Breaking the Supermarket Habit: Getting Started

As we enter the growing season and the arrival of fabulous fresh foods to our farmers markets, and hopefully arriving in some of our gardens as well,  I am planning over the next few posts to discuss ways in which the average person can break free of what I call the "Supermarket Food Habit".

I am often challenged by readers and others as to how they are supposed to "start" eating more locally, seasonally and humanely.  How much more will it cost me?  How much time will it take?  How do I begin actually cooking real food at home?  It is my hope that I will be able to answer all of these questions, along with providing some guidelines for getting started.  And remember, everything does not have to happen at once.  Actually, these kinds of changes are best carried out in small steps/in increments.  The practice of going to one enormous store and filling up one or two shopping carts with everything we could possibly need for at least a week - often supplemented by fast food - is ingrained in our DNA.  So this is not an overnight fix. It's not a fad. We want the changes to be permanent.  So, one step/one day at a time is definitely the way to go.

First, a little bit of history and discussion about where things used to be and about how we got into the situation we are in with Food.  It"s important to think about how this all unfolded.  What led us to where we are today?

In the beginning, industrialization and urbanization cut deeply into the agrarian lifestyle of earlier generations.  Many people stopped keeping a garden and "putting up" food for the winter.  After World War II, "Victory Gardens" all but disappeared. New conveniences like electric refrigerators and freezers became common place in every home.  This begat a corner grocery store, which then begat a supermarket, which then begat a superstore.

Our foremothers shopped the way many of us on the fringes of the Fair Food movement shop today - making 2, 3, even 4 stops.  My Gran would go to the small farmers' market where she liked the chicken and she'd take me regularly to the Reading Terminal Market (when there was sawdust on the floor and poultry hanging) because she liked a number of things from the Amish folks. And always while we there, she got herself a buttermilk from the "Drink Buttermilk and Live Longer" stand and me a Bassett's ice cream in a cardboard cup with a steel holder.  She knew lots of people by name.  And of course she had a real relationship with that corner store owner.  It was a tiny store and Saul stocked it to the ceiling.  He was also a trained butcher, so Gran got her fresh meat from him.  His son played with my sister and I and the other neighborhood kids. There was a personal connection.

Well folks, that was then, this is now.  A time, as Michael Pollen calls it, of "needless complication" about food. My grandmother would not recognize much of what's on the shelves - and especially what's in the freezers - in a typical supermarket.  "Dinners" that you can put in a drawer or a cabinet; fifteen versions of everything; and ingredients lists that boggle the mind.  Our insatiable need for mega stores; our inability to eat seasonally - forget locally - and our insane demand for "perfect looking" produce has nearly destroyed real independent farms and replaced them with horrible institutions of manufacturing food - factory farming/big Ag - whatever you want to call it.  That worm hole led us to tasteless hybrids that shipped well, and then later, GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

So, like many of us, if you at the point where you are considering eating real food, food that comes from the region in which you reside, food that is free from lots of additives and chemicals, and food that is raised the right way - humanely - the supermarket is not going to be your main source.  As a matter of fact, probably no "store" will do everything for you.  A lot of this effort comes from your own kitchen - by cooking more of your own food yourselves, you take the first giant leap toward real food, healthier food, and fair food.

Let's Get Started!

First we should get the obvious issues out of the way.

1.  Cooking most of your own food takes time. Doing a weekly menu takes time.  Preserving your own food takes more time.  You will come to know that it is time well spent.
2.  Shopping selectively (having a butcher, a cheese monger, a bakery,  and going to the Farmers Markets) is more complicated and time consuming than walking into a supermarket.
3.  Consider whether you are really willing to go "all in".  For example, if you are going to take more time in food selection and in cooking for yourself, and then eat fast food lunches or those over processed meals that have a shelf life of forever, you are defeating your efforts.  Learn to Brown Bag it!
4.  YES!  Let's get it out of the way. Some things will cost more.  This is a direct attempt to keep you hooked on the supermarket by the national mega food factories!  I have very little else to say on the subject of costs.  You are putting food into your body! And the bodies of those for whom you are preparing food.  What is that worth to you?  Your call - would you rather pay the farmer or the doctor?

