25th Birthday Celebration Pics ( In Food)

From the City:

Banana Chocolate Chunk Pancakes

Blueberry, Banana and Chocolate Chunk Pancakes: Heaven

Crispy Bacon

Megan's (my sister in law) first homemade cake

A three tiered carrot cake with cream cheese icing

So beautiful, so delicious...

Note: I also had an amazing chocolate cake with technicolor icing at a surprise party thrown by my incredible friends Hayley and Robyn. I ate the cake too fast and didn't get a chance to actually take a pic.

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday special. I am lucky to have you all in my life.

xoxoxo

Good bye 24's and welcome 25's. I feel like it's really gonna be a good one.

To Amelia on her 25th birthday...

Happy Birthday Amy!

To the best sister, aunt, and friend! Sending warm and fuzzy wishes from the country to you in the city. We love you more than you could ever imagine and hope that this is truly your year (I feel it in my bones- it is gonna be a good one!)

Lots of love,

Laura, Mark, Natey, Luca and all the animals XOXOXOX

(for the record, this was the best I could do with a 2 and a 5 year old...)

Sunday Deliciousness

From the City:

Simon loves pancakes, like loves pancakes. Whenever we go out for breakfast, he always orders a standard breakfast (eggs, bacon, toast) with a side of pancakes. For him, this is the perfect combination of sweet, salt and fat.

So in order for our relationship to be long lasting (7 years this September) certain things had to be mastered:

• I had to learn the art of tickies. This is a family term for tickling the head, arms or back and occurs mainly in the evenings
• Learn the art of multi- tasking by watching a movie while also working on a laptop and carrying on conversation
• Make a mean stack of blueberry pancakes

Here are some tips to making perfect pancakes:

1. Before you ladle on the pancake batter, wipe access butter off the griddle with a folded paper towel. This will make sure you have perfectly browned pancakes.

2. Use all purpose flour in the batter. Cake flour can turn soggy when you top it with syrup. Experiment with different flours like buckwheat or whole wheat just substitute half of the all purpose for any of these.

3. Never whisk batter until it's smooth. Lumps are a good thing and will result in fluffier pancakes.

4. Flip pancakes just as the surface bubbles begin to burst. Flipping them after makes for flatter pancakes.

5. When adding blueberries, bananas or chocolate chips (only some of the many additions you can make) sprinkle them over the batter right after they have been poured on the griddle. This will make sure they are distributed evenly and it also makes them look prettier on the plate, which can sometimes be just as important as how they taste.

6. Warm pure maple syrup before serving. It makes for a certain extra little bit of specialness to the morning (or evening, whatever, no judgement here)

Here's a good (basic) recipe that should keep 'em coming for more:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Assorted toppings, such as butter, maple syrup, confectioners' sugar, honey, jams, preserves, sweetened whipped cream, or chocolate syrup
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).
3. Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.
4. For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
5. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You'll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.

Side note:

These are some pics from the summer when Laura and I took the kids and went blueberry picking. It's a great, really economical way to stock your freezer with juicy berries for the long winter months.

Have a nice Sunday everyone!

Quebec Cheese and Cured Meat

From the country...

It seems like forever ago, but back sometime in January I went on a trip to Montreal. It was one of those impromptu trips that just kind of happened and seemed to fall nicely into the category of the least inexpensive trip I have ever been on (which is nice because who has money in January?)

I went with my good friend Steph and we stayed at her Aunt Elaine's swanky place,we were chauffeured around by her aunt’s boyfriend Chrystian, and used my sister’s Christmas present from two years ago (a VIA Rail gift card worth $210 dollars- thanks Amy!) to get us there.

We went out for dinner to a pleasant Lebanese place, explored the Jean Talon Market, went to the Museum and basically pretended that we didn’t have any kids (between the two of us we have 5 boys- seriously…). I slept in, finished a book, and cooked with goodies from the market.

On the train I brought a cooler with a chicken (frozen- not live!), some squash, and a dozen eggs. I thought I was so clever bringing a cooler so that I could bring some foodstuff home with me to share with the fam. I figured with the food I brought, I could make a meal representative of where I come from, as a sign of my gratitude for letting me rest my head on her white linen bed (a far cry from the mismatched sheets and ripped duvet I am used to sleeping in) and soaking in her claw foot tub.

