tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76959496113291607142024-03-05T13:48:14.056-08:00Herbs in the BurghKarniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-40342185010639621072015-07-02T09:30:00.001-07:002015-07-02T09:34:05.072-07:00Resurfacing and RelocatingIt's been little over a year since my last post. Yikes! A lot has happened, including a move. So, Herbs in the Burgh is now more like Herbs in the Greater Burgh Area. But that's OK. We can still have herb-infused fun! In fact, one great thing about where I live now is that I actually have a little outdoor area where I can keep potted herbs. Check out the spread of basil, parsley, chives, and aloe:<br />
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I'm kind of surprised that the basil, parsley, and chives are doing so well. I wasn't expecting much when I swooped up the plants at a local produce market, but thought I might as well try (and the plants were on sale, so what the heck?). This deck is great, but it doesn't get as much sun as herbs like basil and parsley need and crave. <br />
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So having this little herb garden right off of my living room door has been great so far. I love going out and picking a little chives to put in scrambled eggs, or basil (and parsley, if you're feeling really herby!) to make an impromptu feta, tomato, and kalamata olive salad, and, of course, caprese! I used the basil to jazz up a golden beet and fennel salad (beets and fennel compliments of my CSA).<br />
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Which, by the way, if you are obsessed with herbs like me and look for ways to incorporate them into your cooking as much as possible, this list of <a href="http://risingriverfarm.com/a-comprehensive-guide-to-herb-and-vegetable-pairing">veggie and herb pairings</a> is awesome. As for the aloe, I like using pure aloe gel as an easy, simple face mask, but I also plan on experimenting with a yogurt and aloe face mask. The probiotics in yogurt and calming properties of aloe do wonders for sensitive skin.<br />
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If you're still out there, periodically checking in on my blog, thanks for sticking around! If you're new to this blog, welcome! I hope to not disappear for another year!Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-15009836450493079012014-06-06T08:31:00.002-07:002014-06-06T08:31:19.817-07:00"Powerhouse" ParsleyI think I wrote a post in the past making the case for the nutritional value of parsley which is so often used--and then discarded--as garnish. A new list of <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/06/05/finally-a-list-of-powerhouse-fruits-and-vegetables-ranked-by-how-much-nutrition-they-contain/?hpid=z5">"powerhouse" veggies</a> lists parsley in the Top 10! It's the only herb to make the list. That's a rather prestigious honor to just be used as a pretty face atop an entree!<br />
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If you're looking for a tasty way to incorporate substantial amounts of parsley into meals, try out this simple salad creation that uses parsley as an equal-contender ingredient, not as an afterthought. I'm not good with providing amounts, so personalize it to fit your needs. =)<br />
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Cooked cranberry beans (these beans are lovely, and they cook up big, tender, and meaty.)</div>
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Romaine lettuce, chopped</div>
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Sun-dried tomatoes, sliced</div>
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Parsley sprigs (don't chop, just use the whole leaves)</div>
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Feta or goat cheese, crumbled</div>
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Lemon juice</div>
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Olive oil</div>
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Salt and pepper</div>
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<u>Directions:</u></div>
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Put all ingredients on a bed of
the romaine lettuce. Use the parsley like you mean it! Eat and enjoy!</div>
Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-59793050474049028302014-05-09T09:06:00.000-07:002014-05-12T08:02:13.402-07:00Moving OutdoorsWow, many moons have passed since my last post. Bet you thought I was gone for good. But I'm back! And as I'm convalescing from what took me away, herb-related activities have been helping me heal, the most exciting of which is starting an actual, outdoor herb garden with my mom (along with growing veggies too). We've planted some starter plants of flat-leaf parsley, peppermint, sweet basil, purple basil, dill, and cilantro, and have some seeds baking for more parsley. We used the raised-bed, square-foot gardening method, and it really was quite easy to set up. Not a total breeze, but it was light, gentle work, good for a weakened body and an indented mind.<br />
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For indoor herb fun yesterday, I played with fresh ginger. First, I sliced up a bunch of (peeled) ginger and boiled it in water to make a batch of tummy-soothing ginger tea. I then challenged myself to come up with a good use for the boiled ginger byproduct, and came up with, together with my mom, the blueprint for what could be a tasty, yet healthy treat: Ginger Pecan Drops. Melted dark chocolate mixed with the boiled ginger (minced) and toasted pecans (chopped), plopped into drops, chilled, then lightly dusted with some powdered sugar. The powder sugar was an attempt to sweeten up the only chocolate we had on hand: 100%, unsweetened cocao. So yeah. If a dark chocolate bar is used, the powdered sugar might not be needed. Experiment to be continued...<br />
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I started the day today with another cup of the fresh ginger tea, heated, and with a couple teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. For those who are looking to cut caffeine intake, it was definitely an invigorating way to start the day, the warm spiciness of the infused ginger a light, yet assertive slap in the face. And supposedly ginger itself does have stimulant properties, so there ya go. It's going to be hot in the Burgh today, so later on I'm going to try the ginger tea on ice, perhaps mixed with some fresh peppermint leaves and maybe just a hint of honey for a soft kiss-sweetness.<br />
