Saying No to GMO Corn May 13, 2013

Since 99.9% of my food at home comes from our local farms, farmer’s markets, and my garden, I don’t eat many products, just whole foods.  Eating this way, I don’t have to worry about GMO’s in my food, too much.  Obviously, eating out is a challenge in that regard, and I do like Mexican food.

Several months ago, when I stopped eating gluten, I found myself eating more corn, specifically, substituting corn tortillas for flour ones.  This additional corn in my diet made be start thinking about GMO corn, more than I had been.   The more I read about GMO corn, the more I know I don’t want to eat it., or anything else that has been genetically modified, for that matter.   I decided to look into the non-GMO corn options around town, unhappily aware that I would have to give up my favorite one-stop tortilla chip, masa, and tortilla factory in East Austin.

Why non-GMO?  Genetically modified corn, is bio-engineered to be resistant to glyophosate, or as we know it, the weed killer, Round Up.  I don’t want to eat vegetables sprayed with Round Up, quite simply.  I pulled up a couple of articles, specifically about GMO corn.

http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/green_sustainable/clearing_up_the_confusion_about_genetically_modified_corn?page=4

http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/sweetcorn/

So, where to buy non-GMO corn stuffs in Austin:

Blanco Valley Farms, sells non-GMO corn tortillas and tortilla chips fried in coconut oil, at the Barton Creek Farmer’s Market.  I have referred to their chips as “crack chips” many times in my blogging history.  They will change your life, they are so good.  This is my go-to option for non-GMO corn tortillas and tortilla chips.  Their corn white corn tortillas are, in my opinion, the best in town.  Their website says that these are available at Wholly Cow Burgers and they are also available through Greenling Organic Delivery.

The best substitute, in my opinion, for factory made chips, and tortillas, is El Lago.  El Lago makes corn tortillas and totopos (chips) from non GMO corn, and better yet, they are local.  And their products are great.  Their chips are “restaurant style” and hold up a little better to dipping than my old favorites.

El Lago Tortilla Chips

El Lago Corn Tortillas

A couple months ago, I got to know  Sonia, the passionate owner of  Margarita’s Tortilla Factory, at an event where she was serving her products.  We chatted a bit, and I got to learn about her company, and that they make not only non-GMO corn tortillas, but all of her her products are certified organic by the Texas Department of Agriculture.  She sent me home with some packages of her tortillas, and they are delicious.

Margarita’s

The Gardener’s Feast, a farmer’s market staple around town, famous for their spectacular tamales, also sells non-GMO, organic blue corn tortillas.  They are delicious.

The Gardener’s Feast Blue Corn Tortillas

Paqui Tortillas, also claim to use non-GMO corn, in their products.  I’ve had their flour tortillas in various flavors, (although its been a few years)  but have not had their newly launched, flavored tortilla chips, which are sold exclusively at Whole Foods.

I also attempted to make my own corn tortillas, with some non-GMO masa flour I ordered online.  Admittedly, they were not very good, partly because I used the only tortilla press I own, and electric one, and the tortillas fell apart.  (Somewhere my friend Hector just shook his head at that revelation).  But, I’ll acquire a proper press, and try again, because corn tortillas shouldn’t be that hard.

Purcell Mountain Farms, Masa Harina

Boggy Creek Farm grinds and sells non-GMO cornmeal, at their Wednesday and Saturday Farmstand.  It makes the best cornbread!

Non-GMO Cornmeal from Boggy Creek Farm

Richardson Farms grows their own non-GMO popcorn, and it is available at the farmer’s markets they are in.  I pick it up at either the Triangle Farmer’s Market or the Downtown Farmer’s Market, both run by the Sustainable Food Center.

Richardson Farms popcorn

The obvious question may be, why don’t I grow my own corn.  I have tried three times, and failed each time.  I suck at corn.  Just not as bad as Monsanto sucks at it.

Whew, I think that concludes this post.  This sure would have been easier if businesses were required to label their GMO products.  Just sayin.

 

Onion and Rosemary Confiturra April 29, 2013

After my last post on harvesting onions, I got lots of queries about what I was going to do with them all.   I will pickle some more of them, but today I decided to try something new to me.  I wanted to make something a bit sweet, but not too sweet, so I found this recipe on Serious Eats, for Onion and Rosemary Confiturra.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/08/seriously-italian-onion-and-rosemary-confiturra-recipe.html

I doubled it, which meant that it would have a cup of honey and 1/2 cup of sugar to 6 pounds of onions.  Onions release their own sugar when they are cooked, so I didn’t want a recipe that added lots of additional sweetness.  I liked the idea of Rosemary and snipped some and some bay leaves from my garden.

