Free Food, Free Flowers: letting your garden go to seed

A dying garden can be depressing, but it can also hold the seeds of your future, literally.  This spring I let some red winter kale go to seed and then gathered the spiky seed pods to keep through the summer.  I scattered them on the ground a couple of weeks ago, and now I have a profusion of free red kale seedlings, which we should be eating within a month or two.

I also gathered seed pods from garlic chives.  I’ve sprouted some to add to salads.  Others I’ll keep to start a new garlic chive bed and to give away to friends for their own gardens.

Here is a cabbage that decided to grow entirely of its own accord.

And, voila!,  borage plants, all volunteers, with amaranth seeds, awaiting spring.

A volunteer cilantro plant awaits a Mexican or Vietnamese dish.

And here my husband collects flower seeds.

We even had dozens of volunteer tomato plants produce this year before frost hit.  Your garden  can give you so much, if you just give it a little time to show its offerings!

Merry Christmas!

We are visiting family outside the Ozarks tonight, but we are getting snow here and expect to find snow at home too.  A white Christmas is always a beautiful gift!  I want to wish all of my readers a merry Christmas. Thank you for visiting the blog!  If you, like so many Americans, are suffering from financial losses, may you remember that this holiday is about love, not stuff you buy from stores or trinkets you hang on your tree. I hope you’ll enjoy holiday-friendly ideas and recipes like Christmas lettuce, breakfast casserole, grits casserole, chocolate-chip gingerbread, turkey gravy, turkey brine, and turkey hash.

Make Christmas Morning Easy: Breakfast Casserole

I first had breakfast casserole in 1980, when my great-grandmother died.  It’s hard to believe that it was three decades ago.  I’d love to know more about the bigger history of this dish, but for now I’m content with the family history.  Dear family friends brought the casserole to the house, and it became an instant classic.  Two things–okay, maybe three–make it good.  First, you can make it ahead and save only the baking for when you serve it.  Second, it has all of your country breakfast basics–bread, eggs, and meat–with nothing processed, like I see in some other breakfast casserole recipes.  Third, it holds well for seconds and thirds.  It’s even pretty darn good on day two, if there’s any left after the initial breakfast.

Here’s my basic recipe, designed for a large casserole dish, up to 9×13 (smaller dishes okay if they are deeper):

serves 6-10, depending on how hungry they are!

• 6 slices of whole-grain bread, torn into bits
• 10 eggs
• 1 cup milk or cream
• 1 pound turkey sausage (yes, you  can use pork sausage)
• optional:  2 teaspoons each rubbed sage and crushed red pepper (this will include bits of the red flesh part and the seed, but the name will vary)
• 1-2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Begin by browning the sausage, breaking it up as you go.  If it’s standard commercial sausage, you may want to add about 2 teaspoons rubbed sage and 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (0r more!).  If it is pork sausage, be sure to drain it well. Now grease your casserole dish.  Put the torn bread in the bottom of the pan, spreading it out evenly.  Next evenly sprinkle on your well-seasoned sausage.  Then spread evenly the grated cheddar cheese.  Finally, beat the eggs and milk together, and pour the mixture over the rest of the casserole.  That’s it.  You can now refrigerate the dish.  In the morning, put the casserole dish in the oven first and then set the oven to 375 degrees F.  (By adding the casserole to the cold oven, you’ll reduce the chances of breaking your casserole dish, which could happen if you put a cold dish in a hot oven.)  Bake the dish for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the shape of your dish.  The breakfast casserole should be set thoroughly, and the top should be nicely browned.  To serve, you can either cut the casserole into slices, or just let your guests scoop it out themselves.

You can also pre-bake and freeze the casserole, but it’s not quite as good as baking it the morning you eat it.

By the way, I’ve also made *three* breakfast casseroles in large outdoor Dutch ovens to feed a crowd on a camp out.  This recipe is that versatile!  I just pre-browned the meat and pre-grated the cheese and froze both.  Two kids who were early risers broke and “beat” the eggs in large zippered bags while I tore the bread.  Follow the directions as above, add coals, and in a little less than an hour you’ll have breakfast for two dozen people!

