» Exciting news of the day: Wichita has a CSA program
That’s Community Supported Agriculture, friends. And it’s a good thing.
“I recently picked up a load of these chickens from a [factory farm] refuge and brought them home to join my free-range hens, so they can enjoy the rest of their lives. They were actually the first ones I’d ever seen and I was very shocked by the state they were in. The combs on top of their heads were pale pink, almost white, and flat. They should be red and sticking up. Their feet were in really bad shape, because they didn’t have a proper flat surface to stand on - imagine being forced to stand on wire bars for over a year. Instead of being short from scratching about, their claws were long. Their feathers were really dry and in an awful state and their beaks were clipped. In fact, the hens themselves looked almost comatose for the first day or so that I had them at home. This is not respecting an animal while it’s alive. This is not giving them a good and natural life. There’s absolutely no excuse for treating animals in this way. They may be forced to lay more eggs, to make more profit, but the final product is also affected and eggs are simply not as good as free-range or organic. A stressed animal, pumped full of antibiotics, gives a second rate product.”
—
Jamie Oliver, Jamie at Home
This certainly makes the extra dollar or two spent on farm fresh eggs from a local farm or organic eggs from the supermarket seem well worth it.
(This cookbook is excellent, btw.)
I just spent $48 on seeds.
Yeah. Let that sink in for a minute.
SEEDS. $48.
I know what you’re thinking: She’s gone mad.
Cooking is obviously a huge passion of mine. And part of cooking is understanding food and where it comes from. So growing my own vegetables and herbs seems entirely logical if I want to really learn more about what goes on my plate.
I don’t have a green thumb. I kill houseplants. I don’t particularly like dirt or bugs.
That’s all about to change.
I’m going to make gardening my bitch.
Wish me luck.
And in case you were wondering, it’s really not that difficult to spend a lot on seeds. Those $2 packets start to really add up. I purchased mine through the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, known for it’s selection of organic and heirloom seeds. Even better? They don’t sell genetically engineered seeds or plants. As they state in their catalog (yes, there are catalogs full of seeds): “We wish to support agricultural practice that encourages healthier soils, genetically diverse agricultural ecosystems and, ultimately, people and communities.”
I can get behind a company like that. $48 well spent.
Lunch yesterday at Dolci & Joes with my lovely friend Jana.
I wanted to like Dolci & Joes. I really did. Jesus quotes posted all over the walls aside, I’d heard positive things about the food.
The reality? It was just… meh.
“I’m a nightmare to dine with,” was my disclaimer in an email to Carly when I filled her in on lunch because, well, it’s true. I have to dissect what is right and wrong about everything. I’m like the awful guy Samantha tried to makeover and then date on Sex & the City - the Turtle. The guy who spent five minutes trying to figure out what kind of mushrooms he was eating. “Are these porcinis?”
Instead of complaining about why the tomato basil soup was way more like cream flavored with tomato and why the avocado on my sandwich should have been green instead of brown mush, I’ll just say this: it’s better than Subway.
Do with that what you will.
My dining companion, however, was fabulous.
Say hello to stone crabs, which seem to be unique to Florida. They were my entree last night at Johnnie’s Hideaway in Orlando. It was up there with the best meals of my life. Really.
We ate:
Calamari
Stone crabs (2 1/2 lbs. - oof)
Prawns as big as my head
Sweet potato fries
Key lime pie
Guava cheesecake
We drank:
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon (excellent)
We followed it up with berry tarts. They’re incredibly easy and delicious.
I made Simply Recipes’ pastry dough (halved), rolled it out into two discs, filled each one with thawed berries from the freezer aisle at the grocery store that I tossed with some sugar, brushed the pastry dough with an egg wash and baked at 350 for 35 minutes.
Easy as pie. Or tart.
![The Valentine’s Day spread:
Dungeness crab from the local fish market. I had never cleaned and cracked a crab before, but it was surprisingly easy (if not a little disgusting). Despite instructions to steam or bake the [already cooked] crab, I followed my parents advice and served it cold, which is how I’ve always eaten it. It was delicious.
Shrimp sauteed in butter, garlic and white wine.
Salad with butter lettuce, pears, goat cheese, pecans and raspberry vinaigrette.
Crusty bread, warm from the oven.
Prosecco.
This was way better than anything we could have had at a restaurant and more fun because we cooked it together.](http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxxtculEcr1qzili3o1_500.jpg)
The Valentine’s Day spread:
Dungeness crab from the local fish market. I had never cleaned and cracked a crab before, but it was surprisingly easy (if not a little disgusting). Despite instructions to steam or bake the [already cooked] crab, I followed my parents advice and served it cold, which is how I’ve always eaten it. It was delicious.
Shrimp sauteed in butter, garlic and white wine.
Salad with butter lettuce, pears, goat cheese, pecans and raspberry vinaigrette.
Crusty bread, warm from the oven.
Prosecco.
This was way better than anything we could have had at a restaurant and more fun because we cooked it together.
Club sandwich on baguette @ Con Pane
Vanilla Ice Blended from Coffee Bean
Lobster Tacos from Miguel's
Tuna Melt @ Studio Diner
In-N-Out #2 - Cheeseburger, Animal Style
Frozen yogurt @ Figi Yogurt
California Benedict @ Martha's Cafe
My trip to Southern California resulted in some seriously good eats.
(C’mon… you didn’t think I’d skip a post about the food did you?)
» Thanks Target. Sustainable Seafood. Save More, Destroy Less.
Target has announced that all their stores will stop selling farmed salmon products. This move towards greater ocean conservation is a first by a major seafood retailer.
Reblogged from Bravo's Babblings.
