Caramelized Squash and Kale Crostata

When only cooking for two, I often need to find recipes that combine various items that we may have leftover in the refrigerator. The other night we had some leftover kale salad, a pre-made piecrust and a butternut squash. I was happy to find a recipe that used all three.

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 butternut or acorn squash (about 3/4 pound), peeled and cubed
1/2 sweet onion sliced
fresh or dried sage, thyme, rosemary combined about 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups kale with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 carrot chopped
1/2 cup brocolli and cabbage (optional) chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar and swiss)
1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water

Chop kale and massage with 1 tablespoon oil. Set aside. Melt butter and 1 Tablespoon olive oil in heave skillet over medium heat. Add squash and cook until tender on all sides and caramelized, turning every 5 - 8 minutes. You may cover pan. In a separate pan heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter and cook onion about 15 minutes, until soft and blackened. Lower heat and add tomato paste, herbs, sherry and cream. Add kale and cook until wilted. In a lightly creased 9 inch pie or 8 x 8 inch pan place pie crust. Sprinkle half cheese mixture, add squash, top with kale mixture and then remaining cheese. Fold crust to hold in ingredients. Brush with egg mixture and bake 400 degrees about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes before cutting. Serves 3 to 4.

Adapted from Kale, Glorious Kale, Cookbook by Catherine Walthers, 2014

Celebrate the Planet

1974 political ad campaign for Senator Nelson

This April brings us two special days which honor and call us to give back to the planet. This Friday, April 22nd is Earth Day. As a society, we have come a long way with regards to environmental protection since the first Earth Day in 1970. At this point in history, the American consciousness was primed to address the issues of smog, litter, unswimmable rivers and lakes and undrinkable water.  The idea sprang from Senator Gaylord Nelson, who used a grass  roots approach to mobilize millions of people who gathered across the nation to speak out about the need to stop destroying and to protect the planet. What is impressive is that this liberal democrat was able to gain the support of a conservative republican congressman, Pete McClosky, who agreed to serve as national co-chair of the event, along with Denis Hayes. During his lifetime he received two awards from the United Nations in recognition of his environmental efforts and in 1995, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton honoring his legacy of creating the first Earth Day which led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act. And although our nation's rivers no longer catch on fire, we are still plagued by the effects of human's adverse impacts to the environment. This has been demonstrated recently with the drinking water contamination issues of Flint, Michigan and with emerging contaminates such as PFOA's which have been detected in wells in the Northeast and elsewhere.

Earth Day has now become an international event and this year's Earth Day theme is Trees for the Earth which has a goal of planting 7.8 billion trees to protect the planet for the effects of climate change. This theme is a great introduction to the second environmental day in April - Arbor Day which is Friday, April 29th. Joining the Arbor Day Foundation is an easy way to reach that 7.8 billion goal since each membership comes with ten free trees. In fact, our yard contains several trees that were received from the Arbor Day Foundation in this manner.
 
 So, check out both the Earth Day and Arbor Day websites and see what you can do to recognize and care for our one and only home, the earth.

Time to Clean up the Yard

The mild winter, coupled with an early spring left our yard in pretty good shape. The lawn has started to green-up, there was no winter kill, and there are very few twigs and branches to pick up. With high temperatures in the sixties and seventies this past weekend, I decided to order and spread bark mulch. Typically this is a May project, but everything is early this year. Plus the benefit of starting in April  is that working outside is much more enjoyable when unencumbered by black flies.

First, I raked the beds, trimmed the shrubs and edged the lawn areas. The daffodils are in bloom, but some were adversely impacted by the cold and snow we had just a little over a week ago.

Drooping Daffodils

Daffodil leaves with white mold

Happy daffodil with some top dressing of bark mulch

Some other bulbs are starting to appear as well. Once the perennials start coming up it becomes more difficult to rake without doing damage. These areas involve hand clearing with certain parts left for Nature to take its course.

Silla siberica is an early bloomer

Unidentified pinks

In the area that abuts our woods, along a stone wall, a small patch of poison ivy has expanded over the past few years. It now prevents me from doing any maintenance including planting new shrubs or  flowers. This year I have decided to try and smother the plants. I first wet newspaper and layed it down several sheets thick. This layer was then covered with straw followed by bark mulch. For larger spaces, I used thick cardboard from as the first layer, then straw, and finally bark mulch.

Layers of newspaper, straw and bark mulch

I know that this won't control the poison ivy completely, but I am hoping that it will slow its growth and, if the vines keep growing, they will at least grow in the woods and not in my planting beds or in the yard.

By late Sunday, the beds around the house were done. It was time to relax and enjoy the scent of fresh hemlock and spruce. I hope to plant more perennials, including ground covers, which in turn will result in the need for less mulch. A win win for the garden, and my back.

Our dog Guster enjoys laying in the fresh mulch.

Nature is Speaking

Conservation International and notable actors present these clips on behalf of Nature. Listen to one or all for some inspiration today. Access all videos here.

Farms Around Chester

I wanted to visit at least one maple sugar house this spring, but unfortunately the season started and ended very early this year. On Sunday I did an internet search and found one place in Chester, NH was still open, so planned a trip to also visit some farms in the area. Shortly after taking Exit 2 off Route 101, is the Griffin Mill Site in Auburn. The light mist seemed to create a perfect atmosphere

A light mist created the perfect atmosphere for this fisherman at the historic Griffin Mill (1826) site

We needed some ground beef and were also out of honey, so I was happy to find a place that offered both. A search on Local Harvest.org led me to Field to Fork Farm. This farm produces grass fed beef, organically raised pork and their own honey. I called ahead to make sure they would be open. Many farms don't have set hours, so it's always a good idea to call ahead to make sure someone will be available. Upon my arrival I was assisted by Patrick Connelly and a couple of his children. The farm is in transition as the Connelly's will be moving to California, but the new caretakers will continue to run the farm organically.

The "store" inside the barn at Field to Fork Farm.

I learned that Chester has a strong agriculture presence.  At Field to Fork I picked up a brochure that has a map of 19 farms in town. Sadly, there were also lots of for sale signs and new developments where farms once were. I can only hope that with the renewed interest in locally produced and organically grown foods helps the existing farms to remain viable.

Chester has a wonderful General Store located at the intersection of Routes 102 and 121. If you are looking for New Hampshire made wines they stock wines produced locally including a selection from Zorvino Vineyards and Olde Nuttfield Vineyards. Also, you can buy loose leaf of bagged tea from Inis Tea Company, also located in New Hampshire.

Wine section at Chester General Store

Teas and honey

My next stop was Millcreek Dairy, which is a meticulously clean goat dairy. Their shop sells milk and various cheeses. I couldn't resist their Maple Cranberry Chevré. 

Right: Baby goats keep warm under a heat lamp at Millcreek Dairy

Finally, I ended the day at the place that inspired this trip - Folsom's Sugar House. Even though they had stopped boiling for the season, this place was worth stopping at just for the photo op of the quaint building tucked among the trees.  According to the owners, they stopped tapping about the same time as when the season started last year - mid-March, when we were just beginning to thaw out from a blistering cold winter. Proof again, that Mother Nature is in charge.

Folsoms Sugar House, Chester