Hunger Moon

I have been amply fed during this Hunger Moon of February, also known as Little Famine Moon and Bony Moon by Indigenous American Indians. I continue to have a pantry full of grains, beans and canned goods, and a nearly full chest freezer. This, in spite of the fact that I have not food shopped in two months. It seems that technology has supported me in planning ahead during gardening and foraging season, such that I can eat home grown and preserved foods all year. I have not been concerned with scarcity, and am grateful for all the time and energy I devoted last summer and fall to processing food, and for my solar panels that help keep that freezer running.

Lucky me.

Staying on Track- Food Buying Moratorium Challenge

Since I don’t enjoy grocery shopping, avoiding the process has been easy. However, I was recently tempted to consider online shopping, lured by an ad for two free chocolate bars with a $50 purchase, (dark chocolate with cashew butter and raspberry jelly—a $16 value). As I started perusing an enticing list of ingredients and products, I remembered my food buying moratorium challenge to use up my food supplies and frozen goods, and closed that window.

Never mind. I have plenty of red lentils and kimchi to enjoy.

Inventorying Surplus

I have been paying more attention to assessing my stock of in-house ingredients, figuring out what I should eat regularly, so that come May, I am not subsisting on applesauce and acorns.

My frig hosts large jars of pickled veggies, kimchi, fermented Asian greens, and sauerkraut. I realize that it is time to start using some of this up.

Thus, my creative substitute for letuce- fermented greens and sauerkraut atop a rice cake slathered with chipotle hummus. Pretty tasty as the saltiness complements the bland rice cake.

Rearranging Ingredients

Each week, I know I am using up supplies, as my pile of reusable zip bags and empty jars are piling up, but a strange phenomenon is happening. In spite of emptying containers, my frig and upstairs freezer oscillate between near empty and overflow. It seems I am rearranging ingredients, aerating them, and ending up with even more edible food than I started with. Like the fountain of youth, this seems to be the fountain of never-ending food…

Adaptations to Moratorium Rules

Tho’ I have not shopped, I have bartered, and accept that this is within the parameters of my challenge.

My son enthusiastically received my bucket of unprocessed acorns, and generously refilled the tub with carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, and hazelnuts.

Who came out ahead in this exchange?!

As I have been milk-less for a couple weeks, the hazelnuts came in handy to make nut milk.

How to make nut milk

Soak 1 cup raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, macadamia, walnuts) in 2-3 cups water overnight.

Drain and discard water.

Blend nuts with 2-4 cups water until almost smooth. Use less water for thicker milk.

Strain the blended nut mixture using a tight-weave cloth, twisting the top tightly to squeeze out more milk.

Refrigerate. The milk will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Using Leftover Nut Pulp

You can freeze it to later toss into smoothies, or fold it into quick-bread batters or pancakes, or warm oatmeal.

Yum- yum

Temptations, Treats and Tiny Tea Cups

Six weeks into my food buying moratorium,
(See my first blog in January)
I found myself walking the aisles of the Rutland, Vermont Food Co-op  with my grand babe Rose Beatrix.


I did not even consider buying onions,which I do need.

Rather than “test” a new type of chocolate bar, or consider how delightful a juicy fresh pear might be, I toured the small shop, hand-in-hand with Rose. We did laps, repeating our circles while exploring new food crannies while her mom found what she needed. This was Rose’s first time on foot in the store and my first time experiencing the lower two feet of product and produce from a child’s perspective.

Our trek was not about shopping, but exploration and frequent freedom to choose new routes with ease —no February snow, mud or slush here.

I find shopping-less shopping appealing. With no need or plan to purchase and consume, we could simply move through a new space to discover and observe quantities of bottles, boxes, cans, bags, containers and a fun ramp to descend with enthusiasm—then ascend once more with exuberance.

I am impressed with 18 month old Rose’s ability to relish moments, whether it be at a store, or at her family table. Like her granny Elder Babe, she enjoys treats.

This pumpkin cashew cream pie with chocolate 

date coconut crust disappeared quickly.

As did the roibos hazelnut chai from great grandma’s tea cup.

In addition to the pie, I have been experimenting with other chocolate based treats as I still have a large quantity of cocoa powder.

I often have on hand nut and seed balls made with cacao powder and maple syrup or dates. My standby, or gobble up recipe, uses ground almonds, orange rind, shredded coconut, maple syrup, cacao nibs and coconut oil.

To satisfy a craving for healthy Reese’s Cups, and to use up some peanut butter, I figured out how to make vegan buck eyes, (peanut butter balls coated with chocolate). I thickened sweetened peanut butter with coconut flour until I could roll the sticky mass into small balls, then made a coating with coconut oil, syrup and cocoa powder. Although I sequester the container of sweet treats as a strategy to ration my intake, I find myself raiding the freezer quite often.

I was inspired to make this tiered cupcake to bring to a friend's layered luncheon. Between layers of vegan applesauce chocolate cake I inserted apricot coconut spread. The drizzle is strawberry tangerine tofu sauce with strawberries from last year's garden.

I am reminded that soon I shall be outside thinning those strawberry plants. Come spring, I will not have as much time for indulging in treats, sipping chai, or spending time with little people.

So I shall enjoy the quieter moments, abundant winter munchables, and quality family connection time, with gratitude for a wonderfully satisfying life.

Teeschwamm, Wunderpilz, Hongo

The beverage rage, known in English as kombucha, has taken over the world,and my kitchen counter.

The traditional beverage, rich in probiotics and enzymes, has been consumed for centuries in Russia, although its origins are in China.