I started by slicing 6 pounds of my garden onions, both 1015s and a few Red Creoles.

Garden onions

I had to work in batches so I sauteed them in olive oil, until they gave up lots of their juices and collapsed.  Once I got them where they needed to be, I combined the two pans and added the balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine, honey and sugar.  (about half of the sugar than the recipe called for.)

Cooking down

It took longer than the recipe suggested to get the mixture reduced by half into a jam like consistency, because I doubled it.   As it reduced, it got darker and finally ended up a dark chestnut color.  The recipe said that this could be canned in a hot water back, and I did that, although I will keep it in the refrigerator.  The onions are not acidic on their own, and the ratio of vinegars and sugar added, just doesn’t seem right to me for this to be shelf stable.  I don’t have any ph test strips, so better safe than sorry.

Final product!

Mom was hanging out with me, so we  tasted some on CKC Chèvre, and it was complex and delicious.  It will make a sophisticated appetizer  with a variety of cheeses on bread or crackers.  I think it would also be great on a burger, or steak.

Harvesting, Drying and Storing Garden Onions April 17, 2013

Onions are one of the most rewarding vegetables to grow, in my opinion.  I late Fall, I order onion sets from Dixondale Farms.  They come in bundles of sets that are bout 5-6 inches tall.  I plant them fairly deep into very well aerated soil, so that they can expand and grow large.  Some don’t do much, for whatever reason, but most of those I plant mature into good sized onions.

Onion sets

 

Last year, I planted a mix of 1015′s, named by the date the onion seeds are planted, October 15; Red Creole onions, and White Bermudas.  Several weeks ago, a few of the onions started to bolt, or go to seed, which means they will not mature any further and should be harvested.   When they bolt, a hard stalk grows up the center of the onion, and forms what would eventually be a flower, if you didn’t pull them.  They are still perfectly good after they bolt, but should be harvested.

Bolting onion

 

I harvested perhaps 15 bolting onions, mostly the red ones.  I’m not sure why, but the red onions seem to bolt first – perhaps because of our extreme and unseasonable weather variations.  (As I sit here on April 17, 2013, a cold front will soon roar into Austin, leaving temperatures in the low to mid 40′s at night.)

Last week, several of the onions had started laying down, a sign that they are finished maturing, and will need to be harvested soon.  After a ridiculously busy weekend, wherein I didn’t see my garden, I was surprised Monday, to find that nearly half of my onion crop was laying on its side.  I finally had time to pull the finished onions out of the ground today.

We are done!

Harvested Onions

Some were moderate size, some were the size of softballs, a new experience for me.   My best onion harvest yet, and some of the largest ones are still in the ground.

I rinsed them with the hose over the remaining growing onions, so as not to waste any precious water.  I then moved them to the top of my fire pit, which is metal mesh, which allows great ventilated space for the onions to dry and form the outer skin you see on grocery store onions.  Naturally, I kept some for immediate eating.  They are so tender and sweet, I sauteed some as a fajita topper for dinner.

Pile of onions

Once they have dried out a bit, I use the garden  snippers to remove the green stalk and some of the roots.  I then transfer them to a shady spot for a day or two until the snipped part dries out.

Drying onions

Once dried, the onions can be hung in a vented bag and will store for months.  I usually run out of my onions 7-8 months after harvesting.

So far most of the red onions that I’ve pulled are fairly medium to smallish.  Perhaps not enough for a good round of red onion pickling, a favorite of mine for pickling and canning.  I can rely on the farms and farmer’s markets for those.

Pickled onions

 

The universe appears to be in my favor this early Spring, as I have several peppers that will be ready for harvest in the next week, more fresh onions in the ground, and potatoes flowering and nearly ready for harvest.  I love little more than sautéed onions, peppers, and potatoes in some Springdale Farm scrambled eggs.  Such goodness almost makes the wait for the first tomatoes bearable, and then after that, its game on!    And then I’m all about salsa.  Eating seasonably is so satisfying; the wait makes every harvest taste so much better.

 

April 1, in an Austin Urban Garden April 1, 2013

It hasn’t felt much like Spring yet, but slowly, but surely my Spring garden has been taking shape, the last remnants of the Winter garden, finally gone except the onions and strawberries, planted in November.  The onions can be eaten now, but I like to let them mature then dry and store them for months.  True to form, a few of the Red Creole onions have bolted.  Although I hate to lose many to bolting, they are just as delicious as if they had gone full term, just smaller.

