Tag Archives: strawberries

There Will Be Growth In The Spring!!

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Overgrown Garden
This Saturday I stuck my head out the back door into what has become a unchecked cacophony of free growth. Imagine that, Free Growth in my back yard. It is like the hippies are back  . . .  and they are growing things . . . I am not sure if I should call my Democrat or Republican representative.  I mean there must be a law against free growth!! We just can not have things growing willy-nilly anywhere they decide to put down roots.  Why, that is just un-natural!!

What? You say it is natural?  Well I do not like it!  I do not like it because . . . well . . .  it is just messy, that is why! All the mess and silliness aside, it was good to be back in my garden.  It always makes me feel like I have control over something (Ha!).  The best part of it all is that I got to see one of my favorite actors again, in a fantastic movie, all in preparation for this year’s planting season. (So I tell myself.)

Now mark my words, I have it from a very reliable source that there will be Growth in the Spring. This clip is one of my all time favorite scenes with Peter Sellers in the film Being There. Heck I believe him every time I watch it. It is the one thing that gets me off of my duff each winter. This time especially, he has given me real inspiration with his refreshing and optimistic statements.  So much inspiration that I attacked my back yard madness with brute force and began beating back the madness.

CrabgrassThe back half of my yard has always been covered with grass.  For the first few years of living here I diligently watered, fertilized, weeded and mowed my little portion suburbia.  It was lush, it was green and it soon became the place where the dogs went first thing in the morning.  After learning that lawn fertilizer might cause cancer in dog paws and watching my water bill skyrocket every summer I took a hands off approach to lawn maintenance.  In the ensuing years the pretty little Kentucky Bluegrass blades gave way to the hearty survivor species . . . Crabgrass.  In truth, after a good rain and a trim, it looked pretty back there.  Nice enough to sit by an open fire, enjoy a bottle of Malbec with some pan-fried brussel sprouts garnished with proscuitto and figs and pan deglazed with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup.

Lawn RemovedSo out it came, but not without a fight. I used a cool tool called a sod cutter to cut the grass right off of the soil. With the help of some handy men we removed all of the grass in a 50′ x 25′ section of the yard and set the cuttings aside to compost. Composting old lawn is not easy. It requires time and plastic.  I am not optimistic but in for a penny . . .
After the easy job of cutting and removing the sod I tucked into soil preparation with a vengeance and a roto-tiller.  As you can see by the accompanying  video I was a little unprepared for just how hard the clay soil is here where I live.  Now, I did wait a month after the last rain so the soil would not be soggy reasoning that it would be soft enough but not sticky.  I guess I underestimated the drainage potential of my crabgrass stricken acreage.  None-the-less I persevered, learned how to properly operate the roto-tiller and was able to sufficiently chew up the remaining square feet needed to place my new planting beds.

Boxes and dirtTen yards of Clodbuster soil, 24 – 2″ x 10″ x 8′ boards and a box of galvanized 16 penny nails later my new planting beds were taking shape. With the addition of six 8′ x 8′ beds I have increased my planting are by 75%.  I am not sure if I am crazy, excited or a little bit of both but I am looking forward to planting rows and rows of onions, carrots and celery.  Mire poix vegetables for those of you in the know. As well as garlic, strawberries (not in the same planter), and four different types of potatoes.

BackyardThere will be growth in the spring I can promise you that . . . and a little more work but I am so looking forward to the fruits of my labor.   Tomatoes are my favorite of all vegetables (technically a fruit but go with me here) with at least one bed will be dedicated to those magnificent Romas, and a sprinkling of heirlooms mixed in just for fun.

Now is a fantastic time to get out in your yard or on to your porch and get your garden started. Even if all you have is a 3′ x 3′ spot just outside your door that gets great sunlight I encourage you to start a tomato plant or two.  Pair that with another pot sprouting basil and you will have some amazing eats in just a few months. Go ahead I say, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.

