Out of The Snow & Into The Kitchen

 

Here in Northern NY it’s officially Winter!

Which means it’s finally time for that hearty Beef Pot Roast you’ve been dreaming about since July.

And what better way to cook it than by digging out the ol’ crock pot? Slow cooking your roast in a crock pot will ensure tender meat bursting with flavor. It will also produce an enticing, robust scent that will drift through your house all day long, luring humans and animals alike...

Even Bonzo can't resist!

If you’re like me, you may discover a hidden sense of nostalgia behind this scent, awakening fond childhood memories of returning home after playing in the ice and snow, being greeted by the warmth of a fire (or at least the radiator, in my case) and smelling the sweet aroma of carrots and onions cooking in the kitchen. 

Fragrance is a powerful thing.

Now that the snow is falling, It's time to go "back to the future". You will need the following ingredients to do so (yes this is a recipe!) :

Olive Oil, 2-5 tablespoons

Thyme, 7 sprigs- strip leaves off 3 sprigs, leave the remaining 4 intact 

Parsley, 3 sprigs- strip leaves off 2 sprigs, leave the remaining 1 intact

Garlic, 5 cloves- 3 halved, 2 finely chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Chuck Roast, 1 (approx. 3lbs)

Red Wine, 1 cup  (not essential, but adds flavor)

Onion, 1 peeled and roughly chopped

Leek, 1 Cleaned, Prepped, and Chopped (see video here)

Carrots, 5-7, peeled and cut into thirds

Celery Stalks, washed and cut into pieces

Bay Leaf, 1

Portabello Mushroom (optional), 1/2 chopped into small pieces

Fingerling Potatoes, 8-10 halved

Water or Broth

Butter, approx. 1/2 stick

Flour, 1/4 cup 

and a crockpot of course!

Overall cook time is approximately 1 day, as you will need to season the roast at least a day in advance.

Before you begin, remember, nothing tastes better, smells better, feels better, and is better for you than fresh, real food. And that's what this recipe is. The end result is well worth any time and effort spent, as it is both delicious and nutritious, and once cooked, will provide several days' worth of meals, freeing you up to spend more time wrapping xmas gifts or playing outside in the snow ;) But let's not forget all the fun you'll have chopping, dicing, and mixing in the kitchen first!

You will begin by seasoning your chuck roast: 

A) Combine olive oil, leaves of 2 parsley sprigs, leaves of 3 thyme sprigs, salt and pepper.

B) Rub mixture onto chuck roast with fingers, making sure to coat entire roast.

C) Return seasoned roast into fridge to marinate over night or preferably longer.

     

After your roast has been properly seasoned for a day or two, you are ready to begin!

1) Add the following to your crockpot:

-1 onion

-1 leek

-1 carrot

-2 celery stalks

-3 garlic cloves (halved)

-4 thyme sprigs 

-1 parsley sprig

-1 bay leaf

2) Dig out enough space in center of crockpot to place your roast. Add 1/2 cup wine (optional) and enough water or broth to come almost to the top of the meat. Set crock pot on low heat and cover.

3) After approximately 1 hour: stir veggies and turn meat for even cooking. Continue to turn meat approximately every hour.

4) After 4 to 5 hours, add the following to pan and place over stovetop on medium heat:

-2 tbsp butter

-splash of broth or water (to prevent burning)

-remaining carrots 

-remaining celery

-potatoes

-salt & pepper to taste

-extra herb sprigs if desired

Saute veggies on all sides for 3-5 minutes to add flavor.

5) Remove Veggies from pan and add to crock pot.

***This is where I added my special ingredient: fresh picked, home grown tomatoes. Although the recipe doesn't call for tomatoes, I was fortunate enough to be given them by a generous neighbor of mine who grows her own in the backyard:

Adding kindness never hurts

6) Add remaining wine to crock pot, if desired.

7) Continue to cook on low heat for 3 to 4 more hours, totaling 8 hours approximately. Depending on your particular model of crock pot, your roast may cook faster or slower. Continue to check your roast by cutting off small pieces and tasting. When the meat is very tender and can be cut with ease, your roast is ready. Vegetables should also be soft enough to bite into.

