Welcome to the Farm (Yard)

It has been getting downright homestead-y around here the last few months. There's much too much to describe, so I will sum up, with pictures:

I tried canning for the first time -- delicious apricot jam with fruit from our neighbor's tree. Success! I just wish I had made more, because I'm almost out. I opened my last jar the other day, and it was amazing to taste and smell the intense, sweet apricots months after they've disappeared from the trees. My gallon bag of frozen apricot halves is long gone -- the whole family loved eating them just like popsicles on a warm day.



In June we built a vegetable garden in the backyard. We needed the tall fence to keep our dogs out of the plants, and that actually provided some great inspiration to make the most of a small space.

 

I created a simple design for the garden, and my husband built it, complete with an A-frame to support vertical plants. Our daughter loves to help when she can, and I love to see her learning from a young age where her food comes from. (The trick is to get her to wait until the food is ripe before she picks it and eats it right there in the yard.)

 

Our first season produced green beans, pumpkins, cucumbers, some tomatoes that are just now ripening up, and some surprise melons that must have come from our compost pile.

The biggest development in our little farm-yard: in August we got five fluffy little chicks. It has been an adventure so far, but they are charming and amusing creatures. They should start laying within a few weeks, so we'll have fresh eggs for Christmas. 

 

Growing my own food has been a steep learning curve -- but there is nothing I love better than to learn about things that I value. It has been wonderful digging into my grandparents' recipes, talking with my parents about their ranching days, and knowing that my own kids will have a connection to their environment and to their heritage that too few people do.

And, I've been enjoying learning new ways to use up all the bounty! Coming up next: pumpkin recipes, and attempts to make use of the copious hachiya persimmons on our huge tree. (If you want some, come and get them!)

I hope you and yours are enjoying a happy harvest time, and a rich Thanksgiving. I am thankful, indeed.

California Adventures: National Parks, Beaches, and Mind Blowing Farmers Markets

There is a Disney theme park called California Adventure, which is very fun and feeds my immoderate pride in my state, but it’s like candy compared to the real meal of exploring the land. I’ve been on a few adventures with my family this month, so here’s a quick post to share some of the good stuff:

Yosemite

Our country’s first National Park is, to me, the genuine “happiest place on earth.” Since before she was born, I’ve been waiting to take my daughter there, and it did not disappoint (despite record high temperatures).

Here are a few views from Glacier Point, looking down on Yosemite Valley. Nowadays the overhanging rock (left) is protected  with guard rails, for obvious reasons, but you can find a lot of photos of intrepid Americans like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir standing atop it, 3,200 feet above the valley floor.

You can hear Vernal Falls from this distance, spilling hugely over its cliff.

Tiny toddler, on the grass behind the Ahwahnee Hotel.

Meeting John Muir himself, his scrappy frame immortalized in bronze in front of a fake backdrop.

The Beach

There are a lot here, but these photos happen to be at Pismo Beach, famous for clams and "shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque." Also for very deep beaches with such soft sand (except for the sand crabs), salt water taffy, Splash Cafe clam chowder, and being home-away-from-home for San Joaquin Valley dwellers.

Farmers Market: Avila Valley Barn

Just north of Pismo is a little town called Avila, very tiny but with a wealth of local food culture. My mother had told me about Avila Valley Barn before, but I was unprepared for the all-out gratuitous food splendor:
                       

 

                 

A picture is worth a thousand words, and these photos say: If you ever get the chance to visit this place, do it!

Whatever you are doing this summer, I hope it is full of delight. Cheers.

Recipe: Blueberry Spice Crumble

Blueberries!

