Over labor day weekend I did flowers for three weddings. One of the brides is from the UK and is a gardener, we used all local flowers as well as tall stalks of okra, fig branches and bunches of grapes. The wedding was at the nature sanctuary Woodend, in Montgomery County. The flowers came from Wollam Gardens and from my garden. The pre-wedding photos were taken by Jacqulyn Maisonneuve, a senior at Corcoran School of Art studying photo journalism. She is working on her thesis about integrating eco practices into everyday life. She is photographing us regularly. The wedding photographs are by Jay Premack who coincidentally introduced us to Jacqulyn, and happened to be photographing this wedding.
September Eleventh
photos by Jacqulyn MaisonneuveWhile we were cooking tonight for another amazing Home Restaurant (more about this below) my mind wandered to earlier in the day. I thought of spending an hour this morning with pre-kindergarteners tasting, touching and smelling herbs. We played in coffee grounds as we discussed the benefits of sprinkling coffee grounds on our edible garden. We chopped and ate farm fresh apples. My mind wandered to the magical rainy morning filled with the excitement of who knows what’s to come in a room full of three and four year olds.
Cooking and organic gardening are places where we can truly enjoy Chance–and spending the morning with out my multi-task portable communication device (a.k.a. my cell phone) contributes to the place of chance, that is to say the present. Of course the children and the amazing potential and wonder I have from being around them contributes more, but this by-product is the lesson I learn from them.
It has been written that communication is the doing away with chance. That is to say I receive the message and respond–yes communication is good. But similar to standardized chemical farming and Fast Food, that are both so quick to eliminate chance, cell phones have scripted things so tight that there is no Chance that we can miss anything. We run the risk of missing everything.
Frances, the Librarian at Scott Montgomery, uses a Reggio Emilia approach that allows the Children to wander and explore with respect and responsibility. This approach actually gives the children: Chance. That is to say the wonderful moment of the present is privileged in the discovery of demands and desires.
There is a symbiotic relationship to the Dinners we do out of our home and the time spent at Scott Montgomery Elementary Garden. We work hard at a practice in both disciplines, we have found curious, thoughtful people to share and learn from. We have discovered the importance of Chance–the play, the exhilarating unscripted-ness of cooking, farming, and children, the feeding of really any practice.
What is at stake is an issue of Time and for any Practice to have a Chance, what matters most is time spent–the actual practicing. To have as many chances as possible in the just being there is of the utmost importance. We discover, if we look closely in the between spaces of any practice, the ability to ride chance like a massive wave that you cannot master but only incorporate in an arrangement, thereby benefiting from its power in a symbiotic relationship.
We had a lovely evening. We reconnected with amazing guests and colleagues whose work we admire as well as met some new friends.
Dinner Friday September 11, 2009
Starter Bites
Roasted Okra with Banyuls Vinegar
Noodles with Olive Oil and Fennel Tops
Red Bean Puree
Lima Bean Puree
Winter Squash Puree
Basil Lime Vodka Martini
(Corail de Roquefort) Cotes de Provence Rose, 2008
Seated
Seared Sea Scallop with Cucumber, Garlic and Ginger Sauce, Basil with Sesame Bread
(Villargeau) Coteaux du Giennois Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Ratatouille with Creamy Corn on Corn Cake
(Lopez de Heredia) Rioja Crianza 'Cubillo' 2002
Whitmore Farm Lamb Shank with Roasted Potatoes, Beets and Beet Greens,Wild Oyster Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions
(Chateau Les Valentines) Cotes du Provence Rouge 2006
Cave Aged Marissa Cheese with Walnut Cracker and Garden Greens Dressed with Walnut Oil
X-Mas Melon Pudding
(Cantina Alice Bel Colle) Moscato d'Asti DOC 2008
Almond Torte with Fig Compote, Fresh Figs and Caramelized Almonds and Frozen Chocolate
(Chateau de Vaux) "XB" Extra Brut Methode Traditionnelle 2003
Dessert Bites
Toasted Fennel Seed Cookies
Cornmeal Drops
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Honey Cakes
Tonight’s play list was based on Blues and Bach and contained Modern Jazz Quartet's amazing Blues on Bach. We built around the entire album by playing Glenn Gould’s 1959 Goldberg Variations as well as Urban Contemporary, Blues inspired work like Erykah Badu and Hipster Folk Blues like Iron and Wine… Cyrus Chestnut and my favorite album Miles' Kind of Blue–One year We listened to nothing but Gould’s 1959 Goldberg Variations and Miles' Kind of Blue. I think it was the year we were waiting for Martin Lane to come…
Ohio River Boat Song, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Gulf Shores, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
You Will Miss Me When I Burn, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
The Brute Choir, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
I Send My Love To You, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
More Brother Rides, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Agnes, Queen Of Sorrow, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Viva Ultra, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Pushkin, Greatest Palace Music, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Come On In My Kitchen, The Complete Recordings, Robert Johnson
Come On In My Kitchen, Blue Light 'Til Dawn, Cassandra Wilson
Certainly, Baduizm, Erykah Badu
Acoustic Medley, Songs Of Freedom [Disc 2], Bob Marley
Hear My Train a Comin' (Acoustic Version), Blues, Jimi Hendrix
Satisfaction (I Can't Get No), Greatest Hits, Devo
