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Stitch and Boots Etsy Shop

Posted by on November 29, 2009 2 Comments

Here on Stitch and Boots my main objective is to help people learn as many of the skills an urban homesteader might need to know that are within my realm of expertise to share.  I want to be a conduit to DIY success in cooking, sewing, fixing, cleaning, and growing.  Sometimes with the help of much-loved and respected friends, often on my own.

 

In my former life I have been many things including: fast food cashier, electronics salesperson, shipping manager for Weston Wear in San Francisco, custom costume designer, needlewoman, assistant designer at Mulberry Neckwear, color swatcher at Mulberry Neckwear, coffee jerk (several times), technical writer, unpaid novelist, retail store owner, product designer and manufacturer for my own retail store, metal grinder (very briefly wonderfully satisfying), housewife, stay at home mom, and currently I am a headline editor for an online ad network.

 

I shut down my Etsy shop that followed my retail brick and mortar store because I wanted to be done with sewing for commerce.  I have a good job and not a ton of time.  Having a good job at this time must be counted as one heck of a blessing and I couldn’t be more thankful that I have one.  However, in spite of both my husband and myself being employed, like so many people we know we make very little money together and we are facing the tough prospect of a winter with no extra room in our budget for things like heating our house*.

I have some wonderful back-stock from my retail store that I made myself and I have decided to reopen my Etsy shop to sell what I have and to make some new things for it as well.

I have thought a lot about what my purpose is, what my usefulness to people is, and I believe that the real service I can offer to people is to help them learn to do things for themselves.  Trying to sell people ready-made things isn’t my main goal nor my ultimate gift.  The service of helping to teach others to do for themselves needs to be free.  I need to offer this as a real service.  A thing I do not for commerce but for sheer joy and personal fulfillment.  Money, just to have lots of it, is not an end goal I have, though I admit that like most people I don’t despise the dream of being  comfortable.

Most of the things I am listing in my Etsy shop are things I’d like to do as tutorials  here so that everyone can, if they want to, make them for themselves.  What I would ultimately like to do is to offer tutorials on how to make all these projects for yourself and then offer patterns only for sale at some point.

One pattern I will be working on this coming week is a little pattern for the mushroom applique I designed for the men’s shirt smock project.

I hope that all of you will visit my shop if only to say hello and see what’s going on there.  I know that so many people are in the same situation that I am financially and aren’t in a position to be shopping.   I am going to include links to my Etsy shop in any post where it seems appropriate but I ask you not to feel importuned in the least nor pressured to buy.  If I have something for sale that is exactly what you need or want then I will be delighted to provide it to you, but what I really want is for you all to continue visiting to see what new recipes, projects, and plant profiles are being added to this urban homesteading database.  I want all of you to continue to feel empowered to do things for yourselves.

Here is a link to my newly minted Etsy shop:

Stitch and Boots on Etsy

I have some new recipes to post in the next few days so come back soon!  Thank you all so much for spending time reading Stitch and Boots, this is one of my greatest achievements in progress!

 

 

*I’m not kidding.  The interior of our house has been between 53 degrees and 56 degrees all day.  We’ve always been known to keep our house at a fairly crisp cool temperature but this is ten degrees lower than we usually go.

Filed Under: Around the Farmhouse | Tagged:

Elderberry: Plant Profile

Posted by on November 28, 2009 1 Comment

Native Elderberry 2

An elderberry tree is not difficult to identify, especially when they are in full fruit.  The umbels of small berries are not easily confused with any other kind.

 elderberry tree 2

Elderberry bushes can be pruned to be kept smaller in a garden but given free rein they can grow up to 30′ tall.

 elderberries macro 2
The

Sambucus Caerulea is distinguished for its light blue appearance that the white bloom on the berries gives them.

 tiny berries 2

Different cultivars of elderberry may produce different sized berries, but even the larger ones are pretty small.

 stripped 2

You can see the structure of the umbel better when stripped of berries.  Its branching is intricate and rather pretty.

Most cultivars of elderberry are edible and used in both food and medicine.  Although the elderberry has somewhat fallen out of popularity outside the grandmother crowd, it has been highly valued by people for hundreds (possibly even a couple thousand) of years.  The berries have been used to make jellies, syrups, liqueurs, and pies while the delicate cream-colored flowers have been used to make teas, wine, and “champagne”.  The wood of the elderberry was used by craftsmen and in pipe making and the flowers have been used in cosmetics since the Roman times at least and are still used in cosmetics to this day.

Medicinal uses: the number one medicinal use for elderberry is as a cold and influenza remedy.  It is used in various forms to alleviate feverish conditions, and as an immune system stimulant.  It is prescribed for allergies, congestion, ear and throat infections, burns, inflamed skin and mucous membranes, and for arthritis and rheumatism.

