Taking care of ourselves and each other: Self-reliance, sustainibility, and Andrew Zolli
Around about Thanksgiving is pretty much when I close up the summer and early fall making/doing/storing food bustle. I’m getting ready to hunker down; you’d think I was a squirrel. South Dakota winters have a way of sticking in…
In which I harvest Japanese Persimmons and am made very happy
There is no way to share the lovely fragrance of a newly cut Japanese persimmon or the soft and slippery mouth feel of the deeply orange ripe fruit by word only; American persimmons at their best can be delightful as…
Everything but the squeal: Rendering fresh lard
I made the first of the season’s lard the other day. It turned out exactly right! My friend Rowena Morrell recommended I render my lard in the oven in my turkey roaster pan at 225 degrees. In the past I…
Chickens as fabulous garden cultivators for the fall
The birds always get giddy when let into the full greenery of the fall garden. They immediately go for the mulch only to be distracted by the marigolds or the immature tomatillos. The rooster is convinced we have set him…
“Edna Lewis” and “Eat Alabama” food films @ Virginia Film Festival, Nov 1st
On November 1, at the Regal 6 Cinema, the Virginia Film Festival will show two films documenting important aspects of our food culture; “In the Season” the legacy of of Chef Edna Lewis and “Eat Alabama” the search for fresh…
Butchering homegrown pork: Our pigs fill the freezer for the coming year’s meals
The first meal from our newly butchered pork was fabulous! Everything was homegrown from the pork chops themselves (sweet and tender) to the saute of yellow crook neck and zucchini, sweet red pepper, and snap pea, to the steamed…