Favorites For The Holidays

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Ann Lovejoy
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Delights Of The Season

I love to bake for the holidays, from American, English, Scandinavian and European classics to anything new that sounds like it might be terrific. My family enthusiastically supports this hobby, bringing new recipes to my attention and asking for old favorites as well. Since I usually bake far more than we can (or should) eat ourselves, it has become a tradition to share the extras at our church coffee hour on the Sunday nearest to Christmas and/or New Year’s Day.

Stoveless In (or Near) Seattle

Sadly, this was kind of a rough week. Several family members are ill, our water main control valve broke, and worst of all, my stove died a noisy and protracted death (it would not stop beeping when plugged in, even after being unplugged overnight–yikes!!!). I am discovering that I simply can’t face the idea of spending a holiday without an oven, let alone the stovetop. Yes, were the power to fail yet again, we would cope with the good old Coleman stoves (I have several, just in case), but despite having water and power (for which I am grateful), to have NO STOVE at Christmas is just wrong.

Fortunately, neighbors and friends have stoves aplenty, but borrowing is not like being at home, listening to holiday music while baking, wrapping presents, and making fragrant herbal wreaths for gifting. Anyway, if I HAD a functional stove, here are some things I would be making:

Five Favorite Holiday Treats

Almond Crescent Cookies
Krengla (custard-filled pastry pretzel)
Dark Chocolate Nuts
Candied Orange Peel
Satsumas by the bagful

Satsumas In Salads

Fortunately, satsumas need no cooking. They are marvelous just as they are, though I also love them tossed in salads. Here’s a beautiful and utterly delicious version I made a few days ago. The beet turns the satsumas and the dressing a pretty red and the ingredients have a lovely balance of earthy-sweet-salty-crunchy…yum.

Solstice Salad With Beets and Satsumas

2 cups Napa cabbage, sliced in thin ribbons
2 cups Savoy cabbage, sliced in thin ribbons
2 cups spinach
1 tablespoon plain rice vinegar
2 satsumas, sectioned, peeled and chopped
1 cooked, peeled beet, grated or sliced in thin ribbons
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon-infused olive oil (or your favorite)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
few grinds of pepper

Combine cabbages, spinach, vinegar, and satsumas, toss gently and let stand for 15-20 minutes (this sort of “cooks” the cabbage). Add remaining ingredients, toss and serve. Serves 4-6.

Holiday Reading

Part of the enchantment of the season is in quiet evenings by the fireplace, reading aloud to each other. Over the years, we have amassed a basket full of holiday books that we only bring out the week before Christmas. This keeps them fresh, and even now that my kids are well into their 20‘s, they still happily explore the book basket. There are quite a few adult books in there, but somehow the fast favorites are beautifully illustrated children’s books that capture the magical feeling of deep winter.

Five Favorite Read-Aloud Christmas Books

Babar and Father Christmas       Jean De Brunhoff
The Cat On The Dovrefell            George Dasent/Tomie De Paola
Christmas In Noisy Village          Astrid Lindgren/Ilon Wikland
Little Grey Rabbit’s Christmas    Alison Uttley/Margaret Tempest
The Tomten                                     Astrid Lindgren/Harald Wiberg

Simple Gifts

We keep our holiday gifting very simple these days. I love to give presents and have had a hard time weaning myself off the lifelong habit of making and buying things for family and friends all year long, then going totally overboard at Christmas.

This year, we decided as a family that we would give each person one gift, which could be something to read, listen to, wear, eat or use practically (as in tools or crafting supplies). Just now, it feels deeply satisfying to re-invent this holiday of excess as one of powerful simplicity.

Five Simple Gifts

Homemade spiced nuts
Herb kitchen wreaths
A fat candle in a bowl with cut greens
A hat knitted with handspun alpaca
A yule log decorated with holly and ivy
(burning is a great way to use those noxious and toxic weeds!).

Seasonal Music Is A Must

After losing my husband Bud so recently, I am finding the music of advent, of the solstice, and of Christmastide especially comforting and beautiful. Over the weekend, I sang with a group of Waldorf teachers who gave a concert of seasonal songs in our local fabulous yarn shop, Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. The program included a marvelous variety of old and less familiar tunes such as The Elk Herd, There Comes A Galley Laden, and Lullay Lully Thou Little Tiny Child–all with lovely harmonies.