Once You Get the Hang of Plain Grits . . . It’s Time for Grits Casserole!

Grits can be really good comfort food.  Grits casserole elevates them to big-family breakfast.  Start with either the crock pot/slow cooker or stove top method of grits.  Season your grits to taste with salt and pepper.  Then you can add eggs and sausage or bacon and cheese and bake and Mmmmmmmm.  First, add a bit more milk to your basic grits recipe.  For each egg you’re planning on adding, add 1/8-1/4 cup of milk.  For each serving of grits you’ve made, you can add an egg, a piece of two of bacon, cooked and crumbled, or the equivalent of a sausage patty, cooked and crumbled.  (We use turkey sausage and turkey bacon.) Add about about two tablespoons (or more) grated cheese like sharp cheddar, gruyere, or monterey jack per serving.  Mix everything together, and put it in individual baking dishes or one big casserole.  Bake at 375-400 degrees for about ten minutes, until the casserole slightly browns on top.  Serve and enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Grits on the Stove Top: More Comfort Food

Earlier I posted a recipe for grits (or polenta) in a crock pot.  If you don’t have a couple of hours and only want to make a few servings, though, here’s another method.  Let’s start with the basics.  This method works best for finely ground grits, also known as polenta. At the bottom of the post, I’ll provide a variation to use coarsely ground grits.  Making grits on the stove top has two possible pit falls:  (1) boiling over and (2) sticking to the bottom of the pot.  Both of these problems can be eliminated with this cooking method.

The basics:

For old-fashioned finely ground grits, you need about 3 times as much water as you have grits.  Count on using about a third of a cup of dry grits and a cup of water for each two servings of grits (or polenta) you want to make.

Begin by boiling the water you need in a good-sized pot, about two or three times the size you think you need.  Now you can go do something else, like make a pot of coffee.  As soon as the water reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat (Yes, I said turn off the heat.  If you use an electric stove top of any kind, take the pot off the heat, at least until the heat is reduced by half, or else you’ll get boil over.) and pour in the grits.  Stir well to combine.  Put a lid on it.  Walk away.  Go take a shower.  Get dressed.  If you’re walking by, feel free to stir, but put the lid back on.  If you want to add a splash of milk, feel free.  Just put the lid back on.

When you’re ready for breakfast, just add a little more water or milk, reheat the grits quickly, and eat and enjoy!  A little salt will bring out the sweetness of the grits.  They are good savory–with salt and pepper–or you can add a bit of maple sugar or jam.  If you want more porridgy grits, you can add milk.  Here are thick grits with jam–and, yes, half an omelet.  I know:  it’s not a terribly appetizing picture.  You could also serve the grits in a bowl if you want to add more milk.

Variations:

Do you only have coarsely ground grits?  Then you may need to start with the 3-1 ratio I mentioned but then about half way through the soaking time, turn on the heat again and add a bit more water or milk–up to another 1/3 cup for each two servings.

Do you want creamier grits?  You’ll need to stand by them and stir.

For my crock pot method, see here:  http://ozarkhomesteader.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/old-fashioned-grits-or-polenta-the-easy-way/ .

Chocolate-Chip Gingerbread: It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas!

Two smells from exotic places make me think of the holidays:  ginger and chocolate.  Neither product is local, and wars were fought over both of them as the world learned of their culinary power.  Nonetheless, if I use all other local, organic ingredients, I’m happy to use ginger and chocolate in moderation, just as my grandparents did.  This recipe for Chocolate Chip Gingerbread uses both flavors, and it’s easy enough for a grade schooler to bake.  Enjoy!

• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
• 1/4-1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 cup molasses  Grease your measuring cup to get all of the molasses out.  If any linger, swirl the hot water (below) in it to finish the job.
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 + 1/3 cups whole-grain oat flower
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 tablespoons of ginger  Yes, this is a lot of ginger. If you don’t like it, use less.
• 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon
• sprinkle of allspice  If you don’t have allspice, you can use a really, really tiny sprinkle of ground cloves.
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease 2 bread pans, each about 4″ x 8″.  In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients, being sure not to cook the egg with the hot water.  Now toss all the floury dry ingredients and spices on top, taking care to sprinkle the baking soda across the top.  Stir everything together thoroughly to make a thick, dark batter.  No, don’t add the chips yet! Now pour about an inch of the batter into the bottom of each greased pan.  Now mix the chocolate chips into the remaining batter and pour it, split evenly, on top of the inch of chip-free batter in each bread pan.  Bake at 325 degrees F for about 50 minutes.  Cool well before you remove it from the pan.

Turkey Hash. Mmmmmmm.

We had a turkey this year that was almost eighteen pounds.  It was absolutely beautiful. We ate quite a bit of it the week of Thanksgiving–as unmolested leftovers, turkey tetrazzini, turkey enchiladas, turkey sandwiches–, but I froze the rest in packages weighed for individual meals.  Tonight I used one of the freezer packs for my personal favorite of turkey leftovers, turkey hash.

It was really cold here today (for the Ozarks), and I wanted something warm and filling.  Turkey hash fits the bill.  It’s turkey, onions, celery, potatoes, and turkey stock cooked together with herbs and served over buttered toast.  Mmmmmm.  It’s not pretty, but it’s a wonderful blend of holiday flavors, pure comfort food.

For two+ servings, you’ll need:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped fine
• several stalks of celery, diced small
• three to four red potatoes (three large, 4 medium), diced large
• fresh or dried poultry-friendly herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme)
• one to two cups of turkey stock (chicken broth okay if you did not make stock)
• 1/3 pound turkey (about the equivalent of two decks of playing cards), diced large
• good buttered toast (I used some good oat bread I bought through Conway Locally Grown)

Begin by putting the chopped onions in a heated heavy sauce pan with oil and/or butter sufficient to coat the bottom of the pan.  I used a 2-quart cast iron Lodge Dutch oven because it’s ideal for long simmering without sticking.

Sautee the onions until they just start to color.

Now add the diced celery.  Stir to combine and cook some more over low heat while you dice the potatoes.

Add them too. Now dice the chicken.  Add it.

Stir some more. Get a little “brown” flavor on everything.  Now add the stock, about one cup to start.   Stir well.  Add either dried or fresh herbs.  I added a fresh sprig each of rosemary and sage.  I removed both after I finished cooking everything.

Cover and simmer for at least half an hour, preferably a bit longer, like an hour.  

If you want it a little thicker, sprinkle on potato flour.

Mmmmmmmmm.  It smells like Thanksgiving all over again, only it didn’t take hours to make!

Add salt, pepper, and other herbs to taste.  Serve by heaping ladles over buttered toast.  No, it’s not pretty, but it’s oh so yummy and comforting.

An Ozark tribute to Hanukkah

In case you hadn’t guessed, we’re not Jewish.  We can still appreciate a variation on Hanukkah food, though, since it’s in season and able to be locally grown (much of which we got from Conway Locally Grown).  Tonight we had latkes (potato pancakes) served with yogurt (in lieu of sour cream), braised onions and red cabbage, chicken-apple sausage, and spiced baked apple wedges.  No, I’m sorry, I don’t have pretty pictures tonight.  I just made it and we ate it, with no photography.

Latkes are one of the world’s easiest yummy foods.  Start by washing about one or two medium red potatoes per person.  Grate the potatoes in long strips.  Let the grated potatoes drain in a colander.  Toss them in a bowl with about a tablespoon of flour (I used whole wheat), salt and pepper to taste (I used cajun seasoning and garlic too), and about one egg (or less) for every two servings.  Now heat about a 1/4 inch of oil in a heavy skillet.  I, not surprisingly, used a good cast iron skillet. You can tell when the oil is hot enough if the handle tip of a wooden spoon or the tip of a wooden chop stick yields tiny bubbles if you press it into the bottom of the pan.  Drop the potato mixture into the hot oil using a full soup spoon, quickly spreading out the mixture.  Now leave it alone.  As the edges start to brown, flip the latke using a large spatula.  A few minutes later, scoop out the latke and drain it well.  At this point, I like to leave the latkes on a cast iron plate in a warm oven, while I make the rest.  Serve all of the latkes warm with sour cream or yogurt and apple sauce or apples.  Mmmmmmm.

