Hosting a Hungry Household

“Mom. Your freezer is full!” my daughter Emily exclaimed after she’d resurfaced from my basement. I’d sent her down to check the mouse traps and laundry, but she couldn’t resist checking my food stash.

She and her husband Tim have been visiting the past several days, and we have been feasting on all sorts of homemade delicacies, as I continue to exercise self-discipline and use up ingredients which I had in stock.

Before they arrived from Vermont, I’d had an anxious moment when I told myself, I should stop at the store and get some supplies that they might enjoy—be the perfect hostess, of course. I did resist, and figured it would be more fun to stick with my New Year’s challenge to myself, and let the sprinkles land where they may in terms of hosting guests. Fortunately, they are appreciative of anything homemade, are flexible, and graciously support my creativity.

I extracted some frozen grape leaves, stuffed with cauliflower from my freezer, and made some lemon garlic wild rice with chopped up spinach (Spanakorizo) to complement the meal. I’d put on my winter gloves and dug deep to find spinach, as it is usually the first home grown veggie to go into my chest freezer in the spring, and subsequently, ends up at the bottom, buried.

Another evening we dined on winter squash chili over fried polenta. I made some applesauce chocolate cupcakes for dessert, which I over-filled with an apricot coconut mixture. They were a bit lumpy when I replaced the cutaway cone of cake to plug them up, but that did not ruin our experience in the least. The chocolate maple frosting covered them adequately.

For another meal, I combined tvp (a dry soy product) with baked puffball mushrooms which I had frozen in the fall, to make an unmeat loaf. A jar of my homegrown / homemade tomato sauce and ground flax seeds bound the ingredients together. We brought it to my housebound parents to share. They had no choice but to indulge, and hopefully to enjoy.

For breakfast, we enjoyed apricot almond rice pudding, made with sweet rice, which is a bit chewier and gooey-er than simple brown rice. I used unsulfured apricots, which are not as pretty as the sulfured variety, but are as tasty. As a topping, I combined a bag of my homegrown peaches with arrowroot as thickener, cardamom powder, pear juice and a jar of locust blossom agave syrup which I had made in the spring and had canned. The light syrup has a slight floral aroma and flavor, which reminds you of early summer. The pendulous clusters of white blossoms dangling from black locust trees emit a fragrance which can overpower even an insensitive nose and that to me, smells aphrodisiacal.  

It seems that all we did was eat! And mostly healthy desserts.

This torte has an almond oat, maple crust. I layered maple glazed fruit over the leftover apricot coconut cupcake filling which I spread on the dough.

Guess I did not have to worry about feeding guests. Though, any spring time guests will definitely have a different experience dining with me, when all I have available is an abundance of homemade salsa and frozen nettles.

Ooo -da- lah-lie!, I just noticed three cans of organic coconut milk on my counter— a gift from appreciative family fairies I guess. The can label encourages, “Go ahead, conquer your quest for adventurous taste and find your inner Zen.”

When Emily and Tim leave on Sunday, I intend to continue my culinary adventures, and maybe that inner Zen will appear. Likely it will. Even if I dine alone.

Squirreling Away Acorns

A friend asked me, “Do they taste good? Is that why you spend so much time collecting and processing acorns?”

I recently learned of Chinook Olives (white peoples’ term) from Wikipedia. “The aboriginal people of the Columbia river valley used urine to cure acorns. Piles of acorns were placed in a hole near the entrance of a house. The acorns were then covered with a thin layer of grass and then dirt. Urine from every family member was collected and deposited in the hole for the next 5 – 6 months. The dish was considered a delicacy.”

No, I am not about to use acorns this way. But I do enjoy and look forward to the seasonal fall ritual of collecting acorns, the meditative processes of bending over to fill buckets, finding the perfect rock with an indentation upon which to smash them with a hammer one by one, picking the nuts out of the shell, then the step-by-step process of rendering them edible.

I enjoy being outside, searching on the ground for free food native to where I live. I also enjoy experimenting with unusual cooking ingredients. Having acorn meal/flour sparks some novel creativity.

I’d remembered acorns as bland, but as I was heating up a recent batch, I noticed their earthy smell, and my heart started beating faster with eager anticipation.

Not everyone has taken the opportunity to feast on acorns. Unfortunate, as oak trees grow throughout the world, and its nuts are tasty, nutritious, and a sustainable food source free for the taking. The only competition being squirrels and resourceful neighbors gathering them for pig food.

C. Hart Merriam, founder of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, says it better than I, in an article published in National Geographic Magazine in 1918. http://soda.sou.edu/Data/Library1/030203d1.p

“That a food of such genuine worth should be disregarded by our people is one of many illustrations of the reluctance of white man to avail himself of sources of subsistence long utilized by the natives. We seem to prefer crops that require laborious preparation of the soil, followed by costly planting and cultivation, rather than those provided without price by bountiful nature.”

This article has some cool photos of Native Americans with burden baskets slung over their shoulders, harvesting and processing acorns. However, there are no pictures showing the Klamath acorn camps where men, women, and children gather round after a meal and engage in removing acorn hulls with their teeth.

I prefer metal tools. My teeth do too. All the better for chomping and chowing down those acorn delectables, like pancakes, donuts, drinks, soup, meatless balls, fritters, stuffing, ice cream, cookies, muffins etc.

Our helpers, Rose and the nut grinding machine

Why don’t most folks consider gathering and eating acorns?

Most people don’t know you can, and acorns are not an instant food, requiring processing time to render them tasty.

It is an easy process using water to leach out the bitter tannins. You can find the process online. Basically, you soak the acorns in water until they no longer taste unpleasant. Natives used to place them in baskets in streams. I use my stove top. My son used his toilet tank, until his wife decided that pushed her comfort levels.

I ended up with four quarts of gluten-free flour, and froze three. I was also able to barter with my son—a bucket of unprocessed acorns for precious carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions from his surplus stash. I especially value the fresh produce now that my vegetable supply has dwindled during my food buying moratorium/empty the larder challenge.

Acorn and sweet rice flour tortillas  

topped with guacamole, hummus, and sunflower sprouts

Some fun acorn facts

*Acorns require 1/10 the water than growing wheat

*Some Native Americans had an acorn storage room and children would use it as a bouncy house,      jumping and cracking the hulls

*Roasted acorns can substitute for coffee

*During WWII, Japanese children collected over a million tons of acorns to help feed their citizens

*Acorns are a cash crop in Turkey, Korea and Algeria

*Oak trees produce acorns for hundreds of years, after they pass the 25 year mark

*Racahout des Arabes, a very popular hot drink in the 1800’s, was made from acorn flour, sugar and thickeners, was often recommended for young children and invalids. It was the precursor to hot cocoa mix, with cocoa replacing acorns

*A pound of acorn flour online is $32.95 per pound

A great source with enticing recipes Acorn Foraging by Alicia Bayer 

along with her family website

http://magicalchildhood.com - Passing on traditional skills to live well on less

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.