It has been two weeks since the last CSA pick up, and for some reason it has felt like months. The end of the season is always a little emotional for me. I look forward to the coming months of rest, reflection and planning; but miss the structure and hope that comes with cycles of growth and harvest. My open schedule makes the shorter days, lack of light, and soon to come cold temperatures easy to enjoy. The move inside, however, is always a little bittersweet. I think no matter what your profession, the onset of winter brings on emotional changes for us all.
Making most of this season was the theme of a recent yoga retreat that took place at the farm. The retreat was lead by Julia Horn who teaches a the West Philadelphia yoga, healing and arts center Studio 34. I thought you would enjoy a little taste of the retreat--it is a partnership we are working on continuing. If you are interested in attending future retreats please let me know (inverbrook@gmail.com) . In the meantime enjoy some photos, recipes and a beautiful poem read during the afternoon retreat (thanks to the participants that allowed me to share their photos, recipes and poetry).
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| The retreat included a workshop with urban farm guru Nic Esposito |
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| Julia leads the group in a greens harvest |
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| In return for the greens, the group helped the farm out by seperating garlic cloves for planting |
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| Then time for some cooking Gluten Free Sweet Potato Corn Bread (Baker’s Note: I’ve made this bread so many times, I tend to just throw the ingredients together without really measuring. So, some of the measurements are estimated. Definitely taste the dough, and adjust to your own preferences. ) Ingredients: 1 ½ cup almond milk 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar ¼ cup veggie oil 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato (it’s okay if you leave it a lil’chunky) 1 cup cornmeal 2/3 cup brown rice flour 1/3 cup sorghum flour 1/3 cup quinoa flour ¼ cup tapioca flour 1 tsp. baking soda 2 Tbsp. baking powder 2 tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves ¾ tsp. salt Directions: 1. Heat oven to 375. Grease a small casserole dish, standard pie plate, or muffin tin. 2. Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar and let set to allow the milk curdle. 3. Mix cornmeal, flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a large bowl. 4. In a separate small bowl, combine the milk mixture, oil, maple syrup, and sweet potato. Mix well before folding into the dry ingredients. Stir until well combined…you don’t have to worry about over mixing….No gluten J 5. Allow the dough to let sit for about 5 minutes before pouring into the baking dish, or muffin tin. 6. Bake bread for about 20 to 25 minutes….or 15 to 20 minutes if making muffins. When done, the surface bread will be firm to touch, and have cracks in the top. Let cool in baking dish for about 5 minutes before removing the bread (or muffins). 7. Feed yo’ face!!!!! Irish Brown Bread Recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau Ingredients: 2 cups non-dairy milk (I used almond milk) 2 tsp. white distilled vinegar 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ½ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. non-hydrogenated nondairy butter I added ½ cup oat bran….totally optional Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease a round 9 or 10 inch cake pan. 2. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar, and let stand for 5 minutes to allow milk to curdle. 3. In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda, salt, and oat bran (if using). Add butter, and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. 4. Stir in the milk/vinegar mixture and combine until you have a sticky dough. Using your hands works best. Once just mixed knead the dough in the bowl or on a floured surface for about 10 strokes. Don’t over knead or the bread will become too tough. 5. Place the dough in the prepared pan, and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bottom of the bread has a hollow sound with thumped. Cool slightly before serving. Bakers Note: Brown bread can dry out quickly and is typically good for 2 to 3 days. Current Spice Bread (Baker’s Note: This bread recipe utilizes a bread machine.) Ingredients: 1 cup warm (not hot) water ½ cup soy milk 2 Tbsp. non-hydrogenated nondairy butter 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 tsp. sea salt 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. cloves 2 tsp. dry yeast (or one proportioned packet) 1 cup dried currents (or raisins) Directions: 1. Place all ingredients, except currents, in the bread machine IN THE ORDER GIVEN. Do not stir, adding the yeast last, being careful not to get it wet. Select the DOUGH cycle and start machine. 2. After about 20 minutes of mixing, check the dough. Add more soy milk if the mixture is too dry, or add more flour if the mixture is too wet. Add the currents to the machine, and then allow the cycle to complete. 3. At the end of the cycle (a beeper sounds on most models) remove the dough from the machine, and knead lightly on a floured board for about 2 minutes. 4. Heat oven to 350, and grease a bread baking pan. Place the kneaded dough in the bread pan, and cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until the bread has just about doubled in size…about 30 to 40 minutes 5. Bake bread for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, or until the bottom of the bread has a hollow sound when thumped. 6. Cool slightly before serving…..if you can wait that long! Beet Hummus (Baker’s Note: Again, this is a recipe I make often. So, again, some of the measurements are estimated. Definitely taste the hummus while you go, and adjust to your own preferences. ) Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 medium beet, washed and cubed 1 small yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped Juice of 2 lemons 3 15 oz. cans chic peas, drained and rinsed, reserving the bean liquid 1/3 cup tahini ¼ cup fresh dill (or 1 Tbsp. dried dill) ½ cup fresh parsley 1 Tbsp. cumin 1 Tbsp. horseradish Salt and pepper to taste Directions: 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the beet and onion and sauté until the onions begin to sweat. Add the garlic, cover and cook for another 10 minutes until the beets become tender. Stir occasionally so the garlic does not burn. 2. Add lemon juice and beet, onion, garlic sauté to a food processor or blender, and mix until well pulverized. Add the chic peas and tahini and continue to mix adding the reserved bean liquid as needed to get the desired consistency. 3. Add the dill, parsley, cumin, horseradish, salt and pepper and mix…adjusting the seasonings to taste.  Some things, niño, some things are like this, That instantly and in themselves they are gay And you and I are such thngs, O most miserable . . . For a moment they are gay and are a part Of an element, the exactest element for us, In which we pronounce joy like a word of our own. It is there, being imperfect, and with these things And erudite in happiness, with nothing learned, That we are joyously ourselves and we think Without the labor of thought, in that element, And we feel, in a way apart, for a moment, as if There was a bright scienza outside of ourselves, A gaiety that is being, not merely knowing, The will to be and to be total in belief, Provoking a laughter, an agreement, by surprise. -Wallace Stevens |
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