Food and Garden

Food Friday: The Luxury of Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

June 14, 2013 by Jean Sanders Leave a Comment

_FF_spaghetti_June The luxury comes when:
A. Someone else does the cooking.
B. There are lots of leftovers for lunch.
C. Eau de garlic wafts pleasantly through the house for a couple of days.

On Sunday Best Beloved decided it was time to whip up a batch of his legendary homemade spaghetti sauce. Never mind that it was approaching 90 degrees outside. Never mind that we have been trying to slim down for bathing suit season. Never mind that it would take practically an entire morning of his time. It was a super idea.

He lined up the big cans of whole tomatoes and crushed tomatoes, and a small can of tomato paste. He assembled the garlic, the garlic press, the can opener, the caldron of a pot, the breadcrumbs, the parsley, the links of Italian sausage and the pound of ground beef. Humming and listening to The Girl from Ipanema, he moved with purpose around our small kitchen, browning sausage, rolling meatballs, crushing garlic, scissoring parsley. He tinkered and measured and rolled and snipped and browned and boiled.

I observed these deliberate and intricate dance steps as I wandered by from time to time, coming through once to drink some Diet Coke, another time to put freshly laundered napkins in the drawer. And then I retired to the studio to catch up on some work, hearing snatches of songs and sizzling meat while I painted. It was nice to have someone in the kitchen, methodically preparing an ancestral recipe for us to share. Most nights I am worn to a frazzle and although I talk a good thing about preparing sophisticated, leisurely, candle-lit meals, more often the truth is that I am scrambling around in a panic at six o’clock, wondering how many times we have had chicken this week, and can that boneless breast possible thaw itself in an hour?

Last Sunday night we enjoyed a lovely, leisurely, romantic candle-lit dinner – in the dining room. We dined on spaghetti, garlic bread and salad, and a modest wine that winked with insouciance. We were stuffed to the gills. But here is where the luxury starts: there were leftovers. I muscled the Nebuchadnezzar-sized pot of sauce into the fridge, after it had cooled down and the Tony awards had just danced off the Radio City stage. There was a small Saran-wrapped bowl of leftover spaghetti, which I had for lunch on Monday. (I did walk Luke for 3 miles on Monday, so I think it balanced out.) Tuesday I heated the vat o’sauce up again, and we had it ladled over shallow bowls of penne pasta. Wednesday lunch brought me another plastic-wrapped bowl of leftovers, and also another 3 miles trotting along after the dog. There was still some penne left for my Thursday lunch. What a change from my usual cold turkey sandwich, gnawed while I stand at the kitchen counter, moodily thumbing through the newspaper, embracing the loneliness of a freelancer. Just the dog and me. Sigh.

It was a relief when the children were little to have a routine: Monday nights were mac and cheese, Tuesdays were chicken fingers, Wednesdays were some variation of Mexican foods. (My mind, being a delicate and mercurial entity these days, stubbornly refuses to remember exactly all the culinary trials I put the children through those weeks. Remember, I also faked them out for years using spinach on their tacos…) Friday night was always pizza night, and now,mainly, it still is. I have managed to plan far enough ahead this week that there is a ball of dough waiting to be thawed this afternoon. It will rise in a great ceramic bowl, out on the table on the back porch. I even have the stick of pepperoni to slice and a block of mozzarella to grate. The basil farm out back is ready to yield its weekly harvest. The swirled homemade sauce, concocted with love and Getz and Gilberto, will be the crowning glory on the semi-circular amoeba of a pie that will emerge from the oven tonight. It will be the best pizza we have had in a long time.

And there will be leftovers for lunch on Saturday. Bliss!