Even though I had forgotten that it’s Hanukkah until we finished our meal, our supper tonight is good reminder that most traditional holiday food is seasonally appropriate.  For instance, I am rarely interested in heating up the house in the summer long enough to roast a bird as big as a turkey, but I’ll happily take that heat in the house come late fall.  What seasonal foods do you eat at holidays, as part of family tradition?

Frugal Food: Broccoli-Potato Soup

Broccoli is in season, and we can get it local and organic when we don’t have any in our own garden. I bought some broccoli last week.  We had the florets sauteed, steamed, and in salad.  Then I took on my favorite part:  the stalks.  Broccoli stalks are actually sweeter than the florets, and peeled and sliced they can easily form the basis of a fantastic, rich soup.

Start by dicing one or two red potatoes.  Set aside about two thirds of the diced potatoes.  Toss about a third of the diced potatoes in a medium-sized pot.  Now peel off the outer, woody exterior of a half dozen or so broccoli stalks.  If florets are present, trim them off and set them aside.  We can use some of them.  Slice each stalk in half lengthwise and then slice again across the stalk, in slices each of about 1/4 to 1/2 inch each.  Toss the broccoli stalks in the pot with the potatoes.  Add enough lightly salted water or chicken broth or stock* to cover.  Start cooking.  Add one medium leek (or part of a large one), cut lengthwise and cleaned and then cut across the grain, like you did with the broccoli. Be sure to use the leek tops.  They will help make the soup greener!  Simmer the portion of potatoes, broccoli stems, and leeks for about half an hour.

Meanwhile, put the rest of the diced potatoes on a cast iron baking pan (or any other heavy baking pan), toss with oil and seasoning (I used a Greek seasoning mix), and roast at 400 degrees for about half an hour, turning regularly.

How are the potatoes, stems, and leeks in the pot?  Are they starting to soften?  At half an hour, turn off the heat and take off the lid.  Let the mixture start to cool.  After it has cooled a fair amount, scoop out the solids (potatoes and stems), leaving behind the liquid.  Yes, we’ll use it, just not now.  Put the solids in a blender.  Now add cold milk just to cover; the cold  milk will help you avoid a blender explosion.  Puree until you have a wonderfully smooth mixture.

Pour the pureed mixture back into the pot with the retained liquid.  Add the roasted potatoes.  Add a handful of the florets, cut rather small.  Now heat the soup until the florets are tender.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve. Eat.  Add good grated cheddar cheese to the top if you want.

*Here’s an important frugal tip:  make your own stock or broth by boiling the bones from your roasted birds.  I’ll cover details in a future post.

Are You Going to Eat That? News Flash: The Majority of Commercial Chicken Is Contaminated

In the past few days, Consumer Reports came out with an analysis of commercial chicken contamination.  Despite the fact that commercial chickens are dunked in bleach, the majority of them tested still had dangerous bacteria.  Was there any good news?  Yes, air-chilled chicken had less.  Organic chicken had almost none.  Studies in cattle have shown that pasture-raising decreases dangerous bacteria both because of how the cattle are raised and what they eat.  It looks like now the same is true for chickens.  No doubt too the careful handling that small processors give their chickens in the butchering process helps reduce contamination too.  If you want to see the New York Times Well piece, go here. The full Consumer Reports article is here.

If you have not found a good source for local, pasture-raised, farmer-certified organic poultry, try using the Locally Grown network.  I have been so pleased with every bird we’ve gotten from Falling Sky Farm in Marshall, Arkansas.  The birds are packaged beautifully, the organs have healthy color, and the birds themselves just taste better.  For more on your options wherever you are located, see here.