Love No Limit, What's The 411?, Mary J. Blige
Flow, Lovers Rock, Sade
Maundering, Master And Everyone, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Sweet Thing, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan & Rufus
If This World Were Mine, Anthology [Disc 1], Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?, The Hits / The B-Sides (Box Set), Prince
Everybody Is A Star, Moonlight Mile, Sly & The Family Stone
The Devil's Real (Live), Live As I'll Ever Be , Chris Smither
Kamera, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco
It's Not Happening, Chinatown, The Be Good Tanyas
a man/ me/ then jim, More Adventurous, Rilo Kiley
The Rooster Moans, The Creek Drank The Cradle, Iron & Wine
Upward Over The Mountain, The Creek Drank The Cradle, Iron & Wine
Don't Explain, Mystery Lady: Songs Of Billie Holiday, Etta James
I'd Rather Go Blind, At Her Best, Etta James
Trans Fatty Acid, The K&D Sessions (Disc 1), Lamb
Baroque Impressions, The Dark Before The Dawn, Cyrus Chestnut
Regret?, Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Blues in *B* flat, Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Rise Up in the Morning, Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Blues in *A* minor, Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Precious Joy, Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Blues in *C* minor, Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Don't Stop This Train, Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Blues in *H* (B), Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Tears from the Children, Blues on Bach, Modern Jazz Quartet
Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 – Aria, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 1 a 1 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 2 a 1 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Variatio 3 Canone All'Unisono. A 1. Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 4 a 1 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 5 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 6 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Seconda, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 7 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Variatio 8 A 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Variatio 9 Canone Alla Terza. A 1 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 10 a 1 Clav. Fughetta, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 11 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 12 Canone alla Quarta, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 13 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 14 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Variatio 15 Canone Alla Quinta. A 1 Clav. Andante, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 16 a 1 Clav. Ouverture, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 17 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 18 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Sesta, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 19 a 1 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 20 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 21 Canone alla Settima, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 22 a 1 Clav. Alla breve, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 23 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Variatio 24 Canone All'Ottava. A 1 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 25 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 26 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 27 a 2 Clav. Canone alla Nona, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 28 a 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 29 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav., The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Variatio 30 a 1 Clav. Quodlibet, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
Aria da capo, The Glenn Gould Edition N°23, Glenn Gould
So What, Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
Freddie Freeloader, Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
Blue In Green, Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
All Blues, Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
Flamenco Sketches, Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
Flamenco Sketches - Alternate Take, Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
Rioja
Tom Kiszka the wine importer that we work closely with pairing wine with our food stopped by around 9:00 tonight with selections for tomorrows Home Restaurant and lots of information. We had been back and forth via email and telephone as the menu evolved. In total we are serving 6 different wines tomorrow night.
It is always good to see Tom and exciting to see the wines. Tom sat down with me for about 45 minutes, tasted a few things that we were cooking and shared his knowledge about the wines he brought with him.
We talked a lot about all of the wines that we are serving but spent the most time discussing the Vina Cubillo Crianza 2002, a classic Rioja. Rioja is a wine made from grapes grown not only in the Autonomous Community La Rioja, but also in parts of Navarre and the Basque province of Álava. Riojas have traditionally blended fruit from all three regions though there is a slow growth in single zone wines. Riojas are aged in Oak and Tom said that many Riojas are done in new oak which gives an exaggerated inauthentic flavor. He said many of these Riojas taste, "like they are on steroids". The Loez de Heredia family who make the wine we are serving use only old oak and make Rioja in a classic style. The vineyard has been in the family for 5 generations and practices have been carefully passed from generation to generation. Riojas are an ideal pair with vegetables. We will be serving this wine with the second seated course of stewed green zebra tomatoes, eight-ball squash and local garlic on cornbread with a sweet corn sauce.