At the market we picked up some local root vegetables, garlic, shallots, brussel sprouts, mushrooms and flour (for bread making). I also picked up some charcuterie (cured meat) and cheese. Specifically I purchased a Westphalia cured ham and some pancetta. Outside the Market, I met a farmer hocking straight- from- the- farm wheels of goat milk chevre out of the back of his pickup. The cheese was a thing of beauty, I bought about $7 worth and am still kickin’ myself for not getting a whole wheel. Being a farmer myself I love the chance to support other farmers and this of course is significantly easier if their product is good. And it was good; it was as good as gold.

Cured meat and cheese is probably my favourite of all the weaknesses that I have. I love a good pate or prosciutto and cheese well it is just a culinary gift wrapped in a rind. On every street corner in Montreal you can buy a fresh loaf of artisanal bread, charcuterie, and cheese. There are over 300 cheeses from Quebec and I only wish I had sampled them all. I was inspired by the little shops with meats and cheese and I felt as though I had captured a glimpse of Europe (I have never been of course..).

Cooking in another person kitchen is always weird for me because I happen to possess a lot of kitchen gadgets and am hardly ever nil equipped for cooking. I made out just fine though and christened the dusty roasting pan tucked away in the drawer.

For breakfast I made scrambled eggs with Westphalia ham, oyster mushrooms and goat chevre. Served up with a side of fresh bread. For dinner we ate roast chicken with root vegetables (potatoes, rutabaga, celery root, and carrots), roast oyster mushrooms and shallots, and steamed brussel sprouts. For starters we had pancetta, ham and of course cheese.

Before leaving Montreal, I planned on making one last trip to the fromagerie to fill up my little blue cooler with gifts to bring home. I picked up Alfred le fermier (a pressed, cooked firm cheese made from raw cows milk and aged 6 to 8 months on wood boards from Compton in Estrie), Chevre Noir (an award wining, 1year minimum aged goat milk cheddar from Chesterville, Quebec), and a Bleu d’Elizabeth (a beautiful creamy blue cheese from Fromagerie Presbytere). There were other cheeses in the take home cooler, although these choices were my favourite and there was the odd wrapped package of cured meat.

I enjoyed whipping through the streets of Montreal, with a personal chauffeur, an excellent translator and experiencing this all with a really special friend. The idea of being away from my family was scary at first but was refreshing in the end and of course all was well when I returned to the farm.

Next time I do get a chance to travel to Montreal, I will make sure to sample the famous Montreal bagel and continue to sample all the beautiful cheeses that Quebec has to offer!

the diggs where we stayed ,

the bathtub I soaked my bones in,

our breakfast, Steph and me

Oyster mushrooms, how I love thee...

From the country...

Last Saturday Mark brought home some beautiful oyster mushrooms from the bartering floor of the Green Barns Farmers’ Market from Mycosource Inc/ Fun Guy Farm’s. They are a local mushroom grower from Goodwood Ontario and are super passionate about their jaw droppingly gorgeous product. They have an array of mushrooms (shitake, different types of oysters, wood ear etc), which are all a little taste of heaven. The first words I ask when Mark comes home from market, “Did you get mushrooms?”
So here is what I did with these beauties. There were almost too beautiful to cut (almost being the operative word here…) but I did cut the mushrooms in half, place them on a baking tray, drizzle olive oil, dusted with sea salt, herbs (dried sage, marjoram, savoury) and finished with a couple cracks of black pepper. I put them in a 350-degree oven until they were nicely roasted. I roasted them a little bit longer then desired to get some smaller pieces the oven dried effect. My thinking on this one was that the flavour would be that much more intense. When they were done I pulled the mushrooms out of the oven to let them cool and while that was going on I diced up onions and pan-fried them in olive oil and butter. When they were nicely browned, I chopped up the shrooms and added them to the skillet. I then added couple glugs of Kawartha County Wines 2006 Golden Rod Dessert wine to add a hint of sweetness to the mix and add some moisture to the mushrooms.

Then Mark came home, pan seared a grass fed sirloin steak, we toasted up some bread, steamed the broccoli (I know shame shame..) and crumbled some blue cheese. We put the mushroom mixture on the toasted whole grain bread, added the blue cheese and returned the whole lot back into the oven. When the cheese was melted, we ate!