OK - As we begin this process there are a couple of questions for you to take some time to consider  and to answer for yourself  - honestly.

1.  What are your goals in changing your food purchasing and preparing practices?
2.  Do you meal plan?  Do you make a weekly menu?  Do you shop with a shopping list?
3.  Do you have a good idea of what produce is in season at various times of the year?
4.  How often to you cook?  And when you cook, what do you make?  Be tough on yourself.  Reheating a roast chicken purchased from a chain restaurant does not count!

For the next installment of "Breaking the Supermarket Habit", I will provide some guidelines around the above four practices.  If you answer these questions for yourself, the next post will be more useful for you. My guidelines will help you shop for, make, and eat great, fresh, healthy food and be much less supermarket dependent!

Do the Homework! Have Fun!

Spring at an Urban Homestead; A Soup for the Season

It's all about keeping warm right now!

It's a busy time of the year here at our Homestead.  In order to have the kind of yields we want to provide a good portion of our produce for the coming months, we have had to get growing, late Spring be damned!  I can't say enough about the value of having a cold frame or a similar structure - it does allow you to get an early start, especially on spring crops like lettuces, hearty greens, parsley, arugula, carrots and radishes.  We grow almost everything from seed - many of those seeds are Heirloom so they take a bit of time to get going.  Plus, around our home, salads fresh from our garden are at the top of the favorites list.  So what if we have to wait awhile to add our tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers?  Great mixed greens, sliced radishes, peppery arugula, and sliced carrots with a delicious vinaigrette and maybe a fresh cheese make an outstanding Spring meal. Thus, we very motivated to get 'em growing!

We use a number of growing bed techniques, the planter pictured above will serve as the "official" cold frame and, as the weather warms, those lids will come off and be stored for the summer.  Along with the early crops that are in there now, there will be lots of eggplants and a mix of hot and sweet peppers planted there. Then there are our two small standing planters, pictured below.  The covered one holds our garlic (which will be harvested in July) and, as of last week, this planter has also been seeded with Swiss Chard.  The upper planter - slightly visible - will be the growing spot for two kinds of cucumbers - both eating and pickling.  The mesh is helpful in keeping local city critters from sampling seeds, digging, burying, etc.

Small Standing Planters

In addition to the standing planters we have a good sized built in herb garden where we grow, not only herbs (I've scaled down over the years to putting in lots of the herbs we really use, like basil, parsley, chives, mint, thyme, rosemary and sage instead of a wide array of herbs) but also snow peas, celery and sorrel.  This provides a nice balance in these particular beds and gives us fresh herbs for months, well into the Fall.

A section of the herb garden

As shown in the photo to the left, we are also using a mesh covering over our recently planted snow peas - just to be sure they don't get poached!  We had used two "potato growing sacks" (see below) for a couple of years for growing potatoes, but we have decided that we have access to great potatoes from local growers and that we would use the sacks for carrots and two kinds of radishes instead - at least in the early part of the season.  Now that they are seeded, we have been covering the sacks over night to hold some heat in, but carrots and radishes are early seeds that will germinate as low as 40 degrees. This year our Spring has been late to consistently show its face so, in my opinion, better to be safe than sorry and risk a successful crop.

Former Potato Sacks of Carrots & Radishes

We are currently putting in two new planters and, as we finish them up, and get them started,  I will show them in another Blog post.  I am very excited about even more growing room, of course. And, of course, there are large tomato pots with cages to be set up, and peppers, eggplants, okra and squash to be planted.  For most growers I know it's hard to have patience, but this recent weather is really testing the limits of that patience!

So, right now.  We are working hard - more with cleaning and covering and uncovering and building and moving things around.  Right now, there's no end of the work day "hanging out in the garden" and enjoying it - It's too cold by the time we get the work done.  But we know we'll be doing just that very soon! 

In my next Blog I will also report about our experiences having a Rain Barrel installed by a great project in our city!  Very proud of the program, our participation in it,  and the fact that we will be getting some watering and cleaning water directly from our roof!


Recipe:  Swiss Chard and Egg Soup (Adapted from a recipe in Fine Cooking Feb/March 2015)

If you love Chard and, especially if you also grow it, you know how prolific it is and how you are always looking for ways to use it.  This soup is deceptively rich, but not too rich for a first course at a Spring dinner.  The combination of the greens, fresh lemon juice, stock & eggs, topped off by some really good croutons will have you coming back for a second bowl.  As always, we played with the original recipe.  We had a big bunch of Swiss Chard; the original recipe used Escarole.  The original also used sun dried tomatoes as an optional garnish.  We left those out. And, in addition, we invented something we are calling "Dry Pesto", which we sprinkled over each bowl at service - much like a gremolata.  Playing with your food is what makes it fun, so make this recipe yours.

Ingredients

3 slices of a good rustic bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes, about 3 cups (I used our leftover homemade bread)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 good sized shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups Swiss Chard, stems included, coarsely chopped
1 quart low salt chicken stock
3 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (none of the bottled stuff here!)

Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil for swirling onto the soup at service

"Dry Pesto" - mix equal parts chopped fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese tossed with about half as much chopped pine nuts and one large chopped garlic clove

Technique

Heat the oven to 450 degrees and on a rimmed baking sheet toss the bread cubes with 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread the cubes into a single layer and bake until the croutons are golden - about 8 minutes.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 4 quart sauce pan over medium high heat.

Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, just about 30 seconds
Add the chopped swiss chard - first the chopped stems for about 3 minutes and then the rest of the chopped Swiss Chard leaves and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil
Remove the sauce pan from the heat.
Whisk the eggs with the lemon juice and whisk the mixture into the hot soup

At service, top each bowl with some of the Dry Pesto, 3 - 4 Croutons and a swirl of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Swiss Chard & Egg Soup

Enjoy! And plant something!

Great Tomato Products and a Family Owned Business! Recipe: Cream of Tomato Soup

Repack Whole Tomatoes

As anyone who's been reading these posts know I am continually promoting cooking and eating local, well raised, chemical free products.  And you've also seen often my support for family owned small farms and other businesses vs. big agriculture and factory farming.  I am very happy to present for your consideration one of those family businesses.

A little bit of background is in order. We "put up"/can tomatoes every Fall.  We make a lot of red gravy - as it's called in our neighborhood - as well as soups, and other dishes using flavorful tomatoes.  To supplement our larder, we have been buying canned tomatoes and paste from Italy.  Nothing wrong with them; they are fine tomatoes, but I have recently been introduced to great tomato products from a family owned and operated business just a few states over from my own - Red Gold.

Selita Reichart is the matriarch of the Red Gold company.  The company was founded in 1942. Selita  and her husband are the third generation owners of Red Gold and their two sons are being groomed to take over as the fourth generation.   The company's employee created mission statement is:  "To produce the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world".

I have had the pleasure over the past few months to try Red Gold's products in a number of my favorite tomato based recipes and I am definitely going to be using them - as opposed to the imported tomato products - from now on.  I made red gravy, stewed tomatoes, chicken cacciatore, and cream of tomato soup (see recipe below) and I am very happy to recommend the Red Gold line of products.  The consumer brands from Red Gold include:  Red Gold, Redpak, Tuttorosso; and Sacramento.  For those of us on the east coast Tuttorosso and Redpak are very easy to find.  Their website is worth visiting, as well.  It is well maintained, friendly, interactive, and includes lots of recipes.  Check it out:  www.redgold.com, and please give the Red Gold products a try; I know that you will enjoy the tomatoes as much as you will enjoy supporting a family owned business!

Ready for Grilled Cheese!