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Well, it's good to be back, and I think I'll stick around for awhile. =)Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-52432593125139481852013-04-09T07:09:00.000-07:002013-04-09T07:09:04.477-07:00Grab a Twig of Rosemary and... Paint!I'm super excited to share with you an event I went to at the <a href="http://www.mattress.org/index.cfm?event=Home">Mattress Factory</a> on Saturday. It was an art lab specifically focused on using herbs in pieces of artwork; the title of the lab was called "From Herbs to Art." Imagine my excitement when I found out about this event!! So many !!!!!!.<br />
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While not quite what I thought it would be (we didn't get to wander in the herb garden on the grounds because it wasn't in bloom yet; we used herbs that were bought from the grocery store instead), I'm glad I went. It was fun to use herbs as inspiration for artwork and not just as objects in a still life, but as actual implements used to create a piece of art, to be touched and felt (and smelled!) and included as an active, participatory agent in the creative process. I also had been putting off going to <a href="http://www.mattress.org/index.cfm?event=ShowArtist&eid=106&id=552&c=Upcoming">this exhibit</a> on water, the artist of whom I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing speak about her <a href="http://www.keepersofthewaters.org/Proj01WRL2012.cfm">present work</a> in Larimer. So, in addition to leaving the museum feeling refreshed from some herb-centered art play, I walked away with a honed, revamped appreciation of water.<br />
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I can't wait to experiment more with herby artwork. More layouts, more herbs, more colors, more chaos. Endless possibilities! Here's a sample of my first experiments to <i>leaf</i> you with. ;)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What you're looking at: a print of a rosemary twig with separated leaves on the sides, and smudging in the bottom corner that was made using sage leaves.</td></tr>
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Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-29229363705617328292013-03-16T15:49:00.002-07:002013-03-16T15:50:33.460-07:00Time to Till the SillSpring is coming. It may be crawling on its way, but we've jumped the clocks forward, had a couple nice days here and there, and the sun is gracing us with its presence here in the Burgh (although as I pick up writing this post, it's foggy and the sky is a thick dustgray here!). Despite last year being a disappointment with the growing aspect of this project, I'm going to give it another go this year. So, it's time to brush off my bag of seedling soil, roll up my sleeves, and... well, just wait for the sun to settle in.<br />
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One nice thing about doing an indoor growing project is that there isn't as much labor-intensive preparation involved as there is with outdoor growing. In fact, there is relatively little for me to do this year by way of preparation. For those of you who have been following along since the blog's inception, you may remember that my growing space--my large window sill--was shamefully cluttered. Not so this year! I've managed to keep the sill clutter-free, even with the early termination of the growing and through the long winter. For most people, this may not seem like a big deal, but I've had a running problem with clutter, which the photos from the sill this time last year certainly testify to. Perhaps this little herb project helped me clean up my act!<br />
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All the space needs is just a quick clean with a soapy rag.<br />
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And--voila!<br />
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That is how you till a sill.Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-69229034085355225212013-03-07T12:36:00.000-08:002013-03-07T12:36:05.432-08:00Link Dump (Every Blog Deserves a Good One)http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/health/nine-best-herbs-women-0<br />
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http://www.olasherbshop.com/<br />
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http://www.conflictkitchen.org/<br />
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https://pittsburghgardenexperiment.org/<br />
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http://pittsburghpermaculture.org/pghfoodforests/hazelwood-food-forest<br />
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http://sweetroots.blogspot.com/Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-23791731146111801822013-02-28T07:45:00.000-08:002013-02-28T07:45:24.284-08:00This Cookbook...<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Literacy-Gardening-Families-Deliciously/dp/1607741911">...speaks for itself.</a>Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-1148878599241264162013-02-19T08:35:00.000-08:002013-02-19T08:35:03.413-08:00There's Something About RosemaryThis is a continuation of my previous post about rosemary. After writing that post, rosemary really got into my head: I wondered if there was anything to my observation of feeling a little pick-up from my unexpected aromatherapy session and if an infusion of rosemary would be enjoyable. To sate the first curiosity, I consulted my herb reference books. Sounds like rosemary is good for a host of ailments, including fatigue, memory (it symbolized remembrance in days of yore), and migraines. After reading this (particularly that it might help relieve migraine symptoms), I was definitely going to try out an infusion. Plus, I had some leftover rosemary from a meal I had made, and I wanted an easy way to use up the remaining rosemary.<br />