Nutritional value: elderberries are high in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamins B6, and iron.  They are a powerful antioxidant and are high in fiber.

Elderberry is native to Europe and North America.  The European elderberry (Sambucus Nigra) has dark bluish purple berries while there are two  North American elderberries, Sambucus Canadensis is native to the area east of the Rockies, and Sambucus Caerulea (a sub species of Sambucus Nigra) is native to the area West of the Rockies and extending all the way down to Mexico.

All the elderberries I have mentioned above are edible though it is important to note that it is best not to eat the flowers or berries raw unless you are very sure of the plant’s specific variety because some varieties have poisonous parts without being cooked*.  Unless you know exactly which species of elderberry you have you should always cook the berries and flowers before eating them.  If you are growing your own you can pick the specific variety you would like to grow; if you are foraging for elderberry you may find any of the types mentioned above growing in the wild.  Any elderberry with blue or purple berries is safe to consume when cooked, what you need to avoid is any elderberry with red berries.

Sambucus Racemosa (Red Elder) and Sambucus Canadensus “Aurea” are two types of elderberry with red berries that are poisonous.  While some red berry varieties may be safe to use under certain circumstances, it is best to avoid them unless you are an herbal expert.

Red berries = poison.

Black, blue, or purple berries = edible and safe when cooked.

That ‘s the most important thing you need to know.

Why would you want to grow this yourself?  Elderberry is the most popular cold and flu remedy used in Europe even to this day and the scientific evidence supporting the medicinal claims of this plant are growing all the time.  In the National Geographic Desk Reference to Nature’s Medicine they cite that many modern studies have been done to test the folksy claims of the power of the elderberry to heal and that the tests have shown that elderberry has consistently reduced the severity of flu and cold symptoms as well as reducing the length of illness.  This plant continues to be of interest to scientists as well of herbalists.

You can still forage elderberry but with public wild lands continually shrinking, most people’s access to wild elderberry is decreasing all the time.  This is a powerful enough herbal with enough uses to earn it a place in your garden.

Cultivation facts:

  • Elderberry is a large deciduous bush growing up to 30′.
  • It grows quickly and suckers freely.
  • All elderberries prefer a sunny location.
  • All elderberries require cross pollination with other varieties.  Either plant two different varieties in their own spots in your garden or if you have limited space, plant two varieties in one hole.
  • European elders do particularly well in alkaline soils though all elders are adaptable to most soil types.  Most elders enjoy a wet soil which is why it is common to find elders growing along the banks of rivers, however, once established an elder has few watering requirements.
  • propagation can be accomplished with seeds or cuttings.  The seeds need stratification.  Cuttings should be taken from semihardwood in the summer from new growth.
  • Because elderberries sucker freely they can take over your yard unless you control them.  However, the bush is not long-lived.
  • Elderberry is rarely bothered by pests as its bark has a natural insecticide in it.

*One of my herbal books says that all parts of the elderberry Sambucus Canadensis are poisonous (at least mildly) unless cooked.  Although I foraged and correctly identified the elderberries I’m using for elderberry syrup, and theoretically I should be able to eat these raw, they don’t taste very good raw anyway.  I tried one.  The flavor is greatly enhanced by being cooked.  Furthermore, throughout my elderberry reading I have read that all the bark and twigs of all the elderberry varieties are at the very least mildly poisonous which is why it is suggested in a number of sources to take care to remove all of the stems of the berries before using in recipes.  I would certainly follow this advice.

 

**The only problem you will run into with the two in one hole planting is that eventually as you prune old growth away or it dies off you may end up with one of the two varieties completely dying out.  If this happens you can always take a cutting of a cross pollinator and replant it with the more mature plant: dig up any existing suckers and plant your cutting there, near the base of the mature planting.
Make your own elderberry syrup:
Elderberry Syrup: DIY Apothecary
Information for this article comes from:
“The Complete Herb Book” by Jekka McVicar
“Desk Reference to Nature’s Medicine” by National Geographic
“The Essential Natural Health Bible” by Nerys Purchon
Nutrition Data- an online resource for nutritional data (nutritional information from the USDA)

Be sure to also check out our post on making elderberry syrup:
Elderberry Syrup: DIY Apothecary

Filed Under: Gardening | Tagged:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Posted by on November 27, 2009 2 Comments

Roasting brussels sprouts brings out their sweetness and mellows their strong flavor.

The brussels sprout is a vegetable people love to hate.  It’s as pungent as a cabbage but comes in a small compact miniature head.  I suspect that many people have tasted only mistreated brussels sprouts or they would look forward to them every fall as I do.  Here is one of the simplest ways to prepare them and bring out their best side.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 lbs brussels sprouts

1/4 cup olive oil

coarse salt to taste

pepper to taste


Method: 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare the brussels sprouts by peeling away the top 2 to 4 leaves, depending on how dirty they are.  Clean them.  Cut away any surplus stems.  Slice large and medium-sized sprouts in half but leave the small ones whole. Put them in a roasting pan.  Drizzle with the olive oil.  Grind as much fresh pepper on them as you like and sprinkle as much salt as you like.  I generally use about a teaspoon and a half of coarse salt.  Turn them with a spatula until they are all coated.  Put them in the oven.

