Rebecca Weger

I feel a bit guilty, and I don’t want to alienate my vegetarian friends here.  But we’ve had some very good meat lately.

I’ve been vegetarian for much of the last 2 1/2 years.  I think its the right thing for me to do by most calculations, and yet, my body doesn’t always seem to agree.  Lately it has wanted meat, and one of my trusted health care professionals think it might be good for me right now.

As I’ve wrestled through ethics, responsibilities, environmental and health concerns, I’ve figured out this much.  If I’m going to eat meat, I want it to be local.  I want to know who raised it and that they treat their animals well.  As it is, we know two former vegans who raise pigs, chickens and ducks on a certified organic farm nearby and sell at the farmer’s market.

Growing up we had pork chops broiled with Shake -N- Bake.  I thought it was one of the best things in the world, and even better if we had it with Rice -A- Roni.  I suspect as a young adult I made it as a comfort food.  But neither of those are on the list for my gluten-free lifestyle.  Tonight’s alternative and maybe better menu:

• Pork chops from Kingbird Farm, salt and pepper, broiled.
• Lundberg Farm Wild Blend Rice
• Green beans from our CSA (Early Morning Farm), steamed, with Kingbird Farm bacon

Last weekend we spent down in Baltimore visiting friends and family.  My father was having a birthday of significance while we were there.  Like most families, we celebrate with food.

We started the visit with omelets.  They were delicious – I made them.  My mom had just “forgotten” to tell me in advance that I had cooking responsibilities.  We’re lucky there was enough coffee and they turned out well (I had feta, mushrooms, red peppers, onions and spinach).  There wasn’t a hope for remembering to take pictures.

Lunch followed, with the first of the birthday cakes. My mother made an amazing fondant frosting that had a bit of white chocolate in it.

Dad's Birthday Cake the First

Lunch of course transitions to coffee which transitions to dinner. Well, not dinner exactly. Crabs.  Crabs should not be misunderstood as a simple item that is part of a meal.  They are, in and of themselves, an event.  You may never have worked so hard for your food.

Crabs Hon

After dinner there was a last food event for the day.  Cake the Second.  Cake the Second was more exiting for me, because this was one I could eat.  My mom used one of the Gluten-Free Pantry mixes and baked a chocolate cake.  Joseph lent a hand with whipping up some cream cheese frosting (and consequently got a taste of just how sweet a stand mixer would be).

Cake the Second

A “full” day to say the least.

When I was growing up, my parents had blueberries in the backyard.  They were enclosed in with blue wire fencing, covered with netting.  Mirrors or unused AOL cds hung in between to scare the birds away.  Mom made the best blueberry muffins and blueberry cobbler.  I think of those cobblers each summer as the blueberries get ripe here – much later than they did in Maryland.

We made a simple adaptation to Mom’s cobbler recipe and tastes much as I remember it. The recipe calls for a 9X9 pan.  I’m sure we didn’t have one of those, but substituted a glass oval baking dish instead.  They’re easier to clean than a metal pan anyway.

Fruit Cobbler

Grease pan.

Add 3-4 c fruit.

Mix together:

• 2/3 c sugar
• 2 T gluten-free flour mix
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• a few grates of nutmeg

Pour mixture over fruit.

Dot with 2 T of butter, cut small.

For topping combine:

• 1 c gluten-free flour mix
• 1/4 t xanthan gum
• 1 t baking powder
• 2 T sugar
• 1/3 c vegetable shortening
• 3 T milk
• 1 egg

Drop spoonfuls of topping onto fruit until well covered.

Bake @ 350* for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly.

Summer Melt

As sometimes happens, a break was unavoidable, but I am still here, and we’re still eating.

In a surpise move, I was inspired to craft something on a recent weeknight.  I had been out of town for 5 days and Joseph took a shot at a bread recipe we hadn’t tried before.  It was an artisan bread with seeds and a bit of nuttiness from some teff flour.  The recipe was from Annalise Roberts’ book Gluten-Free Baking Classics.  It was hearty enough to hold something with depth and density.

The bread was split open and toasted in the broiler.  Red onions and a portobello mushroom were lightly sauteed in olive oil – the mushrooms got some balsamic vinegar.  Fresh mozarella, onions, mushroom, roasted red peppers, fresh basil and oregano topped the bread and went back in the broiler.  Hearty and delicious.

Dinner 7.12.2009

The concept for this recipe originated with a friend named Steve who I haven’t seen in many years. It was the perfect meal for the season’s first summer squash and basil.

1. If desired, cook some Italian sausage, cut into half-moons and set aside.
2. Cook pasta (Tinkyada rice pasta) with several handfuls of fresh chopped basil and some fresh oregano.  While pasta is cooking…
3. Saute 2-3 large cloves or garlic and a small red onion in olive oil
4. Add summer squash cut into half moons
5. Cover with lid for 1-2 minutes
6. Add pre-cooked meat if using
7. Add grape tomatoes cut into halves and saute for 1-2 minutes
8. Drain water water from pasta, keeping herbs.
9. Transfer pasta to a bowl and toss with a generous amount of olive oil and 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
10. Add sauteed items and toss
11. Serve with grated cheese

Monkeys!

This morning I was still undecided on what to make for a potluck party tonight.  A friend I’ve been really enjoying getting to know over the last year is moving away soon and it was her farewell event.  I was in the shower (where all good solutions are ferreted out) when it came to me.  I shouted downstairs.  “Joseph! You know how sometimes I’m kind of stressed out and then decide to make everything more complicated than it actually needs to be?”  “Yeah?” “Monkey cupcakes!!!”

As it turns out, my friend Bethany and I both share of love of monkeys, and I was thinking about it because I was headed to pick up a monkey shirt at the farmer’s market that Susan custom-made for me.

Some things about these cupcakes:

• Gluten-free
• They are minis
• The chocolate frosting was made with Green and Black’s cocoa
• I really had no idea what I was doing.

I looked around online for various recipes and designs, and was disappointed to find that many of them used cookies. I decided that I would have to draw my own. Two of three versions later I had something that looked somewhat passably like a monkey and a big learning curve ahead of me.

This was only my second time using decorating bags and tips, and the first time I tried to make any actual designs with them. Luckily, I think they were appreciated in the spirit of love in which they were made, and concessions were made for my craftsmanship. They were certainly fun!

Burger at Home: 4th of July

In the spirit of “Food Independence Day” we decided to cook up a pretty traditional meal for the 4th, and took the challenge to source our food pretty close to home.  Here’s how I think we did:

• Grass-fed beef and potatoes from Sabol’s Farm (26 miles)
• Bun from Le Garden Bakery (13 miles)
• Mushrooms (Pennsylvania)
• Onions (unknown)
• Lettuce (CSA, Early Morning Farm, 20 miles)
• Eggs and dill from Kingbird Farm (16 miles)
• Swiss cheese (Imported)
• Dressing ingredients (not local, but all US – including olive oil from California)

What did your family eat?  Any fresh fruits where you live?

There’s so much going on and so much to write about, but I’m busy living it! In the meantime, here’s a shot of today’s bounty from the Farmer’s Market: flowers, dill, lettuce, kale, chard, bok choy, snap peas, garlic, broccoli, eggs, sausage.

Market Bounty 7.04.2009