Peach Applesauce

I'm still not sure such a thing is really possible, but I think I might have frozen a few too many peaches. Or maybe I just haven't been baking enough! Anyway, here's something I've been doing with a few of them, to mix things up a bit for my toddler from just plain applesauce.

I posted directions for making regular applesauce a while back. To make peach applesauce, take a bag of peaches out of the freezer and let it thaw, then drain (drink the juice if you like!). Add the peaches along with the apples to cook, then proceed as you would for standard applesauce. Since I froze my peaches with the peel on, I have been using an immersion blender on the cooked applesauce to break up the peels, since Nate has a hard time with them.

Freezing Apple Cider

I got this tip from Ben Clark at Clarkdale Fruit Farms, and it solved a problem too frequently occurring in our house--we would buy a gallon of apple cider but drink it too slowly, only to open the fridge one day and discover that the jug looked ready to explode. But it turns out cider freezes beautifully and easily, so you can pour out part of the gallon into another container for the fridge and freeze the rest of it. Be sure to leave generous head space in whatever container you freeze it in, as cider will expand when frozen just like water.  At this time of year, you can even save a little energy by freezing it outdoors, then putting it in the freezer. Let it thaw in the fridge, and be sure to let it thaw completely, then shake or stir, before drinking.

Why bring this up now? Well, Clarkdale is closing for the season this weekend, so if you love their cider like we do, now would be a good time to buy a couple gallons to freeze and drink for the rest of the winter. Enjoy!

Growing Sprouts

Looking for an easy way to get a little more in the way of local greens into your diet? Try growing sprouts on your kitchen counter. All you need is a mason jar and a perforated lid. You can buy seeds for sprouts, of several varieties, at Green Fields Market or through any number of seed catalogs. You don't need (or want) direct sunlight, so they're great for winter. And you don't need dirt, so they're great for indoors. Even better, they don't have to grow very much, so you can go from seed to plate in just a few days.

Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

We finally got our seed orders in this weekend, after ogling several catalogs for weeks. Each year, our garden ambitions grow larger, though we are constrained by the confines of our yard and the available sunlight. We live in town, on less than two tenths of an acre. While we have a great Southern exposure, there are some tall trees, and neighboring houses, that limit the amount of space that gets enough sunlight to grow vegetables. Far from the traditional rectangle, our garden's perimeter meanders and curves to take maximal advantage of the sun. Each year we see how much more we can cram in, and whether there are any other little pockets of possible growing space that we hadn't taken advantage of previously. Perhaps this is a little obsessive, but the joy of growing delicious food is so rewarding, we keep at it.

And, of course, one way to ensure that your food is local is to grow it yourself! We make no pretenses of supplying all our own needs from the garden--that just wouldn't be possible. But we grow things we like, and things that are expensive if you buy them (heirloom tomatoes, for example), and we freeze what we can for the winter. This year will mark our first full harvest season with a chest freezer, and I am looking forward to being able to put away more than I did last year.

So what will be going into the garden this year? Well, off the top of my head...13 kinds of tomatoes (one plant each), two kinds of sweet peppers, four kinds of carrots, four kinds of eggplant, lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, bok choy, mizuma, arugula, some other specialty greens, fennel, winter squash, summer squash, parsley, basil, cilantro, hot peppers, parsnips, rutagaba (my husband insists!), celeriac, three kinds of cucumbers, snow peas, snap peas, pole beans, and undoubtedly several other things that I can't think of right now. I can't wait! When will the snow melt?

Spicy Indian Potatoes and Chickpeas with Spinach

I scored some local spinach at the coop yesterday--yum! I combined it with some of the potatoes I picked up at Winter Fare in this delicious dish. I always serve this as a main dish, but it could work as a side dish, too.

4 medium potatoes, cubed
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp ground cumin
1- 1 ½ Tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp garam masala (optional)
½ tsp turmeric
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 lb spinach, washed and stemmed
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water they are almost cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.

Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet or a soup pot. Add the cumin, coriander, garam masala (if using), turmeric, black pepper, salt, and cayenne and stir, then quickly add the garlic, ginger, and onion. Sauté until the garlic and onions are tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the chickpeas to the pan. Mix together well, until chickpeas are thoroughly coated. Add the spinach and continue sautéing until the spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to coat. Be careful not to turn them into mush. Drizzle the lemon juice over the mixture and stir.

Serve hot.

Serves 4-5.

Get to Clarkdale While You Can

The Clarkdale farm stand will be closing for the season as of March 1. Get over there while you can to grab the last of the apples and cider. They are open Fri-Sun.

Slow Cooker Southwestern Beans

This is a staple in our house for nights when I won't have time to cook. I am still feeling very pleased with myself for freezing so many red peppers last fall--the supply is going strong and I am enjoying one of my favorite vegetables right through the winter. I usually serve these beans over rice, but you could also do them more like a soup. I've listed the vegetables I like to add, but it's entirely flexible: you can use more, less others, or none at all.

3 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (any color), diced
Tomatoes, chopped (optional: as many or few as you like; frozen or canned both fine)
1 cup corn kernels (frozen is fine)
3/4 cup salsa
Water
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheddar for topping
Hot sauce for topping (optional)

Combine all ingredients except water and salt and pepper in the slow cooker. Add water until the beans are fully but not generously covered. Add more water if you want the end result to be more like a soup or you won't be able to check on the beans while they cook.

Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8-9 hours. Add salt and pepper before serving. Top with shredded cheddar and hot sauce at the table.

Serves 6-8.