How do you like them apples?

Phillip K. Dick, the science-fiction writer, said, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.”  We perceive the world the way our senses and sensibilities perceive it, seeing what we understand and editing out what we don’t.  Learning to garden and forage, I can walk down an urban street and see not only houses, trees, and trash along the street, but chicken of the woods and chicory, wild carrot and endive, Concord grapes, acorns, and occasionally a rabbit.  Would I want to eat a mushroom growing so close to the street, or grapes off the vine climbing the tree that hangs over the stream posted with pollution warnings?  No.  But my eyes have adjusted to a new reality, where this is food, this is a food chain…  I’m still a novice to mushroom hunting, and even mycologists themselves will frequently report they don’t know why mushrooms appear here and not there, now and not then, to paraphrase Michael Pollan’s writings on the subject.  There is so much we don't understand about the interconnected web of life, but it's there regardless.  A butterfly and a tsunami are connected.  We just need the right filter, the visual adjustment, or maybe even a blind-fold so that other senses can awaken.

The industrial food process is anything but transparent, many of us buying foods with metaphorical blindfolds on.  We see the cheap price and don't connect the health and environmental issues later.  A month ago, I picked peaches on a farm because they were the first ones to have them.  It was not an industrial operation, but I felt itchy afterwards.  Perhaps I should have asked what sprays they used.  Then last weekend, the family went to Hill Orchards, which practices Integrated Pest Management.  IPM is not necessarily spray-free or organic, but is a method that uses many natural means first to control pests.  This orchard sets up traps to attract pests to see what they’re dealing with in any given season.  Beneficial insects such as ladybugs, mantids, lacewings, assassin bugs, and the like may be brought in.  Companion planting with herbs may attract these beneficials or deter pests.  Then there are sprays such as insecticidal soap or copper/sulphur to treat fungal diseases.  Rarely will growers who use IPM use wholesale insecticides.  So there we were, picking apples and peaches, grown responsibly.  When it came time to pay, both fruits were actually cheaper per pound than the first farm I picked at.  (Hillside $1.50 vs. "Other" at $2/lb.  I guess chemicals cut into their costs.)

Now how do you like them apples?  I like them in my 8 pints of apple sauce, in apple pie, in apple parsnip soup.  I like my 4 pints of peaches, chicken tangine, and Indian pudding.  But it's not just about the food.  After losing sleep trying to keep up with the canning, I took a peach, felt its fuzz peel away with my fingers, let the juice ooze over me, smelled it, inhaled it.  It was peach, and it was becoming part of me.  The pit, hard as a jewel, when broken open yielded a tiny almond-like seed.  In fact, the two are close cousins.  I smelled the seed, broke it, and chewed it slowly.  I think I may go into the garden blind-folded just to see with my nose.  

I made a pie.  Sent some over to my neighbors who cut up the tree we lost in Tropical Irene.  The logs now line our school garden.  And saved a slice for my minister, for another wonderful sermon and for just being him.  Here’s the recipe:

Vegan Option

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Basic Pie Dough

Taste of Europe

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Prep/Chill: 30 minutes  Makes two 9” double-crust pies

2 cups unbleached flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 3/4 cups vegetable shortening

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. coriander (optional)

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 egg (or 1/4 cup oil for vegan recipe)

1/2 cup water

Sift together flours, sugar, salt, and coriander, if using.  With fork, cut shortening into dry mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, eggs or oil, and water. Combine the two mixtures, stirring with a fork until all ingredients are moistened. With floured hands, mold dough into four balls.  Chill at least fifteen minutes before rolling.  Dough can be kept wrapped in plastic in refrigerator for three days or frozen six months.

Gramma’s Apple Pie

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 - 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg

Dash salt

6 cups thinly sliced, pared tart

apples (Granny Smith or Cortland)

2 tbsp. butter

Heat oven to 425ºF. Prepare pastry.  Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg,cinnamon, and salt. Mix with apples. Turn into pastry-lined pan.  Dot with butter. Put top crust on.  Seal edges and cut slits in top. Cover edges of pie crust with two to

three inches of aluminum foil. Remove in last fifteen minutes of baking

time. Bake 40-50 minutes or until crust browns and juice bubbles through slits. (Granny Smith apples may require more sugar.)