Time to make the gravy! What is a delicious roast without a savory, rich sauce to go with it? 

8) Extract juices from crock pot (there will be plenty). 

9) In a medium-small saucepan, heat juices over medium-low heat. Add mushroom (optional). Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

10) Add flour while mixing vigorously with fork or whisk. Add more juice from crock pot if necessary.

10) Add remaining butter. Salt & pepper to taste.

Gravy should be thick, but if so desired, to thin out simply add more juice from crock pot, milk, or broth.

And voila!

You are ready for an incredibly satisfying supper, complete with what I hope to be some of your fondest childhood memories.

And remember, cooking is just another way we can live in the moment while savoring our past :)

Reduce, Reuse, Rejoice: A Spiritual Guide to Waste Management

Several months back I published a post about the waste we humans produce due to our eating habits (Click Here To Read). A lot of what I learned while writing this piece has stuck with me, influencing the way I think and feel, and consequently, the way I eat. At times I'm overwhelmed by this knowledge; I struggle with guilt brought on in part by my own, and in part by my fellow species, decision to exist in a way not consistent with nature. But as I continue to ponder these decisions, I'm beginning to realize something quite extraordinary.

Keep Calm & Compost

With all the bad news this week (I think we all know what I’m referring to) it’s nice to take solace in the simple things, like fresh air, nutritious food, and getting dirty! I am scared of what the future will bring, or take away, but I’m trying to approach these anxieties in a Zen-like manner; this is my mantra: the only moment is the one I’m in, and the most I can do is what I can do with my two hands, right now… which is why it’s time to compost!

First Compost

I know, I know... you are on the edge of your seat, waiting to hear all about my first compost!  Well I am happy to say the wait is over! Here it is! After weeks of researching and saving up my green food waste, I was ready to build my very own makeshift compost bin. Since I wasn’t sure which one to buy (there are several varieties) I decided to keep it simple and use a large, old, wooden planter I found in the backyard. I dug out the old potting soil, and got to work!

A Plea For The Bee

Every morning I wake up, wash my face, brush my teeth and head to the kitchen. I put water on the stove and wait for it to boil. After steeping a tea bag for a minute or two, I stir in a spoonful of clover honey. One spoonful, not much, right?

Maybe not to us. But to a honeybee, who can only produce one-twelfth of a teaspoon in her lifetime, a spoonful of honey is a plethora. Suddenly, honey doesn’t seem so expensive when we consider the fact that “for one pound of honey, the bees visit over two million flowers and fly the equivalent of two-and-half-times around the world” (Salisbury). But honey is expensive, and the true costs are only now becoming clear.

Increasing My Pulse

Chickpeas, also known as "garbanzo beans", are a member of the Pulse family; Delicious, nutritious & environmentally friendly.

March is flying by and I'm happy to say that giving up meat has steadily increased my pulse. No, not my heart rate (Zumba has done that!), but my intake of beans, lentils, and other legumes. The UN declared 2016 the international year of the pulse, stating that not only are pulses some of the most nutritious foods available, but also some of the most affordable, a combination not easily found. And this is to say nothing of the environmental friendly production methods used for harvesting pulses.

In Search of Lost Time, In Search of Tomorrow: Paris and Myself in theHere and Now

Cette matin I went to my first open- air market in Paris, Marche Biologic des Batignolles (see photos below). A mere fifteen minute walk from my apartment and I found myself immersed by the scents, sounds, and sights of a glorious culmination of all things culinary, as well as hand made soaps, perfumes, oils, shoes, and much more. Making my way through the hustle and bustle of the folks trying to find the freshest biologic nourriture*, I couldn't help but wonder if this is how it always was.

                         

 

Beneath white tents and swaying trees, leaves already painted by l'automne swirled to the ground where I stood waiting and watching the man shucking sea shells at le poissonnerie. The unmistakable odor of fresh scallops and sea salt wafted through the air as I awaited my turn to order. How lovely, how joyfully simple I thought, we are all here, strangers, but fellow humans sifting through the earth's bounty beneath the shelter of her very own trees. Magnifique!

Seeing the World Through a Cricket's Eye

     "One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller