The
cool days of autumn have inspired me to fill my pantry to the brim in
anticipation of the coming holiday and winter season. My most recent endeavor is
an old Italian specialty that is easy to make and is a great addition to the
daily table. It’s also the basis for some special treats to share with friends
and family as we gather by the fireside to while away the dark days of winter.
Mosto
Cotto, or cooked must, is an age-old condiment that, in its simplest form, is
the fresh-pressed juice, or must, of the grapes obtained during the wine-making
process. The must has been allowed to simmer at the back of the stove as it
reduces to one third its original volume. Although thick, syrupy, and sweet,
much like a grape preserve, the real magic begins when you fill swing-top bottles
and store them away in a dark, cool cellar or at the back of a pantry for weeks,
months, or even years. During this aging period, the thickened juice builds character
and complexity that can be filled with—depending on the variety of grapes you’re
working with—the flavors of figs, currants, cherries, raisins, or spice. This
is very similar to balsamic vinegar, as the cooked must is the basis of this well-known
condiment as well.
You
can use this treasure of the pantry as a traditional sweetener when combined
with honey or drizzled over cheese and meats as part of a rustic charcuterie
display. Also, try topping off a dessert, or use it as the basis for a flavor-enhancing
sauce for both meat or fish dishes.
I
would anticipate the most challenging part of making the Mosto Cotto will be sourcing
the juice or must. You could press your own grapes with a home wine press or a
simple potato masher. In addition to this process, a simple request of a local
winemaker will most likely result in one’s ability to obtain the juice as well.
Remember, this is the fresh unfermented juice of the grape and will often
include the stems and seeds that can be strain from the juice either before
processing or after cooking.
Next,
place the juice on the stove to simmer away for a few hours until it reduces by
at least one-half to two-thirds and has become syrupy and has a cooked aroma.
Place the reduced must into sterilized glass jars. (I prefer the swing-top variety.)
Store in a dark, cool location for at least a few weeks to a month. Remember,
as in many things, patience is a virtue, and the longer you allow the Mosto
Cotto to age, the more robust and complex this elixir becomes.
A well-stocked pantry is an essential element of a simple life well lived and the basis for kitchen success. Add this simple, historic, and made-it-yourself condiment to your pantry to share with friends and family or when you savor a few private minutes away from the worries of the world.
What
a great group of people! I cannot say enough about the enthusiasm and curiosity
of those who accompanied me on the first culinary day trip to the Lancaster
Central Market and the Historic Village of Lititz. The time we spent
interacting with the many purveyors, farmers, and producers of local and
handcrafted products was just the perfect way to spend a day.
Our
group was blessed with the passion of the Master Distiller at Stoll and Wolfe Distillery as he spun
the tale of how he and his company searched out and saved an heirloom red rye
from extinction. He used it to make the first batch of whiskey in more than 50
years distilled from this specific grain. The Market Manager at Lancaster Central Market enlightened
us to the challenges and joys she experiences in running the oldest continuously
operational Market House in the country. The owners of Olio, an independent importer
of Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegars, exuded sheer joy as we participated in a
tasting of their unbelievable line of products.
And
the capstone of our day was the dedication and friendship the owners of The Savory Gourmet expressed to
us as they hosted our After Hours tasting on the sales floor of their small specialty
food store that they had transformed into an elegant but rustic restaurant. We enjoyed
course after course of specialty meats, cheeses, and gourmet delights, each
paired with the wonderful wines of Seven Mountains Wine Cellars.
As we sat at a communal table, I could not but think what an experience this
day has brought to my guests and me and how these experiences contribute to a simple
life well lived.
For
those of you who missed out on this trip, fear not. I am planning to schedule
more in the future, along with additional forays to the Strip District in
Pittsburgh and a multiday wine-tasting excursion to the Finger Lake Wine Region
of New York State that is tentatively scheduled for fall of 2020. I hope to
have an official schedule posted here by the first of the New Year, so please keep
an eye out for this information.
As
the first fire of the season crackles in my Cow Hill Cottage hearth, I contentedly
pour myself a second cup of tea purchased from the specialty tea shop in Lititz
Village and contemplate the many experiences to come as my guests and I explore
the backroads and byways of this great country and the inspirational people we’ll
meet along the way.
P.S. A special thanks to Ann Thompson for many of the photo’s you see here. And please enjoy additional photo’s below.
