Beans, Beans, the Musical... Uh, Fruit?

I've been quite clear before; oatmeal is my soulmate.  Tea and rice are also staples.  However, another Godsend that should be discussed is the inexpensive, glorious legume.

Chickpeas for snacks and hummus; black beans for tacos; northern, kidney, and blackeye for soups; pinto for refried beans, lentils for everything...

It is my opinion that buying the dry ones and cooking them is better than the canned beans.  It is adventurous! And I can get the consistency I desire - softer, harder, infused with certain flavors.

My basic method for everything except the lentils is to soak in a bowl overnight, drain and give them a good rinse, then toss them in a slow cooker with plenty of water and/or broth.  Set it on a low setting and check back in 6 to 8 hours, adding spices or herbs as needed throughout the cooking stages.

soaking black beans

Special added bonus: save the water that the beans soaked in and give it to your plants!  When the beans soak, some of their nutrients (including nitrogen) is lost to the water.  Pouring that water on your plants gives them a bit of free fertilizer.

For the New Year

For hours, I've been pondering resolutions for the New Year.  What have I learned since this time last year? How have my values changed?

Because I'm someone who so longs to try new things and learn new skills, I'm finding that I own a lot of stuff.  An array of crochet needles, tea assortments, sewing materials and tools, gardening supplies, art supplies, cooking utensils, dried foods, plants, ... and on, and on.

And I keep acquiring more in a vain attempt to simplify my life.  Purchase, purchase, purchase.

Which leads me to my single, simple goal for this upcoming year - find ways to make do with what I already have.  Sell what I don't need; borrow rather than buy when I can.  Cut my possessions back to necessities so that I might find peace.

Gerb's BEST tuna salad!

I'm not much for seafood.  It's healthy, yes, but I live in the most interior portion of the U.S.  There IS no natural water.  There ARE no fresh water fish (or even just fresh fish, for that matter).  So the only seafood I've ever known has been massacred by means of canning, freezing, mass producing in fish farms, frying, etc.

So when I accidentally made a good tuna salad this morning, I surprised myself.  Anyway, this is simple, inexpensive, and quite healthy.  Enough talk!

Goes great with matcha!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c short grain brown rice (can use any rice, really, I just like the texture the short brown gives to the salad)
• 1 can of tuna (5 oz; I used albacore because I can... get it??! CAN! )
• Some tidbits of flavor in the form of green onion (about two sprigs of the green parts), garlic (about 2 or 3 cloves, depending on your tastes), ginger (about 2 tsp, grated; hell, I went wild and shredded up a HUGE chunk and it was tasty), and finally, a few leaves of lemon basil if you have it (or some thai lemon grass, or possibly even some real lemon zest).
• Some sesame seed oil for toasting
• Some carrot for garnish
• A spoon of mayonnaise (I tried to avoid it, but the stuff was just so dry without it.  I suppose you could use yogurt if that's your thing)

Never said I was a good photographer.

1. Cook rice according to package.  (I cooked mine in the microwave in the rice cooker because I'm lazy.  Took 27 minutes total.)

2. When rice is still cooking, add sesame oil (about 1-2 tsp) to small sauce pan, and put at medium heat.  Add minced garlic, shredded ginger, and chopped green onion to oil for about 45 seconds until fragrant.  Just try not to let the garlic brown.  Stir or swirl it periodically during this process.

3. When seasoning are fragrant, add a smidge (like 1/8 c) of cool water to the sauce pan. Add drained tuna.  Continue to saute for a few moments.  Add a pinch of sea salt if desired.  Turn down temperature to low.

4. Add shredded or finely chopped lemon basil.

5. When rice is done, add it to tuna mixture, and stir.  Add mayo and stir again.

6. Stick your chopped carrot next to your salad.  It adds a nice fresh crunch.  Serve plain or on bread.

The Day

Today.  The winter solstice.  The beginning of the coldest season.  The shortest day of the year (which, for my area is exactly 10h, 33mm of visible light).  And what could have been the last day of life on the Earth.

Of course, it wasn't.  Or isn't. Yet.  And I suppose, truly, any day could be the last day.  For any or all of us.  If the idealists and existentialists are correct, then the day that I die will be the last day for all things, right?

As I rode my bike to work, my mind absorbed the environment around me.  The low-lying angle of the morning sun; the uncannily warm temperatures for the first day of winter (50 degrees!); the smells that one would associate with spring...

And I smiled.  Even if the world did end tonight - I would be at peace.  I'm young, but I have had the opportunity to experience life.

I'm a do-er.  I actively try to learn new things, to find new adventures.  Daylight is precious to me.  So the shortest day of the year is a blissful occasion.  It means that things are progressing uphill for 6 months.  Each passing day will mark a few more moments of brightness; one day closer to summer.  I can't wait to have my garden back!

The damp dirt road gives way beneath my bike tires as I pedal along.  The mildly cool air swirls around us, and on the darkest twenty-four hour span of 2012, I find contentment and hope.

