I just mix it in the cats’ food and they pay it no mind. Worm free cats - no poisons needed! Supposedly it adds useful minerals as well.<<<
Excellent idea and as I feed a bunch of feral cats, they need it.
LOL, yes, it would taste like dirty water.
Maybe it could be mixed with honey and made into a pill.?
Looking for something new? Find information about production of floral, forest, fruit, grain, herb, industrial, nursery, nut, vegetable or other specialty plants, seeds and products.
List of Alternative Crops and Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification
USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Lists alternative livestock species and livestock-related enterprises with links to Extension sources that help evaluate and start non-conventional farming enterprises.
Missouri Alternatives Center: Link List
University of Missouri. Cooperative Extension Service.
Offers Web site resources which include an on-line newsletter and a comprehensive database of full-text, on-line Extension and related how-to publications from all states and on many farming alternatives “from Asparagus to Watermelons, and Aquaculture to Worms.”
ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
National Center for Appropriate Technology. ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
Lists publications about Field Crops and Horticultural topics as related to sustainable agriculture.
Crop Production
USDA. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.
A selection of books and bulletins available for purchase and online access on the topic of successful crop production systems for farmers and ranchers.
Plants National Database
USDA. Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The section on Alternative Crops provides Web links to production and marketing information for crops suitable to small-scale farming and based on the selected crops and States.
NewCROP
Purdue University. Center for New Crops and Plant Products.
Provides several sources of information such as the New Crops Symposium series articles available through the Table of Contents for each volume, the CropEXPERT listings and the CropORGANIZATION directory about a wide variety of both common and unusual crops.
Plants for a Future
Plants for a Future.
Located in the United Kingdom, “Plants For A Future is a resource centre for rare and unusual plants, particularly those which have edible, medicinal or other uses.” Its services include an on-line database which currently consists of nearly 7,000 species of plants. The database is searchable by scientific name, common name or family; edible, medicinal or other use; or search for plants native to a particular area or a particular habitat.
Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
Search plant, chemical, activity and ethnobotany databases. Includes an ethnobotanical dictionary and links to nutritional, cancer treatment and other plant related databases.
New Crop Opportunities Center
University of Kentucky. College of Agriculture.
“Provides production and marketing information on new crops and value-added versions of current crops.”
Crops
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives.
Includes information on many alternative commodities in categories including cereal, fruit, greenhouse, vegetable, oilseed, pulse and medicinal plant crops.
Specialty and Minor Crops Handbook
University of California. Small Farm Center.
Presents selected profiles from the 2nd edition of this unique publication. The complete print document may be order from the University of California Small Farm Center.
Alternative Crop Suitability Maps
Illinois State Water Survey.
Provides summary information and requirements for over 400 crops. Maps provided on this site are specific to Illinois, but other information should be of general use.
Last Modified: Aug 15, 2008
Links referenced within this page (Hide Links on this Page)
List of Alternative Crops and Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/altlist.shtml
Missouri Alternatives Center: Link List
http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/links/
ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
http://attra.ncat.org/
Field Crops
http://attra.ncat.org/field.html
Horticultural
http://attra.ncat.org/horticultural.html
Crop Production
http://www.sare.org/coreinfo/crops.htm
Plants National Database
http://plants.usda.gov/
Alternative Crops
http://plants.nrcs.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=alt_crop.cgi
NewCROP
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/
New Crops Symposium series
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/default.html
CropEXPERT
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/experts/experts.html
CropORGANIZATION
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/organizations/orgs.html
Plants for a Future
http://www.pfaf.org/
Dr. Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/index.html
New Crop Opportunities Center
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/welcome.html
Crops
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/index.html
Specialty and Minor Crops Handbook
http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/speccrop/default.asp
University of California Small Farm Center
http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/docs/publications.asp?view=5
Alternative Crop Suitability Maps
http://www.sws.uiuc.edu/data/altcrops/
from:
http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?tax_level=1&info_center=2&tax_subject=298
Detailed plans for a Solar Fruit Dryer. [pdf]
http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/Extension/ExtPubs/Plans/6244.pdf
Detailed plans for the tobacco grower:
http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/Extension/ExtPubs/PlanList97.htm#Tobacco%20Plans
TOBACCO PLANS
Plan
No. No.