It will take about 20 to 25 minutes for them to roast.  You want to turn them every so often to prevent any of them from burning and to get more surface roasted.  When they are tender and browned they are done.

Serve hot.

Recipe Notes: How brown you like them is a matter of personal taste.  I like mine to get to a nice medium brown where the vegetable surfaces are starting to caramelize.  I don’t think they taste good being too dark and if they’re too light you miss out on the sweetness.  If you like a touch of heat you can sprinkle some crushed hot pepper onto them.  An alternative to using olive oil would be to use bacon fat which would compliment the flavor of the brussels sprouts well. All I want to suggest is to keep your variations simple because this dish doesn’t need much to shine.

Filed Under: Fall Recipes | Tagged:

6 Tips To Help You Sew Like A Professional

Posted by on November 21, 2009 4 Comments

I remember when I was a kid that it was pretty much a popularity killer to wear home-made clothes.  My mom made me some clothes for a while and I thought they were pretty snazzy but I have never forgotten the attitudes of scorn that others had about it.  Then when I went to Fashion Design School I learned to use industrial sewing machines and how to draft patterns and over the years of sewing professionally and working in other capacities in the garment design field I have come to understand where the attitudes have come from with regards to home sewing.

One of the major issues with making clothes from commercial patterns is that they generally use really large seam allowances.  They do this to give the home sewer more room for adjustments and errors.  Unfortunately the wider the seam allowance the bulkier the seams and the more clumsy a garment or project will look.  For commercially made garment the standard seam allowance is 1/2″.  It’s details like these that can make a big difference.

While most home sewers can’t draft their own patterns and don’t have control over the seam allowances (you can’t just use a 1/2″ seam allowance where a wider one has been given in a pattern because then the pieces won’t come together properly) there are a lot of things you can do to make your sewing look more professional.  Attention to detail is, as always, is the key to excellence.

 

See how puckered this hemmed edge is?  I pressed the fabric under first and it still has a puckery appearance after sewing.  It needs to be steam pressed again.  (See photo below)

 

1.  Pressing is vital. This is the single most important tip I can give you.  Unless the fabric you’re using was just bought off the bolt a half an hour ago, you need to press your fabric before cutting your pattern pieces out of it.  If you don’t you may end up with irregular pattern pieces that won’t fit well together.

Press your seams open.  Use steam on all fabrics and use the hottest setting allowable for the fabric you’re working with.  I can’t emphasize this enough: press open ALL of the seams you sew in any project as you go along.  Don’t wait until the end.  After each step in a project- PRESS THE SEAMS OPEN.  Also press any edges you’re turning under for hemming BEFORE you stitch it.  Your stitching will look much nicer.  Then press again.  Please see the difference this can make in the photos I have provided.
 

The first photo is how some sewers leave their edges.  It looks unprofessional.  This photo shows what  a difference pressing makes.

I have used many irons over the years both expensive and cheap and aside from the incredible industrial steam iron I got to use at my first industry job, the best one I’ve ever used in 20 years is the Black and Decker metal based iron I bought for $30.  It’s heavy, simple, and has few parts that can break.  I highly recommend this iron.

2.  Thread Color. Matching your thread to your project may seem like an unimportant detail but I assure you that the closer your thread matches the fabric color the less anyone will notice the thread at all.  Unless you are purposely using a contrasting thread for design effects, the thread is something no one should notice.  If you use a thread that’s darker or lighter than your fabric then any mistakes you make, such as uneven top stitching, will become more noticeable.

3.  Machine Tension. Your machine comes set at the average tension that is appropriate for sewing most things.  Over time the tension wheel can shift or the tension may need to be recalibrated by a professional sewing machine mechanic.  If the tension is off it’s almost always the upper thread tension that needs adjusting.  The middle setting is generally appropriate (around 5).  Read your sewing machine manual for information on what settings are appropriate for different projects and test it out.

How to know if the tension is off?  If your thread is so tight that it puckers the fabric as you’re sewing it, the tension is too tight.  If the seam is so loose that the thread is slightly loopy- the tension is too loose.

If you don’t have a manual for your machine, take it in to get a tune up and make sure you ask the person who works on your machine to explain to you how to use the tension dial.

