Reduction Resolution

Photo by Kelly G

"We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?" - Wendell Berry

Whereas the Holidays are all about indulgence and excess; the New Year ushers in a time when many seem to focus on reduction. Whether it is cleansing and detoxifying, meditating and exercising or cleaning up our homes and offices—it seems like many are making the all important connection between the health of our bodies, spirits, and environment with the simplification of our lives. Reducing waste related to our eating and cooking habits has been the subject of numerous articles recently and I thought I would share some links of interest. 
Links:
Yes Magazine’s Ten Tips for a Zero Waste Household

Alternet’s Compost Cuisine: Amazing Ways to Make Delicious Food Out of Garbage

Mother Earth Posted this article on their Facebook site recently about how to store fruits and veggies without using plastic

Nourishing the Plant posted this article on reducing food waste

Here at Inverbrook Farm we compost our garden scraps. If you are a member of the CSA we offer to take your food scraps, that way if you do not have a home composting system we can do it for you. If you are interested in signing up for the 2012 CSA Season (a great way to keep you diet resolution) please check out the farm website. We are offering a special $50 discount for those who sign up before the end of January. Best wishes with your New Year Resolutions.

Happy New Year—Trends and Resolutions

Happy 2012. Trends and resolutions seem to be all the rage this time of year, so I thought I would share some of my favorite articles so far. It actually is very exciting to see the popularity of ideas like “farm-to-table” and “artisanal,” or to read that almost all the hot new diets still encourage the increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.

In honor of the new year and these encouraging trends, I am going to extend the early bird CSA discount until the end of January.  A 2012 CSA Share will cost $550 as opposed to $600 if you sign up before January, 31st 2012 . Go to the Inverbrook Farm website "news and information" page to download a sign up form. Whether you want to be trendy or stick to your diet resolutions, supporting local agriculture seems to be the way to go. Buy Fresh, Buy Local.

• Huffington Post 2012 Food Trends and from contributor and cookbook author Rose Gold “what we will be eating in 2012”
• From Grist the bad and good food news of 2011
• NPR weekend edition “Artisanal and Authetic the Flavors of the New Year”
• Mark Bittman’s (picture from article) No Meat, No Dairy, No Problem

And finally the Philly Inquirer’s wrap up of food critic Craig LeBan’s year in bells (his rating system) with a nice shout out to our local farm-to-table hero Aimee Olexy of Talula’s Table and Garden.   Cheers to Aimee and the continuation of the local farm-to-table trend!

Aimee Olexy at Talula's Garden

Happy Solstice-Knowing the Dark

 Happy Solstice!  Of all the rituals, events and reasons for celebrating this time of year--the winter solstice is truly the one I love the most.  That one long night marks the start of the days slowly getting longer--a time to embrace the dark with the knowledge that brighter days are just around the corner.  Usually its cold and bleak outside--not warm and balmy like today--so its nice to have a  reminder to celebrate this season of dark.  A time for reflection and planning; with each passing day getting brighter and longer.  Enjoy this poem by Wendell Berry--and enjoy the slow waning of darkness:

To Know the Dark

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.

To know the dark, go dark.   Go without sight,

and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,

and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.

Holiday Sale at Inverbrook this Saturday 1-6PM

If crowded malls and impersonal big box stores are getting you down this holiday shopping season, I am happy to offer the perfect alternative.  This coming Saturday from 1-6PM we are hosting a holiday sale at the big stone house on the farm featuring a variety of talented local artisans.  Orchids, cheese, beeswax candles, temporary tattoos, pottery, seed packets, earrings, fabric bags, aprons, and more....this eclectic mix of vendors will provide a wide array of gift options.

Along with the great local artisans, I will be manning farm table which will include the ability to sign up for our 2012 CSA season, learn about the add on CSA options like the North Star Orchard Fruit share, buy gift certificates from Three Birds Bouquets, as well as the opportunity to purchase Camels Hump Rain Barrels. 

Shop locally and celebrate the holidays this season at Inverbrook Farm's Holiday Sale. A selection of fine handmade crafts and local fare will be available for purchase.

