Letting Go of Plastic. Early Spring Treats.

Can't argue with any of that

Hello Everyone!

It has been a hectic few weeks getting ready for the growing season, dealing with the unpredictable weather, and trying out new recipes as the Spring’s bounty starts to appear. 

I have been posting a lot on my Facebook Philly Foodist page and on Instagram during these busy weeks, and in response to one post I got some interesting feedback from a friend who follows the FB page.  So, in the past few weeks, I have been doing an “audit” of sorts of our use of plastic bags (which is what started the conversation), and other disposables - from paper straws to paper towels and beyond. I am pretty happy with many of the things we’ve been doing over the years.  I still have some quandaries and some searches to conduct. But my hope is that all of us start to think seriously about what we are using on a regular basis that is adding to the horrific trash and waste problem we have in the United States.  And you know, as  urban homesteaders, we try in every way to live the re-purpose, re-use, and re-cycle lifestyle.

First, the good things I found from our home audit:

We both bring lunch from home.  We both have cloth lunch bags, travel steel flatware, travel coffee cups, and cotton “lunch” napkins.  We also drink cold drinks from Mason jars with sipping lids.  We take salads, soups and anything else that will work in large Mason jars. We then use small glass containers for everything else.  We use stainless steel straws and we never, ever use paper plates or paper napkins. We do not buy bottled water in plastic bottles.  We filter tap water and keep large containers of that on the counter top all of the time.

We have a houseful of shopping bags, which has spilled over into our car as well so we are never in need of plastic bags. Well, except for one thing but we’ll talk about that later. 

We’ve recently started using Swedish Dish Cloths for kitchen clean up like countertops and stove tops.  This eliminates the use of paper towels for those jobs.  I am obsessed with the stove top and I generally spray it with my home made vinegar, water and lemon juice cleaning mixture daily. These cloths are sturdy, washable and come in five different colors so you can assign a color to a specific job.

And, lastly, back to those Mason Jars.  We store just about everything we can in them.  We have bins available in our stores for things like popcorn, lentils, nuts and the like.  Mason Jars are perfect for storing those items.  And a good idea is to take a few jars to the store and fill them directly. Soups, sauces, left overs of all kinds can be stored in the ‘fridge in Mason Jars.  They are the ultimate re-use item.

Now, the things that I am wrestling with still:

As I have talked about in numerous posts and blogs, we have a huge, box freezer in our basement.  We are dedicated proponents of “putting food by”.  Canning, pickling, and freezing are a big part of our year.  When we cook and make four meals instead of two, we freeze the rest for a second dinner.  For example, our Easter Ham left overs, plus the ham bone, will be used for all sorts of meals over the coming weeks.  The conversation with my Friend started with the picture of all of that ham in numerous zip lock freezer bags that I posted on my Philly Foodist Facebook page. She posted that I should not encourage the use of all of that plastic, and I totally get what she is saying. She is right. We realize the damage plastic bags do and so we have been “recycling” our zip lock bags for a number of years. We can’t always re-use some bags of course, but we always try.  The challenge that I am facing with the freezer bags is finding a suitable replacement.  I can’t freeze a whole fish, or a whole chicken or roast in paper or a glass container.  I am wondering what will work as well as large freezer bags for meals like macaroni and cheese, chili, and the like. One option that I am exploring for the proteins is the butcher paper used when a whole animal is broken down and cuts are individually wrapped.  I am also looking at my Mason Jars to serve yet another use!  As I experiment, I will let you know how successful I have been in getting zip lock bags out of my life. 

Our other plastic bag challenge is - no other way to say it - “poop” bags!  We are currently using bags that are “earth rated” but I am still doing research on what that actually means. If I don’t like what I learn, I’ll have to start exploring because with four dogs, we need something!

Lastly, as trained cooks, we have always played fast and loose with the “papers”, aluminum foil, wax paper and cling wrap. I definitely am working on ways to change that. Believe it or not, it is a big challenge because we are a “cook from scratch” household and old habits die hard.

So much of this is behavioral change, breaking old habits, and exploring how things can be accomplished with an eye towards the environment and our responsibilities to it. I will continue to bring up issues, products that I have found and are trying out, and any and all related issues.  And remember, the more we share information, the better our changes will be.  And, when you can, do try to do an “audit” in your home.  Right now I am concentrating on the kitchen,and cooking and storing food, but obviously we need to examine other house systems and improve our practices in those as well. The important thing is - start somewhere!

In a very short time I have fallen in love with these!

Lunch Time Supplies

Spring Treats  (Get out and get these while they are still around!)

Ramps - These beauties appear and are gone in a flash.  One of the best ways to eat ramps is with eggs.  What a breakfast sandwich Eggs, Ramps, and a bit of hot sauce makes! The white ends of the ramp are also delicious pickled.  A pesto of ramps is amazing. 

Morels - One of the most delicious mushrooms on earth and they are foraged right here in Pennsylvania!  Basically, all they really need is butter, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, maybe some thyme or other herb if you like, and a quick sauté over toast. Morels pair beautifully with a wide array of meats and fish. You can also make an amazing mushroom soup from morels.

Fiddleheads - Another “here today and gone tomorrow” delicious wild green.  Fiddleheads must be cooked and just require a light cleaning to remove the brown paper like covering.  Steaming Fiddleheads before using them in a recipe or a sauté really brings out their flavor. I just recently did a dish of sautéed fiddleheads and morels and put them over some egg noodles.  That worked!

Asparagus - The Queen of all Spring vegetables in my opinion.  It, too, has a short season and it must be sourced locally.  The flavor of local asparagus is so far superior to stuff that’s traveled that you might as well not bother. The very thin asparagus are good, but don’t limit yourself to just the thin spears. The thicker stalks are loaded with flavor.  Don’t chop asparagus spears.  Just bend them and where they break is where they break.  Save and use what you break off for vegetable stock. And always remember that you can buy up local asparagus, blanch it slightly and freeze it. All winter you can make soups, quiches and sauces with it. We use fresh asparagus at this time of year as much as we can.  Asparagus/Gruyere tarts, steamed with hard boiled eggs sprinkled over them, blackened a bit on the grill, and lightly steamed with butter and fresh lemon juice are some of our favorites. 

Shad - In the area in which we live, the Shad runs and it is imperative to get it as soon as possible - before it too is gone. The Roe of the Shad is also highly prized and is delicious.  And guess what serves as one of the best accompaniments for Shad?  Asparagus. That’s a dinner that is the essence of early Spring.

Spring Lamb - During this season it is traditional to have lamb.  Find yourself a good, local source of humanely raised, clean lamb and welcome the spring and coming summer the way it is done in so many cultures. For a crowd coming to the table, get a shoulder or a roast.  In our house we love Loin Chops.  Marinade them in good olive oil, salt and pepper, thyme and some red pepper flakes and cook them over the coals for a nice medium rare finish.  

The Queen

This is such a wonderful time of year to love to shop the markets, cook and eat.  And don't forget the joys of greeting all of your farmers and producers at your local Farmers Markets.  Even if the markets are open year around, some folks aren't there during the dead of winter, so now is the time to welcome them back!  They are a treasure and if you have them in your life and can get local, well raised and grown fresh food, you know exactly what I mean.

A big shout out to my Friend of The Philly Foodist, Gwendolyn Carry, for starting the Plastics discussion.  I hope it leads to more thinking and sharing about many Earth friendly options.  Thanks Gwendolyn!

Next Time:  "Things that I am Loving Now"



EAT REAL FOOD AND EAT TOGETHER!