Bread and Mushrooms, and Honey

One of the changes we made during the Local Food Challenge that we kept was the locally-grown-grain home-made bread. Four Star Farms  in Northfield, MA, has been my go-to place (either through Volante Farm when they stock it, or straight from the farm) for hard red winter berries, which I grind in my mighty Vitamix. …

(Mostly) Homegrown Split Pea Soup

I love it! Scarf wound ’round, hat down on over ears, zip up coat, grab the harvest basket and run out. Loot: celery, leeks and pea shoots Rinse, chop, sweep into the pot, add homegrown chopped onions and carrots, as well as split peas (bulk, dry) that have been soaking overnight, water, pepper and salt …

Daily Bread No. 13 and Hot Box Update

I joined the a team of parent and teacher volunteers who are working to make the school system in our town greener. We’re working on getting the recycling going. Especially lunch time is a problem, a big black hole that apparently eats only trash. ~ I’m still baking, only not as much – a bread …

Peas Anyway, and Daily Bread No.12, Rain Barrels, Pumpkins

The Fall peas never had a chance to blossom – my fault, I planted them too late. But during a garden tour a friend pointed out I could still eat the shoots. Lovely just like that and in soup and salad. Also baked Daily Bread No.12. It sang when I took it out of the …

Daily Bread No. 11

This bread is so good. We had it with homemade pesto (last harvest of homegrown basil) and the last Brandywine tomatoes. Tomorrow if I am feeling better I’ll pull all the tomatoes, peppers and eggplants from the hoop house, chop them up, and mix them with the orphan punkins, of which we received three more …

Daily Bread No. 10 and Last Harvests

So I’m not going to be able to bake a bread every day, but it’s cool. Taking advantage of the hot oven, I also baked a punkin pie, using this wonderful recipe (but with canned pumpkin puree). I can’t show you pictures because it’s mostly gone already. I may become a (modest) baker after all. …

Daily Bread No. 8, and First Pumpkin Foundling

Today, the day after Halloween, we found our first punkin orphan, dropped off at our mailbox. Amie ran to welcome it. We reminded people of the composting program when we were out trick-or-treating, and many were enthusiastic. And I met one elderly gentleman who was the first to live on this street, and he and …