Source: Betty Crocker (?)

It's Not Over Yet!

September...  Tomato season is nearing an end as I store my jarred salsas, ketchup, and bruschetta, and frozen sauce.  The remaining ripe plum tomatoes got dried in the oven (cored and quartered, on a foil-lined sheet, at 170ºF for 6-12 hours).  If after all the other demands of life allow the time, green cherry tomato rosemary pickles and green relish.

After losing power 35 hours during Irene, we went to Sturbridge Village to see how people lived before electricity.  We had our own plan of making shadow puppets, cooking on the grill, listening to the radio, doing crafts....  I'm the kind of person who never wants lights on when they don't have to be, but I didn't realize how dark it got without everyone else's.  Had it not been cloudy, we would have looked at the stars.  It was difficult reading and playing board games.  It was windy and raining.  The candles came out.  As it happened, the batteries in the boom box had corroded and my husband braved the weather going store-to-store for C batteries when all we had were AAs.  I made a sock monkey named "Storm".  My daughter, only four, bugged me to let her sew until I said yes and gave her a straight line and a circle to stitch.  Last week she sewed her first pillow.  I don't think I'll be saying she can't do something again.  It's funny how all the "lost arts" come out when the power fails, and how much it fascinates children.  We made coffee in our press pot by boiling water in a kettle on the grill, an hour long process.  At Sturbridge Village we listened to the actor explain how she roasted the coffee beans at the crack of dawn...I told her I hoped she saved coffee for the next day in order to make the coffee.  Not knowing how accurate her farm was, I noted the mealy moths in the grains, the bean beetles in the pole beans, the flies on the food.  I'm not sure the Indian meal moths she had would not have been present, but Colonial America did import nutmeg, also from India and other Asian countries.

Just as one season ends, another begins.  Fall is by far my favorite.  Part of me wants to slow down and enjoy the changes.  But it was a rocky road in and school has begun.  As usual, I have obligations nearly every day, taking work home while at the same time looking at what my child did in pre-school.  I look forward to all the harvest activities that pop up this time of year, knowing I can't do them all.  We've been eating anything that can be thrown into a wrap, corn on the cob, pasta, salads.  More "quick" recipes to come.  I did come up with a quick "gelato" recipe a few weeks ago when my husband brought home overripe peaches in a shrink-wrapped Styrofoam tray from somewhere...  Tomorrow we will pick peaches and apples from down the road, canning late into the night.  I'm thinking ginger apple sauce.  I guess I'll sleep this winter.

Gluten-Free/Low Sodium/Vegetarian

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Peach “Gelato”

Taste of Italy

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Prep: 15 minutes  Freeze: 1 hour or overnight  Serves 4

2 over-ripe peaches

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/8 cup local honey

1 tsp. ground ginger

Have peaches getting soft on your counter?  Make this quick dessert!  Soft peaches are easy to peel the skin from.  You can peel, then freeze, or vice-versa.  I usually freeze the peaches in their skins so I don’t have to wrap them, but peeling must be done quick so peaches don’t thaw.  Freeze peaches at least one hour, preferably overnight.  Remove pit by slicing around peach and twisting sides.  Chop pitted peaches and mix with half-and-half, honey, and ground ginger in a blender until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Taste of India

Dairy and Gluten-Free/Vegan Option

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Coconut Curry

Taste of India

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Prep: 20 minutes  Cook: 30-35 minutes  Makes 8 servings 

2 tbs. oil, melted butter or ghee* 

1/2 cauliflower, stemmed and broken into bite-sized pieces 

2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2” cubes

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced 

1 tsp. peeled, finely grated ginger root

1-2 jalapeños or other green chili, seeded and chopped

1 tbs. paprika

2 tsp. garam masala (Combine coriander, pepper, cumin, 

     cardamom, and cinnamon.  Also at stores.) 