On Sunday, I sang holiday songs at church with Time and Tide, a small vocal group specializing in tight harmonies and intriguing arrangements. We did a couple of sing-alongs (Children Go Where I Send Thee and the Amen song from Lilies Of the Field) as well as a bluesy Odetta ballad (Somebody’s Talkin’ ‘Bout Jesus) and a really pretty version of the Cherry Tree Carol.  Coming up, a community sing-long of selections from Handel’s Messiah–always a treat!

My family also loves to sing and listen to holiday music, of which we have an extensive and eclectic assortment. My kids often find wonderful albums to enrich our collection, ranging from traditional to reggae, calypso, latino, jazz and salsa/samba. I get to be keeper of the archives, which now take up most of a wide shelf. We are always looking for lovely, fun, and/or unusual new music, so let me know your favorites!

Five Favorite Christmas Albums

The Bells of Dublin             The Chieftains
The New Possibility            John Fahey
Yulestride                             Butch Thompson
Christmas Carols                Randolph Singers
Silently The Snow Falls     Tilsen-Finger-Austen

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Draining Away The Rain

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Ann Lovejoy
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Rain, Rain Go Away

Recent heavy rains flooded our garage, creating a wonderful excuse to play in the mud. I awoke to find sheets of water pouring down our sloping driveway, overwhelming the curtain drain that is supposed to keep the garage dry.

As I investigated, I realized that our network of gravel-lined drains had silted over and were no longer functioning. Hmm. Armed with my garden pick and a slim-bladed poacher’s spade, I started trenching past the edge of the concrete garage apron. Slowly, slowly, water began to move downhill into the woods instead of into the garage.

After an hour or so of lone trenching, I roped my son and daughter-in-law into the act. Since the day was relatively warm for December, building dams and shoveling water and gravel felt rather fun. Eventually, we were able to uncover and reactive our drains, leading the water into a wooded bank and down a grassy slope. Best of all, our garage was clean and for the first time in years could actually house a car!

Dealing With Drainage

In our rainy Northwest, where clay soils and hardpan are prevalent, drainage is one of the most critical issues to be addressed in garden design. Whether you are building or moving into a new home or rediscovering drainage issues, the best time to assess your drainage needs is during our rainy season, typically from October through May.

During and after a hard rain, notice and document (pictures are great) where water moves through or collects on your property. If lawn becomes swampy, might excess water be redirected to an area that will be less impacted, such as woodland or a densely planted shrubbery? Could it flow into a local storm drainage system?

Building A Bio-Sponge

One excellent way to take up excess water is with a bio-sponge bed full of plants that enjoy standing water. In order not to create a thirsty monster, choose natives that are accustomed to wet winters and dry summers. For instance, twiggy dogwoods, compact willows, reed grasses and many carexes (or would that be carices?) will readily absorb excess water in winter, yet not need watering in summer (once their roots are well established).

Blueberries on Hummocks

Blueberries also thrive in sunny, moist areas, especially when planted in raised beds or on hummocks of mounded soil. With their brilliant fall coloring and vivid summer fruit, they look spectacular planted along a low berm tucked around a rain garden or that soggy place in the lawn.

Capture and Divert

Ideally we capture and divert excess water where it enters the property. Never pass on the problem by dumping water on the neighbors’ property. Instead, create a bio-sponge planting of twiggy dogwoods and willows to capture excess water. Smaller finger drains will also feed lesser amounts of water into wooded or shrubby areas of the garden.

Once you know where the water comes from and where you prefer to send it, all that’s left to do is to choose a drainage method and start digging your trench.

Dry Streambeds

A dry streambed is a shallow ditch or swale that meanders and curves around or through a garden to divert seasonal water. These are most attractive and visually intriguing when lined with rock of varying sizes. The most commonly used type is called bull rock, generally in the 2-6 inch range. Keep rocks in scale with the overall project: Larger rocks create a more serene look, while a jumble of small rocks look cluttered and haphazard.

