The Little Herb & Tea Garden

02 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in garden, herb & tea

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Our front yard was already landscaped when we bought the cabin. There is a pond with a fountain in the front lawn surrounded by a rock garden. This has been planted with irises, peonies and roses. We have a concrete sidewalk starting from the large driveway leading to a patio area, which I am currently setting up and will show you that project when it is complete. We also have a huge wooden deck along the entire front of the cabin, which I keep clear of snow in the winter. Tucked in the front was this little corner checkerboard perennial garden. I decided this would be the perfect spot for a little herb garden. Here is how it looked in the spring:

I began by cleaning up the area.

Then I recruited H to help me remove the concrete pavers. Notice the snowdrops coming up in front.

Next, I relocated two large peonies (to the greenhouse). Then we added manure, compost and fresh topsoil and dug it under. Any time we found a bulb buried beneath the soil, we carefully transplanted it to the front of the garden. Then it was time to add the natural stone for stepping stones.

I wanted a meandering path and we added a stone in the middle of the large curves so that I would be able to walk in here easily without trampling the plants. Funny how it turned out to be a subtle yin yang design.

Next, I planted the herbs, placing taller specimens in the back. And leaving the area where the blubs were transplanted alone. After planting, I covered the exposed soil with a few layers of newspaper that had been torn into strips. Then I covered everything with a few inches of mulch. (Note: there was a large pile of mulch already in the back yard.) This keeps the garden from drying out too quickly in hot, dry weather, and keeps the weeds down to a minimum.

The garden is now planted. All I have to do is enjoy it and wait for my perennial herbs to return each spring! Growing in this little patch are: 3 varieties of lavender, 2 varieties of oregano (I have a spicy oregano growing elsewhere), 3 varieties of sage (including my favorite- pineapple sage), 4 varieties of thyme, curry, marjoram, chives, lemon balm and catnip. The bulbs came up and I found that I had snowdrops, tulips, daffodils, a hosta, a delphinium, a tiger lily, and a few columbine. I also have containers nearby with rosemary and basil.

Here are a few shots of the herb garden taken just today:

Since early June, I have been harvesting herbs for cooking and drying some for teas.  It is so convenient just to run down the front steps, in bare feet and pajamas, to get some herbs for breakfast.

I must go as Lucy is nudging me, reminding me that it is time for our evening walk. Here is a shot of her snoozing on the deck earlier while I worked on this post. Funny, the positions our pets get in when they are sleeping.

Gem-Studded Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)… A Wild Mushroom Taste Test

01 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by in cook, forage, wild mushrooms

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I have been eyeing some beautiful little puffballs for over a week now and finally took time to do some research on them. After consulting my reference books, field guides and many websites, my confidence was high and I was ready to give them a try. I thought this would be a good mushroom to start with as they are very easy to identify (and you further confirm their identity by slicing them in half and seeing what they look like on the inside). They are considered to be a very safe mushroom.

H and I harvested all that we could find on our morning hike, which was only about twelve very small puffballs (just under 1 inch wide). We ended up discarding half of them as they were just turning yellowish, and when sliced in half, were forming stink holes inside and getting a bit soft and pungent. When they are at this softer stage they are actually still edible and even considered a delicacy in Germany, but as this was my first adventure foraging and cooking fresh wild mushrooms, I wasn’t interested! It is probably an acquired taste! The remaining puffballs were nice and firm and had perfect undifferentiated white flesh. Satisfied that I was indeed working with puffballs, I sliced these very thinly, sautéed them in butter and served them over poached eggs at breakfast. They were delicious!!!

This is our wild mushroom breakfast, served with grilled tomatoes and brioche.

Because there was such a small amount of the cooked mushrooms, we ate very slowly, prolonging the experience as much as we could. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a mushroom this fresh before! Again… delicious!!!

We also had a Wild Berry Fruit Salad on the side:

If you are interested in learning more about Lycoperdon perlatum, here is some of my research and a few helpful resources:

Gem-Studded Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)

According to Schalkwyk (1987), true puffballs are the safest possible mushrooms to identify and eat. They are also known as Common Puffball, Gemmed Puffball, Warted Puffball or Devil’s Snuffbox.

