Spicy Coconut-Corn Crack

Spicy Coconut-Corn Crack

The cold weather means it is time to switch gears in the kitchen. Fresh salads and grilled items are replaced with slow cooking, savory soups, stews and casseroles. This recipe is adapted from the Wicked Healthy vegan cookbook by Chad and Derek Sarno and David Joachim.

Ingredients

 

4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced

8 cloves garlic

1 large white onion diced

2 cups vegetable stock

2 bags frozen corn

1 14oz can coconut milk

1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh mint leaves chopped

1 Thai chili pepper chopped

1. Boil potatoes with garlic until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Remove and save garlic.

2. Saute onion in a little bit of oil, then add broth, reserved garlic, 1 bag corn, coconut milk, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper, bay leaf and ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook about 8 minutes to blend flavors.

3. Remove from heat and cool for about 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf, then blend roughly with immersion blender. It should be chunky. Return to stove, stir in potatoes, bay leaf, remaining corn, fresh mint and chili pepper. Simmer and serve. You may garnish with additional mint and chili peppers. 

Addressing Climate Change Through Carbon Offsets

The period between Thanksgiving and New Year's is one of the busiest for transportation and travel. Whether it be driving a car to stores, ordering gifts on-line or flying across the country, or perhaps further, to visit relatives, these all contribute to climate change. According to the U.S. EPA, transportation accounts for approximately 29 percent of the overall greenhouse gas emissions from the United States. One way of mitigating this impact is to contribute to programs that work to reduce emissions, this is called purchasing carbon offsets.

A stopover in Iceland helped us acquire a better understanding of global climate issues with melting glaciers

This past year we attended a niece's graduation and two weddings which all required airline travel, including one to Europe. Although the best thing for the environment may be to avoid airline travel all together, maintaining family connections and social bounds is important as well. When flying cannot be avoided, you can feel a little better if you make a donation to offset the emissions for that travel. Some airlines provide this option at the time of purchase of your ticket. This is the easiest way as it avoids having to do your own carbon emissions calculation. However, if your airline did not provide this option or if you would like to purchase off-sets after the fact, the United Nations, International Civil Agency Organization, provides a simple calculator that estimates the carbon footprint per passenger for an individual flight. Once you do the calculation, you then select a program or particular project which will reduce carbon emission, and make a donation at least equivalent to the amount of your impact. If you do not have a project in mind, here is a list of three reputable websites to begin your research.  Examples of projects are those that capture methane, install solar panels, deliver clean cook-stoves, and plant trees to address deforestation.

Green-e.org

Gold Standard.org

Cool Effect.org

Purchasing carbon offsets for travel is just one way to reduce the overall carbon emissions world-wide.  Remember that you don't need to wait to fly to invest in reforestation and renewable energy projects. By reducing our own carbon footprint and donating to organizations that are implementing on the ground solutions to reduce carbon emissions our individual actions can make a difference.

Taking Time Out to Explore Fungi

December is busy with holiday preparations, but I was able to take some time away from shopping and baking to attend two events related to fungi. The first was a presentation giving by Rick Van de Pol, an environmental consultant and mycologist, at the NH Technical Institute as part of their Wings of Knowledge program. Dr. Van de Pol provided a brief overview of his experience studying mushrooms in New Hampshire, where he has identified over 1700 species. His talk focused on the benefits of mushrooms and the enjoyment of exploring the fungal kingdom.

The number of mushroom species across the globe is unknown since most have yet to be identified, but some estimate that it could be close to four million! When you see a mushroom on the ground, you are looking at the fruiting body of the fungi that grows beneath the soil. And, what we see above ground is just a small part of the vast network of growth below the surface, which can sometimes stretch for miles. Although some fungi are parasitic, think powdery mildew on your tomato plants, the majority of fungi are beneficial. Saprotrophic fungi serve an essential purpose by decomposing organic matter and creating soil which provides the lifeblood for living matter on earth. Mycorrhizae fungi benefit the environment by forming a symbiotic relationship with plants around it. These fungi help transfer nutrients and water from the soil to plants in exchange for carbohydrates. This is why it is important to avoid disturbing garden soil as much as possible as it disrupts this relationship.    

It was fortuitous that another opportunity to learn about mushrooms was playing at our local independent  Red River Theatres where they were showing the documentary Fantastic Fungi. If you enjoy beautiful time-lapsed photography and want to delve deeper into understanding the potential beneficial uses of fungi for people, then I recommend watching this movie. 




Although outside the ground is now covered with snow, you can still discover the many bracket fungi growing on trees, such as this polypore.

So, when you finish baking that last batch of cookies and putting the last gift under the tree, take a break to take a walk in the woods and contemplate the wonder of God's gift to us in the miraculous world of fungi.

Onion Lentil Soup

Onion Lentil Soup

Filled with both antioxidants and protein, this soup is great for boosting your immune system as we enter into the cold and flu season.

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 Medium sweet onion peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons sugar
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 cup dried brown lentils
1/8 cup tamari or soy sauce
4 cups water or broth
1 cup beer
1 bay leaf
Crusty bread and Swiss cheese for topping (optional)

In dutch oven or soup pot, melt butter and add onion, sugar and salt. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently so the onions don't burn. Cook about until brown and caramelized, about 20-30 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minutes. Add lentils, sage and tamari/soy sauce, stirring for one minute. Add water/broth, beer and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until lentils are soft 30 - 40 minutes. If desired, pour into oven safe bowls, add swiss cheese and bread and broil until cheese is melted. 