It was one of the best meals ever! Oyster mushrooms on toast with blue cheese, pan seared steak and steamed broccoli. I rarely make dessert during the week but last night was on exception. A monkey bread recipe had inspired me on the http://www.smittenkitchen.com/ food blog and so we had that to boot!

Needless to say I will be having leftover mushrooms on toast with poached eggs and some monkey bread with tea later… and then a long, long walk.

Beating the Winter Blues...

From the City:

(Picture: Ruby in the warm July Sunshine, Kensington Market)

So i've fought it for as long as I can, I've pretended, I've ignored it, I've even worn really bright clothes to work (think turquoise pants, a green hoodie and a purple headband), but alas I'm coming to terms with it, I have a serious case of the winter blues. I'm not usually one to experience the winter blues but this year I'm feeling it more than ever. I go to work in the dark and I come home at night in the dark, I am sick to death of taking ten minutes to put on all the winter gear and another ten minutes to take it all off and lastly I'm so tired of being stuck in the house because it's too cold to go anywhere.

what to do, hope to cope??

Here are some tips that I found online:

1. Get Exercise: exercise releases feel good chemicals that improve your mood as well you have more energy when you exercise. Note to self: Go to at least one yoga class this week, don't sleep in and waste the whole day watching movies on the couch

2. Eat a Healthy Diet: avoid processed foods because they zap your energy levels and further affect your mood causing depression, lack of concentration and mood swings.

3. Get Some Sun: Sunlight not only gives us vitamin D but it also improves our mood. Note to Self: Force yourself to go outside, stop being a hermit.

4. Avoid Binge Drinking (5 or more drinks): alcohol is a depressant and rather than improving your mood, it actually makes you feel worse. Note to self: don't binge drink.

5. Treat Yourself: Have something to look forward to that will keep you motivated. Note to self: book a massage for this weekend, do it!

6. Relax: Spend a few minutes everyday doing nothing. Try to meditate, go to bed early, do some yoga, read a magazine, cuddle with a certain special someone. Try to do something that doesn't involve your television, laptop (my weakness) or cellphone.

7. Embrace the Season: Go outside and do something fun. Try new winter activities that you've never done before.

8. Sleep: Try to get 7-8 hrs of sleep a night. Try to include naps when you can, a short 10-30 min. of shut eye can be all you need to re-energize your day.

Hope these tips help you survive the last few grueling weeks of winter.

Hike in High Park

From the City:

On Saturday we went for a walk in High Park with Simon's sister Megan, her husband Brian and their sweet little baby boy Finn. What I love about high park is that it's this great little community of green space right within the city. There are gardens, a zoo, skating rinks, the high park lake, weekly markets and numerous trails that you can wander.

Saturday was such a great day for a walk because it was one of those days in February when you can just feel spring is right around the corner. Sadly, it has been snowing here for the past two days and Saturday's glimmer of spring now seems even further away than ever. Hope everyone is finding clever ways to beat their winter blues....

Second Hand Store Find

From the country...

Luc and I went to the second hand store today and found some real gems. We bought some new clothes (new to us anyway...) and found some really cute knick-knacks. Luc got a tiny little retro Dudley Do- Right lunch box (which is now housing his marbles) and a wooden alligator.

The real gem of the day though was this tiny little wooden chicken. I feel instantly in love with it. For the record, I am not a fan of knick-knacks, dust collectors or anything of the sort. I threw out all of knick- knacks I ever had when my first boy was born. This chicken spoke to me though from the crowded, dusty shelf of the thrift store and so I shelled out the 99 cents and brought her home.

She now adorns the new shelf in the kitchen where the cookbooks are, far away from little fingers.

Potluck Engagement Party

From the City

On Friday night we hosted an engagement party for some good friends of ours and in true Amelia fashion, I made it a potluck. I've often thought that when Simon and I make the trip down the forever aisle, we'll make it potluck. Mainly so I can have my sisters famous bread combined with Simon's Aunt's lasagna, anything my brother and law has ever made all capped off by one of my cousin Anna's weird and wonderful trifles, it is the wonderful combination of so many people's hard work, all piled up on your plate, that I really really love.

