Garlic Scape Chard Pesto

I had some (more) fresh-picked garlic scapes and I needed to do something with them. I had procured some gorgeous, organic chard from Dineberg's Farm, and figured I'd make a chard-scape pesto. This way I could use some with dinner and freeze the rest in little dollops to use in the days ahead. So that's what I did.

I stripped the washed chard leaves from the stems and set them aside. I placed rough-chopped scapes in the food processor, a handful at a time, and processed them fine with a little salt. Then I added the chard leaves, also rough-chopped, a handful at a time, and processed it all together, adding a little salt with each addition and then drizzling in some fresh-squeezed lemon juice, organic extra virgin olive oil. I tasted it, added a little more salt, to taste and that was it.

Oh, sure, you can add roasted pignoli (pine) nuts (or walnuts, or sunflower seeds, or any nut/seed that you like) and a parmesan cheese (I'm fond of pecorino) at this point, but I prefer to add those things later if I feel they belong in whatever I'm serving.

After all, pesto just means paste and has nothing to do with the ingredients. And it's not just for pasta.

In fact, tonight I took some of my spouse's homemade, organic, wholewheat flatbreads, sliced them and and slathered on some of this pesto, topped them with a nice slice local cheddar, and popped them under the broiler 'til the cheese was warm and melty. It was quite tasty.

As for those chard stems, I sautéed them with snow peas, green ones from Dineberg's Farm and golden ones from my own little garden.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Delicious Greens

So today I heated a little olive oil in a large-ish pot and added a handful or two of chopped garlic scapes. I grated a bit of fresh ginger into the pot, added the chopped stems of some beautiful, organic asian greens from Dineberg's Farm and stirred it around. I forget the name of the green, I'll have to check with Farmer Karl, but this would be delicious with any Brassicaceae family green). Anyhoo ... When the stems started to show the slightest bit of translucency (mere minutes) I tossed in some sesame seeds, sliced radishes and then the rough-chopped leaves of the mystery greens, added a bit more ginger, gave it another stir, and placed the lid on it for a few minutes before taking it from heat.

This took less than 15 minutes, including the time to wash and cut the greens.

I let it sit, covered, until it cooled to a mild-warm while I cleaned up the cutting board, knife and prep bowls, and then stirred in a splash of fish sauce and some unpasteurized shoyo sauce (any true soy sauce will do).

I ate some on the spot. How could I not? De-freakin'-licious! The rest is tucked in the refrigerator to enjoy with a "cold" dinner on this upcoming hot summer evening, when I might garnish it with some chopped roasted peanuts.

Yeah. That's what I made today. Thanks to Dineberg's Farm.

Peace.

An eScape to the Oregano Patch

Today was one of those mostly-at-home productive days, the kind that feel good, you know? I did laundry, vacuumed and dusted, tidied and re-messed. I redesigned some labels, drafted my June-to-July flyer, took photos of new Spirit Pouches which now need to be edited so I can begin listing. I planted more seeds and seedlings in the gardens. And I harvested the garlic scapes and the small patch of oregano.

Some of the scapes will make it into this evening's dinner, some will become pesto and some infused in vinegar. The bunches of oregano are hanging to dry in my living space, next to the motherwort, where I can enjoy their transformation ... and gift.

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Time and Space for Beauty

That is all.

Peace.

Coffea arabica - for Mix It Monthly

Coffee. Organic and fair trade. It is my favored morning beverage, though I do alternate with a nice organic, fair trade Irish breakfast tea. But today we focus on the glorious beverage born of the beloved Coffea arabica, grown in the traditional way, under the protection of tree cover, lovingly fermented, roasted fresh, and ground and brewed in my little hut, because that's the theme of this month's Mix It Monthly. So that's what I sipped this morning and that's what landed in my art journal.

And that's what I made today.

Peace.

Garlic Mustard Love

Wild foods are most often in their prime for only a short window of time and springtime greens of the second-year Alliaria petiolata, commonly called garlic mustard, are no exception. The ones on my little acre are just preparing to bloom, so harvest I must. Rain or no rain, in the only hours available to me. I pluck this "wild invasive" by the roots to manage its vivacious spreading and do my best to waste nothing.

The greens were rinsed and gently sauteed in olive oil with some fresh cracked black pepper, fresh grated nutmeg, fresh copped egyptian onion tops, and then covered to simmer-n-steam in its own juices until tender. Mere minutes. I spooned a bit liquid love off the top of the still-macerating garlic vinegar to add just before serving (for breakfast, no less). And this dish is equally tasty served cold, so a generous harvest is always worthwhile ~ in more ways than one.

I've really grown to appreciate this plant over the years.

As for the second year roots, I rinsed them well, brought them into the kitchen, dried them a bit, added them to my blender with some living apple cider vinegar, chopped it all together and poured it into a canning jar to (like the garlic vinegar) macerate for 6-8 weeks before straining and bottling. I'll be harvesting roots again in the autumn, of the first year growth, to make more delicious, nutritious vinegar and who knows what else?

And if you're wondering, the roots of this plant taste like a subtle horseradish. Yeah. Very tasty!

That's what I made today.

Peace.

Love with Fiber

Between studio and garden work I finished up and listed three Spirit Pouches. Making these little mojo bags has been my latest creative obsession. And I'm having loads of fun choosing the buttons for them from my vintage button stash. I have more that I'll be listing in the days ahead, so keep an eye out, and of you're local, stop by my studio to experience them in person!

I spun some Spirit Cords today, too, since the fibers were out and around me. This cord, called "Harmony" is a blend of lovely coral wool and acrylic boa yarn in shades of turquoise with a hint of green throughout, and is one of a limited edition of six cords. I spun others too, and they'll make their way to my ArtFire shop and studio soon.

In addition to these creative delights I picked up the winnings from our Open Studios at Whiting Mills raffle (which I foolishly neglected to blog about last week) and contacted the winners. That's always fun ~ saying "you won!" I also transplanted some of my greenhouse babes, watered my garden seedlings and perused my little acre for the next wild harvests, and discovered some that will get my attention tomorrow.

So, yeah, that's what I made today.

Peace.

Garlic Infused Vinegar

Last season's garlic is feeling the pull of the this season. The cores have been greening for some time and wee rootlets have been reaching, and this past week the sprouts have been making themselves known. So today I kept a few heads aside for kitchen use, and separated the rest of their outer-most paper and chopped them, loaded up a half-gallon jar and covered them with living apple cider vinegar. Now they'll sit and macerate for a several weeks before straining and bottling.

It's a delight to grow enough garlic to keep me through the winter.  And it's a delight to have excess for making this delicious vinegar brew to see me through to the next harvest in summer. But even with a seasonal break in fresh garlic supply, I have dried versions and this upcoming vinegar (which I can start dipping into tomorrow, for surely it will quickly become pungent and flavorful). I also have the wild ramps ready for harvest, and egyptian onions and garlic chives, so there's no shortage of Alium verve while garlic takes a break.

And while today is our collective day to honor the living, breathing entity with which we partner to enjoy this life … nourish, sustain and honor her every day, with as many choices and actions that you can, for surely she reciprocates in kind. Peace.