Straight runs look artificial, so vary the width of the streambed here and there for a natural appearance. Make curves wider and shallower than the straighter sections. Blend an occasional larger boulder into a mix of bull rock, drain rock, river rock and gravel.

Dig In To French Drains

French drains are gravel filled trenches that redirect water away from lawn, garden, driveway or whatever. Less decorative than dry streambeds, they can be incorporated into pathways or run alongside a driveway.

Make your French drain trench at least 12-18 inches deep and 18-24 inches wide. To pull water away, make the pitch at least a quarter-inch drop for every foot of run. To test it, pour in water and see if it runs quickly downhill. If water pools or drains sluggishly, you need more pitch. If it flows rapidly, back-fill the drainage ditch with clean 5/8” drain rock. River run works fine, but crushed rock will compact better, allowing foot traffic and carts easier access.

Drain Boxes and Pipe

Where a lot of water is involved on a frequent basis, a combination of drain boxes and drain pipe is most effective. Keep the garden lovely by installing the catch basins or collection boxes in functional yet discreet locations.

Catch basins are connected to drain pipes that carry water away. Often the first sections of drain pipe will be solid, leading to perforated pipe that lets water percolate out slowly. Typical drain pipe is 4” in diameter, and comes in 10 foot and 100 foot pieces (cut it with a saw or “cuts everything” scissors).

Cover the bottom of the trench with a wide sheet of pipe sleeve or filer cloth topped with an inch or two of clean, crushed gravel. Now place the pipe perforated side down on top of the gravel. Backfill with more clean gravel then wrap the gravel-surrounded pipe with the filter cloth or sleeve to prevent silting. Top the ditch off with more clean gravel and let it rain!

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Cold Weather Comfort Food

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Ann Lovejoy
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Creating Comfort

Wild winds and roaring rain send my family to the kitchen to make soothing snacks. We all gather round table or fireplace for hot tea or cocoa, cheese toast, and bread puddings of various kinds. Flickering lights send us searching for candles and a wonderful read-aloud book like  A Wrinkle In Time or The Hobbit (nobody is too young or too old for these). Purring cats fill laps, voices raise in song or laughter, and soulful conversations find room to unfurl.

Ever since Bud died, we’ve been eating a lot of comfort food. Fortunately, there are any number of ways to make a sumptuous and satisfying bread pudding. Bread creates the texture base, if not always the flavor base, for the pudding. Traditional bread pudding used grated bread crumbs, whether of white bread or a whole grained brown loaf, generally with the crusts removed. Contemporary puddings are usually based on cubes of rustic, artisan bread with a serious crust. Either way works fine with any of the following recipes and variations.

Perfect Bread Pudding

In restaurants, bread pudding ranks among the favorite desserts, especially during the cooler months. That’s probably because that creamy, custardy confection is the quintessential comfort food for many of us. Sweet or savory, lively with added ingredients or purest simplicity, bread pudding smells like heaven and tastes like home.

The Secret Is The Soaking

What makes a pudding perfect? Getting just the right balance of complementary flavors, textures, and fragrance is part of it. The magic, however, happens when you let the bread soak in the custard for at least a few hours. The texture changes miraculously and as the flavors meld, the whole gains a memorable depth and finish.

Make More Or Less

Here’s a basic recipe for sweet bread pudding that comes out perfect every time. Use a bit more sugar if you have a sweet tooth, less if you prefer the creamy milky flavor of the custard to predominate. This recipe makes enough to fill a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Half the recipe will fill a 6-8 cup baking dish; the pudding will puff up quite a bit as it cooks, then collapse again as it cools. An oversized pan will keep the pudding from spilling over the sides.

Basic Creamy Bread Pudding

8 cups (about 1 pound) crusty wholegrain bread, cut in bite-sized pieces
8 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4-1 cup sugar
2 cups organic whole milk or half-and-half
2 cups organic heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Put cut bread on a baking sheet to dry out a bit. Gently beat the eggs until light, then add the sugar, milk, cream, nutmeg, and vanilla. Place bread in baking dish and pour egg mixture over the bread. Chill for a few hours (at least 4 and up to 24; overnight is good). Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Fill a 13 x 9 2-inch baking pan or two smaller baking dishes and bake at 325 degrees until puffed and golden on top (50-60 minutes). Cool slightly on a rack, then serve warm. Serves at least one.