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Result: delightful! I made the infusion with a tea ball first and then tried it out using the infusion mug pictured above. If you're going to give this a try, I definitely recommend the infusion mug. The result is much crisper and flavorful. I for one have enjoyed starting my day with a rosemary infusion; it's a nice change from tea or the occasional coffee. I hope you find this alternative morning beverage a pleasant way to usher in the day as well!Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-16448955942107215342013-01-27T13:10:00.001-08:002013-01-27T13:10:47.197-08:00Rosemary in the MorningToday I discovered a new favorite way to start the day: mincing rosemary. No, I wasn't doing this on a whim, rising with a roaring urge to mince rosemary just for the heck of it: it was part of a new <a href="http://naturallyella.com/2012/11/21/sweet-potatoes-wheat-berries-and-eggs/">breakfast/brunch recipe</a> (it was friggin' delicious, btw) I found to make use of some pearl barley and sweet potatoes that have been camping out in my cupboards for far too long. It wasn't so much the chopping part I relished in, but the invigorating tickle of the sharp, woody aroma released from the freshly torn rosemary leaves. With each deep inhalation of the peppery-pine fragrance, I felt myself perking up, enjoying an alertness that usually only comes after my first cup of coffee or tea and one that is hardly ever as focused and balanced as this rosemary-induced lucidity.<br />
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Moral of the story: mince more rosemary in the morning. What's your favorite herb to start the day with and/or incorporate into breakfast/brunch recipes? </div>
Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-21805369778528836912013-01-15T09:16:00.001-08:002013-01-15T09:16:34.608-08:00CSA DebriefingI'd like to revisit the <a href="http://www.clarionriverorganics.com/">CSA</a> and do a little debriefing on my experience with it. The season ended the last week of October, so I've had ample time to do some reflecting on my participation in the program. I know it's not directly related to herbs (I did get garlic in some shares though!), but it's all related: knowing where your food is coming from; how it's grown/produced; and being more connected to the land and those who work it to provide sustenance for others.<br />
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I'm going to do a little pro-con list to start things off. </div>
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<u>PRO</u>:</div>
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-fresh, locally-grown, seasonal organic produce every week</div>
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-items are distributed loose in a reusable bag (This cuts down on the amount of packaging and subsequent garbage that is often a byproduct of buying produce at the store.)</div>
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-exposure to new items or items I might not normally buy</div>
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-veggie consumption taken to a new level</div>
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-feel more connected to the people that produce your food (a letter written by different farmers would be included in the share each week)</div>
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<u>CON</u>:</div>
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-sometimes it's hard to keep up with using everything in the week's share</div>
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-lack of freedom when planning meals (i.e. wanting what the week's share won't allow you to make)</div>
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As you can see, the Pros clearly outweigh the Cons. It really was a great experience. It felt good to be eating even more veggies than I normally do and making new recipes with them. I'm relatively new to cooking, and I feel like the CSA experience really helped me to master certain techniques as well as expand my repertoire. This cultivated confidence coupled with the items in each week's share served as inspiration for leaving the comfort of recipes and conjuring up my own dishes. I was also very impressed with the amount, variety, and quality of produce that was in each share. I know some people have had CSA experiences where either the variety was lacking (green beans every week) or the quality of the produce wasn't the greatest. There was only once instance where I received an item that I had to chuck immediately (a rotten cantelope) and variety was never a problem, other than a few weeks where I felt inundated by potatoes (but they last forever anyway). And finally, learning a little more about the people that are growing my food was a delight. I didn't even take full advantage of this: the CSA puts on various events throughout the season at the farms where you can meet the farmers as well as other members of the CSA.<br />
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I'd like to speak more on the two Cons though because one isn't <i>really</i> a Con and the other is only a Con when you have a certain mindset. As for not being able to keep up, a lesson learned from this is to try to freeze more things before they go bad, either on their own or used in dishes that can be frozen. My mom recently hooked me up with some sweet freezing/canning glass jars, so I'll be prepared come next season! I've already used them for a lingering butternut squash with favorable results.<br />
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And on the lack of freedom in meal planning. I think this is an interesting response, and deserves some analysis. I found a sense of restriction arising more toward the end of the season when gourds of myriad sorts were aplenty (again, freezing will help with this too), and I was feeling pretty <i>squashed</i> out. Stepping back to observe this reaction, I realized that it was a.) steeped in ego and b.) a remnant of my grocery-store habituated food choices and practices. CSAs and eating locally/seasonally can be soul-challenging in this way: I never anticipated that I'd be doing some serious introspection as a result of signing up for one. Body AND mind nourishment!<br />
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So, am I going to sign up for next season? You betchya! I'm excited to see what the new season will bring in both food and creative/spiritual bounty.<br />
