CSA dinner

multicolored carrots, ginger and garlic scapes sauteeing in olive oil

dinner's ready! barley, CSA stir fry of bok choy, leeks, and the above mixture, pork chop, and CSA salad of cucumbers, romaine, red leaf lettuce, and red oak lettuce, carrots, sunflower seeds and egg

Quick & Easy Lotion

Julie asked what recipe I used when making my lotion the other night, and the answer is...I don't remember where I got the recipe.  Sorry!  But I can tell you, it was the simplest set of instructions and I emailed myself the gist of it and just followed along:

First off, I had two big bottles of oil I bought at Madina in downtown Brooklyn.  They have an online store!  So easy.  For the last year I've been using dribbles of the plain oil to moisturize my overly dry hands and shins.  I use Sweet Almond Oil and Jojoba.  From these, I measured out a 1/2 cup blend of the two and put it in a double boiler on the stovetop.

Then I shaved roughly 2 tablespoons of beeswax off a 1 pound brick I bought online (although you can easily buy beeswax at your local farmer's market), and tipped that into the oil in the double boiler.

I watched, gently stirring for about 10 minutes as the wax shavings melted into the oil.  Careful not to douse yourself in hot oil and wax!  Then, I turned off the heat on the stove and kept stirring the oil/wax mixture with a whisk while slowly drizzling 1/2 cup of distilled water into the bowl.  Each time water hit the hot mixture, the oil and wax hardened a little and it became easier to whisk with more intensity.

Once all the water was added, I continued to whisk the mixture for about 10 minutes until the blend met my desired consistency.  To finish it off, I put a few drops of peppermint oil in the bowl and whisked it until fully incorporated.  Then I used a spatula to fill two small wide-mouth containers (I used Lush soap tins) with the lotion, and stored in my bathroom.

Fin!

Note:
I've been using the lotion every morning in lieu of the plain oil, and it is so much easier to apply/spread.  Also, it seems that it absorbs into my skin more quickly, and I don't feel nearly as greasy.  I'd love to try making lotion again, and maybe next time I'll try getting a little fancier with the scents I add.  I may also try whipping the mixture a bit longer over a very controlled, low heat, because I notice that some of the distilled water separated from my lotion after a few days of sitting.  I may also try adding slightly more wax next time to help everything set.

Another note:
The wax is so annoying to try to clean off a good knife, so use a craft knife or maybe a thrifted cheese grater or something you won't use on food to shave your 2 tablespoons of beeswax.  Or!  Buy the granulated beeswax from your local bee keeper.  :)

this week's obsessions

patio dining - it is currently 61 degrees!

home made lotion made with bees wax, jojoba and sweet almond oils

Popover with Nutella

made today

-bed
-French Press coffee
-english muffin with marmalade
-to-do lists
-little painting
-popovers with nutella

a revelation

watermelon rinds, quickly blanched, then sprinkled with sea salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, freshly cut chives, minced garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, a splash of soy sauce, and a splash of apple cider vinegar, then left to stew in its juices for a week = the best kimchi I've ever had.

i used to enjoy making people balk by saying that watermelon was the only food i didn't like, but now i'll have to change that.

truly disturbing

yuck

this week's CSA

Tomatos, potatos and cantaloupe!!

csa week 7

csa week 6

pizza night

Inspired by a section of the book I (and, it seems, everyone else in the world) am reading,

I made pizza on Friday night using some pantry and freezer basics, and CSA vegetables that NEEDED to be used (a giant baby bok choy, flat leaf parsley and chives).

It turned out delicious!  I love a deep dishy pizza crust that's chewy and bready,

but my other prefers a thin, crackery crust.  

Any suggestions for a good thin crust recipe?  I'll try that next!

kohlrabi kimchi, 24 hours later

two things i love

flowers and cheese.  yum.
squash blossoms courtesy of our CSA.

summer fare

We decided to join our neighborhood's CSA this summer, and are enjoying a fridge OVERFLOWING with fresh, local, organic produce.  We've got so many vegetables, in fact, I'm already searching for ways to keep them beyond their normal refridgerated life. 