One of the most common puffballs in North America, Lycoperdon perlatum is usually round or pear-shaped and grows both, on its own or in a group. You can find this mushroom from July to October growing on the ground, both in the woods as well as in open areas.

Lycoperdon perlatum is edible and choice when young. They can grow up to 3.5 inches across and 4 inches high. Due to their distinct shape and texture, they are easy to identify and gather for cooking. While young, the flesh is firm, white in color and undifferentiated. As it ages, the flesh turns yellowish and eventually brown and its firmness is replaced with a powdery texture. The surface is covered with white, gray or brown spines, which fall off as the mushroom matures.

Be sure to pick onesthat are white and firm to the touch. Once you get home, confirm your mushroom’s identity by slicing them in half. If the flesh is white and undifferentiated, it is a puffball and safe to eat. If, instead of undifferentiated white flesh you see the shape of an embryonic mushroom, it may be an amanita (in the button stage) and poisonous. Discard!

As puffballs mature, a ‘stink hole’ forms. It is called this because it smells like carrion, which inspired the name ‘Devil’s Snuffbox’. The stink hole leads to a single pore at the top of the mushroom where the spores are released.

There are around 18 different types of puffballs (according to my research so far); most notable is the Giant Puffball, which can be up to five feet across and weighing 50 pounds! Robert Rogers lists many medicinal uses for puffballs in his book, The Fungal Pharmacy: Medicinal Mushrooms of Western Canada. (Note: We had the privilege of attending Alberta’s First Annual Herb Gathering just a few weeks ago, which was organized by Robert (and Abrah Arneson). His workshop on Medicinal Mushrooms was inspiring and I was in awe of his encyclopedic knowledge of mushrooms and fungi! He is the Vice President of The Alberta Mycological Society and teaches at the University of Alberta as well for the Earth Spirit Medicine Program at the Northern Star College. I highly recommend his book.)

How to Prepare Puffballs for Eating:

Brush or peel the mushroom.

Sauté in butter and add to salads, casseroles, soups, pasta dishes, etc.

*NEVER eat anything that you are not absolutely sure of the identity of. If, like me, you are just starting out, consider joining your local Mycological Society (i.e. Alberta Mycological Society) and participating in some forays in your local area.

Resources:

Rogers, R. (2006). The Fungal Pharmacy: Medicinal Mushrooms of Western        

      Canada. Prairie Deva Press: Edmonton Alberta.

Schalkwyk, H. (1987). Some Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms in and Around

     Edmonton. Self Published. Edmonton, Alberta.

Sept, J.D. (2006). Common Mushrooms of the Northwest. Calypso Publishing: Sechelt,

B.C.

Potted Saffron Brioche and Wild Berry Salad

30 Saturday Jul 2011

Posted by in breads, cook, forage, repurpose, salads, wild berries

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Breakfasts on the weekends are often the best meal of the day here at cabinorganic. If it’s just me, I’ll enjoy a whole grain hot cereal with some dried fruit thrown in. When a friend is here, I put a little more time and effort into the weekend meals. It is also nice to have someone to try out my new recipes on! This morning we had poached local organic free-range eggs (from Dreamin’ Green Farm) and some locally-raised bacon, along with a Wild Berry Salad made with all wild ingredients or produce from our garden (not including the toasted almonds). The Potted Saffron Brioche on the side (with Swamp Red Currant Jelly) gave the meal a creative and decadent twist. The wild berries in the salad were so fresh that we couldn’t resist cracking open a bottle of Saignee, a fruity Canadian rose wine that we picked up at the Silk Scarf Winery (highly recommended!) on our recent trip to Summerland, BC. (…where we stayed in a B&B at a working vineyard. But that’s another story…).

Rich and buttery, brioche is the perfect sweet bread for breakfast. The use of tiny flowerpots makes a nice presentation but be sure to prepare them before baking.

