Where's the Cornmeal?

This fall, My Pirate’s work schedule shifted from traveling out of town four days a week to an in-town local route without a long commute.  After years of us living opposite hours, now he gets up at 5:30 in the morning to go to work and he’s home every night for dinner.  I’m thrilled to have him home with me!  I really am, despite all the adjustments we’re going through trying to adjust to our new schedule and our expectations.

For instance, today (Christmas Eve) it took me an additional 20 minutes to make the custard filled cornbread because I couldn’t find the cornmeal. My Pirate has been systematically reorganizing the kitchen one cupboard at a time while I have my hands full with something else, like cooking dinner.  He reorganized my spice cupboard a couple of months ago and threw out anything in a baggy from the bulk section.  And last week, he reorganized my baking cupboard.  I’m not messy, I assure you.  I used to know where everything was at by feel and now I’m lost in my own kitchen.  

My baking cabinet.  See, it didn't need any reorganizing!

Don’t even let me get started on the refrigerator and the constantly hiding chunk of Parmesan. 

And on another front, My Pirate expected a gourmet dinner every night of the week after he got home from work.  I had spoiled him for so many years on his other route.  So, I’ve had to ratchet his expectations back down to reality.  

When he was out of town, I’d eat a bowl of soup or salad or some leftovers on toast.  I was content. When I served him my weeknight dinner, he mistakenly thought that I had just served him the appetizer.  Um…no.  So, I’ve reeducated him on the romance of sharing scrambled eggs and toast for dinner.  And he’s a quick learner for the most part. But, I on the other hand, am lost in my newly organized kitchen of wonders.  I think that it’s only fair that I now reorganize the tools in the garage.  Don’t you agree? 

And where did I find my medium grit cornmeal you ask?  Why right behind the bag of raspberries in my kitchen freezer.  Where did you expect that I’d find it?

Now, once you find your chunk of parmesan, I recommend this recipe for quick gourmet addition to your favorite bowl of soup or appetizer.

Parmesan Crisps 

from Bon Appetite magazine

The parmesan crackers are a gorgeous addition to any bowl of soup.  The trick is to have a Silpat ($20), a nonstick pad to put in your cookie pan.  

• 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan--splurge on the good stuff!
• red cayenne pepper and dried herbs like dill 

Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Make three mounds with the freshly grated parmesan on the silpat in the cookie sheet.  Add a pinch of dried herbs like dill and a shake of red cayenne pepper.  Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until they form a crisp wafer-like cookie.  Remove from the oven, cool, then serve.  

Pheasant Tail Grass, it's my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…

My favorite plant to photograph in the garden right now, Anemanthele lessoniana, is actually in The Cove, My Pirate's garden bed.  I don't know how he sneaked it by me when we went plant shopping at Xera Plants.  But it is shining during the short days in our December Garden.

Anemanthele lessoniana, Pheasant Tail Grass

My Pirate loves this shot.

Pheasant Tail Grass, Anemanthele lessoniana, where have you been all my life?  I've lusted after many plants but never one in The Cove.  I'm going to have to pick up a couple or six for my garden beds!

The Xera Tag reads:  Pheasant Tail Grass is a stunning clump forming semi-evergreen grass from New Zealand.  Leaves turn black/green in spring and summer then take on tints of bright orange and red which holds through the fall and winter.  Pendulous inflorescences in summer.  To 2 feet tall and forming a clump as wide.  Full sun to light shade in regular soil.  Slightly drier conditions intensifies the affect.  Occasional water.  Cut back hard after a cold winter.                               Zone 8a (10 to 15 degrees)

This is a great winter interest plant!  So add this plant to your spring wish list and maybe I'll bump into you plant shopping at Xera Plants.  I still giggle with delight every time that I shop there!  And don't forget to stop by our lovely hostess of the favorite plant this week meme, Danger Garden!  

P.S.  Thank you for voting for my Violetto Glow shot in the Oregonian's Peoples Choice garden photo contest.  I lost by 12 votes last night to a gorgeous Japanese Maple shot.  I'm so grateful for your support and votes.  Thanks!!

A Sip of Christmas Spice

Several weeks before Thanksgiving, I looked into my garage fridge at a leftover bottle of vodka and a thawing container of homemade cranberry chutney and decided to mix the two together just to see what would happen.  I imagined a cranberry chutney flavored liquor to serve as a Thanksgiving themed martini.

It didn't turn out like I expected.

When I shared a sample of the cranberry chutney infused vodka at Thanksgiving with My Kid and his lovely girlfriend, he blurted out, "This tastes like Christmas."  And we all nodded in agreement.

The vodka picked up the sour pucker of the cranberries and sweet spice of the crystalized ginger and turned a beautiful shade of ruby red.  This infusion is superb added to a hot cup of cider or cold cranberry juice and seltzer for a Christmas party.  What cooking experiments have you tried lately?

cranberry chutney infused vodka

Hot Cider with Cranberry Infused Vodka

• 1 cup of hot cider
• 1 shot/3 tablespoons of cranberry infused vodka

Combine the two ingredients and enjoy.

Cranberry Chutney infused Vodka

• 1/2 cup of cranberry chutney--recipe at the bottom of the post
• 2 cups of good quality vodka

Combine the two ingredients in a canning jar.  Place in the fridge and stir once daily for three days to a month.  Taste test it along the way.  Ours tasted just the way I wanted it to in a week.  Then, I strained it through cheese cloth and put the ruby colored infused vodka in a clean jar.  I store my infused vodka in the fridge. 

Hot cider with cranberry chutney infused vodka

Cranberry Chutney

from The Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

I've made this chutney with all the jam jar remnants in my fridge.  The jam flavor doesn't matter so much as making sure that you sort out the bad cranberries.  You can find crystallized ginger at Chucks and New Seasons. And I purchase my dried cherries at Trader Joe's or Costco.  The chutney will be runny on the stove-top but it will thicken dramatically as it cools.

• 24 ounces apricot, strawberry, or raspberry preserves
• ¾ cup white distilled vinegar plus 1 ½ tsp raspberry preserves
• A pinch of salt
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
• 2 bags fresh cranberries, sorted
• 1/4 to ½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 ¼ cups dried tart cherries

In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together the preserves, vinegar, salt, cloves, and Grand Marnier; then place over medium high heat.  Stir it regularly as it happily boils for 15 minutes until it thickens a touch.  Then turn the heat down to medium and add the cranberries.  Cook until you hear or see a couple of cranberries pop.  Add the ginger and cherries.  Stir together.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving.  The chutney will thicken as it cools.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Garden Shed Envy

Envy…I was hoping that with time it would pass, but no.  I still want a cool garden shed like my friend, Linda, who writes the blog, Whatsitgarden.   

Rosie gave me a tour of her favorite shady spots in the garden.

It all started with a visit to her garden in September to see her garden shed project.  I love Linda's garden filled with interesting plants, fun textures, and fascinating combinations.  Rosie, her Boston Terrier, guided me through the garden and gave me a few kisses too.

The new chocolate brown paint on her formerly white shed helps it fit into the garden as you walk down the side pathway.

The addition of the windows open the shed up to the garden. 

Inside, she painted it a lovely shade of blue.  Isn't this a lovely place to take an afternoon nap?

She added art and some of her favorite things.

And she looks out into the garden from her desk.

My friend, Heather, enjoyed a quiet moment with Rosie under the plum tree.  Linda served us thick slices of a moist blueberry cake and glasses of cold white wine.  We sat in the shade and enjoyed her garden.

Then I explored her garden with my camera.  Smiling at the flowers and all the seed heads.  We all need a private space that is ours to create in.  Linda's space is beautiful and reflects her personality.  Most importantly, she has a space to sit down in her own garden to enjoy the beauty that she's worked so hard to create.  

So many gardeners don't take the opportunity to sit down and savor their garden.  Do you have your own quiet space in the garden?  I'd love to hear about it.  

A Sick Day and Parsnips

Barnaby and I are home sick with a cold this week.  Yes, that’s right.  The dog and I are sniffling and coughing together on the couch watching old sci-fi movies while My Pirate tends to us.  Barnaby picked up a case of kennel cough from his dog park friends.  My (poor) Pirate is home on stay-cation this week and is stuck at home with us.  

Soup is the only thing I crave to battle my snot production.  So, I sent My Pirate out to The Victory Garden to pull a parsnip that had been turned sweet by the recent cold weather.  We threw together a quick soup based on my cravings.  I peeled and My Pirate chopped.  And the ingredients came together into a sweet parsnip soup filled with all the right stuff for my soul and immune system.

You might want to try it, even if you aren’t sharing a box of Kleenex with your favorite 170-pound canine.  I know that I’m going to give it another whirl this winter.  But, in the meantime this soup is nourishing me back to health and My Pirate couldn’t be more pleased.

Parsnip and Barley Soup with Chicken

Go ahead and use your favorite broth.  This recipe converts easily to a vegetarian option for the upcoming holiday season.  My Pirate gave the vegetables a nice rustic chop to fill the spoon.  I accidentally cooked my soup too long and the potatoes fell apart giving the soup a murky look, but delicious body.  It’s your call.

• 2 T. olive oil or grape seed oil
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed
• 2 shallots, diced
• 4 celery stalks, large chop or celery heart with leaves
• 5 carrots, large dice
• 1 large parsnip, large dice
• 2 red potatoes, large dice
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup pearl barley
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 boneless chicken breast, medium dice
• Cream (optional) 
• Salt and pepper

Put a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat.  Add the oil and the smashed garlic clove.  Remove the garlic clove once its turned brown and flavored the oil.  Add the vegetables in all at once with the bay leaf.  Cook for five minutes. Then add the barley and the broth.  Cook for 40 minutes or until the barley is nice and tender.  Add the chopped up chicken breast and cook for ten minutes.  Season.  Serve.