Mini Post 2

Instead of my usual cup of coffee with breakfast this morning, I substituted a hot cup of black tea.  It was a refreshing change.  That in conjunction with an orange and a handful of almonds set me in the proper frame of mind for a peaceful day.

Kitchen "appliances" that feel irreplaceable to me:

1. Slow Cooker: there's always something brewing in it, so it is almost always on.  Beans, oatmeal, chickpeas, broth, cider, applesauce, and pot roast are the most common delicacies. 
2. Tea Kettle: sure, I have a microwave, and I could easily nuke some water for tea; but do I want to do that? Do I want to miss out on the process?  And how wonderful is it to come back to the kettle 45 minutes later and still have piping hot water waiting to become something!
3. Food processor: the readers who have been following know that I've been getting by without the aid of some fancy-schmancy food processor, but I haven't been happy about it.  Kitchen simplicity is about making the things you already have work... you know, "making do."  But I counter-argue that this processor, in its own simplicity, can whip up hummus so quickly that I have more time to spend with the family, which has its own unspeakable benefit.
4. Coffee grinder/ coffee pot: self explanatory.
5. Popcorn popper: surprising to find this on the list, perhaps, but I've found many more things that I can do with my pooper popper compliments of the interwebs.  Really? Roasting coffee beans? Great idea!  Not to mention that it is much more healthy and cost efficient to make some quick popcorn rather than microwave those packets of mystery orange-yellow powder and slightly stale kernels that an old man with a beard markets to the general public.
6. Finally, I mention the oven/stove.  Sure, I take them for granted.  It happens.

That is all for now.  Have a blissfully mellow day!

Mini Post

I whipped up some homemade tomato sauce to put on the pasta I cooked for dinner.  Here's the link to the recipe I used.  It is amazing, and cooks up very quickly.  Very simple - exactly what I was needing.

Tomato Sauce

From www.101cookbooks.com

What's For Breakfast?

In recent years, I was an early riser.  From 5 am until 7 am, it was "me" time.  I could do things that I wanted to do unimpeded.  Yoga, housecleaning, reading... anything I wanted to do.  And then at 7, I would begin my regular morning routine.

Now, I'm lucky to be awake by 8 (which is when I'm supposed to be at work).  Luckily, I've got a pretty lenient schedule, and can show up whenever I so please, as long as I get all of my required work done by the end of the day.  So what changed?  I was happy being awake before the sun came up; why would I alter that schedule?

Two words: second job.  And it's a late night shift, two or three nights per week.  And it involves a lot of running around and lifting heavy things.  So after one year of that, it finally has caught up to me.  I can no longer work a solid 16 hours and then be bright-eyed after a mere 5 hours of sleep.

What to eat for breakfast when I'm running late? When there's no time for a bowl of whole grain oatmeal to simmer on the stove, I go for vegetables.  Generally, I avoid the processed stuff like Poptarts, doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, cold cereals.  They're expensive, and they are far too sweet for my tastes in the morning.  I like black, unadulterated coffee, and bitter things like arugula, kale, chives, and sourdough.  

This morning: a bag of fresh uncooked spinach, a few florets of broccoli, and a flat bread.

What do you eat when it's grab-n-go?

Green out of the Gray

It will be officially winter soon.  Though it has been a fairly mild winter here, it has still been cold enough to effectively kill off all signs of vegetation in my gardens.  My perennials look sad; my herb garden is hibernating for the time being (but at least I can still use the thyme!); the grass is curled and brown.  But...

Inside the house there is a great reprieve.  My mother-in-law sent me a beautiful pot of indoor houseplants she started from her own larger plants (she's got a green thumb that I envy so).  And I followed some sage advice to go ahead and grow some green onions inside.

Many readers are probably aware that you can grow green onions from the bulbs you buy at the grocery store.  But for those of you who were not aware of this, here's how it works:

Step 1) Next time you're at the store, pick up one of those lil' bunches of green onions.  They are hella cheap - I've seen them anywhere from $0.20 up to $0.89.  For this project, I recommend the variety with the smaller bulbs (the lil white part with the roots) rather than the larger ones, simply because they take up less space and require a smaller pot.

Step 2)  When you get home, cut the green tops off - leave the bulb intact plus an extra 1/2 to 1" of growth above the bulb.  The overall length of the part you're saving will be about an inch to an inch and a half long.

Step 3)  Make something fancy and delicious with your green onions.  Chop 'em up and put them on a chili cheese dog, or on a baked potato, or in some kimchi (see previous entry!).

Step 4) Plant bulbs in soil in a pot.  I recommend using soil that is designed for potted plants - don't just rush out and grab some silt from your driveway and expect this to work.  The pot (or I guess I should say vessel, because you can use anything - an old yogurt container with some drainage holes in the bottom, a fibrous old egg carton, or some newspaper that's been rolled up into a pot work too!) doesn't need to be much deeper than the height of your onion bulb chunk.  An extra inch or two will be more than sufficient.  Give each bulb some space so that they aren't overcrowded.