We will finish the meal with Chateau de Vaux, XB Extra Brut 2003. Our Home Restaurant tomorrow night will be the first time this sparkling wine will be served in DC. This bubbly is made in the Moselle style which as Tom says, "makes for ferocious lively bubbles". It is 100 percent Chardonnay and from a tiny obscure vineyard in the North East of France that is a favorite of Tom's. We served a white from this same vineyard at a dinner a few weeks ago. Tomorrow we will enjoy the wine with an almond torte, figs from our garden and a bittersweet chocolate sorbet.
BITES!
I LOVE small bites to end a meal! The bites at the beginning of dinner (that we pass) and at the end (that are sometimes cookies) are some of my favorite things about doing these Home Restaurants. Maybe its because with the eating of such a tiny portion I can amp up flavor? Maybe its because these bites sort of operate outside of the official meal–That is to say that the expectation that goes along with a main course does not accompany these bites and because of that I can experiment? Or maybe its because sometimes the best bite is simply a fresh strawberry and that simplicity would never pass as 'serious cooking'?
These are the cookie batters I made tonight for Friday's bites. Some are cookie recipes I have been making for years and some I have recently made up. All the batters I made tonight for Friday nights dinner are vegan. These same recipes can be made with dairy–everywhere I use earth balance substitute butter, everywhere I use soy milk substitute milk and everywhere I use tofu substitute one egg for each 1/4 cup of pureed tofu...
Salty Rosemary Biscotti
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup sugar plus extra for rolling
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons non hydrogenated margarine such as, earth balance
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
1/2 cup tofu pureed
1 tablespoons water
1 cup rough chopped walnuts
directions
1.In mixer combine flour sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, salt.
2.Add earth balance cut in 8 pieces and rosemary till sand like.
3.Add tofu and water then walnuts.
4.Make logs and roll in sugar and himalyan salt.
5.Bake in a 350 degree oven until just dry enough to slice, about 20 minutes.
6.Remove from the oven and slice into 1/4 inch cookies.
7.Turn off oven and return sliced cookies to oven, let sit in cooling oven for several hours until dry.
Fennel Seed Shortbread
10 tablespoons earth balance
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cups flour
3/4 cup spelt flour
directions
1.Beat earth balance and sugar in a mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2.Add cornstarch, salt and flowers.
3.Beat until fully incorporated.
4.Roll into sheets and cut with a cookie cutter.
5.Bake in a 350 degree oven until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup good quality bittersweet chocolate chips
directions
1.Combine all ingredients in a mixer and mix until about half of the oatmeal is broken into small pieces.
2.Bake individual cookies in a 350 degree oven until they are golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes.
Cornmeal Cookie
8 oz earth balance
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup ground almonds
directions
1.Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in flour and mix well.
2.Add the cornmeal and ground almonds and mix to a firm and smooth dough.
3.Pinch balls of dough, place on a lined or greased baking tray and then flatten each ball with a fork.
4.Bake in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Clagett Farm
For the last few years we have been members of the Clagett Farm. By purchasing a share in the winter for the upcoming growing season we become members for the entire season. Every week we receive a portion of the harvest.
Clagett Farm is a CSA–Community Sustainable Agriculture. CSA's are to Supermarkets what Netflix are to Blockbusters. That is to say a move that hopefully contributes to the lessening of importance that supermarkets have on our contemporary settings. Farmer's Markets offer positive alternatives to Supermarkets, however CSA's take the arrangement a bit further. They assure not only extremely local produce but extremely seasonal as well.
Many times Clagett offers us ingredients outside of what we would usually buy. In other words you receive only what the farmer can make happen that week and yes you do have some input by suggesting to the farmer things to grow. But ultimately we are never sure what is going to be at our pick up spot each week and that is when we are able to create outside our usual selves and we find this exhilarating.
Clagett Farm is owned and operated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and also works in collaboration with the Capital Area Food Bank. The farm is dedicated to providing food to people of all income levels. In addition to the regular share they offer about half of their shares for free or at a reduced price.
