NUTRITION AT ITS BEST

The garden is prolific right now, despite this summer's lack of hot and sunny days.  There are so many shades of green, all of them appearing to shimmer with growth and joy. I grew up in a home that had a huge garden out back, always fresh vegetables in the summer, and through the winter, those same vegetables either preserved or frozen. 

I am blessed to have grown up in a family of old world Sicilians who knew nothing of 'fast' or prepackaged food.  I feel some inherent knowledge of good nutrition thanks to my grandparents,  and rarely pay attention to that aspect of what I put on the table.  

I planted 8 broccoli plants, 7 of which have already been harvested.  It is a wonder that we have not taken on one of those shades of green, with all the broccoli we have consumed, both raw and cooked.

The last of the heads yet to be harvested...now I await the countless side shoots...

raw broccoli salad with onions, craisens, raw sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, and plenty of mayo...

gently steaming either for freezing or...

grilling along with a 'grilled smashed potato and Organic Valley's  Italian chicken sausage (which happens to be excellent)

Garlic plants turning brown, harvested

and hanging in a cool place

green beans and cucumbers coming on daily, make a wonderful salad

Zucchini is abundant as well..

Zucchini Fritters

One and a half #'s grated, salted and left to drain, squeezed tightly in a clean towel until pretty dry;  6 tbs. cornstarch (incorporated before other ingredients), 2 cloves garlic chopped, 2 tbs. fresh dill and basil, 4-6 oz. Organic Valley feta, one large egg, and as the zucchini was salted no need to add more, fresh black pepper

quickly fried in very hot vegetable oil and served hot, topped with

Bart's (my dad) famous, versitle tomato mix

chopped tomato, chopped fresh garlic, (I add a finely chopped cucumber) plenty of fresh chopped basil , salt and pepper, and good olive oil.  Leave at room temperature for a couple of hours.  This is excellent over grilled meats, or simply on fresh bread!!!

and for dessert the last of the peaches in a pie, Organic Valley heavy cream, whipped, drizzled with Black Currant coulis.

All those Sicilian ancestors, I know are gathered around my table each night.  I am deeply and profoundly grateful for all of them.

ABUNDANCE, AGAIN!

The girls came this past Nonnie Day with bears almost as big as they.  Their Nina Gorrill made them each one when they were born.  Immediately they began asking if they could bring the real baby stroller into the house to play with, as their bears would not fit in the toy stroller.  On one condition, I said, you have to clean it up so we can give it to the Food Pantry, (our local food pantry also has a 'thrift store').  They were eager to begin this pursuit, vacuum and buckets of sudsy water on the deck, and in about one devoted hour, it was clean!

They intently played most of the day with this, although the big bear was replaced with Elsa who Iris mothered with so much love, and well, Elsa, she is a convincing baby, too.

That evening as I was walking back to the cabin I saw this tiny baby bird sitting precariously on a twig from a bush at the base of a large pine tree...

I am not sure what it is, although he sports some soft yellow fluff at his throat.  He let me approach close enough so I could have cupped him in my hands, which I did refrain from doing.  The next day I found him on a different bush, not far above the ground.  I have not seen him since, and am hoping he learned to fly and is safe and sound.

A couple of trips to an Amish friend who sells fruit in bulk set me up with a lug of peaches (utterly delicious)

and a ten pound box of blueberries...quite large and oh so good.

One of my favorite food magazines

with a peach pie on the cover, enticing me to make it.

The recipe inside was for a peach custard pie with a black currant coulis, just right as my black currant bushes are producing abundantly.

I veered from the recipe as I thought they had left out ingredients, and I must say,

I think this the best peach custard pie I have ever made.  The addition of the black currant coulis is simply perfect.

On another note this morning Freddie and I went for a two hour mountain bike ride on some pretty technical trails on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.  It was phenomenal, climbing narrow trails, peaking at the top, coasting through deep woods on winding trails on the downside. Twisting and turning, stopping to let horses by, dodging gnats and black flies, and sweating up a storm.  The trails are kept so well by the Reserve, some parts just coasting along, and some parts rough and rocky climbs, but all fit for biking, hiking and/or horseback riding.  A wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning.

We were pretty hungry on our return, and I made one of my favorite summer sandwiches....

fresh tomato slices, basil and plenty of mayo...cucumbers in abundance, and of course, peaches (which were in fact topped with blueberries).

We purchased fresh chickens from the same Amish friend

and I grilled them a few nights ago...

and served them with grilled peaches/blueberries.

Oh how I love the abundance of fresh foods in the summer.  I am just back from the garden where I picked a large pan of string beans which will become a salad to accompany our pizza tonight, and I see the broccoli will be ready tomorrow. 

Food excites me, and being an integral part of its production is a real blessing.

VARIOUS AND SUNDRY

Days go along, mostly like any other day.  The mundane presents itself, but always, if one is alert and open, the little things show just how big they are.

 
Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the bread....

Lifting the lid on my water barrel the other day, revealed this tiny frog, not even an inch long....

Yes, these are (were) in my kitchen garden...

absolutely delicious....

I have never been successful in growing begonias, that is until now...