Lots of Onions

The peppers have a dedicated bed this year, and I have planted Pequillo, Padron, Chile Petin (that’s what the label said, I thought it was Pequin) Jalapeno, and Serranos.  They are fine and happy, but aren’t doing much just yet.  With all the cool weather we’ve had, I’m not surprised.  Peppers like heat.

Pepper garden

 

Another bed is a mix with tomatillos, a tomato plant and a pepper plant.  The tomatillos already looking like they will start setting their little paper lantern covered fruit, and there is a wee Padron pepper emerging from its flower.

Tomatillos and Tomatoes

The long bed is Tomatoes and peppers as well.  One of the tomatoes, a Large Red Cherry, has tiny tomatoes on it already.

 

Tiny Cherry Tomatoes

As you can see, I’m having a weed problem between the relatively new beds.  I’ve been pulling like crazy, and have used Natural Gardener’s new vinegar based remedy, but apparently it isn’t hot enough outside yet for that to help much.  I’m wondering if another layer of decomposed granite might help.

My house has a built in planter on the side of the house, where Wandering Jew was once planted and despite my best efforts, has never been successfully eradicated.  Then the new stone beds were put in, the guys cleaned out that planter, and a couple months ago, I planted potatoes.   That bed doesn’t get full sun, so I wasn’t sure how they would do, but as of today, they are starting to flower, which means they are doing their thing.  The Wandering Jew continues to come back.

Potatoes

 

The backyard beds are filling up as well.  The long bed is mostly tomatoes, with a 4×4 section of strawberries planted in the winter.  One tomato plant surprised me when I was covering for our last threatened freeze.  I had no idea there was a tomato already on it.  A Cherokee Purple, I believe.  (where do the markers go???)

Strawberries and tomatoes

Surprise tomato!

 

The 8 foot bed also contains a 4×4 section of strawberries.  The front 4 feet houses cucumber transplants, and I recently planted watermelon and cantaloupe seeds in it as well.  The strawberries struggled this winter, although I had them heavily  mulched and covered them when it got very cold.  They have just started to flourish, which seems a bit late.  I’ve harvested a few berries, the there are more on the way.

Strawberries!

 

The next project that needs my attention, is last year’s herb garden.  Much of the herbs are still ok, having been covered in our few freezes, but some have gone to seed, some are reedy, and the soil is compacted.  AND, there is a weird thorny vine that has come up in the middle of the whole bed that must be removed.  I will save what I can, clean out this bed and amend the soil, then replant new herbs and the saved old ones.

Herb garden in need of work

Not really qualified as part of my garden, but equally exciting to me, are the fruit trees that line my driveway in pots.  They are flowering like crazy and providing lots of needed food for the bees.

Flowering citrus

Some kind of critter always steals the few peaches my dwarf peach tree produces, and it looks like this year it might have more to choose from.

Little peaches

Now, if we could just get some of this rain the weather folks keep talking about, I’d really be a happy garden gal.

 

 

 

 

Roasting Coffee Beans at Home March 22, 2013

Ya’ll know I’m all about making everything at home (or trying), so when my good friend Stephanie asked if I wanted to try roasting coffee beans, I said yes!  She had procured some green coffee beans from Casa Brazil, and armed with some instructions from the web, a cast iron skillet, thermometer, a fan, and a desire for the best cup of coffee ever, we got started.

Cast Iron Skillet to 200

Following our online instructions, once the cast iron skillet was at 200 degrees, we put in about half a pound of green coffee beans.

Green beans

The instructions called for continuous stirring, so that’s what we did.  We set a timer to compare our progress, with the instructions.

Getting some color

There were things to watch for along the way, gray smoke, the first crack, and second crack, as well as color changes, and a release of oil.

First Batch done

When the first batch got pretty dark and started making crackling sounds, we decided to declare it done, and rushed the beans outside where Stephanie had set up a fan for fast cooling.

Fast cooling

Once cooled, we ground up some of the beans, and made and made a cup of coffee.

Too light

Alas, the first cup tasted very grassy and bitter.

Round two.  We repeated the procedure for Round one, but turned up the temp a bit on the stove.  This time, we kept roasting until we heard a second round of cracking, and the beans started to expand.  This process took about 20 minutes.  Although we never saw the beans take on an oily appearance, we declared them done.  Outside they went, to cool over the fan (quick cooling to prevent continued roasting.)  This time around, a considerable amount of chaff blew off of the beans.