Pages Plan
Description
T4009 2 TOBACCO BARN. 32’ x 60’ FOUR TIER POLE CONST. (TOBACCO EXP.STATION)
T4038 1 TWO WHEEL PIPE FRAME TOBACCO TRAILER. (KENTUCKY)
T4143 2 24’ WIDE TWO TIER SIDE LOADING TOBACCO BARN.
http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/Extension/ExtPubs/PlanList97.htm#Greenhouse%20Plans
GREENHOUSE PLANS
Plan
No. No.
Pages Plan
Description
5941 2 PLASTIC COVERED GREENHOUSE/COLD FRAME. 8’ x 18’ WOOD FRAME.
5946 1 PORTABLE PLASTIC GREENHOUSE. 9’ x 12’ ARCHED ROOF.
5971 1 HOTBED AND PROPAGATING FRAME. PLASTIC COVER. 6’ x 6’.
6029 2 GREENHOUSE FRAMING. 23’ x 48’ RIGID WOOD FRAME.
6064 2 LATH HOUSE. 22’ x 48’.
6080 1 MINI HOT BED AND PROPAGATING FRAME. ARCHED ROOF. 42” x 5’-0”.
6163 1 GREENHOUSE BENCHES. 6 TYPES. WIRE AND WOOD.
6181 2 HOME GREENHOUSE. 10’ x 12’. PLASTIC OR FIBERGLASS COVER.
6185 3 PLASTIC COVERED GREENHOUSE. 28’ x 96’ WOOD OR PIPE FRAMING.
6206 2 HOT BED. 3’ x 6’ OR 6’ x 6’. ELECTRIC CABLE HEAT.
6217 2 ARCHED CONDUIT GREENHOUSE. 20’ x 80’. (CONDUIT BENDER SHOWN)
6222 3 PIPE FRAME GREENHOUSE. 28’ x 96’ PLASTIC COVERED. EVAP COOL.
6251 2 PLASTIC GREENHOUSE. 12’ x 16’ POLE FRAME.
6293 5 PLANT NURSERY WAGON WITH FOUR WHEEL STEERING.
6298 1 GOTHIC RAFTER GREENHOUSE. 21’ x 40’. PLASTIC COVERING.
6311 1 PLASTIC COVERED GREENHOUSE. 21’ x 40’. SCISSORS TRUSSES.
6312 1 PLASTIC COVERED GREENHOUSE. 20’ x 48’. PIPE(CONDUIT) FRAME.
795-3 2 HOBBY GREENHOUSE. 12’ x 20’. PLASTIC PIPE ARCH CONSTRUCTION.
(Subject Index)
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PLANS
Plan
No. No.
Pages Plan
Description
5192 1 ROADSIDE STAND. 24’x 28’ FRAME.
5193 1 LARGE ROADSIDE STAND. 17’x 24’ FRAME.
5695 1 SMOKE HOUSE. 7’ x 8’ WOOD OR CONCRETE BLOCK. (REPLACES 5029)
5982 1 TWO DISPLAY STANDS FOR PRODUCE. PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTION.
5983 2 PERMANENT ROADSIDE STAND. 8’ x 16’.
6027 3 ROADSIDE MARKET WITH REFRIGERATED ROOM.
6119 1 PLYWOOD PALLET VEGETABLE BOX. 47” x 47” x 24” DEEP.
6120 1 PLYWOOD PALLET VEGETABLE BOX. 47” x 40” x 24” DEEP.
6121 1 PLYWOOD PALLET VEGETABLE BOX. 47” x 47” x 46” DEEP.
6145 3 FRUIT STORAGE BUILDING. 24’ x 52’. COLD STORAGE ROOM.
6202 2 FRUIT DRYER. ELECTRIC FORCED AIR HEAT.
6228 1 FRUIT & VEGETABLE STORAGE FOR HOME BASEMENT. 10’ x 10’.
6244 2 SOLAR FRUIT DRYER.
6252 1 CASSETTE FRUIT DRYER. (USES PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATER).
6314 1 APPLE STORAGE AND PACKING FACILITY. 40’ x 170’.
6380 1 WALK-IN REFRIGERATOR FOR FARM MARKET. 8’ x 12’.