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Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-73322444170655325112012-12-01T16:01:00.001-08:002012-12-01T16:01:14.031-08:00Cease SproutingHad to abort the sprouting mission. Did this project backwards and I did some more reading <i>after </i>I had already started the project. Sounds like it's best to get seeds specifically for sprouting; they've been cleaned and are pathogen-free. I'm sure mine would have probably been fine, but didn't want to risk it. Now in search of sprouting seeds. Signing off. Over.Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-57208548522868644332012-11-29T10:32:00.000-08:002012-11-29T10:32:08.295-08:00Sprouting SproutsI'm actually surprised with myself that I got this up and running pretty quickly. I know it doesn't seem like an involved project and it really isn't, but even the easiest tasks can seem daunting when obscured by the thick shadows of protracted darkness. The "hardest" part was cleaning out the durn peanut butter jar! Now that everything's set up all that's left to do is wait. Here's a mini photo-doc of the process:<br />
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1. Gather a clean glass jar, cheesecloth (unbleached), rubberband (or gumband for all the Yinzers out there), and a handful of seeds of your choice (I used quinoa to start. If this works, I'll try sprouting the leftover garlic chive seeds from my "real" growing project.).<br />
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2. Soak seeds in water overnight.<br />
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3. Drain seeds and transfer to jar. Cover with cheesecloth, securing with the rubberband.<br />
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4. Flip jar over and place on saucer dish to catch any excess moisture.<br />
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5. Place on windowsill with makeshift cornucopia.</div>
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P.S. For optimal results, it says to rinse the seeds a few times a day.</div>
Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-28322970079591906102012-11-18T12:47:00.003-08:002012-11-18T12:47:29.163-08:00The Hibernation Situation<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
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It's only been two weeks since daylight savings time ended. The cue to hibernate is obediently being heeded by my body, and I have to remind myself that I am not of the ursine family. From the lack of activity on the blog, it would seem as if I'd already gone into hibernation long before the days started getting shorter. But, I'm still awake, and this little bear wants to grow something!<br />
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I want to try another experiment that may not turn out the way I want it to; but that's the point of experimenting: you try things for the simple sake of trying something new, and whether or not you get a desired result is just the parsley garnish on top. ;) Having another go at the herbs is out of the question now that we are want of sunlight. Without adequate sunlight, the seeds won't sprout; and I'm not quite at the point of wanting to set up an indoor lighting arrangement. Waiting until next Spring to start trying to grow again seems awfully far away. Isn't there something I can do in the meantime?<br />
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The answer is YES. Quite fortuitously I stumbled upon this perfect <a href="http://www.motherearthliving.com/vegetable-gardening/grow-sprouts-zmgz12ndzmel.aspx">winter indoor growing project</a>. They aren't herbs, but that's okay: it's something fresh, alive, and green to help add some color to the monotonous grey that always settles in around this time of year. I just hope it works! I'd love to have a variety of fresh sprouts on hand to throw in salads, sandwiches, and other dishes. Not only will they be delicious, but I think it will help me fend off that hibernation-induced urge to adopt an habitual consumption of comfort foods (i.e. eating mac and cheese every other night!). <br />
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I always have lentils and quinoa lying around the pantry so I think I'll start the sprouting experiment with them; convenience and curiosity about the taste of their sprouts make them an excellent and irresistible starting point. Verily I look forward to expanding my sprout repertoire beyond the usual alfalfa, mung, pea, and broccoli. ;) I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out!<br />
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Amazing how I feel the desire to hibernate abating already... </div>
Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-23880431048957700162012-07-29T12:01:00.003-07:002012-07-29T12:01:39.776-07:00OregaNOooo!Behold the tragic sight of diseased oregano:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">So very sad! This little guy didn't last long at all. It is possible that since it was originally an outdoor plant and had more of a living soil as its substrate that it picked up the disease before it was passed on to me, but not likely. A quick search on diseases of oregano plants revealed that the most common diseases are fungal, resulting from improperly drained soil and just general moist conditions. For those of you on the East coast of the U.S., you can attest that the past couple of weeks have been disgustingly humid. And even though we have a small window AC unit that does substantially combat some of the funkiness, it is really no match for air heavily gravid with the clam (aka humidity). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">And so I find myself back at the drawing board once again, an eerie parallel to where I feel I am at in the progression of my life. Is this project a consciously-aware entity that is purposefully mimicking my life? Ah! However (un)likely that is, it does give rise to some serious introspection, of which I'll reserve for the blog I keep in my brain. ;)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white;">Of immediate relevance: What to do next with this project? I think moving it outdoors would be best, but timing doesn't look like it will be right for that this year. With an upcoming trip that will have me gone most of August, if I were to start some seedlings indoors when I got back, they wouldn't even sprout until early September, and then... well, you can see where this is going: running out of summer! Hence, this may conclude any active attempts to cultivate my own plants until the Spring. I'll keep adopting plants from my chiropractor (since she has a surplus anyway) to use up quickly in cooking, but as far as growing my own, it looks like that seed has blown away (ship has sailed?... I tried...). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Yes, indeed I did try.</span>Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-67141387178132829462012-07-16T09:39:00.002-07:002012-07-16T09:39:33.083-07:00CSA Sunday: Photo Appendix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWc-fhLzgw7goyiXXoiv1XNhSZraJBk528Nm93qTg6GNoIWqeFGr2Nw15rCIfhKVEmbAsjDlsDyRt8WmLogszR73wCkIs8ktkf9YIVzRvh1ZhFjUKjvwX2sp2peytFjrSYL6IeREyvYwZt/s1600/CSA_week1+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWc-fhLzgw7goyiXXoiv1XNhSZraJBk528Nm93qTg6GNoIWqeFGr2Nw15rCIfhKVEmbAsjDlsDyRt8WmLogszR73wCkIs8ktkf9YIVzRvh1ZhFjUKjvwX2sp2peytFjrSYL6IeREyvYwZt/s400/CSA_week1+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You've been licked by Dragon Tongue beans!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And that's only half the beans and half the potatoes</td></tr>