Second batch

We ground up some of the second batch, and the color was much improved.  And, they smelled more like coffee.

Better color

We brewed a second cup, and it was much better, although not quite the coffee revelation we were hoping for.

This morning, two days after roasting, my cup of coffee was excellent, having lost the hint of bitterness it had immediately after roasting.

There are other methods for roasting coffee – a hot air popcorn popper is supposed to be really good for this purpose.  You can also roast the beans in the oven.   I’m going to continue this experiment with different methods and beans until I come up with the perfect combination, and the still elusive, perfect cup of coffee.

Pink Wine and Tapenade Dinner with Paula Disbrowe and David Norman March 6, 2013

Mid 2010, I discovered and fell in love with a cookbook, Cowgirl Cuisine by Paula Disbrowe, (also an accomplished food and travel writer and editor.)  The book was not only filled with recipes for great food, but pictures and stories about a ranch resort lifestyle that sounded like utopia to me.  I wrote about it here:

http://austinurbangardens.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1539&action=edit

A year or two after writing that review,  I gushingly introduced myself to Paula at a Les Dames d’Escoffier event, and have gotten acquainted with David Norman (artisan bread baker extraordinaire,  for Easy Tiger and 24 Diner) through Slow Food Austin and other events.  I remain a gushing fangirl of them both.

So, when the couple donated a Pink Wine and Tapenade Dinner for 8, to the Les Dames online charity auction last year, I made sure I was the high bidder, which required staying up well into the morning hours with my finger on my computer keyboard, lest someone outbid me.  Les Dames does good work and I was happy to contribute, and super excited to have this experience.

It took some finagling to get schedules cleared, but we picked a date, early last month.

The wines, all donated by Glazer Distributing, showed up the day before our dinner.

On the day of the dinner, David showed up first, with loaf after loaf of gorgeous bread, French Bread, a Boutard, and this amazingly beautiful Fougasse.

Fougasse

Out came the knives, which meant things were about to get serious in my kitchen.  My guests all arrived early, out of sheer excitement for the evening, and we crowded in the kitchen sipping on bubbles and trying to stay out of the way, but wanting to be in on, and close to the cooking action, and our esteemed chefs.

Getting started

Paula chopped the herbs that would go into the various courses.

mise en place

Since we were all in the kitchen anyway, they decided to pass around the first course, a duo of tapenades, one with roasted beets, and the other a classic olive blend, as they told us of the travels to France, the inspiration for these dishes.  The wine pairing for this dish was the Albrecht Cremant Rose NV, Alsace, France.  Bubbles and tapenade = perfect.

Tapenade duo

We vacated the kitchen for the next dish, which was as delicious as it was stunning to look at.  Thinly sliced zucchini, watermelon radish, ricotta salata, pistachios, salt and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon. (I think)  It was amazing.   With this dish, we poured the Domain OTT Domaniers Rose 2011 – Cotes De Provence.

Zucchini, radish

After this dish, came a delicious salad of mixed greens, for which I have no photo.

The main course was oven roasted Twin County Dorper Lamb leg, roasted baby carrots, celery root puree, and a Provencal tomato with herbs and bread crumbs.  Each course was inspired by the couple’s travels to southern France.  Everything on the plate was expertly prepared and absolutely fabulous!

Dinner

The wine pairing for the lamb was the  Paul Mas Clos D Savignac – Southern France. Not only was the pairing wonderful, the wine was so delicious, I purchased some the following day at the Austin Wine Merchant.

There was a beautiful tart for desert, I believe pear, but I was so full of David’s delicious breads (which we slathered with goat butter)  and the couples’ gorgeous food, that I only took a bite.  It too, was amazing.

If dinner, wine and company weren’t enough to make for a perfect evening, they brought with them goodie bags of David’s croissants and chocolate bread for everyone to take home for breakfast.

As I mentioned above, ever the gushing fangirl, I didn’t let Paula leave my house without getting her autograph in my copy of her cookbook.

So perfect.

Cowgirl Cuisine

Autograph!

               

               

             

Learning to Love Vegetables, with Chef Matt Taylor of Glass2Plate March 1, 2013

I did not grow up eating fresh vegetables, and although I’ve tried for years, I’ve never really learned to like many of them.  I’ll roast cauliflower, or steam broccoli, but beets, turnips, parsnips and most greens have eluded me, which is sad, because I have the garden space to grow them all.