6383 2 INSULATED DOOR DETAILS FOR COLD STORAGE.
6386 3 TWO TEMPERATURE WALK-IN REFRIGERATOR. (REPLACES PLAN 7102)
6414 1 WOODEN PALLET VEGETABLE BOX. 38” x 47” x 32” DEEP.
T4179 1 60’ x 250’ FARMER’S MARKET WITH 36 SALES STALLS.
[This is a small sample of the free plans available here...granny]
[A poll to Freep]
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pj-dQ-ivCZlO0jFXNU0hISQ
Ypsi Chicken Survey & Petition
The City of Ypsilanti currently does not allow the keeping of chickens, goats, bees, or other “farm”-type animals. A minor change in the city ordinance involving agriculture is on City Council meeting agenda on February 17th, 2009. That meeting will include a public hearing (the first of two) on that ordinance change. While the proposed change does not (explicitly) allow for the keeping of these animals, it gives an opportunity for community feedback about urban agriculture and specifically the allowance of chickens. This brief survey aims to gather community input on potential ways the ordinance could be changed in the future, as well as identify potential supporters of urban agriculture. The cumulative results will be shared with City Council and in the community by Growing Hope.
Easy poll to answer....granny
[I think Bill would have banned me from checking this web site.
granny]
http://www.homegrownevolution.com/2009/02/bike-powered-washing-machine.html
[there is a video at above link]
A Bike Powered Washing Machine
Via Bike Blog NYC, the Mayapedal Washing Machine:
We dig the inclusion of a derailleur to make the washing experience shiftable (apologies to the fixed gear hipsters out there). Based in Guatemala, Mayapedal has welded up a bunch of clever “Bicimáquinas” or bike machines that you check out here.
Posted by Homegrown Evolution at 12:47 PM
Labels: bikes, greywater, washing machine
4 comments:
Melissa ~ Wife to 1, Mom to 5 said...
That is AWESOME! Now I want one!!
1:15 PM
ChristyACB said...
Okay, that is too cool and I definitely want to try one for myself!
4:56 PM
Ian said...
Really awesome!
8:35 PM
jhm said...
How is this supposed to work, exactly? It seems to me that the clothes will not agitate, but simply plaster themselves against the barrel wall.
The idea of pedal power is cool, however, and I suggest it be used in connection with something like http://www.Staber.com/
[Staber.com is a made in the U.S. washer of a different design and there is also a dryer....granny]
http://mayapedal.org/bicimaquinas_in.html
[Down the page, there is a photo of the one eyed mule, Grandpa Ira made for me to plow with, not the same but close enough to give an idea for yours.....lots of good ideas here....granny]
What are bicimáquinas?
Bicimáquinas (translates as “bicycle machines”) are pedal-powered machines that act as an intermediate technology to assist the family economy in obtaining a higher production capacity in agriculture and in small business. Each bicimáquina is produced individually in our shop with a combination of old bikes, concrete, wood, and metal. So far we have developed several original designs that have proven to be both functional and economical.
Models Prototypes
* Bicycle Mill/Corn Degrainer
* Bicycle Blender
* Bicycle Water Pump
* Microconcrete Vibrator (Roofing Tiles)
* Tricycles and Trailers
* Bicycle Coffee Depulper
* Bicycle Metal Sharpener
* Just Bikes!
* Bicycle Washing Machines
* Bicycle Electricity Generator
* Soil plow/till/hoe
* Bicycle Nut-Sheller
* Bicycle Wood Saw
Contact us with your ideas and suggestions!
http://www.homegrownevolution.com/
Make your own earth box:
http://www.seattleoil.com/Flyers/Earthbox.pdf
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Spreadin’ Seed
The past week was spent feverishly spreading genetic material around. No, we weren’t backstage with Metallica. We’re talking plants. Here’s a few ways we’ve been spinning the genetic biodiversity wheel in the past week:
Seed Swaps
Yesterday was International Seed Swap Day of Action, sponsored by Food not Lawns. We celebrated the day in Altadena with a bunch of local gardening enthusiasts and countless boxes of seeds. We got seeds for Armenian cucumbers, red ruffled pimento peppers, feverfew, echinacea and zucchini among others. In return we gave away okra, cosmos, and mystery seeds from my mom’s Greek neighbor. A seed swap makes a great excuse for a party and a great time was had by all.