1 tsp. organic curry powder

1 cup reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth 

1/2 eggplant, cut into 1/2” cubes

1 1/2 cups blanched, cored, chopped tomatoes (any kind)

4 okra, sliced into 1/2” stars

1 tbs. corn starch

2/3 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

A true taste of India requires some ingredients from afar, but you’ll find all the produce at Farmer’s Markets by the end of summer.  The creamy coconut sauce is thickened with cashews (which the Portuguese brought to India from Brazil).  In a large sauté pan with lid, heat oil, butter, or ghee.  Add onion, potato, and cauliflower, and cook over medium heat five minutes, stirring frequently.  Add garlic, ginger, and spices, stirring well and cooking one minute.  Add stock, stirring up any bits from pan.  Add eggplant and tomatoes, mixing well.  Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add okra and cook 10-15 minutes more, or until tender.  In blender, blend corn starch,coconut milk, and cashews until smooth.  Stir into vegetable mixture, stirring constantly, about two minutes.  Serve hot, with jasmine rice if desired.

* Ghee is butter that has been melted and the fat skimmed off when cool.  It can be prepared ahead and stores well.  It can also purchased at Indian specialty shops, where you may find better prices for the curry and garam masala.

Mushrooming in RI?

Learn more through the RI Audubon Society:

Mushrooming with Audubon   Join Audubon for an introduction to mushrooms and fungi and learn how to identify species that grow in the area. Visit www.asri.org and click on the calendar date noted below each program for details. These are some of our most popular programs, so register early.  Space is limited. Wild Mushroom Walk                                               September 17, 2011; 2:00 - 4:30 pm  Kimball Wildlife Refuge, Charlestown RI Taking the Mystery Out of Mushrooming September 24, 2011; 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge, Coventry, RI Wild Mushroom Workshop October 8, 2011; 1:00 - 3:30 pm Powder Mill Ledges Wildlife Refuge, Smithfield, RI   registration required .

Mushrooming (aka Gnome Hunting)

It's the new after-storm sport!  After a lot of rain – be it rain storm, tropical storm, or hurricane– come the mushrooms.  Make a family activity of it and bring your camera. Go in the back yard, in the woods or a field, and keep your gaze low to the ground.  (Mushrooms also grow on dead and dying trees, of course, but it's the ground-dwellers that appear out of nowhere that we look for now.  Call it "gnome-hunting" if you want.)

This activity serves three purposes: Time with the family (that doesn't require electricity aside from the batteries in your camera and flashlight), exercise, and learning to identify mushrooms.  Most mushrooms are poisonous and your first foray into their unknown world should be cautious and respectful.  Don't touch mushrooms with bare hands or taste them.  Wear long pants.  Bring insect repellent.  (Lavender and feverfew are natural insect repellents and can be rubbed on clothing and hair.  Never use insect repellent with deet on pets or small children.  Do not use feverfew or pyrethrin-containing products on cats.)  Take lots of pictures and note when (month) and where (log, ground, field, sun, shade, etc.) you found the mushroom.  Note stem and cap sizes, gills, spore color, or other distinctive characteristics.   Bring a flashlight if you're in a dark area.

I am by far NOT an expert in mushrooms, but I am starting to learn about edible ones.  I have one accessible mushroom I believe to be an edible bolete that right now I am just watching.  Misidentification can lead to severe illness and death.  Do not eat wild mushrooms unless you have a positive identification from a trained guide (mycologist), the mushroom is not spoiled, and the mushroom has been cooked!  One Asian family, gathering mushrooms in the U.S. that looked like the edible ones from their homeland, all died.  Another family in Mexico bought wild mushrooms at a Farmer's Market that were misidentified and also died.  Alcohol intensifies the effects of toxins.  Then there's simple allergy.  I don't mean to scare people, but foraging of this sort should not be taken lightly.  For help with identification and symptoms of poisoning, check here.  It's fun just finding mushrooms and trying to identify them.

Now, the modest (and growing) gallery:

The rare rubber interior of a tennis ball.  For dogs only!

Lepiota cepistipes?

Amanita?

Scutellinia umbrarum?

Cortinarius?

Indian Pipe.  (Monotropa uniflora)  Not a mushroom but a plant.  Lack of chlorophyl
 contributes to its white color.  It is parasitic rather than photosynthetic.

Agrocybe acericola?

Laxitextum bicolor?

Boletes?

Possibly Boletus impolitus or Boletus edulis
I'm watching you!

Same mushroom two days later.

And again.