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<br />Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-36528395112619749302012-07-15T15:43:00.000-07:002012-07-15T15:43:08.086-07:00CSA SundayThe CSA bounty is amazing! Collard greens, new potatoes, summer squash, cucumber, Anaheim peppers, and Dragon Tongue beans. Plenty of variety and a very generous amount for a small share. Looking at this fresh, edible, vivid rainbow in my bag, I couldn't help but feel cheerful and energized (or maybe I was just feeling the effects of the coffee that I downed on a relatively empty stomach. ;) ).<br />
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I already ate almost half of the cucumber as a side with my sandwich this afternoon, and plan on making a potato salad with the potatoes. Once I finish up a quinoa salad that's serving as my dinner, I plan on experimenting with the collard greens, squash, and Dragon Tongue beans. I'm thinking I might just toss them all together in a pan and sautee them with garlic, olive oil, and the oregano as a side dish to to go with some poached chicken breasts or try my hand at making some pan-fried chicken under the guidance of <a href="http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Panfried-Chicken-Breasts-With-Oregano-Garlic-Butter-Epicurious">this recipe</a>, and thus incorporating the oregano this way rather than in with the veggies. Not quite sure what I'll do with the Anaheim peppers, but I'm sure I can find some recipe to try.<br />
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Short and sweet post today. I was just so excited about this first CSA share that I had to... well... share! =)Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-32728638438230183852012-07-11T07:20:00.000-07:002012-07-11T07:20:01.326-07:00Putting the Oregano to Work and Other Kitchen HappeningsOne of my favorite things to do is challenge myself to use the remaining ingredients used in a planned dish to create an impromptu, unscripted dish. I do this for various reasons: creative exercise, preventing waste, and uncontrollable frugality (which I swear is a genetic trait I inherited from my mother). Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Monday night it worked quite deliciously, and I got to use my fresh oregano sooner than I thought I would (waiting on those veggies from the CSA). <span style="background-color: white;">It was just a simple, summer pasta salad made with leftover, precooked pasta from a bolognese dinner, but it totally hit the spot, a quick, fresh meal to end a long day. Since the pasta was already cooked, all I had to do was chop up a (complimentary) tomato, pluck a handful of oregano leaves off the peduncle, slice them into thin strips, and toss the tomato and oregano in the pasta with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Easy, herb-inspired yums!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">I also like substitutes for "traditional" ingredients, and while this isn't herb-related, I'm going to share anyway (because it has potential to be herb-related). This revelation emerged from a culinary situation that was equal parts misfortune and serendipity. Tuna salad is my lunch this week, and as I began to gather the various ingredients (mayo, olive oil) and available accoutrements (onion, celery, salt, pepper), I found that two of the items had gone bad: the celery and the mayo. Celery is an inconsequential ingredient, but something like mayo is pretty important, even though I use it sparingly (that's what the olive oil is for, to add moisture). Son of an orangutan's aunt, I thought to myself. I had just come from the grocery store and really didn't feel like going back out, but I was counting on the tuna for lunch! </span><span style="background-color: white;">What to do, what to do? I scanned the fridge, and hidden under containers of hummus and parmasen cheese, I found some idling goat cheese. Voila! Yes! With its creamy consistency and tangy flavor, goat cheese could work as a viable mayo substitute--in concert with the olive oil--and perhaps be even better. I dumped the remainder of the goat cheese in with the tuna and onion, added olive oil, sprinkled in a dash of salt and fresh ground pepper, and mixed up my experiment. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Results: total yum! Indeed, I like this version of tuna salad way better than a mayo-based version; it's more flavorful, and the mayo ick-factor is completely eliminated. I'm eager to try it again and experiment with adding some fresh herbs (see, told you I'd tie in herbs some how!). I love how something potentially inconveniencing ended up in a new discovery that improved upon my existing tuna salad paradigm. It's the little things! =)</span>Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-87244740311284253952012-07-09T07:44:00.002-07:002012-07-09T07:44:39.495-07:00Oh, Oregeno!The oregeno is here! I set right to re-potting it into something more comfortable and roomy (actual pot courtesy my mama):<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Looking good, right? I hope to keep it that way. I was super excited yesterday because I thought it was my first pick-up day for the </span><a href="http://www.clarionriverorganics.com/p/csa.html" style="background-color: white;">CSA</a><span style="background-color: white;"> I joined recently, and I couldn't wait to find a recipe that incorporated the veggies in my share and my newly-acquired oregano. But alas, I got my days mixed up and when I went to the pick-up site, there were no fresh fruits and veggies awaiting me. Total bummer of my own scatterbrained doing! No worries though: something to look forward to for next Sunday.