Our friends at Food52 have a very well-liked meatball recipe. I haven’t been able to veal for years, though I imagine I could substitute a little more ground beef instead. Or do I have the audacity to show it to Best Beloved, who has perfected his own manna from heaven? I think not…
http://food52.com/recipes/22467-rao-s-meatballs

Epicurious has a meat sauce recipe, which looks a wee bit spicy to me.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/ZESTY-MEATY-SPAGHETTI-SAUCE-1223254

Ready for summer, here is an adaptation of an Alice Waters’ recipe for pasta with tomato sauce:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/09/dinner-tonight-alice-waters-whole-wheat-pasta.html

“I think the most joyous thing in life is to loaf around and watch another bloke do a job of work. Look how popular are the men who dig up London with electric drills. Duke’s son, cook’s son, son of a hundred kings, people will stand there for hours on end, ear drums splitting. Why? Simply for the pleasure of being idle while watching other people work.”
― Dorothy L. Sayers, Five Red Herrings

Filed Under: Food and Garden, Food Friday, Homepage Slider, Uncategorized

Spy Profile: Adkins Arboretum’s Ellie Altman

June 11, 2013 by Dave Wheelan 1 Comment

One of the best examples of a successful non-profit organization on the Eastern Shore happens to be located in the middle of nowhere.

Adkins Arboretum, hidden away in a remote section of the Tuckahoe State Park, is an extraordinary example of what a non-profit organization can do that no government agency can match.

The 400 acre native garden and preserve was left to the park in 1989, with a healthy endowment from land owner and donor Leon Andrus. Unfortunately, Adkins was a lifeless program for some time until the Friends of Adkins petitioned the state to take over the property in 1998.

The reasons for Adkins remarkable climb in popularity since then includes an ambitious mission, dedicated volunteers, and gifted board members, but it is hard for most to imagine such stunning results without the soft touch leadership of the first and only Adkins executive director, Ellie Altman.

With warm southern charm and a keen strategic mind for growing an institution, Ellie shared her thoughts with the Spy on the Adkins history and future.

The video is approximately five minutes in length

Filed Under: Food & Garden Lead, Food and Garden, Homepage Slider, Uncategorized

Galena’s Black Bottom Farm Starts CSA Program

May 30, 2013 by Spy Desk

Black Bottom Farm would like to announce the start of their new Community Share Agriculture (CSA) program, Black Bottom Farm CSA. Beginning Saturday, June 1, shares will available for on-farm pickup, Saturdays from 10 AM- 12 PM, or at Kingstown Home and Garden, Tuesdays from 4-6 PM. Black Bottom Farm is located at 12810 Black Bottom Road in Galena, just a few minutes from 301.

Black Bottom Farm CSA is unique in that it features products from more than one local farm. “We want to promote other farmers,” says farm owner Kim Wagner, “we want people to know they’re there and what they’re doing. It takes a lot of work to do something well, and each farm has something distinctive to offer.” Black Bottom Farm specializes in raising heritage breed pigs in a healthy environment. Their goal is to keep their pigs happy, rotating them between pasture and woodlot, and providing the highest quality feeds.

Shares in the CSA are available in four-week blocks, starting on the first of each month. Members sign up to receive one box per week. A basic box includes three shares of meat and one dozen eggs, and is available for pick up either on farm or at Kingstown Home and Garden. The large box includes three meat shares, one dozen eggs, 3-5 vegetable shares (depending on season), and one a la carte item, which may include bread, hummus, nut butters, cheese, yogurt or other options. Large boxes may only be picked up on farm. Meat shares may include pork, beef, pastured poultry or wild-caught Pacific salmon. Members can choose their own items or leave the decision up to the farmer. Everything in each box is sourced from local farms, and availability will be posted weekly online.

A basic box starts at $30 per week and a large box costs $55. For more information or to sign up for a share, please email blackbottomfarms@aol.com, call 443-962-0764, or visit Black Bottom Farms on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Bottom-Farm/587138324630320. The farm is also open for visits and sales on Saturdays from 12-4 PM starting June 1.

Filed Under: Food & Garden Lead, Food and Garden

Worried About Your Sycamores? There’s A Fungus Among Us

May 23, 2013 by Kathy Bosin

A cool, wet spring in the Eastern part of the country provided ideal conditions for Anthracnose, caused by a fungus known as Apiognomonia veneta. Most heavily hit are local sycamores, london plane trees and oaks.

Wye oak with symptoms of leaf blight

This sycamore tree is almost completely defoliated.