Potted Saffron Brioche

Preparing the Pots

I had some tiny little terra cotta pots left over from a preschool craft (back when I was teaching) just waiting for a special project. In my newest purchased cookbook, World Breads: From Pain to Paratha by Paul Gayler, I finally found the perfect use for them and a perfect repurposing idea! You can find these tiny pots at your local craft store.

To prepare the flowerpots for baking, wipe them thoroughly with a damp cloth. Oil them generously inside and out and put them in a 275 degree (F) oven for 30 minutes to season. Remove and cool. Then repeat this process twice more. This will prevent the molds from cracking while baking.

The Saffron Brioche

1/3 cup milk

pinch of saffron

1-1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (or 1/2 oz fresh)

3 eggs

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons superfine sugar

3 cups unbleached organic white bread flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk, to glaze

  • Heat the milk with the saffron for 2 minutes, cool to lukewarm, then add the yeast, salt, and eggs. Add 2 of the 3 cups of flour, mixing well with a wooden spoon.
  • In a large mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Incorporate this into the flour mixture, adding the final 1 cup of flour.
  • Transfer dough to electric mixer bowl and beat with dough hook for 3-4 minutes, until smooth and pliable.
  • Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place (or in your oven at the proof setting) for 1-1/2 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
  • Punch down the dough, cover with oiled plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight. (The dough will stiffen overnight.)
  • Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide evenly into 16 small balls. Place each of the balls into a lightly greased, prepared flowerpot lined with parchment paper (or in your brioche cups or muffin stoneware). Place the molds on a large baking sheet, cover and  leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).  Brush the glaze over the top of the brioches. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack. Yield: 16 brioche.
Note: this dough can be baked in a loaf pan or shaped into small rolls.
Wild Berry Salad
Use your freshest ingredients from the garden. The sweet grated beet balances the tartness from the berries and the lemon juice. The almonds add a pleasant, toasty crunch.
1 head red lettuce
half of a medium red onion, thinly slinced
1 medium beet, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegarette
juice of half lemon
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 cup wild berries (I used a mixture of Swamp Red Currants, Northern Black Currants, Canada Gooseberries, Saskatoons berries, wild strawberries and raspberries.
  • Wash the lettuce and tear into small pieces.
  • Add lettuce, onion, beet and 3/4 of the berries to the bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add this to the lettuce mixture and toss.
  • Top the salad with the toasted almonds and the remaining /4 cup berries.
Enjoy and happy, mindful eating!

Swamp Red Currant Jelly

29 Friday Jul 2011

Posted by in cook, forage, preserve, wild berries

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I decided to use the strained juice to make a teeny tiny batch of jelly. I was thinking of the Potted Saffron Brioche I plan on making for breakfast tomorrow morning and thought how wonderful it would be to have a tart little dollop of wild red currant jelly to go with it. My 2 cups of fresh Swamp Red Currants only yielded 1/4 cup of strained juice. As you can see, it wasn’t quite enough jelly to fill this little jar, but it will be just enough to spread on a few brioche tomorrow morning!

Swamp Red Currant Jelly

8 cups wild red currants

2 cups water

4 cups of the prepared juice (after straining)

3-1/2 cups organic sugar (or whatever sweetener you prefer to use) Note: I only use half the amount of sweetener as we don’t like things to be too sweet.

Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the currants and the water in a pot. Gently crush or mash the currents to a pulp. Bring to a boil over medium heat and allow the mixture to boil for 15 minutes while stirring gently. Drain in a jelly bag for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Place the drained juice in a pot. Bring to a boil on medium heat and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

Stir in your sweetener and the lemon juice. Boil hard for 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Test for the jelly stage. Pour into hot sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch to the top. Seal. Yield: 3 half pints.

Swamp Red Currant, Northern Black Currant and the Canada Gooseberry

28 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by in forage, wild berries

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This morning, our daily hike turned out to be another excellent forage! I was on the look out for more red currants and was not disappointed. I found a thick patch of red currant shrubs growing along a stream on the trail that were full of berries. Nearby, I noticed some black currant shrubs as well, whose berries were just starting to ripen! I love the smell of black currants. As if that wasn’t enough excitement for one day, I later discovered some early Saskatoon berries and raspberries just in front of the cabin while checking the mail. Berry heaven!