During the local growing months what we eat and cook is influenced by what we get from both our share and our garden. This goes for both family meals and Home Restaurants. Today after picking up our share we began planning the menu for this Friday's Home Restaurant which will include everything we got today–– 8 ball squash, red potatoes, eggplant and okra. This in addition to produce from our garden and other farmers will make the meal.
Right now we are thinking the 8-ball squash and eggplant will become part of a ratatouille, the potatoes will be served with the final savory course of meat and the okra will be roasted and served passed as guests arrive, in the garden if the weather is nice. However this may change as we gather our other ingredients.
We still have a few spaces left for Friday night. Let us know if you can make it!
Early Fall Garden
Fall is here and we spent a good part of the day in the garden. Many of our summer crops are just beginning to bear fruit after a cool start to summer. It looks like we will be getting more tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash over the next two months than we did all summer.
We replaced some of the early summer crops such as, shelling beans, French beans and heat loving lettuces with fall crops today. We planted cabbage and sorrel both of which we started in small containers about a month ago when we had no room to put them in the ground. From seed today we started beets, carrots, arugula, spinach (which I am hoping it is cool enough for germination, spinach does not like the heat), mixed greens, kale and a new batch of chard. All winter greens do great if you plant them from seed in the next week or so. Other plants that thrive with early fall sowing are peas, radishes and bunching onions. Most of the seeds we planted today came from Johnny’s Seeds.
We are focusing on minimizing the powdery mildew on the pumpkin and fall squash plants at our home garden, the neighbors yard and at Scott Montgomery Elementary School. We have read that powdery mildew is common with pumpkin plants and that the best way to avoid it is with organic fungicide sprays, a mixture of watered down baking soda and liquid soap or a neem oil based spray. We have tried the first two and will probably treat with neem oil later this week. With the neighbors we may have waited too long to treat but at school we are working proactively hoping to prevent instead of trying to treat later. Powdery mildew does not necessarily kill plants but we have read that it can seriously interfere with production.
Last year we enjoyed fall vegetables as well as tomatoes on Thanksgiving…there is still a lot of farming left this year…and hopefully a healthy harvest of pumpkins.
Home Grown Okra
Although I am a fan of okra this is the first year that we have ever grown it in our garden. Since we moved into our house about 11 years ago and met our friend who everyone affectionately called "the farmer" we have always had a steady supply of the most delicious okra in the summer. "The farmer", Johnny Knox actually did not live in our neighborhood but was constantly on our street visiting friends and family. He had a farm in Upper Marlboro and grew loads of delicious vegetables that he shared with us. When we had our restaurant he would supply us with large quantities of various vegetables and amazing cooking greens. He continued to share the same quantities after we closed our restaurant. Our friends often benefited from his productive garden as we would share his large harvests.
Johnny Knox passed away last year at 90 plus years of age. This year we planted okra for the first time. We chose a red variety that has been delicious, productive and beautiful. Not only have we been rewarded with a plentiful crop of fresh okra but the flower that blooms before you actually get the okra is astonishing. We planted the okra from seed in early June and started getting okra about a month ago. It will now be an every year garden crop for us.
Often when we cook okra people say, “the okra was delicious and generally I do not eat okra.” I think there were two things differentiate this okra. One is the freshness, it is not necessary to grow your own, this time of year just picked okra is available at farmers markets. The other thing that is unique is we often roast it in a pan over the stove or in the oven at a high temperature. Personally I like okra roasted or boiled. However boiled okra has a sticky consistency while roasted okra is not at all sticky and has a fresher brighter taste.
Tonight we were all hungry without too much food in the refrigerator and were happy to find about a dozen okras ready to be picked. We incorporated them into a stir fry with a beet, an eggplant and calaloo that we seasoned with garlic and ginger and served over some black rice dressed with sesame seeds and sesame oil.
Closer To Soil
There is really one reason we wanted to plant a garden at Scott Montgomery Elementary. I mean of course, we hope that we contribute to the appearance of the grounds, and I hope there is an abundance of pumpkins at the end of the season. However, the real reason we wanted to plant a garden was to introduce children to where food comes from.
Today we spent an hour with three and four year olds scratching in the soil, spraying water and planting seeds. Frances, our librarian, led us as we got our hands dirty, washed our hands, ate some apples from local farmers (snack time) and got closer to the soil that feeds us.