According to the University of Maryland Maryland Extension Office, the fungus overwinters in cankers from previous infections, and produces spores in the spring that are dispersed by rainfall to young developing shoots. Symptoms include shoot dieback, distorted growth and blighted areas on leaves that run along the veins.

But there’s not much of anything that you can do about it – the damage is already done.

According to Dave Piver of Davey Tree, “if your trees are relatively healthy, they should make it through this just fine. Expect to see a new flush of leaf growth in the next few weeks. In a month’s time, you won’t see any evidence left at all.”

Young or newly planted trees may require fungicide sprays to prevent leaf loss until they are established in the landscape, but generally, once the symptoms are apparent, it’s too late.

For more information about Anthracnose, or any tree and garden questions, visit the University of Maryland Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center.

Filed Under: Garden News

Wine to Be Legal at Maryland Farmers’ Market in June

May 16, 2013 by Spy Desk

Farmers’ market shoppers throughout Maryland will soon be able to purchase wine along with their locally grown fruits and vegetables thanks to a new bill recently signed into law by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. Effective June 1, the law allows Maryland Class 4 wineries to sell at farmers’ markets without the previous county-by-county restrictions and limits.

House Bill 978, the statewide bill introduced by Maryland Delegate Charles E. Barkley, was processed through the Maryland legislature along with a couple similar county-specific bills like House Bill 1197 (HB 1197) for Queen Anne’s County introduced by Delegates Stephen S. Hershey, Jr., Jay A. Jacobs, and Michael D. Smigiel. HB 1197 was initiated by the Centreville Main Street Program in coordination with the Maryland Wineries Association with the hopes that one of their bills would pass.

“The law includes farmers’ markets as well as other off-site events like wine festivals and makes it easier for wineries to participate at off-site events without barriers based on jurisdictions and numbers of days,” says Kevin Atticks, executive director, Maryland Wineries Association. “Working with Centreville Main Street and other jurisdictions increased our chances of success. It’s a win-win for the wineries as well as the consumers,” he adds.

For Centreville Main Street, the coordinated effort represents the first major success for the emerging program that just celebrated its first anniversary earlier this year. “When our new Main Street manager came to us to request our support we whole-heartedly gave it our backing,” says George (Smokey) Sigler, president of the Centreville Town Council. “Adding new vendors and differentiating our market from others have been goals of ours, so the wine legislation just made sense,” he adds.

The first winery to join the market will be Tilmon’s Island Winery, Sudlersville, who will use their old special events permits to begin selling at the market on Saturday, May 18. The winery will sell Bohemia River Reserve – a dry white, Nectar de Harbor Court – a semi-sweet blush, Bay Country Chambourcin – a dry red, and

Dame Judith’s Red Hat Red – a sweet red.

Centreville Farmers’ Market is currently recruiting additional wineries. For more information, contact Carol D’Agostino, Main Street manager, at (410) 758-1180, ext. 13, mainstreet@townofcentreville.org.

Under the new permit, Class 4 wineries may attend any farmers’ market in Maryland to which they are invited, provided the market is listed in the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Farmers’ Market Directory. In addition, there are no limits to the number of markets (or market days) a winery may attend. The new law removes the county-by-county restrictions and limits.

All wineries are being encouraged to apply for the off-site event permit prior to June 1 so it may be effective when the law goes into effect.

For more information on the farmers’ market, contact Arlene Warner at (410) 841-9269, David King at (443) 262-6420 or davidkking.is@gmail.com or Carol D’Agostino, Main Street manager at (410) 758-1180, ext. 13, mainstreet@townofcentreville.org. To stay connected throughout the market season, visit facebook.com/centrevillemarket.

Filed Under: Food & Garden Lead, Food and Garden

Rhubarb Pie with Mom by Barbara Jorgenson

May 12, 2013 by Spy Desk

I’m humming, almost singing just under my breath. I’m happy. It’s my son’s 28th birthday. He’s coming home from New York for the weekend. I want to make him something special. Not a birthday cake. Rhubarb pie—his favorite.