Sweet variations: Use cranberry orange bread, banana bread, or any rustic bread (rye, sourdough, etc.).  Add nuts, fresh or dried fruit, coconut flakes, or chocolate chips.

Savory Bread Pudding With Figs And Olives

4-5 cups crusty rye, pumpernickle, or sourdough bread, cubed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole organic milk
1 cup organic heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup chopped white or yellow onion
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped

Put cut bread on a baking sheet to dry out a bit. Gently beat the eggs until light, then add the milk, cream, salt, and paprika. Place bread in baking dish, toss with onion, olives, and figs, then pour egg mixture over the bread. Chill for a few hours (at least 4 and up to 24; overnight is good). Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Fill a 13 x 9 2-inch baking pan or two smaller baking dishes and bake at 325 degrees until puffed and golden on top (50-60 minutes). Cool slightly on a rack, then serve warm. Serves at least one.

Savory variations:
Sourdough with fresh cranberries, garlic and walnuts
Rye bread with fennel seed, sausage and onion
Rosemary bread with lemon rind, leeks and almonds
Corn bread cubes with salsa, sharp cheese, cumin and raw sweet corn

For a dairy-free version, replace milk and cream with broth, stock, or plain hazelnut milk, almond milk, or oat milk.

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The New Musical Fruit

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Ann Lovejoy
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You’re Darn Tootin’

When I was a child, somebody taught me a lively little tune that went like this:

Beans, beans, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So eat some beans with every meal

As it happens, there are several simple ways to prepare dried beans so they won’t make you musical, which I will discuss in a minute. First, however, I’d like to share this fascinating glimpse into a Japanese greenhouse where bananas and tomatoes listen to Mozart and develop greater sweetness. Here’s the link:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fs20101125a3.html

How To Cook Tasty Dried Beans Without Gas

Nutritious and protein rich, beans also contain indigestible carbohydrates that make human intestinal flora work overtime. For many years, it was assumed that oligosaccharides (complex sugar molecules) were the culprits, but recent research suggests that the tough carbohydrates in the cell walls of legumes are the true cause of musical beans.

To lessen this response, many people soak beans, toss the soaking water and start again. This does reduce the gassy effect but it also removes water soluble vitamins and nutrients as well as color and flavor. One solution is to cook beans low and slow (an hour or more), allowing plenty of time for water to penetrate those dense little seeds.

Start by soaking beans in salted water. Many sources say not to do this because salt slows down the cooking time. Harold McGee, a remarkable food chemist, says that in fact, beans cook faster after being soaked in salted water, and he is absolutely right. If you haven’t read Harold’s amazing book, On Food and Cooking, you have a terrific treat in store.

Preserving Great Texture and Flavor

To keep beans whole, with flavor and texture intact, simmer them in the salted soaking water, using just enough to keep them covered. (If you need to, add a little hot water or broth now and then). Usually an hour or so of gentle simmering will do the trick. If beans taste flat, try adding shoyu or say sauce instead of salt; it penetrates the beans more quickly and thoroughly, creating a warm, full flavor without tasty too salty.

Cooking beans with molasses and/or tomatoes also helps keep them firm even after long cooking, which is why baked beans hold their shape so well. Tossing a cut-up orange or lemon in the bean pot will also keep beans firm and add a lively sparkle to the flavor as well.

Orange Cranberry Beans

1 cup dried cranberry beans
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fennel seed
6 cloves garlic, whole (skins on)
2 cups water
1 organic orange, rind grated, cut in quarters
1 cup raw cranberries
few drops Tabasco sauce
shoyu or soy sauce to taste

Rinse beans well and blanche in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and cover with cool water, stirring in salt. Let stand 2-3 hours, adjust water as needed, then add the fennel seed, garlic, orange rind and half the orange, cover pan and bring to a simmer over low heat. When tender (about 1 hour), add cranberries and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Squeeze garlic into broth and mash lightly. Season to taste with Tabasco and shoyu or soy sauce and serve, garnished with a squeeze of fresh orange juice. Serves 4-6.

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