Dark Days Challenge, Week 2

Yesterday I made a list of possible Dark Days meal - parsnip leek soup, ham and potato gratin, roast chicken.  Roast chicken it is.

There is a lovely little farmer's market right near my house that goes through the winter.  It's called New Morning Farm and keeps me supplied with all the root vegetables I need.  Currently there are still parsnips in the ground in my garden and all the sweet potatoes are in the basement.  Otherwise, I need to buy at the market.  Sean and I went on Saturday and bought potatoes, carrots, broccoli, an organic chicken, tat soi, apples, eggs.

This week's meal was roast chicken with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli.

I butterflied the chicken and then made a rub of butter (from my dairy, South Mountain Creamery and dried thyme from my herb garden).  I took the back and neck and simmered it for some minutes and then used the broth for the bottom of the pan.  Roast at 400 for 45 min or so.


Chicken is from Lancaster County, PA

A nice pair of poultry shears makes it very easy to butterfly

Potatoes tossed with olive oil and more thyme.  The broccoli was steamed and I cheated a little by putting some chopped preserved lemon on it.  I did make the preserved lemons myself but the lemons are not from anywhere near DC

Rainchain with recycled materials

Today, Sean and I went to Community Forklift to look for stuff.  The glass in the storm window for the cold frame broke so I though we could just buy a new window.  Who knew that all storm windows are not the same size.  We were unable to find one with the measurements we needed so abandoned that idea for just stapling plastic over the current window.

Sean LOVES this place.  A warehouse full of recycled building materials. I wish I was more handy because the website has lovely pictures of projects that customers made and I can't image tiling a patio, making a wrought iron fence or building a room with this stuff.

I can, however, do small projects.  Last year for Christmas, I received this cool book from John, my kids' dad.    The Revolutionary Yardscape by Matthew Levesque

The author is a landscaper and has created cool projects for his own house, using found/recycled materials.  He has a few rainchains and I thought I could definitely do that.  Last year we made a trip to Community Forklift and I bought these gaskets (at least that is what I think they are).  Cost for them = $8.50

They've sat on the back porch all summer - it was time to create something.  So today, I found some clamps that I thought would work.  9 clamps for $1.45 - not a bad deal.

It only took a few minutes to put together, Sean hauled the ladder out of the garage and Viola - a lovely rainchain.  I hope it works.

Dark Days Challenge, Week 1

A couple of years ago, I participated in the Dark Days Challenge and had a lot of fun doing it.  Last year it started but the women in charge was overwhelmed and the challenge fizzled.  This year it is back with more groups involved in organizing it.  The idea is to eat one meal a week that is SOLE - Sustainable, Organic, Local and Ethical.  Not really a problem for me since the freezer is full of local, organic vegetables and meat.  The meal this week is pork from my CSA (I don't remember what breed this year), salad from my garden and pickled collard greens, from the local farmer's market.

Arugula from my garden.  This year I tried a tip from a fellow gardener. I let my arugula go to seed this summer and more regrew.  This stuff is good but potent. 

Lettuce, mustard greens, mizuna from my garden.  Also lettuce from Richard's garden - his plot is near mine and he offered me some.

Pork chop with fig jam, salad and jar of pickled collard greens.  I bought 1/2 hog this year from farmer Allan.  Raised on his farm.  The fig jam I made last year with figs from the community garden.  Salad from my garden.  I was in Charleston, SC recently and tried pickled collards at a farmer's market so I decided to try and make themself.  I bought the collards at a local farmer's market in the Palisades area of DC and soaked them in hot water and covered with a spicy brine.

The greens are delicious

Chop and figs

This weekend was glorious. The last days of November and I think today made it to 70 degrees.  It was time to put the house garden and vegetable garden to bed.  Yesterday I worked in the yard and did the last of the winter pruning, weeding, tidying up, spreading leaves in the beds.  Today I spent the morning at the vegetable garden raking the oak leaves to the street corner, weeding my bed and snipping arugula and lettuce from my gardening neighbor Richard (he said I could have some).  I finished cleaning the porch at home of all gardening utensils and such.  On my way home from my veg garden, I stopped at a neighbor's to take some free canna bulbs.  They are now nestled in moss in the basement.  I've never planted them so look forward to trying it next year.  Here is what is left in bloom in the yard.

Japanese Anemone puffballs

Japanese Anemone puffballs

Rosebud - there are lots of rosebuds on a particular plant

Lavender stalk

Oakleaf hydrangea flowers

Hellebores - the first to bloom in Feb and March

It was a beautiful weekend so the kids and I did some yardwork - raking leaves for the compost and cutting back most of the perennials.  Full disclosure:  the kids were being paid for their work although I told them they were off the clock when their dad stopped by to chat and when the neighbor stopped to chat!

Here are a few things that are still in bloom or have lovely fall foliage.

Kouza Dogwood

Beautyberry

 a new plant - Amsonia - blue flowers

Asters

The stems from the Guara plant

The last remaining Blanket Flower

 A blurry flower on the rosemary

Dark Days Challenge

I have been taking a break from blogging because I just couldn't face logging on to the computer every night and thinking of things to say.

Now that the Dark Days Challenge is back, that will get me motivated to start writing again

Hurricane preparations

Guest blogging from the hurricane bunker today - Sean.
When the flood waters come, we'll need food and shelter. So we got a start on the food. Actually Brian got a start last night and had a Dutch Baby for dinner. Weird.

Stacey started the day by making tomato jam which may not be too good on toast because it's more of a thick ketchup.

Then we moved on to pizza dough for dinner tonight. The dough sits and rises for six hours at room temperature.

With pizza, we need roasted peppers.

Stacey dried basil.

And used the rest of the tomatoes to make tomato sauce. This is being canned as we speak.

The only thing left is to make sure our fluids stay topped off. Got that covered too.