Fall Preparations

Gladiolas dug up for winter storage

We have been blessed the past several weekends with cool dry weather which has been perfect for doing yard work and preparing the garden beds for the upcoming winter. As you can see from the photo above, the maple and birch leaves have been falling. We typically do a combination of running the lawn mower over the leaves so they will break down in place, and sweeping the areas where the leaves become too thick and might smother the grass in the Spring. There is always plenty for the compost bin.

This past weekend I dug up the gladiolas. I don't particularly like flowers that require extra care, but I have become found of my glads. The gorgeous blooms they provide in late summer are worth the work, which actually is quite minimal. After digging them up, I snip the roots and cut the stems and then dry them completely before storing in the basement. I use a small bushel basket and cover the bulbs loosely with newspaper. With these simple steps, I have been rewarded with many years of flowers from a single bulb. 

Gladiola bulbs that will be stored over the winter

Another chore that is not just for Fall, is to cut down as much bittersweet as possible. Ideally this should be done before any berries have formed. Although it sometimes seems like a losing battle, it is more of a constant battle. By continually removing the vines, they don't have a chance to take over, but an organic approach is not a once and done solution. It requires constant pulling, which can be discouraging.

Oriental Bittersweet underneath a Blue Spruce

I am primarily concerned with the vines damaging trees, so I try to regularly cut vines that are climbing up and around the tree trunks and branches.

Although most of the flowers are done blooming, these Cosmos,  are hanging in there and are providing some late season nectar for this bumble bee (on the white flower.)

We have only had a couple light frosts, so the grass and many plants are still green. It is unusual, though to see lavender blooming this late in the season.

Lavender Blooms

Also unusual to see is the new growth on an Anise Hyssop plant. It reminds me more of Spring than Fall.

Anise Hyssop

In addition to putting the garden to bed, I also recently planted a small area with arugula and radishes which has been very enjoyable in dinner salads. I love extending the season as long as possible and this year the end is not clearly in sight.

Fresh Fall Radishes

Roasted Eggplant with Broccoli and Chickpea Rotini

This is a quick and easy mid-week meal, which is good any time of the year. In the early summer, you could substitute the broccoli for zucchini. 

Ingredients: 
1 eggplant, sliced about 3/4 inch thick and cut into 2 inch cubes
Olive oil 
Salt
2 cups chopped broccoli
1 medium tomato diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1- 8-10 oz box chickpea Rotini
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 ounces feta cheese cubed or crumbled
1 teaspoon dried red peppers

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray bottom of cookie sheet with olive oil and spread out eggplant pieces. Sprinkle with salt. Brush each piece with olive oil. Roast eggplant in oven until soft, turning every 15 minutes and spreading with additional olive oil as needed.

Cook Rotini according to package directions. When rotini is done, drain, reserving a cup of liquid. In same pot add cooked eggplant and remaining ingredients, except for the feta cheese. Stir in 1 Tablespoon olive oil and pasta liquid. Simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Warblers and More in Webster

Part of our birding group gazing at Mount Kearsarge over Knight's Meadow Marsh

Two weekends ago I had the pleasure of joining birding expert Bob Quinn and a group of area birders on an early September bird walk in Webster, New Hampshire. The weather forecast was for rain, but other than a few sprinkles, it turned out to be a beautiful morning for observing fall migratory birds. I had previously only been on Spring warbler walks so I did find that the foliage on the trees and bushes made anything more than a brief sighting a challenge.

Cedar Waxwing

Before driving to our destination, while we gathered in the school parking lot, a few Cedar waxwings landed atop a barren tree, so there was no difficulty in seeing them.We also heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in the distance, and had I been alone, I probably would not have noticed it.

Once everyone arrived, we drove a few miles to Knight's Meadow Road to begin the walk which ended at Knight's Meadow Marsh. It did not take long before birds started appearing, including warblers. Once they started appearing, all we had to do was stand in place and watch them fly back and forth from one side of the road to the other. Our group as a whole identified 11 warbler species. It was somewhat disappointing that I was only able to capture one, a Blackburnian, with my camera. The Blackburnian warbler breeds in the United States from Northern Minnesota westward through the state of Maine. During the summer they are found in the forest canopy, but during migration they come down to the lower brush with other warbler species. I consider myself lucky to have seen this one. He has a long way to go before his final destination - the open forests of South America.

Blackburnian Warbler

After a couple hours of warbler watching we entered the woods where we heard and saw a Broad-winged hawk. We then crossed over a brook, and stopped to observe a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Upon our arrival, the Marsh was relatively quiet. There were some Wood ducks and a Great blue heron, but the marsh is so beautiful that seeing any birds was just an added bonus.

Knight's Meadow Marsh

That being typed, I was thrilled that a Solitary sandpiper flew in and landed in front of us.

Solitary sandpiper

All in all, this was one of the most interesting bird walks I have experienced, with great weather, people, and, of course, the stars of the morning, the birds.