4.  Top-stitching give the whole show away. Any time you have to do top-stitching you have a chance to make your project/garment look more professional.  Top-stitching should almost always (unless specifically directed otherwise) be 1/8″ from the edge.  It takes practice to make a clean even stitch but pay attention and you can do it well.  When you’re just learning to do top stitching: go slowly!  Use a seam gauge to help you keep the stitching at the length from the edge you need until your eye learns to judge it without measuring.  Set the gauge at 1/8″ and every couple of inches of sewing check the gauge against where your stitches are.  Pretty soon you won’t need a gauge.

5.  Bulky seams are gauche. Although I have never been sloppy with my drafting or sewing when I’m doing it professionally, I have been known to get quite lazy with the projects I do for myself.  One the steps I have occasionally skimped on is trimming the corners of seams when a pattern directs me to.  Or trimming the seam allowance around curves where typically more bulk in the seam prevents it from laying flat around a neckline or armscye.  The lesson I learned is that neglecting to take these little steps resulted in a visibly bulky seam that looked bad.  Whenever instructions say “trim the fabric…” do it.

6.  Making the fit. One of the greatest benefits of sewing your own garments is that you can make clothes that actually fit you.  If you are able to buy a commercial pattern, sew it up with no adjustments, and fit in it perfectly you just might not be human and I am most certainly extremely jealous!  What you need to remember is that patterns are designed to fit average body types.  Most people aren’t actually average.   The more you adjust a pattern to fit your figure specifically, the more professional it will look.  Each pattern includes instructions on how to make basic changes in fit.  Read these through.  Do test fittings as you sew your project.  Don’t wait until you’ve sewn a waistband on to see if the waist size is really a good fit on you.  Hem length is easy to adjust in a pattern so if you’re a little taller or a little shorter than average this is an easy detail to adjust.

 

Filed Under: Household Management | Tagged:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Posted by on November 21, 2009 2 Comments

Because I have an excessively picky eater to feed who doesn’t eat enough protein, I am always looking for ways to get more into him.  He has a huge sweet tooth and when it was established that he likes peanut butter cookies I went on a search for the recipe with the most peanut butter and the least amount of sugar.  Naturally I had to adapt what I found and this recipe is the one that has evolved and become our standard.

 

These cookies don’t spread so you have to push them down a little bit after making them into a ball.  It isn’t necessary to make the classic hash marks with a fork, but I enjoy doing it this way.

 

Each cookie is about an inch and a half in size when baked.

This is the color the bottom should be when you take them out- a nice deep golden without being too dark or too light.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

yield: approximately 60 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups light-brown sugar

1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 oz mini chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream the butter and sugars together in a big bowl until they are fluffy and light yellow.  Add the peanut butter and continue beating until it is completely blended with the butter.  Next beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the vanilla.

In a separate medium-size bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually stir the flour in with the wet ingredients until completely incorporated.  Add the chocolate chips and mix them into the dough thoroughly.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  To form the cookies use about a table-spoon of dough and roll it in the palm of your hand to form a ball.  Place it on the cookie sheet and flatten it gently with either a fork or your hand.

When the sheet is full, bake for 10 minutes until the bottom of the cookie is golden brown.  Cool on a rack for a couple minutes before eating.

Recipe Notes: You can make this dough using a stand mixer, as I do, using the whisk attachment for mixing the wet ingredients and a paddle for adding the flour.  If you use a mixer to cream the eggs and sugar it will take about 5 minutes on high-speed to get it to the fluffy light consistency you want.  If you’re doing it by hand be sure to use a whisk and give it the full power of your arm muscles!  If you can get it, use organic peanut butter, but if not, be sure you’re using a natural peanut butter with no added sugars or preservatives.  We store this dough in the fridge and make batches of 12 cookies at a time.  We think they’re best fresh.  The yield you get will depend on the size of cookie you make.  You can make them larger than we do if you like a bigger cookie.

Filed Under: Baking | Tagged:

Leek Strata

Posted by on November 17, 2009 2 Comments

A strata is an Italian egg and bread casserole.  You can assemble this dish and refrigerate it over night, then cook in the morning which makes it a great dish for brunches.  This version makes use of seasonal leeks when you don’t feel like eating them in the tradition potato leek soup (though that’s something I look forward to every year!) or leek quiche.  I liked making the strata because I could make a dish as satisfying as a quiche but with wheat bread instead of a crust.

 

The cubed bread in the buttered baking dish.

The eggs mixture being poured over the bread.

Leek Strata

Ingredients:

3 slices whole wheat bread, cubed

7 large eggs

3 medium sized leeks, chopped fine

1 cup milk

8 ounces feta cheese (or chevre), crumbled

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh thyme)

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1 Tbsp butter

Method:  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on med/high heat and then add the leeks.  Saute them until they are soft.  Meanwhile butter a 3 quart casserole dish and fill the bottom with the cubed bread.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, thyme, salt, and pepper until will blended.  Add the crumbled feta and the leeks when the leeks have cooled down a bit.  Mix well and then pour over the bread cubes making sure you spread it out evenly.  Let the dish sit for about ten minutes to let the eggs and milk soak the bread.