Gardening is a Process of which one has the opportunity to get ones hands dirty, and watch something grow from a mere seed. Organic gardening is one that demands structural change and that change usually means more time in the garden and as a by-product exposes us to our neighbors. We visit the garden twice a day, to weed and water and as a by product have had many conversations with people asking:
“What you planting?”
“Pumpkins,” I reply.
“You think they’ll be ready by Halloween.”
“I hope so!” is my emphatic-sheepish declaration.
“We’ll see, but I bet your looking at Thanksgiving.” they advise.
Martin Moulton, our tireless neighbor leader (who has been instrumental in our involvement with Scott Montgomery), responded to a local blogger’s question with, “Right now, people here are isolated; once you bring them together, they will see each other as neighbors, not stereotypes. It would dispel some myths.” He is right. We are following his lead while we bring kids closer to soil.
Jacqulyn Maisonneuve
A few weeks ago we were contacted by Jacqulyn Maisonneuve, a senior at Corcoran School of Art studying photo jounalism. She is working on her thesis about integrating eco practices into everyday life. After spending a few days with us she asked if we would be willing to have her document our lives and work over the next several months. We will be posting her photographs regularly on our blog.
These photographs are of us at the Penn Quarter Farmers Market and Cowgirl Creamery gathering ingredients for our last home restaurant.
Home Restaurant, Friday September 11
We still have a few spots open for our first Home Restaurant of the fall, next Friday September 11th.
Since we started doing these Home Restaurants last spring we have had many questions...
John Cochran and Sidra Forman were the former chefs of Rupperts Restaurant, a downtown Bistro that operated from 1994 to 2002. We were featured in Metropolitan Home and John was named one of the best new chefs of food and wine in 1997. Now we are cooking dinner out of our house for anyone who wants to come for a pre-set requested donation. Our home is located in Downtown DC in the Shaw neighborhood. We set specific dates or you can reserve a date of your own choosing for groups of 10 or more.
We have thought about doing this for a long time. It is a pleasure to cook for a small group of diners in an intimate setting using the best available ingredients, with wines picked for each course and attentive service. We rely heavily on farmers, a wine importer and other purveyors that we have worked with for years. This time of year we supplement our supplies with food from our garden. We are committed to using best food practices.
The menu will probably include:
beets, eggplant, okra, and black eyed peas, wild mushrooms, FIGS, cucumbers, tomatoes, chard and calaloo…Georgia Shrimp from Prime Seafood, Meat and Poultry from Eco Friendly Foods.
Reservations: sidraforman@gmail.com
Please share this email with any potentially interested diners.
Let us know if you would like to come on September 11th. We will let you know if there is available space, the specific time, address and the requested donation. Also let us know if you would like to plan a private date of ten or more for a night of your choice.
Please advise if you have any food restrictions, vegetarians are more than welcome!
raw sesame salad
One of my favorite quick meals is raw vegetables dressed with sesame. I could eat this everyday. It is especially good with cauliflower and white mushrooms...It is one of those marriages made in heaven. The crunchy-ness of the cauliflower is complemented by the creaminess of the sesame and the texture of the mushrooms. This afternoon returning home hungry after a busy morning I was happy to find both of these vegetables in my refrigerator left over from some recipe testing.
Sesame Dressing
Raw Sesame Paste
Rice Wine Vinegar
Water
Salt
Pepper
I mix these ingredients in a bowl until smooth adjusting the consistency and flavor until I get it right. Often I add a little bit of minced hot peppers.
For lunch today my salad consisted of cauliflower, mushrooms, chard and tomato picked from our garden and a generous amount of sesame dressing.
The protein from the sesame provides fuel as well as satisfaction. Sesame is a good source of minerals and vitamins including a significant amount of calcium.
exercise and health
I am troubled by the recent Time Magazine Article, Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin. The author suggests that it is possible to separate weight from other health issues. Even as the author concedes that exercise is important for cognitive abilities, prevention of disability and mental health... He goes on to expose that exercise alone will not make you thin. I do not know what audience he is talking to but I think that most human beings understand that there is a relationship between calories taken in and calories expended.
I cannot imagine there are many individuals being swindled into weight gain by exercise. Furthermore the author does not seem to differentiate between appearance and actual health. How many people have become fat from exercising? If someone is already overweight and is active are they worse off than if they are overweight and sedentary? Or is this conversation about individuals who want to loose 5 pounds but whose health is not in jeopardy?