When I got home, I did some interesting research on the genus Ribes (which includes currants), and in particular the three wild varieties that I am currently harvesting. In case you are interested, I will briefly share what I am learning in this post. By the way, as I write this, I have already sorted the berries and have gently cooked the red currants. At this very moment, they are straining (overnight) in a jelly bag. Come back tomorrow to see what I have decided to do with the juice…

Swamp Red Currant (Ribes triste)

There are about 15 different species of wild red currants growing in Canada and the northern United States.  Also known as Northern Red Currant or Wild Red Currant, this shrub can be found in Boreal North America growing in moist, open woods, often on the banks of streams and preferring gravel or sandy soil.

Ribes triste is a small woody shrub, up to three feet tall, with three-lobed leaves. Unlike its relative, the gooseberry, this shrub does not have thorns. Small red berries grow in clusters and are very tart, making them excellent for jams and jellies. Berries are ready for harvest July through August.

Uses:

  • Eat raw, on their own or in sprinkled in salads
  • Add to puddings, cakes and pies (Note: they blend with well with pears, plums, pineapple and raspberries)
  • Compotes, jelly, jam, syrup, and wine
  • An excellent substitute for vinegar in vinaigrettes
  • Redcurrant juice makes a natural pop beverage (blend 7 cups of berries with 1 cup of water, strain, freeze the juice in ice cubes, then add to soda water)

Northern Black Currant (Ribes hudsonianum)

Black currants are very similar to red currant shrubs having the same three-lobed leaves and berries also forming in clusters. Black currant plants have a characteristically strong scent. The skin of the berry is thin and translucent, similar to that of grapes. The pulp is fragrant, tart, juicy, and contains tiny seeds.

Uses:

  • Liquors (famous as the main ingredient in the French liquor crème de cassis), wines, jellies, syrup and coulis
  • Pie fillings, puddings, fool, and ice cream

Canada Gooseberry (Ribes oxyacanthoides)

The gooseberry shrub differs from red and black currant shrubs in that it is usually larger and very thorny, which makes it difficult to harvest. The leaves are distinctly five-lobed and the berries grow singly instead of in clusters. There are about a dozen species of wild gooseberries that grow in Canada and the northern United States.

Gooseberries vary in color and may be yellowish, green, whitish, or reddish in color, with a downy or smooth skin. The flesh of the gooseberry contains many small edible seeds and is tart, sometimes with a bitter aftertaste. As a rule, the smaller the fruit, the higher the acidity. Before eating or cooking, be sure to remove the stems and tails.

Uses:

  • Eat fresh with sugar or add to fruit salads
  • Jellies, sorbets, syrup and chutneys
  • Puddings, fools, tarts
  • An excellent accompaniment for meat and fish dishes

 

Nutrition Information for red currants, black currant and gooseberries:

Calcium, (high in) fiber, iron, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), B5, C.

 

Medicinal Use of Berries and Leaves:

According to Beverley Grey (whom I had the privilege of meeting a few weeks ago at the Alberta’s First Herb Gathering), Swamp Red Currant, Northern Black Currant and Canada Gooseberry have these medicinal qualities:

anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic, astringent, digestive, diuretic, laxative

  • Eat the berries raw or drink the diluted juice to help treat yeast infections
  • Drink red currant juice or tea to reduce fever and induce sweating
  • Harvest the leaves in the spring and summer before the plant goes into berry. Use the leaves fresh or dried in teas to ease the symptoms of gout and rheumatism
  • Gargle the tea for mouth infections
  • Use leaves as a compress or poultice for slow-healing wounds

Please see Beverley’s excellent brand new book, The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North for more information on these and other wild plants.