Memorial Day and blueberries, two welcome harbingers of summer, coincided for us last weekend. We  took a drive north on the 101 past Gaviota to Santa Barbara Blueberries, where the Little One and I had our first experience of picking fresh, truly ripe blueberries. (My husband also went, but he picked blueberries as a child himself.)
Honestly, it was a revelation. I somehow had not experienced fresh blueberries until I was an adult, associating them with the shriveled, syrupy things that come in cans with muffin mix. I was surprised then at how tangy and very sweet they can be, with such a pleasing toothsome texture. Last weekend surprise rose to the next level, and I was practically dumbfounded by the food euphoria of fresh-picked, warm-from-the-sun, plinking-in-your-bucket, dripping-off-the-bush blueberry goodness. Some of the berries we picked were as big around as quarters, and we popped them in our mouths like candy. Little One couldn't stand a minute without berries in both fists.

Did everyone else already know about this, and it was just me who was oblivious?

What I know now is, this was a first but will certainly become a much-anticipated yearly tradition. At $17 for a 2.5 pound bucket it seems a bit pricey, but for these berries (plus all we ate in the field) it was well worth it. Not to mention the sunshine, the oak trees, the other children and parents ducking among the rows, and memories of the children's book Blueberries for Sal. My daughter took to it right away -- the first of many learning adventures for her about where food comes from. I could not have asked for a better opening to what is sure to be a fine summer.

So, on to the recipe. We've been snacking on fresh berries at almost every meal. I also squirreled some into some cornbread muffins. But what I've been longing for is warm blueberry crumble, and tonight I made it. The topping is one my mother has made for decades, whose origin is unknown to me, and the filling is heavily influenced by the Spiced Blueberry Pie recipe in The Sunset Cookbook. Black pepper and cloves? Yes please, all the better when I pair it with some Ethan Grenache I've been saving.

BLUEBERRY SPICE CRUMBLE 

Preheat oven to 350° and butter an 8" x 8" baking dish.

For the fruit, stir together:

• 6 c. of fresh blueberries
• 1/4 c. each flour, granulated white sugar, and light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. each salt and cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. each black pepper, nutmeg, and cloves

For the crumble topping, mix together with pastry blender until crumbly:

• 1 c. (2 cubes) softened unsalted butter
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 1/4 c. flour
• Dash of salt

Pour the fruit into the baking dish, and spread the topping evenly over it. Bake 45 minutes at 350°. (If your dish is anywhere near overflowing, you might put an old baking sheet below it in the over to catch any drips.)

To satisfy my summery craving, I served mine with candied lemon slices, which are approximately the easiest thing in the world to make.


CANDIED LEMON

Stir together one cup of sugar and one cup of water in a heavy saucepan and bring to boil. Add one or two thinly sliced lemons. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about half an hour. (Bonus: after removing the lemon, we saved the remaining syrup for some homemade soda!)

Enjoy, happy summer time to you, and thanks for reading.

Spring Happenings

We are well into spring, and lots of good stuff is underway! Since March I have taken a writing class (which may or may not have done me any good), had my first little freelance piece published in the Ventura County Reporter, and, perhaps most exciting of all, ordered chicks to start a backyard flock!

Inspiration from the amazing Ashley English

I've been toying with the idea of raising chickens ever since I've had a backyard, so when I recently realized my sister-in-law harbored the same "farm heart" that I do, we decided to split the cost and the eggs and go for it. After snooping around backyardchickens.com and other sites, we placed an order for our little peepers from Meyer Hatchery. They're scheduled to arrive August 1, so we've got some time to build our coop and brooder and get ready to welcome our new feathery friends. I am sure to post more about that soon!

I've gotten a lot of inspiration lately from homesteader, author, and blogger Ashley English, and I've been pouring over her books about chicken keeping, and about canning and preserving -- another upcoming adventure for the summer. Last fall I wrote about my first attempts at preserving, and this year I'm eager to take it a bit farther. Tomatoes, tomato sauce, apricot and strawberry jams, and peaches are definitely on my list, and English's book has a lot more tempting recipes I'd like to try -- spiced pear chutney or cardamom apple cider butter, anyone? (These may show up among your Christmas gifts from me this year!) If all goes well, maybe next year I'll invest in a pressure cooker and try some meyer lemon and lemon verbena curd.
Meanwhile, my multi-talented husband has been doing his own version of preserving in the form of flavored syrups for homemade soda. So far we've had simple syrup, orange and vanilla, and, today, cherry. Coming up: raspberry and blackberry.