</span></div>Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-87794899600332427892012-07-03T15:50:00.001-07:002012-07-10T10:06:33.144-07:00What's Your Inflorescence Type?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been doing some more botany-focused reading on herbs, and in doing so, have learned a little bit about the botanical terms for the anatomical structures of a plant. Of particular relevance is the inflorescence, or simply the cluster of flowers on the plant. Inflorescences are categorized according to their arrangement off the main stem (peduncle). The image below illustrates a few of the more common inflorescences.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kswildflower.org/drawings/inflorescence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.kswildflower.org/drawings/inflorescence.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image reproduced from Kansas Wildflower and Grasses website:<br />
<a href="http://www.kswildflower.org/drawings.php?drawingID=5">http://www.kswildflower.org/drawings.php?drawingID=5</a></td></tr>
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Even with only a very superficial investigation of inflorescences, it became evident to me that these nine common categories barely scratch the surface of all the different variations of inflorescence arrangements that exist in the natural world. Additionally, some species of plants present with anomalous inflorescence formation, which do not quite fit into the existing categories, and, consequently, are erroneously categorized as one or the other simply for sake of putting them somewhere.<br />
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I can't help but see a parallel between this sort of plant classification and classification of human personality (and perhaps even psyche). Perhaps we may fall into general, broad-sweeping categories, but there will always be that about us which remains impervious to the reducible effects of categorizing behavior.<br />
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All seriousness aside, let's have some fun with this. I'm sure most of you are familiar with personality typing based on things like color preference, etc., so let's see what your inflorescence preference says about you. Take a good look at the image above and choose an inflorescence that you like best (excluding the compound umbel). Then find the corresponding inflorescence below and discover things about yourself that you never knew. No cheating!<br />
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<u>Spike</u>: You are a contrary sort and depending on your mood, this can either work to your benefit and manifest as courage and assertiveness in your dealings with others; or backfire and come across as just plain cantankerousness and therefore repellent to those you encounter.<br />
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<u>Raceme</u>: Dynamism defines you. You have a synergistic, lively balance between your creative side and your computational side. There is a strong possibility that you might be perfect.<br />
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<u>Panicle</u>: You are eccentric, in taste, style, and mood. To keep up with your varied interests, you always have a lot going on, and it's never the same thing twice. You are prone to abusing substances.<br />
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<u>Umbel</u>: Logic and order is the name of your game. You pride yourself on your organizational skills and responsible nature. You readily see patterns in nature, work, and play, and love categorizing any and all material things. This is your favorite post of the entire blog.<br />
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<u>Corymb</u>: You are easy-going and level-headed. Nothing seems to ruffle your feathers--er--leaves. You take the ebbs and flows of life in stride, a veritable surfer of the cosmos. Sometimes your carefree disposition leaves you lounging on the beach for too long though.<br />
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<u>Cyme</u>: Ambition drives you in most activities. You don't feel satisfied unless you have put in a long, hard-day's work <i>and</i> see results from the work that you've done. Relaxing is not your strong suit. Having a stiff drink from time to time would do you some good.<br />
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<u>Cluster</u>: You are plain.<br />
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<u>Solitary</u>: Ever so elegant you are. You carry yourself in a sophisticated manner and are privy of all the trends in fashion, music, and food, of which you ravenously indulge. Whether or not you are <i>solitary</i> in your epicurean pursuits is uncertain, but it's quite possible.</div>Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-85110731299794601632012-06-26T17:45:00.001-07:002012-06-26T17:45:09.631-07:00When Herbs Fall Into Your LapMy chiropractor is pretty awesome. She keeps my chronic neck pain at bay and keeps a welcoming, friendly practice. She also keeps an organic garden, growing a myriad of vegetables to use for cooking and canning. And she also grows herbs. During one of my sessions, in between her effective yet gentle adjustment of my spinal column, I happened to mention my indoor herb-growing project, and we bonded further over our appreciation for fresh, homegrown produce.<br />
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At my session last week, we were both inquiring into each other's growing projects. Sadly, I had to retell the demise of my little seedlings, but we both had a good laugh from the story. It just so happened though that she has a surplus of oregano and dill plants, and kindly offered some to me. Still not feeling quite ready to recommence the project, my thoughts tripped over each other trying to make a quick decision to her benevolent gesture. I'm not really sure if they ever arrived at a firm decision, but I found my mouth saying an autonomous, self-assured 'yes' anyway. I left my session with my spine aligned and the promise of new herbs to jump-start my growing project currently in abeyance.<br />