 

Note: Wikipedia adds that Blackfoot Indians used black currant root for the treatment of kidney diseases and menstrual and menopausal problems. Cree Indians used the fruit as a fertility enhancer to assist women in becoming pregnant. Currant root and seeds are high in gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA), which has been clinically verified as an effective treatment for pre-menstrual syndrome. Here’s the link if you want to check out the sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribes

Resources:

Bennet, J. (1991). Berries.  Camden House: Camden East, Ontario.

Cox, J., & Werles, L. (2000). Ingredients. Rushcutters Bay, NSW, Australia: JB Fairfax       Press Pty Lmt.

Fortin, J. (1996). The Visual Food Encyclopedia. Montreal, Quebec:                 Les Edition Quebec/Amerique.

Grey, B. (2011). The Boreal Herbal: Wild Food and Medicine Plants of the North.     Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada: Aroma Borealis Press.

Lloyd, C. (1997). Gardening Cook. Minocqua, Wisconsin: Willow Creek Press.

Margen, S. (1992). The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition : How to Buy, Store,   and Prepare Every Variety of Fresh Food. New York: Rebus.

Restoration Project: The Greenhouse

27 Wednesday Jul 2011

Posted by in greenhouse, repurpose, restore

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When we bought the cabin last fall, we inherited this quaint little greenhouse. I love that it is made with recycled windows- a great repurposing project! Unfortunately, it had been neglected for many years and was currently being used to store junk. It needed a lot of work. The paint was almost completely worn off, the wood was rotting in places, ten of the window panes were cracked or missing altogether, there was broken glass all over the ground under the extra windows at the back of the greenhouse, and it had become home to a large colony of ants and a family of bats.


Here is a shot taken during the winter. I was told (by our realtor) that the tire is from a Model T Ford. Any collectors out there?

Of course I fell in love with the greenhouse immediately and couldn’t wait for spring to arrive when I could take on the enormous task of lovingly restoring it back to its original purpose: a vibrant place to grow things here in our short Alberta summers.

Inside, the soil was very dry and dusty and covered in bits of plastic sheeting that disintegrated into a million tiny pieces whenever you tried to pick it up. There were layers and layers of spider webs everywhere.

When spring finally arrived, H and I began by moving all of the junk out. I cleaned the interior thoroughly using a broom, a shop vac and buckets of soap and water. Just under the roof (not pictured here), there is a large rectangular reservoir made of tin. I believe it was used to hold water, which then flowed into a tank which directs the warm water into the irrigation hoses that are buried in the soil. This reservoir was one-quarter full of bat guano! I had to get up on a ladder, and wearing a mask and goggles scraped and swept up bucketfuls of bat poo. I also had to remove the birdhouse as it had an active wasp nest in it. I did this early in the morning while it was still cold and the wasps presumably sleeping. I wrapped the birdhouse in a pillowcase (in case they flew up and swarmed me), gently removed the nails holding it in place and put the birdhouse carefully on the ground some distance away, removing the pillowcase.

I replaced all cracked and missing windows with panes taken from the extra windows that were once leaning against the rear of the greenhouse. Then I taped all of the window glass with painter’s tape, inside and out, in preparation for painting. As you can imagine, the taping was very tedious with all of those individual window panes. (And I taped all of the windows THREE TIMES during this process!) We should have bought shares in the company before I started this project!

Next, I primed all of the wood, inside and out. I had to give it two generous coats as the first coat seemed to be completely absorbed into the old, dry wood.

Here is a look at the interior after priming…

Here is a view of the back of the greenhouse…

Next came two coats of exterior semi-gloss black paint. The roof still looks awful as it needs to be replaced but that will have to be a future project.

Once the paint was dry, I took off all of the painter’s tape and washed the widows thoroughly. Then I re-taped the windows in preparation for caulking. I caulked the interior windows with black caulking, peeling off the tape before it set. This makes the caulking job look ‘clean,’ leaving crisp straight lines. Once again, I cleaned the windows.

Here’s a corner view. You can see where I transplanted some peonies that were previously growing in the front yard. My neighbor C also gave me some rhubarb, which I planted on the left side here.

Here is a view of the front. There is still an old damaged door (not shown here). It has some bats living in it so any time I am working in the greenhouse I can hear them scratching away in there. I will be replacing this door with a secondhand French door from the Architectural Clearing House in Edmonton. Unless any of you have a glass door you want to sell me on the cheap? I’ll even cook you dinner out here as part of the deal…

Here is the back of the greenhouse. I hung up some old rusty tools that I found around the property. I also moved the concrete blocks to the future chicken coop location as they will come in handy as part of the foundation there.

Here are a few shots of the interior…

Inside, H and I removed half of the dry, dusty soil. We added and dug in manure, compost and potting soil and then topped this with three inches of mulch to hold the moisture in. This picture was taken in early June.

I planted four different kinds of tomatoes, six different kinds of chili peppers, six different kinds of basil, parsley, cilantro, summer savory, tarragon, chives and there is a nasturtium plant in there as well. (I also have lots of herbs growing in a separate herb and tea garden as well as in my veggie garden).

Here is a shot taken just today. Notice that the tomatoes are growing up a length of string for support. This is old baling twine that I found near the barn when we were cleaning the manure off of the concrete pad. A length of this twine is tied to a nail on a beam above, the lower end is loosely tied to the base of the tomato plant while it is still young. As the tomato grows you gently wind the string around the plant. Be sure to provide some slack so that the twine doesn’t become too tight.

This is still a work in progress. I still have the door and roof to replace and I would like to caulk the exterior windows. I plan on putting a flagstone path in the ground at the front door along with a few large red clay pots with some bright red flowers. I am also looking for a weathervane to install on the roof. I have planted a few vines at the two front corners of the greenhouse, which, I hope over time will grow up the corners and under the roof line. Next summer, I will install brackets for two hanging baskets for more bright red flowers (yes, I really like red).

All in all, this has been a very useful restoration project so far. Did I mention that the greenhouse already has power, water, shelves to store my terra cotta pots and a little potting table? As it has been a cool, wet spring and summer so far here in Alberta, my plants in the outdoor gardens are healthy but still small. Meanwhile, the plants in the greenhouse are thriving and gigantic in their warm, humid little home. One of my tomatoes is now even touching the ceiling, it has grown so high!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this restoration project take shape. I actually just painted the back wall and installed the rusty tools just this afternoon. We have had so much rain that finishing the painting kept getting postponed.

I’ll keep you posted on any further developments with the greenhouse. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing about your own gardens and restoration projects!

Delicious Whole Wheat Bread

26 Tuesday Jul 2011

Posted by in breads, cook, whole grains

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I love this whole wheat bread recipe! It is light but chewy and has a hint of sweetness and salt at the same time.

1 tablespoon yeast                            1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups warm water                      9 cups organic whole wheat flour (approximately)

1 cup warm milk                               2 teaspoons salt

1 cup warm cream                            1 egg

1/3 cup brown sugar                         2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup butter, melted

  • Grease a large bowl and set aside.
  • In another large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water, milk and cream. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast begins to foam. Add the brown sugar, butter, honey, salt and vanilla and mix well.
  • Begin adding the flour to the wet mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon. Keep adding flour until you are able to pick up the dough and knead by hand on a floured countertop. Knead for 8- 10 minutes.
  • Place the kneaded dough into the greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Put the bowl in a warm dry place or in your oven on the proof setting and let it rise for 1 hour.
  • Punch down the dough and divide it into 2 portions (or more if you are making rolls or smaller loaves).
  • Butter two 9-inch loaf pans (I use high quality stoneware from Pampered Chef for a crisp crust and more even baking). Form the dough into loaves and place them in the pans. Allow these to rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • To make an egg wash, beat together the egg and water and brush over the dough (or if you prefer, you can skip this step and brush melted butter over the loaves when they come out of the oven). Bake the loaves for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove loaves from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Remove loaves from the pans and let them cool for an additional 30 minutes on a wire rack.    Yield: 2 loaves

