Links and Articles to Share

Some things that caught my attention this week...

• We recently switched our dish soap and laundry detergent based on the Environmental Working Groups "Guide to Healthy Cleaning" report. Here they explain how they graded all those products.

• Mark Bittman in the NY Times... yes, pesticides are very very bad for us... especially children. 

•  Which got me thinking about how I need to upgrade the filters in our Big Berkey to the black ones which do a better job of removing pesticides than the originals.     

•  I just bought some organic instant coffee to make these Pfeffernuesse (although obviously not with Crisco... time to render some more lard). 

• Before next summer I want to figure out a way to (easily) save grey water for the garden. Maybe the shower bucket is a good start. (although I'd want to run a sump-pump and hose through the window so I don't have to haul the bucket outside constantly. I know my limits.)

•  I used to make truffles every year, usually with Chambord ganache. These salted caramel truffles look amazing. Now if I could only successfully temper chocolate... (and find time - seed starting and cleaning the chicken house definitely take priority).

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Bean Salad

I seriously love roasted Brussels sprouts. They're bitter and sweet, creamy and crunchy... just awesome. Because of this love of sprouts I found myself the other day with 3 pounds of said brassica that really needed to be used, an empty stomach and a desire for a quick and easy lunch. Thus my Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Bean Salad was born. As usual this is a loose recipe: it's flexible, scalable, and really more of an outline. Use what you have, what you like, in the ratios you prefer.




Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Bean Salad

Brussels sprouts

wash and quarter sprouts

beans (cooked)
lemon
garlic
feta
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Wash and quarter sprouts. Toss with olive oil and salt. Spread on rimmed baking sheet and roast at 350 until crispy around the edges and softish in the middle (or however you like them... blackened, barely cooked, whatever). Drain beans (and rinse if you don't like the goo). Gently mix (so as not to smash all the beans) with sprouts and feta (the more the better in my opinion). Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and minced or pressed garlic. Gently stir to coat.

That's it!

...toss with lemon, olive oil, and garlic

Act Fast!

Real quick, guys. Cudzoo Farm, (remember, I talked about her before?) maker of the best goat's milk soap ever, has free shipping on all soap through Monday (that's tomorrow!). Thought you'd like to know :-)

Something New

You may have noticed (or not) down the right side of this blog, under the rotating gallery of sustainability reading goodness, an "Etsy mini". That's the official term for a tiny display of Etsy wares that you can put on a blog or website. 

upcycled bows

I have started an Etsy shop called Pollinator Handmade. I decided, since I love to (am compelled to?) create, to find an outlet for all these things I make. The idea is that the goods in the shop are upcycled, made from sustainable materials, and durable... and all things I use in my own life. 

I have a lot of idea, including a series of kitchen linens hand sewn by me with sustainable fabrics (hemp!) that feature my artwork. At the moment there are only a few things in the shop but expect more in the new year.

As things progress I'm hoping to post some tutorials here (like one for those upcycled bows). Next year should be a good year for this blog with more recipes, more gardening, and more essays about sustainability and agroecology with some shop stuff thrown in. 

If you want to keep up with the goings on in the shop you can interact with my various social media personalities that mostly make shop talk (my processes, new ideas, material sourcing, etc):

Twitter: @PollinatorsOTB
FB: facebook.com/PollinatorHandmade
Web: www.PollinatorHandmade.com (at the moment it redirects to the shop but stuff is in the works)
Pinterest: pinterest.com/pollinatorsotb (specifically the "What's Inspiring the Pollinator" and  "Pollinator Handmade Love" boards)
Tumblr: PollinatorHandmade.tumblr.com

reusable drawstring bags for bulk goods at the grocery store

 
Whoa! That's a lot of social media. Anyone have any favorites they think I should be on? What are your preferred ways to connect?

Christmas bows

P.S. There is only one set of 12 upcycled Christmas bows available and the last day to ship first class domestic with guaranteed delivery by Christmas is the 18th!

Onesies to T-shirts

Lately I've been reaching for the t-shirts rather than onesies when dressing Poppyseed (although he's still mostly naked) only we don't have many t-shirts.

But boy do we have onesies!

 
I was browsing ThredUp thinking I'd get some shirts there when I had a brainstorm:

snip, snip, snip...

 

 

Problem solved.

Non-GMO Masa

Did I mention this already? I was searching for GMO-free masa (because we hate GMOs but loooove tamales) and contacted Bob's Red Mill about their masa...

Hi Annie,

Thank you for your e-mail. Here at Bob’s Red Mill, we only purchase identity-preserved products that originate from non-GMO seed. We think it is very important to offer the most natural, wholesome flours and grains. You can purchase our products knowing that we make honest decisions on behalf of our customers.

I will note that the reason we do not label our products as non-GMO is because we cannot guarantee the complete absence of genetic modification in our products because of wind drift, pollinators and our lack of testing equipment. We are, however, venturing into GMO testing so that we can guarantee our products’ GMO-free status. This is a new venture that will hopefully be in fruition by next year.

Let me know if you have any further questions, take care.

Andrey Gorban

Customer Service Representative

Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods

(971)206-2231



Yay Bob's Red Mill! 

I'm very happy to see that they're going to start a testing program.


More on GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms):
Mark Bittman in the NY Times on GMOs and Prop 37 in CA
The Non-GMO Project
GMO Myths and Truths from the Organic Consumer's Association

Green Salsa Obsession

I have become obsessed with green salsa. 

There is almost always some in the fridge these days (as long as we have cilantro of course). 

I was inspired by Homesick Texan's tomatillo salsa recipe but since my tomatillos aren't ready in the garden didn't produce at all (!) and half of us don't do spicy, I made some alterations. Here's what I do:

1 large can tomatillos

1 can green chiles (we use mild)

1 bunch cilantro

onion (1/4? 1/2? depends on the day)

a few garlic cloves
whole cumin and pepper
olive oil

Blend all that up then simmer a pinch of whole cumin in a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Careful not to burn it. After a few minutes, when the cumin is slightly softened and the oil is nicely infused, pour your salsa into the pan right on top of the oil. You can call it quits at this point or cook the salsa a little. Your choice. I do it a different way each time I make it.

Stir this into soup, eggs, scoop it with chips, use it as an enchilada sauce, a topping for rice, potatoes, or mix it with yogurt for a creamy green salsa.

I can't wait until I have fresh tomatillos again!

P.S. Since I first drafted this post I've stopped cooking the salsa. I think I liked it better that way but I am very short on time because someone, lets call them "Poppyseed", gets impatient. Anyhow, I just pour the cumin/olive oil into the blender with the salsa and give it one last swirl. Pretty darn good. 



What is your condiment obsession?