Recipe:  Cream of Tomato Soup (Better than the red and white can!)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
Kosher Salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, but it doesn't really impart "heat" as much as pick up the flavor)
1 Lg. can (28 ounces) of Redpak whole tomatoes, in their juices
1 1/2 cups of low salt chicken stock
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional garnishes:  basil leaves, thyme, grated parmesan cheese

Technique

Over medium low heat, melt the butter with the olive oil in a medium saucepan
Add the diced onions and a large pinch of salt
Cook - and stir occasionally - until the onions soften, about 15 minutes (don't brown the onions)
Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes and cook for 5 - 7 minutes more, stir occasionally

Increase the heat to medium and add the can of whole tomatoes and their juices to the pan.  (TIP:  I use kitchen shears to chop the tomatoes a bit while they are still in the can - it gives you a bit of a head start on getting the tomatoes to break down. )
Crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon as you stir them around a bit.
Cook until the tomatoes are hot and are beginning to soften; about 10 - 15 minutes
Add the chicken stock to the pan, stir, and bring the mixture to a simmer
Cook at a medium simmer (not a boil) until the tomatoes are beginning to fall apart; about 15 minutes

Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly - for about 10 minutes
Using an immersion blender, puree' the soup until smooth. You can also blend the soup in batches in a blender, just be very careful - the liquid will still be hot.

(NOTE: some folks like a bit of a chunk, which is fine, but I like the soup to be as smooth as I can get it.  Memories of the red and white can!)

Return the pureed soup to low heat and gradually stir in the cream.  Add freshly ground black pepper and taste to adjust the seasonings.   Serve with your garnish of choice.  (NOTE:  I never use any garnish; I usually have this with a basic grilled cheese sandwich, which I occasionally dip into the soup.  Just like my Grannie used to make it for me!)

Enjoy!

Freezers, Refrigerators, and Larders and Amazing Stuffed Pork Chops

 

Our Larder - one part of our system

     It's that time of year when I start taking stock and straightening out our freezers and our larder.  I know we've been pulling things out of the freezer and using things from the larder shelves for a number of months now and I have to take yet another,"inventory".  I need to be sure that I know what we still have lots of, what's getting low (blueberries, strawberries, and green beans I have learned), and what we may have "forgotten" that we had - and making use of it.  The management and monitoring of our supplies, provisions and food takes a bit of time, as does cooking our meals "from scratch", but in the long run we can't imagine any other way - you literally cannot go back to the processed stuff in the supermarket once you start eating this way - you just can't.

     Here's a look at our food storage system and a recipe we developed recently with items we had stored.

     The Freezers & the Refrigerators:  We started a number of years ago, freezing seasonal things that we loved, like asparagus and blueberries, strawberries, green beans, etc. All of the things that we bought fresh at the various Farmers' Markets were bought in bulk in order to "freeze some".  Well, the drawer freezer below our 30 inch main refrigerator filled up pretty quickly, so we invested in a stand alone box freezer and installed it in the basement of our home.  The box freezers are the most reasonably priced and frankly I think they are better at energy management.  They are however a challenge to use.  With a box freezer you are bent over looking in side baskets (the win!) or you are having to dig through layers of frozen packages trying to find the one that is alluding you (the loss!) -  so the more organized the better - you have been warned.  Last year we added a second small refrigerator to the basement line up.   Believe it or not, we seem to have way more condiments and pickles and juices than most people - so again our kitchen refrigerator was getting impossible to manage.  And happily that small refrigerator came with a small top freezer.

     The Larder:  We've been canning tomatoes and tomato puree' for years. Even before we got involved in urban homesteading and growing some of our own food, we'd go to South Jersey and buy flats of Jersey tomatoes to can.  We always maintained a small shelving unit in the basement for our canned tomatoes.  As time went by we expanded to canning pickles and pickled peppers and a jam or two along with the tomatoes.  Eventually we realized that we needed larger shelves, and we needed them to be handy to the cook.  We installed a large shelving unit at the foot of the basement steps, added some fruit crates stacked next to it for storing potatoes, squash, onions and garlic, and just like that, we found ourselves with a larder.

     So, we are currently a three freezer, two refrigerator, one larder household.  It may sound like a lot but keep in mind that we cook from scratch.  And, of course, our interest in urban homesteading has led us to growing some of our own food.  Along with water bath canning, this year we are starting to do pressure canning, which will allow us to have soups, stews, and sauces among other things on those larder shelves.