After the Storm: Sending You Some Sunshine

26 Tuesday Jul 2011

Posted by in cabin living

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Did anyone else (in central Alberta) enjoy last night’s storm? The thunder started around 10 pm with a low rumbling and was still quite a distance away. By midnight, the storm had completely engulfed us, wrapping the cabin in a continuous clashing of thunder, flashes of lightening and heavy sheets of rain beating down on the tin roof. I tried so hard to stay awake and enjoy it. I have always loved storms, the more dramatic the better. As a child, I used to try and record thunder with my little tape recorder at my bedroom window. I would also try to be outside somewhere (safe) to better hear the thunder and feel the wind and sudden temperature changes. I still do this. The best times are when I am gardening outside and am able to watch (and feel) the storm approach from a distance. I never go in unless it starts pouring or hailing or the lightening is close. Then will I go in, but only to grab a quilt and a steaming mug of tea and then I am back outside, this time on the front deck porch where I can just sit and be with the storm. I am glad that Lucy is comfortable with storms. She joins me outside, sprawls out near my chair and falls into a deep sleep.

I met a woman recently and she became an instant friend. All she had to say to me was, ‘When a storm blows in around here, that’s when you go to the edge of the lake and open up your arms and let the power of the storm sweep over you…” I loved her immediately.

What is it about storms that some people (like myself) love? For me, I think it is the shake up. The sudden chaos of whirling, tearing wind, ear piercing claps of thunder, dangerous legs of lightening seeking a tall place to discharge electrical energy.

The storm came up out of the southwest like a fiend, stalking its prey on legs of lightening.

I like the thrill of not being in control but still feeling relatively safe. Of having a front row seat to a spectacular natural event. And then there is the peace afterward, when everything is drenched and thoroughly cleansed and quiet again.

The storm has passed and it was a good one. The rain and the grey still lingers though. So, I thought that while my bread rises I might brighten up your day with a collection of pictures taken within the last few weeks that have the color of sunshine in them. Enjoy and I will be back later with a slice of home-baked whole wheat bread for you.

Foraging: A Mixed-Berry Harvest

25 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in forage, wild berries

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Today as I dressed for our morning walk, I made sure to wear rubber boots, long pants, a wide brimmed hat and a light mosquito-netting jacket. I generously applied natural insect repellant, packed the camera and grabbed my little basket. I was going berry picking.

I was excited to get started as last night on our evening walk I had discovered a little wild gooseberry shrub. I had also found one recently on our land and was now familiar with this plant’s unique foliage. I was so excited to find another gooseberry plant out on the trail as H loves tart foods and likes to eat the gooseberries while they are still young and green. I picked a few of the riper gooseberries for myself, a beautiful plum color with a mildly tart flavor, and promised to return the next morning with my basket.

Fully armed against pesky mosquitoes (did I mention that I also have been eating at least three cloves of raw garlic each day?) I was able to walk at a more leisurely pace while my eyes scanned the forest for any telltale signs of ‘berry readiness’. For my patience, I was rewarded with gifts of little strawberries, bright red dewberries, red currants, and yes… gooseberries. In fact, now that I knew what to look for, I began to find gooseberry shrubs everywhere.

Lucy is the ideal foraging companion. She stays nearby and keeps busy chasing mice and dragonflies and sniffing out recent animal trails. If another person is approaching (a very rare occurrence) she will bark to alert me to this. She will also bark at skunks and porcupines while keeping a safe distance. Once she saw a pheasant in a tree and froze. She just watched it until I finally caught up and clued in to what she was trying to show me. Only then did she bark and the pheasant flew away. She often watches me when I’m picking or photographing something but never barges in. This is especially appreciated when photographing delicate fungi. If I sit down somewhere to be still for a while, she also sits or quietly sniffs around close by, never interrupting or demanding that we move on.

As I hiked home, happily carrying my little basket of treasure, I spotted a few other natural delights, including a White Admiral butterfly…

…a Gem-Studded Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum) – my first one!

…and a beautiful yellow wildflower, also growing on our land near the garden. If anyone can tell me what this is, please let me know. In the meantime, I’ll keep hunting in my books and online and fill you in later.