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With this impromptu adoption, I have some preparing to do. <span style="background-color: white;">I've gone back to consult with my herb books on dill and oregano as well as looking up their profiles on</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="http://www.herbcompanion.com/">this herb website</a><span style="background-color: white;">, and nothing seems too terribly beyond a novice skill level. </span><span style="background-color: white;">My chiropractor warned me that dill, unmanaged, can grow freakishly tall. And oregano; well, oregano seems like it might be pretty tame. More importantly than reading up on care, I need to purchase the proper substrate for these plants. I hadn't yet bought any soil for more mature herb plants: all I have on reserve is seedling soil. Actually, stike that. I DO have some soil that I bought for repotting a regular houseplant that had been blown off the sill by a very assertive wind. It's organic soil that was on sale for super cheap at Walgreen's and while it's just fine for a plant I don't plan on ingesting, I'll need to read the label more carefully to see if it's okay to use for crop-type plants. I don't see why it wouldn't be, but you never know. And finally, I need to prepare pots for these newcomers. Again, while I had coffee cans on reserve to use for transplanting once the seedlings were mature, I hadn't yet poked drainage holes in them; this shouldn't be too hard though: just need a good hammer and some nails. But believe it or not, I have neither of these lying around my apartment! </span><br />
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As I'm writing this entry, I feel refreshed and excited about these herbs unexpectedly breezing into my life. I'm particularly excited about cooking with fresh oregano, because I have never done so before. (If anyone has any favorite recipes using fresh oregano, please share!). I feel invigorated by the unending fluidity of this project: I like that what I planned isn't what has happened, and I like that I <i>like</i> it. There is something uniquely liberating about allowing life to present you with its offerings without filtering their merits through a thick, cheesecloth web of thought.<br />
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The moral of the story: When herbs fall into your lap, let them. And then worry about how they will grow.Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-28334679954086967682012-06-07T11:02:00.003-07:002012-06-07T13:38:33.570-07:00A is for ApothekeI've really been missing writing about herbs, whether it be documenting the progress of my own or engaging in herb-inspired philosophical or spiritual musings. As I'm biding my time and waiting to start a new batch of seed after I return from a weekend sojourn in DC, I've been thinking of an herb-related topic to masticate with my mind's molars. And then it struck me: apothekes. Apothekes are akin to drug stores/pharmacies, but with one notable difference: the remedies sold are either homeopathic or herbal.<br />
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I know of apothekes from my Grandma, who is Austrian and lived through the Nazi occupation of Austria and WWII. As all grandmas do, she often tells stories of her childhood, reminiscing on times good and bad, and as one can imagine from her experience, the bad is often unbelievably horrid. Fear of the Gestapo coming for her family (her father was a political dissenter), air raids, the bombing of her house, friends killed, and witnessing the atrocities of concentration camps. But among these terrible memories were very fond, pre-occupation/war memories, that still endured despite the dark cloud that descended upon her childhood. And of course, she likes to speak of the good times more than the bad.<br />
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One such pleasant memory she likes to talk of is her time spent at her Grandfather's farm in the Austrian countryside during the summers. Here she could enjoy the fresh country air, play outdoors freely with her friends, and relish in unstructured time. But before she left her school in the city for the summer, she and her classmates were given an assignment: each student was presented with a list of herbs that they were to properly identify, collect, and bring back for the apotheke to use in his herbal remedies. When I first heard this story, I thought "What a delightful assignment for a young child!" It gets them outdoors during the summer months, fostering a kinship with their natural environment, and they are exercising and learning in the process (Austria is a very environmentally-conscious country, and I have to wonder if such practices as these served as the foundation for this national ethos). Additionally, it cultivates a cooperative spirit early on as well, with the children engaged in their community by helping out the local apotheke. At the time, I'm sure this calculated reasoning didn't drive the creation and implementation of the assignment, but in a nation plagued by disrespect toward the natural environment, crumbling social capital, and childhood obesity, we can appreciate the ingeniousness of this school- and community-based initiative and perhaps learn from its wisdom.<br />
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It is simply this particular story I wanted to share about apothekes. I know very little about apothekes otherwise--either of past or present--but they do still exist and are ubiquitous in Austria: instead of the the McDonald's golden arches, you see the signature stylized, crimson "A" denoting Apothekes. Whether or not schoolkids still collect herbs for the apothekes, I do not know, but they do still sell certain remedies my Grandma would speak of, including wermhut tea and a laxative made of condensed figs. I could kick myself that of all the 900 some pictures I took while is Austria, I didn't take a picture of the Apotheke sign, but I think ending this post with a picture of the country's landscape is more fitting anyway.<br />
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Initially I had planned on starting the growing project after I got back from my trip precisely because I was concerned about how they would hold up while I was gone. I'm not exactly sure why I decided to disregard my initial plan, but I think impatience had a large part to do with it. Impatience plus a blind optimism that the plants would undoubtedly (more like magically) endure suboptimal conditions. This was a tough lesson on trusting your instincts and honoring your initial reaction/plans.</div>