In 2014, American consumers were reported to have bought nearly $400 million worth of kombucha, a fermented, slightly alcoholic, slightly sweet black or green tea drink.

That’s a lot of brew.

Markets and Markets, American market research company reported in 2016 that the kombucha market is "poised for huge growth by 2020, growing 25% each year".

You can purchase flavors such as blueberry mint, lemon ginger, and coconut lime for three to six dollars, in a returnable bottle with a fancy label, or easily make your own for the price of some tea bags and sugar.

Essential to the process is the SCOBY(Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), commonly called a mother. This slippery, globular mass transforms sweetened tea into kombucha. The scoby is similar to the mother you find floating in unrefined apple cider vinegar.

Those of you who have been making this healthful, antioxidant-rich drink know that the scoby grows layer by layer (without any effort whatsoever on your part) each time you ferment a batch. Over time you have extra cultures, to give away to friends.

What an unusual gift and treat! Need a new Mamma? Need more than one?

Last summer, I had a couple customers respond to my note on the neighborhood Buy Nothing group

“Scoby mammas up for adoption. Come with simple kombucha making instructions.”

It’s the gift that keeps getting paid forward.

Or it dies neglected and unattended, if it doesn’t end up in the compost pile.

I make a gallon at a time in the winter, and two in the summer. It takes about two weeks to complete the process in cooler temperatures, instead of five to seven days during summer. I use less sugar than some recipes call for— 2/3cup per gallon, 6 tea bags, and 6 herbal bags. After the tea has cooled, you add the scoby and ½ cup kombucha tea, which you have saved from the last batch. Cover with a cotton cloth and rubber band to keep out dust while allowing the mixture to breathe.

It is a quiet breathe, rest assured.

Then you forget about your brew until you cannot resist the urge to test for effervescence, which means it is ready.

My friend Shirley suggests adding freshly grated ginger and turmeric root to the finished product, letting it sit on the counter overnight to gain extra oomph (fizz and flavor), before refrigerating the corked jugs.

I prefer my kombucha made with green tea, which has less caffeine, and more health benefits than black tea. I add flavored teas for variety, and fruit juice before swigging it.

For crafters who might enjoy a scoby-related project, check out the sustainable and biodegradable outfits on this site:

http://www.kombuchacouture.com/

Kombucha culture, when dried, becomes a leather-like textile which can be cut and stitched like fabric or molded onto forms to create seamless clothing.

Not practical if you sweat or get caught in a down pour, but definitely a conversation piece.

My son once rescued a neglected, overgrown, dehydrated scoby. He had to smash the jar to free the mass, but discovered that he could cut and form the blackened mass into a lone ranger mask for Halloween.

Want to try this easy and satisfying fermentation project?

I can mail you a mamma.

How will I manage?

“But you have no chocolate! I think of that again and again! My dear, how will you ever manage?” Marquise de Sévigné

Woe is me. 

How will I manage?

I just scarfed down the last remaining chunk of my two pound, 85% dark chocolate bar. According to my food buying moratorium, May 31st is a long time to go without.

Woah! My serotonin and dopamine levels are dropping. Gotta get me more of that” love drug,” phenylethylamine, Gotta find me another way to bring on those elevated moods and high energy.

Fortunately, I do have two bags of chocolate related powders— cocoa and cacao, in my cupboard. It appears that I have ample supplies of both, maybe even enough to get me through to June. Always cheaper to buy in bulk!

I have six pounds combined, and 120 days to go. Doing the chocolatized math, I can consume one pound (16 ounces) every twenty days, or one ounce of powder a day and still have a cocoa-y cushion leftover for emergencies. This translates to almost four tablespoons a day. Hah! I don’t think I will be snorting such a quantity that often, but am relieved to know that I needn’t worry about running out.

All is well.

My mouth waters when I consider the variety of delicacies I can create, and how much better for me they will be since I will have to make them from scratch, without refined sugar, unhealthy fats, and dairy. Who needs chocolate bars when you can have cocoa beverages, cookies, tarts, candies, sauces, cakes, puddings.

I look forward to spicing up my chocolate concoctions with ginger, cayenne, orange, mint, or cardamom. After all, I do have quantities of spices which would be nice to use up as well.

I prefer using cacao powder for uncooked treats, as it is raw and much less processed than cocoa powder. Because the seed of the cacao fruit is not processed, cacao powder contains more fiber, nutrients and calories than cocoa powder.

In addition, cacao is the highest source of magnesium, and thought to be the highest source of antioxicants of all foods. The raw bean, and bi-products, have nearly four times the antioxidant effects than refined cocoa goods.

Cacao nibs are chopped up, edible pieces of cacao beans.

Cocoa powder is produced similarly to cacao but undergoes a higher temperature of heat during processing. It still retains a large number of antioxidants and is heart- helpful, skin, and can help regulate blood pressure, and even reduce njyour stress levels.

T’is true. Not all chocolate is created equal.

For health reasons, it makes sense to pay the higher price for cacao.

In terms of cost, it is important to consider that child slave labor is still being used today on cocoa plantations in West Africa, especially in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Fair trade chocolate is more expensive, but puts one’s conscience where one’s mouth is.

Off to bake my family’s favorite nib cookies. I just happen to have a frozen, uncooked “log” in my freezer.
I might even have enough to share.

This recipe is close to mine, but I sub maple syrup for sugar
VEGAN ALMOND SABLE COOKIES WITH CACAO NIBS
https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-vegan-sable-cookie-recipe-201602122-story.html