The Neighbors
My mom’s elderly neighbor, who spends each summer in his native Greece, loves to garden and grows, among many other things, at least four different kinds of arugula, which he calls, “the Greek Viagra”. He gave us seeds for two different arugulas, some basil from the northern mountains of Greece and countless other untranslatable plants, and packed them up for us in blue medicine bottles. We’ve grown his vegetables before and, while we can’t vouch for the aphrodisiac qualities and don’t stoop to Viagra jokes, they taste really great.
Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit member supported organization that maintains a seed bank of over 25,000 varieties of vegetables. You can order seeds from them at www.seedsavers.org.
Catalogs
We’ve been obsessed with the Italian seed company Franchi for almost ten years now. Meeting the west coast distributor Craig Ruggless at the seed swap and seeing his display racks of seeds was the horticultural geek equivalent of bumping into a rock star. Craig’s got a blog here and, in addition to distributing seeds at local nurseries, he can be found at the Sierra Madre farmer’s market on Wednesdays. Craig doesn’t have a mail order operation—for Franchi seeds by mail go to www.seedsofitaly.com. You can also become a Franchi fan on Facebook here.
Lastly, if you aren’t already, consider collecting as many seeds as possible from your garden to save and share. Here’s some seed saving directions for common vegetables.
Posted by Homegrown Evolution at 7:36 PM
Labels: seeds
2 comments:
Luigi said...
Sounds like a week very well spent! Do you know our list of seed sources? http://agro.biodiver.se/seed-exchanges/
12:12 AM
Comfortable Shoes Studio said...
My favorite seed company is Botanical Interest. Its a great company, small, family owned with an interest in spreading seeds of heirlooms. Almost every seed they sell is heirloom. they sell a lot of organic seeds as well. Back when I was in the floral business I had the great opportunity to met one of the owners and I can say that I drank the kool aid. I appreciate businesses that stand behind their product and have a tremendous set of core values.
At the end of the season the company does a buy back of their seeds and then ships those seeds to developing countries to help the local grow their own food or flowers to sell. Anyway. I love their company and think everyone should check them out.
2:24 AM
http://www.homegrownevolution.com/2009/02/spreadin-seed.html
[Lots of hidden links above.]
[There are local groups, see list]
International Seed Swap Day of Action
January 31, 2009 is International Seed Swap Day of Action. Host a seed swap in your neighborhood in solidarity with Food Not Lawns, the White House Organic Farm project, Eat the View, and other organizations urging Obama’s new Administration to support and encourage local food networks, permaculture, and sustainability, in this Nation and beyond.
[also at above link]
How To Organize a Community Seed Swap
How to Organize a Community Seed Swap
By Heather Coburn Flores
as printed in Back Home Magazine’s Ask an Expert column, March 2007
Video and petition for an Organic garden at the White House:
Henry Ford and TheWhoFarm
Nov 24 2008
With all the hype surrounding the auto industry bailouts, it seems that now would be as good a time as any to revisit Henry Ford on Self-Help, circa 1932.
According to a Time Magazine from that era, Mr. Ford “presented [his ideas] directly to the public by a series of three newspaper advertisements throughout the land. His company paid for them as ‘a contribution to public welfare.’ They summarized the fundamental economic philosophy of the man whose factories supply more industrial employment than those of any other individual.”
This particular ad included the following:
“The land! That is where our roots are. . . . No unemployment insurance can be compared to an alliance between a man and a plot of land.”
Were he alive today, it seems likely that Mr. Ford would have signed our petition to President-elect Obama.
Click here for a PDF of the entire advertisement.
http://www.thewhofarm.org/blog/
Edible landscapes for all: can you dig it? Yes, you can!
The future is going to be more fresh, juicy and delicious than a lot of us realize. That’s because edible landscapes are going to be more integrated into our yards, neighborhoods, towns, and cities in the future than they have in the recent past. So, rejoice: good, clean food is on the way!
To make this happen, though, we need more people asking for and digging these landscapes. Please join our campaign. Here are a few things you can do to help:
1) Identify a landscape near you that you think should be “edible-ized”. Chances are that you won’t have to look far. Start with your own yard, neighborhood, or child’s schoolyard. Then, why not ask your elected officials at the state and local level to lead by example. The Governors of Maine, North Carolina and New York are already eating from gardens planted at their official residences.