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Am I devastated? No. Just a little disappointed. I think subconsciously I knew that there was a very strong likelihood that they wouldn't survive my absence, so this shadowed anticipation perhaps helped to soften the blow.<br />
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Where will I go from here? I do plan on trying again after regrouping. However, I think I'll refrain from growing mint again, at least while I'm still getting my herb bearings. I knew going into the project that it was an aggressive plant, but it really did explode once I re-potted it, and I feel ill-equipped to keep up with its rapid growth. Additionally, given that it contracted this mildew-related disease, I'm not so sure the environmental conditions in my apartment are suited to growing mint.<br />
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In some ways, I view this first round akin to a pilot study. Even in my failure, knowledge and experience was procured which can now be applied to future endeavors. I am indeed looking forward to trying again.<br />
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<br />Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-80544471414462010092012-04-20T16:48:00.000-07:002012-04-20T16:48:00.994-07:00What Remains of Unborn ChivesThe chives seed has still not germinated, and at more than 2 weeks past the projected germination date, I thought it safe to assume that it would not be joining the basil and parsley in life as a sprout. Before I got rid of it though, I wanted to inspect the soil to see if there was anything going on underneath the surface. And this is what I found:<br />
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Nothing: not the slightest tremor of activity. I wonder what prevented the seed from relinquishing its tightly packed, unyielding pod in exchange for the nimble form of a sprout, a chrysalis opting to remain a chrysalis instead of unfurling into the freedom of a butterfly. I treated it the same as the other two seeds, giving it just the right amount of water and sunlight. Why was this effort not to its liking?<br />
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I am curious, but not upset, nor do I feel as if I failed. I find the notion of failure/success in the context of this project has slowly faded away. When I first committed to making this project happen, possible failure was foremost in my mind, especially since I have chosen to share my movement through the project with others. It is one thing to fail privately within the limited scope of the cocoon of one's own self-knowledge and awareness, quite another to fail openly, in the vast and airy expanse of unbounded existence. So perhaps the chives seed was afraid of failure, just as I was (and maybe still am a little bit, but in other venues). Timid in the twisted face of the unknown--existence as a sprout--it nestled closer into the plush, enveloping blanket of soil and bound itself tighter in its compacted sphere of existence, like a fist, clenched so tensely that its fingernails bore into fleshy palm to poke through the back of the hand, fastening a permanent anxiety.<br />
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I wish the chives would have inched out of this self-imposed stronghold, but I understand why it didn't. I know I did my best to encourage it to come forth into the world, and I enjoyed tending to it despite its decision to remain encased and comfortably hidden away beneath the soil.Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7695949611329160714.post-73846488243886172552012-04-18T15:21:00.000-07:002012-04-18T15:21:22.042-07:00First Meal With my MintA couple days ago I made the first actual dish using my own mint since adopting the plant a month ago. I made the asparagus stir-fry, and it was delish. I added a fresh salad with cucumbers and shitake sesame dressing to make the meal a bit more complete, and uber-healthy! Veggies to the max! Here's a couple pics (not the greatest quality, but the best I could do with the poor lighting in the prep corner of the kitchen):<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Line-up of Ingredients. Can you spot the mint?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs3FMESVv0f32SZqZJs8jL2N-064zcTDNMlMhkPAfji8UaRvEQXg-8umbF71izzYbvkHiJdlz6GA6ayw0pkEnQEBTZrBh13uE_E6xaRUwUcPCi6wg0u-bHcWw9P1AlAKJhG3Zlt2gG-G_/s1600/Blog_4.18.12+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs3FMESVv0f32SZqZJs8jL2N-064zcTDNMlMhkPAfji8UaRvEQXg-8umbF71izzYbvkHiJdlz6GA6ayw0pkEnQEBTZrBh13uE_E6xaRUwUcPCi6wg0u-bHcWw9P1AlAKJhG3Zlt2gG-G_/s400/Blog_4.18.12+038.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slivered Basil and Mint</td></tr>
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This was my first time taking pictures while cooking. I really enjoyed it and found it had a slowing effect, encouraging full immersion in the preparation rather than speeding through it to get to the actual cooking. It gave me more time to breathe in the sensuous aromas of sliced scallions, chopped garlic, grated ginger, a juiced lime, and slivered mint and basil, enjoying their freshness before the smell of heated sesame oil overpowered the delightful olfactory potpourri to create one looming monoscent. Photographing as I went also allowed me to really appreciate how beautiful all of the ingredients were, especially the red chard! I was in awe of its stunning magenta stalks and rich, dark green leaves. The picture definitely does not do it justice.<br />
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Already I notice another positive effect of having my own herbs. In the very first post on this blog, I briefly mentioned how the culinary uses of herbs was one of the reasons for deciding to grow my own. Before when I would cook with herbs, I cooked with them because the recipe called for their use, and oftentimes what I didn't use would sadly go to waste, or I would feel pressured to find a recipe that called for the herb precisely so it wouldn't go to waste. Now the herbs are my muse. By taking this sort of bottom-up approach to searching for new recipes, a more varied and unique list of recipes emerges than if the search had been guided by a main ingredient (i.e. meat vs. no meat) or ethnic variety. I can't wait until my basil and parsley are mature enough to use so that I'll have 3 resident muses instead of just one.Karniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422487706038094227noreply@blogger.com0