Bake in the oven between 45 minutes to an hour*.  The sides should pull away slightly and be golden.

Recipe notes:  This is a very flexible dish.  You can make many substitutions such as chard and onions for the leeks.  You can use a sharp cheddar instead of feta or add Parmesan to it.  Keep the bread and the milk proportions the same and change out any of the other ingredients you like.

*Check it at 45 minutes, which is when mine was done, but some ovens cook hotter and some cooler so if it seems a little wet on the top still let it cook a little longer.  It should be moist inside but the top shouldn’t have a runny appearance.

Filed Under: Fall Recipes | Tagged:

How To Replace Weather-stripping On Doors

Posted by on November 14, 2009 1 Comment

old weatherstripping 2

If the weather-stripping on any of your outside doors looks like this, you need to replace it and now that the cold weather has arrived, if you haven’t already done so, now is the time to tackle this easy project.  That gap between the door and the floor is big enough to let a lot of warm air out of a house which wastes energy and makes it harder to be comfortable inside.  It may seem that a little detail such as this can’t make a big difference but the truth is, all the little ways your house lets heat out adds up to a big expensive picture.  Big gaps under doors is a great place to start sealing your house against the cold.

 tools for the job 2

The tools you will need: Power drill (or screw driver and hand drill)*, hack saw, metal file, scissors, pencil, replacement weather-stripping (door sweep) for doors, and possibly a tape measure.

 pencil marking 2

First Step: Using the reverse mode on your power drill with the appropriate sized screw driver bit, remove the screws from the existing weather-stripping and pull it off the bottom of your door.  Carefully line up one end of the old weather-stripping with the new and if they aren’t the same size use a pencil to mark the difference in the size.  In my local farm store there was only one size of weather-stripping available (“standard”) which fits a standard sized door such as a front door.  My kitchen door is narrower than a standard door so I had to cut my weather-stripping down.  If you don’t need to cut yours to size, skip to the last step!

 cutting rubber 2

Second Step: Before you cut the metal part of the weather-stripping with a hack saw you need to cut the rubber sweep with scissors, as shown above.

hack sawing 2

Third Step: Use a hack saw to cut through the metal part of the weather-stripping.  I balanced mine over my sink but you can also use two saw horses to do the job if you have them handy.  Start sawing slowly and straight, once your cutting line is established you can go more quickly.  The main thing is to saw in a smooth straight motion, if you angle your saw at all it will get stuck.  When you’ve cut all the way through the metal, carefully feel the edge- if it’s rough and there are any jagged bits, use a metal file to smooth them out.  You don’t want to have anything sharp protruding from the bottom edge of your door where it can catch on socks or skin!

 marking the spot 2

Fourth Step: weather-stripping comes with pre-drilled holes, if you cut it down you will almost certainly need to add one to the cut end so that both ends of the weather-stripping are securely screwed to the door.  Use your old piece of weather-stripping to determine where the end hole should be.  Line it up evenly with the new piece and using a pencil, mark where the hole needs to be.

drilling 2

Fifth Step: Use a drill bit that matches the size of the hole.  You can figure this out by fitting drill bits into the pre-drilled holes until you find the right size.  Start drilling the hole.  Be sure to hold the drill with a steady hand because the metal will give some resistance at first.  Put some downward pressure on the drill but not so hard that it can bend the metal you’re drilling through.

 drilled hole 2

Be careful to clean up the metal dust because it can be sharp!

weatherstripping 2

Sixth Step: Position your weather-stripping on the bottom of the door so that the rubber sweep just touches the floor.  You don’t want the rubber to be low enough to bend or drag on the floor because it will be ruined quickly with all the opening and shutting of the door.  You want it to just make contact.  My floor is uneven, being an old house means many surfaces are not even, do the best you can.  Screw it into place using the holes provided (and the one you drilled if you had to customize the size).    That’s it!

Project Notes: As you can see, if the door your working with is standard size, replacing old weather-stripping is unbelievably easy.  You just remove the old and screw on the new.  You may notice I didn’t include any uses for the tape measure- yet it’s on the list of tools.  This is because there may be rare instances where you are putting weather-stripping on a door that doesn’t already have it.  In this instance you will need to carefully measure the bottom of your door to determine if you need to cut down your weather-stripping or not.

 

*We are a family who appreciates old  hand tools but having a power drill was one of the best home investments we’ve ever made.  If you don’t have one, you can still do this project, but it will simply take more muscle power.  (Not that that’s a bad thing!)