2) Sign our “White House Food Garden Petition” which we will deliver to the Obamas along with a diverse collection of heirloom seed packets.
3) Contact President Obama directly here. Tell him you’d like him to replant an organic garden on the White House lawn. There’s an opportunity to attach a photo to your request. You can grab one here.
Must be hundreds of links to reports and articles on solar cooking:
This page says Fun and Educational, I did not go to the link, but the one photo is interesting, a Pop Bottle greenhouse, and by golly they have a large plastic wall standing, the kids are building it.
granny
Greenhouse from pop bottles
www.reapscotland.org.uk/reports/greenhouse%20v1.pdf
This is a greenhouse built by kids with using 2 liter pop bottles.
The finished GH could be used for any number of solar heating and growing experiments. A great demonstration of how simple solar can be.
(from HomesteadingToday.com)
[many other ideas on page, very interesting....]
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Educational/educational.htm#PopGH
http://www.papayatreenursery.com/
Be Sure To See The Fruit Gallery Pictures
Of The Exotic Fruits That We Offer
The Papaya Tree Nursery was founded in 1985
by David And Tina Silber.
The Nursery is run today by their son Alex, who continues the
tradition of providing top quality fruit trees from all over the world
and expert advice. Some examples are tropical guavas, mangos,
cherimoyas, starfruit, and litchees.
Papaya Tree Nursery offers unique varieties specially suited to
Southern California climates.
Papaya Tree Nursery Proprietor
Alex Silber
Look for us at the
Green Scene
at the Fullerton Arboretum
on April 18th & 19th, 2009
[does not sell mailorder, so take a vacation and go shopping.
granny]
The more that I read on this page, the more I learn, interesting uses for all kinds of things. I did not dare click on the link to the older projects.
granny
http://www.homegrownevolution.com/
Make a Garden Work Table from a Pallet
Pallets are a ubiquitous building material, your free lumber yard in tough times. Homegrown Evolution patched together the garden work table above for use with seedlings and storing pots and watering cans. Hopefully the picture is all you need to put one together yourself.
Some tips for working with pallets:
1. We prefer projects that don’t involve disassembling the pallet. The nails in pallets aren’t meant to be removed. Trying to take one apart with a crowbar will, in most cases, result in a lot of split, useless wood. A Sawzall reciprocating saw would work better if you must take one apart. For the table above we simply cut the pallet in half with a circular saw and handsaw.
2. Use screws not nails and predrill all holes. Pallet wood is very brittle and splits easily.
For some other design ideas check out:
This nice coffee table. Note that you simply use the whole pallet.
And this cool idea: an art/architecture collective Municipal Workshop has a nice way of avoiding the problem of pulling pallets nails. They cut pallets apart and use all the small pieces of wood like tiles. Here’s some more info on their “Autotron Unit”, pictured above.
[A neat looking building is in the photo....granny]
[a comment]
Jenny said...
Hey, a friend sent me a link to this. Cool! We use pallets for a lot of things around here, but my favorite is the ceiling that my husband built in our strawbale house. You can see it at my blog www.ironwoodfarmproject.blogspot.com and click on the sidebar The House. There’s a photo of it now and if you scroll down there are some construction photos. Nice blog!
http://www.homegrownevolution.com/2009/01/make-garden-work-table-from-pallet.html
I do not know where to start, so many fantastic recipes for Artisan Breads:
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/
Five Minutes a Day for Fresh-Baked Bread
Discover this ridiculously easy — and cheap! — technique that revolutionizes home baking.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx
Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
Basic truffle ingredients
* 8 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher)
* 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
* 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional base flavorings:
* Mint leaves (1 bunch, stems removed, chopped, about 1 cup)
* Cinnamon and cardamon (1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods)
* Amaretto (1-2 tablespoons)
* Almond extract (1 teaspoon)
Truffle coatings
* Cocoa powder
* Finely chopped walnuts
* Finely chopped almonds
Method
1 In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer (this may take a while, be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes).
If you are using one of the other recommended flavorings, stir it in with the cream (and ignore vanilla in the next step). If adding mint or other solids, after the cream simmers, remove from heat and let seep for an hour. Then strain away solids, and return the cream to a simmer and proceed with recipe.
