilliant idea! For 45 bucks you get a pound of micro-local natural/organic raw honey...sweet sweet sweet.

Some fun honey bee factoids...

•honey bees must visit approximately 2 million flowers to make 1 lb. of honey.
•honey bees pollinate approximately 25% of all the foods humans consume.
•honey bees are the ONLY insects that produce food for humans.
•honey bees have 4 wings that beat 11,400 times per minute.
•honey is one of the oldest foods in existence. It was found in the tomb of King Tut and was still edible.

Support your local bee keeper! Love the bees!
XOMC