Filed Under: Household Management | Tagged:

Bean and Tomatillo Salsa Soup

Posted by on November 13, 2009 2 Comments

bean and eggs 2

Growing your own beans to dry is easy and rewarding.  For this recipe I used the last of my home-grown dried beans, a mix of varieties including Jacob’s Cattle and Tiger’s Eye, and a jar of my home-made tomatillo salsa.  It is unbelievably easy to make and not only filling, but really tasty!  The beans and tomatillo salsa mixed together make a soup that you can eat plain, but when you poach a couple of eggs in a portion of the soup and top it with sour cream and cheese it is even better in my opinion.

The Bean Soup
Ingredients:

Approx 2 cups of dried beans (pinto or similar style bean recommended)

1 pint jar of home canned tomatillo salsa (store-bought if you have no home-made)

Salt to taste

Making the bean soup into a whole meal:

1.5 cups bean tomatillo soup

1 or 2 eggs

1-2 ounces jack cheese

1-2 Tbls sour cream

Method for making the soup:

Put your dried beans in a crock pot and fill the crock pot with water.  I put my crock pot on high for a few hours and the beans were perfect.  The cooking time will vary depending on the age and size of the dried beans.   When the beans are tender pour them, liquid and all*, in a large enough sauce pan and pour your whole jar of tomatillo salsa into the beans and mix well.  The salsa will have salt in it already so you should taste the bean soup before adding additional salt.  I added about a teaspoon of salt to mine.

Heat the beans and tomatillo salsa up until hot.  If you want a vegan dish- it’s really good plain like this.  No diary.  No meat.  I love to add sour cream and cheese to this soup but it’s really good without any additions.

Method for poaching eggs in the soup:

To make this soup into a hearty breakfast or lunch ladle about a cup or cup and a half of it into a medium saute pan and turn the heat to medium high.  With a spatula make two wells in the soup- it should be just thick enough for you to do this.  Into each well crack an egg.  Cover the pan and let the eggs cook until they reach the consistency you like.  I like my eggs whites to be completely cooked but the yolks to be just barely cooked all the way through.

When the eggs are as done as you like them, remove them from the pan with the spatula and put them in a bowl, then pour the rest of the soup over the eggs.  Top with the cheese and sour cream.  That’s it.

Recipe notes: this is a protein rich meal, if you want to serve the soup with a grain instead of more protein you could serve it with corn muffins or fried or grilled polenta rounds.  This soup works because the beans have a rich earthy flavor which is perfectly complemented by the salsa.  Don’t be afraid to try different kinds of beans or different kinds of salsa.  I came up with this recipe because I want to develop an arsenal of satisfying meals made almost completely with my pantry staples.  Salsa with beans is pretty simple and two things I almost always have on my shelves.  If you don’t have a crock pot for the beans use a soup pot on the stove on medium heat, add water as necessary.  Obviously you can used canned or frozen beans if that’s what you have.  But it is better when you make them from dried.

*If you have so much liquid that your beans are more brothy than soupy then drain some of it out.  If the liquid in the beans is fairly thick then don’t drain any of it away.  While cooking beans I keep my eye on them, even when they’re in a crock pot, so that I can add small amounts of water as needed so the beans cook up thick but have enough water for the beans to soak up and become tender.   If you’ve never cooked dried beans before consult your all-purpose cook book and if it’s a good one it will have all the information you need to know about cooking dried beans well.


Recipe for my tomatillo salsa
Soup Philosophy

Filed Under: All Season Recipes | Tagged:

Cooking For Beginners: Shopping For A Recipe

Posted by on November 7, 2009 1 Comment

canned haggis 2

Before you head off to the store to shop for a recipe you need to pick an appropriate one.  If you are truly a beginner in the kitchen you may not know what to look for.  I am going to assume that you have got your hands on one of the books I recommended that every beginner should have on hand.  Decide first what type of recipe you’re interested in making: a vegetable dish, a meat dish, dinner recipe, dessert?  Once you know what you have in mind look at the index of your all-purpose cookbook.  Most cookbooks are arranged by type of dish: meat, sides, mains, vegetable, grains…you will be able to see how it is arranged by reading through the index.  Open to the section most likely to have the type of dish you’re interested in.

A few pointers on picking a recipe:

  • Look for a recipe with fewer ingredients. Fewer ingredients usually means a simpler recipe.  Try to find one with 6 or fewer ingredients for the first one you try.
  • Skim the instructions.  If the instructions have 25 steps to them, it is probably not a good recipe for a beginner to start off with.  Look for simple instructions.  Simple instructions are only a few paragraphs long.
  • Pick a dish that you are already familiar with eating and love.  This is important for two reasons: if you learn to cook all your favorite foods first you will have a much more rewarding cooking experience and will want to learn more and if you start off making dishes you are very familiar with you will be able to tell if you have made them well.  You will know what it should look and taste like.
  • Choose a dish with easily found ingredients.  As you become more experienced some of the excitement of cooking (for me) is to locate interesting sometimes exotic ingredients.  Trying new things is great- but when you’re at the very beginning of this adventure you should first stick with ingredient lists that can easily be found at your grocery store.