And finally, a recipe with mushrooms:

Vegan Option/Wild Option

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Cacciatore Catch-All

Taste of Italy

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Prep: 15 minutes  Cook: 45 minutes  Serves 4

2 lbs. local chicken parts (optional)

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 red onion, diced

1 red or green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups peeled tomatoes* (Roma and/or cherry)

2 cups sliced wild puffball mushrooms** (or white button or baby bella)

1 cup of “catch-all”: washed and chopped zucchini, summer 

     squash, or what-have-you (optional)

1 tbs. dried oregano (or 2 tbs. fresh)

1/2 tsp. salt 

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/2 cup red wine (from freezer cubes?)

“Cacciatore” means hunter in Italian and often features wild mushrooms** (assuming the hunter did not want to come home empty-handed).  This recipe is a great way to use up odds and ends from canning.  Consider measurement of vegetables approximate.  Leftovers can even be added to an omelet, frittata, or soup.  

Heat olive oil on medium-high in Dutch oven or large skillet with cover.  If using chicken, brown meat five minutes each side and set aside.  Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper to pan.  Cook two minutes, or until onions soften.  Add tomatoes, mushrooms, and remaining vegetables.  Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.   Add wine and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Add chicken and cover.  Cook 30 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165ºF and vegetables are soft.  Serve with crusty bread, pasta, or rice.

* When canning tomatoes, skins are removed by blanching.  This is done by dropping whole tomatoes in boiling water about one minute, then into ice water one minute, to easily peel skin.  I’ve used the leftover seeds and juice from canning harissa sauce with plum tomatoes.  You could also use already canned tomatoes or just chop fresh tomatoes and leave skins on. 

** Do not attempt to gather wild mushrooms without a certified guide.  Puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) should be the size of two fists or larger and white throughout.  Discolored puffballs are not safe to eat and will not taste good.  Immature amanita can be mistaken for puffballs, thus the need to look for larger mushrooms.  (Puffballs can grow quite large and have even been mistaken for Styrofoam trash in littered woodlands!)  Cutting the mushroom may reveal more: A “U” shape indicates the immature cap of the poisonous amanita, but may not always be visible.  Alcohol intensifies reaction to any poisonous mushroom.  Don’t risk it!!!  The author and publisher assume no liability for injury, poisoning, illness, or death from consuming wild mushrooms or plants.  Leave it to the experts: Puffballs may be available at some farmers’ markets or high-end food stores. 

How Can I Learn More?

I will be giving a free talk on cooking with herbs at the Roger Williams Park Community Garden in Providence, RI (outside Botanical Center) Sat. Sept. 3rd 10 a.m. and Wed. Sept. 7th, 6 p.m.  There will be food samples, herbs, and hand-outs.  Learn how to dry and store herbs, make dressing, marinades, rubs, and more.

Crunchy Cabbage, Hidden Squash

We got yet another cabbage in our CSA.  I made Chinese firecrackers, working off a Betty Crocker recipe but making my own chili sauce by blending rehydrated New Mexican chilis, garlic, cider vinegar, and a pinch of sugar and salt.  Recipe soon, after a few more tweaks, some mushrooms maybe.  Meanwhile, after three batches, I think I've perfected my take on chocolate zucchini bread.  The last batch had the summer squash that's half green, half yellow, just because it was in the fridge.  But it was juicy and almost sweet, when zucchini can sometimes be bitter.  These squares are moist and gooey, and yet again hide veggies for your kids.

Vegetarian

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Revenge of the Squash Squares

Taste of Earth

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Prep: 15 minutes  Bake: 30-35 minutes  Makes 35 squares

2 cups unbleached flour

2 tbs. baking chocolate (preferably organic/free-trade)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract (if using plain yogurt)

1 cup grated summer squash or zucchini

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Are the squash taking over?  Take revenge by baking them into moist, chocolate squares that will quickly disappear.  Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Sift dry ingredients.  Whisk together egg and oil.  Whisk in yogurt, sugar, and vanilla.  Fold in squash, chips, and nuts, if using.  Bake in greased 9”X13” pan 30-35 minutes at 325ºF.  Cut into 35 squares (five down, seven across).  Serve warm or cold, with ice cream if desired.