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Robin Timm
Jayne and I spent our Thanksgiving holiday painting. We enjoy getting projects done over long weekend holidays. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite complete all of the tasks so I have been finishing up the odds and ends. On my knees, painting the seed room floor, I suddenly realized my article was due. When I tried to picture a good December story for you, my mind went blank. I must have paint on the brain. With an empty head I went to Kitchen Gardeners International (KGI) www.kitchengardeners.org for some inspiration. Although I was looking for some holiday gift ideas from the garden/freezer., what I found stimulated further garden adventures. Linked headlines on the home page of KGI brought up a chart showing the decline of kitchen gardens in the US. A second chart adds the inverse proportion of overweight/obese people in the US.
Another link gives startling statistics on hunger in the US: “The USDA has recently published the latest US hunger statistics: 35 million people live in households that have either "very low or low food security". To put it more simply and bluntly, 12% of the total US population doesn't have enough to eat. “ A hopeful news item discusses the positive effect that eating vegetables helps keep the brain young. Jayne and I are always talking about our business and how we will keep it dynamic. What are we going to do next? Will we expand to add more CSA members, will we do more at the Farmers’ Market, where do we see ourselves in 5 years, when Jayne can retire her day job? It is exciting to grow our business and move in new directions. At the same time it is stressful with concern in which direction to move. Headlines like those above only increase my angst and worry about where we are going. How do we feed the hungry and still pay off the mortgage? Holidays also increase my angst. As I watch local news headlines focus on shopping, I can’t help wonder about folks who don’t have enough to eat. Are they out buying ribbons and wrapping paper instead of fruit and cereal for their kids? Another chart on the KGI site showed the percentage of income spent on food. In the US we spend less than 10% of our income on food. I wonder what percentage we spend on our cars? We get what we pay for, in fast and convenient foods. Unfortunately, the lesser grade fuels are taking their tolls on our chases. Obesity, diabetes, overall malaise are all on the rise and can be attributed to our diets. I have seen a trend in some young people who are looking for better foods for themselves and their children. They are looking for fresh, organic, locally grown products. After the fall e coli spinach scare, more people are thinking about their food: where it came from, how far it traveled, how it was grown, handled and packaged. More people want to know the farmers who grow their food. What better way to know the source of your vegetables than to grow your own. It doesn’t take a lot of space to have a kitchen garden. Some folks even use containers on patios to provide summer tomatoes, peppers and basil for pesto. A bigger plot has room for a sprinkling of lettuce, a row of carrots and beets, a corner for perennial herbs like oregano and sage and space for bigger plants like tomatoes, broccoli, and maybe a zucchini. Once it is started, most gardeners find we have more than we can use in our own kitchens. Even with planning, we usually have more than enough produce to provide a weekly share to the local shelter. And in the heat of August, we drop off boxes of sweet cherry tomatoes to the senior centers. For me there is nothing more satisfying than sharing food from our garden. I have no illusions of tackling world hunger. I do have ideas on changing habits at a local level. If we can encourage more people to buy local goods, we will keep money in our own economy which will help to better the economic status for everyone. We can start by encouraging more people to shop at our Platteville Farmers’ Market or to join local CSAs. Once people get a taste of fresh, home grown tomatoes and green beans, they don’t want to go back to the travel weary produce at the store. With a little help from their own personal farmers, many folks can start their own kitchen gardens. Once they get started, further inspiration may lead to families starting neighborhood gardens or school gardens. The seed catalogs are coming in the mail every day. Now is the time to jot down ideas for your own plot. And when you plan your holiday feasts, consider buying local. Check the phone book for sources of local meats, eggs and dairy. You may also want to check with some of the market vendors who might have some extra potatoes, carrots, squash or garlic. And check your freezer for your holiday dinners. This season my brother and his family from Walla Walla, Washington will be here. They usually miss our summer bounty so this year we are planning a Safe Home Farm dinner. Holiday Dinner from Safe Home Farm
Cranberry Orange Relish No, we didn’t grow the cranberries or the apples but they are from Wisconsin. The oranges are from a sunnier climate. 1 bag whole cranberries, washed 1 navel orange, washed and sliced into eighths 1 medium apple, chopped; we like braeburn Sugar Put cranberries and orange slices in a blender or food processor and chop, not too fine. Put berries and orange in a bowl with the apple. Add ¼ to 1/3 cup sugar, to taste. Chill and serve. Our family tradition has this served in a green Depression glass bowl on holidays.
Mashed red, blue and Yukon gold potatoes Even though the color is unconventional, the flavor is fabulous 6 Safe Home Farm potatoes (more or less depending on the size of your gathering), scrubbed and cubed Reserved potato water (for vegans) or milk Salt and pepper In a saucepan, cover potatoes with cold water. Set pan on stove and cover. Bring to boil then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes for 6 potatoes. Strain potatoes, saving about 1/4 cup water for vegan recipe. For traditional eaters, strain potatoes; then add 1/4 cup milk. Mash potatoes any way you like, lumpy or smooth. Serve with butter, salt and pepper on the side. Serves 3 to 4 Tofu Turkey Protein for the vegetarians - It’s not just me and Jayne this time. My brother’s whole family is vegetarian! Yahoo. Meat product is coming from the other carnivorous brother’s family. Ingredients (use vegan versions):
Directions: Mash tofu well. (For optimal results, blend a firm Chinese style tofu with a smaller portion of Japanese style, such as Mori-Nu Firm.) Line an 11" colander with a single layer of moistened cheesecloth. Transfer tofu to colander. Press tofu to flatten, and fold edges of cheesecloth over it. Place a cake tin or other flat object over the surface of the tofu and weigh it down with a heavy object (about 5 lbs) to press the liquid from the tofu. After the tofu has drained for 1 hour, oil a roast or turkey pan, open cheese cloth, place pan over colander, and flip over tofu into pan. Remove cheesecloth. Mix sesame oil and soy sauce to use as a basting liquid. Baste tofu with liquid. Bake covered at 400 deg. F for 1 hour. Remove cover, baste, and return to oven to bake uncovered until top becomes golden brown, about one hour more. Baste again at least once during remaining cooking time. From The Fund for Animals, P.O. Box 770243, Houston, TX 7721
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