Hooray for Heirloom Apples!

Laura Pedrick for The New York Times

...a nonprofit group called Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT), which works with Slow Food, has declared this the year of the heirloom apple.


The Apple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist (Chelsea Green's Master Grower Gardening Series)


The New Book of Apples: The Definitive Guide to Over 2,000 Varieties

Leeks

It's been several years since I've grown leeks in the garden. Seems like the large number of tomato plants always win out over leeks for garden space. I love leeks and this year they are back in!

Leeks (Allium porrum)

Leeks belong to the lily family, along with their close relatives onions, garlic, scallions, shallots, and chives. The leek is a striking and graceful vegetable. Broad, flat, dark leaves cascade like a fountain around the contrasted white of its base. Milder and more refined in flavor than onions, leeks produce a pleasing aroma and sweeten as they cook. And there are no tears while cutting a leek.

Cooking tips:

-Leeks may be cooked whole; try braising or baking.

-Steam or boil leeks for 10-12 minutes. Top with butter, a dash of salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

-Substitute leeks for onions in recipes and notice the subtle flavor changes.

-Puree cooked leeks for a soup base.

The above information is from the wonderful book...

From Asparagus to Zucchini

Easter tradition

It's become part of my annual Easter tradition to get my seedlings started. It symbolizes rebirth and renewal as well as dovetailing nicely with the timing for the safe date to plant outside here in Zone 6, which is May 15th. What better way to celebrate Easter Sunday than to sow some life giving seeds? So after dinner with my family, I set out 72 seeds starts... my Amish heirloom seeds that I saved at the end of last year's harvest, some heirloom Roma tomatoes a friend has saved from his mother's Italian garden, as well as some Cherry Tomatoes, Wild Arugula, Eggplant,Patty Pan Squash, and some French Breakfast Radishes.




Spring has now officially arrived!

not-so-quiet food....

KFC's newest creation....Bacon and Cheese sandwich on "Fried Chicken" bread. 32 grams of fat and almost 1400 mgs of sodium

The Double Down

Quiet Food

I don't own this book but I stumbled across it while doing some research for a story on the spirituality of farming and eating. The quiet food concept seems to be an offshoot of the slow food movement with an emphasis on reverence and mindfulness towards the cooking process and food consumption.

"It introduces us to the possibility of making cooking and eating into an exquisite meditative occasion - an antidote to our fast food culture. Ultimately our enjoyment of things depends on the quality of the attention we give them. Cooking and eating are no exception. "Quiet Food" is about food that has been paid reverent attention".


Quiet Food: A Recipe for Sanity