The author goes on to talk about the type of exercise that we should be getting, maybe it is better to do prolonged exercise throughout the course of the day rather than short bursts of intense organized exercise at the gym...yes maybe for some people it is...however we live in a society full of conveniences that preclude moving our bodies. Many peoples only opportunity to move comes in the form of organized exercise...I do not see how that is not preferable to no exercise.
The whole conversation is flawed. There is a health crisis in this country that is centered on the food we are ingesting. Yes, each of us is different in the way our metabolism works, what brings us pleasure and even how our day is composed. This prescription to eliminate what is generally a positive health benefit in our daily practice because of some inconclusive studies and an individuals dislike of his chosen exercise seems bizarre. Instead how about some ideas...if you are running every day, not enjoying it and not happy with your body why not try walking to work or riding your bicycle. If your weekend is your only chance to exercise and you find yourself sore and unable to walk up the stairs all week try gardening or swimming on the weekends. If you are not getting the results you want from your exercise routine try adding up the calories you are burning and taking in...It is a known fact that one of the contributing factors to the overwhelming weight problem in this country is a sedentary life style. I find it offensive that this article suggests otherwise.
There are lots of questionable facts used in this article including: a flawed study which is central to the conclusions; a misleading statement that fat turns to muscle; and offering the information that extremely overweight people burn more calories (what is his point overweight people do not need to exercise because their bodies are working so efficiently??).
The author also totally ignores other conflicting studies that suggest that exercise actually suppresses some peoples appetites and that studies show that people who are able to maintain a weight loss for an extended period of time nearly always incorporate exercise into their daily practice.
A European Time article Cracking The Fat Riddle, shares a more inclusive view on the many causes of the epidemic weight gain that we are experiencing across the world. Also check out Benjamin Opipari's rebuttal to the Time Magazine article.
Ultimately we have to acknowledge who Time Magazine is written for...the upper class professional who is worried about the "gut fat that hangs over my belt when I sit", is a far cry from those suffering from diabetes and obesity. For many whether or not they exercise is a life or death situation. Nutrition advocates are already working against financial discrepancies and the high cost of healthful food. Exercise, although hard for some, is free and one of the most important weapons in the fight for good health and to have to argue against the fallacious argument that it makes you fat is infuriating.
Peach Curry
Last weekend we had a couple of home restaurants and made a peach curry that we served with red lentils and a mashed potato bread. Wanting some more we made it again for ourselves for dinner this weekend. The peaches that we used were a variety of white peaches from Pennsylvania, yellow peaches from West Virginia and some small yellow peaches that were hard that we gleaned from a neighbors tree in our alley. A friend of ours who we have cooked for over the years and who travels often to India regularly brings us a variety of spices. They are always outstandingly and the extra connection of them being hand carried to us makes them precious to us. We also get spices from a company based in Southern California called, Le Sanctuaire. Last summer we visited the store in Southern California (there is also one in San Francisco) and ever since have ordered regularly from their extensive website.
This dish is really about the peaches which are plentiful and delicious right now. Any single variety or a combination of different varieties can yield a delicious curry. Any spices that you have available will suffice.
Peach Curry
grapeseed oil
finely chopped ginger
finely chopped garlic
sliced onion
peaches peeled and sliced
fresh hot pepper
tumeric
cumin
cinnamon
nutmeg
coriander seeds
very little clove
very little nutmeg
Heat a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat. Add some grapeseed oil and add ginger, garlic and onions. Cook stirring often until onions are soft. Add peaches (reserve some to add fresh after cooking). Add hot pepper and slowly add spices tasting often to adjust to your taste. Remember, you can always add more so add slowly.
Cook over a low heat for about 30-45 minutes. Incorporate slices of raw peaches.
This dish is never the same twice, adjust the spices to your specific taste of the moment.
Chia Breakfast
A few mornings ago we started the discussion about school food for
Martin-Lane. During the summer eating is luxurious, we can prepare
food based on immediate needs and desires. During school it is a very
different situation. There are breakfasts that often need to be eaten
on the run, lunches that need to travel, snacks that must be taken to
school in the morning to eat after school and before ballet that
ideally will have some protein, must be vegan and ideally do not
contain nuts (many kids she knows have nut allergies).