Eat Well and Smile Often,

tj

p.s. Ah basil,  how I just love basil! and tomatoes, how I just love tomatoes! and mozzarella, how I just love mozzarella!

Vive La France! Vive La Crepe! Vive La . . . My Breakfast!?

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Crepe Thomas

Mai Oui!! (pronounced in my kitchen, May Weeeeeee!!)

My father was a patient, intelligent, saint of a man and he proved this by making our family pancakes every Sunday morning. His techniques were unique to say the least. I remember one morning he fired up the dual waffle/pancake griddle and began to rub wax paper onto the surface. (Herein lies the genesis of my love for the science of cooking.) “Wax paper,” I asked “shouldn’t you be using butter?” He smiled that knowing, fatherly smile at me. The one that suggested that, even though my, age appropriate, test scores matched his I was still without a clue. Cluelessly I awaited a response.

“The wax is slippery and keeps the pancakes from sticking without using oil.”  My father was a pharmacist and smart as a whip.  When I began to learn about emulsions in culinary school he helped me understand the similarities and differences of oil-in-water suspensions and water-in-oil suspensions. (It’s a volume thing. Evidently size matters here too.)  Anyways, I asked about eating wax to which he replied, “A little wax never hurt anybody.”  My mother raised an eyebrow, we ate the pancakes and the next Sunday he used butter.

Speaking of pancakes, Le French have a pancake of their own: La Crepe.  Thinking of my father, he was half French but never made us crepe, I set to the blender and stove to make this morning’s breakfast: Fresh crepe with Grand Marnier Strawberries and Ricotta cheese. (It’s okay to say Yum out loud.) It was yummy. Now crepes are not difficult, nor are they easy.  They require a medium skill level to prepare and just the right pan.  The great thing is that if you make enough batter you can practice, practice, practice and if you get 2 right, you can eat!

Crepe Batter

1.5 cups                flour, all purpose

1.5 cups                milk, 1%

3                            eggs, whole

3 Tbsp                   butter, melted

Mix all the ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds. Stop mixing and scrape down sides.  Continue mixing for 30 seconds more or until fully blended.  Pour into a jar and let stand covered for at least 1 hour.  This will let the bubbles settle out.

 

Cooking Crepes

1                              sauté pan, 6 – 9”; you may use Teflon it the surface is not marred at all   ¼ cup                    oil

For metal sauté pans:  Pour all of the oil into the pan and place on medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Do NOT walk away from the stove. As the oil starts to shimmer, gently rotate the pan so that the oil begins to coat up the sides of the pan.  Warm for one more minute then remove from the burner and let sit to cool.  (This process opens up the pores in the metal and allows the warm oil to slightly penetrate the pan creating a nonstick surface.) Pour cool oil into a container and set aside.

Warm the pan over medium heat until a drop of water spatters and evaporates immediately.  Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into the warm pan and ladle in enough batter to just coat the bottom. Lift the pan and rotate it to spread the batter up the sides just a bit.  Pour any excess back into the container for a nice thin crepe.  Work the edges gently with a spatula to keep from sticking and after the crepe sets, slide the pan back and forth so that the crepe slips in the pan.  When the edges turn brown flip the crepe with a spatula, cook for about 1 minute then slide onto a paper towel.  Wipe the pan with a clean towel and repeat until batter is finished alternately stacking crepe and paper towel.

The trick is to keep the pan heat just right; neither too hot nor too cool.

If wrapped well these will hold for about a week in the refrigerator or can be frozen.  Allow to warm to room temperature before using.

 

Grand Marnier Strawberries

 

2 dozen                  strawberries, quartered (sliced not fed and bedded.)

4 Tbsp                   sugar, white

4 Tbsp                   Grand Marnier

 

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let stand at least one hour.

Lay out a crepe. Dollop some Ricotta cheese and spoon some of the strawberries in a line.  Roll the edges over and turnover on to a plate.  Drizzle with the syrup from the strawberries and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve 2 at a time.

 

Eat Well and Smile Often,

tj

p.s. Let Eataly top that!