2 Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache.)
3 Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
4 Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.
Makes 30-40 chocolate truffles.
Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007403chocolate_truffles.php
Braised Turkey Legs
Ingredients
* 2 turkey legs and 2 thighs, about 4 lbs
* Olive oil
* 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
* 1 cup of finely chopped celery
* Salt, pepper, and cayenne
* Water or other braising liquid (dry wine or stock)
* Corn starch
* Parsley, chopped, about 1/4 cup
Optional winter vegetables such as:
* Potatoes, peeled and quartered
* Carrots, chopped
* Turnips, quartered
* Rutabagas, quartered
* Parsnips, chopped
Method
1 Sprinkle turkey thighs and legs with salt and pepper. Brown the turkey thighs and legs on medium high heat in a little bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan with high sides. Add chopped onion and celery to form a nest under the turkey pieces. Sauté an additional 5 minutes.
2 Add enough braising liquid - either water, stock, wine, or a combination - so that the liquid covers the bottom inch of the pan, about 1 cup. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer covered for an hour and a half, or until the turkey is so well cooked and tender that the meat easily falls off of the bones. Remove the turkey meat from the pan and remove the bones, taking special care to remove the many small narrow bones of the legs. Remove the skin.
Optional: At this point you can use the liquid remaining in the sauté pan to cook the potatoes, carrots and turnips. Add the vegetables to the pan and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook covered until they are done, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan so you can reduce the remaining liquid without overcooking the vegetables.
3 Reduce the liquid remaining in the pan to intensify some of the meat juices for added flavor. Take a teaspoon of cornstarch and dissolve in a 1/2 cup of water. Add cornstarch mixture a little at a time to sauce, adding more liquid, until the sauce achieves the desired body. Adjust seasoning. Add salt and pepper if needed, add a little cayenne or Tabasco sauce. If the sauce is too sweet, add a little vinegar or lemon. Add parsley.
4 Add the turkey meat back in the pan with the sauce. Serve immediately over rice or bread or with the vegetables if you have chose to make them.
Serves 6-8.
Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com
Dad’s Turkey Stew
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 lbs turkey thighs (preferred) or legs (skin on, bone in)
1 medium-large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 quart vegetable stock
2 medium carrots, peeled, 1/4 inch slices
2-3 medium turnips, peeled, 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium rutabaga, peeled, 1/4 inch slices
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon herbes de provence*
Pepper
One Dutch oven with cover.
Method
1 Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a Dutch oven on the stove top. Wash and pat dry turkey pieces. Brown turkey pieces, skin side down, 2-3 minutes on each side. You may need to brown in batches if necessary. In the last 3 minutes of browning of the last batch, add the onions and celery.
2 Add salt and 1/2 of the stock. Bring to a simmer, remove from the stove top and put in the oven, covered, for one hour.
3 After an hour, remove from oven and add the rest of the vegetables - carrots, turnips, rutabaga, and potatoes, the herbs, and the rest of the stock. Return to the oven, covered, and cook until tender, another hour or more.
4 Remove bones and skin, discard. Season to taste.
Serves 6 to 8.
*Herbes de Provence is a delightful French blend of herbs - Winter savory, thyme, basil, tarragon, and lavender flowers.
Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com
Mom’s Stuffed Bell Peppers
Red and yellow bell peppers have a very different flavor than green bell peppers. The red ones especially are much sweeter. Any bell pepper can be used for this recipe; use the type you like the best.
Ingredients
* 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked white rice (starting from about 3/4 to 1 cup raw white rice)
* 4 to 6 bell peppers (red, yellow, or green), use 4 large, or 6 medium sized
* 1 to 1 1/4 lb of ground beef (ground chuck, 16% fat)
* 6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil)
* 1/2 teaspoon dry summer savory
* 1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram (or 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped)
* (Can substitute herbs with other herbs such as an Italian herb mix)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* Paprika
Method
1 If you haven’t already made the rice, start cooking the rice following the package instructions (usually 1 cup of raw white rice plus 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.)
moms-stuffed-peppers-1.jpg moms-stuffed-peppers-2.jpg
2 Cut the tops off of the bell peppers. Remove and discard (compost) the stem and seeds. Place bell peppers cut side up on a steaming rack over an inch of water in a large covered pot. Bring to boil, let steam for 10 minutes.