All this will evolve over the year and as the seasons change but we
have found a new breakfast that we can put in the mix. Awhile
ago I purchased a bag of chia seeds because I had read about their
nutritional value and did not know much about them outside of Chia
Pets. I added water to them, made a gel but was never certain exactly
what to do with them. Last night I soaked them for about 15 minutes
in almond milk, added a little bit of the inside of a vanilla bean and
a drop of agave. Martin-Lane loved it. The consistency and taste is
similar to tapioca but there is much more nutritional benefit.
Chia Seeds were an important component of both Aztec and Mayan diets.
Chia was actually the Mayan word for strength.
They are high in essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3. I read
that chia has the highest content of any plant food. They are a good
source of easily digestible protein, making them an ideal breakfast
food. Studies suggest that they are good for diabetics because they
slow the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar. This same process is
helpful not only for diabetics but also for endurance athletes and
everyday breakfast. Other research claims they can lower blood
pressure. Chia is also full of vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and
minerals.
There is a story that a group of long distance hikers were divided
into two groups one that ate only chia seeds on a 36 hour hike and
another group that ate whatever they wanted to. The chia eating group
finished the hike more than 4 hours ahead of the other group…
I got my original bag of Chia Seeds from, One Lucky Duck and just
ordered some more today from a company online called Raw Reform.
Organic Tools
A little over a week ago we planted pumpkin seedlings at Scott Montgomery Elementary School. Since then school has started, the seedlings have grown and so has the grass that we attempted to remove from the bed before we started planting. During the last week or so I have learned lots about this grass which I believe is Bermuda Grass. It is an intensely strong and invasive variety of grass that has a rhizome structure that is difficult to pull up.
Internet research generally advocates using an herbicide to remove it. However this is not something we would consider doing anywhere let alone at a school where we are trying to grow food. We have been trying to keep up with the new growth by weeding but yesterday it became apparent that unless we were planning on recruiting a large group of people hand weeding was not the answer. Furthermore, with this grass it is nearly impossible to remove the roots so you get the feeling that by weeding you might actually be strengthening the grass.
Early this morning when I went to visit the pumpkin patch I remembered the weeding tools that were introduced to me at a SPIN Gardening Class that Martin-Lane and I attended last winter. At the class people from Purple Mountain Organics demonstrated a variety of hand tools used to efficiently remove weeds in between rows of plants.
This morning I found Purple Mountain Organics on the Internet and called. The woman who answered said they were busy preparing for a Raw Food Festival but would be happy to meet us if we could get there within the hour. She ended the telephone conversation with "look for the large purple house on Carrol" and wished me "Peace".
When we arrived at the large purple house in Takoma Park and drove into the driveway, a woman in a long beautiful purple robe followed by two gorgeous kids dressed in purple greeted us. "Did you call for the tools?" We followed her into the side door and there was an elaborate display of internationally made hoes, rakes, shovels, tillers and weed pluckers of various sorts. In fact, these guys had anything you needed to wreak havoc on the industrial food system philosophy of growing vegetables with herbicides and chemicals. I mean the "brothers and sisters" as I was asked to refer to the people of Purple Mountain as. Which sort of confused me because from then on I had trouble putting together a request–not feeling comfortable with second person personal pronouns being banned as well as not wanting to seem unwilling to fulfill their request. "Do you–I mean the brothers and sisters lend out tillers?"
The sister was a great help we chatted about everything from vegan and raw food to bio-diesel hand held tillers. We took her advise and purchased her favorite weeder, the cobra head as well as a hoe from Germany. The children wished us peace as we left. I look forward to returning for a rain barrel later this month.
We left thinking about how exciting and somewhat unnerving the experience was of visiting these openly devout followers of Nahziryah Monastic Meditation and Wholistic Living Community. We left also thinking about ritual and culture and what the connection is between the spiritual and organic farming–we buy most of our organic produce from Amish Farmers in Pennsylvania. We chatted about this and I immediately thought of reading about New Yorkers freaking out upon visiting Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm and seeing a Jesus fish on the door. Joel is an Openly Libertarian Christian and an amazing organic farmer practicing permaculture. Maybe involving oneself in a spiritual practice lends itself to the discipline of Organic Farming as does the simple gratitude and respect of some secular practices?
Ultimately what I find interesting here is that if the secular ecological movement and the long standing spiritual ecological practices, with their cultures and traditions ever allow for an alliance we could actually see real change in the way food is grown and distributed. Anyone interested in Organic Gardening should checkout the Bothers and Sisters of Purple Mountain Organics.