I believe I have found just the right location.

There are times when our surroundings simply pass before our eyes and make no impression in our mind, but there is profound beauty always before us.

IT'S ALL ABOUT FOOD

My garden is growing well, I think.  The tomatoes seem behind, as we have not had many hot days, but the cucumbers are on and providing a daily delight.

One of my favorite summer sandwiches...Garlic/feta spread and spread thickly on each side of the bagel, thick sliced cucumber, fresh dill weed, lettuce from the garden...a wonderful combination of flavors, and simplicity itself.

(This spread is beyond delicious:  8 oz. feta, 8 oz. cream cheese, (both Organic Valley), 1/3 c. mayo, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. fresh dill weed, 1 large garlic glove diced, a touch of dried thyme.  Mix thoroughly altogether.  Use on crackers, bread, veggies, or in sandwiches.)

I have been trying to use up my frozen vegetables from last year, and below is the last package of broccoli..

saute broccoli in olive oil with onions and garlic...top with fresh farm eggs, let cook covered until set, shred some OV cheese on top...serve with crusty bread to dip in the egg!

When I was growing up my father loved and was expert at grilling out.  The women never did the grilling so this was never part of my 'inner cook'.  However, unlike most men who like to grill out, Freddie does not, and after years of trying to get him interested, I decided to do it myself, and I am so glad that I did.  I love grilling out!  I do a great deal of it during this weeks...standing on the deck, watching and turning the food, trying new things, and sipping a glass of wine.  Now this is a great scene.

I do not eat a great deal of red meat, but Italian sausage is something I do love...thanks to my growing up years.

...grilled Italian sausage, asparagus brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic powder, potatoes marinated in olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, garlic scape, and a small cherry tomato salad...

I rarely eat hamburg, but my neighbor Karen raises organic beef, Little Creek Farm, and it is truly delicious.

Karen's beef burgers, again the potatoes, asparagus, and this time, grilled tomatoes and small whole fresh zucchini..

As the strawberry season was so prolific, I did many things with the harvest, among them

strawberry turnovers with from scratch buttery layered crust

On another note, I am making BBQ'd Pulled Chicken for a fund raiser for the local library expansion project.  These sandwiches will be sold at the 4th of July Celebration...

onions, garlic, spices, sauteed, and then ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, among other things added...placed into a crock pot (actually two)

with eighteen three bone-in breasts and twenty-three bone-in thighs with a leg or two, cooked on low for 6-7 hours

then chicken skinned and removed from the bone and shredded

this makes a mighty delicious sandwich.  Come to the 4th celebration in La Farge, I'll buy you one!!

LIFTING MY SPIRITS

Sometimes weeds just take over your life, both literally and figuratively...as they seem to have done to mine.  Each spring I weed my asparagus patch, which has been mulched through the winter.  Well, my plans to weed this patch were way-laid.

...my asparagus patch...

(Which despite my neglect has yielded as much as two pounds per day.)

Before my hand surgery, when I thought I'd have normal usage within 4-6 weeks, my plan had been to, not only weed the asparagus patch, but to remove young strawberry plants from my strawberry patch, till it up, and replant again.  Well, that plan was short-lived, 

...here is my strawberry patch...

if you look closely you can see strawberries...

and despite the copious weeds, this patch yields an ice cream bucket every two to three days.

Weeds of a different kind have been crowding my heart and my mind these days, choking out the sun and dampening joy.  Sometimes things simply get tangled and one grows tired of trying to extricate oneself from the mess...we've all been there for one reason or another...

 this morning's trip to the garden gifted me and lifted my spirits

I have planted many cucumber plants and watch them closely for growth each day, cucumbers being one of my favorite garden vegetables.  I had been watching one particular plant, watching the baby cucumber go from mere centimeters to now a couple of inches.  As I was lifting tendrils to the 'fence' I came to a plant I had not watched at all, and lo and behold hidden near the bottom was a fully mature 8" cucumber.  Quite honestly, this was joy!!

Blessings come in various forms, these, struggling through the weeds, are surely mine.

Perhaps this is a lesson for me.  Perhaps among the weeds crowding my heart and my mind are unsuspecting gems, hidden but real. 

MEETING A NEW 'OLD' FRIEND

Last Friday I had the great pleasure of finally meeting a blogging friend.  Lisa and I have followed each others blogs for several years now.  We seem to have so much in common, biking, food and gardening among those things.  She is originally from Richland Center and that is where her folks still reside.  As she was in RC to visit them, we arranged finally to meet.

Lisa is a lovely woman in all ways, and it was wonderful to have her come to Jug creek.  We had a great visit, and hope to do it again sometime in the not too distant future. Thanks so much for coming by, Lisa!!

On another note, just before she came, I picked spinach from the garden, and as there really wasn't enough for a dish to serve two, (spinach shrinks so much) and s I had dough slow-rising in the fridge I decided to make one of our favorite pizzas.

Many, many years ago, I read that when cleaning mushrooms one must treat them like a baby's bottom...and that is exactly what I have always done.  I dampen a paper towel and gently wipe each off before I slice it.  Above sliced button mushrooms sauteing in olive oil.