Here are some more reasons why I love potlucks:

• it forces people to think about food and be creative
• it is the perfect conversation starter for a group of strangers
• the surprise of what will be on the menu
• it gives socially awkward people something to do as opposed to making actual conversation with people (I am one of these people)
• for me, potluck's are all about picking away and eating slowly, which I love. There seems to be no rush and people can leisurely take their time eating and savoring.
• Food is a community event and potlucks are the ultimate symbol of this, it is traditionally the bringing together of harvests from different areas or in our case bringing together different people's strengths. Like for example, I would never bring a stir fry to a potluck because I may possibly make the worst stir fry on the face of the planet, but a blueberry pie, I would definitely bring a blueberry pie to a potluck. You get what I'm saying here right?
• It is a great way to distribute the cost of the sometimes daunting food budget that usually accompanies a party

So back to our potluck. We had a cheese board, two different types of hummus, pear and brie flatbreads, olives and a couple of bottles of red wine to wash it all down.

I made pizza cause I really like pizza, like, a lot. I might even go as far and say that I'm a bit of a connoisseur. You name it, the crust, the cheese, the toppings, all very integral to the creation of the perfect, delicious, mouthwatering pizza.

For my potluck pizza, I roasted a whack of vegetables; peppers, cauliflower, mushrooms and zucchini. I picked up some goat cheese and artichokes and made my favorite super easy pizza dough. I make this recipe with the kids at work all the time and it works out every time. You can also make a lot of substituting to it in terms of the flour you use.

Here's the recipe, make it for your next potluck.

Dough

1/2 cup light cider or lukewarm water
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 1-1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp honey or sugar
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the cider, water, yeast and honey. Let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes.
In a different bowl, mix the flour, salt and oil. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add the yeast mixture and mix until a soft ball is obtained. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead a few minutes while flouring to avoid sticking.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour in a lukewarm area, away from drafts.
Using your hands divide the pizza dough into two equal parts.
Use the dough immediately or lightly oil before storing in a plastic bag. It can be refrigerated up to 12 hours or frozen.

Note: To activate yeast, the temperature of the cider and of all other liquids is important. The temperature must be between 41 and 46?C (105 and 115?F), which means that the cider must be heated a little. The liquids should not be too hot as this will kill the yeast and not too cold, as the dough will not rise.

Lightly oil a baking sheet with olive oil and a dusting of cornmeal. Roll out dough and drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle of cornmeal

The local food truth...

From the country…

Just today I am implementing a new rule for myself. To do something in the house every day that needs to be done (cleaning and/ or organizing). It is a horrible job but equally satisfying when all said and done. Today was the front hall closet and the fish tank (I did 2 things today and will take tomorrow off.. heh heh).

As I was turfing out random clothes, odd mitts and broken hangers, I came across a bushel basket of garlic from last years harvest. I picked through the basket, tossing the dehydrated, rotting garlic (which by the way, really smells) and keeping the rest. This is the truth of local eating. As you can see by the picture, this ain’t no pretty garlic. It has a purpose though and considering we eat a head of garlic a day here, we love our garlic. We cherish our garlic. No matter what it looks like.

The funny thing is we polished all the primo garlic to sell and we eat the scrappy seconds. This is the truth of being a market gardener. All the pretty, picturesque veggies go out the door and the knobbly stuff stays right here.

We eat about 85% local foods. All the veggies we eat this time of year comes from cold storage, the freezer, or jars preserved from the harvest. We barter/trade with other vendors at market (Mark does this because I am the worst at bartering…) for other supplies such as coffee, mushrooms and the odd loaf of bread.

I do break down though. I buy the odd thing from the discount rack at the grocery store (like the eggplant that made a very nice curry) and purchase some bananas for the kids. How can you live without lemons or limes? The problem for me is during the prime months of spring/summer/fall when our province is bursting with fresh produce why are people buying apples from New Zealand? There is no comparison to a fresh Ontario Strawberry to that of its weak tasteless cousin imported from California.

Just this week though, I had a weak moment at the grocery store and returned home with a head of broccoli. It is during these winter months when your mouth starts salivating for produce to come. It won’t be long now before I am eating a spring salad fresh cut from the greenhouse or a hot skillet of buttery fiddleheads. I can almost taste it.