Reflections
This summer, we’ve explored the satisfaction of simple but elegant cooking,
preserving our seasonal bounty, and enjoying better quality, local-sourced food
at a lesser cost. But there’s more: A life well lived is also a return to the
lost art of simply creating. Before mass production, when living close to the earth
was a given, people created out of necessity. Need a rug? Make one. Want food
through the winter? Preserve it. But along with the work came a feeling of
pride. I made this. I grew this. I canned this. And I’m happy I can share what
I made with you. A good meal. A gift of canned goods.
A
sense of community became essential, too. You grew that? I’ve grown this. Let’s
get together to trade or barter or make a double batch. The Peasant Bon Vivant
tours and workshops are helping to nurture this community by providing
fellowship with friends or simply a fun day out or educational event in.
Through
this blog, we hope you’ve tried new things, created what you’ve never created
before, harvested new foods from your garden, bought fewer processed foods, and
tried new recipes, and that you will want to meet like-minded friends. Friends
who, like you, want more of a life well lived.
But
let’s continue. Now that the eating-fresh season is over, how can we enjoy
fresh, more nutritious flavors throughout the winter?
Winter
Gardening
You may have noted my reference to the winter garden in prior blogs and social
media posts, and many have inquired about this seemingly unrealistic concept.
So, I thought I would explain in a little more detail this very simple but
productive process and the types and varieties of plants I grow.
I
have only recently discovered the potential of winter gardening and have been using
these techniques over the past three years with varying degrees of success. My initial
exposure and education came about through the works of Eliot Coleman, a
Maine-based market gardener, and his two books Four-Season Harvest and The
Winter Harvest Handbook. For those of you wishing to explore this subject
in depth, I would recommend both.
To
begin, cultivating and harvesting crops throughout winter has a long and
established history in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe, with its zenith
reached during the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
During this time, market gardeners throughout Paris produced the lion’s share
of the fresh produce required by the city by cultivating small one- to two-acre
plots.
These
ingenious urban farmers used many innovative techniques to maintain the food
needs of Paris. They developed and refined many winter garden techniques that
allowed for the provision of fresh, seasonal, and sustainable vegetables and
salad greens throughout the entire year.
Coleman’s
exploration of European winter gardens, both large and small, provided the
foundation for his own four-season market gardening success, which he shares
through his market garden farm located near the Maine coast and in his writing and
appearances at many garden and farming symposiums and conferences.
When
I began my exploration of this subject, I believed, wrongly, that the success of
the winter garden was based on technology that would provide the climate of
summer to my winter-based plantings. The actual method, though, is based on three
specific areas. The first is the use of plant varieties that are cool- and cold-weather
tolerant. Second, winter gardening is more about winter harvest than winter
growth with the actual growth occurring throughout late summer and fall. Third,
using late-season plantings to accelerate early-spring growth for an early-spring
harvest. An additional concept is planting in succession to assure the continuous
availability of product throughout fall, winter, and late spring.
In
the gardens at Cow Hill Cottage, I focus on plantings that will provide to me salad
greens throughout late fall and winter, and late-season plantings in support of
early-spring production as well. This year, I have planted beds of lettuce and
salad mix that I will cut and allow to regrow for a second harvest later in the
season. Also, I have planted a few Asian greens called Bok Choy and Pac (or
Pak) Choi, as well as small carrots, leeks, and various herbs, including
cilantro, parsley, and winter thyme. I will be savoring these throughout the
winter and early spring. I have also successfully grown a few greens that the
average American gardener might not recognize but are traditional within the
European garden culture. These include Mache (or Corn Salad, which is the
ultimate cold-weather salad green) and Dandelion, a very common so-called weed
known to many of us in Pennsylvania. Many forage the wild Dandelion greens
every spring in support of our traditional spring tonic meal of greens, sweet and sour
dressing, boiled and browned potatoes, and fried country ham.
The cold frame is the basis of winter gardening. One can consider, also, low and high tunnels along with the root cellar storage area. Because of space limitations, my endeavors are constrained to the cold frame, where I’m still able to produce a substantial and adequate harvest.
The
cold frame is a basic bottomless box constructed, in my case, from rough-cut
two-by-ten hemlock lumber. In the past, I have used the same hemlock to fashion
my lids or lights, but this year I have invested in new covers constructed from
PVC “lumber” that can be milled. This product provides a strong, lightweight,
and long-lasting component that is the key to the success of the winter garden
technology.
The
other two requirements of cold frame gardening are watering appropriately and venting
the cold frames when needed.
Plants
in cold frames need moderate watering. The moderate temperatures of late fall
and early spring drive increased water consumption requiring two to three watering
per week. During the colder months of November through early March, water
requirements are very small or nonexistent, with a light watering needed perhaps
every four weeks or so.
Cold
frames need to be vented when sun and outdoor temperatures begin to overheat
the interiors of the frames. One can manually prop open each lid with a short
pole during the warmest portion of the day and then close the lids each evening.
I have opted to invest in automatic openers for each cover that are temperature-activated
and use no electricity.
This
year, I also intend to produce bedding plants in the cold frames to support next
spring’s plantings to include cabbage and Brussel sprouts, although tomatoes, peppers,
and eggplants continue to require indoor seed-starting techniques.
Overall,
winter gardening has brought a new level of activity to my gardening endeavors and
a much-appreciated harvest of fresh greens and vegetables to my table during
the long, dark days of winter. I also find in winter gardening the satisfying life-well-lived
activity of producing fresh food throughout the winter months.
I
am happy to announce that I will be offering my first Culinary Adventure with
the exploration of the Lancaster Central Market and Historic Lititz Village on
Tuesday, October 8, 2019.
Ten
participants will join me as we spend the day exploring and tasting the many
culinary delights that Lancaster County has to offer, including the Historic
Central Market of Lancaster City and the many shops and culinary purveyors of
Lititz village.
I
have planned for much tasting of both food and beverages throughout the day. We’ll
enjoy a tour and lunch at a historic distillery, a private tasting at an olive
oil and balsamic vinegar shop, and the charms of an English tea emporium. Also,
we will tour a well-preserved 1793-era historic Lititz home as well as have plenty
of time to visit the many purveyors and specialty shops that both the Central
Market and Lititz Village have to offer.
Our
day will end with a private after-hours specialty food tasting provided by the enthusiastic
owners of a local gourmet specialty food store with wine provided by Seven
Mountains Wine Cellars.
This trip will allow you to explore the rich culinary culture of this historic area of Pennsylvania and is an opportunity to stock your pantry with tasty delights in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season.
The tour will leave Reedsville, PA, at 7:00 a.m., with an anticipated return time of 9:30 p.m. that evening. The price of $150.00 per person includes transportation, all tours and tastings, lunch, and the after-hours dinner event.
Payment options include credit cards, cash, and checks with payment in full expected at the time of reservation.
I
will provide ice chests to allow you to stock up on perishable market finds,
and the van will allow plenty of room to store your nonperishable treasures as
well.
I am looking forward to joining you in this culinary adventure and invite you to RSVP to my phone at 717-250-8334 or email at bartewing66@gmail.com.
The sound of rain woke me from my slumber this Labor Day morning, and as I had my breakfast on the porch to the soothing sound of rain, my thoughts turned to the garden. The showers of last evening and this morning will help nurture the garden throughout late summer and early fall, providing us with many more weeks of a bountiful harvest.
The
Labor Day weekend has traditionally been thought of as the last of the summer
season. But I believe that here in Pennsylvania and throughout the Mid-Atlantic
region that the beginning of fall does not begin for a few more weeks. In fact,
I consider the month of September a period of late summer with the gardens and
markets continuing to offer up the quintessential garden treats that one
associates with summertime itself. Tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, and peppers
are abundant. And although not falling out of every farm stand and roadside
wagon, sweet corn will be available throughout the next few weeks as well if
one takes the time to search it out.
We
humans like to define and relegate our lives within strict schedules and
agendas. Although this approach supports our busy lives and careers, it is not
the perspective of the natural world. Nature, on the other hand, has a more casual
approach to the rhythmic and seasonal passage of time. And if one can integrate
their modern lives into this natural progression, I would expect one will find
a certain fulfillment and enhanced level of peace within this journey we call
life. A simple life well lived is based on this rhythmic passage of time. So, I
would suggest not to rush it, but to enjoy what the late summer season has to
offer.
Below
you will find two great recipes to help you enjoy the late summer seasonal bounty.
The first is a very French-style Rustic Gratin that will allow you to enjoy the
full seasonal flavors of summer and fall. Also, a Summer Corn and Tomato Salad,
adapted from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, features sweet corn and sun-ripened
tomatoes dressed with a simple vinaigrette that allows the true flavor of these
simple garden ingredients to shine.
I
hope you enjoy both, and let me know which is your favorite. I hope that you
and yours will join me as I savor these last few weeks of summer, the warm days
and cool nights, and the best of summer flavors as we look forward to the cool
days of fall and the upcoming holidays that define the year’s end.
