Butternut Squash

                          Butternut Squash and Basmati Rice

1 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds, or 1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 cup basmati rice
3/4 pound peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/4 diced pieces (about 2 cups)
2 cups water
2 tsp kosher salt

     In a medium saucepan, heat the oil.  Add the seeds and cook on high heat for 30 seconds.  Add the rice and the diced squash and stir to coat with the oil mixture.  Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook on very low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice and squash are tender.  Remove from the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes.  Fluff the rice and serve right away.  This dish is so fragrant and so delicious I could not stop eating it!  Serve with a side of grilled kale for a complete meal.


                          Wrong Turn
                                           by Luci Shaw

I took a wrong turn the other day.
A mistake, but it led me to the shop where I found
the very thing I'd been searching for.

With my brother I opened a packet
of old letters from my mother and saw a side of her
that sweetened what had been deeply sour.

Later that day the radio sang a song from
a time when I was discovering love,
and folded me into itself again.  

Goodwill and favors

     For pizza night, make a thin crust pizza and grill in a very warm oven (500 or hotter)
for 5-8 minutes.  Look at the blog from September 13, 2011 for a good whole wheat crust recipe.
Try these toppings from your garden for a change to the classic pizza:

Pizza #1:
            2 whole onions, carmelized
            3 cloves garlic, minced
            11/2 cups kale, chopped and grilled
            1 TBSP coarsely chopped sage, or full leaves
            1 tsp chopped thyme
            sprinkling of goat cheese
Heat in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Pizza #2:
            1 can chopped artichokes
            8 cloves garlic, minced
 Roast the artichokes and garlic in the oven for 30 minutes, until soft and buttery.  Then spread on the pizza.  Slice tomatoes on top and heat in the oven for 5 minutes.



     "He'd like to imagine a farm where no money traded hands, only goodwill and favors.  He had a theory that you had to start out by giving stuff away, preferable big stuff, worth, he figured, about a thousand dollars.  At first, he said, people are discomfited by such a big gift.  They try to make it up to you, by giving you something big in return.  And then you give them something else, and they give you something else, and pretty soon nobody is keeping score.  There is simply a flow of things from the place of excess to the place of need.  It's personal, and it's satisfying, and everyone feels good about it.  This guy is completely nuts, I thought.  But what if he's right?"

                                                               - Kristin Kimball, from the book The Dirty Life

     I recently obtained eggs in exchange for a home-cooked breakfast (thanks Alice!).  I also carted home 20 pounds of tomatoes in exchange for a box full of peppers, kale, and basil from my garden. My tomatoes did not do well in our soil, but everything else did!  Give something away and see what comes your way!

Goodbye Summer

     Summer completely consumed me with outdoor sports, gardening and canning, traveling, and reading.  Oh, and watching the Olympics.  In Boyne Falls, Michigan, we were almost giddy with anticipation of each new day. We knew that the warm weather would lead us to the boat or beach, leaving my quickly cluttered house in need of serious cleaning.  But cleaning can always wait, right?  Actively leading the family outside to enjoy the sun and go for a swim is what is important!  In fact we would many days return home, go out to the garden and gather our ingredients for the dinner meal.  While my husband prepared dinner (looking quite hunky doing so) I would throw in some laundry and clean up.  We had a perfect routine!  And one that we will dearly miss until next year.  

    I have gathered some recipes and written down words of encouragement.  Most recipes will follow what foods are in harvest.  Hopefully this blog finds you well.  Some of you have contacted me with health concerns about your diet.  I will try to address as many health related topics as possible, with diet and food choices being an option for treatment.

Potato, Avacado, and Corn Salad

1 cup plain rice milk

2 TBSP finely grated horseradish

1 TBSPs cornstarch dissolved in 2 TBSP water

1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest, plus 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels cut from the cob

1 and 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes

1 fennel bulb, halved, cored and very thinly sliced

1 Hass Avocado, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped dill

1/4 cup snipped chives

In a small saucepan, combine the rice milk with 1 and 1/2 TBSP horseradish and bring to a boil.  Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and return to a boil.  Cook, stirring, until thickened.  Strain into a small bowl and add the lemon juice and remaining horseradish.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the corn kernels for one minute in a pot of boiling water.  Allow to cool.

Cook the potatoes in the corn water for 12 minutes.  Slice after cooling.  Season with salt and pepper and arrange on a platter.  Sprinkle with the corn kernels, then arrange the fennel slices, avocado, dill, and chives.  Drizzle with the horseradish.  Add more horseradish on top, if desired.  

We ate this the other night and it was so fresh and delicious!  Even the kids scarfed it down.

"A student goes to his teacher and says, "Rabbi, how can I say 'I believe' when I pray, if I am not sure that I believe?" His Rabbi has an answer: " 'I believe' is a prayer meaning, 'Oh, that I MAY believe!'""

                                                               - from the book Girl Meets God, by Lauren Winner