Everything is on the kitchen counter: red stalks of fresh rhubarb, sugar, cinnamon, butter, flour, shortening, the old ceramic mixing bowl with a hairline crack in the side, the pie crust cutter whose wooden handle has lost all but a few patches of red paint, the wooden rolling pin with just one handle, the mixing spoon that has lost most of its silver plate.

There’s no recipe; no measuring cup. I know what to do.

Two big handfuls of flour into the bowl. A rounded spoon of shortening. I turn on the tap and let it run until the water is cool. Two splashes of water into the bowl atop the flour. “Just sprinkle, don’t use too much,” a voice in my head says. Firmly but gently, I work the flour into the shortening with the pie crust cutter. A crumbly mass begins to form. Quickly, I press the crumbs into a smooth mound at the bottom of the bowl. “Time to roll now,” the voice says.

I sprinkle the granite countertop with flour. “Not too much, just a little and smooth the flour with the palm of your hand,” the voice reminds me. I pinch the dough in half and roll each half between my palms. “You need a nice round ball to start,” says the voice. Using the heel of my hand, I flatten the ball in the center of the floured countertop. I run my floured hands over the length of the rolling pin—up and down quickly until the pin is dusty white.

Then right, left, up, down, right, left, up, down, again and again I press the rolling pin over the dough until it begins to form a circle. I hold the pie plate over my circle. “Make sure the circle is big enough,” I hear the voice say. Very carefully, I fold my circle in half and transfer it to the pie plate, easing the folded half up and over the other side. “Remember to cover all the plate’s edges,” the voice directs.

I roll the second dough ball into a flat circle too, but I leave this one on the countertop. “Cover it with a damp towel. Don’t let the dough dry out while you make the filling,” admonishes the voice.

I wash the rhubarb stalks, looking closely at each to decide whether the stalk is too big and needs to be peeled. “If you don’t peel the stalks, the pie will be stringy,” warns the voice. I take a paring knife and knick the top end of each stalk, stripping the veins from top to bottom. I quickly cut each stalk into pieces the length of my thumb.

Using both hands, I scoop four big handfuls of rhubarb pieces into the bowl. A handful of sugar and half a handful of flour follow. The old spoon moves in my hand, trying to coat each piece of rhubarb. But some of the flour and sugar refuses to stick. “Don’t worry,” reassures the voice, “you can sprinkle it over the top later.”

The coated rhubarb pieces fall into the pie plate. My fingers rapidly rearrange the pieces, reorganizing their haphazard placements. I sprinkle the loose flour and sugar over the now heaping pie plate. A dash of cinnamon dusts across the mound. Lumps of butter scatter across the top. “Use five lumps—one for each quarter and one for the middle,” directs the voice.

Gently, gently I pick up the second round of pie crust. “Don’t tear it! Be careful,” the voice scolds. I carefully fold the second crust over the mounded, sugared rhubarb. I press both my palms over the mound, shaping the crust to the hilly contours of the rhubarb.

“Always wet your thumb before you try to seal the crust,” the voice advises. I turn on the tap and wet my thumb so I can pinch and seal the two crusts together when suddenly I remember:

All this I learned from my mother. I can still hear her voice.

Happy Mother’s Day, Amelia Jean.

Amelia Jean Jorgenson died January 7, 2013, in Palm Harbor, Florida. She was 89 years old. She had not made a rhubarb pie in many years.

Filed Under: Food and Garden, Homepage Slider

Adkins Arboretum Dedicates Restored Wetland Bridge

May 10, 2013 by Adkins Arboretum

Adkins Capital Campaign Chair Patricia Bowell, at right, Katherine Stifel and Dr. Peter B. Stifel cut the ribbon to dedicate the Arboretum’s restored wetland bridge.

On April 25, supporters of Adkins Arboretum’s Campaign to Build a Green Legacy joined Arboretum trustees and friends to dedicate the Arboretum’s restored wetland bridge, a gift from Honorary Campaign Chair and former Board President Dr. Peter B. Stifel in honor of his children, Katherine B. Stifel and Andrew P. Stifel.

