Spring Equionx

Here again, 

while beasts slumber

beneath their lofty furs,

the decay of previous 

bloom and fruit

make a crib 

for the freshly born.

Hurrah!

 (Sanguinaria canadensis, Bloodroot)

(Goodyera pubescens, Rattlesnake plantain)

Deep Dish

My friends Jen and Andy introduced me to this deep dish recipe from the Gourmet cookbook. The recipe includes cornmeal, which adds very nice texture to the crust. Baking in a large cast iron skillet makes for the perfect dinner table centerpiece. Dig in.

Deep Dish Pizza: 

Adapted from Gourmet's original recipe:

1/2 teaspoon raw honey

1 cup warm water (110° - 115°F.)

a 1/4-ounce package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups quality unbleached flour

1/2 cup organic yellow cornmeal

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for oiling bowl

Make dough:

In a large bowl dissolve honey in water. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/4 cups flour, cornmeal, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil and blend until mixture forms a dough. 

Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Put dough in a deep oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

While dough is rising, prepare desired toppings.

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Punch down dough and knead 4 times. In an oiled 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet, press dough with oiled finger until it comes 2 inches up the side and is an even thickness on bottom. Let dough rise, covered loosely with plastic wrap, in a warm place 15 minutes.

Coat base of dough with marinara, cheese and toppings. Bake pizza in lower third of an electric oven or on floor of a gas oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. and bake 10 minutes more, or until crust is golden.

A Wishbone For You. A Wishbone For Me.

I've had a thing for wishbones since childhood when my mother would place them in the windowsill to dry after picking a roasted chicken clean. My siblings and I would take turns placing a pinkie finger on each side, pulling away from each other in hopes of breaking the largest piece. 

To this day, this particular part of the chicken never makes it to the broth pot. I place them in the windowsill just like mom did, but have used them to decorate gifts instead. 

When I saw the gold dipped version on the pages of Martha Stewart over the holidays, the sky split open and a ray of sun beamed down on my kitchen windowsill. Had to try. Had to share. I could look at them all day, with their little necks all wrapped up in bright embroidery thread. 

Not sure how far down the rabbit hole this may lead. Maybe it's officially time for an intervention?

Tuscan White Bean Soup

This soup was so good it had to be shared before the the dishes had been cleared. It began as most soups do, as an effort to use pantry items threatening sitting duck status. Bone broth yanked from the freezer, dry white beans, and local bratwurst from East Fork Farm made this a welcome treat on a Monday evening. Slightly sweet skillet cornbread is a fine companion to mop up the savory broth.


Tuscan White Bean Soup:
*6 cups homemade chicken broth
*2 cups dry white beans
*4 stalks celery, chopped
*1 small onion, chopped
*4 cloves garlic, minced
*4 carrots, chopped
*1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
*1 package local bratwurst
*1 package (about 10oz) frozen chopped organic spinach
*sea salt
*black pepper
*1 cup shredded parmesan *optional

Place first 7 ingredients in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until beans begin to soften, about 3 hours. (To shorten cooking time, use precooked beans or you can place ingredients in a slow cooker).
Place a large skillet over medium heat and cook bratwurst until nearly cooked through, turning once. Remove from pan and cool slightly. Slice into 1/4 inch coins. Return pan to heat and brown slices, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bratwurst to soup pot. Cover and simmer until beans are completely soft, about 1 more hour.
Adjust seasonings. Add spinach. Simmer for additional 10 minutes. Portion into bowls, sprinkle with parmesan and serve with honey skillet cornbread.

The Misinterpretation Of Health Food

It is a matter of vigor.

Of life passing from one to the next
 within a short window;

one without

a shelf life.

It is not a matter of shoulds.

It is a matter of accidental cursing.. 

with pleasure.

It is a matter of brine..

musk..

things dirt covered.

It is not about articles, 

expirations, 

task.

It is sunkissed. 

It is passed between few hands. 

It is not sterile. 

It is ever changing.

It has a cream top..

is teaming..

bubbling..

drunk.

It is not patented,

sealed, 

or accompanied by guarantees 

except that of freedom 

and ownership, 

and dissidence.

Approach it however you may.

Come as you are. 

