"Mother Earth"

"Mother Earth"

We are not the rulers of this land, the people on the earth.  We are part of the earth.  We are just one of the infinite many that call earth home.  How we treat mother earth is how we treat ourselves.  She is here to protect us and guide us yet some act like the earth is ours to do with as we please. We are not the rulers of this land.  We are part of the earth.... Love your mother, she certainly loves you.

Surprise. It's another zucchini.

Well, it is finally here.....the first fruits of labor.  Yes, squash and zucchini always win don't they?  Too bad the tomatoes and peppers don't grow this quickly...but anyway....I digress.  Zucchini are pretty much coming in every day.  Several a day in fact.  When I planted the uh...well....lets see....ahem... ten plants...it was cold.  I know, I know.  You don't have to say it. 
Vegetables on the store shelf in February leave a little something to be desired if you know what I mean...and come at a high price, not just in currency.   I could not wait to eat our own vegetables.  Any vegetable for that matter.  And of course I thought back then that you could never possibly have too many zucchini.   Well I am here to tell you that I was wrong.  You can in fact have too many zucchini plants. 

I doubt I am alone in my exuberance for sowing seeds in the spring.  Assuming this is correct, I thought I would share a great idea that a friend gave me about what she does with her inevitable deluge of zucchini squash.  She shreds it and freezes it. I think that is a great idea! Later she adds it to veggie lasagna and makes zucchini bread, etc.  The sky is the limit.  With this in mind, it is time to get creative with that 16th zucchini.  After all... in February I am sure I would give anything for a fresh vegetable or two from our long forgotten garden. 
***Written with love and gratitude for the abundance our garden brings***

Just another fun filled childhood anecdote...

When I was little, my mother was a chef at an upscale French restaurant.  Being an avid connoisseur of fish sticks and tater tots, I was unfamiliar with many of the fancy concoctions that came out of that kitchen.  Many afternoons after school I would end up hanging around the kitchen, doing my best to stay out of the way, sneaking as much bread, butter, and chocolate mousse that I could get my little hands on. 
One day Denise, one of the other chefs, said she had made a surprise for me.  She handed me a plate.  Upon first glance, I had no idea what it even was as I had never eaten such a thing as this.  It was a large fluffy crepe covered with sugar. Feeling my obsession for sweets surge, I eagerly grabbed the plate and absconded to a table in the back of the restaurant.  I took the first bite and at that moment with a huge mouthful partially chewed, I began to panic. This was by far the most disgusting thing I had ever put in my mouth. 

Fast-forward twenty years to Paris, France, where again...you guessed it...somebody hands me a crepe.   This time filled with one of my favorite treats, Nutella.  Yes.  I proceed to scrape the Nutella out and discard the delicate pancake in which it was wrapped, without even tasting it. 

So what does all this have to do with the price of tea in China?  Nothing.  I just thought it would make an interesting intro into my blog about the dish I made last night for dinner.... Buckwheat crepes with kale, potato, and roasted red pepper sauce.  Yesssireee. 

Of course this was my very first foray into the world of crepe making and I must say, I was most pleasantly surprised.  Having a bunch of organic fresh kale given to me by my dear friend was motivation to go beyond the bounds of just any ho-hum dinner.  It all worked quite well together and turned out to be a spectacular recipe.
Why, you ask? Well, I will tell you why. 
In my quest to flow with the universe, try new things, eliminate negativity, and experience all there is to experience, I thought...what the heck.  I am certainly glad I did.

Beets! Who knew they were so scrumptious!?!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the day with a dear friend, learning how to can pickled beets.  The day before yesterday I would have told you that I was not a fan of beets.  In fact, I might have told you I thought they tasted like dirt.  Today, I have a completely different story to tell and I am already including beets in all their magenta red glory, in next year's garden.  Seriously!  Sometimes we just have to open our minds and let new experiences inside.
First, we harvested the beets.  Although she had been thinning them by using the greens in various dishes, there were tons of beets...two HUGE armfuls actually. After removing the beets from the greens, leaving about an inch of stems, we washed the greens and stored them for some other delectable purpose.  We scrubbed the beets to remove any remaining soil.  Next, we boiled the beets for about 15 minutes or so...enough that the skins came off easily.  After cutting the top and the bottom off, the skins literally slipped right off like magic.  (Before the actual food preparation, all the canning jars, lids, and pots need to be heated and sterilized to remove any possibility of contamination.  Long term food storage needs to be done in a careful and clean fashion...please refer to a good guide for exact directions.)
Then she made a fragrant concoction of apple cider vinegar, sugar, and spices to add to the jars with the beets and onions.    After slicing and layering the beets and onions, the heated liquid was poured over the top.  She sealed the lids and screwed on the bands and put them in the pots to process.  Pickled beets take about 30 minutes to complete. 

The jars were absolutely beautiful! (I know, I know...where is the picture?  I forgot to take one if you can believe it!)  They were full of a deep magenta red mixture that one just has to experience to appreciate.  These were not the cold, flaccid, crinkle-cut things you find on a mediocre salad bar. (The reason for my aforementioned distaste of beets.)  When I tasted one of these fresh, organic, lovingly-grown beets after they came out of the pot, I had an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. Another mysterious vegetable to add to the growing list of favorites.  So...... beets anyone?