     In the long run, we are finding that our system is definitely healthier for us and proves itself to be quite cost effective.  Believe me, our costs - even with our initial investment in appliances - are much less than folks who eat take out a good deal and who buy a lot of supermarket processed food. We make our own stocks and freeze them.  Our dinners become vacuum packed for lunches and those seasonal things that we love are available to us long after their growing season ends.  It is worth it to take some time to look at a few key things:   1. how you would be able to preserve and/or store some good, local food;  2. what you would need to cook more of your food at home; and 3. how making some changes might improve your eating experiences - and your health.

     So, as part of my recent "inventory check" - here's what I came upstairs with:   I found two big thick pork chops (from Country Time Farm) and some chicken stock in our freezer; I grabbed some apples and onions from our larder bins; and I opened the small refrigerator and found celery and mushrooms in our produce drawers.  And yes, I had a hankering for the smoky flavor of scamorza - which is basically a smoked mozzarella - so I did go out and buy that!

     And that is how this recipe was born! This is basically our "old time" family stuffing recipe, kicked up a few notches.  The addition of apple, mushroom and cheese provides amazing flavor with the pork.  And if you can, do add the Apple Cider, too!

Recipe:  Roasted Pork Chops with Apple, Mushroom, and Cheese Stuffing
(for 2)

Ingredients

2 thick cut, bone-in pork chops (humanely raised, drug free, local)

2 cups coarse bread (like French table bread) crusts carelessly removed, torn into pieces
2 - 3 tablespoons of lard***
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms (slice them thick, then halve them)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced (small dice)
3 ounces of Scamorza cheese diced (small dice)
No salt chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons Sage
Apple Cider

***It is becoming very clear that vegetable and canola oils are actually not very good for us, while good lard is a fine medium for frying and sautéing in some dishes.  You will be seeing the use  of lard in many of my recipes going forward.

Technique

"Stale" the bread pieces by spreading them out on to a cookie sheet.  This is best accomplished overnight or, if you have bread that is close to stale when you tear it, in a few hours.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

Sauté the onion and the celery in the lard until soft.  Add salt and pepper
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook the mushrooms until they are tender (not too soft)
Stir in the apple and the sage and cook for 1 -2 minutes
Remove the pan from the heat

Add the bread pieces and toss to blend
Add the cheese and toss to blend

Moisten the stuffing mixture with the chicken stock (how moist you like your stuffing is up to you but remember it can dry out a bit in the cooking process)
Check salt and pepper levels

Lightly butter or oil a baking dish

Make a slit in the side of each of the pork chops - you are creating a "pouch" for the stuffing
Fill each chop with the stuffing mixture.  Stuff well, but don't over stuff.
Put any left over stuffing in the baking dish around the chops.

Now - to gild the lily a bit - pour a bit of good local apple cider over the chops and the stuffing.

Cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Uncover the baking pan and bake for another 15 minutes or until the chops are done to your liking.
Let the chops and stuffing sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

During the uncovered baking period, the loose stuffing will form a nice crunchy exterior but will stay soft and juicy underneath.

Enjoy!

Easy & Delicious Beef Bone Broth

There is no better time of year than now to develop the habit of making Bone Broth on a regular basis.  My approach is to make small batches - which keep up to a week or so in the refrigerator.  I take out a small amount each day, warm it up in a small sauce pan, pour it into a cup and sprinkle the hot broth with a few good flakes of Maldon sea salt.  Delicious.  Warming.  Good for you!


Let's begin.  Beef Bone Broth.

Ingredients

A one pound to one and a half pound beef soup bone.  See below - it must be from a naturally raised animal.
Fresh Water
2 - 3 Bay leaves
One yellow onion
Good Sea Salt

Technique

The first and most important item in the broth making process is the bone.  I use a one pound to one and a half pound beef "soup" bone - as my local farmer labels it.  A nice big bone, some marrow, and a good deal of meat surrounding the bone.  You want - no, you must have - organic, grass fed, pasture raised beef bones.  Making beef bone broth from supermarket, factory farmed meat is a waste of time.  You are not looking for a nice hot cup of hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals from an unhappy, tortured creature.