Once you’ve picked the recipe you want to try you need to take a quick inventory of what you have in your cupboards before dashing off to the store.  When I was a very beginner cook I didn’t have many staples in my cupboard because I mostly ate things like toast and boxed pasta and I also ate out at cheap diners quite a lot.  So I found myself having to buy a lot of basics for my “pantry” (which was nothing more than a couple of cupboard shelves).  Acquiring pantry items as you go along is the only way to do it.  I will (at the end of this lesson) list what I consider to be the bare bones basics of any pantry but every person who cooks has individual preferences and tastes that will directly affect what herbs and spices you will need to have on hand and what kinds of oils, condiments, and vinegars you might need.

My co-headmistress here at The Farmhouse Finishing School (Mrs. C) loves to cook Indian and Mexican inspired dishes and so she keeps more curry and exotic seasonings like tamarind paste on hand than I do.  You are more likely to find things like corn husks and masa harina on her pantry shelves than on mine where you will find more dried thyme than in anyone else’s pantry because I can’t get enough of thyme as a seasoning.  My preferred style of cooking is Mediterranean so I keep a lot of polenta, Kalamata olive,  and pasta on hand.  So don’t buy a lot of things for your pantry ahead of time.  Build it slowly based on what you find you like to cook as you learn to make what you love eating.

Here are some tips on shopping for recipes:

  • Always make a list of what you need before you head out to the grocery store.  This is especially true for beginner cooks.  I remember when I first started shopping for recipes I was going to try and when you’re not buying crappy boxed food anymore a whole crazy world of choices opens up.  It was so exciting and fun to me but also sometimes overwhelming.  I remember standing in front of the salt choices feeling stunned that there were so many kinds.  Having a list with you will help you focus on what you actually need and prevent you from forgetting essential items or overspending on things you don’t actually need.
  • Buy herbs and spices in small quantities until you find yourself using them frequently enough to run out of them.  Buy them from the bulk section of the grocery store.  If the store you shop at doesn’t have a bulk herb section, change where you shop!  Only buy enough for the recipe you’re planning to make plus a little extra in case you need to remake the recipe or if you find your personal tastes demand a little more.
  • Even if it’s much cheaper to buy an ingredient in a larger quantity, don’t do this unless you know for sure it’s something you’ll be wanting to use a lot of.  It is easy to get excited about saving some money but if you don’t use what you buy then you’ve actually wasted money.
  • When choosing produce: be choosy!!  Wait, let me say that again: be very choosy!!  How can you tell if the produce you’re looking at is at its freshest and highest quality?  It can differ from item to item but there are some universal guidelines to follow.  If an item of produce has any of these: soft spots in an otherwise non-soft produce item, discoloration such as browning, sunken spots on the surface, limp to the touch, dry appearance, mold, insects hanging out on the surface, or a withered appearance- don’t buy it.    If all the produce in the store you shop at looks like I have just described- find a new place to shop.
  • Choose organic everything whenever you can afford the option.  I (like so many I know) cannot afford to buy everything organic.  It is my opinion that everything should be organic in the first place but since it’s not and since organic can be very costly, start with  your produce.  I am terribly fortunate to have a very reasonably priced organic CSA that is generous with their weekly portions.  If there is a farmer’s market where you live- shop there.  You can usually find organic producers and sometimes you can find producers who don’t have an organic certification but don’t spray.  Ask farmers about their practices.  Farmer’s markets are one of the very best places to shop for produce because what you will find at them is ALWAYS seasonal and fresh.
  • Read ingredient labels.  If you’re going to bother cooking food for yourself you should choose the best quality ingredients you can afford.  Quality means the least amount of processing necessary for any given food item.  The following is a list of ingredients you should avoid bringing home to your kitchen:

1.  Artificial flavorings
 
2.  High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, etc.  (stick to plain sugar).
 
3.  MSG  I’m not allergic to it myself, though many people are, but I still avoid it because good     quality food doesn’t need this flavor “enhancer”.
 
4.  Preservatives.  There are a few preservatives that aren’t harmful but most of them are.
 
5.  Unnatural coloring.  (no real food is bright blue, not even blueberries)

6.  Any “ingredient” that could only be replicated in a factory setting.

  • Be careful with sale items.  If you are on a budget and need to try to save pennies wherever you can, just be sure to check expiration dates on packaged foods, avoid old “clearance” produce (not usually worth the savings), and be sure that nothing has compromised the item such as a hole in the packaging or a banged up appearance, or dents in canned items.

If it would be helpful for you to have the above pointers with you while you’re shopping, print this article out and bring it with you.  These are the kinds of things I would be telling you if I could go with you to shop for your first few home cooking adventures.