Step 5) Periodically water the bulbs.

Step 6) Cut off onion greens as needed for your culinary desires.

I love that it adds some greenery to the house in such a drab season; it also helps ward off the occasional stray fruit fly, and it means that I'll always have some fresh onion on hand!

What's In the Fridge

These items are two of my favorite things to keep in the refrigerator these days.  First is the concoction in the jar on the right.  It's a simplistic mix of slices lemons and honey that have been stored in the jar for several days to "brew".  Once the lemons release their juice into the honey, the delightful syrup can be added to a mug, and then I pour boiling water over it and allow it to steep for five or more minutes.  It is the perfect soothing beverage for cold winter mornings!  And, if you're feeling adventurous, you can add any combination of fresh ginger, whole cinnamon sticks, clove, or anything else that suits your fancy.

Delightful!

The second jar is a quick kimchi (not the authentic Korean "bury it in the ground" kind).  I found the recipe in (you probably guessed it) Nourishing Traditions.  It is a Korean sauerkraut.  Basically, you shred up some carrots and ginger, add sliced green onion, minced garlic cloves, crushed red peppers, and chopped green or red cabbage.  Pound the whole batch of vegetables relentlessly on your counter (I use a meat hammer and really take out some frustration!) to get them to release their natural juices.  Add copious amounts of salt (Brittany Gray or Celtic is recommended, for the mineral content), and mix together more.  Then you stuff it into a wide mouth Mason jar and pound it down with a dowel, the handle of a spatula, or even your hand.  Just keep mashing it into the container until all the juices from the vegetables rise to the top of the jar (all of the ingredients need to be fully submerged in the brine or mold will grow on them).

Then you cover the jar with a lid (but don't worry about it being super tight - the fermentation process will release gas and cause a huge pressure build-up in the jar).  You can even cover it with a dishcloth or other breathable material in lieu of a lid.  You leave it on your countertop at room temperature for 3 to 7 days.  It takes longer if your kitchen is a colder temperature; quicker if it is warm.  Periodically check to make sure that all the ingredients are still submerged in the brine - if you don't have enough brine to submerge it fully, then you can add some water as necessary (use pure water, not tap water - the chlorine can greatly hinder the fermentation process and can lead to disastrous results!).

After several days, it will start to taste and smell like vinegar (if you've done it correctly).  Some people recommend using a vegetable fermenting starter culture; some people use whey (as long as it has the active bacteria in it).  Some recommend avoiding the salt altogether, and simply use the culture instead.

Okay, so by now you may be thinking, "Seriously, Doody? You just leave that sit for days?  And you expect me to eat  that?!  Will I die?"  Truth is, yes there is some chance of contamination - the mixture can grow mold (which is harmless, and can simply be skimmed off of the top and thrown away or put in your compost heap).  There is also a chance of the ever-dreaded botulism if your fermentation doesn't work properly.

Here's how it all works:  when you add salt to the vegetables, the salt in the brine temporarily protects the jar-o-goodness from any bacteria.  It prevents the bacteria from developing for a short while.  That buys you enough time for the vegetables and brine to ferment.  Once the fermentation process has begun, "good" bacteria (see: lacto-fermentation), form in the brine and fight off any "bad" bacteria that could try to develop in the food.  

When you eat a modern jar of pickles, you're getting some cucumber slices that have been treated with vinegar to prevent them from going bad while the slices ferment and become squishy.  However, you lose valuable nutrients as well as the beneficial bacteria you could have gained in a true fermentation process.  The process of fermenting the kimchi makes a sort of vinegar on its own, and actually boosts the nutritional content of the vegetables.  That's right - your body will actually be able to get, retain, and use more vitamins from this fermentation process than what was originally in a raw carrot or raw cabbage (which are pretty healthy to begin with).

You will determine how long you want your kimchi to ferment.  The longer it sits out (up to 7 days, typically), the more vinegary it will taste.  If you want it to have a stronger flavor, you let it sit out for 12 hours, and taste it again.  If you taste it and it seems like it is getting too pungent for your liking, then you just put it in the fridge to stop the process.

The beauty of it is that this jar (or jars, if you make a large batch like I do) of kimchi will keep in the fridge for a really long time (we're talking like up to 6 months ish).  It's used like a sauerkraut - can serve it on crackers, with bread, meat, on bratwurst, or can even mix it with other vegetables for a salad.  The good bacteria in it will help your intestines (the same way yogurt does), and the brine will also help your body break down other foods better.

So can this honestly be a dangerous food to make?  Yes.  Like I said, if the fermentation doesn't occur properly, the conditions will be ripe for molds and bacteria like botulism to grow.  But I've not had any problems with it thus far, and the deliciousness makes this a risk I'm willing to take!

Feel free to peruse the internets for more information on the fermentation process and for more fermenting recipes!  If you find something amazing, you can most certainly post it in the comments section below - I'd be glad to check it out!  

Thanks for reading!