Rinse your soup bone and pat dry.  Some folks roast the bone until it develops some color.  Much like you do to make a good rich stock.  I do not roast the bone.  My broth has a lighter color because of that, but I want all of the flavor and goodness in my liquid.

Place the bone in a medium sized stock pot.  Cover the bone by about 3 - 4 inches with fresh water.  Add about two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to the water - this will leach out impurities that will  rise to the top early on so you can skim them off.

Cover the pot.  Bring your liquid to a boil and then immediately lower to a simmer - a very low simmer.  I use a "simmer plate" that fits over my burner and allows me to keep the heat very low.  You do not want the liquid to boil. I check it every hour so; if you need to, add water to maintain the level. In the first couple of hours, you can skim the scum floating on the top.  After that,  I do not skim the fat off!  I know that you will see many recipes that do skim the fat off.  Fat = Flavor.  I leave it alone.

Again, I make my bone broth in small batches, so I generally leave this pot on a simmer for from 24 - 30 hours.  I may not have mentioned this, but also note that you will have the most amazing aroma wafting throughout your kitchen after about hour three.

At about hour 28 I add a few bay leaves and a regular yellow onion cut into quarters.  That is all that I add. As mentioned,  I do not roast the bone.  I do not add tomato paste.  Thus, my bone broth is "natural" in color.  I like it that way, but once you start making it regularly you may want to experiment.

When the meat is all off of the bone, when the marrow is out and melted into the broth (I help this process along if it doesn't fall out itself) and the broth is a lovely golden color, it's done.

Strain once through a wide strainer for the meat, bone, bay leaves and onion; strain a second time through cheesecloth for the rest of the bits, etc.

After straining, I refrigerate the broth in a large glass measuring cup, covered,  for at least a few hours, and ideally overnight.

When you chill it, you will see that fat has solidified on the top.  Yes - fat.  Good stuff!  I stir this well
so that I am sure to distribute it and then I "bottle" it.

 

"A cup a day" - I usually drink about 8 ounces a day.  Heat the broth well in a sauce pan, pour it into your cup and sprinkle it with some really good sea salt.  Give the salt a chance to permeate the broth and enjoy!


NOTE:  That meat is delicious, although a bit chewy.  You can find a number of ways to use it, especially shredded and slow cooked - as in tacos.  If you live with dogs, you will make them very happy with some of this meat, as well!

Favorite Food Trends 2015

Tinned Seafood

The Celery on my winter windowsill

As you may have guessed I do a lot of reading about food, recipes, growing food, storing food, etc.  In the past few weeks I have been digesting all of the various food magazines, web sites and other media to get a feel for what people in the food world see as the trends we can expect to see in 2015.

I offer some of them here for your consideration.  I would also love to hear from you as to what YOU think will be trends.  Almost all trends are of a general nature, but I have also added one or two that are local to my environment.  I am sure that there are some that are local to you all as well.

Bone Broth - One of the many things that keeps me hooked on the world of food and cooking is that i am always learning something new.  Bone Broth was a new on me.  Of course I new about stock - we spent a whole year (I think it was 2010) learning how to make the best stocks.  And I know about Bouillon - although I rarely use it.  But this broth was a new twist.  I can happily say that this is a "trend" we should all get behind.  It is delicious, good for you and wonderfully comforting in cold weather.  And it could not be easier to make.  You put small meaty bones in water just to cover.   Don't boil it.  Simmer it for anywhere from 8 - 24 hours.  For the last hour or so you can add some aromatics and a carrot and/or onion.  When the broth is done to your liking, remove the veg and any aromatics that you have used; strain the broth and it is ready to go.  I like it hot with a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt.  NOTE:  Use bones from sustainably raised meat; not factory farmed (supermarket) meat.  So far I have only made beef bone broth using bones from grass fed, pasture raised beef.  Trust me, it is a delicious and healthy pick me up or a lovely, informal "first course".  Try it!

