All of the Pesto!

Derick was cleaning out his garden before the first frost hit for him and he had CRAPLOADS of basil.  I bought a bunch off him for $2 and had a pesto-making fiesta. First I washed it all and took it off it's stems.  

 I threw it in a blender with some fresh grated parmesan cheese, fresh ground pepper, sunflower seeds (could use pine nuts or walnuts or pecans), and lots of good olive oil.

Blend away and cover immediately with a layer of olive oil so that the pesto doesn't oxidize. It still tastes delicious when it does but it's not the prettiest...  (think guacamole gone brown)

I've frozen three and one is in the fridge for immediate cooking deliciousness :)

Savour Whole Spices...

Sometimes I just get excited about food and feel the need to share...  I think a big part of reconnecting to your food is taking time to really work with your ingredients.  Although none of the ingredients here were local except the garlic, bay leaf, and carrot, I spent the time nourishing myself–a totally worthwhile endeavour. And should totally happen, wherever your ingredients are from.

I started by dry frying the crushed spices-cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, coriander seed, fenugreek, and peppercorns.

 When the smell seeded almost too much to handle, I cranked the love up to 11 and added fresh garlic and ginger to the mix.

 I then added the bottle of passata, coconut milk, bay leaf, curry leaf, and vegetables (sweet potato, onion, and purple carrot) and let it simmer until the veggies were soft (around 40 mins).

Beauty!  Savour spices in their whole form–it elevates basic ingredients to heavenly heights!

Garlic Jelly with Hot Red Peppers

I went to Niagara-On-The-Lake with my friend Kate the other weekend and came across this epic preserve–garlic jelly with hot red peppers! I was highly sceptical but then tried it and WOW. It's a savourily blast of deliciousness!  I've been eating it on toast with cream cheese.  Lovely.  I need to figure out the recipe and make lots for myself….

Free garlic!

I sang at a fundraiser today, which had some beautiful table displays of young garlic.  I totally grabbed a bunch as they were cleaning up (they wanted to get rid of so much!) and hung it on a banana hanger to dry and enjoy soon. Always check if people are throwing things away after parties–so much waste happens at corporate events!

First homegrown ingredient recipe of the year!

This recipe came out of my organic food box containing magoes, which I haven't eaten in YEARS (my ex was deathly allergic), not much in my fridge because I'm going away for the weekend, and an organic chicken breast sitting in my freezer. Also, my garden's first green onions!

Salad
1.5 cups organic quinoa ( cook 15 mins in 3 cups water–bring to boil then simmer until water is gone)

2 ripe organic mangoes, diced
1 sweet red pepper diced
5 large stalks organic green onion, diced

1 roasted chicken breast in bits (My second only chicken that I've ever cooked in my life! I now only buy hormone-free, nitrate-free, free range, organic chicken.  After being a vegetarian for 10 years, my body has begun to crave meat-based protein and I can't deny it that.  I don't eat meat often, and when I do, I make ethical choices.  One day I know I will have to kill an animal in order to justify eating it's flesh and I'm willing to do that to fully understand the meaning of my choices.  But I know that I can't deny my body what it needs. I cooked this defrosted chicken simply on 375 in my toaster oven for 40 mins with some dijon mustard, salt, and pepper put on before putting it in the oven)

Dressing
5 cloves garlic, minced
1inch piece minced fresh ginger
approx 1/2 cup organic sunflower oil
approx 1/8 cup organic apple cider vinegar
approx 1/8 cup organic white miso paste
approx 1/4 cup mango smoothie (apple, banana, mango)

YUM!!

More Direct Seeding and Bean Teepees

More cold-tolerant veg in the ground:
Garlic Seeds
Beets
Mixed Greens
Radishes
Shelling Peas
Scarlet Runner Beans
Wee!

Also, here's my hopefully not too rickety bean and cucumber teepee structure!
Simple to build and free!  I used donated bamboo and wood stakes, and simple twine–
1). Dig deep and narrow holes in the ground for your stakes
2). Put in each stake and fill in with soil (should stand on it's own)
3). Creatively tie together with twine (I am not a girl scout!)
4). Lay the longest top pole across and tie to other stakes with more twine.
Voila!

I tied my whole structure to a stairway overhang so hopefully it won't fly away or topple over anywhere!