Having bumped into Chef Matt Taylor of Glass2Plate, a local catering/event company, at the Springdale Farm farmstand lots over the last couple of months, I decided to ask him if he would be willing to teach me some pointers about cooking vegetables,  so that I might learn to love more than the few in my repertoire.  He generously agreed.

We met at Springdale and picked out the freshly harvested vegetables from the farmstand, collard greens, carrots, green onions, parsnips, beets, turnips,  fennel, garlic chives and parsley.  He also picked up a couple G&S oranges and Meyer lemons from the farmstand.

Pile o veggies

We reconvened that evening at the farm and began our preparation.  First up were the beets.  I have never liked beets, except for the beet fries at East Side King.  I mentioned this to Matt, and he was undeterred.  After removing the beet greens, he put the beets in a roasting pan with some water, a bit of sugar and some salt, covered it with foil and stuck it in the oven.

Beets

He put me to work peeling the carrots and parsnips.  Easy enough.  We then cut the parsnips in half lengthwise and sliced the carrots on a mandolin.   As I was slicing carrots, Matt massaged roasted shallot oil into the collard greens, and drizzled it over the green (not yet Spring) onions and set those aside.  He put the parsnips into a pan with a little water, and turned the stove on to simmer.

Sliced medium thin

For the salad, Matt used the Mandolin to thinly shave several bulbs of fennel, over which he zested a couple of oranges and a Meyer Lemon, drizzled with a bit of olive oil, a little salt and set aside.

Shaved fennel

Once the beets were roasted and tender, I removed their skins and sliced them in half.  Matt made a vinaigrette with White Balsamic Vinegar, olive oil, Meyer Lemon Juice, a bit of sugar and some salt, and poured it over the peeled and sliced beets and set that aside.

Peeling beets

Beets in vinaigrette

Matt  had brought with him a roll of compound butter, made by mixing butter with chopped fennel fronds, garlic, Meyer lemon zest, and minced shallot, then rolling and refrigerating.    He sliced off a hunk of that delicious buttery, herby blend and melted it in a pan with lots of  chopped parsley and garlic chives. This would become the Bagna Cauda,  literally, hot bath in Italian.

Compound butter

Compound butter and herbs

Once the parsnips had softened, he added the little Hikurei turnips, sliced carrots, some fennel stems and chives to the pan and sautéed them.  Once they were al dente, he added in some browned butter.

Sauteeing root veggies

At this point, all of the vegetables were close to being done, so we threw some Richardson Farms ribeyes on the grill, as well as the shallot oil marinated green onions.

Steaks and onions

He squeezed some orange and Meyer juice over the fennel, topped it with the vinaigrette marinated roasted beets, and the beautiful red tinted vinaigrette.

Shaved fennel salad with citrus and marinated beets

When the steaks and onions were done, we took them off the grill onto the pan the onions had been, to rest in the onion flavored oil.

Steaks resting

While the steaks rested, he grilled the collard greens until they were tender.  Not long. And plated the root vegetables.

Grilled collards

Root vegetables

He finished the Bagna Cauda with a squeeze of anchovy paste, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Bagna Cauda

After a proper rest for the steak, Matt sliced it up, made it beautiful and topped it with the grilled onions.

Ribeye and onions

We spooned  this delicious Bagna Cauda over everything but the salad, and it was amazing.

This was one of the best meals I’ve had in long time, and I loved the vegetables – even the beets.  The little Chioggia beets were sweet, tender and didn’t taste like dirt, which is always how I think of beets.  I guess I’ve been eating the wrong beets, cooked the wrong way, all this time, but I now have a new appreciation for all of the vegetables we had.  I think I’ve been mostly lazy too, choosing to roast the vegetables in the oven, rather than taking the time and effort to make them into something special.  Now I know how!

Dirk Miller, Matt’s partner in Glass 2 Plate, brought along some delicious wine, and we had a fabulous evening.

Chef Matt Taylor and Sommelier Dirk Miller, formed Glass2Plate in 2012.  They regularly  host multi-course dinners with wine parings at different spots around town.  Their next dinner is Sunday, March 3, 2013 at Aviary starting at 6:30.   Matt will be cooking Pho and Lo Mein until they run out.  This dinner is first come, first served.

They are also available for catering at your home, (or the spot of your choice).  Chef Matt creates inventive menus using locally sourced ingredients and Somm Dirk pairs the food beautifully with artisanal wines.  Check out their site via the above link, and follow (and “Like”) them on Facebook for updates on where to find them. https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/-glass2plate-/435092376548260?fref=ts