Beef Bone Broth

High Quality Canned ('Tinned") Products  - If you have ever been to Spain you know that very expensive, very delicious, high quality preserved foods in small cans are a part of the tapas tradition.  There are also shops that sell nothing but fish, seafood, peppers, and other products in "tins".  I am not talking about a can of sardines here - not that there's anything wrong with that!  Oh no, you can find tins of octopus, white anchovies, smoked fish, fish in olive oil, stuffed piquillo peppers in vinegar, and shellfish, among other things.  In the U.S., we now have access to some of these wonderful producers.  One that we have been enjoying is Cole's tinned seafood, available at the Reading Terminal Market at "Jonathan's Best" and at Green Aisle Markets (see photo).  Putting out tins of rich, delicious fish, seafood, vegetables and other items with good hunks of bread and ice cold cocktails is dinner on a Friday evening in my house.  Look for some of these products online at www.tienda.com.

Homemade Butter - What can I say?  I have been making our own butter for about three years now and I can't imagine going back to commercial butters.  That said, I do occasionally treat my self to Irish butter or the Parmesan butter.  And I am very lucky to have access to butter made by some of our wonderful local farms.  That said, I enjoy the process and so, unless I can't get excellent, unfooled around with heavy cream, I make my own.   There are lots of techniques.  Some folks use the "shake in the jar" approach.  I applaud that, but I didn't invest in that heavy duty Kitchen Aid for nothing!  I use non-homogenized heavy cream (it's gorgeous.  I can smell the grass the cows ate in it).  Six cups into the bowl of the mixer, use the whisk attachment and give it a slow stir and then switch to a high beat.  I strain it into a big bowl (that Buttermilk is gold!), and stir and press it with a heavy wooden butter paddle until I have pressed out all of the milk.  I bottle up the Buttermilk. I wrap the butter in wax paper in six or seven "chunks" and freeze it.  Of course, I always hold one or two out of the freezer because it is so good and so fresh. NOTE:  Unless it is really hot in our kitchen - and it is often in the summer as we are "AC Free", I do not refrigerate butter or eggs.

Black Crack - I am proud to say the producers of this aged and fermented black garlic are operating in my region.  Thus, we have had a couple of years to use it.  It is amazing.  I like to grind it up, although using it is the traditional cloves is glorious too.  It is amazing over scrambled eggs, steaks, bread and butter - frankly, I haven't found it to not be wonderful on anything.  I love these folks.  Get yourself some Black Crack at The Fair Food Farmstand in The Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia or online at www.obisone.com.

Celery - And, lastly, an ingredient that I truly love.  Celery has been undervalued and underused forever (in my humble opinion).  Well that is changing quickly!  I love to use celery. Celery is very versatile.  It is delicious braised, can be made into a granita and is wonderful tossed with Cerignola olives and a good vinaigrette.  I plant Par-Cel in our herb garden every year.  If you are not familiar with Par-Cel, look it up.  It's like parsley with thicker, celery like stalks and an intense flavor of celery.  As you can see, I love the celery leaves as well so I cut off the bottom of a stalk of celery, put it in water and keep it on the kitchen windowsill all winter.  One of these freebie plants rooted, so it's growing quite nicely in dirt.  I clip the leaves for recipes and I also dry some of the leaves and mix them with a good sea salt.  Great for Bloody Mary's, soups, almost anything.

So, having shared what I think are some of the most meaningful "Trends for 2015",  how about sharing what you think are important food trends on the horizon?

A Rant: Misguided Food New Year's Resolutions!

"Eat food.  Mostly plants. Not too much."

Michael Pollan

So it is that time of year for folks to announce their New Year's resolutions - and very often these announcements center on food.

Now there are a couple things we know about human behavior and one of them is that most of us do not stick to our New Year's resolutions.  It is probably better to make changes at some other time of year then to make big declarations at the start of a new year, especially after the end of a long holiday period.

