a take on a southern classic. these muffins are great for brunch or as a side to your favorite soup.
recipe follows after the jump
Archive for the ‘garden to table’ Category
garden on the mind
garden to table
i have always appreciated and enjoyed freshly grown food. for 3 years during and after college i worked on an organic CSA farm in wisconsin, called elsies. i was a sponge to learning about growing, harvesting, and cooking with fresh ingredients. it was hard work and long days, but i loved every second of it.
the most important thing that i learned was how good food tastes when you grow it yourself. it hasn’t sat on a truck for days, or been picked before it was ready, you can eat the freshest food strait from the garden. i also think there is something to be said about putting a seed in the ground, nurturing it, and watch it sprout and grow. it gives you sense of pride with every bite.
every spring, i wait like a young child on christmas morning, for the last frost day to pass, and get the garden prepared for growing. now that we are getting some spring-like weather we are starting to plan the r.wood studio garden. within the next couple of weeks we will be able to plant…..and begin to watch things grow
our friends in atlanta are planning their garden too, visit their blog to take a look at their ambitious plans and enjoy their great southern gothic pic above.
homemade crackers
garden to table
i’ve been wanting to try making homemade crackers for awhile. i finally got a book called ‘easy homeade crackers’, by jim long. turns out, it’s real easy and fun. i started with a basic recipe that calls for 2 cups flour,1/2 cup water, and 3 tbs. butter. you can saute whatever herbs or spices you want in the butter before adding to the rest. i used one garlic clove and a couple sprigs of rosemary from the garden. because i’m genetically predisposed to never be able to follow a recipe, i replaced 1/2 cup of the flour with oatmeal.
throw it all in a food processor until it starts to form a ball. move to a floured cloth and roll out 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick. before the last roll, i sprinkled coarse sea salt all over. cut in shapes with a pizza cutter. prick all over with a fork. bake on ungreased baking sheet at 325 for 20 – 25 minutes. great with goat cheese and tasty to snack on.
eating good, clean, and fair
garden to table
this past weekend, athens hosted the annual georgia organics conference. the event invited thousands of farmers, novice gardeners, and organic enthusiasts together for educational seminars, farm tours, food, and entertainment. on saturday night there was a farmer’s feast which featured foods and wines made by 25 georgia chefs and of course using organic georgia ingredients. the keynote speaker of the event was carlo petrini from italy who is the founder of the slow food movement.
while i enjoyed chowing down on the food and drinking a couple of glasses of local wine, i left the feast completely inspired and reminded of the many ways to help our troubled food system.
i wanted to pass along some quick things that i took from the feast:
-keep food clean; grow, eat and support chemical free food
-good food costs more; it is NOT more expensive. you are investing in a future for yourself and others
-support locally grown food; it helps your local economy, uses less resources, and tastes better
-cheap food is hard on our bodies, soil, and local/national economy
-start a garden and visit the farms where your food is produced
-be a co-producer of your food, know who is growing it and how it is being grown, and get involved
-get imaginative with and eat your left overs
-encourage others to eat SLOW!
-southern soul food is something we should be proud of!!
southern lace cookies
garden to table
with valentines day right around the corner, i thought i would share these dainty lace cookies.
recipe follows after the jump
homemade hot cocoa and marshmallows
garden to table
weather in the south is quite unpredictable. you’ll have a 70 degree day, go for walks and see the daffodils starting to come up, and then next day you’ll wake up to freezing rain. this winter we have had more below freezing days than i have ever remembered in any other winter. this past saturday, flurries were in the forecast….and we all had our fingers crossed. i found myself wanting to curl up with some hot cocoa, marshmallows, a book, and dream of a snow storm.
the recipes follow after the jump!
lee brothers cheese straws
garden to table
cheese straws can be made differently depending on who you ask. most folks extrude the dough through a cookie press. i like the lee brothers version because they turn out a little more rustic. they taste just as good, whichever way you make them. how can you go wrong when your base ingredients are cheese, butter, and flour?
these are great to make ahead of time and store in the freezer, perfect for impromptu entertaining.
roasted winter vegetables
garden to table
roasting winter root vegetables makes a great hearty winter meal or side dish. use up some veggies you have stored or see if you can find some locally grown winter roots. i roasted up some turnips, beets, radishes, and some winter butternut squash. other good veggies to use are: brussel sprouts, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fennel bulbs, or whole garlic. the roasting brings out the sweetness in the veggies and makes them perfectly tender.
to roast:
-pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
-cut up veggies so that they are similiar in size, the smaller ones you can leave whole
-toss in a generous amount of olive oil
-put veggies in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for about 30-50 minutes or until tender
-chop up some garlic and herbs and add to veggies. you can add some salt and pepper at this time too. put veggies back into oven for about 5 minutes or until veggies are browned.
-serve as a side dish or a main dish with a side of greens.