3 Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, basil, summer savory, marjoram, salt, several turns of black pepper, and rice.
moms-stuffed-peppers-3.jpg moms-stuffed-peppers-4.jpg
4 Remove bell peppers from steamer pan. Place cut side up in a pyrex or other oven-proof casserole. Gently stuff the peppers with the ground beef rice mixture. Drizzle olive oil over the stuffed peppers, along the outside of the peppers, and into the pan. Rub the oil over the outside of the peppers; it will help with browning. Sprinkle the tops generously with paprika.
5 Place on middle rack and cook for 25-30 minutes, until meat is cooked through.
Serves 4 to 6. Serve with ketchup.
Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com
This baked chicken recipe is one of those recipes that every home cook should have in their repertoire. It uses a minimal amount of ingredients - chicken, olive oil, salt and pepper (and if you want gravy, chicken stock or white wine) and is especially useful on those busy days when you are just too busy to get creative. My mother makes this chicken about once a month and usually serves it with mango chutney and Spanish rice.
Classic Baked Chicken
Ingredients
* 3 to 4 lb chicken, cut into 8 parts (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings) excluding the back
* Olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 cup of chicken stock* or white wine for the gravy (optional)
Method
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1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse chicken pieces in water and pat dry with paper towels. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan with olive oil. Rub some olive oil over all of the chicken pieces in the roasting pan. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the pieces skin-side up in the roasting pan so the largest pieces are in the center (the breasts) and there is a little room between pieces so they aren’t crowded in the pan.
2 Cook for 30 minutes at 400°F. Then lower the heat to 350°F and cook for 10-30 minutes more (approximately 14 to 15 minutes per pound total cooking time) until juices run clear (not pink) when poked with a sharp knife or the internal temperature of the chicken breasts is 170°F and the thighs 185°. If your chicken pieces aren’t browning to your satisfaction, you can put them under the broiler for the last 5 minutes of cooking, until browned sufficiently.
3 Remove roasting pan from oven. Remove chicken from roasting pan to a serving plate. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
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4 To make gravy for the chicken, take the roasting pan with its drippings and place on a medium setting on the stovetop. Use a metal spatula to scrape up the drippings stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add a quarter cup of white wine or chicken stock* to the pan to help deglaze the drippings from the pan.
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Pour the wine/stock and dripping mixture into a small saucepan and heat on medium high to reduce to desired thickness.
*While the chicken pieces are baking, if you bought a whole chicken that was then cut into pieces, you may have the back, the neck, and some gizzard pieces to use for making chicken stock. You can chop up the back a little, put it and the neck and gizzards (not the liver) into a small saucepan, barely cover with water, bring to a simmer, cook while the chicken is cooking. When the chicken in the oven is done cooking, use the stock from simmering the extra pieces to make the gravy.
Serves 4. Serve with steamed rice, mashed potatoes, or Spanish rice.
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Under the headings of quick, easy, and a good way to stretch a half pound of pork, I present my friend Heidi’s Citrus Pork with Egg Noodles. I’ll admit that I was skeptical at first, but it’s surprisingly good and uses ingredients most of us can find all year round. Next time I think I’ll add a teaspoon of grated orange peel or some sliced kumquat for an added citrus edge.
Citrus Pork with Egg Noodles
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound boneless pork loin, cut into 2x1/2-inch strips
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 pound egg noodles, cooked, drained
Method
Get the water boiling for your noodles...
1 In a small bowl combine cumin, salt and pepper. Add pork; toss to coat.
2 In a large skillet heat oil over medium hight heat. Add the pork and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes or until browned.
3 In a small bowl blend the broth, orange juice, vinegar, and brown sugar. Reserve 1/4 cup of the broth mixture. Pour all but the reserved broth mixture into the skillet with the pork and garlic. Add the carrots. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook 7-8 minutes.
4 Blend corn starch into reserved broth mixture. Stirring constantly, pour the corn starch mixture into the skillet to thicken the sauce. Add the green onions. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 more minute.
5 Toss with the noodles. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
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Love to all of you,
granny