That said, it is not so much the making of resolutions that saddens me - it is the content of some of these resolutions.  When it comes to the food resolutions I have heard so far in 2015, almost all involve:  Diets, Cleanses, Fasts, 100% Avoidance of Certain Foods, and 100% Eating of Certain Foods.  Nothing on the lists I have seen have any chance at long term dietary behavior change.  And some I fear are being observed by folks who - when not observing some strange temporary food rituals - eat processed food, junk food, and fast food.  The three poisons that really are killing us.

Deciding to live on kale "smoothies" twice a day or drinking manufactured "shakes" loaded with chemicals, and/or cutting out all carbohydrates, all protein, or all sugar (unless diabetes is an issue) is INSANITY folks!  I have also heard from those who have decided to "live on" only fruit for a few weeks.  Or only raw vegetables.  Really?  In winter? I also feel bad for the woefully misled.  For example, people who have decided to eat only "no fat" yogurt for lunch need to know that no fat yogurt is loaded with sugar!  And in the case of the yogurt "sundaes" I see in the stores,  loaded with tons of other artificial ingredients, as well. With that said, I realize that it is a good time - after all of the celebrating, rich foods, and imbibing -  to "lighten up" a bit for a week or so.  It is Winter, after all, so it is a time when human beings by nature crave comfort foods and the occasional treat.

Like a slavish dedication to running or exercise, these eating fads can become an ingrained part of a person's life.  While they might bounce from one fad to another,  in between fads they eat horribly.  None of these strange, forced "fixes" is permanent.  Not one.

What is permanent is eating seasonally, locally, and fresh.  Learning to prepare food yourself at least a few times a week is permanent.  Buying food that is free of a laundry list of chemicals, sugars, dyes, and artificial flavoring is permanent.  Believe me, you cannot go back to processed food once you have escaped its grip.  The smell of someone making a "Lean Cuisine" in a microwave literally makes me nauseous.  I know the "aroma" is manufactured by chemicals and the "food" inside is loaded with awful, mad food scientist produced contents.

We are human and we like a treat now and again - I'll be the first to admit I'm at the head of that line!  Thinking that you did something wonderful for yourself because you didn't have a slice of bread or a bowl of pasta or a single cookie for a month means nothing in the final analysis. You will not have learned to eat; you will have learned to make food the enemy and the denial of taking pleasure from food the goal.  How sad is that?  And if you engage in these fads enough,  you will start a cycle of binge and deny and be miserable, binge and deny and be miserable, as a way of life.

Learn to enjoy real food!  Learn to eat a varied, delicious diet!  Throw the boxes out of the freezer and please out of your desk drawers.  Get rid of the soda, especially the diet soda.  Trash the margarine and the fake "spray" butter. Use real butter. Actually use "real" everything. Artificial is the worst thing you can do to yourself. Learn to use proteins as ingredients - not big slabs of meat or fish on your plate -  but rather smaller pieces within a dish.  Stop using any and all condiments and other products that contain High Fructose Corn Syrup - this stuff is screwing up your system and your taste buds.  Read the labels!

Know where your food comes from.  Learn to know what is in season in your area and buy fresh and in season vegetables and fruits.  Cook!  And I don't mean stop and pick up a factory raised chicken, pre - cooked, from some "Market".  Plan your menus and your meals ahead of time and shop accordingly.  Eat breakfast everyday. It should not always be bacon and eggs of course, but neither does it always have to be some disgusting blend of foods that don't go together mashed up in a blender so that you can drink it! Make a batch of oatmeal to last the work week.  Eat real, full fat Greek Yogurt. Even a good piece of toast and a glass of freshly squeezed juice is a good start.   Eat good cheese (not processed "american").  Once you start cooking more regularly for yourself, start learning to cook with leftovers.  Bring a lunch to work that you put together from some of those good leftovers. Save the blender for frozen drinks!

Embrace the idea that life is not about living in cycles of denial because you think you are "preserving" yourself.  You can eat deliciously, and you can treat yourself regularly, if you learn to prepare and eat fresh, real food that it is in season and has been grown and raised drug and cruelty free.  If you don't have time for that, what do you have time for?

End of Rant.