He's back!

From the country...

My little Screech Owl was back last night! I guess he found some rodent treats the previous night and decided to come back for more! I was so surprised to see that little gaffer again. He did'nt seem so frantic to see me this time. Maybe we will become fast friends and I can feed him mice right from the palm of my hand!

Hooray for Seedy Saturday on Sunday

From the City,

Today at the Wychwood Barns, one of my favorite places in Toronto, they had their annual seed sale. This year was much more fun for me than last year because this year, I actually have a place to plant the seeds I buy. Our backyard is small but has plenty of space for a garden which I dug out in the fall (roughly 12 feet by 4 feet) and a large porch just aching for some containers of herbs and tomatoes.

Simon and I decided to divide and conquer at the seed sale, both armed with a list and our seed money, Simon took one side and I took the other. When we met at the end, I quickly realized that we probably should worked together. Let's just say, our garden will be heavy with heirloom tomatoes and peppers.

Here's the Goods:

Matchbox Garden and Seed

Cubit's

The Cottage Gardener

Urban Tomato

Simon and I spending money....

Lastly, a book we picked up from author Gayla Trail. It's pretty perfect for us because it's helpful to find tips specifically for small urban farmers. It's also nice to meet the author of a book and realize how cool and dare I say, down to earth, they really are. Gayla also makes these really great buttons and shirts. Simon picked up one: The Revolution will be Cultivated.

Fingers crossed.

I still don't think we have all of our seeds but we're definitely on our way to food freedom.

Have a good Sunday!

Maybe Someday...

From the country...

Yesterday I brought all my soap making equipment up from the basement, washed it off and put it to use. I used to make soap often in the winter for sale in the spring/summer but that hobby has been replaced with being a farmer Momma. For now, I make soap for gifts, to fill orders, and for our home. My children have never used anything other than my homemade soap and my friends/ family swear by it (not to blow my own horn or anything…)

I use the cold process method with premium quality olive, coconut, palm and sweet almond oils. It is a basic recipe I learned about 10 years ago when I lived in Vancouver. If anyone is interested in the recipe, just send me an email. I have adapted this recipe to make many different types using essential oils, honey, dried flowers and botanicals (which grow here in the summer) and the combinations are endless. Some of my favourites soap recipes are: wheat germ, oats and honey, rosemary sunflower, lavender, and peppermint cocoa.

I can’t imagine life without homemade soap. It is one of those luxuries that people pay big bucks for but I can make it for less. I love when I can take something that is considered expensive (soap, crusty bread, cake etc..) and make it myself. There are so many things I would like to learn too. I would love to whip up and set of dishes with a pottery wheel or sew curtains for the windows. I am not there yet, maybe someday.

Today, I will make soap.

Super Great Play Dough Recipe

From the country...

Yesterday my youngest, Luca was longing to play with his bro, Nate (who is in Kindergarten). Luc was struggling with a cold, which in his case leads to asthma and I was looking for a mellow low energy activity for him to do. I was on top of the fridge fidgeting with something and I came across a crusty, dried up ball of homemade play dough. What a great idea! I will make him some play dough! That will tie him over until Nate comes home so they can snuggle on the couch and watch some television (they do it almost every day- it is super cute!).

This play dough recipe is really easy and only takes a few minutes to make. I pick up bulk ingredients for the recipe at the bulk store when I can remember that our supplies are low. It will last for a long time when wrapped in a plastic bag. If you use gel food colouring you can really get some great vibrant colours.

The kids play with it for hours. They like to pretend to make cookies, breads and pies while sticking their concoctions in their wooden play oven to bake. Luca dropped his ball of dough in the real oven this morning and then raced to the bathroom to wash it off, returning with a slimy ball of goo. It is great fun for these guys and a nice diversion when all they want to do wrestle and throw toys (although right now they have made a fort in the living room and Nate is reading Luca a book about monster trucks..too cute)

Stove Top Play Dough
(adapted from Feed Me I’m Yours by Vicki Lansky)

1-cup white flour (I didn’t have white so I used whole wheat which worked out fine…)
¼ cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1-cup water
1 teaspoon food colouring (or less if using gel food colouring)
1-tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a medium sized pot. Add water, food colouring and oil. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Mixture will look like a globby mess, and you will be sure it is not turning out, but it will. When it forms a ball in the center of the pot, turn out and knead on a lightly floured surface (you can add more flour if dough is sticky, a little at a time) Wrap in plastic to store.

