Potato-Corn Chowder

So the weather has been being tricky lately. We get a whiff of Spring in the air, and then it snows. One day we are outside working on garden projects, and the next bundled up in the house. So for this snowy Monday, as we are cozy in the house daydreaming of getting the garden growing, I made Rustic Potato-Corn Chowder for dinner. I got the recipe from Paula Deen's Quick and Easy Meals Magazine for May 2009 and modified it slightly to be vegetarian and use items we had on hand.

1/4 cup butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 pounds of red potatoes, but into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
5 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

In a large Dutch oven pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cool for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add potatoes, broth, and corn. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add cream, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for an additional 20 minutes. Add cheese, stirring until melted.

I served our soup with a loaf of freshly baked bread. The magazine has it served in bread bowls, which would be really nice, but I did not feel like buying any and the day just got too hectic to bake them. The soup did smell really nice while cooking though, and it was really tasty. The recipe states that it can be frozen for up to 1 month. We had about half of our soup left after we finished eating, and so I did freeze it. It should be a nice meal to have on a day when things just get too crazy to cook a good dinner.

Why Go Green?

The latest Green Movement is no new phenomenon. While industry has continued to pollute the Earth and release toxic chemicals into rivers and underground water sources, everyday people like you and me have been deciding to try and make a difference for decades. These efforts manifest themselves in many ways, from buying expensive products marketed to the Green Niche to aspiring to do things simpler and buying local.

Our Green Adventure didn't spark to life over night. Our current mindset was developed as a culmination of worry over what we were really feeding our children, and disgust at the consumerist mentality that has shaped our lives, among so many other sentiments. The road has been long and rough in some spots. We've definitely spent more money than was necessary in some instances, and we've saved a great deal in others.

We've been dismayed at the sight of a garden with watering problems and weeds that seemed to come back with two or three new sprouts for every one we pulled. Then we learned and adapted and came back the next year with a successful crop after rethinking how to manage the rows for water-flow optimization to reduce run-off and pooling and incorporating mulch to prevent the majority of the pesky weeds from sprouting up.

I personally spearheaded a slightly disastrous compost bin project. Tara wasn't too thrilled about it, but I dove right in. Of course, the results were not optimal, mostly since I placed it in a spot that gets more shade than sun. (The north side of a south-facing fence...) And while it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world, it would have worked just fine had it been built in a sunnier location. Yet, I can't just move it since I built it out of cinder blocks, which I cemented together. Another compost fiasco was the black plastic bin we ordered from Costco. What a piece of junk! The plastic was brittle and flimsy and after shelling out 80 bucks, for something plastic, it became apparent that you don't always get what you pay for. It might be cheaply made, but that doesn't always mean it will be cheap for you.

So, yeah... the road has had some bumps and potholes along the way. But it has had some great success as well. Like the time we took the kids out to pick blackberries and then Tara made jam. Or joining the CSA and contributing to local farms while getting a share of the crops. Or snagging a few hours from my hectic work schedule last summer to head to the You-Pick-It farm for fresh off-the-vine produce. And I can't tell you how good it felt to pick tomatoes from our very own garden (one year after a completely failed attempt to grow something edible) and then to can up stewed tomatoes and spaghetti sauce from our very own fresh ingredients.

So, why go green? There are many reasons and the best ones are personal. Some people want to get away from corporate shortcuts and cost reducing methods of producing foodstuffs, a common example being Trans Fat and High Fructose Corn Syrup. Some people are disgusted with the way our nation's top producing companies handle meat production. Maybe you stop to wonder how many pesticides and other chemicals were used to produce that broccoli or lettuce in the produce aisle... For some it is a measure of prestige and being part of the 'In' thing. Whatever the reason, I commend you on your choice. It isn't always easy, but rethinking the way we do 'business-as-usual' is a personal reinvention that brings with it a treasure trove of long term benefits.

We hope to share with you some of our projects we've been working on, so stay tuned! Until then, here is a picture from one of our You-Pick-It farm excursions from last summer. I will always treasure this memory.

Spring is here...sort of

So for our Meatless Monday meal for this week we have Spring Noodle Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Walnuts, which I found in the March 2009 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine, with a few changes to accommodate what we had and such.

1/4 c. sesame oil
2 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 lb. thin spaghetti
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
1 lb. asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb. snow peas

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp of sesame oil, the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper. In a pot of boiling, salted water, boil pasta until cooked through and then drain. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer walnuts to a bowl and wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil over high heat. Add the onion and asparagus and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and the sesame oil mixture, then for for another 1 minute over high heat. Lower the temperature to medium, add the paste and cook until heated through. Top with the walnuts to serve.

All in all, I really liked this, although it was a bit bland for Brady. Our kiddos reactions were mixed with our son not wanting to eat much, and our oldest daughter quite liking it. The wee one picked at it pretty much like she does everything.