Rustic
Vegetable Gratin
This
recipe is one that outlines a simple process and allows for flexibility within
the context of ingredients. Please feel free to use any or all the following
suggested ingredients that you may have on hand, although I believe fresh
tomatoes and onions are a must.
Ingredients:
Sun-ripened
tomatoes
Zucchini
Summer
Squash
Onions
(White, Yellow, or Red)
Garlic
(Rustic Chopped)
Fresh
Seasonal Herbs (Parsley and Basil are particularly good)
A
Good Quality Cheese or Two
Salt
and Black Pepper
Method:
Slice
all vegetable approximately a quarter inch in thickness.
Butter
a baking dish and, starting with onions, alternate layers of vegetables with layers
of cheese, and remember to season each layer with salt, pepper, garlic, and
herbs. Finish with a thick layer of cheese.
Bake
covered in a 350-degree oven until a knife will easily slide through the layers,
and then uncover and continue to bake until the top is golden brown and the
gratin is bubbling.
Allow
to rest for approximately 20 minutes before serving.
This
gratin, served with good wine and perhaps some fresh seasonal fruits, makes the
perfect summer meal.
Corn
and Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
6
Shucked Ears of Sweet Corn
¾
Cup Small Dice Red Onion
1
Cup Cherry Tomato’s Halves
¾
Cup Chiffonade (Thinly Sliced) Fresh Basil
Dressing:
½
Cup Cider Vinegar
½
Cup Olive Oil
1
Tablespoon Salt
1
Tablespoon Black Peppers
Cook
the corn until tender. Cool, and cut the kernels from the cob.
Toss
the corn, tomatoes, onions, and basil.
Wisk
the dressing ingredients together, and dress the salad 15 minutes prior to
serving.
As
the heat and humidity of summer settle over the landscape, the vivid red of sun-ripened
tomatoes begins to peek out from among the green tangle of vines. And, in my
opinion, the greatest season of the year is upon us. Tomatoes ripened by the
summer sun are a gift, and one must do everything required to enjoy this short
but prolific seasonal delicacy. In addition to enjoying fresh tomatoes in
sandwiches, salads, and the all-American BLT, you can also capture this seasonal
flavor through canning. It’s a way to preserve a small but glorious bit of
summer’s essence after the season passes.
My tomato preservation and canning adventures from past years have included spaghetti sauce, whole peeled, and juice. This year, I was inspired to try a recipe that I found in Honey from A Weed, the culinary cult classic penned by Patience Gray during the middle years of the twentieth century. Ms. Gray, an Englishwoman, spent her life defining not only the path of women within the workforce and single motherhood, but also identifying and establishing many of today’s culinary trends, like seasonal cooking, fresh whole foods, and elements of the farm-to-table and slow food movements. This book recounts her life living and cooking in the Mediterranean, specifically Greece and the southern part of Italy. Patience not only weaves a wonderful story of her life and culinary experiences but also documents many simple and ancient recipes and techniques that support a close-to-the-earth lifestyle.
Home-made bread rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with olive oil, shared – with a flask of wine – between working people, can be more convivial than any feast.
Patience Gray
This
old-world approach toward tomato preservation intrigued me, and I was not
disappointed by the simple technique and the unbelievable results that it
produced. Once again, quality ingredients combined with a simple approach and
light hand within the context of the process results in a product that satisfies
and contributes to the joy of living a good life.
I
have outlined below my slight adaptation of the original recipe as recorded by
Patience but believe the results will not disappoint.
Take
½ bushel of very ripe plum tomatoes. Wash them thoroughly in cool water, and
place whole in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook
until the tomatoes are soft; then cool.
When
cool, process the cooked tomatoes to remove the seeds and skins; this will
produce a rather thin, pulpy tomato puree. I use a commercially available
tomato processing device, but a food mill or chinois could work just as well.
Clean
and sterilize glass canning jars, and place into each a slice of onion and a sprig
of garden-fresh basil. Bring the processed tomato puree to a boil, and ladle
into your prepared canning jars, leaving appropriate headspace. Wipe clean the
rim to assure a good seal.
Process
the filled and capped jars to the specification required of your canning approach—either
water bath or pressure canner. Many online and print resources are available to
aid you with processing times for both methods.
This
½ bushel of plum tomatoes produces approximately 6 quarts of a very fine
quality tomato product that will become a pantry staple and the basis for many a
delightful sauce, soup, or casserole.
When
the warm, sunny days of summer fade into the cool days of fall and dismal days
of winter, you can open your pantry door for a little reminder of the summer
past, its goodness, and the promise of spring to come.
A
slightly cool summer morning recently found me in the garden at Cow Hill Cottage
checking on the progress of the forthcoming bean crop as well as keeping the
weeds at bay. The quality of the light and sounds and aromas that surrounded me
transported me back to my childhood and memories of my maternal grandmother “Nan”
as she was known to her grandchildren.
A
talented farm wife, mother, and cook, Nan’s home was always open to welcome one
and all, and her kitchen was never found to be bare of some delicious offering.
This particular summer morning my thoughts were drawn to memories of Nan’s Cherry
Pudding made with ripe sour cherries and served with milk and sugar, which was my
grandfather’s approach to most desserts, including fruit-filled Jell-O, if you can
believe it.
Nan’s
Cherry Pudding recipe was passed down through her family—the Kellys—hailing
from the Walnut, Nook, and Half Moon areas of Juniata County. Although I have
found that the tradition of Cherry Pudding and other fruit-filled puddings to be
commonplace within Central Pennsylvania, my real surprise is the origin of the
recipe—a French recipe—that I came upon while researching desserts for my original
restaurant some years ago.
The
simple recipe that follows is a part of the food tradition of the former Limousin
region of France. Known for its rich farming history and a variety of oak harvested
from its bucolic forests that is used to make barrels for the aging of brandy, Limousin
is located in the south-central area of France, and its Clafoutis (Kla-foo-TEE)
has been a classic dessert of the region for hundreds of years.
Purist
insist that a true Clafoutis is made from only cherries—and un-pitted ones at
that—as they believe the pits impart an improved cherry flavor throughout the
dessert. The dessert is traditionally served warm with a generous sprinkle of
powdered sugar over the top as the pudding is removed from the oven. Although similar
desserts are made with other fresh summer fruits, the proud people of Limousin
would consider these non-cherry varieties to be a Flaugnarde (a baked French dessert resembling a large pancake)
and not a true Clafoutis.
No matter what you call it, or if you subscribe to
the pitted or un-pitted cherries, I believe you will agree that it is a perfect
summer dessert and one of the many pleasures in a simple life well lived.
I have shared two recipes below for your enjoyment.
The first is my family’s Cherry Pudding, and the second is a traditional
Clafoutis. Please feel free to add to this culinary story with your comments and
observations.
Cherry
Pudding
Ingredients:
2
Large Eggs
1
Cup Sugar
1
Tablespoon Melted Shortening
1
Cup Milk
3
Cups Flour
1
Teaspoon Baking Soda
1
Quart Pitted Sour Cherries or Other Fruit of Your Choice
Soften
butter to grease the baking dish.
Method:
Mix
all ingredients and pour into a well-greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for
30 to 40 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the pudding comes out clean.
Serve
with powdered sugar or sugar and milk.
Clafoutis
Ingredients:
1 Pound of Cherries
½ Cup Sugar
1 Cup Flour
4 Tablespoons Butter,
melted
1 Pinch Salt
3 Eggs
1 Cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Butter (to
grease the pan)
3 Tablespoons Sugar (for
the garnish)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Remove the cherry
stems.
Grease a round 10-inch
pan with butter and arrange the cherries.
In a bowl, cream the sugar and eggs. Then add the flour and salt. Stir in
melted butter. Then pour the milk and stir to obtain a light and smooth dough.
Pour the mixture over the cherries.
Bake the Clafoutis for 40 minutes.
Sprinkle with sugar as
you take the Clafoutis out of the oven.
A
simple life that is well lived means spending time engaged in enriching
pursuits that give joy and provide a sense of accomplishment and well-being. My
culinary adventures and cultivating the soil give me a sense of accomplishment
and connection to the past as I work to master the nuances of traditional food
and craft. All of this provides a deep soul-enriching experience so essential
to a life well lived—as does meeting interesting people who share in my enthusiasm.
I
have always wanted to develop these essential relationships through travel
adventures and workshops—to bring like-minded people together as we explore the
rich tapestry of life and the creativeness that makes up the warp and weft of
that tapestry. That’s why I invite you to join me!
Travel
Adventures
This fall, I will begin to offer day trips to local farms, wineries, brewers,
and cooks. These trips will be intimate with no more than 10 guests at a time. I
will also be planning trips to the larger urban areas of our state for us to
experience the diverse products and purveyors at the Philadelphia Italian
Market, Reading Terminal Market, and the Strip District of Pittsburgh. As we
build both enthusiasm and a base of interested participants, I plan to offer
longer trips to Savannah, Charleston, New Orleans, Hudson River Valley, and New
England.
Workshops
In the near future, look for workshops that will bring together creative people
to experience and explore traditional crafts, foraging, cooking, and gardening.
These events will feature talented guest speakers and instructors and will allow
for many hands-on activities as well as opportunities to develop relationships
through shared meals and conversation; exploration of local makers, purveyors, and
markets; and time to explore nature through leisurely walks, picnics, and other
outdoor activities.
Again,
I invite you to join me as we share knowledge and experiences and enrich
relationships. I look forward to meeting many of you as we travel the back
roads and byways of this great land. Stay tuned for updates and information. I
promise I will not keep you waiting for too long.
Today, I spent some time talking with Loren Kauffman, a neighbor who has recently introduced a new business to our community. The Reedsville Creamery has been a dream of Loren’s for some time, and over the past year or so, he and his family have completed the legwork required to begin pasteurizing and processing whole milk products at his family farm. You can buy white, chocolate, and strawberry flavors from local retailers, markets, and grocery stores throughout Central Pennsylvania as well as right on the farm at the farm store.
Loren’s
raw milk comes from his father’s herd of cattle located approximately 50 feet
from the creamery’s processing facility resulting in a quality and freshness
that is hard to reproduce by other suppliers. His micro-processing facility
bottles approximately 300 gallons of milk per day in old-fashioned returnable
and sustainable glass pint, quart, and half gallon bottles.
The
creamery’s milk is pasteurized, but is not homogenized, resulting in a heavy
layer of cream that floats in the neck of each bottle, providing a blast from
the past for those of a certain maturity and a great new experience for the
less experienced. This layer of cream can be used for cooking, baking, or as the
perfect coffee creamer. For those of you who are not interested in using the
cream on its own, a simple shake of the bottle before each pour will result in
a superior product that I would wager is better than any milk you have ever tasted.
Loren
shared with me that the federal regulatory process to assure quality and purity
of product is stringent, requiring a daily, weekly, and quarterly inspection
process. He finds the regulatory aspect to be less intimidating than his early
expectations. In fact, he believes the process, as well as the advice that the inspection
personnel have provided throughout the development and start-up period, has been
very valuable and has assisted Loren with providing an enhanced product to his
customers and one that he is very proud of.
The Reedsville Creamery has plans for growth and product expansion to include ice cream, 2% milk, skim milk, and heavy cream. My favorite part of Loren’s expansion dream is to take his distribution into other regional communities using a nontraditional approach to business growth that will focus on the development of micro-processing facilities within each region, thus maintaining a local perspective and the use of local raw milk.
I have begun to use Reedsville Creamery milk not only at Cow Hill Cottage but also at Stonefly Café http://stoneflycafe.com. My staff appreciates the high quality of the product, and I am inspired by Loren’s dream of quality local dairy products that have previously been unavailable to me even though I live within a farming community with a rich history of dairy farming.
I
hope that with Reedsville Creamery’s and other local food purveyor’s success, others
will follow, and a diverse and robust local food community will develop in
support of a simple life well lived.
Did you know?
Whole milk has only 3.5% milk fat, making it 96.5% fat-free.
A cow produces an average of 6.3 gallons of milk daily, which is 2, 300 gallons each year, and 350,000 glasses of milk in a lifetime.
The greatest amount of milk produced in one year was 59,298 pounds by a Holstein cow named Robthom Sue Paddy.
Simplicity
is often the key to perfect satisfaction, and without a doubt, a simple pasta
toss of seasonal vegetables prepared with a light hand is a simple delight.
Sunday
evening, while taking a late stroll through the garden at Cow Hill Cottage, I
found the first sugar peas of the season hanging thick on the vine. These sweet
jewels of early summer, combined with the last of the spring asparagus, was all
that I needed for a perfect Sunday supper.
No
recipe is required; I chopped the asparagus into bite-size bits and threw the
peas and asparagus into a pan for a quick sauté in olive oil until just soft
but with a slight bite remaining (al dente). Into the sauté pan I added the
pasta directly from the boiling pot, al dente as well, and combined the mixture
with copious amounts of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a large knob of butter,
and, of course, salt and pepper.
As
I sat on the porch enjoying my meal and the early summer evening, I could only
reflect on how the very best of life often can be found within the context of simplicity—like
a seasonal pasta in a life well lived.
What
simple, tasty pasta dishes have you thrown together lately?
The Peasant Bon Vivant 