…and voila a culinary masterpiece (well the kids think it is). This is a great alternative for birthday gifts etc. I am personally not into the culture of buying cheap toys made of plastic, so if I can make something as an alternative all the better. I have been asked for this recipe before by other parents, so enjoy! (I know the kids will…)

My Little Screech Owl

From the Country...

Last night as I was heading into the barn to close down the chickens and turkeys I saw a magnificent sight. At first I assumed it was a barn pigeon lost in the bottom floor of the barn but by they way it silently soared through the barn, I took a second look. After finishing up with the chores, I ventured toward the southeast corner of the barn. As I slowly approached I could vaguely make the silhouette of the masked intruder. What I could see was two perky ears and two large eyes watching my every move. It was a little Screech Owl.

We have been hearing him screech through the night in search of a mate but I never anticipated that I would meet him one day face to face. He didn’t like the look of me as I crept closer and as I stepped too close he took of again, this time not as graceful. He took off first slamming into the rabbit wire of the chicken coop and then back and forth looking for some place to hide. He was frantic. I was literally stressing out this little winged wonder.

My amazement slightly turned to fear as I lowered myself to the ground and put my barn coat hood up as the owl soared back and forth above. Not knowing what he would do next I slowly walked toward the door, turned off the light, and latched the barn door shut behind me.

I wanted to go back in and watch him, get closer and wonder at his eyes and his tiny frame. But I knew he wouldn’t let me and that he would just continue his destructive behaviour and so I went back to the house. From my experience with livestock, when an animal gets that frantic, you have to leave and come back later. When dealing with animals it is mandatory to have a calm disposition.

I get excited when I come across a wild animal, something I come across once in a blue moon. Like the winter we had two Grey Owls perch on top of the barn or the summer I found a tree frog sitting Buddha like on a milkweed pod. I felt as though I had found treasure.

As I went back into the house I told the boys, who of course wanted to go and see. Beans and I dreamed up an idea that our little owl would stay with us and clean up all the rodents in the barn, something that has been plaguing our barn for years. Our feedbags would once again be safe.

I wonder whether our little feathered friend will be there tonight.

Sprouts, sprouts and more sprouts!

From the country...

As a project for the off-season I have been sprouting micro greens/sprouts for market and CSA customers (through Kawartha Ecological Growers which is a multi farm CSA, check out the website kawarthaecologicalgrowers.com). Trying to make a buck on the farm especially in the winter can be a daunting task. So instead of sourcing an off farm job I am sprouting anything I can (and cleaning my Mother’s house for cash- thanks Mom!)

I have been experimenting with sunflower, broccoli raab, arugula, various pulses, radish etc and sprouting both in soil and in a bucket. It has been good for the farmer in me to continue growing through the winter BUT not as nice as spending the day early spring in a warm greenhouse. The growing I currently am doing is of course inside under fluorescent lights (although one day a heated greenhouse for all year growing is a goal…). It is rewarding though, eating local greens in the dead of winter. A first for me this year is growing and eating pulse sprouts (lentils, garbanzo beans, peas). After sprouting (which usually takes 2-3 days) you can eat them raw, in salad, finish a pot of hearty soup with a couple handfuls, and cook them for other preparations. Once sprouted the cooking time is less then half the time as if cooked from dry. I like to mix my sprouts altogether (pulses, greens and sprouts) and toss in a light vinaigrette. They boys even like them too!

I guess you could say I have gone a bit sprout crazy, I’ve been sprouting grains for the chickens and turkeys too! They devour every last grain I throw to them and the next day I might even get another egg or two in thanks.

The sprouting of seeds is one of the most fascinating natural phenomena. From this minuscule appendage, tiny part of a seed even tinier, is born the plant. That this sprout has exceptional nutritional value is thus not surprising. But even more remarkable is the ability of this sprout to produce a whole range of substances- principally vitamins and enzymes- that are completely absent, or present in small amounts, in the unsprouted seed. The seed becomes hardly recognizable and transforms itself into something new, which is less energetic but richer in nutrients. Claude Aubert Dis- Moi Comment Tu Cuisines.em>

Feels a little like Sunday...