Nearly a quarter of a million children and adults have crossed this beloved bridge, the gateway to the Arboretum Visitor’s Center and its 400 acres of natural beauty. Often pausing along the way to listen to a chorus of bullfrogs, visitors are immediately immersed in the majesty and wonder of nature. The bridge offers a unique panoramic open view of the wetland and nearby woods, and is the centerpiece of recent improvements to the Arboretum grounds.

“Dreams can be realized, but not without stopping along the way to celebrate milestones and to recognize the benefactors who make dreams come true,” said Arboretum Executive Director Ellie Altman, referring to Stifel’s support of the multi-year campaign that will nearly triple the size of the existing Visitor’s Center and will create a native garden gateway. “They take a leap of faith, knowing that Adkins Arboretum, a place with a conservation mission rooted simply in the love of trees, is critical to the people of the Eastern Shore.”

Campaign Chair Patricia Bowell, citing the bridge dedication as “a major milestone event,” related a story of conversations with Arboretum members and supporters about improvements to the site. “All were voicing a message that they love the bridge. The personal tales were endless, and all were filled with emotion and deep affection…I quickly realized that crossing over on this bridge is part of the educational experience for many and that it is truly an outdoor classroom.”

Speaking to a crowd of 60 friends and supporters, Stifel spoke about his career as a University of Maryland geologist, “learning about and teaching about every aspect of the natural world,” and expressed hope that his support of the Arboretum will “give the opportunity to everyone to be in the outdoors and to say ‘yes’ as I did when asked to support the capital improvements to the Arboretum Visitor’s Center and grounds.” The bridge, he said, “will carry thousands more people to great pleasure, peace, knowledge, and contentment.”

Filed Under: Food & Garden Lead, Food and Garden

Easton Kitchen and Garden Tour May 11

May 5, 2013 by Spy Desk

The Historical Society of Talbot County and the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in Maryland – Eastern Shore will again team up for the Easton Kitchen and Garden Tour. This partnership exemplifies a trend in the non-profit world where organizations with comparable missions join together to offer one well-subscribed and organized event. The tour, slated for May 11, 2013 will highlight six locations, including the kitchen and garden on the campus of HSTC, a B&B (McDaniel House) and several unique homes, all within walking distance in downtown Easton’s historic area or just outside Easton. Two speakers will present programs, one in the morning – renowned landscape designer Barbara Paca on gardens and the other in the afternoon on kitchen design.

The tour will be from 10-5. The cost is $20.00, or $25.00 if purchased on the 11th. The tour will start at the Historical Society and guests can return for tea in the garden later in the afternoon.

For further information to purchase tickets, or to volunteer as a hostess, please call the Historical Society at 410-822-0773 or Katie Moose at 410-820-9915.

Filed Under: Food & Garden Lead

Food Friday: Tacos for Cinco de Mayo

May 2, 2013 by Jean Sanders

There will be no mariachi bands marching through our house on Cinco de Mayo, but there will be tacos, and maybe some good Mexican beer. And I have to confess that I came to the taco party late. When I was growing up our spices were limited to Christmas nutmeg, cinnamon for cinnamon toast, black pepper and baking powder. Garlic was an exotic commodity. Red pepper was on the tables at Italian restaurants. I doubt if my mother was acquainted with cumin. We never had Mexican food. My mother’s idea of adventurous ethnic cooking was preparing corned beef for St. Patrick’s Day. And so my indoctrination came from my peers, as are so many seminal youthful experiences

The first tacos I had were at my friend Sheila’s older sister’s place. Margo was sophisticated and modern. We adored her and the string of characters who wandered through her tiny beach house. She made tacos with regularity, and we mooched often. I learned how to shred the cheese and the lettuce and chop the onions that went on top of the taco meat, which we browned in a frying pan and then covered with a packet of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix and a cup of water. I thought it couldn’t get any better than that.

Sheila and I graduated to platters of nachos and tacos at the Viva Zapata restaurant. (I think we were actually more attracted to the cheap pitchers of sangria, which we drank, sitting outside in dappled shade under leafy trees, enjoying languid summer vacations.) And then we wandered into Mama Vicky’s Old Acapulco Restaurant, with its dodgy sanitation, but exquisitely flaming jalapeños on the lard-infused refried beans. Ah, youth.