Pick up a blindfold.

Or take it all off.

Have a bite. 

Don't hold your tongue.

But by all means, 

don't do anything

just because 
they said so.

Sunday Cranberry Buttermilk Scones

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones:

*2 1/2 cups high quality AP flour

*2 1/2 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder

*3/4 teaspoon sea salt

*1/4 cup raw cane sugar

*7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

*1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

*1 cup buttermilk, well shaken

Preaheat oven to 375. 

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. Cut in the butter. Work into flour mixture with fingertips until it resembles a course meal. Add cranberries. Mix. Add buttermilk. Blend with a fork just until a dough forms.

Turn out onto a floured work surface and gently knead into a ball. Flatten into a disk and roll with a rolling pin to 1/2 inch thickness. Slice into wedges and transfer to a baking sheet. 

Bake on center rack until tops are golden, about 10 minutes.

Serve warm with sweet cream butter.

East Fork Farm Feeds Pigs Local Grain

Written by

Rachel Brownlee

Citizen-Times correspondent

• FILED UNDER

• Living

WHERE TO BUY

Visit the Neighborhood Y at Woodfin Indoor Winter Tailgate Market 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays through March at 51 N. Merrimon Ave., Building 51, Office 117.

In this mecca of small businesses and producers, Asheville’s food entrepreneurs fuel the local economy by encouraging one another’s success.

This point was made clear during a conversation with Dawn Robertson of East Fork Farm on the opening day of the Woodfin indoor winter farmers market, Saturday mornings at Reynolds Village.

East Fork Farm has added pork to its impressive list of pastured poultry and lamb. The pigs are fed by the output of another local entrepreneur — East Fork supplements the pigs’ diets with excess grain from Farm and Sparrow’s artisan bakery.

David Bauer, founder of Farm and Sparrow, is known for his honest approach to baking, just as the Robertsons have become well-known for their honest farming practices.

Farm and Sparrow’s products are made with locally grown grain, milled on site on Bauer’s homestead in Candler. The “middles,” or unusable grain parts, are collected for the Robertsons to feed their pigs.

“For us, the key to raising hogs is finding a reliable, quality feed source that is affordable,” East Fork’s Stephen Robertson said. “Without this source, the hogs are too expensive to raise.”

Bauer’s middles are nutritious additions to the animals’ diet, and feeding them to East Fork’s pigs is also a way to make use of Farm and Sparrow’s waste. It’s the foundation of sustainability, when the circle of production is made stronger through collaboration.

The camaraderie among producers is highest when both parties gain by avoiding waste, and the final product is improved as well, Robertson said. “As in all the animals we raise, I think the quality is a result of how they are raised and what they eat. Having Dave’s organic byproduct is a definite bonus.”

Support within agricultural communities is an age-old practice. As farming villages evolved to specialize, individual producers saw the advantage of each other’s success as a means to strengthen local communities.

This practice is kept alive here in Western North Carolina as, for example, vegetable and fruit growers utilize manure from livestock producers to fortify their soil. Whey from cheese making is used to fatten hogs, along with the large quantities of spent grain mash from Asheville’s many breweries. “The point here is finding alternatives to conventional, high-priced feed,” Robertson said. Not only is Farm and Sparrow’s grain high quality, it can be locally sourced, cutting costs.

East Fork Farm has plans to purchase a community palletizer for local farmers to utilize. “My hope is to convert the middles as well as grass trimmings, hay and other waste to a consistency that other animals can digest,” Robertson said.

While producing products that speak for themselves, this example of community stewardship seems quite digestible indeed.

EAST FORK FARM BRATWURST WITH BLACK BEANS AND CORN

1 package bratwurst
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
1 sweet onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup marinara sauce
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Sea salt
Black pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Rinse bratwurst and pat dry with paper towels.

Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add butter. Saute bell pepper and onion until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.

Push contents of pan to the sides and add bratwurst. Sear on each side until well browned, about 2 minutes each side. Reduce heat to low.

Add marinara sauce and vinegar and cover. Allow bratwurst to cook completely (about 7 minutes) then stir in corn, beans and basil. Season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Remove bratwurst and slice into pieces. Return to skillet.

Serve over brown rice.