From the City...

For me, there is nothing better than the weekend and even more, there is nothing better than Sundays. Last weekend L was in Toronto staying with Simon, Ruby and I. In true Toronto fashion, we went out for dinner at our favorite spot in China town, took in a $5 Sunday morning yoga class and after had an unbelievably delicious brunch.

So here's the breakdown of what we had:

L brought these unbelievably cute, blue poulet eggs and a hunk of really good ham. I made a loaf of whole wheat bread, a la sullivan street bakery recipe (recipe to follow) , a hunk of really good ontario cheese from the local cheese store and these adorable sprouts that L grows herself and sells at the Green Barns Saturday morning market at St.Clair and Christie.

Here's the very famous Sullivan Street Bakery Bread Recipe that is so good, so easy but requires just a little time and planning.

Formula:

3 cups (400g) flour

1½ cups (300g or 12 oz) water

¼ teaspoon (1g) yeast

1¼ teaspoons (8g) salt

olive oil (for coating)

extra flour

Equipment:

Two medium mixing bowls

6-8 qt. pot (Pyrex glass, Le Creuset cast iron, or ceramic)

Wooden spoon or spatula (optional)

Plastic wrap

Cotton dish towels (not terrycloth), 2 or 3

Process:

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatuala for 30 sec. to 1 min. Lightly coat the inside of second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12 hrs. at room temperature (approx. 65-72'F).

Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest 15 min. in the bowl or on the work surface. Next, shape the dough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or commeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hrs. at room temperature, until more than doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450-500'F. Place the pot in the oven at leat ½ hr. Prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot steam side up. Cover with the lid and bake 30 min. Then, remove the lid and back 15-30min. uncovered.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Turkey Tom

From the country...

As the days lengthen and there are more daylight hours, my man Turkey Tom is on the prowl...

He was hatched from the incubator last June, a tiny little helpless poult and now has blossomed into a full-blown male turkey. A Tom. He doesn’t like visitors or me taking eggs from under a hen, he pops down from the roost in the evening to chase me outta the coop, and he loathes kids. Other than that he is a great guy, just doing what a Tom does. We used to get along and sometimes still do, but there is the odd time when he sees me as the enemy (unless I have the feed bucket…). I know I shouldn’t let him taunt me but the way he looks at me with those menacing eyes as he sways his multicoloured head back and forth making a shrill call, it’s enough to make me want to run. I don’t though; I stand my ground, putting my barn boot out as he charges. I arm myself. It’s a little thing called the barn broom and with it I have all the power. No rooster or tom dare touch me when I have the barn broom in my hand. A swift sweep and they go flying.

Now let us talk about Tom. He is referred to as a Tom or a Gobbler and is probably one of the more weirdly interesting animals Momma Nature has engineered. He is beautiful in one sense with his interesting plumage of iridescent black feathers with white and brown on the underside. He gracefully dances around the coop from one end to the other; all puffed up like a parade float, making interesting calls and hums. But in another sense he is oddly scary looking with his caruncle (the bumpy growths on his head and neck), his wattle (reddish growth covering his throat and neck), and his snood (long flap of skin that grows from the base of his beak, hanging down over his beak) which makes me question Momma Nature a bit. Was she joking when she made Tom? What are the benefits of having a snood? To me, it just looks like it is in the way.

My Tom is a Narragansett turkey. Historically he was the turkey of New England, the Narragansett Bay area. He is a heritage breed turkey and was the largest of the flock last year. I kept him and some hens (a Bourbon Red girl and Black Spanish girl) for breeding. I will be trying my hand (for the first time…) at breeding this spring. The rest all found a home on someone’s plate.

So in a turkey shell, I am planning on raising heritage turkeys this year from the egg to the table. I am busy contacting other growers and hatcheries to gathering eggs for home hatching. I want to raise many birds and develop some breeding pairs for the following year. Easier said than done. Heritage turkeys are hard to find. For now Turkey Tom will be my little experiment. Hopefully he will court the ladies well and produce some nice fertile eggs.

Just watching the mood change in the barn lets me know that spring is on its way. There is no need to listen to a stinking groundhog when you have a coop full of poultry!