Featuring:
* Bessie -- bags, aprons & accessories
* Chansonette Flowers & Art -- inspired orchids & succulents
* Happy Cat Organics  -- where the slow food revolution begins
* HEIRLOOM: modern classic -- jewelry & accessories
* Lyla Kaplan Pottery -- functional stoneware
* Red Haven Farm -- artisan cheeses
* Matchstick Handmade -- beeswax candles
* Camels Hump Rain Barrels  -- water catchment systems
*Three Birds Bouquets -- flower csa

Bring your friends and enjoy light hors d'oeuvres while ringing in the holiday season and new year 1-6PM Saturday, December 17th!

Bessie's Bags



Matchstick Handmade Beeswax Candles



Happy Cat Seed Packets



Chansonette Orchids and Floral Creations

Lyla Kaplan Pottery bottle



Heirloom: modern classic pendant



Reflections On November--A Season of Gold

As November draws to a close I thought I would share this lovely poem with you all.  The unusually warm and wet month has lead to some very dramatic weather--highlighting the natural beauty of our Chester County landscape.  Its been a month since the CSA ended, so I have had plenty of time for walks and appreciation of the varied terrain at Inverbrook.  When I read this poem it had a particularly strong resonance with the month and my recent observations--a month full of gold.

GOLD

Suddenly all the gold I ever wanted

Let loose and fell on me.  A storm of gold

Starting with rain a quick sun catches falling

And in the rain (fall within fall) a whirl

Of yellow leaves, glitter of paper nuggets.

And there were puddles the sun was winking at

And fountains saucy with goldfish, fantails, sunfish,

And trout slipping streams it would be insult

To call gold and, trailing their incandescent

Fingers, meteors and a swimming moon.

Flowers of course.  Chrysanthemums and clouds

of twisted cool witch-hazel and marigolds,

Late dandelions and all the goldenrods.

And bees all pollen and honey, wasps gold-banded

And hornets dangling their legs, cursing the sun.

The luminous birds, goldfinches and orioles,

Were gone or going, leaving some of their gold

Behind in near-gold, off-gold, ultra-golden

Beeches, birches, maples, apples.  And under

The appletrees the lost, the long-lost names.

Pumpkins and squashes heaped in a cold-gold sunset--

Oh, I was crushed like Croesus, Midas-smothered

And I died in a maple-fall a boy was raking

Nightward to burst all bonfire-gold together--

And leave tat last in a thin blue prayer of smoke.

-Robert Francis

Thanksgiving snuck up on me this year.  We did not raise many turkeys, so I was spared the typical busy chaos associated with distributing the culinary focal piece for this very important meal.  Strangly I was feeling a little less spirited about the holiday; a holiday that I usually relish in.  The themes of thankfulness, family and food--are all very important to me.  Thanksgiving morning I took a walk to the top of our hill to pick bittersweet and was once again struck with the peace and beauty embodied in our lovely local landscape. 

The time spent outside on such a lovely day quickly brought on a sense of thankfulness appropriate for the holiday.  My walk ended near the beehives (kept at the farm by beekeeper Dan B.) where I paused to watch their busy activity--thinking of the stores of golden honey inside of the hive.  My Thanksgiving spirit had been renewed in the observation of bees and their magical transformation of the landscape to sweet delicious sustenance-the metaphors are endless. 

As December is sure to bring cooler weather and a more barren landscape--I will hold on to the golden thoughts of November, ever thankful for the warm beauty of nature. 

Yoga Retreat at Inverbrook Farm-Celebrating the Season

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). 



The retreat included a workshop with urban farm guru Nic Esposito



Julia leads the group in a greens harvest



In return for the greens, the group helped the farm out by seperating garlic cloves for planting



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.

“Of Bright & Blue Birds & the Gala Sun”

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



Urban Apiaries on Friday Arts

Check out this great video featuring farmer friends Trey Flemming and Bill Shick.  Urban Apiaries honey is now available at Talulas Table

Watch Friday Arts for November 2011 on PBS. See more from FRIDAY ARTS.