 It was a beautiful and enjoyable morning. Each day that I spend time in nature, I am amazed at the abundance all around me. Not too long ago, when I looked around, all I saw was forest, wilderness, and bush; a canvas of green that I found comforting and peaceful. Now, since learning about wild plants and mushrooms, everywhere I look I see individual herbs, flowers, berries, roots, bark, fungi, moss, lichen, individual trees and much, much more. Not to mention the four-leggeds, insects and winged ones that also live here. The more I learn about the many uses of these plants that greet me here each day, the more I feel that the earth is truly a place of great abundance and diversity. Everything we need for living a good life is right here in our backyards… and always has been.

Repurpose Project: Japanese Teahouse Chicken Coop

25 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in barn, repurpose

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Repurpose. It’s one of my new favorite words.

Just the idea of taking something that is old, broken, discarded or ignored and with a little work and some imagination, turning it into something else. Something different. Something new and useful.

Repurposing is something that many of us do all of the time without even thinking about it. Torn shirts become treasured quilts, a broken bed frame is turned into a fancy new sign for your business, a tin can is decorated by a child and used to hold the pens on your desk, a cracked teapot becomes a quaint home for a potted plant and a pile of unmatched colorful socks are knotted into that beautiful rug that welcomes you home from work each day at your front door.

Repurposing is simply taking an object and using it for something other than that which it was intended for. The item may be modified or simply used in a different way. Repurposing takes creativity, imagination and a playful attitude. Often, when we find a new use for something, we save money by not having to purchase the needed item brand new. We might choose to give it away as a unique one-of-a-kind gift or even sell it and make a little extra cash. For some excellent ideas and inspiration for repurposing projects, check out www.myrepurposedlife.net/ and http://blueroofcabin.blogspot.com. Then poke around in your garage and basement and hit a few garage sales or thrift stores for something to work with. Don’t forget to share your ideas or favorite repurposing blogs with me so that we can learn from each other!

One of my current repurposing projects involves turning the lumber from my old barn into a new chicken coop. Here is a picture of the old barn:

(By the way, that concrete pad to the right of the barn was a total surprise. A month ago it was entirely covered with a muck and wild plants. After stubbing my toe on something hard near the barn, I discovered a piece of concrete. H and I spent an entire afternoon scraping and shoveling and marveling at the treasure we were finding. First of all, it turned out that the muck was a pile of rich and perfectly aged horse manure. We moved many wheel barrels full of the precious poo to the garden to be lovingly dug into the soil. Then we uncovered this large 17×12′ concrete pad complete with fire pit. Amazing!)

H and I began dismantling the barn over the last three weekends. As H dismantled and piled up the old lumber, I removed as many of the nails as I could and sorted the pieces into what was still useful (to be repurposed) and what was too wet and rotten to use.

 

We worked at this for most of Saturday and my bucket became full of rusty nails. Someone once told me to bury rusty nails under my spruce trees and they will turn a deeper shade of blue. Has anyone tried this? If so, perhaps I can repurpose my nails as well.

I piled the useful lumber near the spot where the chicken coop will be. I will use it to frame the coop floor, walls and roof. I can’t wait to get started! H is designing a Japanese Teahouse and we will start building it next weekend on the concrete foundation where the barn used to be. It will be a slow project as he is only here on weekends but we plan on taking our time and enjoying the process. Meanwhile, I will use the repurposed lumber to build the chicken coop as a miniature version of the larger Teahouse. Eventually there will be a Japanese themed garden connecting the two Teahouses.

So, instead of being carted to the landfill, my old barn lumber is being repurposed into a new chicken coop. A very useful repurposing project! The coop will house and protect my future chickens and the chickens will provide rich manure and insect control for my organic garden as well as delicious organic eggs. By repurposing the lumber, I am saving money on building supplies and any money I make selling eggs will help pay for the chicken feed.

I’ll keep you all informed on our progress. In the meantime, take care and let me know how your own repurposing projects and ideas are going.

cabinorganic… it’s a lifestyle