True confession: my children were raised on tacos made with Old El Paso Taco Seasoning, but they always had vegetarian or fat-free refried beans. This weekend I am introducing them to the wonders of Mark Bittman’s mix-free beef tacos. (The Pescatarian will have to figure out how to do a fish version for herself.)

Beef Tacos

45 minutes, serves 4

½ cup vegetable oil
12 small 5-inch tortillas (I only ever manage to eat 2, but the Tall One will probably require a few more)
1 pound ground beef (try to get grass fed)
Salt & pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 fresh hot chile (like jalapeño) seeded & minced, optional
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup roughly chopped radishes for garnish
2 limes, quartered, for serving

I cook the meat first and then fry up the taco shells, but Mark Bittman does the shells first, and he hold more sway than I do.

Crumble the ground beef into a frying pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until it starts to brown – about 5 or 10 minutes. Add the onion and cook, until it softens and begins to color. 5 or 10 minutes more.

Add the garlic and the chile (be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the chile – I didn’t and rubbed my eye and wept for a good while afterward) and cook about 3 minutes, until they soften. Add the cumin and tomato paste and cook and stir until fragrant. I added a little water, perhaps a throw back from my Old El Paso training, but the mixture just seemed too dry. Experiment for yourself.

Warm the oil in another frying pan over a medium-high heat. Put a tortilla shell in the oil, and let it bubble for about 15 seconds before turning it over, carefully, with tongs. Let that side bubble away for another 15 seconds or so and then fold the shell in half. Turn it back and forth until it is as crisp as you want. Best Beloved likes a softer shell, I like explosively brittle.

Divide the meat into the lovely, crunchy shells and top with cilantro and radishes. Squeeze some lime on top. Good-bye to grated cheese. Good-bye to too much sodium. (There are 370mg of sodium in a 1 ounce packet of Old El Paso. [I still have a packet in the spice cabinet, obviously.] Plus it costs about $1.59, so just imagine how much better this recipe is for you, healthwise and financially.) Open beer, pour beer, drink beer.

Other topping suggestions:
Guacamole, chopped tomatoes, shredded cabbage, chopped scallions, black beans, salsa, shredded lettuce, chopped peppers, sour cream.

When the Tall One and the Pouting Princess were little and still couldn’t read, I used spinach for their tacos instead of lettuce. I don’t think they have forgiven me yet.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

“On the subject of spinach: divide into little piles. Rearrange again into new piles. After five of six maneuvers, sit back and say you are full.”
-Delia Ephron

A video from Mark Bittman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYpVvO8b_FA

Bittman, Mark. (2012). How to Cook Everything. The Basics: All You Need to Know to Make Great Food, Beef Tacos, 392, 393

Filed Under: Food Friday, Homepage Slider

Adkins Fffers Botanical Shoes May 9

May 1, 2013 by Adkins Arboretum

In 1987, Lenny Wilson learned to make shoes at Cordwainer’s Technical College, a leather trades college in London. Shortly afterward, he began a career in public horticulture and was inspired to create shoes that incorporate parts of plants into their construction. Using traditional methods and materials, he unifies leather, leaves and other materials to craft unique life-size shoes.

Join Wilson at Adkins Arboretum on Thurs., May 9 for Botanical Shoes, a unique presentation during which he will share his journey, illustrate what inspires him, demonstrate how he plants, and relates exhibition and workshop experiences.

A native of Wilmington, Del., Wilson is the Assistant Director of Horticulture and Facilities at Delaware Center for Horticulture, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Delaware’s diverse communities through horticulture. His one-of-a-kind shoes made from plant material are displayed in local art galleries and exhibits.

Botanical Shoes runs from 1 to 2 p.m. The program fee is $15 for members, $20 for the general public. Register at adkinsarboretum.org or call 410.634.2847, ext. 0.

Filed Under: Food & Garden Lead, Food and Garden

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