I saute them until they are quite brown as I believe it intensifies their flavor considerably.

...freshly picked spinach...

sauteing in olive oil with LOTS of chopped garlic

dough stretched into a cookie sheet rectangle and placed on parcheent paper, covered with homemade pesto (frozen, from last year), topped with spinach and the mushrooms....

a good grating of Organic Valley's Raw Milk Jack Cheese and fresh block Romano cheese...

put into a very hot (450-500 degree) oven for 10-12 minutes.  (My oven shelf has adobe tiles on it at all times, so the pizza on the parchment paper goes directly on these hot tiles.)

After a short time, it is ready.  The aroma is magnificent, and the flavors are unbelievable.

Served, of course, with a large salad dressed with homemade Italian dressing.

What a great way to use fresh spinach.  

RILKE, THE EARTH AND I

The iris' are exquisite this year, especially these yellow ones!

Just after my surgery, when I was 'confined' to doing almost nothing but reading, I embarked on a reading/writing journey.  Ranier Maria Rilke (1875-1926), who has for many years been my favorite poet,  newly inspired me.  (I realize that there are not many people who even like poetry, much less have a favorite poet.)  I do not have all of his work, but I do own a significant amount of his writings.  I can distinctly recall the very first time I read him, and how I was rendered almost speechless at his words.  I was deeply torn as well, between reverence and jealousy that his words were not my own.

On Rilke

 I can barely imagine his writing room

dark desk, dim light

dark young man…

bent heavy with love

and intensity

penning words

that preceded me by decades

yet seem to be mine.

I read with a devout awe

and a stinging jealousy…

and think that now, having been said,

I cannot drag these words

up from my own anguished soul.

They were taken from me

before I even was…

both riveted

and torn,

grateful and distraught

honoring yet coveting

I know these were my words,

these were my aching soul in Rilke’s tortured web of love

and he pulled them out one deep night

set them down

lifted them up into the holy mist

and I down these many years

anointed by such grace

wander and search and wonder

what words are left for me?

 Joanne Adragna Shird

January 1, 2011

  

Among the works I own are translations by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows, who in my estimation are the finest of Rilke translators.  One of the books is called A Year With Rilke: Daily Readings from the Best of Rainer Maria Rilke.  As I was reading the daily entry, a niggling began inside, my thought was that I would read each entry daily (but also the day/evening before so that would peculate in me) and each day write something of my own inspired by his work.  I began this journey on February 16, my first poem, and continue to this day.  You might say it has become somewhat of an obsession.  

The point of this post has to do with the reading for today, entitled by Macy and Barrows (Rilke didn't title most of his work) 'Earth, Isn't This What You Want'. This entry is a portion of a poem from the Duino Elegies, specifically the Ninth Elegy.  It is really a 'love song' to the earth, and I find it one of his most beautiful works.  In almost everyone of his poems I find one or two lines that I actually covet, wish with all my heart it hadn't been said, so I could pull it out of myself and set it down in words.  In this 'love song' Rilke's line spoken to the earth was, "Before I was named I belonged to you."  This resonated deeply with me, and as I continued to read and reread this entry in preparation for writing my own, I felt a swelling, a fullness emphasized by what was outside my window, what was in the garden I just stepped out of, and by the fruits of the earth I was holding as I prepared dinner.  

I fear this may sound a bit odd to many, but I knew the connection between the earth and myself.  I felt how it nourished me not just by giving me the food I was preparing but by the very rhythms of growth and decline.

Although I mostly prepare food with deep love and gratitude, I was so filled with Rilke's anthem to the earth that this meal's preparation seemed more holy to me.


One of my childhood favorite meals was called Chicken Oregano, and I have, over the years taken liberties with what goes on the roasting pan.

...organic chicken and potatoes, my own peppers and asparagus, organic carrots and onions...

Generally any fresh vegetable, especially straight from the garden, will do for this dish.  

Assemble the marinade (recipe follows).  Slather it generously over the chicken and place on a pan, slather more, and roast at 370 degrees for about 25 minutes.  Meanwhile in a bowl toss the cut up vegetables (not asparagus) with more of the marinade.  Add the potatoes, onions and carrots to the pan, making sure they are brushed with the oil/lemon juice mixture.  After about 15 minutes add the asparagus, and continue roasting until vegetables are done and chicken registers 195 degrees and is crispy.

Recipe for the marinade:

*1/3 c. good olive oil

*1/4 c. lemon juice

*one large garlic clove chopped

*2 tsp. dried oregano

*salt/pepper to taste 

I never lost sight of the interconnection with the earth during this meal, Rilke stayed with me, as he does today.

Here is my entry for today:

So much akin to you
     dear Earth, am I,
nothing of yours is foreign
     and I grow out of you,
perhaps not with the beauty
     of a flower
but surely like the knobby
     tree just outside my window.

There is nothing of me
     that you have not made
or touched, or helped to grow.

You circle me with your rhythms
     and the breath of those
that came before me.

There is nothing,
      that I do not owe to you.

I am your celebration,
    one thread
in this dense tapestry
     of life.