With the weather warm, and a fridge full of delicious homemade beverages, I am looking forward to a long summer. I will be working hard to get my backyard into shape for kids to play and parents to barbecue, and I'm looking forward to placing an order with Annie's Annuals. This woman and her team have gathered an amazing array of rare and old-fashioned plants, including a lot of California natives and other water-wise beauties that make sense in this climate.
But first, we will kick off the season with a visit to one of California's very best offerings: Yosemite National Park. I love my state for myriad reasons, but this singular place is one that makes me especially proud, and grateful, to be a Californian. My husband and I got married there, celebrated our "baby moon" and 5th anniversary, and this will be our girl's first trip. An auspicious beginning to the season.

For the Joy of Local Produce

I’m not a gusher by nature, but my weekly trip to the farmers' market makes me so happy, I have to share a quick post about it. When my little one is snacking on samples of fruit and cheese, and I’m filling the bottom of the stroller with fragrant fresh produce, I feel like I'm in food paradise. 

It reminds me that shopping this way isn't about obligations or guilt or fear or some misplaced self-righteousness -- it's about joy! It's hard to remember my reasons for buying produce anywhere else. 

Here’s this weeks haul from the market:

These Albion strawberries are always on my list. They're not organic, but they were picked less than 20 miles from my house about 2 hours before I bought them, so it's hard to complain. You can smell their sweet summery fragrance from yards away, and when we get close to this stand my daughter points excitedly. They always offer her a sample -- by the time we leave the market she has red juice all over her face and hands, and a big smile. 

Heirloom Mother Beck oranges and fresh, raw almonds from Etheridge Organics in Dinuba. I love getting samples of all the different citrus the farm produces, as well as kiwi and, new this week, dried figs! It's all delicious, but these Mother Becks blew me away -- it somehow tastes exactly like an orange should. 

Kale and and Japanese dandelion greens Underwood Family Farms. My husband surprised me last week by dusting off our juicer and experimenting with random combinations of whatever produce he could find in our fridge -- melon, carrot, spinach and apple was my favorite! He's been asking for kale to try, and these Japanese dandelion greens also looked promising.  

 

He also asked for mint, and I was so happy for an excuse to buy this beautiful bunch! The scent of this spearmint alone could send anyone into a food euphoria. When the baby was first eating solids I would blend some of this in with steamed green beans -- it was amazing. I got a surprisingly large bunch for just $1.50, so now I'll be looking for more ways to use this tantalizing herb. Any suggestions?

I'm delighted with these Persian cucumbers from Beylik Farms in Fillmore. I asked the farmer how they deal with pest control, and his happy answer was: beneficial insects. "It's about the only way to get rid of them without using pesticides," he said. "For every harmful bug there's a beneficial one." He mentioned that they use varieties of wasps and mites, as well as ladybugs. 

I used to think that all I could find locally would be kale and chard and collard greens, but I've also found more standard vegetable staples at the market. I bought extra carrots this week: some for snacking, and some for juicing.

Last but not least, also from Underwood, these handsome artichokes. I often see artichokes at the store for $3.00 each, but these were $1.75 or 3 for $5.00 -- so if you still think that fresh and sustainable food always costs more, perish the thought. We'll enjoy these with some steaks I bought at the Ventura Meat Company.  

Not pictured: farm fresh eggs and fresh cheese curd.

I’m getting better at planning my meals and shopping around the market. For the last couple of weeks I’ve spent roughly equal amounts at the farmer’s market, the Meat Company, and the grocery store. (My grocery store list has shrunk down to basically milk and other beverages, cereal and baking goods, a few shelf items like chili or peanut butter, and yes, bananas grown in Peru. The baby and I both love them, and they’re one of the few things that aren’t grown much around here.)

How important is it to you to eat locally? What items are hard to find in your area, and what do you do about it?