My answer is always: make kimchi!  The variety I made last night was seafood-less, so technically, I'm not sure it can be called kimchi.  Maybe a spicy Korean-inspired pickle?

Recipe:

Group A

-3 or 4 tblspns Sea salt or Kosher salt

-3 or 4 Kohlrabi hearts, trimmed of outside layer and sliced into bite-sized pieces
Group B
-3 Radishes, finely minced
-2 Hakurei turnips, finely minced
-1/2 Spanish onion, finely minced
-4 Scallions, finely minced
-4 or 5 cloves of Garlic, finely minced
-1/3 c Parsley, finely minced
-3 or 4 tblspns dried red pepper flakes
-2 tblspns Sea salt of Kosher salt
-cracked black pepper to taste
-fresh squeezed juice of a lemon or lime

Dump all peeled and sliced kohlrabi pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt, tossing in bowl to ensure that all pieces are coated. Set aside for 30-45 minutes to allow the salt to draw water out of the vegetable.

In a separate, smaller bowl, mix all ingredients from Group B, beginning with the radishes, turnips, onion, scallions, garlic and parsley and lemon/lime juice and the salt. Toss to ensure the salt gets on everything, then add the pepper flakes and black pepper and toss some more. Set to the side to let the juices mix.

After 30-45 minutes, a significant amount of water will have been drawn from the kohlrabi slices by the salt. Drain all of this off and lightly rinse excess salt off the vegetable and put back in the large bowl. Now mix the spicy mixture of Group B ingredients (with juice) in, tossing until thoroughly encorporated. Move mixture from bowl to a clean and dry airtight container, cover and put in a cool, dark place for a minimum of 2 weeks. The salt will continue to draw water from the kimchi until the veggies are completely covered in their own fluid.

This is the fluid level in my kimchi last night, right after making it.  Already (I excitedly checked this morning) there's about two inches of fluid in there. 

make your own

I came on to the trend of kombucha way late in the game.  Like, I drank it for the first time two weeks ago when I was sick with a never-ending cold.  Now I'm hooked.  And NOW, thanks to this article, I will be attempting to make my own.

Pickled Green Tomatoes

Must try this recipe!

kimchi jigae

It's not your average American chicken noodle soup! Kimchi Jigae is a crave-worthy treat that I indulge in at my favorite Korean restaurant year-round. Now I'm gonna try making a big pot of it at home, thanks to this post!

via Daren

Hapa Kitchen for the Loving Day Project

via Tom

Hapa Kitchen for the Loving Day Project

A Rough Guide to the Spicy Garlic Soy Beans

Mamichan requested the recipe I used to make my Spicy Garlic Soy (Sauce) Beans, so here we go! I really was just throwing things together, so I can't give super-accurate measurements, but I'll give you at least a rough idea....

Start with about 1/2 pound of string beans and clean them by snapping off the ends and rinsing them in cold water. Quickly blanch the lot in boiling water for about a minute and drain. Carefully pack the string beans in a clean and dry pint canning jar along with the smashed chunks of 4-6 garlic cloves and set to the side.

In a separate bowl, throw together:
-half a cup of apple cider vinegar
-2-3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
-a teaspoon of celery salt
-a teaspoon of crushed cayenne peppers
-a teaspoon of black pepper
-1 tablespoon salt

Mix together vigorously and pour over the string beans. If the mixture does not fill the jar to the top, covering the beans, splash in a little more apple cider vinegar.

Screw jar lid on tightly, and place in the refridgerator for a week or more.

*Note: I let my string beans sit in the brine for a week and a half before opening, and they're perfectly pickled.

These would be delicious with a dark stout and a plate of salty salami, sharp cheddar and smoked oysters!

Kitchen Productivity

I tested my Spicy Garlic Soy beans tonight, and while I don't mean to toot my own horn:
THEY
ARE
RAD.

Also, I made my first beef stew over the weekend while I was wishing for fall to hurry up and get here.