As I mentioned earlier, a pantry is a highly personal thing.  Building it up should be gradual and reflect how you like to cook, however there are a few items that nearly everyone should have on hand.  I will list them below, but keep in mind that this is my opinion only and every experienced cook will have different items they consider essential.  As always, if you have a really experienced cook helping to teach you then you should listen to them rather than me.  Having someone experienced at your elbow is the best possible way to learn to cook.

Pantry Staples (the bare necessities list):

Olive Oil

Vegetable Oil
Wine

Vinegar (or rice vinegar if you prefer)

Salt (I prefer a grey salt or a kosher style salt with no additives but plain table salt is fine)

Pepper (it’s best if you have a grinder and can grind it fresh, but preground is fine)

Baking Soda

Baking Powder (non aluminum kind is best)

Tomato Paste

Soup Broth (home-made is best but canned/boxed or bouillon is fine)

All Purpose Unbleached Flour (a couple of pounds of it to begin with is adequate)

Cane Sugar (a pound is enough to begin with)

Honey (8 oz jar is enough to begin with, make sure it’s raw)

Mrs. C’s particular pantry recommendations:

Thyme

Italian Seasoning

 

If you missed the first lesson in the series “Cooking For Beginners” here it is:
Cooking For Beginners: Cookbooks and Equipment

Filed Under: Cooking Basics | Tagged:

Ratatouille: Lisa E’s Version

Posted by on November 7, 2009 Leave a Comment

ratatouille grilled 2

These are the vegetables on the grill.  You can broil the eggplant separately in the oven at 450 degrees if you are doing a huge batch and need more room on the grill for the summer squash, peppers, and onions.

 ratatouille roasted 2

The vegetables are done when they are cooked all the way through but aren’t mushy.

 ratatouille tomatoes 2

Cook the tomatoes while the vegetables are all grilling and/or broiling.

ratatouille basil 2

You can use other seasonings for ratatouille such as thyme, bay leaves, or herbes de Provence, but Lisa and I both prefer to simply use a truck load of fresh basil added right as you remove the ratatouille from the heat.

 ratatouille 2

There are as many recipes for ratatouille as there are passionate cooks.  A traditional ratatouille is made by cooking the various ingredients separately first and then layer them in a casserole and then baked.  The main (important components) of ratatouille are: eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, sweet peppers, fresh basil, and garlic.   There are hundreds of variations of this dish possible- you can use mushrooms, omit the peppers (I don’t digest sweet peppers well and never cook with them), make it chunkier or saucier.  What you must never leave out (if you want it to still be a ratatouille) is the eggplant, summer squash, tomatoes, garlic, and onions.

It should always be made in summer or early fall when all of these ingredients can be had fresh from the garden or from the farmer’s market.

The following version is from Lisa E and involves roasting and grilling most of the different ingredients and then adding them to the pot of cooking tomatoes.   She doesn’t give specific amounts for the ingredients because she never measures them.   My suggestion is to use roughly equal quantities of tomatoes and eggplant, slightly fewer summer squash in proportion, and even fewer sweet peppers, and for one big pot of ratatouille I would use two to three onions.  You can’t use too much fresh basil and the garlic should be to your personal taste.  My preference for a giant pot would be about 10 cloves minced.


Lisa’s Ratatouille

Ingredients:

tomatoes- peeled, cored, seeds squeezed out then coarsely chopped

eggplant, zucchini, red peppers- cut lengthwise into slabs, brush with olive oil, salt  & pepper

onions- quartered, brush with olive oil, salt & pepper

garlic- loads of it finely chopped

basil: chiffonade

In a large heavy bottomed pot heat olive oil (about a quarter cup), add tomatoes and cook at medium high; continue to cook while preparing other ingredients and until tomatoes get nice and broken down and saucy.

I usually roast the eggplant in the oven at 450 while the rest of the veg is on the grill.  Usually timing works out perfect: when veg is all cooked allow to cool enough to handle then coarsely chop it all and add it to the tomatoes along with the garlic.  Simmer until the flavors develop and it gets to the consistency you like, adjust salt & pepper to taste.  Stir in the basil when you turn off the heat.

When it has cooled I usually keep enough out for dinner and the rest goes (in either 2 cup or 4 cup increments) in quart size freezer bags (squeezing out all the air) or in food saver bags to freeze and then vacuum seal when it is frozen.  It isn’t high enough acid to can safely.

When I said it is a big batch technique I mean a full stockpot or if I am really ambitious I have my two biggest pots going at the same time.  That way I do it once during the season and have it stowed away in the deep freeze for meals throughout the year.

Serving Notes: I like it by itself with Parmesan, feta or goat cheese, with polenta, grilled or soft, any kind of pasta.  I have used it to make lasagna too.

Filed Under: Summer Recipes | Tagged:
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